- September 22, 2024
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DJ, Callie, Dorian and Draven Kramer. Dorian Kramer is the new acupuncturist at TPC. (Photos by Lesley Dwyer)
Brad Marner and Peg Pluto. Pluto has been a chamber member since 1998 and used to manage the Wicker Inn.
Tryla and Earl Larson get to know new members Kirsten and Peter Birch better while playing networking bingo.
Lahni, the Chief Greeting Officer at TPC, never misses an event with her two-legged friends.
Ashley Watts from Cafe L'Europe chats up Tim Wirt from Frontier.
Gail Loefgren of the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce and Suzy Brenner of The Paradise Center host networking Bingo.
Lahni keeps an eye on the snacks.
Kim Bouchard of Jack Dean Flooring and Nancy Taussig. Hearing Aids of Sarasota is one of Taussig's clients, who will be hosting next month's chamber event at Lazy Lobster.
Kim Migaiolo and Gabriella Giordano from Fitness Quest have been chamber members for four years, but this is their first time attending an event.
Brandon Solon, Kellie Spring, Andrew Vac, Tryla Larson and Jack Dean
Everyone already knows, Andrew Vac, who emcees all chamber events. Suzy Brenner introduces herself and gives the crowd more information on The Paradise Center.
Hans Kirkegaard buys a 50/50 raffle ticket from Brandon Solon.
Gael Loefgren, Kellie Spring and Andrew Vac admire the giant bottle of tequila donated by Tim Wirt.
Zach Easton from Panhandle Cleaning won a bottle of tequila.
Gael Loefgren and Andrew Vac give attendees updates on chamber happenings.
“We sort of pride ourselves on being a fun place to come and do stuff, thus the Bingo,” Executive Director of The Paradise Center Suzy Brenner said.
The Longboat Key site hosted this month’s Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce’s after hours event on Aug. 23. What was called Business After Hours has been revamped to Off the Clock.
“Business After Hours is a nationwide thing chambers use,” chapter President Gail Loefgren said. “If you’re off the clock, you don’t necessarily want to do business, but you’re off the clock, so you can do whatever you want.”
About 40 members and prospective members wanted to play bingo, some more competitively than others.
“People get competitive, man,” Brenner joked. “You give them a contest, and they’re like, 'Where were you born!?'”
Unlike traditional bingo, where players sit in one place, this was networking bingo. Players worked the room to find someone who was born in the same state, owns a cat or has blue eyes. One square read, “Has been in the Observer.”
Even the door prizes proved this was not your average networking event. Tim Wirt with Frontier donated a giant bottle of tequila.
“They don’t make a bigger bottle,” he said.
The crowd cheered when Zach Easton from Panhandle Cleaning won. Some business was still required: The chamber ushered in three new ambassadors, Tryla Larson, Brandon Solon and Deanna Mesghali.
Peter Birch is a new member and attended with his wife, Kirsten.
“I grew up here and dragged her with me coming back,” he said. “I’m trying to start a chiropractic business out on the island.”
The new chiropractic office is located near Christ Church on Gulf of Mexico Drive. A soft opening will be held Monday.
The next chamber event will be sponsored by Hearing Aids of Sarasota and will be held Sept. 15 at the Lazy Lobster.
“You need to make your reservation soon because it sells out,” event emcee Andrew Vac said.
