The 2025 Think BG Business Expo & Community Showcase will take place Saturday, March 1st at the Wood County Fairgrounds Pratt Pavilion.

The Think BG Business Expo is the BG Chamber's way of showcasing area businesses through a "business-to-consumer" style trade show. Over 70 businesses table at the event, and hundreds of attendees stop out to network, explore what goods and services local businesses have to offer, and win fun prizes!

A tremendous "Thank You" to our Presenting Sponsor, Wood County Hospital, and all the other sponsoring organizations that make this event possible.

Want to get involved with the Business Expo?

1. Keep an eye out for booth registration to go live in early December on the Business Expo webpage. RSVP for the event by the beginning of February or sign up to become a sponsor!
2. Volunteer to help the day of the event, or the day before for set-up. Watch Chamber socials for more information or contact events@bgchamber.net.

The 2024 AMDA took place Saturday, May 4 in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union's Lenhart Grand Ballroom on the campus of BGSU.

The Annual Meeting Dinner & Awards is the BG Chamber's way of updating our investors on our activities in the past year as well as honoring those who have been a major asset to the Bowling Green community. We had a blast with a night of dinner, music, awards and accomplishments; it truly was "out of this world"!

Thank you to all who RSVP'd for the event, and to our generous sponsors!

The Gallery of attendee photos taken can be viewed here. Download your photo for free!

Want to get involved with the AMDA?

1. Submit award nominations for cherished citizens or for favorite businesses. We cannot present the awards if we do not receive nominations! Award nominations close in early March.
2. Keep an eye out for an invitation to the AMDA in the mail in March. RSVP for the event by the end of April or sign up to become a sponsor!
3. Volunteer to help the day of the event, or the day before for set-up. Watch Chamber socials for more information or contact events@bgchamber.net.

The BG BOOM Festival and Fireworks took place on July 3, 2024 at the Northwest Ohio Tractor Pulling Championships property. A festival was held at the Wood County Fairgrounds before the display, providing games and activities, food vendors, and a performance by the Bowling Green Area Community Band.

Want to get involved with BG BOOM throughout the year?

1. Donate cans to the Aluminum Can Recycling Program
   1. Seasonal Can Drive with Bates Recycling: Recycle your aluminum cans at Bates Recycling from March 1^st to June 30^th and Bates will donate $0.05 for every pound recycled when you mention BG BOOM.
   2. Year-Round Drop Off: Drop off rinsed, crushed aluminum cans at one of our sponsors’ locations, and WLI will collect the cans to be recycled at Bates. The payout for these cans will be split 50/50 between the Chamber Foundation and WLI.
2. Keep an eye out for a fundraising campaign letter in the mail announcing that we are collecting donations in May. Donate online or send payments to the Chamber office; no matter the amount, you will be recognized on this webpage for your contribution!
3. Stop out to fundraiser events, such as the annual Pork-A-Lean Fundraiser with Belleville Brothers’ Market, or other various fundraisers held by Chamber investors. Keep an eye on Chamber social media to see if / when these events take place!
4. If you are a business, consider hosting a game or activity at the BG BOOM Festival. Contact the Chamber office with your ideas. Note: Food trucks and other vendors must apply through the Wood County Fairgrounds, NOT the Chamber of Commerce.
5. Volunteer to help the day of the event, or the day after for clean-up. Watch Chamber socials for more information or contact events@bgchamber.net.

The annual BG Chamber Golf Scramble was held Wednesday, August 28th at Stone Ridge Golf Course. Teams and individuals competed for prizes, enjoyed a great time with friends and coworkers, and ate some wonderful food.

Huge thank you to Wood County Hospital for once again being our Ace Sponsor!

Did you compete in Golf Scramble 2024? Download your team photo here.

Want to get involved with the Golf Scramble?

1. Consider donating items for raffle baskets; we are looking for fun and exciting prizes to raffle off! When requesting event or admissions tickets, branded swag, or other things from community partners, it is better to submit any request forms early in the year.
2. Watch for team registration to go live in early June. Unclaimed sponsorships will also be available to be claimed on that date, so consider sponsoring the Chamber’s only annual fundraiser.
3. Volunteer the day of the event. Watch Chamber social media for more information or contact events@bgchamber.net.

The 2024 BG Community Holiday Parade was held November 23. The parade was made up of dozens floats by local organizations and marching bands from around Northwest Ohio. It drew thousands of watchers to downtown Bowling Green, and was televised through WTOL, making it the largest holiday parade in Northwest Ohio. Santa himself made an appearance at the end of the parade, and the crowd enjoyed the holiday-themed floats, live performances and music, and, of course, candy!

Miss the 2024 parade or want to see it again? Watch the full WTOL broadcast here!

Want to reminisce about the Holiday Parades of the past? Check out our collection of vintage Holiday Parade photos sent to us by B.J. Bess of Grasonville, Maryland!

Want to get involved in the BG Community Holiday Parade?

1. Keep an eye out for unit registration to go live in September. The cost is $25 per parade unit, unless the unit is a nonprofit organization, in which case the cost is $15.
2. Sponsor the parade! We cannot put on this traditional holiday event without the support of generous sponsors.
3. Volunteer the day of the event. Watch Chamber social media for more information or contact events@bgchamber.net.
4. Participate in the Chamber Foundation’s Giving Tuesday festivities on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which platform local nonprofits and raise funds in support of the Holiday Parade and ACT BG.