Another Chamber Expo is in the books, and it was a dandy.
These things are the same every year except they are all different, which makes the next one something to look forward to with anticipation.
The theme this year was “Bet on the Bluff,” and the keynote speaker was someone who knows a bit about betting — Carlton Saffa, chief market officer with Saracen Casino Resort.
Saffa reminded the packed room at the breakfast of the many attributes Pine Bluff can lay claim to. They weren’t items anyone was unfamiliar with, but to have the sorta new guy in town recite them made us sit a little taller in the saddle.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Public leadership, private leadership, colleges, highways, businesses, business people — both today’s trendsetters and yesterday’s — our handy nearness to Little Rock and all it has to offer — Pine Bluff sits pretty in a lot of ways.
Not that we don’t have things to work on, Saffa also pointed out, again, not that that was news to anyone. But the way he talked about it made the fixing part seem doable. The city, he said, is a house with “good bones,” and all houses need a fresh coat of paint from time to time. He exited the podium saying he felt a jackpot on the way. Maybe so.
The expo itself, meaning that part where everyone visits and networks and eats Simmons Bank hot dogs and fills bags with corporate giveaway goodies, was fun, too. The ease with which people were moving around and talking close — something we learned to avoid back during covid — made us remember those bleak days when, for two years, there was no expo and deaths were almost too numerous to count. Last year was getting back to normal, but this year, well, this year was a complete return to the good times.
The whole affair falls into the category of just everybody needing to get out and see one another. And it was all for a good cause, whether that good cause was to help a profitable venture become more profitable or maybe it was a nonprofit that just wanted to let you know they were still out there and taking care of folks.
Thanks to the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce for making this yearly celebration happen and to Jennifer Kline, head of the chamber, for her enthusiasm in making all of the pieces fit so seamlessly together. If you missed it, well, there’s always next year.