The All Around the Bend Business Showcase from the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce is back for its second year. This year, the event takes place on April 13th at the West Bend High School Fieldhouse. There will be more than 80 exhibitors, plus food and entertainment!
Amber Cypcar from the Chamber joins me this week to talk about the event and what to expect this year!
[00:00:00] Fuzz Martin: Hey, hope you had a great spring break, and if you didn’t have a spring break, well, I hope you get one. From. Whatever you’re doing, and I hope you get it soon. You deserve it. Shanna and I and our youngest daughter flew off to Disney for the week last week, and we had a wonderful time. Dare I say it was a magical time.
I told that to someone on the phone today, and they said if they were standing next to me, they would have hit me, and I would have deserved it, though I don’t condone violence. We did have a fantastic time, and while I fear we may be becoming, and I’m using finger quotes, Disney people, Disney people. We enjoy it.
Our daughter enjoys it. My wife enjoys it. I know Disney enjoys that we’re there and uh, our credit card company, they enjoy it as well. So that’s nice. Hey speaking of nice Nice transition fuzz. This week, Amber Cypcar the Events and Programs Manager for the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce, joins me to talk about All Around the Bend Business Showcase, a great event for the community happening at the West Bend High School Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 13th.
It will feature businesses from around the area and a lot of fun activities for the whole family, kind of like Disney. See? With that, here are 15 minutes on All Around the Bend Business Showcase with Amber Cypcar. On Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.
Amber, the West Bend Chamber of Commerce is hosting All Around the Bend. Uh, the business showcase at the West Bend high school field house coming up on Saturday, April 13th. Can you start by giving us an overview of the event?
[00:01:47] Amber Cypcar: Yes. So the All Around the Bend business showcase is a free community event, which will be welcoming about 80 local businesses, non profit organizations and different vendors all to the West Bend High School Fieldhouse to showcase their products and their services and the employment opportunities that they have. They’ll be setting up booths. They’ll be there ready to talk with you, meet face to face with the business professionals that many will have products available for purchase as well.
And you can learn about all the different resources that are available. So it’s a great Showcase our thriving business community here in West Bend, but it’s not only just about business We have to have a little bit of fun, too So we have a lot of fun elements in the event as well. There’s different entertainment groups coming in different school groups They’re going to be singing and showcasing their talents There is a play zone for kids.
We have to have something for everyone, right? So we got the fun play zone going on. There is a huge raffle. There’s almost 80 raffle prizes in the raffle and a lot of other giveaways. There’s a grand prize giveaway too, which I’ll talk about a little later. And of course there’s food and concessions. So be sure to come hungry.
Try some local flavors here in town. So we’re just happy to have brought together so many different parts of the community for this event. And we cannot wait to see everybody on April 13th.
[00:03:08] Fuzz Martin: That sounds very exciting. And it sounds like it’s a well put together event by the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce.
What inspired the chamber to create All Around the Bend?
[00:03:18] Amber Cypcar: Definitely. So the mission at the chamber is to foster a thriving business community in West Bend. And we do that by promoting. Advocating, connecting and educating our members. So those are our four pillars and we focus almost everything we do around those pillars are promote our programs, our initiatives, and our events.
We make sure that it aligns with those pillars and the business showcase does just that. It is a platform for businesses to form connections with other businesses and with clients. It is a chance for businesses to promote themselves and get their names out there And it’s a way for the community to learn About what their businesses are doing and how we can build support for our business community as well So that is what inspired the mission of this event the purpose of it And then for the logistical parts of it too, we, in this event, the first year of it was last year.
So we were taking into account a lot of the effects of COVID. Businesses were still coming out of COVID difficulties. We know that many physical stores were impacted. Many businesses shifted to an online model maybe. So they don’t have that in store face to face time anymore. Right. Staffing was an issue and is still an issue.
Business owners can’t get away from their businesses for long. So in the logistical sense that we knew, okay, it needs to be a one day event that business owners have the chance to get out and participate. It needs to be affordable. It’s not going to be your fanciest showcase. It’s not the big screens and the big lights and things like that, but it’s so authentic and it’s so genuine and we want to keep it that way.
And of course it’s in person, which is a big part of this. So. That is what helped us form the basis of it, the foundation, and then we didn’t want to limit it to a theme or a specific topic like a home explorer or a trade show. We wanted it to be West Bend. So that’s how we came up with the name too is, you know, West Bend, Bend, all around, All Around the Bend.
Business showcase. Excellent. That’s what inspired
[00:05:19] Fuzz Martin: it. Well, that, yeah, that sounds, very, very well inspired and feels like a great way to showcase everybody. Again, you know, the home show brought in a lot of outside, businesses from outside of Washington County or West Bend and this really helping to showcase those
[00:05:36] Amber Cypcar: businesses here.
