Welcome everyone to Midday Magazine for this April 9th, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Mailoff here at 330.
We're going to be talking to David Farmboro and let's talk real estate with our friends
at Cole Banker, see your realtors.
Right now our good friend, Lacey Ailingen, with us, she is the events and engagement director
of the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce.
Lacey, how you doing?
Good, how are you?
Doing good.
It's good to see you.
It's always good to hang out with you.
And to catch up with our Chamber and all the great events you guys go at going on,
how are things at the Chamber?
How's everybody doing?
We are wonderful.
Very excited.
It's already April, so very, very much so planning all of our summer events and spring
events and already having like the fall stuff going on.
So yeah, definitely a fun time to come into the Chamber and see what we have to offer.
One of the things I like to do for Lacey or any of the Chamber members when they arrive
for us, especially now that we record these, is give you a chance to breathe because you
got a lot coming up.
It's going to be a busy summer.
We got some of our favorite events coming up and we're going to start talking about
one of those.
We're going to kick off talking about one of those because lunch by the river, we're
looking for sponsors, looking for entertainers, looking for food vendors.
Yes, absolutely.
So I have three more dates, one in June and then three in August for entertainers.
So please reach out if you are interested.
I would love to have some kind of martial arts.
I would love to have something to kind of get the crowd involved.
So whether it be like a magician or some kind of act where we can kind of get up, move,
do something like that.
So please reach out 715-422-4859 or communications at WisconsinRapidsChamber.com.
We have the food vendors that are going to be there and we can take about five to six.
So we want to have a full variety of options for people.
So I would love to have some kind of dessert option or some kind of coffee cart of some
kind because I think that that would really do well.
Even though it's halfway through the day, we got to keep going.
So I think that would be really fun as well as some activities.
We are looking at wanting to plant a kids day.
So if you are interested or you have something that you could do with the kids, teach the
kids, some kind of little thing that we can kind of do in the grass by the river.
That would be really, really wonderful.
Please reach out.
We want to make this bigger.
We want to grow it.
We want to involve all demographics.
So if you have something or if you know something, please reach out.
Nothing is a bad idea because I can absolutely, if we can't find someone for the summer, we
can absolutely start planning for next.
Yeah, that's a good point.
That's a good thing to keep in mind.
We have so many people out there that have such unique skill sets.
There's wood carvers.
There's musicians out there.
There's a lot of different things that you might not think of.
Well, this wouldn't work by lunch by the river.
Talk to Lacey and find out.
Maybe it would.
And we're always looking for unique, different things to be able to do down there along
with, of course, musicians and a lot of the acts that we've had in years past.
Absolutely.
And I want to feature people that are from this area.
Obviously, Wisconsin, everyone that's, you know, everyone's invited, definitely reach
out.
I'm willing to make the travel and come to Wisconsin Rapids.
I would love that.
I just really, really want people that are here that have those talent and have those
skills and are available, you know, from 1130 to 130, please reach out.
We have a lot of fun together, Lacey, and talking chamber events, talking local events
and everything.
But every once in a while, I have to put on my serious hat and I don't mean to be
ultra serious here or anything, but I take coffee very seriously and I love coffee.
So we are looking for a coffee vendor.
Yes.
I think that is a brilliant idea.
Ice cream.
If we could do it.
Ice coffee.
Yes.
Absolutely.
I think that having something to drink, having like, you know, I want to have a healthy option.
I want to have different kinds of different diversity things down there.
So definitely reach out.
I think that it will be really, really fun, especially, you know, if we can bring in new
food vendors, I really would love that.
We're so fortunate in this area.
We have so many unique different food choices and different chefs and restaurants around
here.
This is a great opportunity for you and your business, no matter how big you are, to
be seen by more people, to be, had people taste your food.
They don't have to go to your store.
They're coming right to the same spot.
You're meeting them at their place.
It goes a long way a lot farther than I've talked to businesses, even, you know, talking
to family and natural foods when they were down there and they've been around 70's home
years and it really benefited them.
I can't imagine a business that it wouldn't benefit.
Yes.
Absolutely.
Please reach out.
I would love to talk to you, talk to you about all of our summer events.
