[0:00] Good and holy God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, bounding in love. We thank you for this time together for wonderful events like Blink that distinguish our community and set us apart. We ask that you bless this meal, the hands that prepared it, and it's in your holy name we pray, amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

[0:29] One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[0:36] Thank you, please be seated and continue your meal.

[0:40] We want to thank our sponsors today, St Elizabeth Healthcare, named the top hospital in the region by US News and World Report.

[0:47] CDs has been our loyal lunch and title sponsor for a number of years.

[0:51] We truly appreciate Carrie and the team here.

[0:54] Today's lunch and sponsor is the Melbourne Group.

[0:57] Our supporting sponsors are Alliant Insurance,

[1:00] Ideas Zone Marketing, Meet-N-K-Y, and Strauss Troy.

[1:05] Our nonprofit sponsor is Gateway Community and Technical College.

[1:08] Our growth report sponsor is DBL Law.

[1:11] Our in-kind sponsors are A&E Audio Video and Event Services,

[1:16] and Mackie Advisors.

[1:18] We want to thank them for their support.

[1:19] Let's do that at this time.

[1:20] We appreciate you very much.

[1:27] We have several elected officials in the room today.

[1:30] I'm looking for those that are here.

[1:33] We have Karim Simpson, the Covington Independent Schools Board Member.

[1:38] The Bellevue Mayor Charlie Cleese.

[1:41] Thank you for all being here.

[1:42] We also have a number of our board members in attendance today.

[1:48] If Tony Milburn, our host here today, who's our Foundation Board Chair,

[1:52] and our CBC Board Chair starting in 2027, if he's got that grin off his face,

[1:58] that you know as a result of that, but if they would all please stand and let's

[2:03] applaud our elected officials as well as our CBC board members there did it.

[2:06] Thank you all.

[2:14] Announcements.

[2:15] We have a complete lineup.

[2:17] I'm happy to say of major sponsors for the 2026 powered by partnership CBC annual dinner

[2:23] presented by St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

[2:26] We will be honoring Tom Munninghoff of Munninghoff Lang as our founder award recipient this year.

[2:31] Steve Tracy of At Work Personnel will be our Ascent Award recipient, and I'm pleased to announce today that we've added a third award this year in the memory of our fallen friend, Katie Meyer.

[2:45] As many of you know, Katie passed away this past spring, and she embodied many of the best qualities that a Coventonian could possess.

[2:54] positivity, resilience, being a great advocate for others.

[3:01] CBC will be presenting the first Katie Meyer spirit of coming to an award to Katie's family this year.

[3:08] And in the future, we'll look at candidates who emulate her abulant character.

[3:13] So that will be happening, we'll be giving out that award at the annual dinner, November 12th, at the Convention Center.

[3:20] It will truly be a special night if you haven't purchased your tickets for that event.

[3:24] I encourage you to do so today on our website.

[3:27] There is still plenty of room for golfers for our October 2nd CBC Fall Golf Social at DeVou,

[3:34] presented by Maxim Crane, registered today, if you would.

[3:37] The CBC in partnership with the Center for Great Neighborhoods, the Neighborhood Collaborative,

[3:42] and the Latonia Business Association, will be presenting a Covington Council candidate forum.

[3:48] That will be a week from Monday, Monday, September 28th, from 6 to 8 pm at the American Legion in Latonia.

[3:56] All are welcome, we'll have a brief meet and greet after the 90 minute forum.

[4:00] And thanks to our media partners, Link and KY and TBNK.

[4:06] Speaking of TBNK, we'll be staging an open house at the New Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky offices on Russell Street.

[4:14] Wednesday, September 30th, that'll be from three to four in the afternoon.

[4:19] We'll have some light refreshments and it'll be a good chance for you if you're a for-profit business, especially if you're a non-profit.

[4:26] To use their facilities to create videos, they have a new podcast studio.

[4:31] There are a lot of ways to help you to brand your organizations better and that is always one of the things that our members tell us that they wish they had more help in.

[4:39] So definitely utilize TBNK as a resource and join us for this event on Wednesday, September 30th.

[4:47] There will be no charge, obviously, but we would like you to register on our website

[4:51] so we know how many people do expect. Now it's time for our non-profit spotlight.

[4:56] This month's sponsored and presented by Gateway Community and Technical College.

[5:01] I'm going to ask the development director of Gateway Test Burns to come up and tell us a little

[5:07] a little bit more about what's happening with the college test.

[5:10] Welcome.

[5:14] Thank you, Pat.

[5:18] Hello everybody.

[5:20] I'm going to sit at my timer.

[5:21] I know Pat runs a tight ship here, so.

[5:26] My name is Tess Burns.

[5:27] I'm the Vice Chancellor and Chief Advancement Officer

[5:30] at Gateway Community and Technical College.

[5:32] And today I'm here representing the Gateway Foundation.

[5:35] But I also get to talk about Gateway

[5:37] from a very personal perspective.

[5:39] I'm a proud Gateway graduate class of 2008.

[5:46] So when we say Gateway is an anchor

[5:48] of Northern Kentucky, I know firsthand what that can mean.

[5:52] The next time a line worker restores your power, a nurse cares for someone you love,

[5:57] a machine makes a critical part, or an HVAC technician keeps your business running, there's

[6:02] a good chance you're seeing the impact of Gateway.

[6:07] Our students and graduates are all around us every day throughout Northern Kentucky.

[6:11] Gateway is Northern Kentucky's only public two-year college, and today we serve more than 5,600

[6:17] students across four locations.

[6:21] Here's a number that always surprises people, nearly one in three undergraduate students

[6:25] in Northern Kentucky passes through Gateway.

[6:29] Students come to us for skilled trades, nursing and allied health, business, IT, advanced

[6:34] manufacturing, and many other programs, but the common thread is simple, Gateway takes

[6:38] local talent and connects it to local opportunity.

[6:41] And that creates real workforce capacity in Northern Kentucky.

[6:46] Last year, Gateway awarded more than 3,000 credentials, diplomas, and degrees.

[6:51] Nearly 80% of those credentials were in high demand, high wage industries.

[6:56] We're also an important pathway to four-year institutions over the most recent three-year

[7:00] period Gateway averaged over 1,000 students transferring each year to four-year colleges

[7:05] and universities.

[7:06] But my favorite number on this slide is 78%.

[7:10] Approximately 78% of Gateway graduates work right here in Boone, Campbell, Grant, and

[7:16] Kent and counties.

