On the evening of Tuesday, October 8, Crossroads Chamber’s monthly Business After Hours event was hosted by On the Go Therapy owner Kyle Feck at Realspace in Merrillville. On the Go Therapy provides its clients with mobile massage and stretch therapy services, wherever they may be. Crossroads Chamber is Northwest Indiana’s chamber of commerce and supports the Region’s many businesses and organizations in a multitude of ways.
This is the second year that Kyle Feck, a longtime Crossroads Chamber member, has hosted a Business After Hours event. Last year, he combined the Business After Hours event with a ribbon cutting for his organization’s new location at Realspace. His latest Business After Hours event had a great turnout, with chamber members, local business owners, and Kyle Feck’s friends and family showing their support.
Kyle Feck knows that networking is even more enjoyable and effective when it’s done during a party.
“I love to have fun and I do my best to make sure everyone has a good time,” Kyle Feck said. “This event is also about our new members interacting with longtime ones, making connections, and ultimately growing our community. I have made so many awesome connections during my seven years as a Crossroads Chamber member, so this is my way of giving back. I really appreciate everyone coming out today. I hope they leave in high spirits and are excited for our upcoming Business After Hours events. I am extremely pleased with how this event turned out and I feel blessed and humbled to have been able to host it.”
Representatives from Evexia Salt Cave and Spa in Chesterton, PanoramaNow.com, and JRS Mar/Com numbered among the event’s vendors. Kyle Feck’s brother Collin Feck, owner of Iron Rails Training Facility, was also one of the vendors. Kyle Feck asked each vendor to share a 30-second commercial introducing themselves and their company, enabling all present to learn more about these organizations.
Las Mamacitas Taco Truck and Mission BBQ provided the attendees with their fill of delicious food, while The Peach Cobbler Factory and Steel City Bakery provided them with a wide array of delectable desserts.
Deann Patena, president and CEO of Crossroads Chamber, appreciates Kyle Feck’s dedication to putting on the best Business After Hours event possible.
“These Business After Hours events are important to Crossroads Chamber,” Patena said. “Our members love to network. I love that Kyle lets our members participate in his Business After Hours events by having them come in as vendors. It’s really great to see how he lets others benefit from his events. I hope everyone has a great time tonight. Kyle is a great ambassador for Crossroads Chamber and he definitely knows how to throw a party.”
For the evening’s entertainment, Kyle Feck organized a game in which attendees competed to take turns unwrapping a bundle of prizes swathed in saran wrap while wearing mittens. He also orchestrated a hula hoop game in which the players joined hands in a line and attempted to pass a hula hoop along the chain of arms as quickly as possible. Caricature illustrator Roger Hurtado drew caricatures of attendees while Sky’s the Limit 360 Photo Booth offered everyone the chance to make a fun 360 degree video to remember the event by. A raffle in which attendees could win prizes like a collection of brand-new Star Wars Happy Meal toys, a Starbucks gift card, and a coupon for an On the Go Therapy massage and stretch session was also held.
Nicki Angotti, director of membership for Crossroads Chamber, applauds Kyle Feck for putting on such a successful Business After Hours event.
“The Business After Hours events enable our members to interact with one another, even if they can’t get away from the office to participate in our events that take place earlier in the day,” Angotti said. “Kyle has put on an exemplary Business After Hours event. He’s got great food and he’s supporting the Crossroad Chamber members who are here as vendors too. This is a great opportunity for our newer members to mingle with our other members in a laid-back, low-pressure setting. As the director of membership, I have really enjoyed watching our members supporting one another. That’s what it’s all about.”
David Lawson, marketing manager at Evexia Salt Cave and Spa, finds that his experience at the Business After Hours event has been an eye-opening one.
“My wife and I don’t get to work in Lake County very much, so this has been a great opportunity to make some new connections and educate people about what our organization has to offer,” Lawson said. “Kyle is one of our clients and he was kind enough to invite us to come as vendors here today. He did a great job of creating an atmosphere where people feel comfortable talking with each other. I learned about some great local organizations and even picked up some new networking skills today. It has been a privilege to be a part of this Business After Hours event.”