A name can help people notice an event. A theme can help them remember it.

If your chamber has events that work but feel predictable, a theme can add energy without requiring you to rebuild everything from scratch.

Historic Holiday Business Exchange

Rick Weldon, President and CEO of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, shared that their annual Holiday Business Card Exchange is held at beautifully decorated, historic Frederick City Hall. The event has become so popular that registration sells out within days, and one recent year saw a 50-person waitlist.

The appeal comes from combining a festive setting, strong networking, and a sense of tradition. Photos and video from an event like this also become marketing material for the following year. When people see the room, the décor, and the crowd, they understand why they want to be there next time.

Networking Bingo

Debbie Busby Kiker suggested Networking Bingo as a simple way to help attendees mingle.

The game can be customized with sponsor mentions, local business facts, member trivia, industry prompts, or “find someone who…” squares. It gives people a reason to start conversations, which is helpful because walking into a room of strangers and “just networking” is not everyone’s idea of a good time.

Themed Bowling Night

Stacy Burgess Sommer from Crawfordsville, Indiana, shared that her chamber hosts an annual bowling night where attendees dress in costumes. Past themes have included western, Disney, disco, and neon.

That kind of theme turns a standard outing into something people talk about. You can add prizes for best-dressed team, best team name, most creative costume, or most questionable bowling form. The point is not athletic excellence. Thankfully.

Speed Networking

Speed networking, recommended by both Debbie Busby Kiker and Miriam Bozman, adapts the speed dating format for professional connections.

Miriam Bozman, Executive Director at Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce, shared that their chamber hosts the event at a local pub or brewery to create a relaxed atmosphere. Attendees are divided into two groups. One group stays seated while the other rotates, helping everyone meet more people in less time.

A menu of icebreaker questions can keep conversations moving. Strong instructions, a clear timeline, and a lively host make the format much smoother.

Market After Dark

Anne Laugen shared how her chamber reimagines its summer farmers market, the second largest in Iowa, into a one-night event called Market After Dark.

The event includes vendors, local food, beer, spirits, wine, and entertainment on three stages. One summer, it drew more than 40,000 attendees.

The lesson is useful for chambers of any size: sometimes you don’t need a brand-new event. You can change the time, add entertainment, introduce local food and beverage, or create a more festive atmosphere around something the community already loves.

Celebrate Madison

Michelle Newberry Epling’s Celebrate Madison is another example of a large-scale event built around community pride.

Celebration-style events can include local food and beverage, live entertainment, family activities, interactive booths, business showcases, nonprofit involvement, and member participation. These events work well when they feel rooted in local identity.

More Chamber Event Theme Ideas

If your calendar needs a spark, consider these formats:

• Progressive Dinners: Move attendees between several local restaurants or venues, with each stop offering food, drinks, and new connections.

• Industry or Trend Roundtables: Bring members together around a timely business issue, industry challenge, or local opportunity.

• Pop-Up Networking: Host surprise or limited-capacity gatherings in art galleries, rooftop spaces, parks, patios, co-working spaces, or member businesses.

• Chamber Field Day: Create friendly team competitions with mini-games, relays, trivia, or office Olympics-style activities.

• Volunteer Fairs: Connect chamber members with local nonprofits in an expo-style format that encourages community involvement.

• Leadership Retreats: Offer a local professional development experience at a resort, nature center, retreat space, or member venue with speakers, team building, and time to connect.

• Coffee and Connections: A morning networking event with local coffee shops, breakfast bites, and low-pressure introductions.

• Behind-the-Scenes Tours: Take members inside major employers, manufacturers, cultural sites, public facilities, or hidden local gems.

• Taste of the Chamber: Showcase member restaurants, caterers, breweries, wineries, bakeries, and food businesses in one lively event.

• Business Power Walk: Combine networking and wellness with a guided walk through downtown, a business district, or a local trail.

The best idea is the one your members will attend.

Before choosing a name or theme, think about who you want in the room. A young professionals event, CEO roundtable, women’s leadership program, golf outing, and holiday festival should not all sound the same.

A strong event name should do at least one (or more) of these things:

• Explain the format

• Suggest the benefit

• Signal the audience

• Create curiosity

• Make the event easier to remember

• Give the event a clear personality

If a name is clever but confusing, keep working. If a theme sounds fun but doesn’t fit your members, save it for another audience. Creativity works best when it makes attendance feel easier, more appealing, or more worthwhile.