[7:17] So when we invest in Gateway and a Gateway student, that investment overwhelmingly stays

[7:22] right here in Northern Kentucky.

[7:27] We're also thinking about workforce pipeline much earlier.

[7:32] This summer 160 high school students participated in free hands-on career camps at Gateway and

[7:37] areas like Allied Health, Automotive Technology, Manufacturing, Welding, Machining,

[7:41] plumbing and HVAC, and here's the proof that those opportunities sparked interest and passion.

[7:47] Of the students who participated in Gateway Career Camp since 2023, 42% have enrolled

[7:53] a gateway by spring of 2026.

[7:56] So those aren't just summer activities.

[7:58] That is workforce pipeline development.

[8:01] We're also bringing training closer to where students live.

[8:05] Welding, machining, HVAC, and industrial maintenance are now available at the Urban Metro Campus

[8:09] us right next door. That's what being responsive looks like, listening to what students and

[8:15] employers need and bringing opportunity closer to them. But behind every one of these

[8:19] numbers is a student.

[8:23] This is Kylie. Kylie participated in Gateway's dual credit utility

[8:27] line worker program while she was still in high school. Through that experience she earned

[8:32] 16 college credits and an industry credential before graduating. Her training counts toward

[8:39] her associate's degree and moves her closer to a career helping keep our region powered.

[8:44] And while Kayleigh's story is personal, it is not isolated.

[8:47] Last year, more than 100 high school students earned a gateway to career credential while

[8:51] they were still in high school.

[8:53] That's what it looks like when we shorten the distance between education and opportunity.

[8:58] So I want to leave you with two very simple invitations.

[9:01] First comes CS, visit gateway, walk through the labs, meet our students, see these programs

[9:07] and this work happening firsthand.

[9:09] And second, partner with us.

[9:11] That could mean creating a work-based learning opportunity,

[9:14] connecting students to your profession,

[9:16] supporting a scholarship,

[9:17] or investing in high-packed programs

[9:19] through the Gateway Foundation.

[9:21] Through your generous support of Gateway,

[9:24] more students reach these opportunities

[9:26] through scholarships,

[9:27] wraparound support services,

[9:28] and investments in programs

[9:29] that make a real difference.

[9:31] There isn't one right way to engage with Gateway,

[9:33] we'd simply welcome the opportunity

[9:35] We need to help you find the connection that is right for you.

[9:38] Because together when we create opportunities for a gateway student,

[9:41] we're not only changing the trajectory of one student, we're actually strengthening all of North Kentucky.

[9:48] Thanks.

[9:59] Thank you, Tess.

[10:00] Now I want to introduce Jeremy Hardin of Hardin's growth benefits.

[10:04] He's here to talk briefly about the details of a new insurance program through the CDC offices.

[10:09] Offering GLP weight loss drugs and more affordable pricing.

[10:13] and Jeremy is also part of the new independent plan

[10:16] that we've started through the CBC.

[10:18] So Jeremy, take it away.

[10:21] Thank you Pat and Tess.

[10:22] Three of my boys went through gateway.

[10:25] I'll have great jobs in the trades.

[10:28] Own their own homes for $25.

[10:29] So I recommend that for anybody with the kids.

[10:34] And as Pat said, we've been working diligently

[10:36] with the CBC to create healthcare solutions

[10:39] for the members.

[10:41] This specific solution is centered around the GLP-1 drugs that have been growing in popularity

[10:47] in the United States.

[10:49] So the new edge health can deliver a flexible cost-effective GLP-1, obesity and chronic

[10:56] condition solution for both either individuals or business owners.

[11:00] So it's set up two ways.

[11:02] If you are an individual looking for an access point, you simply can add a QR code on the

[11:06] flyer.

[11:06] You will meet with a physician and a nurse navigator to get set up individually, or if you're a business owner looking to

[11:13] Find a more cost of effective way to bring this to your employees through the health care

[11:18] This can be done to help you help business owners

[11:22] Control their cost set up

[11:24] Cost sharing with employees in innovative ways. So if anybody would like a consult

[11:30] Set up time with me. We can go through it or you can go straight through the QR code. Appreciate your time. Thank you

[11:41] Now it's time to meet some of our newest CBC members.

[11:45] One here in particular today, our good friend Matt, if you'd stand up, Matt Anger of the graduate by Hilton, hey Matt.

[11:54] Some of you in stay standing for a minute, Matt, till we finish this segment.

[11:58] But some of you may remember Matt from his sales days at the Rattleson.

[12:02] So he's been a good friend for a long time.

[12:04] And if you don't know this, the graduate by Hilton since Natti is a one of a kind hotel located in the heart

[12:09] of the UC campus, and just minutes from downtown, more than 200 guest rooms,

[12:14] more than 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting in event space.

[12:18] You know, the hotel ties into the community spirit and the UC collegiate spirit with hospitality.

[12:26] So also today we have Pam Schraout of ATA Architects.

[12:31] It's an award-winning architecture and Heritage Pam stand up back there.

[12:37] Award-winning architecture and heritage conservation firm with the half-century plus legacy,

[12:44] ATA architects aspiring to get the acronym here, aspiring to create uplifting architecture,

[12:52] building trust through responsive detail and transparent collaboration and achieving excellence

[12:58] by blending innovation with proven expertise.

[13:01] So, let's, again, give the CBC warm welcome to Matt and to Pam, thank you all.

[13:11] And as you know, you're not a CBC member, I'll tackle you at the end of the luncheon today.

[13:16] So, yeah, if you're not a member, certainly, we would love to talk to you more about the benefits of being part of the CBC family.

[13:23] Now it's time for our CBC Growth Report brought to you by DBL Law, and here's Kate Christoff, Chief People Officer from DBL to introduce this segment.

[13:33] Kate, please come up.

[13:33] Good

[13:46] afternoon, I am Kate Christoff with DBL Law and at DBL being part of the Northern

[13:52] Kentucky business community is very important to us.

[13:55] We say involve through external organizations like this and internally through our

[14:00] MADE IT series podcast that you will be able to see unlinked in.

[14:07] We're excited to continue to be a part of the conversations in the community, especially

[14:12] as we see so much growth and momentum in the area, with the new bridge and many other

[14:18] developments, it's exciting to see the new business investment and opportunities in

[14:23] the region. And with that, I'd like to introduce John Sadaski, Covington's Economic Development

[14:30] Director with this month's CBC report.