We have other things coming, you know, coming up that you can get on as well, so.
And with that, we'll give the information to get a hold of Lacey before we wrap up today.
Maybe you're listening in the Rome area and you would like to be a part of something like
this.
We got something for you.
Yes, gathered by the gazebo.
So we are really excited to get out there.
Rome area is growing tremendously and we have our season sponsors already full.
That one, that one filled up really quickly.
We still have one more single event sponsor.
So you'll be recognized during that event.
You'll also have an option to promote your business during a Facebook live event.
You'll be able to have your booth there as well as your business listed on all of our
marketing, advertising materials, including social media, print, advertising, email and
then buy website as well as the flyers that will be kind of taken everywhere.
So please reach out.
August 13th is the last last event sponsor that we're looking for, for gathered by the gazebo
out in Rome.
Thank you to the sponsors who have already joined us and the people that are already
looking forward to that and getting ready for it.
That's one of our favorites.
We love that one.
And I make no bones about it.
rendezvous in the park is one of my favorite events because I love anything that brings
me to that wonderful park.
I love that park.
Riverside is such a great location to have things, especially we're looking for the exclusive
food vendor and that event is monthly.
So that's June 19th, July 17th and August 21st.
So you will be the exclusive food vendor there.
The only one you'll have no competition lunch by the river.
We have a few.
So definitely reach out if you are interested.
We are looking for a season sponsor.
We have a little bit of interest out there.
We have a meeting tonight.
So hopefully fingers crossed I can get them on board.
But we definitely want to have more sponsors there.
I would love to grow this event as well.
I am talking to the city of Nikusa about a bouncy house and they've been pretty, they've
been pretty open about it.
We just had to make sure that insurance was good for that.
So that was the only thing that really, that I, you know, kind of waited on a little bit.
But very excited to have, you know, a lot of things there as well as obviously the food
vendor.
It's exclusive and then entertainer.
So we are going to be looking for a couple.
I would love to have the Nikusa school in some form there as well as we've recently
started exploring having an opening act and then another one because yeah, the younger
kids, some of them don't know, you know, they don't remember, they couldn't play for an
hour and a half.
They have enough material for maybe 25 to 30 minutes.
So we've been exploring having multiple entertainers where the kids can kind of, you know, open
up for a bigger act and I am really hopeful that us having multiple there, you know, bringing
the family, bringing different kind of demographics as well as I really, really want to have
a lot of outdoor games at all of these events.
So having outdoor things for kids to do as well as they have that huge place at.
But I think that it's, I think that it's a good idea to have multiple activities for
different kids, different ages and then obviously looking for those food vendors.
They have a great, they have great space there for everything.
It's, it's really, really, if you have a certain need or you don't have a food truck, but
you can cook, bring in the shaffer pans and then we have that little area where you can
plug things in.
We would love to have that.
So don't think that you have to have a food truck or a cart or something like that.
We can work with you and we absolutely will.
So please reach out if you have any interest in that.
So lunch by the river, gather by the gazebo and then rendezvous in the park.
Great point about the rendezvous and being able to hook up to the machines, I didn't think
about that.
That's a really good point.
With all three of these wonderful events, Lacey, one of the things that I, is always
noteworthy to me, especially in this time of year as we're itching an itching for warmer
weather and everything is the locations.
Like everything you've said, I thousand percent agree with and adding just that part of it
that these locations are beautiful and awesome and able to take in and getting outside a
little bit and giving you that opportunity to have some of that along with networking
and running into people and maybe even making new friends or running in the new people.
And it's not just you, but maybe your kids that get an opportunity to do those things.
Everything Lacey said, 100 percent along with that that is such a wonderful thing.
We don't stop and smell the roses very often, especially in the summer where everything's
busy and stuff.
I think that these events give us an opportunity to kind of organically do that.
Absolutely.
Get out with your family.
These are free events open to the public.
So definitely take advantage of them.
We want to make sure that we are having as many people obviously as we can to kind of justify
everything that we're doing for this all the time that goes into that.
So please attend them.
Please take your family out, even if you're from, you know, if you just want to kind of
see what they have or see and you have them in the room area, it's beautiful out there.
