ROCKINGHAM – The Richmond County Chamber of Commerce’s “Connections After Five” event series got off to a smooth start Thursday night as dozens of local business leaders gathered for the first event of the year.
Hosted by longtime Chamber member, Sports Cycles of Rockingham, the evening’s festivities were not only the first for the Chamber’s 2018 line up, but a first ever for the Sports Cycles staff. Even though it has been a member of the Chamber for beyond the past decade, Thursday’s event was the first time that Sports Cycles ever opened its doors after hours to host a Connections event.
For them, doing so was an opportunity to become more involved in the community. Acknowledging that not everyone is into the motorcycles, ATVs, and side-by-side vehicles that they sell, the staff of Sports Cycles welcomed the chance to connect with local citizens who would otherwise be unlikely to ever enter their store.
As evidenced by the tremendous turnout, it would appear that this opportunity was well received.
Despite the icy roads and frigid temperatures the past few days have brought, over 75 people came out to the evening’s event; many of which expressed that it was in fact their first time visiting Sports Cycles.
“We are very pleased with the turnout,” commented Chamber of Commerce Membership Director Seth Allen. “It’s also great to see so many new faces here tonight.”
The night’s festivities began as guests entered the showroom floor and were greeted by a savory spread of beverages and hors d’oeuvres from Rick’s Catering. Centered within Sports Cycles’ incredible aisles of inventory, the atmosphere provided attendees with the perfect opportunity to network with one another and see first-hand the wealth of products they have to offer.
After nearly and hour of mingling, a light program was held.
Emily Tucker, President of the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, got things started with a warm welcome speech.
“I can’t thank you enough, Sports Cycles,” Tucker began. “We have always wanted to have one of these events here, and we are so excited that we get to do so tonight.”
In her speech, Tucker went on to share information about several of the Chamber’s upcoming events, including its “Let’s Do Lunch” campaign, the Legislator’s Reception, and of course, its annual celebration event scheduled for February 15.
Tucker’s speech was immediately followed by a few words from Sports Cycles’ own Keith Covington.
Although brief, Covington shared a heartfelt thank you with attendees, and reiterated the fact that this is the first time they have held such an event throughout their over 40 years in business.
Covington, speaking on behalf of the company, also expressed their appreciation for this small town, adding, “We’ve had a good run here in Rockingham, it’s a great place to be.”
The presentation of door prizes concluded the evening’s brief program.
However, guests were in no hurry to leave the event. The majority of the attendees stuck around for another hour to partake in the networking and fellowship opportunities the Connections After 5 series creates. Several guests even remained engaged in conversation at the venue for over 30 minutes past the event’s official end time, which was a clear indicator of the evening’s success.
Richmond County’s Chamber of Commerce will hold its next Connections After Five event at 5:30 p.m. on March 15 at the Rankin Museum in Ellerbe. To RSVP to this event or to learn more about all that the Chamber of Commerce has to offer, give them a call at (910) 895 – 9058.