It did. Yes. The home show, the chamber hosted the home show that went on for 47 years. So that was a well run event. And it was time to retire it because it wasn’t speaking to our mission anymore. It, it was a lot of outside businesses and we wanted to just focus more on our community. So
[00:05:52] Fuzz Martin: Great! This is the second year of the event.
How has the All Around the Bend changed since year one?
[00:06:00] Amber Cypcar: Oh, it was great to learn all of the things last year is a great way to get our feet on the ground and get a good basis. And now we have that foundation and now we can just add more things and make it Even a more inclusive experience and elaborate.
So we kept the foundation, of course, you know, inviting businesses. We’re happy to welcome almost 80 businesses this year. And the cool thing about that is a lot of them are different than last year. So even if you came to last year’s showcase, you’re going to see a whole new slew of businesses. Some will be from last year as well, but a lot of them are new.
So that’s really exciting. We evolved the, or the entertainment people loved it. And we just grew that more. So we got even more school groups involved. We have a big lineup this year. The play zone is new. That is just another fun element we added in. And then for businesses, we, on the business side of things, we incorporated some sponsorship opportunities for them.
Sponsorships are important for businesses. They are often, a part of their marketing strategy. So we wanted to make sure that that is available for them, too, so that it can evolve on that end as well. So it’s gonna keep growing. It grew a little bit this year, and it’s probably gonna grow a little bit more next year, so we can’t wait to see where it goes.
[00:07:08] Fuzz Martin: Excellent. So, you said there’s gonna be about 80 different businesses there. Mm hmm. What kinds of businesses will be participating in the showcase?
[00:07:16] Amber Cypcar: All different types , Fuzz. Let me tell you all sizes from small, a lot of small and medium sized businesses, home based sole proprietors. There are a few larger ones in there as well.
Bigger names that you’re going to recognize. It’s the showcase. It was open to any West Bend business, so they don’t necessarily have to be a chamber member. But many of them are, and you’ll see them, they’ll have a sign by their booth, proud chamber member. But it was open to all businesses. Any business located in West Bend or a company that services the West Bend community.
So you’re going to find all different types, all different industries, real estate, construction, insurance, photography, vendors, real tail retailers, both large and small food. The Humane Society will be there with some adorable doggies. Oh, excellent. So, you can melt your heart.
[00:08:03] Fuzz Martin: The best conference that I ever went to in my role here in advertising, I had to go to the World Pet Expo in Orlando.
Oh, man. And it was the cutest trade show I’ve ever been at. That sounds great. So, having the Washington County Humane Society be there with pets will be awesome. Uh huh, yep. So You talked about some live performances and entertainment. What do you have planned for the event in that way? What can people expect to see?
[00:08:31] Amber Cypcar: So if you have a student, you’re probably going to be at the showcase because we have so many school groups coming. We are excited to have Decorah, McClane, and Jackson Elementary come and perform. They each have a fourth grade student choir. They’ll be singing. So cute. Excellent. The high school choir has three separate groups, and they’re all going to be performing at the event.
Okay. That’s really exciting. And there’s a few different, just local students who have interested music. There is a band that some high school students have, it’s called the brass project and it’s a brass band. And then there is a local student, Tristan Colbert, and he plays the cello, but he plays the cello like, a, Beast.
He’s so good. So we cannot wait to see them all. All the groups that were at the showcase last year were great, and we imagine that it’s going to be just as great this year. Awesome.
[00:09:15] Fuzz Martin: One thing, you know, being a parent, taking a child to an event like this is keeping them interested and busy. So they’re not, you know, You have the kids play zone.
What kind of activities for kids and families do you have there?
[00:09:29] Amber Cypcar: We thought of that. We thought, you know, a bunch of kids, but that’s really probably not an ideal Saturday afternoon for a parent walking around an expo with a kid. So we made the play zone. Let’s be honest. Kids are probably not interested in forming the play zone.
Connections with business leaders, but they love jumping in a bounce house and getting their face painted. So that’s what we did. We brought in a bounce house. Thanks to one of our wonderful sponsors. There will be a face painter, a free face painter from 10 until one. There’s a little arts and crafts section.
So you can make a fun project if you want. There’s a showcase scavenger hunt. So if kids do get stuck walking around with their parents. They have something to do and interact with the booths on their level. And then also citizens advocates, they’re going to be in the showcase this year and they do a craft project for all ages and all abilities.
