Inside the 2026 Chamber Annual Celebration

We were one of the sponsor photographers at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's Annual Celebration at the Wind Creek Bethlehem Event Center, and the Chamber had the edited photos the same day.

By Tony Ellis Martinez · TM Productions

Gritty and Chamber President and CEO Tony Iannelli in a bright patterned jacket on stage in front of a swirling blue LED wall, with dancers around them — Gritty and Chamber President and CEO Tony Iannelli during the opening number.

On November 4, the day after the election, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce filled the Wind Creek Bethlehem Event Center for its Annual Celebration, with tables numbered into the 70s and WFMZ carrying the whole show. The Chamber warns you up front that this isn't a typical annual meeting, and they're not kidding, because in under two hours you get Gritty, a house band, a CEO singing in a Phantoms jersey, soccer balls flying into the crowd, five awards and a confetti finale. We were one of the event's sponsor photographers, with our logo up on the sponsor screens, and we covered it from the empty room in the morning to the last group photo on stage.

The morning before the doors opened

We had the drone up over Wind Creek a little after 8, while the trees around the old Bethlehem Steel site were catching the morning sun, because you don't get an establishing shot like that anywhere else in the Valley. Inside, the room was already set, and the cast ran the opening number one more time in front of rows of empty tables, which is honestly the best time to figure out where everybody's going to be standing once the lights go down.

An aerial view of the Wind Creek Bethlehem hotel and casino with autumn trees and the city of Bethlehem behind it in morning light — Wind Creek Bethlehem from the air on the morning of the show.

The empty event center with rows of round tables set in blue and white linens facing the lit stage — The event center set for the show before the doors opened.

Networking in the Vision Lounge

Doors opened at 9:30 and the Vision Lounge filled up fast with registration, exhibitor tables, the step and repeat, a selfie circle and plenty of coffee, while Red from Red Robin posed with anybody who'd stand still long enough. We made the rounds of the exhibitor tables so the sponsors have photos of their own, and spent the rest of the hour on the candids people actually share.

A packed lounge full of guests in business attire talking in groups under blue lights and screens — The Vision Lounge during networking before the main room opened.

Two Miller-Keystone Blood Center staff members standing beside their exhibit table and a Save a Life, Give Blood banner — Miller-Keystone Blood Center's table in the lounge, a few hours before it was named Nonprofit of the Year.

A guest giving two thumbs up next to the Red Robin mascot in the lounge — Red from Red Robin with a guest in the Vision Lounge.

The opening number

The show started at 11:15 with Gritty, who showed up on the big screen climbing out of the Flyers van and then came through the center screen in person. Chamber President and CEO Tony Iannelli came out singing with the house band, TimeWhys, and the William Allen High School dancers, ducked offstage halfway through the song, came back in a Lehigh Valley Phantoms jersey, and finished it off with fog cannons and sparklers. Then COO Frank Facchiano thanked the top sponsors from the middle of the floor under a spotlight, and the Lehigh Valley mascots danced on stage while the member relations team worked through the rest of the sponsor list, which is where the Chamber thanked the event photographers “capturing the amazing memories and moments of the Valley” and named us, live on WFMZ.

Tony Iannelli in a Lehigh Valley Phantoms jersey and cap singing into a microphone with one arm raised, Gritty behind him — Tony Iannelli finishing the opening number in a Lehigh Valley Phantoms jersey.

The full stage and LED wall during the opening number seen from the back of the room over the crowded tables — The opening number from the back of the room.

Crayon characters, Gritty and other Lehigh Valley mascots dancing on stage under a silver sponsors slide — Lehigh Valley mascots on stage during the sponsor thank-yous.

The awards

Five awards went out, and every one of them was handed off at the podium with the winner's name up on the screens, which is the frame that ends up in a lobby or on a careers page for the next ten years.

