An Inside Look at the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala
Photo courtesy of Phalesha Kyes
Founded in 2003 by a group of Hispanic business leaders and business owners, the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (WMHCC) is dedicated to working with all members of the community to increase the economic advancement of Hispanic owned businesses and to assist the professional growth of Hispanics in West Michigan.
Photo courtesy of WMHCC
ANNUAL AWARDS GALA
Every year, WMHCC hosts a gala to support their annual programs including Building Bridges Through Education, Connecta and other community-based programs. This year, that gala took place on Tuesday, May 23, at the JW Marriott with nearly 700 people in attendance! The event is open to the public, so in addition to their impressively long list of sponsors, community members are also encouraged to purchase tickets to support WMHCC programming.
The annual awards gala is a celebration of the Latino Community. Event organizer, Phalesha Kyes of By Phalesha Events describes it well: “This event says ‘we, in the Latin community, can celebrate like every other community, and we can uplift our members for making a difference in the community for our community’.” Through community nominations and a panel of judges casting votes, they identify and honor individuals and businesses in the LatinX community.
One unique thing about this gala in regards to sponsorship is their addition of a “Minority Business Sponsor.” This allows a larger organization to “sponsor” a smaller business that would benefit from attending but cannot justify the fee to purchase a table. The Chamber will then identify a small LatinX business to attend and sit at the sponsored table. According to event organizers, this is not standard practice at gala fundraisers but is recognized as an inclusive and equitable action by the Chamber.
Photo courtesy of WMHCC
Of those 700 people in attendance this year, nearly 50 of them were students from the Chamber’s Building Bridges Through Education program, an education and workforce development initiative led by the Chamber. Not only are the students granted a complimentary ticket to attend, but they are also able to learn how a formal Gala is executed, how to network and be a part of the LatinX communities’ biggest celebration.
HOW THE GALA CAME TO LIFE
This year’s gala was made possible by the Chamber’s continued investment into the community and the hiring of a local, woman-owned event company: By Phalesha Events. Owned and managed by Phalesha Kyes, a Grand Rapids lifetime resident and self-proclaimed “entrepreneur of color.” She started her business with 15 years experience in a variety of fields: sales, management, communications, marketing and events. She focuses her business on helping small businesses and nonprofits celebrate their successes – and she says she couldn’t be happier!
Photo courtesy of WMHCC
“My favorite part about working with the Chamber is seeing firsthand how they are lifting up the Latino Community right here in Grand Rapids. I identify as Latina, so it makes me very proud to help them celebrate (even if it’s from behind the scenes). Watching guests come in, dressed beautifully, smiling, taking photos with friends, enjoying the hard work that’s been put in for months; that is a special moment for me,” she says.
SWIFT PRINTING: ALL THAT THE NAME IMPLIES
When we asked Phalesha about her experience working with Swift, she was not shy. (Thanks for that, Phalesha!) At Swift, we know how to work with small, local businesses and nonprofit customers. We understand that things come up and we’ll do our best to meet your needs every time.
Photo courtesy of Phalesha Kyes
With this event, there was a last minute need that we were able to fill – namely, 700 individual nametags for the event. And when we say last minute, we mean the day before. (It should be noted that this was due to circumstances out of WMHCC and Phalesha’s control!)
“I’m very thankful for Swift and their family-friendly and focused customer service. We are both small businesses here in Grand Rapids, and we support each other. That’s what it’s about. I cannot say enough good things!” says Phalesha.
We also printed the program that each guest received. These booklets showcased the event agenda, sponsors, what each award meant and all the nominees. At awards galas, these types of printed materials can swiftly become mementos because guests will see their name or a loved one’s name, or perhaps their business was a sponsor!
We continue to be proud to work closely with all of our customers, including local nonprofits, on their annual gala needs and day-to-day printing needs. For more gala tips and best practices, check out our Gala Guide to Printing!
If you’re a seasoned event planner or new to the idea we’d love to help you with your printed materials for your event. From printed programs, namebadges, wayfinding and large format signage, we are your printer! Please email us at thankyou@swiftprinting.com
