Business leaders and Chamber members at the 2023 Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley annual gala. The 2024 gala, themed around Las Vegas, will be held 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Parkersburg Art Center. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — Ticket sales end Thursday for the Vegas-themed gala of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley scheduled from 5-8 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Parkersburg Art Center.

Everyone will enjoy playing casino-style games and interacting and networking with other businesses and members of the Chamber of Commerce, according to Jill Parsons, Chamber president and CEO.

“A good time,” she said.

Sponsorships and tickets for the event are available, but ticket sales to the annual gala close on Thursday, Parsons said.

The event begins at 5 p.m. and includes gaming stations that are hosted by businesses, she said. Players have fun while talking with other businesses or coworkers and getting to know each other, Parsons said.

Among the games will be a ring toss and poker darts where players try to get their best hand to win prizes by shooting at a target with a dart gun, Parsons said. An Elvis cake walk also is on the table.

“You’ll be leaving the building with a cake,” Parsons said.

But a big part of the gala is the announcement of award winners that include the New Business of the Year, Emerging Business Leader of the Year, the Community Impact Award, the Property Improvement Award and the Business Leader of the Year. Nominations for the awards closed last month.

Also to be awarded is the Chamber Champion of the Year, Parsons said. The Chamber Champion is selected based on their dedication to the principles of the Chamber, their support participation in Chamber activities, she said.

Nominations are not taken for the Chamber Champion, rather, the staff of the Chamber selects, reviews and compares prospective honorees, Parsons said.

“We pick that winner,” she said.

Ticket information and reservations are available at tinyurl.com/36zux9uu or by calling the chamber at 304 422-3588.

All attendees will start with 10 casino chips to use for the games and activities. They can accumulate chips and use them for chances to win prizes at the end of the event.

Tickets are $75 per person for members in good standing of the Chamber of Commerce and includes hors d’oeuvres and 10 chips. Tickets are $35 each for nominees and $50 each for members of the Annual Gala Committee.

Sponsorships come with a specified number of complimentary tickets and free game chips, Parsons said. Sponsorships start at $250.

Nominees are:

New Business of the Year: Enhanced Wellness, Profuse Solutions, Rise & Restore Coffee, The Flower Daddy, Three Sisters Wellness and Wilky’s Bar.

Community Impact Award: Artsbridge Inc., Boys & Girls Club, Curry Warehouses, Crown Floral, Downtown PKB, Intuitive Data and Technology Products, Goodwill Industries, Miller Prosthetics & Orthotics, WVU Medicine Camden Clark.

Property Improvement Award: 1889 Speakeasy at the Blennerhassett, Discovery World on Market, Marietta Makery, Overhead Door Company of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Peoples Cartage, Warner Kia, Wine Down on Market and WVU Medicine Camden Clark Southgate Shopping Center.

Emerging Business Leader of the Year: Ashley Gibson (Overhead Door Company of the MOV), Cassandra Faust P.A. (Enhanced Wellness), Emily Barnes (Antiques & Boutiques Market), Kate Marlow (Wood County Economic Development), Meagan Hilton and Nick Curry (Curry Warehouses).

Business Leader of the Year: Andy Daniels (3-D Construction), Daniel Owen (Goodwill Industries), George Angelos (Chick-fil-A), Lyndsay Dennis (Artsbridge), Marvin Edwards (Maka Mia Pizza), Michelle Barber (Community Resources Inc.), Robert Gant (Overhead Door Company of the MOV), Sarah Arnold (Clutch Collective) and Wendy Shriver (Discovery World).