2025 Celebration of Excellence

Description

Great Scott! Fire up the flux capacitor and set your time circuits to 2025 for the Celebration of Excellence!

Join us as we blast into the future (and maybe a little bit of the Old West) to honor the bold business pioneers and daring disruptors of the Brainerd Lakes Area. This time-traveling tribute, proudly presented by CLA, brings together over 600 innovators, visionaries, and time-honored trailblazers for an electrifying night of recognition and revelry.

Whether you're rolling in on a hoverboard or galloping in from Hill Valley, grab your futuristic cowboy boots and prepare for a night of high-voltage celebration that’s more powerful than a lightning strike at the clock tower. This is the biggest event of the year—and trust us, it will sell out faster than a DeLorean hits 88 mph.

Reserve your table or seats today… before your OUTATIME!

The Event Theme: Back to the Future

RSVP by OCTOBER 31, 2025

(UNLESSS SOLD OUT EARLIER)

The 2025 winner is.........! 

Past Lakes Proud Small Business of the Year Award recipients: Jack Pine Brewery (2018), Brainerd General Rental (2019), Close Converse (2021), Kavanaugh's Sylvan Lake Resort (2022), Pampered Pets Boarding and Daycare (2023), Weizenegger-Engel Insurance (2024)

The 2025 winner is....! 

Past Business Excellence Award recipients: Widseth (2012), Crosswoods (2013), Grand View Lodge (2014), Ultra Paws (2015), Just for Kix (2016), CTC (2017), Cuyuna Regional Medical Center (2018), 3 Cheers Hospitality (2019), Lexington Manufacturing (2021), LINDAR-Avantech-Triven (2022), Hubbard Radio & 2060 Digital (2023), Waste Partners (2024)

The winner is....! 

Past Business Legacy Award recipients: Stewart C. Mills Jr. (2016), Arnie Johnson (2017), Paul and Lynn Hunt (2018), Dutch and Irma Cragun (2019), Ron and Al Lindner (2021), Bob Spizzo (2022), Reggie Clow (2023), Quisberg Family (2024)

TABLE & SEATING OPTIONS

"Wait a minute, Doc... are you telling me we're throwing the biggest business celebration of 2025?"
"That's right, Marty" — "That’s heavy!"

So don’t be a slacker — reserve your table or seats today, before this opportunity disappears like Marty’s family photo!

Destination Time Table: $1,700 (11 available)

• Includes a reserved table located in the two rows closest to the stage
• Plated dinner for 8
• 1 pre-set bottle of wine or bucket of beer (your choice) at your table
• VIP Party passes for 8

Present Time Table: $1,200 (17 available)

• Includes a reserved table located in the 3rd and 4th rows / middle section
• Plated dinner for 8
• Add-ons available for purchase

Last Time Departed Table: $1,000 (32 available)

• Includes a reserved table
• Plated dinner for 8
• Add-ons available for purchase

Individual Seat: $100

• These are anything but nosebleed seats! Enjoy great stage views close to the cocktails and social scene!
• Includes reserved seating and dinner for 1 individual
• Reduced fee for Leadership Class of 2025 ($80; use promo code or contact Sue Galligan)

ADD - ONS

Skip the Line with Pre-set Bottles of Wine at Your Table: $55

• Kendall Jackson Chardonnay
• Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
• Joel Gott Cabernet

Skip the Line with Pre-set Buckets of Seltzer at Your Table: $60 / 8 Seltzers

• White Claw Lime
• Nutrl Cranberry
• Nutrl Orange

Skip the Line with Pre-set Buckets of Beer at Your Table: $60 / 8 Beers

• Jack Pine Brewery Jacktober
• Bemidji Brewing German Blonde
• Coors Light

VIP Party Pass: $25

• 1- VIP Party Pass to the pre-party and 1 premium drink ticket
• Selfie photo area
• Meet & Greet with the award winners and sponsors
• Held in the Canoe and Paddle Pub near the entrance of the main lodge from 4:00-5:00PM

SPONSOR OPPORTUNTIES

VIP Party Sponsor: $2,000

• Receive a Present Time Table & dinner for 8
• Receive VIP Party passes for 8
• Logo included with event marketing

Entertainment Sponsor: $2,000 

• Receive a Present Time Table & dinner for 8
• Receive VIP Party passes for 8
• Logo included with event marketing

WHAT TO WEAR

RSVP's Received

Announcing the Blue Ox Business Academy's Leadership Experience - Class of 2025!

We’re thrilled to welcome the newest cohort into our premier leadership development program. Over the past ten months, these rising stars embarked on an 11-day journey designed to sharpen their skills, strengthen their leadership character, and unlock their full potential.

Since its launch in 1999, the Brainerd Lakes Chamber’s Leadership Experience has proudly graduated 612 professionals, many of whom have gone on to become some of the most influential leaders in our region. We can’t wait to see how the Class of 2025 will lead the way forward!

Join us in celebrating this year's Leadership Experience Class of 2025: Emily Bachman, Essentia Health; Ryan Barrett, Cragun Corporation; Andy Campbell, Sourcewell; Jarod Carlson, Lonesome Cottage Furniture Co; Gabe Clow, Clow Stamping Company; Jory Danielson, Crow Wing County; Brittany Davis, Brainerd Lakes Chamber; Eddie Dolezal, CTC; Ben Gottschalk, Baratto Brothers; Dakota Guderjohn, Xtona; Nathan Hamilton, Essentia Health; Dylan Hendrickson, Lexington Manufacturing; Erich Heppner, Central Lakes College; Adam Hopps, Hy-Tec Construction; Kari Horak, Crow Wing County; Josh Hukriede, Ameriprise Financial- Rising Tides Wealth Management; Mike Jensen, Anderson Brothers Construction; Madeline Johnson; Rick Kelm, MId Minnesota Federal Credit Union; Sam Kibwaa, Cragun Corporation; Shawna Knutson, First National Bank; Randi Lasher, State of Minnesota (DEED); Zachary Mahoney, Hubbard Radio & 2060 Digital; Scott Monson, Magnum Research; Kurt Moody, First Western Bank & Trust; Jodi Noordmans, Bridges of Hope - Common Goods; Scott Pikula, Nor-Son Construction; Bryce Raduenz, Pequot Manufacturing; Elijah Rick, Navigate North; Jose Rosario, Lexington Manufacturing; Matt Russell, CTC; Shannon Sawyer, Clow Stamping Company; Jake Spandl, CLA; Dani Stiller; Steve Stroschein, Crow Wing County; Austin Torma, Nor-Son Construction; and Jeremy Warzecka, LINDAR Corporation. 

ABOUT THE AWARDS

The Brainerd Lakes Chamber will present three awards at its thirteenth-annual Celebration of Excellence on November 20 - the traditional Business Excellence Award, which goes to an outstanding local business, the Business Legacy Award, which celebrates individual lifetime achievements as well as community and economic contributions and the Lakes Proud Small Business of the Year Award which will recognize a small business that personifies the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Brainerd Lakes Area!

For all three awards, a nomination/application process was announced in April 2025. After the deadline passed at the end of May, a volunteer selection committee independently scored and discussed each applicant before choosing the recipients.