MADE Chamber Happy Hour: Celebrating 250 Years — How It Went

On June 24 the back of the building belonged to the MADE Chamber. The grill was going, the outdoor games were out, and business owners and community leaders from around Mason, Deerfield and the surrounding area spent a summer evening celebrating America’s 250th at Revelance.

It was a chamber happy hour with something to do besides hold a drink, and that made all the difference.

Grill Out, Games and a Little Patriotism

The format was a summer grill out with the Taproom open and the outdoor space set for games and conversation. Networking at a chamber event is the point, but the best networking happens sideways, while you are waiting for a burger or losing at cornhole, and the evening was built to make plenty of that happen.

Two features made it ours. The interactive video booth invited guests to record a favorite Fourth of July memory, which turned out to be an excellent way to get a room full of professionals to drop their guard. And the Declaration Wall asked business owners to declare a goal, a vision or a prediction for their company. Some were serious. Some were funny. All of them started conversations.

The Declaration Wall in particular turned out to be a better icebreaker than any introduction. A business owner who has just written down a goal for the year is more than happy to tell you about it, and the people reading the wall had an easy reason to ask. By the end of the evening it was a snapshot of what the business community in this corner of Warren County is hoping to do next.

The video booth ran all evening and collected memories that ranged from fireworks on the Ohio River to a backyard parade that apparently still goes on every year. Both features gave the night a record of itself, which a happy hour rarely has.

Why a Chamber Night Belongs Here

Chambers of commerce need venues that feel like the community they represent, and Revelance was built by local owners who work in the building every day. A standalone building with free private parking, a private bar with no event markup, outdoor space and a room for a crowd is a natural home for the people who run businesses in this part of the county.

Thanks to MADE for bringing the crowd and for trusting us with the celebration.

Chamber members who had not been inside before got the tour that a happy hour gives: the Revel Room with its 25-foot ceilings on the way in, the Taproom bar, the patio and the members’ floor above it. Several asked about boardrooms for their own meetings before the evening was over.

Why Revelance Hosts Events Like This

Revelance is a private business club, and part of being a club is being a good neighbor. Hosting the chamber, the local food pantry drive and community nights keeps the building connected to the town it sits in, and introduces the space to people who may one day need a boardroom, a holiday party venue or a desk.

Chambers, associations and community groups looking for a venue can start with the private event inquiry form, and upcoming public events are on the events calendar.

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