Organizers say over the years, the Chamber Gala at the Snoqualmie Casino has been one of the hottest tickets in town.
Dressing up, walking through a red carpet photo shoot entrance, conversing with fun and interesting business and community leaders, enjoying elegant food and delicious cocktails – they say it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season.
The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce is providing this (and much more they say) at its Annual Gala on November 20th at 7pm in the Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom – and the whole valley is invited… it’s not just for members.
Find yourself wondering: What is the Chamber or Why do we have one?
Well, the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce is the only voice fully devoted to supporting business and promoting 
healthy and vibrant commerce across the valley. Their offices are located in the Snoqualmie Visitor Center, in the beautiful historic brick building in downtown Snoqualmie – central to the valley it serves.
The Chamber’s Director of Member Services, Kaylee Hardman, reports to a board of directors which is comprised of leaders from across the local business community. Currently almost 300 businesses are members of the Chamber, with many more participating in the Chamber’s many events.
The Chamber’s Board members come from a wide range of businesses from Fall City to North Bend. Over the past six years board members, who serve two-year terms, have included local banking, insurance and engineering executives, doctors, lawyers, the CEO of Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, the Executive Director of Encompass, financial professionals, board members from our valley’s largest non-profits, local elected officials, successful restaurant owners, a commercial developer, and others. The size of its member businesses range from one-person consulting firms and service providers to those with 1,000 employees and everything in between.
The Chamber:
- Represents Snoqualmie Valley businesses with membership on many local and regional economic, business, and legislative committees and task forces
- Brings popular and interesting business speakers to the Valley for its monthly Chamber lunches
- Hosts important community forums, including recent candidate forums for local and state candidates
- Promotes and encourages healthy and vibrant commerce
- Partners with its members for open houses and promotions
- Hosts many networking events
- Maintains a website with on-line member listings organized by industry
- Prints an annual business directory sent to every home and business in the valley
- Helps make important business to business connections
- Promotes and encourages valley tourism
Three Chamber board members and the Member Services Director also serve on the East King County Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition. Monthly, this coalition brings together ten Eastside chambers, including Bellevue, Redmond, and Issaquah, to advocate for legislation and legislative proposals that benefit the Eastside business community. This coalition meets with legislators regularly and was a key advocate for ensuring that the I-90 and SR 18 interchange were included in the Transportation Bill passed last spring. Members say this type of unified business voice is an invaluable service.
New on its agenda, the Chamber is forming a Business and Education Roundtable. Its purpose is to find connections between business and education; trying to answer the question often asked by employers when considering relocating into new communities: “What is the quality of the workforce and what is the quality of your public schools?”
This Roundtable will discuss collaborating with teachers, providing business open houses for on site awareness of career choices, and helping businesses consider student internships for meaningful exposure to careers.
The Chamber holds three major fundraisers each year for its operations: an Annual Golf Tournament, Tour de Peaks Bike Ride, and Annual Gala.
So if you’re interested in kicking of the holiday season at this always fun event, register for the gala www.snovalley.org/gala. Tickets are $100 and include red carpet photos, appetizers, cocktail hour, dinner and a live and silent auction.