And they’re going to be doing this craft project out of their booth. And it’s cool because you can create this project, but then these projects are donated to a local organization. Oh, great. You can make a little project. And it will go to a senior citizen or something like that. It’s a craft that brings joy to others.
Oh, that’s fun. That’s cool, too. So they’ll be there and you can do that as part of the play zone as well. It’s a fun time. Lots of things for kids to do of all ages.
[00:10:36] Fuzz Martin: Great. That’s a really great idea to, donate those to senior citizens. So, you mentioned food and concessions. What can we expect there?
Will there be local restaurants or who is? Supplying the food this year.
[00:10:49] Amber Cypcar: Yep. Come hungry. Concessions is special. So concessions is actually put on by the West Bend Alpine ski team, which is the local or the high school co op ski team here. And we are so thankful for their help because they run it, they manage it, they set it up, and we’re so happy that it can be a fundraiser for them too, because all proceeds from concessions goes to that group.
So they have the classic offerings, subs, pizza, chips, pretzels, water, things like that. So it definitely support them by getting something from concessions. And then we do have a few restaurants participating this year. We’re excited about Billy Sims barbecue. They had samples last year. I’m sure they’ll have them again this year.
People like the samples, so they got great barbecue and great mac and cheese and then timmers resort is also in the showcase this year. They are a staple in our community. We’re hoping they’re bringing they bring samples But they’ll definitely be there talking about their event space that they have and their menu and events going on, too So lots of food options, a little bit of flavor from around town, so you can come eat.
[00:11:50] Fuzz Martin: All right, great. You had talked about some prizes, giveaways, etc. What can attendees expect from that side?
[00:11:57] Amber Cypcar: Yeah, so I said it’s a huge raffle, right? There are over, almost, about 80 raffle prizes and all of them have a 50 value or more. Okay. So raffle tickets you can get at the event. They’re 10 for 10 tickets or 20 for 25 tickets.
All types of raffle baskets. So fun baskets, tech. Tech gadgets, gift certificates, gift cards, different services, tickets to shows, all kinds of things that you can get a raffle ticket for. There’s also a lot of free giveaways, thanks to the vendors. And you can pick that up as you’re going and visiting their different booths.
And then there is the grand prize giveaway, which is a grand prize drawing of a hundred dollars in chamber checks. Cool. So if you don’t know what chamber checks are, they are Pretty much a gift card for local businesses in town. They can be used at any member that is a chamber member, any business that’s a chamber member.
So all attendees have to do is they’re going to get a punch card when they come to the event, they go around, talk to different vendors, get a little signature from the vendors they talk to. Once their punch card is full, turn it in and then they’ll be entered. We’ll pick one winner at three o’clock at the end of the event and they’ll get the 100 in chamber checks.
[00:12:59] Fuzz Martin: Awesome. That sounds really cool and a great way. Chamber checks are an awesome way to support the community and the chamber and also, of course, the local businesses here. Definitely. Speaking of local businesses, and you kind of touched this on this a bit, but what does an event like this, How does an event like this benefit a local business here in town?
[00:13:20] Amber Cypcar: So it’s really it’s really an opportunity to to build connections Whether it is connections with clients their businesses are gonna be there, you know selling things and that’s directly gonna affect their bottom line But it’s about other connections to the business the connections that are made with other businesses And I can think of one story from last year’s showcase that I think just exemplifies this so well.
So, two businesses were, participated last year. Beats Goes On, which is a local record store in downtown, and Laffy Mountain Gourmet Popcorn, uh, gourmet popcorn shop downtown. They were in the showcase last year, and they just, their booths happened to be next to each other. And at the event, they got to talking and they wanted to find a way to cross promote their products and they got to talking and they and they came up with this idea that Laughing Mountain would create a popcorn flavor and they would title it.
According to uh, album. Okay. A music album! So the first flavor they came out with, was the Bark Side of the Moon. Oh nice. Pretty self explanatory. And it had chocolate bark, it was a butter toffee popcorn and it was sold at beats goes on. And it sold out in the first two weeks! People loved it! And so they kept, they made more flavors and more names, and So that project came just because they met at the business showcase and it strengthened their both of their businesses and helped both of them grow and that I think is what this is really all about.
[00:14:37] Fuzz Martin: Yeah, that’s really cool. I had not heard that story yet. So that’s, that’s pretty awesome. Yeah. How many attendees do you? Are you expecting this year
[00:14:45] Amber Cypcar: at the showcase? Yeah. So it’s the second year. I wish I had a better estimate. We had about 450 attend last year, which is fantastic. But this year we did focus a lot more on getting the word out to the community.
