MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce unites the people of Manhattan to its surrounding area, its businesses, and the military base that supports it.
Manhattan is home to many diverse and amazing celebrations that welcome and unite both the community and visitors from all over the world., and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is right at the forefront of those celebrations and the community that supports them.
The Chamber recently held its annual Flint Hills Regional Leaders Retreat, which hosts influential figures from Riley, Pottawatomie, and Geary Counties in an effort to unite the area towards a common goal of elevating each of the communities.
Helping to organize and orchestrate an event of that magnitude shows just how big of a key role that the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce plays in the development of its very own community. At the Regional Leaders Retreat, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Smith said, "We challenged people to come up with big ideas and we will come back tomorrow and pick two or three to really delve into a little deeper. We were very pleased with the amount of participation and engagement that we had today."
The Flint Hills Regional Leaders Retreat is only one event on a list of dozens throughout the year helping to unite the Chamber to its community.
Another organization that is vital to the Chamber and the Manhattan area is the Young Professionals group, or "Hype," as it's nicknamed, which helps to bring young business professionals who may be new to the city into a social setting to network, develop personal relationships, and of course, have fun. It also draws in members from Fort Riley, or former Kansas State University students transitioning into post-graduate lives.
"Getting involved in the Chamber was really important to me as I transitioned into the professional world in the same community where I grew up and went to college. At first, getting involved in Hype was about making friends and getting to know others in the same stage of life as me," said grace Stanfield, a Hype member and the Chair of Hype's Play Pillar." As we worked on rebranding and restructuring the organization in 2019, it became evident that young professionals are the future of the business community, not just here in Manhattan, but everywhere. I think it's important for Hype to create an environment for young professionals to relate to one another personally and professionally, but it's crucial for that to happen under the larger umbrella of the Chamber because our young talent is an asset that the Chamber must leverage in its greater economic development plan."
Hype hosts events almost every week, with summer highlights like Aggieville Olympics and Backyard Splash, as well as monthly staples Hooray Thursday and Group Lunch. These events provide ample time to connect young professionals with other organizations, as well as take off the work hat and relax.
"Our young professionals organization falls under the talent acquisition and retention area of the Chamber because they acknowledge the importance of fostering the business goals of young people, and making Manhattan an environment where those goals can be achieved," said Stanfield. "I am thankful for the investment the Manhattan Chamber has made in helping Hype succeed, and their long-term vision to make Manhattan a place where young professionals can thrive."
These are just a few of the dozens of ways the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce helps to unite businesses to the community they serve. To learn more about the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, and all that it does for the community, visit its website.