"Everything is coming together very nicely," said local business owner and chamber Becki Collier.
The California Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing for the annual Ozark Ham and Turkey Festival in September.
During the chamber's meeting on Thursday, members discussed decisions made by the Ham and Turkey Festival committee.
Collier reported Spinnz Entertainment is providing the music for the entire event, charging $600 for the day. Spinnz is supplying music for the parade sound system and the fairgrounds for the festival's car show.
She said Andrew Korte, of Finke Theatre, is letting the chamber use one of his sound systems for the festival's North Stage.
Collier informed the board of the status of the festival's advertising. She said the festival's commercial is complete, although the video for the event's new rodeo attraction, presented by Amped Up Rodeo Productions, is still in development.
Collier told members, as July 10, the Ozark Ham and Turkey Festival has 53 vendors. However, she anticipates by September, the number of vendors will approach 100.
Mike Kelley, president of the Moniteau Regional Economic Development Council (MRED), said his organization began visiting with manufacturing companies countywide for Business Retention and Expansion.
He said MRED has a retail arm of this project in the works. Kelley explained his organization could form a committee with the Chamber to evaluate barriers to retail growth in the area.
"The main thing is to find out if there are any barriers for growth that we can help with," Kelley said. "We talk to companies about where they're at right now. What their dreams for five or 10 years are."
He also said Moniteau County is one of 10 communities to be invited to a "next level engagement summit" with Bright Futures USA, a community partnership organization dedicated to student development.
"Bright Futures USA was started by the superintendent in Joplin after the tornado (in May of 2011). It provides a framework of partnerships that brings communities together with a common purpose, and that's to give every child a chance at success. We're going to try to bring it countywide like Green County has and Callaway County has...," Kelley said. "So on Aug. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Bentonville, Arkansas, this summit takes place and we will talk."
Kelley said two members of MRED's three-member team are going to attend the summit. He told the chamber they are looking for somebody from California to fill out the team.
He said one thing that has come out of MRED's child care work includes partnerships with other entities.
"And partnerships, I think, would be key," Kelley said. "Business, community and school partnerships could go a long way economic development wise. Workforce development, specifically."
Although chamber members were enthusiastic no official decision was made on attending the summit.