Sure. You know, we had the foundation, so now we weren’t scrambling so much. So now we could get it out and promote it a little more. It’s a free event, so I’m hoping everybody comes. Maybe 600, maybe 800, I don’t know. We want everyone there. Fill the parking lot. Fill the field house. Free parking, lots of parking.
Come on down.
[00:15:12] Fuzz Martin: I know as the date of this going live there, the event is in a couple of weeks. Can interested businesses still sign up?
[00:15:20] Amber Cypcar: Unfortunately, no. So, businesses, the registration closed on April 1st. Okay. But, if there is a business that is interested, let the chamber know. We do have, we can make a waiting list in case anything changes.
And then if you are interested in future showcases, let the chamber know as well, because we will send you information out for 2025 showcase as soon as it becomes available. It’ll happen around the same time in April at the school.
[00:15:46] Fuzz Martin: Okay, very good. What are some of the. You know, hope for outcomes that you have for this event this year.
[00:15:53] Amber Cypcar: I think the biggest outcome is just to really bring awareness to the vibrance of our local business community. There’s so much that’s offered in our community and it’s so important that residents know that this can be found, you know, right here. Their needs can be met right here in town. So it’s that platform to show off all they do.
That’s a huge goal of this. And then actually another goal is to involve the school district as much as possible. We know how important a strong relationship is between the school district and the business community. The students are our future leaders and our future team members. So we need to have that strong relationship and we want to get them involved.
They are so supportive of us, so we just want to reciprocate that. So we have the entertainment and the concessions. I’m talking with, Family and Consumer Sciences For next year’s showcase to help them help with the play zone and involve that more, tech department and pro portfolio projects for students, things like that.
So just giving support in ways that we can so that they can utilize this event in their endeavors as well.
[00:16:54] Fuzz Martin: Um, how can those in Washington County best support All Around the Bend and the businesses involved? I guess showing up is number one.
[00:17:02] Amber Cypcar: Number one. Yep. Is coming to the event. It is a free event. The businesses.
That are participating are so excited to meet everyone. They’re there. They’re going to be there to answer your questions and talk to you and tell you what about what they have going on. Don’t be scared. It’s not silly, silly, pushy, pushy. It’s a nice chance to meet everybody and get to know who is in our community.
Of course, Spreading the word about the event, getting lots of people there that’s going to help the businesses too, because everybody’s going to make even more connections, a lot of social media like and share the social media posts. You see, there is a Facebook event, the All Around the Bend business showcase.
Okay, that can be liked and shared. You’ll find a lot of info about the event too. And then of course, Supporting the local businesses on their social media is also a lot of them depend on that for their marketing So a simple like can go a long way for a local business So just doing that and then of course the support goes long after the show when we’re utilizing all of them for our needs
[00:17:59] Fuzz Martin: Yes, absolutely Uh huh.
All right So if somebody wants to learn more about All Around the Bend and see the details see some more of that Where can they find more information?
[00:18:07] Amber Cypcar: You’re gonna want to go to the chamber website Which is wbachamber. org there on our events calendar, you’ll see on April 13th, the All Around the Bend Business Showcase.
Click on that. You’ll find very detailed information about the event on our events calendar. You also find other events that the chamber hosts throughout the year, social media, the chamber Facebook page, and the All Around the Bend Facebook event. Those are there. Great resources and spots for information too.
All right. Awesome.
[00:18:36] Fuzz Martin: I have linked to all of those in the show notes for this episode. So you can go and click on those right from your podcast player. If you’d like, Amber, this is awesome what you’re doing. Thank you for coming in and speaking with me. And I hope everybody from around the bend comes to All Around the Bend.
[00:18:50] Amber Cypcar: Yeah. Awesome. Thank you for having me. It’s great. I love talking about it. I love spreading the word, just a quick thank you to the community for their support of this event and for all the support that the chamber receives as well. So. Awesome. Thank you. We can’t wait to see everybody on April 13th at the West Bend High School Fieldhouse.
Doors are open from 10 until 3 All Around the Bend Business Showcase. And it’s free. And it’s free.
[00:19:13] Fuzz Martin: Thank you again to Amber Cypcar of the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce for joining me on this week’s episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz. I hope you all get out today. And attend All Around the Bend business showcase on Saturday, April 13th at the West Bend high school field house.
If you ever have an idea for the show, shout it out. Be proud. Be loud. Email me fifteen with fuzz at gmail. com. Spell out the word 15. fifteen with fuzz at gmail. com. You can also use the form fuzz. cc slash guest. That is fuzz. com. CC slash guest new episodes drop on Tuesdays. You can follow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or as all the mundane podcasters say, wherever you listen to your podcasts.
And with that, we’ll talk to you next Tuesday, right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.