And they definitely have a lot of space, a lot of things to offer, a lot of businesses
there.
But yeah, definitely check it out.
This community has wonderful parks and they are right on the water.
So it's not super hot.
You have the wind and it's really, really nice to kind of stay away from the bugs and get
out with your family.
And it's free.
You put me by a body of water and I'm happy.
It doesn't matter what's going on.
So you got me already on that, along with all these other great things about these wonderful
events.
One of the other things that Chamber does so well is not only incorporating local businesses
but giving opportunities for those businesses and the community to communicate, to connect
to network.
And we got a networking night coming up.
Yes.
Networking at night.
We are, it's five to seven.
Those are the hours starting this year that has been really, really helpful as well
as we've introduced games at every networking at night.
So it's not necessarily forced networking, but it's close.
So you have some kind of a bingo sheet and then you've got to walk around and ask questions.
So it doesn't, it's kind of takes some of the pressure off.
Where you're just walking up to someone and you're like, hi, this is my, you know, this
is my name.
This is my card.
So you can walk around.
You have to find like the last month we had it at two hearts, the FW.
And you had to walk around and find someone that had, but I think the hardest one was
to find someone with foreign money.
Oh, yeah.
So luckily someone did have something like a Canadian nickel or something like that.
But just kind of walking around, meeting someone, it takes a little bit of pressure off
because you can first kind of, you know, get the door open with that question and then,
oh, you know, where are you from?
We've had really, really good, really, really good turnouts, especially with introducing
the new time as well as these games and it's really great to have, especially the business
owners that have been coming, bringing their business cards.
And if you're someone who is a little bit more introverted, we, we absolutely will introduce
you.
So we'll come with you and kind of be like a little buddy for the night and introduce
you to people, learn more about you, find people that are your people, people that you're
going to get along with, people that you're going to mesh well with so that you don't have
to necessarily feel like, oh, yeah, I don't want to, like, that's, that's too much.
That's, you know, that's, that's kind of intimidating.
So this month, Ho Chiang Gaming, Nikusa, free appetizers, raffle prizes, I will almost
guarantee that they're going to do some kind of free rewards play because I swear anytime
they sponsor any kind of event and if they're listening, missy, we are expecting some free
rewards play.
But yeah, definitely check it out.
That is going to be at their, you know, at Nikusa.
And so definitely come.
It's free to attend, free to members, free to hopefully future members, but definitely
come out five to seven on April 15th.
Ho Chiang has done this as long as I've lived in this area, but in recent years, they've
really made a huge effort to do more in the community, be a more a part of things and
it's really noteworthy and a big shout out to them for that.
Absolutely.
They being blunt about it, I don't know that they have to.
Yeah.
I feel like they're okay.
They, you know, they're, but doing, that you see a name like that, a part of these kind
of events and doing things like this, building a bridge, reaching out to the community
more and everything, they're doing it because they believe in this area, they believe in
the people of this area, I think that's noteworthy.
I think that should be commended.
I like seeing that.
Absolutely.
They've been, they've been a wonderful partner in a lot of our events.
They've been very supportive from having speakers, to letting us even have our community
leadership out there where they made us homemade fry bread.
And if you haven't had fry bread, you do, like you have not lived and I'm like, I was
pretty sheltered with food when I was a kid, but the, it's so good.
And then they have ones where they have like hot dogs in the fry bread, but it was so
good.
And then they like put butter on it.
Yes.
And there's like, yeah, it's so good.
But yeah, they made this like rice, this like wild rice soup for us, but she, but she
was in the kitchen making all of this stuff first from scratch for our community leadership.
So definitely very grateful to them.
They, you're right.
They don't have to do these things, but they do because they believe in this community.
They believe in giving back and they want to show everyone that this is a community
worth supporting.
Yeah.
So it's really great.
Well said.
So we have some upcoming workforce program and events for everybody, a job resource and
transfer fair right around the corner.
Absolutely.
So if you are looking for a job, if you are looking to transfer credit, you know, credits for
a, you know, midstate to a four year college, if you are looking for a better job, if you're
looking for resources in this community, please come out as free to attend.
Employers will display all their job openings.
