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Take advantage of your Alliance membership by attending these great events! These programs are designed to help you get involved and interact with other Alliance members and the community.
This monthly gathering is all about connecting! As one of our largest monthly events that rotates locations, it provides a platform for members to build their repertoire of business relations throughout our community.
Some of the best relationships are met with a coffee in hand. Meet with fellow members before work at various locations across the Ames region. Engage with friends, make new connections and get your day off to a great start!
If your business has completed a major remodeling project, moved to a new location, or changed ownership, you need to take advantage of the Alliance’s Ribbon Cutting service that brings members and the media to you.
Every week, entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth. Your local 1 Million Cups (1MC) community gives you the opportunity to refine your elevator pitch to a diverse audience, access training programs, and engage with a network for support.
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance annual event is a celebration of the past year, incorporating successes from all of our affiliate organizations. This is the Alliance’s largest event of the year featuring a renowned keynote speaker.
Each January we kick-off the new year by inviting our members to join us and learn more about the forecasts for local, state and regional economic trends, opportunities, challenges and how they may impact the area business community.
Join us as we highlight and celebrate the manufacturing industry throughout the Ames region, including those in Boone, Hamilton, and Story County! Hear from industry experts and collaborate with fellow colleagues to foster deeper relationships in the profession.
Iowa is known for its rich agricultural roots! Join us as we devote an event to enriching the industry, educating our community with statistics and research finds, and learn how we continue to find new ways to meet the needs of local, state, and national economy.
A four-person best shot tournament for Chamber members of all talent levels! The Annual Golf Day is always a fun and enjoyable event for our members. The tournament is held every summer at a local Ames golf course. 144 golfers (2 teams per golf hole for shotgun start).
Every Tuesday after Labor Day we host the Ames Regional Economic Alliance Annual Steak Fry! This casual (no ties allowed!) evening is a great opportunity to reconnect with the Past Chairs of the Chamber, make new friends, and order-your-own steak to perfection.
Every year the Ames Regional Economic Alliance and its affiliate organizations recognize individuals and businesses who have show exemplary service and commitment in their profession or in the community. The combine Annual Event of Ames Chamber of Commerce, Ames Economic Development Commission, Ames Main Street, FUEL Young Professionals, Ames Seed Capital, The Ames Foundation, and Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market celebrate the accomplishments of the annual award recipients of each organization.
Join us as we travel to another community, learn about their infrastructure and development plans, and network with community leaders. This opportunity provides time to let our community leaders lean what other community are doing well and determine how to make our communities more enticing to live, work, and play.
This program was created to develop informed, involved, and concerns local leaders. Both experience and developing leaders get a broader view of civic leadership responsibilities and opportunities though direct contact with a wide spectrum of institutions and people who shape the community where we live and work.
Leadership Ames classes split into teams that work together to complete a community service project. Projects have ranged from fundraising events to issue awareness, to supply drives and remodel work for local non-profits.
Teams will have the opportunity to choose a project they feel passionate about. We encourage everyone to get creative! There will be limited class time available for service project work, so team members will be expected to work together outside of class days in order to complete their project.
Leadership Ames classes split into teams that work together to complete a community service project. Projects have ranged from fundraising events to issue awareness, to supply drives and remodel work for local non-profits.
Teams will have the opportunity to choose a project they feel passionate about. We encourage everyone to get creative! There will be limited class time available for service project work, so team members will be expected to work together outside of class days in order to complete their project.
Non-Profit Organizations: If your organization has a project that you need support on, please email Jan Williams at jan@amesalliance.com. While we can’t guarantee that every project will be selected, we are happy to connect our teams with area organizations.
515 Week is a spring celebration in Downtown Ames for those who live, work and play in the 515 area code, beginning on 5/15. New this year – We are extending the celebration throughout the entire week!
The annual Art Walk is a great event that showcases downtown businesses as well as community artists. Discover the artwork of dozens artists including painters, jewelry makers, photographers, woodworkers, potters, sculptors, musicians, and much more.
The 4th of July Parade is one of the largest events of the summer and a community favorite! Don your red, white, and blue, and help us celebrate Independence Day at this family-friendly event! What a great connection between Main Street and the City of Ames!
Take a stroll in Downtown Ames during Sidewalk Sales and find dozens of sales and promotions our local businesses are offering!
The Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market provides a weekly opportunity to buy directly from Local Iowa vendors/producers offering seasonal fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses, arts, crafts, fresh flowers, plants and much more.
In addition to the variety of vendors, the market also provides live local entertainment and free children’s activities each week including educational programming throughout the market area. The market hosts 125 full-time, occasional and non-profit vendors throughout the season. Our weekly attendance averages more than 3,000 visitors every Saturday.
Come join us Downtown in the beautiful heart of Ames at the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market!
The Alliance Ambassador Program consists of energetic Alliance Members that volunteer and donate their time and efforts to assist the Alliance in its mission to provide our members services that strengthen the economic vitality in Ames and enhance the quality of life in our community. The mission of the Alliance Ambassadors is to promote member commitment, engagement and retention by raising awareness of Alliance activities and benefits, and informing and involving new and existing Alliance members to promote strong, engaged membership.
Carlos Back
The Film Silo
Matt Bohner
Magic Matt’s Cleaning
Luke Borst
Northridge Village
Bonnie Brown
South Story Bank & Trust
Jared Bravard
First National Bank
Nic Bulver
Chevron Renewable Energy Group
Adam Calder
Wheatsfield Co-op Grocery
John Coder
VisionBank
Lenny Crouse
Heartland Payroll +
Morgan Dalbeck
Saltech Systems
Heather Fischer
The Community Academy
Sarina Flathers
Boys and Girls Club
Pam Fleener
First National Bank
Jared Gescheidler
Knapp Tedesco Insurance
Angela Harms
Iowa State University
Kelli Hecker
TS Bank
Sherry Hosteng
RE/MAX Real Estate Center
Jason Jennings
Friedrich Real Estate
Sue Johnson
Northwest Bank
Kennedee Jones
Saltech Systems
Joni Kellen
Northwest Bank
Nathaniel Kuhn
Northwest Bank
Keith Lamfers
Casey’s
Amy Lang
MEMBERS1st Community Credit Union
Paul Livingston
Hunziker & Associates, Realtors
Stephanie Mehmen
RE/MAX Real Estate Center
Tom Mortice
Availa Bank
Melissa Muschick
Discover Ames
David Nelson
First National Bank
David Orth
We Will Collective
Mark Putney
10Fold Architecture + Engineering
Sara Roberts
YSS
Ryan Santi
Boys & Girls Club
Corey Schmidt
Ortho2
Dorothy Schumer
Perfect Games Inc.
Dan Siegfried
Farm Bureau Financial Services
Kevin Trana
ABC Supply
David Tucker
First Interstate Bank
Daryle Vegge
Story County Community Foundation
Barb Vincent
Ames Christian School
Jake Warner
Electronic Engineering
Justin Witek
First Interstate Bank
John Worley
Knapp Tedesco Insurance
Chris Zook
Zook’s Look, Inc.
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