[14:48] Good morning everyone, good afternoon, I should say. I want to give a quick update on two things

[14:52] happening in Covington, one that will bring a tremendous number of visitors into our

[14:58] city next month. And another

[15:00] We're focused on supporting the businesses and the jobs that are here already. First, as you all are probably aware, Blink is returning October 8th through the 9th from 7 to 11 p.m. Each night, sorry, 8 through the 11th, my apologies. Well, you know, luckily somebody else is going to talk more in depth about Blink after me. So, for anyone who hasn't experienced Blink before, it is the nation's largest free public art festival bringing together projection

[15:31] in mapping, light installations, murals, and interactive art

[15:34] throughout Cincinnati and Covington.

[15:36] And in 2024, the festival attracted more than two million

[15:39] people.

[15:40] So this is an opportunity to introduce a large number

[15:43] of folks to Covington.

[15:45] And we want those folks to stay here to not only experience

[15:49] the installations, but to grab dinner, have a drink,

[15:53] frequent our businesses, spend money here.

[15:57] So we really want to welcome them.

[15:59] So one of the things that we're doing is to help establish that environment is we are establishing

[16:06] three entertainment destination centers, otherwise known as EDCs throughout Blink.

[16:12] So what does that mean?

[16:14] From 7 to 11, each night of Blink, we'll have three designated areas of downtown where

[16:19] participating bars and restaurants can serve alcohol and specially marked cups with our

[16:26] awesome new uncover Covington branding and customers can take those drinks outside and

[16:32] walk within the boundaries of the CD of the EDCs.

[16:36] So the three areas include Court Street and Park Place in the Roblin Point District,

[16:41] the area north of fifth street between Madison and Scott and to fourth street, and between

[16:48] Pike and Seventh Street between Washington and Madison.

[16:52] There are currently 18 participating Covington businesses, including places like Braxton, Covington

[16:58] Yard, Smoke Justice, Wendell Distillery, Ripple Wine Bar and others.

[17:04] So we want to make downtown feel welcoming and really create that festive environment.

[17:10] Along with that, there are some street closures to be aware of.

[17:13] These include portions of Madison Avenue, Scott Street, Third and Fourth, Pike and Seventh.

[17:19] So the areas around those EDCs I mentioned and several of our alleys, but Fifth Street and Green

[17:25] of Street will remain open to vehicle traffic. I'm sure you guys are tired of hearing about traffic

[17:29] and closures and stuff like that. I'm sorry. I should not have you and included that.

[17:34] The robling bridge will also be closed to vehicles but it'll be open to pedestrians.

[17:39] So folks will still be able to walk between Cincinnati and Covington for the festival.

[17:45] Second, I want to update you all on an initiative we had earlier this month with our local

[17:50] manufacturing community, which we dubbed the Manufacturing Roundtable.

[17:56] So Mayor Washington and our, myself and our economic development team met with our local

[18:01] manufacturers at Atkins and Pierce for Roundtable to discuss workforce, cost of doing business,

[18:12] any issues that they may be having in Covington.

[18:15] It's the first time we did a roundtable like this in several years.

[18:18] So there was a lot to impact.

[18:20] As you may know, manufacturing is one of our target industries.

[18:24] We have some great manufacturers here located in Covington.

[18:28] But the purpose of this roundtable was just to listen.

[18:32] We had represented us from Atkins and Pierce.

[18:35] In the Honeycomb, we were Esco and Iofina Chemical sitting at the table

[18:39] alongside workforce and economic development partners, including Gateway Community and Technical

[18:43] College. Thank you. Northern Kentucky works. The Northern Kentucky Chamber. Northern Kentucky

[18:50] area development districts and of course our good friend Pat Furrier with the Covington

[18:56] Business Council. And one theme came was very clear workforce. So our manufacturers are thinking

[19:05] about how to find employees, how to retain them, what skills

[19:08] the employees need, and how we create a stronger pipeline

[19:11] of people interested in manufacturing careers.

[19:15] So having our partners at the table is really helpful

[19:18] so that they can get information directly from these folks.

[19:23] So in addition to that, we talked about housing affordability,

[19:26] transportation, and it was a good way to brainstorm ways

[19:29] to just build stronger connections within the community

[19:33] to solve those issues.

[19:34] So a big part of my job is taking care of our businesses, making sure that they're heard

[19:40] and trying to connect them to the right people to help solve their issues.

[19:46] And we do look forward to continuing these round tables throughout the next 12 months

[19:54] across our various industry sectors.

[19:57] So more to come on that, looking forward to sharing those types of updates

[20:00] with you as it relates to our different industries.

[20:03] So this concludes the city update.

[20:05] Thank you.

[20:11] Thanks, John.

[20:13] The whole idea behind these round tables began several years ago when I began talking to Mayor Washington about a lot of the great things that have been done in the past that Chuck Shepard did when he was the mayor and he would talk to some of the leading industries and as we talk to the city, it seemed to make more sense to look at these industry clusters, which we've done.

[20:32] We've talked to the life science industry, creative services, I'm missing the other one, John, I can't remember.

[20:37] There's another industry group that we involve, but manufacturing is obviously very critical.

[20:43] So, these are great sessions, the businesses felt listened to, having the mayor there is a very important thing.

[20:52] So, it's been very good and the CBC was very happy to be instrumental in helping to put this together.

[20:58] So I appreciate working with John and his team on this, so now it's time for our program.

[21:05] I'm going to ask Tony Mulburn, our host to get up here and tell us about our great speakers today.

[21:09] We know you're excited about this.

[21:10] Tony, thanks for hosting.

[21:11] It's great host as always.

[21:20] Thank you, Pat.

[21:22] A little bit more about Blank.

[21:24] John kind of introduced a subject, but we'll keep going.

[21:26] Blank continues to set the standard for the largest light-based art festival in the United States.

[21:32] and is second only to vivid Sydney in Australia,

[21:35] which is pretty cool for our area, I think.

[21:38] The 2024 Festival generated an impressive $205 million

[21:45] in direct economic impact and attracted more than 2 million

[21:49] attendees.

[21:50] Artists and visitors will come from about a dozen countries

[21:55] and at least half of the U.S. states.

[21:58] Today we'll learn about how Covington will be impacted

[22:01] by this year's show. We'll also hear about a project from a nationally known muralist who calls

[22:07] Covington home. To kick things off, let's give a warm welcome to Kentucky Native and CEO and

[22:14] Executive Director of Blank Leslie Mooney.