Gross McGinley got a Milestone Award for its 50th year, and partner Thomas E. Reilly Jr. told the room he accepted the firm's last Milestone Award 15 years ago holding it upside down in a photo that still hangs in their lobby, so yes, we made sure this one was right side up. Barry Fisher, who started at WFMZ as an intern, accepted the station's award for 50 years on the air. For Lafayette College's 200th, Seifi Ghasemi of Pelang Enterprises handed the award to President Nicole Hurd, who reminded everybody that the college was founded by the citizens of Easton and said the Valley will be home for the next 200 years too.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center was named Nonprofit of the Year, presented by Vicki Doule of Capital Blue Cross and Bill Moyer of St. Luke's. President and CEO Rami Nemeh brought out a drum signed by donors who've given more than 50 gallons, then asked the center's first 150-gallon donor to stand up in the crowd. Crayola closed out the awards as Business of the Year after 127 years in the Lehigh Valley, presented by Todd Glickman of Spectacor, with President and CEO Pete Ruggiero accepting between two of Crayola's crayon characters.

Thomas E. Reilly Jr. accepting Gross McGinley's Milestone Award.

Barry Fisher holding the Milestone Award next to the presenter in front of a 69 News WFMZ.com screen — Barry Fisher with WFMZ's Milestone Award for 50 years on the air.

Nicole Hurd in a red blazer at the podium with her hand on her heart and her name on the screen behind her — Lafayette College President Nicole Hurd accepting the Milestone Award for Lafayette's 200 years.

Rami Nemeh of Miller-Keystone Blood Center with the Nonprofit of the Year award, between Bill Moyer and Vicki Doule.

An older man standing at his table in the crowd while the people around him clap — Miller-Keystone's first 150-gallon blood donor standing in the crowd.

Crayola President and CEO Pete Ruggiero accepting Business of the Year between two crayon characters.

The rest of the program

In between the awards, Lehigh Valley International Airport Executive Director Tom Stoudt gave an airport update and a pair of airline tickets away, Board Chair Laurie Hackett gave the State of the Chamber, which ranks it the sixth largest chamber in the country, and the owners of the new Lehigh Valley Spirits had their players kick soccer balls into the crowd. Jefferson's Nick Ragone and Tony Iannelli handed out three $100,000 checks from the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic to Valley Youth House, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and the Eagles Autism Foundation, and former Eagles receiver and radio voice Mike Quick sat down with the two of them for a chat that ended with a signed Saquon Barkley jersey going to somebody in the crowd. The show wrapped a little after 1 with Chamber staff, students and the band all on stage and streamer cannons going off over the room.

Laurie Hackett at the podium on stage between two screens of Chamber numbers, with the crowd in the foreground — Board Chair Laurie Hackett during the State of the Chamber.

Lehigh Valley Spirits players on stage kicking and throwing soccer balls toward the audience — Lehigh Valley Spirits players kicking soccer balls into the crowd.

Four people on stage holding an oversized $100,000 check made out to the Eagles Autism Foundation — The Eagles Autism Foundation's $100,000 check from the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic.

Mike Quick in a gray blazer speaking into a microphone on the stage set — Mike Quick during the chat with Nick Ragone and Tony Iannelli.

Streamers and confetti raining down over the stage and the crowd at the end of the show — Streamer cannons going off over the room at the end of the show.

Chamber staff, students and the band lined up across the stage in front of the LED wall at the finale — Chamber staff, students and the band on stage for the finale.

Delivering the photos

We built our shot list off the Chamber's run of show, so we knew where every award handoff, giveaway and mascot entrance was going to happen before it happened, and the edited photos went to the Chamber the same day, while people were still posting about the show.

Thanks to the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and Abby Hudock for having us, congratulations to Gross McGinley, WFMZ, Lafayette College, Miller-Keystone Blood Center and Crayola, and we'll see you at the next one.

Quotes and details from WFMZ's broadcast of the Annual Celebration. Photos by TM Productions.