Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Business and Buyers' Guide 2019 Business and Buyers' Guide | Page 36

During this year’s Chamber Gala at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, the Chamber announced the winners of the 2018 SAGE Awards (Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence). Meant to be a celebration of the region’s business community, the Chamber Gala and SAGE Awards’ goal is to honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. This year’s Chamber Gala featured emcee Jeff Hammond, who has been entertaining audiences across North America as a professional stand-up comedian, emcee and licensed fundraising auctioneer. He has performed alongside Drew Carey, Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, Adam Sandler and many others. More than 80 applications were received for this year’s SAGE Awards. A group of volunteer community leaders and professionals teamed up to review applications and select finalists. The Gala also featured the first time live voting for the annual People’s Choice Award was implemented. Finalists were chosen from a community-wide vote in October and announced at the event, where attendees were given the chance to vote on-scene via a text-based voting system. The Chamber is proud to honor businesses that are making valuable contributions to the region and contributing to our overall quality of life. 34 I #THECHAMBERCANHELP