[22:26] Well I appreciate that Pat threw in there that I was

[22:28] a Kentucky native and Tony thanks for mentioning that. That is true, proud Kentucky colonel and very

[22:35] happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me today to talk a little bit more about Blink

[22:40] and what we can expect this year. I do want to start with just a quick video, so bear with me,

[22:46] but as you all know, seeing Blink and being a part of it is something that is hard to put into words,

[22:51] so let's get in the mood here.

[24:14] It gives me chills. So that was obviously our highlight reel from two

[24:17] years ago, the Blink Edition in 2024. And so I'm going to get into, in about the second half of my

[24:23] presentation my time with you all some specifics about what's to come this year in just three weeks from

[24:29] today and also what specifically is coming to Covington you'll get to see a sneak peek of some of my

[24:35] favorite and some of what I think are going to be the most spectacular light based installations preview

[24:39] of some of the muralists who are going to be over on this side of the river but first I want to

[24:44] back up just a little bit because I've got a little extra time to just talk about the origins of

[24:49] link and why we do this. Why do we go to such great links to put on the largest light based

[24:56] art festival in the US second only to vivid Sydney, which has been around considerably longer

[25:00] time than we have. The stats have been mentioned already a couple of times today. Over 2 million

[25:07] people came down in attendance over the course of just four nights in 2024. Pat mentioned

[25:13] And Tony, the direct economic impact of being well over $200 million, that's represented

[25:20] of course in hotel stays, but also in folks spending money in restaurants, the labor

[25:25] that we employ locally and that we bring in.

[25:29] And then there, of course, staying and eating and buying things, all that kind of good stuff.

[25:35] It is and will remain to be 100% free.

[25:39] And that really is something that I think it's missed sometimes when we're talking about

[25:45] particularly the economic impact, the fact that, and obviously it contributes to how many folks come down,

[25:52] and having over two million people over the course of four nights and having that be something that is free and accessible

[25:58] and open to everyone is a cornerstone of why Blink exists and what the original intent was.

[26:05] And we talked about it earlier, I talked about with somebody that's here today, and I certainly have had this experience my own self, just coming down as an audience and a participant to blink is that you kind of stand in one spot and look at a projection or interacting with the light based installation or looking at a mural and you look around to see you around and it's really, I mean, it's a pretty impressive mix of folks that you're surrounded by.

[26:28] It's kind of a sea of humanity and reflects all of us and coming to an greater Cincinnati and of course folks coming in

[26:35] From all types of different places and so being free and accessible and having this event

[26:41] Continue to be that is it is a big part of the ethos of of what we're doing here

[26:46] over 40 city blocks

[26:49] Well, that says three cities that was in that was in 2024

[26:52] We're not going back to Newport in 26

[26:54] six, mostly because the bridge is down, but two cities, four days, this is obviously

[26:59] coming up on its fifth iteration, so 2017, 2019, 22, 24, and now 20, 26.

[27:08] And then the artist's stats, I think, also can sometimes go underplayed, but the fact

[27:13] that we have now consistently two times in a row had nearly 1,000 artists from all over

[27:19] the world to apply to be a part of one of the three categories. I cannot underscore how

[27:24] more how competitive obviously that makes it and then therefore the quality of the art

[27:31] that whether that's in the projection mapping category, the mural category, or the light

[27:34] based installation category is really outstanding. And so we spend months going through very

[27:40] diligently with a curator advisory committee. I think cream maybe, or anyway, cream Simpson

[27:46] was a part of that committee this time around and so it takes us a good four or five months

[27:54] just to come through all of the artist applications that we get and we've had many folks that have

[27:58] applied multiple times and hopefully will continue to and you know until they can possibly

[28:04] get in but yeah I mean even for the mural specifically this year we had almost about 300 applicants

[28:10] and we only have about 20 murals that we're doing this time around so it tells you kind of

[28:15] how, you know, the sheer competitiveness.

[28:17] And so that is also raised the profile of Blink

[28:22] across the world, really.

[28:24] I had the great pleasure through partnerships

[28:26] with me in KY and B in KY and Visit Fancy and Ready.

[28:33] We took a trip over to Paris and London actually

[28:35] in the spring, this past March,

[28:37] to talk to travel influencers, folks

[28:41] who were looking potentially at bringing jobs,

[28:43] jobs bringing manufacturing specifically to Ohio and to Cincinnati or to the northern

[28:48] Kentucky side and using Blink as an example of what we accomplish here.

[28:55] I mean, and everybody I talked to him, so we got to do lots of artists visits and we brought

[29:00] folks in.

[29:02] And they're so impressed, you know, not just with Blink, but with this region and the fact

[29:06] that we could do something as bold and big as this and what this has become.

[29:11] And it's no small feat by any stretch of the imagination.

[29:15] And so I just think that we should take a lot of pride, those of you in this room,

[29:19] many of you who have, even if you've just attended.

[29:22] My goal, my hope in being the Executive Director of Blink is that everyone feels

[29:27] sense of ownership and a sense of pride in what these two cities, this community,

[29:32] has put together and is able to accomplish.

[29:35] So why? That's a question we've all kind of asked ourselves because this is about an

[29:42] eight million dollar endeavor every time it happens, right? And it's totally free.

[29:46] So unlike Coachella or South by Southwest, or even Burning Man, you know, think of these

[29:54] big gigantic festivals, whether it's music, or it's tech, or whatever, a lot of those places

[29:59] This is your-

[30:00] You're paying $1,000, $2,000, right, just to attend and go for a long weekend type of thing, right? That's not the model that Blink has. And so we rely on corporate partners, some civic organizations, city governments, that kind of thing, but lots of partners to make this available. And so it's, you know, that in and of itself, right, is a heavy lift.

[30:24] But with the same thing, am I creative executive partner, Andrew Salisbury,

[30:29] and Agar is very fond of saying that this region, Cincinnati, North of Kentucky, we're

[30:35] really good at talking about what we used to be good at, right?

[30:38] So whether that's the Reds and being the first, or even like now we have the longest running

[30:44] in the second biggest October fest, which is awesome, but like what are we looking at towards

[30:49] the future?

[30:50] And so, when folks got together, kind of building on the success of luminosity prior to

[30:55] Blink and the projections on music hall and seeing the crowds down there and seeing how

[30:59] it brought people together and brought people out through art, right through that common

[31:04] denominator building on that and looking at, okay, how do we want to portray ourselves

[31:10] in the future and to the outside, not only to ourselves, which is also really important, but

[31:16] also to folks outside of Cincinnati so that we're attracting tourism, yes, but also young

[31:22] people who want to move here or young people who are here at NKU or at UCCCM or DAP, like Chase

[31:29] who came and stayed, right? And like found that he could have a home here as an artist and

[31:35] build that life. And so, Blink is a big part of that too. I mean, that's a goal that we have.

