Erika Spence: Business in the Park

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce rang in 2017 with two phenomenal events, a Meet the Board Reception and the monthly Good Morning Winter Park program featuring our new President/CEO Betsy Gardner Eckbert. The two events combined engaged 300 members, business executives and community leaders. The Chamber hosted a record number of attendees at Member Orientation in January and continues to add a new member to our roster daily. You can view photos from these events and meet many of our new members on Facebook and Instagram (@winterparkchamber).

Awards season

While Hollywood hones in on red carpet events and awards ceremonies, Winter Park has its own awards season. First up is the Ovations Awards Ceremony this Thursday, Jan. 26, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Winter Park/Maitland Observer are proud to partner in this program to showcase the “best of” our local business community. Over 2,000 members, community leaders and residents voted for their favorite places to shop, dine and do business. Now it is time to celebrate the finalists and winners! Watch for a complete list in an upcoming issue of the Observer, and photos to come on our social media pages.

Candidates & conversation

As municipal elections draw closer, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce encourages you to attend several upcoming programs and events to hear from the candidates for City Commission. The Chamber will host a City Commission Candidate Forum at the Winter Park Welcome Center on Friday, Feb. 10, at 8 a.m. The one-hour forum is an opportunity to hear from the candidates on a variety of issues. Questions for the candidates may be submitted in advance at winterpark.org. The forum is free and open to the public.

Information on additional forums is available at cityofwinterpark.org under Election Info.

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce will also host Sip, Stroll & Straw Poll on March 2. This event pairs the popular Sip, Shop and Stroll events on Park Avenue with a good old-fashioned straw poll. Tickets and details will be available beginning in February at winterpark.org

Show some love to local charities

And finally, the Rotary Club of Winter Park presents its sixth annual Chili for Charity event on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Winter Park Farmers Market. From 5:30 to 8 p.m. guests can sample a variety of chili creations, all with a Winter Park attitude, from local restaurants, caterers and even submissions from local businesses. Event highlights include live music, silent auction and prizes for the chili entrants. Net proceeds will be distributed to Winter Park charities through the Rotary Club’s foundation later this year. Tickets and information can be found online at chiliforcharity.org or by searching for the event on Facebook.

Erika Spence is the senior director of marketing and communications at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.