BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce added a hefty dose of heart to its usual pageantry at its annual meeting Thursday as it feted its longtime president, Tony Iannelli, alongside other honorees.
Over the past two decades, the meeting has slowly transformed from a modest celebration of local companies to a show-stopping spectacle highlighting the business community's accomplishments.
The event at the Wind Creek Bethlehem Event Center featured the usual fanfare, starting with a dance number by William Allen High School students. Cheerleaders and stilt performers dressed as robots entertained during breaks, during which the chamber thanked its sponsors. Acrobats performed in the lobby.
- More than 1,000 people attended the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting Thursday
- The award show used a musical number, cheerleaders and acrobats to honor local businesses
- Organizers also celebrated Chamber President Tony Iannelli's 25th year on the job
The event celebrated businesses big and small. Faces International, a Black-owned marketing firm based out of Allentown, won the Impact Award, which honors organizations that bring about positive change in the community.
"We can now say we're an awarding-winning marketing firm," Faces Chief Executive Office Tyrone Russell said. "I'm extremely excited to say that."
The meeting also recognized several organizations celebrating major anniversaries. Riders have relied on Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority for 50 years, Schuler Service in Allentown is entering its 100th year, and St. Luke's University Health Network has healed and tended to Lehigh Valley residents for 150 years.
But the loudest applause from the 1,000 people in attendance may have gone to Iannelli, who's in his 25th year as chamber president.
Iannelli has overseen the organization's growth from a six-person operation that represented just Allentown to the sixth-largest chamber of commerce in the country.
Several award presenters briefly went off script to congratulate Iannelli. Toward the end of the show, Iannelli, who is host of WFMZ's Business Matters program, found himself on a receiving end of an interview.
The 70-year-old known for his boundless enthusiasm for the Lehigh Valley shared that he's often suffered from poor confidence. He was blessed, he said, to have worked alongside so many hard-working people dedicated to the community.
He grew emotional when Laurie Hackett of Air Products asked him what he would want to tell drivers with a billboard off Route 22.
"It would be, 'I love you, Lehigh Valley,' and, 'You made me,'" Iannelli said, choking.
After confetti cannons and the band TimeWhys marked the end of the meeting, Iannelli fidgeted uncomfortably under the attention. In between chats with well-wishers, he said that acting as the region's cheerleader felt trite, but the role may be more valuable than he thought.
"I think the Valley is kind of like me," Iannelli said. "We're self-critical of ourselves. This is the chance to say we're pretty damn good compared to where we were.
"We just keep evolving."
