2024 Celebration of Excellence

Description

Yeehaw! Saddle up for the 2024 Celebration of Excellence as we tip our hats to the business legends and outlaws of the Brainerd Lakes Area. Gather your posse and ride along with more than 600 cowboys and cowgirls recognizing the true grit of our honorees. Proudly presented by CLA, this upscale hootenanny is the biggest event of the year and IT WILL SELL OUT. Reserve your table or seats today!

We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Lakes Proud Small Business of the Year Award winner: Weizenegger-Engel Insurance! Sponsored by Cub Foods, this prestigious award recognizes a small business that personifies the spirit of entrepreneurship, pride, and success that forms the backbone of our local economy. We invite you to join us at this year's Celebration of Excellence as we honor this outstanding business. Show your support and RSVP to reserve your seat or table!

Past Lakes Proud Small Business of the Year Award recipients: Jack Pine Brewery (2018); Brainerd General Rental (2019); Close Converse (2021); Kavanaugh's Sylvan Lake Resort (2022); Weizenegger-Engel Insurance (2024).

Joining the list of legendary Business Excellence Award winners is Waste Partners! Sponsored by Hy-Tec Construction, this prestigious award recognizes a business that embodies leadership, innovation, employee investment and community service. We invite you to join us at this year's Celebration of Excellence as we honor this outstanding business. Show your support and RSVP to reserve your seat or table!

Past Business Excellence Award recipients: Widseth (2012); Crosswoods (2013); Grand View Lodge (2014); Ultra Paws (2015); Just for Kix (2016); CTC (2017); Cuyuna Regional Medical Center (2018); 3 Cheers Hospitality (2019); Lexington Manufacturing (2021); LINDAR-Avantech-Triven (2022); Hubbard Radio & 2060 Digital (2023).

Rancher Table: $1,500 (4 available) 

• Includes a reserved table located in the two rows closest to the stage
• Plated dinner for 8
• 1 pre-set bottle of wine or bucket of beer (your choice) at your table
• Backstage passes for 8

Wrangler Table: $1,100 (3 available)

• Includes a reserved table located in the 3rd and 4th rows / middle section
• Plated dinner for 8
• Add-ons available for purchase

Rustler Table: $850 (30 available)

• Includes a reserved table
• Plated dinner for 8
• Add-ons available for purchase

Individual Seat: $95

• These are anything but nosebleed seats! Enjoy great stage views close to the cocktails and social scene!
• Includes reserved seating and dinner for 1 individual
• Reduced fee for Leadership Class of 2024 ($80)

RSVPs RECEIVED

• Rancher Tables
  • Anderson Brothers Construction
  • Brainerd Lakes Chamber
  • Bremer Bank
  • CLA
  • Clow Stamping
  • Cub Foods
  • Grand View Lodge
  • Hy-Tec Construction
  • Pequot Manufacturing
  • RiverWood Bank
  • Waste Partners
  • Weizenegger-Engel Insurance
  • WhiteBox Marketing
• Wrangler Tables
  • 371 Furniture & Mattress and Party Time Rental
  • Boyd Lodge and Mike O'Connell Larson Group Real Estate/Keller Williams
  • Brainerd General Rental
  • Clow Stamping
  • CTC
  • Cuyuna Regional Medical Center
  • Holden Electric
  • Hubbard Radio & 2060 Digital
  • Jim's Electric
  • Just for Kix and The Teehive
  • LINDAR Corporation
  • Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union
  • National Bank of Commerce
  • Waste Partners
  • Widseth
• Rustler Tables
  • Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation
  • Brainerd Lakes Chamber (2)
  • Central Lakes College
  • Hudson Magic
  • Navigate North Group
  • Nor-Son Construction
• Individual Cowboys and Cowgirls
  • Lori Bender, Penmac Staffing Services
  • Allie Galligan, Employment Resource Services
  • Shawna Knutson, Edward Jones
  • Randy and Kerry Martin, North Country Floral
  • Anastasia Schwankl, Penmac Staffing Services

We invite attendees to put their best boot forward and embrace the wild west with us for a night of cowboy glam! Please remember that guests are NOT required to dress up to the theme for this event. Business attire is also acceptable. We want our guests to feel welcome and comfortable.

Inducted into the Blue Ox Business Academy's Leadership Experience will be the Class of 2024. The Leadership Experience is a ten month program (11 full days) that is designed for emerging leaders and high-potential employees to develop essential skills and insights into their leadership character. The Brainerd Lakes Chamber is proud to have 575 graduates from the Leadership program that originated in 1999. Several of our alumni have grown and developed into some of our area's most influential leaders!