You can absolutely do some kind of on, you know, like if you can have some conversations
with them, almost some like open interview type things, but there'll be a lot of assistance,
resume, you know, helping cover letters, things like that that we probably should have been
taught in high school.
Yeah.
Yeah, right.
Yes.
But we, we weren't.
So there's things that are here to help you support you and definitely so that you can
get, you know, the best job that you can get, you can support your family.
You can stay here.
There is a lot of jobs.
I know we, we're constantly, you know, saying that there isn't enough or there isn't, there
is a lot of jobs out there.
It's just maybe we're not necessarily looking in the right places.
So there are sponsors for that are midstate.
That's where this event is held.
Job center, obviously hard of Wisconsin, doll automotive, aspirus, McCain's and San Valley.
So if you want more information, you want to have a booth there.
You have a resource that you think is important for people that are, you know, going to be attending
this.
Definitely reach out.
That's Workforce at WisconsinRapisChamber.com or 715-422-4860 and that is going to be
April 16th from 1 to 5 p.m. at midstate.
So great opportunity for people out there and especially for businesses too, you know,
to be able to reach out and find out new, maybe new employers or new employees either
way.
Absolutely.
Definitely reach out.
If you are looking for any kind of job-related resource, if you are looking to transfer anything,
if you are looking for any kind of support in this area, you should absolutely be there.
And absolutely take advantage of this because we don't have a lot of things where you can attend
for free if you are not a member and this is free and open to the public.
So if you are a business, if you are a job center resource, absolutely reach out.
If you have a PDF, so where you can give that to anyone that you are working with.
But absolutely, everyone should have an opportunity to do with it, what's best for them and
we want to support that in any way we can.
Speaking with our friend, Lacey Ailing, events engagement director with the heart of Wisconsin,
Tamer, commerce and Lacey, when it comes to us, eat, drink and buy local and another
one of our favorite events coming up and looking forward to not only having this but showcasing
some of our great businesses and eateries and that.
Yes.
I have been pushing this and pushing this and pushing this.
So Holly is actually running this event, but we want everyone, not just small businesses,
it's any business at all that wants to market their business.
So big, small, we want them all, I'm serious, we want everyone.
So I did a little breakdown and essentially it's 35 plus the $25 raffle prize and that
so that's essentially the $55 fee.
If you divide that within the 14 days that this is running, that's $3.92 a day, which
is less than a Facebook boost, I look.
So the marketing, the ROI on that, I know people are really, really focused on that this
year.
And if you do not have a marketing, any kind of like marketing budget, this is not just
marketing.
This is this can fall into different categories if you need it to.
So please reach out, that is going to be $715, $423, $1830 and you can register online
if you'd like to and play with a credit card, but definitely give us a call, office at
Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.com if you prefer that.
If you want to come in and fill this out right on the, you know, right on the spot where
they're eight to four, but definitely utilize this.
This is a bingo card that's running during May 6th to May 19th, so around Mother's Day,
take advantage of that.
Do that with your mom, do something with your family member.
Your daughter, just get out there, support these local businesses, show them that we don't
only buy from Walmart.
Yeah, yeah.
Not that I don't love Walmart.
We love Walmart.
But it's a fair point.
Yes.
Absolutely.
There's other places out there that you can buy things.
You can have things personalized and we want to, we want to promote you.
So give us something to promote.
And Lacey, you hit on something I think really key to this too.
It's not just about if you want to expand your business.
It's, do you want to show where your business stands?
You know, that is, we're just talking about Ho-Chunk and Ho-Chunk making an effort to
show, hey, we back this community, hey, we believe in this community.
This is the same thing.
It's showing that we certainly can, I mean, very few organizations can help grow your business
like the Chambercand.
They have connections and no different people than any of us do.
They have much, but they've been around a long time to be able to do this and make those
connections.
But it's also so important to be able to, I know, build those connections, but to build
your community and to make that stronger.
And so many of the businesses that are a part of this over the years come back feeling
that and seeing that and really seeing the evidence with their own eyes of how much this
can impact and how much it can help your community.
Absolutely.
And it's not just Wisconsin Rapids.
We, I know that people think that, but we're getting businesses and then we've heard
a lot, like you have to be a Chamber member to do this.