[31:42] We're basically painting the picture of who we want to be and we're really building into that every

[31:48] every time we do blank. I also want to say it's a very intentional I mean the reason

[31:52] that my business card says I work at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber because I do and that is

[31:57] specifically deliberate that blank is housed out of the chamber. It is an economic development

[32:03] tool as well certainly during the festival itself but also building on the infrastructure that we

[32:10] already have and so for instance to speak specifically to one piece of blank the mural program in the

[32:16] This is definitely market area where prior to this year our murals are mostly concentrated.

[32:23] There has, we have seen we can foot traffic in that area, particularly increase by 30%

[32:31] when there are more murals in the area.

[32:33] So that was a stated objective prior to 2017.

[32:38] I think it's fascinating to think about how all of this came together, right, like projection

[32:42] mapping in and of itself could have been the thing, it could have been like that's what

[32:46] link is we're going to do luminosity but we're going to do it on 10 buildings or it could

[32:50] have been we're just going to do light based culture and that's really cool we can bring

[32:53] that in and that would be fun put it up temporarily and then take it out or we could have done

[32:59] we're just going to mural festival we'll do it annually or by annually and we'll have

[33:03] lots of new murals but the the power is it be the folks that preceded me so we're going to do all

[33:08] three at once and it's going to be awesome and it has and the mural part is really the lead behind

[33:14] It's what we all, it's the daily reminders of the Blink Festival, the investment that has been made.

[33:21] Sometimes we go back to those murals that have been painted as part of Blink to project upon them to make them come to life, right?

[33:27] Those are some of the most fan favorites, I would say, of the Blink Festival is when the murals, when the birds on the Martha mural,

[33:35] which is going to be featured again this year, come to life, they come off the wall.

[33:40] Seeing that is really impactful and moving and something that Cincinnati frankly blink is I think the it's maybe not the only but it's certainly the premiere light based festival and projection mapping festival where we actually project on two murals.

[33:56] And so that's getting a little bit wonky for this group but but it's a special thing.

[34:00] And so anyway, so coming back to those murals and illuminating them and projecting upon them,

[34:06] making them come to life is also a big key part of what we do and why we do this.

[34:10] I mentioned Finley Market, the shed, and the area around the shed, obviously I've seen lots of

[34:15] development, not just obviously as a result of murals from Blink, but lots of partners putting in

[34:22] time and effort and resources up there, but it all is very intentional in working together

[34:27] other to increase the foot traffic and the duration.

[34:30] So this is the number of murals sort of around the market

[34:33] shed that we started in 2017.

[34:35] Then we added another 12 or 14 in 2019, continued to add

[34:40] and move a little north in 22.

[34:43] And then the blue markers are 24.

[34:45] So at this point, we have, I think about 80 murals

[34:47] up in that area, there might be a few others scattered down

[34:50] in the central business district.

[34:52] And this is just a small sampling of some of those murals

[34:55] that are still in existence. There's only a handful that may have been painted over or something

[35:00] demolished. And so we're excited to add another 10 permanent bleak murals in that area around

[35:07] Finley Market, which we're now going to start calling Market Walls District. And these are just

[35:11] some of the artists. This are examples of the type of work that they do that will be up in the

[35:16] market district. And then we also this year is brand new. We will have 10 new murals going up

[35:23] in Covington and so we're calling this the Madison Walls District but to

[35:28] collectively these will be the Blink Walls and I think the intention is then to

[35:33] add to continue just like in the Market Walls District to add and to

[35:36] contribute to the tapestry, the gallery if you will, of murals here on the Kentucky

[35:42] side of the river as well. So these are three examples of three different

[35:46] artists who will be painting murals over here on the Covington side. I think I have

[35:50] a little map here. So this is a little hard to see. This is not our pretty finalized map

[35:56] that we printed. Hinton, that will be made public a week from today. So two weeks out

[36:01] from the start of Blink, we will have on our website on the Arts Way map. And in print

[36:07] through the inquire, the inquire is going to do another full page spread that will have the

[36:11] Blink map. But this is our internal working map to show you where you see the letter red with

[36:16] the painter's pallets, that's where murals are going up.

[36:19] When you see the things that look kind of like orange slices, those are light-based

[36:23] installations.

[36:24] The black tick marks are projection mapping sites over on this side of the river.

[36:29] The yellow spots are hospitality zones, where we'll have some food and beverage, but as

[36:34] John mentioned, there's going to be significant street closures for the EDC areas, which I think

[36:40] is going to make the attendance experience very exciting and very cool and fun.

[36:46] And so I think I've been telling people that Covington is really the zone to come

[36:50] to.

[36:51] Don't tell anybody I said that, but that I think is true.

[36:55] I think it'll be great over here, it'll be a wonderful experience.

[36:58] One of the largest, maybe the largest, actually light based installation will be at the intersection

[37:04] of Park and Court and it's going to be spectacular, great for pictures and video if you want to come

[37:11] down and take the family out. So that's just a kind of snapshot of where all Blink will be on this

[37:17] side of the river. And now I would like to invite Chase Melinda's up to say a few words. Chase

[37:25] is going to, is actually started as you can see. He's in his work attire. He came straight from

[37:30] The new city city hall building over across the street, and so chase and say a few words for us.

[37:42] I don't know what words I'm supposed to say but thanks for having me here. I see some friendly faces out there that I know.

[37:49] I've been in Covington essentially since 2008 since I moved for grad school out here except for one year, but I lived all over the city.