Join us in celebrating this year's Leadership Experience Class of 2024: Aaron Kriens, Hy-Tec Construction; Austin Mau, Brainerd General Rental; Barb Thesing, LINDAR Corporation; Bill Volbert, The Teehive; Brett Pikula, Magnum Research; Daniel Hood, CTC; Dave Maile, Lexington Manufacturing; Jennifer Caughey, Lakes Printing; Jess Vogt, Brainerd Lakes Chamber; Jessica Richau, Curated Closet; Jill Haugene, Growth Zone; Jodi Bedard, Cuyuna Regional Medica Center; Joel Falenschek, Essentia Health; Joey Froelich, Crow Wing County; Josh Wever, BLA Clean; Kelly Masberg, CTC; Kelsey Fabro, RiverWood Bank; Lael Dornself, Bridges of Hope - Common Goods; Leah Campbell, American National Bank of MN; Leah Morrow, Lexington Manuracturing; Mac Gruber, Nor-Son Construction; Marc Williams, Crow Wing Power; Mel Schermerhorn, Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake; Melissa Kraklau, Lexington Manufacturing; Molly Rannevik, CliftonLarsonAllen; Naomi Berndt, Frandsen Bank and Trust; Nichole Heinen, Pequot Lakes Chamber; Nicole Goodwin, Just For Kix; Nolan Michaelson, Magnum Research; Paul Augustinack, Woods To Water Real Estate; PJ O'Brien, T.C.B.X. Trucking; Ryan Koslofsky, Pequot Manufacturing; Scott Whittemore, Nor-Son Construction; Shawna Reed, Essentia Health; Shelby French, Magnum Research; Stacey Harting, Hubbard Radio & 2060 Digital; Stefanie DeVries, Brainerd Public Schools Foundation; Tess Taylor, Hubbard Radio & 2060 Digital.

Backstage Sponsor: $2,250 

• Receive a Wrangler Table & dinner for 8
• Receive backstage passes for 8
• Logo included with event marketing

Entertainment Sponsor: $2,250 

• Receive a Wrangler Table & dinner for 8
• Receive backstage passes for 8
• Logo included with event marketing
  
  

Skip the Line with Pre-set Bottles of Wine at Your Table: $55

• Chloe Wine Options: Chardonnay; Pinot Grigio; Sauvignon Blanc; Prosecco; Cabernet; Merlot; Pinot Noir

Skip the Line with Pre-set Buckets of Beer at Your Table: $60 / 8 Beers

• Beer Options: Coors Light; Miller Light; Michelob Ultra; Jack Pine Brewery - Dead Branch Cream Ale, Jacktober, Blood Orange, Raspberry Lemon Hard Tea; Roundhouse Brewery - Angel Seat Amber Ale, Pontoon Ale, Boom Lake Lager, Jubilee Seltzer

Backstage Pass: $25

• VIP Backstage pass to the pre-party and 1 premium drink ticket
• Live entertainment by TBD
• Meet & Greet with the award winners and sponsors
• Held in the Canoe and Paddle Pub (formerly the Bear Trap Lounge) near the main entrance of the main lodge from 4:00-5:00PM
  
  

4-5 PM: Backstage Party Sponsored by TBD

• Location: Canoe and Paddle Pub (formerly the Bear Trap Lounge; left of the main entrance of the main lodge) at Cragun's Resort
• Invitation only for Presenting Sponsor, Award Sponsors, Level 1 Table Sponsors, Award recipients and their guests, and individuals who have purchased Backstage Passes
• Attendees will receive 1 premium drink ticket
• Entertainment sponsored by TBD

4:30-5:50 PM: Social Hour

• Cash Bar
• Appetizers
• Photo Area
• Live Band

6-8:30 PM: Awards & Dinner

• National Anthem
• Welcome by ________ of CLA, Presenting Sponsor
• Blue Ox Business Academy Class of 2024 Leadership Experience Graduation
• Invocation by TBD
• Plated Dinner TBD
• Main Program
• Recognition of volunteers, committees, and retiring board members
• Lakes Proud Small Business of the Year Award Presentation, sponsored by Cub Foods
• Business Excellence Award Presentation, sponsored by Hy-Tec Construction
• Business Legacy Award Presentation, sponsored by RiverWood Bank
• Thank you for attending
  
  
  

The Brainerd Lakes Chamber will present three awards at its twelfth-annual Celebration of Excellence on November 21 - the traditional Business Excellence Award, which goes to an outstanding local business, the Business Legacy Award, which celebrates individual lifetime achievements as well as community and economic contributions and the Lakes Proud Small Business of the Year Award which will recognize a small business that personifies the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Brainerd Lakes Area!

For all three awards, a nomination/application process was announced in April 2024. After the deadline passed at the end of May, a volunteer selection committee independently scored and discussed each applicant before choosing the recipients.