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Barrels, Bottles & Brews - In Person December Networking
2025-12-10 16:00 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | Watermark Brewing Company, 5781 St Joseph Ave, Stevensville, MI, 49127, United States
Our Agenda is simple:
1 – Meet people and business owners without all the formality2 – Have a Beer (or other beverage)3 – REPEAT
A casual networking group about getting connected in the community and supporting locally owned breweries, tap houses, and other establishments. Come enjoy the camaraderie and hang out or just enjoy good craft beer, cocktail or glass of wine.
RSVP on Facebook Requested – Out of respect to the businesses we visit we need to know how many people are planning to attend.
Sponsored by: Jim Zobl with Lakeshore Accounting Services, LLC

MIX Innovation Celebration | Invitation to Display and Register
2025-12-10 16:30 - 19:00 | The Catalyst Center, 180 E Water Street Suite 1000, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, United States
Get ready to celebrate the best in design excellence, innovation, and creativity in our region with MIX Southwest Michigan First!

Have you or your company won an award or launched a project you’d like to include in the showcase?
Please contact Petey Stephanak at pstephanak@southwestmichiganfirst.com.

MIX Innovation Celebration
By MIX powered by Southwest Michigan First
Date and time
Wednesday, December 10 · 4:30 – 7pm EST
Location
The Catalyst Center
180 East Water Street Suite 1100 Kalamazoo, MI 49007
You’re Invited to a Celebration of Winning Design and Innovation! Let’s celebrate our Design Community!
Let’s honor creativity and spark new ideas together! Join us for an inspiring evening dedicated to the brilliance of creativity and innovation in our community. We’re celebrating the outstanding companies, and their groundbreaking products launched in 2024, including award winners that have set new benchmarks in design.
This exciting event will feature:

Award-Winning Design Showcase
Witness the best design products and projects that earned accolades in 2024. These displays will inspire and demonstrate the heights of design excellence. Discover projects and products that are shaping our future.
Honoring Student Excellence
Celebrate the top honorees from the Western Michigan University Innovation Expo, showcasing the bright minds of tomorrow
Networking
Connect with creative professionals from all disciplines and discover the inspiring companies they represent. Build new partnerships and explore exciting business opportunities in a lively, collaborative atmosphere.
Emerging Talent
Engage with winning student teams from the Western Michigan University Innovation Expo. Experience product pitches from up-and-coming designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.
Music, Food, and Beverages
Enjoy a lively atmosphere filled with great tunes, delicious bites, and refreshing drinks. Imperial Beverage is our event sponsor, ensuring a delightful experience.

Come celebrate design, innovation, and community with us! We can’t wait to see you there!
Please REGISTER HERE to secure your spot.
Need more information, please contact me!

Rising Tides Kzoo
2025-12-11 08:45 - 22:15, 2025-12-18 08:45 - 22:15, 2025-12-25 08:45 - 22:15, 2026-01-01 08:45 - 22:15, 2026-01-08 08:45 - 22:15, 2026-01-15 08:45 - 22:15, 2026-01-22 08:45 - 22:15, 2026-01-29 08:45 - 22:15 and 17 more dates | 24208 Front Street Suite A, 24208 Front Street Suite A, Mattawan, MI, 49071, United States
The goal of our meetings is to build lasting friendships, see how we can help each other, and refer business to one another.

Barrels, Bottles & Brews - Kalamazoo December In Person Networking
2025-12-17 16:00 - 19:00

Barrels, Bottles & Brews - Benton Harbor January In Person Networking
2026-01-14 16:00 - 19:00 | The Livery, 190 5th St, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Our Agenda is simple:
1 – Meet people and business owners without all the formality2 – Have a Beer (or other beverage)3 – REPEAT
A casual networking group about getting connected in the community and supporting locally owned breweries, tap houses, and other establishments. Come enjoy the camaraderie and hang out or just enjoy good craft beer, cocktail or glass of wine.
RSVP on Facebook Requested – Out of respect to the businesses we visit we need to know how many people are planning to attend.

The State of Economic Development
2026-02-05 11:30 - 16:30 | Radisson Plaza Hotel, Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, United States
Join more than 500 regional stakeholders, C-suite executives, and community leaders for Southwest Michigan First’s third annual State of Economic Development on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel.
In 2023, we launched The Path to Regional Prosperity, a bold three-year strategic action plan that set the direction and pace for our region’s future. Now, we’re building on that momentum with The Road to Regional Prosperity, an ambitious new plan designed to accelerate growth, spark innovation, and capitalize on the vast economic opportunities for Southwest Michigan.
This year’s event brings together a fresh new lineup of thought leaders and changemakers you won’t want to miss. Plus, we’ve built in plenty of networking opportunities along the way so you can interact with like-minded individuals who also want to move our region forward. You’ll walk away with fresh perspectives, actionable strategies, and lots of inspiration for what’s possible on the road ahead.
Let’s shape the future of our region. Together.
Program Agenda

Registration
Lunch and networking
Keynote #1: Economic Outlook, Dr. Christopher Thornberg, Founder, Beacon Economics
Keynote #2: Future Trends
Networking break
Entrepreneurship panel
Keynote #3: The Road Ahead, Jonas Peterson, CEO of Southwest Michigan First
Closing remarks
Reception and networking