[37:58] Yeah, I don't know anything else

[38:01] Okay. Say it with me up here. So, talk to us a little bit. I know this picture, for instance,

[38:07] is in Miami, correct, at Winwood Walls. So, talk to us a little bit about, and, you know, how

[38:13] you got into this, what this has meant for your career, and then also, like, being a part of

[38:17] Blink this year, or we should be expect to see a similar style and design, and what kind of

[38:22] are you getting into this time? Yeah. So, this is, it's a condo residence in Winwood, separate

[38:29] in Winwood walls but it's still part of Winwood neighborhood which is like an example of what

[38:35] murals and art do if you've ever been to Winwood it's like crazy people just walk around looking at

[38:39] art all the new development there essentially comes with art like attached to it you can't build

[38:45] there really I don't know if this is like a rule but it seems like you can't build there unless

[38:49] you're attaching murals or attaching art to the concept yeah if you're not familiar with my work

[38:55] That's pretty good example geometric hard line kind of rhythm and pattern kind of stuff

[39:02] It will be similar at City Hall jumping off of Madison designs colors that they have going on

[39:08] Inside so it won't be like that color, but it will be visually kind of similar

[39:15] Being a part of blank. This is your first time correct first time for my work for your work

[39:22] So yeah, so talk to us a little bit about how that is feeling. Are you

[39:28] Excited obviously. I think you probably are in your process and like how you've decided to kind of do specifically what you're doing

[39:36] Like talk a little bit about that

[39:38] Yeah, it's a huge honor

[39:40] I think most local artists want to be involved with Blink in the scale of Blink is pretty impressive

[39:47] of that slide that you showed of the artist that are going to be here, like, if you're

[39:54] not an artist, maybe you are, but like that slide is huge.

[39:57] Those artists are like gigantic, gigantic artists.

[39:59] So to be involved with a project in a festival included with alongside them is pretty, pretty

[40:05] awesome and I'm super honored and sorry if you can't tell.

[40:10] I'm not used to speaking in front of people.

[40:13] My teaching days are long gone.

[40:15] So yeah, and I'm super happy to be in Covington.

[40:19] It's like even better.

[40:19] You know, I'm a block away or a couple of blocks away

[40:21] from city hall.

[40:23] And it's awesome.

[40:24] I drive down the street all the time.

[40:25] So I'll constantly see that that wall.

[40:28] And yeah, I'm just super excited.

[40:30] Great.

[40:31] I've one last question.

[40:32] What made you stay, as I'm mostly just curious, personally,

[40:37] in Covington, in the Cincinnati area,

[40:39] after you finished up your?

[40:42] I can give you a long version or a short version.

[40:44] And yes, the idea was to go to grad school and move to LA.

[40:49] And then I almost moved to LA two different times.

[40:52] And then some relationships have happened.

[40:56] And then also, and I just love Coventon, to be honest.

[41:02] I never pay for park games, for reds games, or bangles games.

[41:05] I walk all over the city.

[41:08] I have a studio.

[41:09] I have a house.

[41:10] There's lots of artwork available, our opportunities.

[41:13] So, eventually, a short answer was relationships, eventually, like it's a place that I have come to grove with, and I saw opportunity.

[41:23] There's a lot of development that was happening when I was getting ready to move back to LA, and I was like, yeah, there might be some energy here, let's see what happens.

[41:30] And then Blink hits and Blink is like a game changer in terms of like the art world, especially locally.

[41:37] Thank you.

[41:38] You're also hot too.

[41:44] Thank you, Chase.

[41:45] If you're interested, I mean, we can't keep you away.

[41:49] Chase is going to be starting to actually put paint on the wall at the city hall building,

[41:53] like October 1st, ish.

[41:55] So if you're just driving by or walking by, you can see the soup being made, as they say.

[42:02] And that'll be the case with all the artists that are coming in to start painting here in

[42:07] coming 10 and on the Cincinnati side of the river. So that starts a good week to 10 days

[42:15] or so before Blink actually starts because the goal is to have all those finished either

[42:19] on the 8th when we start Blink or sometime in those first couple of days been be finishing

[42:25] up. So another example of Chase's work here. Very distinctive style. That's an interior

[42:33] spot it looks like? Okay, yep, very cool. So just another little snapshot of how we try to guide folks through

[42:45] Blink because for those of you that have been I think always and forever we will be continuing to work on the

[42:52] conundrum of getting so many people hundreds of thousands in certain sections right at one time through streets that aren't

[43:00] necessarily designed right like it's this is not Times Square. This is not where you know that typically happens

[43:06] and so guiding people along and making sure that it's clearly marked and that we we have beacons

[43:13] that will guide folks from one place to another so we just have been calling it I've been using these

[43:20] terminologies of beacons and bread crumbs really since the first the earliest link and beacons would be

[43:25] the large projection might be in sight so this is an example for instance of the toy heritage

[43:30] mural that 2001 colors painted several years ago that we have brought to life several

[43:36] times throughout the Blink Festival that is clearly visible from a long distance away.

[43:42] It serves as a beacon for people to sort of look up point and go okay we're making our way

[43:47] towards that and along the way as they are making their way towards that there are spots

[43:52] within that root that we call breadcrumbs, but maybe a little bit because they're also super impactful.

[44:00] In fact, these are the types of things that get the highest ratings on survey data.

[44:05] Anything that's interactive, things that people can really get involved in, so light based installations.

[44:12] And sometimes they're down alleyways like this one was.

[44:15] Here's another example of a beacon. This is on the contemporary art center, of course, over in Cincinnati.

[44:20] and another example of this is Crescendo,

[44:23] which will actually be coming back again this time around.

[44:25] This is by local artist Kyle Ellie Ebersol,

[44:29] and that'll be in Lionel Park this year.

[44:31] So yeah, just the stats that you've heard already over and again,

[44:35] but I want to make sure everybody gets those dates down.

[44:37] October 8th of the 11th is when Blink will be happening

[44:40] this time around.

[44:42] We've been talking internally about our theme.

[44:45] We don't have a theme that we put out to artists.

[44:47] This is an artist showcase, artists are invited to bring their best work, which is great.

[44:53] That's why I think so many artists want to be a part of Blink.

[44:55] There's not a lot of artistic direction for them, but internally we've been talking about

[45:00] This being a radically welcoming, blank edition. We always try to be welcoming, but this goes along all of the different audiences that we serve. So we're working again with our accessibility partner, all in events. So they'll come in and really make sure that there are viewing areas for folks of all different abilities. It is inherently I'm walking a big giant space of two states, but we can try to make certain areas that are

[45:29] are as accessible as humanly possible.

[45:31] And so we're leaning into that again,

[45:33] even more so this time around.

[45:35] And with our sponsors, our donors,

[45:36] and really increasing our VIP opportunities,

[45:39] we're gonna be hosting a VIP event over

[45:41] for our sponsors on this side of the river at DBL Law,

[45:44] actually, which we'll be able to stand out and see

[45:47] one of the new murals and new projection mapping sites

[45:50] from the balcony up there.

[45:52] So that's exciting, but just increasing those opportunities

[45:54] in ways to say thank you.

