2025 40th Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration

Event Sponsors

Join us as we celebrate four decades of community, collaboration, and excellence at the Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce's 40th Annual Meeting & Awards Celebration. This milestone evening will feature a reception and networking opportunities, followed by a banquet where we will honor the achievements of our Chamber and its dedicated members. The highlight of the evening will be our awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding contributions from businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond for the Perdido area. Additionally, we are thrilled to celebrate the inaugural graduation of our Leadership Perdido Key Class, marking a significant step in fostering leadership within our community.

This event calls for business casual attire, and sponsorship opportunities are available for those who wish to support this momentous occasion. Join us for an unforgettable evening as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to an even brighter future!

Featured Guest Speaker

Darien Schaefer, President/CEO Visit Pensacola
Darien is the President & CEO for Visit Pensacola, joining the organization in April of 2020.
Born in Milwaukee, WI and growing up in the resort community of Wisconsin Dells, Darien has been involved in the hospitality and tourism industry his entire life. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management, Darien spent nine years in hotels including Holiday Inn Corporation, Marriott Hotels and Tharaldson Lodging where he served as an Area Director over 13 hotels.
Darien has 25 years of Destination Marketing experience that includes sports event and festival event development. Darien has represented five destinations in three states including Wisconsin, California and now Florida. Prior to arriving in Pensacola, Darien was the President & CEO for Visit Big Bear representing the resort destination of Big Bear Lake, California.
Visit Pensacola is the destination marketing organization for Escambia County which includes Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. Visit Pensacola supports the community vision of tourism by serving as the central body responsible for building tourism as an economic engine for our community through leadership, connection, collaboration and communication.
Most recently, Darien became the Board Chair for the Northwest Florida Beaches Tourism Council, a regional marketing organization that represents 8 counties in the Florida Panhandle. In April 2024, the Triumph Gulf Coast Board awarded $10.5 Million to Visit Florida and the NWFL Tourism Council to market the Northwest Florida Beaches.