71st Annual Meeting & Business Expo

Held each June, the Chamber Annual Meeting & Business Expo is the premier gathering of business and community leaders in Crawford County. The event opens with a robust business expo, where participating members showcase their products, services, and initiatives. During the luncheon and program, attendees look back on the year’s achievements, hear updates on future goals, and enjoy special presentations and membership recognitions. The event concludes with the presentation of the prestigious Iverson Riggs Citizen of the Year award, honoring an outstanding individual who has made a significant impact on the community.


TO PURCHASE INDIVIDUAL TICKETS:
$45 PER TICKET

• Click on the green "Register" button in the upper right-hand corner below the Chamber logo. After you complete your registration, a receipt will be emailed to you with your confirmation and confirmation will be emailed to each attendee that you register. 
• ​You may also call the Chamber to purchase tickets at (479) 474-2761.

• Click here to view the Sponsorship and Business Expo information.
• Click on the green "Register" button in the upper right-hand corner of this page, below the Chamber logo. After you complete your registration, a receipt will be emailed to you and confirmation will be emailed to each attendee that you register. 
• Deadline for securing Sponsorship with reserved seating and a Business Expo Booth is May 15^th, 2026.
  • ​​Click here for the Business Expo Booth Contract. If you register for a sponsorship which includes a booth, this form must be completed and submitted to Jessica Blasingame at jessica@vanburenchamber.org before May 15^th, 2026. 

 
AWARD NOMINATIONS:

Iverson Riggs Citizen of the Year 

This award is given to an individual in honor of the outstanding accomplishments, and in recognition of individual contributions and unselfish service to the community of Van Buren. The recipient will be recognized at the Annual Meeting and featured in the 2027 Community Profile and Business Directory publication. Nominees must have contributed to the City of Van Buren something of value in the field of leadership and/or education that has proved of value and will continue to prove of value to the community in the future.

For full details on eligibility, past recipients and the nomination form, click here. Nominations should be emailed to info@vanburenchamber.org. The deadline for submissions is April 7th, 2026, 4:00 p.m. and will be selected by the award committee. 

Chamber Member of the Year

The Van Buren Chamber’s “Chamber Member of the Year” Awards recognize members who help to build our community through volunteerism and demonstrate a commitment to the Chamber’s mission. The recipients will be recognized at the Annual Meeting. Honorees will be selected in each one of the three categories (Business, Entrepreneur, &  Non-Profit), based on the following criteria:
• Emphasizes the importance of volunteerism and service among employees.
• Encourages and allows opportunities for employees to give back through involvement with the Chamber, schools, and area non-profit organizations.
• Promotes economic growth of the Van Buren area business community.
• Invests in the people, businesses and future of the region.
• Maintains a membership in good standing with the Van Buren Chamber 

The chosen recipient(s) will be featured in the 2027 Community Profile and Business Directory publication, receive an electronic badge signifying the award placed on their online directory listing on the Chamber web site, and a category sponsorship in the online directory.  

To nominate a business, or to nominate your own business, click here to access the nomination form and submit to info@vanburenchamber.org. The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 7th, 2026, 4:00pm.

Mover and Shaker Award

This award is to be given in recognition of a person or group of people that have taken initiative in creating extraordinary improvements in the community development of Van Buren through volunteerism within the last year, 2025 to present. This improvement has added to the attractiveness of living and working in the community and promoted our culture of working together. The recipient will be recognized at the Annual Meeting and featured in the 2027 Community Profile and Business Directory publication. 
For full details on eligibility, the nomination form, click here. Nominations should be emailed to info@vanburenchamber.org. The deadline for submissions is April 7th, 2026, 4:00 p.m.

The judges for this year's Business of the Year and Mover and Shaker awards are:

Julie Allen, PCED
Director
Newport Area Chamber of Commerce
Newport, AR

Jay Click
Community & Economic Development Coordinator
Southwest Arkansas Planning & Development District

Dana Poindexter
Regional Manager, South Arkansas
Arkansas Economic Development Commission

Amy Williams, PCED
Regional Manager, Northeast Region
Arkansas Economic Development Commission