[45:56] Because again, with raising $8 million put this on,

[45:59] We need all the partners and we need folks to really feel appreciated as I'm sure you all can understand and then of course

[46:05] This our general audience making sure everybody feels like they want to be here and then they have a good time despite the crowds

[46:11] Despite sometimes the headaches of parking or getting down here that everybody's feeling

[46:16] welcomed and and things are safe and

[46:20] Clean and so we'll make sure we have all of the facilities and all the logistics pan down so

[46:25] So, media breakdown, this is a part of Blink that is so phenomenal and I think just we

[46:32] put a lot of work into it, but surprisingly this is not something that we necessarily put

[46:36] a lot of dollars behind, we get a ton of earned media certainly locally and regionally which

[46:41] is awesome.

[46:42] Our partners at meeting KY and visit SINCE do a lot of the heavy lifting outside of the region

[46:46] so marketing coming to Cincinnati for Blink in places that are drivable, the markets kind

[46:52] and surrounding us, right?

[46:54] But we get a ton of traffic on Instagram,

[46:58] particularly on Facebook and just media hits in general.

[47:02] So it's a great, it's also a great thing

[47:04] and a point for sponsors too, right?

[47:06] Cause we continue to highlight our partners as well.

[47:09] Just wanted to kind of give a snapshot of,

[47:12] we had the Covington map earlier

[47:13] that was a little bit larger

[47:15] and then this is the entire footprint.

[47:17] So similar to previous years,

[47:19] For this north, we'll be the Finley market zone and then we'll be in over the

[47:24] Rhine music hall. Of course we'll continue to be a major beacon. We'll have

[47:29] actually four different projections on music hall this time around, one of

[47:32] which is a live iterative performance. Another one is a commissioned piece to

[47:38] celebrate America 250. So that will be a camp missed spot as well as it

[47:43] typically is. And then we'll come down into the fountain district or the

[47:47] central business district, the banks, and then over obviously even to the

[47:51] Covington Zone. Some new things real quick. Before my time is up, I do want to

[47:56] hit on. We are partnering with pig works this year for the first time ever to

[48:00] have a blink night run. So blink run the night. It's not a true 5K. It's very much

[48:06] designed to be a fun run. That will be on Tuesday, October 6th. I think there

[48:11] are still a few limited spots open if you're interested. And it really will

[48:15] service a sneak peek because you will, the runners in that race will start at

[48:19] Elm Street Plaza and run down towards the banks on the Cincinnati side and they

[48:23] will run around some of the light-based installations that we will have

[48:26] already installed and in test and lit up on that Tuesday night. So that's a fun

[48:31] new element. And then I think probably for me the most exciting point and

[48:37] something that's brand new is we have transitioned away from the parade, which

[48:41] which has typically been our kind of kickoff event on that Thursday night, the 8th, to

[48:46] a block party opening ceremony style event that will be actually starting at 4 o'clock

[48:52] on Thursday the 8th, out front of TQL Stadium on Central Parkway in Cincinnati, so kind

[48:58] of all way from behind music hall all the way up to Liberty Street in OTR, and yeah, that

[49:05] will start 4 o'clock. We'll have food and beverage vendors. A lot of the community groups,

[49:08] a lot of this corporate partners, folks that have been involved in the parade, will now

[49:12] have a more stationary spot on the Block Party footprint, so you'll be able to come and

[49:17] get glow-in-the-dark hair extensions or bring the kids down, get something to eat and drink

[49:22] early on.

[49:24] There'll be live DJs, we've got some celebrity guests making appearances, we've got a local

[49:29] band and a nationally-known band that will play, and then all of this will culminate

[49:34] and truly what I'm most excited about,

[49:35] which is a collective turning the lights on moment,

[49:39] which we really not ever had before with Link.

[49:42] The parade has been awesome.

[49:44] We've had a couple hundred thousand folks typically

[49:46] come down to see that,

[49:48] but it doesn't have kind of that moment

[49:51] like a drop the ball on Times Square

[49:52] or a lighting of the ceremonial torch

[49:55] like the Olympics have,

[49:56] and that's what this will create.

[49:58] And I think Thursday night tends to be a very,

[50:00] a much more regional audience as it is already.

[50:03] of course, it's not quite the weekend yet, and so this is our moment to really take

[50:07] pride and collectively turn those lights on, and so that will be that moment will be around

[50:13] eight o'clock on Tuesday, the, I'm sorry, Thursday, the 8th, and then there will be a drone

[50:20] show over TQL stadium, and that will be our only drone show on Thursday night, so for those

[50:25] of you that may have businesses near the river, take note now, there will not be a drone

[50:31] show on the Ohio River on Thursday night there will be one and then we'll be at TQL Stadium.

[50:35] However, it will be back over the river and view a bull from both sides of the river on Friday,

[50:40] Saturday and Sunday. And those will be similar to 24, 8 o'clock, 10 o'clock. So just mark your

[50:46] calendars, make sure you spread the word. And this is just some fun stuff. I wanted to show some of

[50:50] the artwork that will actually be over here on the Covington side of the river. This one right now

[50:54] is scheduled to go down tobacco alley. That'll be fun one. Some very interactive, fun, light-up bikes

[51:00] that you can get on in Petal.

[51:02] This chorus design coming from Hungary, larger than life,

[51:07] this is right now scheduled to be

[51:09] in the Kenton County Library parking lot,

[51:11] which was a fun Hangout Zone in 2024.

[51:14] This again is some examples of either the muralist Dulk,

[51:20] who I think I'm sure Chase was talking about when he said,

[51:23] I mean, one of the most renowned internationally muralists,

[51:27] And then some other of the light-based cultures that will be going up.

[51:32] The bottom right is it's hard to tell in this picture, but that's the piece that I was

[51:38] describing that's going to be an intersection of park and court.

[51:41] It is gigantic.

[51:42] It will basically take up that entire intersection.

[51:45] And so I think that's going to be a camp miss as well for most folks.

[51:50] And then I just want to real quick touch on our partners.

[51:54] I think I want to thank the city of Covington, I mean, Charmilly and Sebastian and Chris and that whole group has been so fantastic to work with, and from, you know, not even necessarily a funding perspective per say, but just working together and collaboratively, like there's absolutely no way.

[52:12] what happened in a lot of cities and a lot of regions because the connection and the collaboration just isn't there.

[52:18] And so we're very fortunate to have both on the coming to the side and the Cincinnati side.

[52:22] Folks that have really leaned in, it's hard. It's really tough between police and public works and parking enforcement.

[52:31] I mean, every building and inspections, every department is touched.

[52:35] And so the collaboration effort is huge.

