Friday, August 26, 2005
Bowling Green Chamber Breakfast
Once a month the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce organizes a breakfast for chamber members partners and is sponsored by a partner as well. This month's breakfast was the first one I have attended and I have to admit, it was much more than I expected. It was sponsored by "BKD" and I had to ask the representative at the door, "Who is BKD?" The answer was, "An accounting firm." As it turned out, it was also co-sponsored by the United Way of Southern Kentucky.
As I walked into the Sloan Convention Center , the walls of the entry were lined with booths of the United Way funded agencies and programs. From the Salvation Army to Kid's on the block, there were dozens of programs represented. I put my business card in the bowl for the door prize and a staff member made a nametag for me out of another business card and I entered the ballroom.
The typical layout of a stage at the head of the room with tables to each side of the podium, large tables with white tablecloths, and two lines of people with plates on each side of the room. The food? Nothing spectacular, some fruit, donuts, eggs, bacon and juice. I didn't complain as I joined the already long line selecting the eggs and bacon for breakfast.
Finding a seat was an entirely different issue. I'm really not good at estimating participation but there 15 - 20 tables with 10 people at each one and even as the program started (at exactly 7:30 am as printed in the schedule), the staff of the convention center were setting up more tables in the back to accommodate the unexpected number of people who stood patiently with their food in their hands.
The program started with announcements from the chair and some introductions. Of course the sponsor was allowed to speak and this is where I truly learned that BKD, llp. is a fairly large accounting firm in several states. The gentleman who spoke explained the firms commitment to the community and the United Way. As he asked each staff member in attendance to stand, he explained that their firm was a 100% participant in the United Way fund raising. It was then the representative of BKD yielded to the local United Way President and CEO. I was left with the impression that BKD sponsored the breakfast and gave the United Way time and space to promote their cause. I'm not sure if this is the case but it appeared so.
The speaker on the schedule was W. James Host, Secretary/Kentucky Commerce Cabinet. His introduction by State Representative Jim DeCesare (R District 21 Warren County) took up a good bit of time because of Host's numerous accomplishments. In short, he is a Kentucky native and media man who has accomplished a great deal in his life and has a burning passion for Kentucky. This passion came through in his speech which I must admit was one of the better ones I've heard from an appointed cabinet member.
Once Secretary Host was introduced, he thanked Representative "Jim - I cannot pronounce your last name" and acknowledged the presence of Speaker of the KY State House Representative Jody Richards (D - District - 20 - Warren county). Host spoke with great enthusiasm about the greatness of Kentucky and our positioning to become a great(er) state. He was most proud of the recent branding effort and talked at length about this effort and the benefits that already being realized as a result. In short, they hired a consulting firm who surveyed several hundred people both inside and outside the state of Kentucky. (1700 if I remember correctly.) He conveyed that when people in other states were asked, "What is your impression of Kentucky." The overwhelming response was, "None." He explained that most people outside of our state had no impression of us at all. When people from Kentucky were asked the same question, the typical response was, "I'm embarrassed." 
Secretary Host further explained that the good citizens of Kentucky listened to Jay Leno and Dave Letterman's jokes about Kentuckians being a bunch of toothless hillbilly's who don't wear shoes. The secretary expressed his pride in the new branding and how it is intended to inform both groups on the greatness of Kentucky. He then showed a 30 second commercial that was shown during the Kentucky Derby on national TV. Admittedly, I learned more about the "greatness of Kentucky" in those thirty seconds than I have in the ten years I have lived here. Once I was finished feeling ashamed of myself, I was proud to be a Kentuckian.
When Representative Jim DeCesare (dee-sez-er-ey) introduced this fellow radio man W. James Host, he promised that he was not the typical commerce secretary and his years in media and marketing would come through as well as his passion for the state of Kentucky. I have to admit he was absolutely correct. I was pleased to have been at the chamber breakfast just to listen to a very proud and passionate man speak of the state he loves and now serves.
I have written before about the great advantages of being a Chamber Partner in Bowling Green, and once again I would have to recommend the Bowling Green Chamber of commerce to any and all small business people in our community. There are tangible and intangible benefits, and besides the eggs and bacon which were tangible, I received an intangible benefit this morning and can say that I'm truly proud to be a Kentuckian.
- Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce www.bgchamber.com
- United Way of Southern Kentucky http://www.uwsk.org/
- Sloan Convention Center http://www.bgky.org/cia/conventioncenter.htm
- Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/kt/bowlinggreen/
- Kid's on the block, http://www.kykob.org/
- BKD, llp http://www.bkd.com/
- W. James Host, Secretary/Kentucky Commerce Cabinet http://commerce.ky.gov/officesecretary/aboutsecretary.htm
- Representative Jim DeCesare http://lrc.ky.gov/hsedistricts/h021/h021.htm
- Speaker of the KY State House Representative Jody Richards http://lrc.ky.gov/hsedistricts/H020/H020.htm
- recent branding effort http://www.kentuckyunbridledspirit.com/
