We are re-inventing Forks and Corks Local Savor! 

ARE YOU IN?

Forks and Corks is a fundraising event that started in 2015 through the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce to highlight our local food and beverage establishments and give the community a way to enjoy local savor. It has been a successful event every year during the first week of June!

We have come up with an exciting plan for Forks and Corks this year. Many of you have participated in this popular event in the past and it was sorely missed last year. Given the continuing situation with the pandemic we cannot comfortably do this event as we always have due to the large crowd it draws. So we have developed an alternative that will be significantly less costly and deliver tremendous marketing impact for our vendors/members (that's you)! Based on the success of a number of virtual/video related events we have done in the past year we are sure this will benefit your business. Not to mention this event will require much less work and significantly less cost on your part than previous years Forks and Corks.

Forks and Corks Goes Virtual

Forks and Corks Local Savor will be held in June of 2021 on a virtual platform. This will be a pre-recorded event presented as a 4-part video series airing on the CCCC website every Thursday evening in June 2021. The series will feature approximately 20+ vendors showcasing a food or beverage. Each demonstration will be in video format no more than 5 minutes each in length and featuring the vendor and Chamber staff.  

The goal of each video is to capture the unique aspects of each vendor in a fun and informative way. The total length of the 4-part video series will be approximately two hours (contingent on the number of vendors). The series will be released in 30+ minute increments showcasing 5+ different vendors each week. ALL videos used must be recorded, edited, and published by the CCCC exclusively. All videos will remain available for viewing indefinitely on the CCCC website and will be shared to CCCC’s social media platforms the Friday following their release. Anyone will be able to view this event but only ticket holders will receive gift certificates and merchandise.

Awarding the Best

Awards will be provided to the vendor winners in four categories:

• Best Demonstration
• Most Viewed Video
• People’s Choice
• Honorable Mention (selected by the ticket holders).

All vendor winners will be given the opportunity to to appear on WKRK Facebook live with CCCC’s Wednesday show after the series is complete. All vendor winners will receive the traditional Forks and Corks awards which will be included in the post marketing phase. 

Additional incentive for viewership:

Easter eggs will be hidden in each of the four part video series. The first ticket holder to identify the easter egg’ s exact location in the video and email the find to director@cherokeecountychamber.com  will receive a $100 gift certificate  purchased  by the CCCC from one of the (4) winning vendors. 

The Vendors

Each vendor will need to  complete and sign the vendor application and provide $200 in gift certificates or merchandise (20 $10 increments). Each vendor must be available for a video shoot arranged by appointment to be used in the 4-part series. These videos will be shot beginning in March. The vendor may select the food or beverage to be demonstrated so long as it can be completed in the 5 minute requirement, it offers an interesting display, and a CCCC Chamber staff or representative is in the video. Any logos or specific graphics must be provided in appropriate format to the CCCC marketing department. All video shoots and release of vendors marketing materials must be completed and ready for submission to the CCCC marketing department by April 1, 2021. After the event is concluded each vendor will have access to their video for their own marketing purposes. Vendors are welcome to provide additional merchandising materials to be used to promote the event at the discretion of CCCC.

We hope you will join us!

Last month we ran a short tutorial discussing the importance of the Events calendar and walking through the simple steps to create an event. This month we want to go a step further and show you how you can really "fancify" your events to be more appealing. In order to do this, you have to first CREATE A LOGIN to access your personal MEMBER INFORMATION CENTER or MIC.

The MIC will unleash a ton of features designed for you to connect with members and promote your business to the community at large. Don't underestimate the power of these tools for networking and community reach. We work hard to make sure your platforms give you the widest reach possible.

The MIC is a powerful tool for your business to leverage so in the upcoming tutorials we will walk you through how to get the most out of it. As promised, this month, we're looking at how you can take full advantage of the tools available for pushing your events to the public.

Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce | 805 W. US 64 Murphy, NC 28906 | 828-837-2242

www.cherokeecountychamber.com | info@cherokeecountychamber.com

The Chamber of Commerce Hours: M-F 9am-5pm. The office is currently closed to the public.