Kokomo to be featured in TV series

On Aug. 12-15, a film crew was in Kokomo filming an episode for a community-focused show entitled "John McGivern’s Main Streets." The filming took place in popular destinations throughout the community for an episode that will air next year.

Some of the places that the film crew visited were Kokomo Opalescent Glass, Black Wax Cafe, Sunshine + Water Plant Bar, and more. 

"John McGivern’s Main Streets" is a series that focuses on destinations in the Midwest. The program is currently the No. 1 rated locally produced show in all of PBS Wisconsin.

The Greater Kokomo Visitors Bureau provided the show staff with information on the community, hosted a site visit in March 2024 for the film crew, and helped make connections necessary for the show's filming.

Learn more about the film crew's visit to Kokomo here

Submit your community event!

The Greater Kokomo Visitors Bureau compiles a complete list of events for Kokomo and Howard County monthly. To have your event included in our calendar, contact Sherry Matlock at 765-457-6802 or smatlock@visitkokomo.org.

You can also submit your listing online by visiting visitkokomo.org/submit-your-event

First Friday September brings Art Task!

The seventh First Friday of the year will be 5:30-8 p.m. Sept. 6 in downtown Kokomo. The theme for this month is Art Task and will feature a variety of art and craft stations.

This year, First Fridays are including First Friday After Hours which begin after 8 p.m. Experience the night life of downtown Kokomo with bars, pubs, live music, and exciting happenings designed for the adult crowd. 

ick here to l earn more about First Fridays

Learn more about First Fridays here

Downtown District Gatherings connect the community

Downtown District Gatherings return on September 14 at the Kokomo Riverwalk Amphitheater and will focus on downtown outdoor amenities and art.

Presented by the Greater Kokomo Downtown Association, these gatherings are held quarterly in an effort to engage the community with all that's happening downtown. Interested residents are invited to get involved, be heard or just learn what's new and upcoming. Text Link

Have you experienced the Kokomo Sculpture Walk?

The Kokomo Sculpture Walk is a mile long and winds along trails and waterways through the heart of the city. It’s dotted with a collection of nine large-scale sculptures created by regional and national artists.

An initiative of the Greater Kokomo Downtown Association, the juried collection is selected from submissions by artists across the country. The walk includes pieces that are visually interesting and enriching.

The exhibit changes every two years, with a new collection to be installed in 2025. The sculptures are on display along the Industrial Heritage Trail and Kokomo Riverwalk, both paved surfaces. Learn more here

Does your small business have problems you don’t know how to solve? Inventrek now offering classes to help bridge the gap

As a small business owner, you wear many hats — CEO, marketer, accountant, IT specialist, and more. But the reality is, you can’t be all things in your business, and hiring for every role might not be in the budget.

Ignoring these challenges, though, doesn’t make them go away; it only gives them room to fester and potentially cause long-term harm. That’s why it is crucial to address them head-on, finding creative, cost-effective solutions to keep your business secure and thriving without stretching yourself too thin.

A great starting point is to attend the Linked to The Future series presented by and hosted at Inventrek Tech Park in Kokomo. These hour-long sessions will be led by local experts you can trust and will focus on topics important to small businesses, including cybersecurity, marketing, financial management, and more.

You can expect to leave these sessions equipped with actionable steps you can take immediately — and in many cases, at no cost — to strengthen and protect your business. Attending these sessions also affords you the opportunity to ask our local experts questions specific to your business and receive tailored advice.

Up next

The next session being offered at no cost will feature local expert Justin Van Zuiden addressing banking and fraud. Fraud Manager for Community First Bank, Van Zuiden will guide you through banking basics and how to avoid fraudulent materials. This session will be 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Learn more and reserve your seat here.

The Drive Competition returns for another exciting year.

The Drive is a 'Shark Tank'-style business pitch competition presented by Inventrek Technology Park. Finalists will pitch their business idea to a panel of judges in front of an audience in an effort to win the $10,000 prize.

As an initiative of the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance, the contest is open to those with a startup idea or expansion of an existing business located within Howard County. This year’s finalists are:

• Crystina Diaz of The Kingdom Kids Learning Center: Seeking to expand her facility to welcome more children.

• Luke Talley of Back Woods Trading Company: Eyes an expansion of his retail marketing from his online-based, custom leathercraft shop.

These two entrepreneurs are currently working with Alliance staff on their business plans and will make their pitches to our judges on Oct. 3 at Ivy Tech Kokomo Hingst Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Learn more here.

Chamber helps promote member businesses

The Small Business of the Month/Year Program (SBOM) celebrates the dedication, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of our Greater Kokomo Chamber businesses and organizations.

Each month, we shine a spotlight on one small business, providing them with additional marketing exposure to help fuel their growth. The program runs from January to November, and each monthly winner earns a place in the running for our prestigious Small Business of the Year award. This award is presented at our Annual Awards and Celebration event in November, where we recognize the outstanding contributions of these businesses to our community.

Those honored during this initiative so far in 2024 include the following:

• Meadows Medical Center, Bowe Digital, The Productive Assistant, CrossFit Kokomo, King's Cleaning Solutions, Annmarie's Boutique and Sun King Brewery Kokomo.

Learn more about this Chamber initiative here.

Annual awards nominations are open

Each year, the Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce awards outstanding member businesses and organizations, as well as individuals, at the Annual Awards Celebration.

Nominations are now open for this year's awards in the following categories:

Small Business of The Year, Large Business of The Year, Ambassador of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Businessperson of The Year, IMPACT Nonprofit Award, and Elizabeth Foster Award. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Click here to nominate a deserving Chamber member

The award winners will be honored during the 110th Annual Celebration Dinner & Awards event on Thursday, Nov. 7. Online registration is now open and you can reserve your seat here.



Korean Culture Business Training returns for Phase 2

With the establishment of 2 StarPlus Energy plants in North America, Kokomo is set to become a hub for EV battery manufacturing. These developments will mean an influx of Korean residents and businesses in the Kokomo community.

By familiarizing the community with these new neighbors, the Alliance hopes to create the most welcoming space possible here in Kokomo. To that end, the Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce presented a series of special events in 2023 aimed at helping the business community prepare for interactions and opportunities surrounding the new plants and workers. The Korean Culture Business Training series proved very popular as each session reached attendance capacity and a waiting list of hopeful participants was established.

And now, the series returns for its second installment. Phase 2 will kick off at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 at Ivy Tech’s Hingst Hall. This session will be a review of the topics discussed in the first phase including Business Etiquette, Cultural Norms, Food and Beverage, and Cultural Practicum.

New sessions and topics will continue through 2025. All sessions will be free and open to the public, though registration is required. Learn more and register here

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You can view the 2023 Alliance annual report online!

Discover key Alliance achievements, impactful initiatives, and the vision driving our organization's and the community's future in the 2023 annual report. Dive into our successes and see how we're making a difference — check it out online now here!

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