Business owners ‘Tailgate their way to Talent’ at Chamber event

Tioga State Bank participated in and served as a sponsor for the Tioga Chamber’s Tailgate Your Way to Talent event held on Thursday. (Photo by Wendy Post)

On Oct. 12, area businesses gathered at the Treadway Inn and Conference Center in Owego for a new Tioga County Chamber of Commerce event, “Tailgate Your Way to Talent”.

The event welcomed participants for an afternoon and evening filled with games, food, fun and networking.

According to Gwen Kania, president and CEO of the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, those participating were placed in random teams for the competition, which included a corn hole game and others.

Pam Pringle, center, prepares to compete with her team during the Tioga Chamber’s Tailgate Your Way to Talent event held on Thursday. (Photo by Wendy Post)

And those arriving were wearing jerseys, many from their favorite team. Businesses also set up their displays with a football theme in mind while creating a tailgate party scenario.

But the real goal of the event, according to Kania, was to disseminate resources and impart business knowledge that is pertinent to all levels of staff, while having fun. The tailgate theme lent itself well to playfulness with games, food, drinks, team building and “timeouts”, where short presentations of useful information were provided.

At the end of the event, all attendees received a packet of resources that encompassed what they learned.

Pictured, from left, are Sheri McCall, Employment Center manager and Marte Sauerbrey, chair of the Tioga County Legislature. (Photo by Wendy Post)

According to Kania, “The purpose of this offering is to provide face-to-face, personal interaction with a wide variety of businesses and their staff.”

Kania also noted that they had to do something different, and was referencing the business show that normally took place at this time each year. Kania is hoping that the new format for networking will catch on and grow.

To learn more about the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, visit www.tiogachamber.com or call them at (607) 687-2020.

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