- The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting was held Thursday at Wind Creek Event Center
- The event gathered members of the business community — colleagues, customers and competitors — to celebrate their collective mission of making the region a better place to work and live
- The Chamber of Commerce is the largest and most active business networking organization in and around the Lehigh Valley, engaging nearly 5,000 businesses and members who employ more than 280,000 people
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — There was Tony Iannelli, 72 going on 17, adorned in backward-worn flat cap, dark sunglasses, white satin jacket over a white tank top T-shirt, singing and strutting on stage.
In general, gettin’ his funk on.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting was drawing to a close at Wind Creek Event Center early Thursday afternoon.
The stage was a cornucopia of music, dance and high-octane energy, entertaining the estimated 1,000 members of the Greater Lehigh Valley business community who gathered among colleagues, customers and competitors to celebrate their collective mission of making the region a better place to work and live.
And if there was a more fitting example of the vibrancy of the business community in the Greater Lehigh Valley, one might have to search the ends of the earth to eclipse what Ianelli, the chamber’s 26-year chief executive officer, brings to the organization.
“I’ve known Tony for decades,” said David Jaindl, chief executive officer of Jaindl Land Co., which Thursday received the 2023 Business of the Year Award.
“He’s a man with such great spirit. The chamber and Lehigh Valley are lucky to have him.”
After dropping his mic and floating down the steps of the stage, Iannelli said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“This is a celebration of business and people in the Greater Lehigh Valley,” he said. “This event is crazy, wild. We’re here to have fun. But there’s a lot of work to do.”
One senses Iannelli’s arm need not be twisted to serve as ringmaster.
He admitted as much, saying, “If they told me they didn’t want to impose upon me to do this, I’d tell them, ‘C’mon, let me do this.’”
'One of the most important networking events'
Thursday's event delivered its version of business Mardi Gras.
From Liberty High School’s marching band and Grenadier Band playing outside the Wind Creek entrance, to stage performances by the Quaker City String Band and Kutztown University cheerleaders, to stilt performers dressed as robots strutting as confetti was flying.
Slotted between that entertainment were a series of awards.
Milestone Award winners:
30 years — Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group.
75 years — Service Electric Cable TV & Communications.
100 years — Just Born Quality Confections.
Volunteer of the Year Award: The 2023 Women’s Summit Planning Committee.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is the largest and most active business networking organization in and around the Lehigh Valley, engaging nearly 5,000 businesses and members who employ more than 280,000 people.
“This is probably one of the most important networking events in Pennsylvania.”Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, a member of the Chamber’s board of governors
The chamber’s more than 30 local chambers, business councils, DEI councils and policy committees consist of more than 1,000 community focused volunteers who actively contribute at the grass roots to develop and achieve their respective and collective goals.
“This is probably one of the most important networking events in Pennsylvania,” said Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, a member of the chamber’s board of governors.
“We have business leaders here from not only the Lehigh Valley, but Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe counties, and even Warren County in New Jersey.
“The business community can sit and share updates on the business world. We learned from the pandemic that you can’t replace talking to people face to face.”
