PLEASE NOTE: OUR 2023 SCHEDULE IS FULL. WE ARE NOW BOOKING HOST DATES FOR 2024 AND BEYOND. (To see a schedule of upcoming event locations, click here.
After Hours are held at least once a month at various businesses.
After Hours are held on specific Thursdays (schedule is set by the Chamber) and are come and go from 5-7pm.
This is a networking event, so ONLY BUSINESS CARDS may be exchanged by attendees during the event. The only promotional items that can be handed out are by the event host.
Sponsorship Rate for Hosting: A member business in good standing with the Chamber may apply to be a host of a future Business After Hours. If selected as a host, there are two sponsorship rate options to secure your After Hours event on the Chamber calendar. This rate is paid to the Chamber prior to the event and does not include any additional expense that a host will be out for food, drinks, or prizes for the event. This fee is in addition to those expenses incurred by the host.
Gold Sponsorship: $750 (Limited to 6 sponsorships, first come, first served) - This rate guarantees your yearly spot on the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce’s After Hours Schedule. This rate will be paid every year. (Example: If your business hosts After Hours in 2024 as a Gold Sponsor, the Chamber WILL guarantee your spot for 2025 with the same rate.)
Silver Sponsorship: $500 - This rate only guarantees your spot on the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce’s After Hour Schedule for the current year your business is hosting. (Example: If your business hosts After Hours in 2024 and pays this rate, you WILL NOT have a guaranteed spot for the following year.)
Host Responsibilities
Host location must provide enough indoor space for 100-150 people comfortably and allow for some social distancing if needed.
Host must provide some form of complimentary food, snack, or hors d’oeuvres for 100-150 people. This can be as simple or as elaborate as the host wants. If the host is using an outside caterer to provide food, the caterer must be a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Please click here to see a list of current catering members.
Host must provide both an alcoholic and non-alcoholic complimentary beverage option for 100-150 people. The host should provide at minimum, a beer and/or wine option as well as tea, water, or sodas. There is no need for hard liquor or mixed drinks. At many events, the beverages are self-served from troughs or coolers, or you may choose to hire a bartender at your expense. If using a drink ticket system, each guest much be given at minimum 2 drink tickets. Hosts may never charge for food or beverages at the event.
Hosts must provide at least 3 door prizes valued at $25 or more for the event.
After Hours Hosts can choose to mail out invitations to promote the event at their expense. The Chamber can provide you a mailing list spreadsheet of our more than 2100 members should you choose to do a direct mail piece. (This is optional, but the Chamber must review and approve any artwork for printed invitations prior to printing and mailing.) We encourage hosts to invite their own customers, friends, staff and VIPs to the event in addition to our members and guests.
Chamber Responsibilities
The Chamber will create a digital invitation graphic that includes your logo, business name, address, and a photo of your business through a Facebook Event that we create and tag your business page as a co-host on social media. You can see examples of other After Hours events already scheduled on our Facebook Event Tab on the Amarillo Chamber page.
The Chamber will promote official After Hours events through our Tuesday weekly newsletter for at least 2 weeks prior to the event.
A Chamber staff member will schedule a time with the host to do a 3 to 5-minute video interview and get B-Roll footage to create a video about the event that we will share on our social media sites, in our newsletter, and on the After Hours page of our website. Videos typically take place the Friday before the scheduled After Hours event, but we will do our best to accommodate the host’s schedule for the video.
Chamber staff members will help greet guests at the event and assist with check-in and collect business cards for drawings in addition to providing peel-and-stick nametags for guests and take photos at the event.