This one is exclusive for that.
But we've had businesses sign up because of this because they are like, okay, we did this
years ago and we, and we're now tracking how much money you're making during this two
weeks span, which has really helped so you can kind of see what you're getting out of
it.
But even just having this marketed at the other 40 businesses, your logo is going to
be in those other businesses as well as around the community.
The flyers are going to be posted on Facebook.
We're taking them out everywhere.
I'm giving them an ambassador's, all the renewals, anyone that's walking into the Chamber, any
new businesses.
So this is getting seen by a lot of eyes plus around 10,000 if you include, if you include
the Facebook followers, plus our, you know, our constant contact email.
So definitely reach out.
So I just want to make sure that everyone understands.
It can be port.
It can be pit's fill.
It can be Adam's friendship.
It can be anything that is in this area.
We'd love it if there's more so that obviously the people that are, you know, patronizing,
they're getting to hit, you know, everything.
But I really, really excited that we had someone sign up from pit's fill because we want
everyone to buy into this.
We want everyone to understand that there's so many businesses that you can utilize and
that you can go to.
And this is, I mean, your $25 raffle price, that could be a gift card to your business,
which is then going to bring them back in there.
And then you can create, you can create that relationship and have them keep coming back.
So definitely reach out.
Please do not wait.
We've extended the deadline because we want to feature as many local businesses as we
can.
So please reach out.
Please buy into this.
We support our edible little, there's going to be a little hashtag that's going to be going
out with it.
So definitely excited for it.
Yeah.
I'm looking forward to this.
As we wrap it up in the last minutes here, Lacey, I wanted to make sure to take a note
of the April member of the month for our local businesses.
Yes, Jennings is our April member of the month.
We love Jennings.
I love Jennings.
I love their, they're like their mac and cheese thing where they do it like the custom.
Yeah.
It's such a good place to go.
I love the building.
I like just being in that building.
It even feels good.
The atmosphere is always a good vibe there.
Great people to work there.
Wonderful people.
And again, the food.
Yeah, absolutely.
My mom, if she can eat anywhere in town, that's pretty much where she wants to go.
She just loves the food, the choices.
No, not a whole bunch.
The homemade chips in the home.
So good.
Everything is so good there.
Definitely support them.
They are a member of the month.
We love Jennings.
We love their weekly specials.
We love all the burgers.
They feature every month.
But yeah, definitely support them.
Get in there.
I believe they're also participating in that.
Awesome.
Awesome.
Really, really excited for them.
Shout out.
Thank you to our friends over at Jennings.
Lacey, as we're wrapping up here, do we cover everything we wanted to today?
I believe so.
I think the only thing we have some new members that we've signed up within this month.
We only have a couple days in.
But we have, oh my god, processing.
Nice.
Which is, I know.
So they are a meat processor.
And they are in Pitzville, as well as Stoie.
I'm going to say it wrong.
Stoieber.
A Stoieber health care.
Yeah.
So a cyber camper.
I was sorry, sorry.
So they are a new member.
So definitely excited for them, welcoming them to our little chamber family.
And if you are interested in becoming a chamber member, you want to come in.
You also do get as a plug, my plug for WRI.
You get a free radio little spotlight.
Yes.
Definitely reach out.
You're going to be able to market your own business, as well as we'll be helping
you.
And we'll be holding your hand.
We've definitely been doing more of a buddy system with the new members and
check ins just to make sure that they are supported along the way.
We have a new chamber member joining us this week looking forward to that.
Always enjoy having those segments and those moments and always enjoy talking
with you, Lacey.
Thank you so much for what you do for our community.
You and your whole team over there.
You guys are great at what you do.
If people want to find out more about some of these events, be a sponsor with
some of these events or any of the above, Lacey.
How can they get a hold of you?
Absolutely.
You can reach me at the 715-422-4859 or the office at 715-423-1830 and they can get
you transferred anywhere you need to go.
Find out more at WisconsinRapidsChamber.com, WisconsinRapidsChamber.com.
Be sure to follow the chamber on or social media sites.
We'll talk again real soon, Lacey.
Yes.
Thank you.
Well, a more midday magazine coming up right here on WFHR, locally grown radio.