[52:37] So I just would say, you know, big thank you on both sides of the river for that.

[52:42] Oh, and here's this sneak peek.

[52:45] See who can identify this Covington landmark that will be eliminated this year.

[52:51] I

[54:04] gotta leave you wanting more.

[54:06] So that's where we got it all.

[54:09] Yeah, so everybody knows where that is, right?

[54:13] Yes, Mother of God Church.

[54:14] So that was a big hit in 2022, but we didn't bring it back in 2024.

[54:18] and now it's back on the route for 26.

[54:22] So we've got three different artists,

[54:24] so there'll be three different art pieces

[54:25] projected on the Mother of God.

[54:27] Actually, just so happens that all three of them are French.

[54:30] This particular artist, his name Leslie Epstein,

[54:32] this will actually be her second blink to be a part of.

[54:35] But yes, this shoe is coming from France

[54:37] and it's just spectacular.

[54:39] Most of the projection pieces are somewhere

[54:41] between five and seven minutes.

[54:43] So plan your night accordingly and come out

[54:46] and make sure you have plenty of time to see everything.

[54:49] But I think that's it for me, unless Pat, you got some questions?

[54:53] Audience? First of all, let's give it up for Leslie.

[54:56] Thank you.

[55:02] I'll get over you in a second.

[55:05] I think this is more for maybe the soup Nazi chase, but we had a local business owner down here.

[55:11] He was having problems with graffiti and he had a mural go up on his wall and the graffiti stopped.

[55:16] I don't know if that's artist-respecting artist and if that's a national phenomenon

[55:20] If that was just coincidence, somebody

[55:39] has a question in the front there,

[55:41] Lauren, if you can get to them.

[55:46] Hold on, Davis, wait a second.

[55:48] Outside of the collaboration between both sides, what were the other things that made our region stand out from the other cities?

[55:55] From other cities, where they have light-based festivals or something like that?

[55:59] Well, I'm presuming there was an application or a slash bidding process for it to come here.

[56:05] For Blinke to come here? No, this is homegrown.

[56:07] Okay.

[56:08] This was an effort really started with the Hale Foundation which had supported luminosity

[56:13] which was what the CSO did on music call, did projection mapping to celebrate I think

[56:17] an anniversary of some sort.

[56:19] It was so popular that it almost became dangerous like there were so many people packed into Washington

[56:24] Park trying to watch what was going on on music call that I think the powers that be were

[56:28] sort of like whoa we've got something really spectacular here and so then it became a partnership

[56:31] between the chamber who of course is the producer of things like October Fest and Hint starts

[56:36] today, go to October Fest and taste the Cincinnati and Asian food fest and so we had the logistics

[56:42] part down.

[56:43] We had our partners at Agar who had this idea to do a mural festival so they came into

[56:48] the table, partners at one thousand and one colors, what used to be known as artworks who

[56:52] really put their hands around the light based installations and the parade pieces and then

[56:57] a group called Brave Berlin who was doing the production mapping and so all of these were

[57:00] local, either nonprofits or companies and yeah it was like what do we want to do here that

[57:06] that would set Cincinnati apart and Northern Kentucky apart.

[57:08] So that's how it came to be, yeah.

[57:24] Hi, can you talk more about the app and when it's available

[57:29] and how to find it to navigate?

[57:31] Thank you.

[57:32] Yes, I appreciate that prompt.

[57:34] Our illuminated by sponsor is Arts Wave.

[57:37] And so, of course, the engine for driving arts

[57:39] in Northern Kentucky and the greater Cincinnati region.

[57:42] That app is being relaunched.

[57:44] So they launched it actually just ahead of Blink 2024.

[57:47] for they've been doing basically working on it for,

[57:50] you know, continuously for two years straight

[57:51] and it will launch now.

[57:54] It has launched, Rachel says.

[57:56] So yay, but the blink math will not be on

[58:00] until this coming Thursday-ish,

[58:02] so about a week from now.

[58:03] But there's all kinds of stuff on there as far as like

[58:08] specials, secret opportunities.

[58:10] It's free for the month of October.

[58:13] And so yeah, so definitely download the ArtsWave app.

[58:16] Sure.

[58:18] Other questions?

[58:20] We have a few more minutes.

[58:39] Great question.

[58:42] The TQL, so we will be two different shows, so there's a special show on Thursday night

[58:47] for the kickoff, and then the show on Friday Saturday Sunday will be the same show that will

[58:52] run the six different times twice a night.

[58:55] I would say it's about the same number.

[58:58] We may have increased slightly the number of zones, and so that's really what makes a big

[59:02] difference is the number of drones that you add, the more spectacular, the company that

[59:05] we use is actually based out of Texas and they just did an incredible 9-11 tribute where

[59:11] they put drones in the shape. I don't know if anybody's seen that. That's the drone company

[59:15] that we use in the Twin Towers in drones. So, yeah, they're top-notch exceptional group

[59:22] that we work with. And so, yeah, the technology, I mean, that's the other thing about Blink that's

[59:25] wild is like every, it only happens every two years. And in those two years, the technology

[59:30] Whether it's the projections, the media servers, the drone technology,

[59:35] like there's vast improvements.

[59:37] And it's really fun, like Panasonic and several of our other tech partners.

[59:42] They like to be a part of Blink to try out new equipment as well.

[59:47] Like stuff that's never been tried before.

[59:49] And so if you get into that kind of stuff,

[59:52] it's really exciting too.

[59:53] Like there's a lot of new technology.

[59:55] So that would be, I say, with the big thing with the drone show.

[59:57] Yeah.

[1:00:02] Great. I think that's all the questions we have. Leslie, great job. Thank you so much. Thank you all for having me. I appreciate it.

[1:00:13] And I apologize next month. We'll try to do a program that's a little more visual. I mean, that was amazing. I mean, people were almost crying when you had mother of God up there with with all that. That was fantastic. So we want to thank Leslie Mooney again and Chase Melendez. Also, we want to thank our sponsors today.

[1:00:31] St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the Milburn Group, a client insurance,

[1:00:36] idea zone marketing, meet NKY, Strauss and Troy, Gateway Community Technical College,

[1:00:43] DBL Law, and A&E Audio Video and Event Services.

[1:00:47] Also, Leslie talked about a survey.

[1:00:49] We do a survey after every one of our lunches.

[1:00:52] That would be helpful if you told us the things we can do even better,

[1:00:56] other ideas for programs, things like that.

[1:00:58] We would appreciate that.

[1:01:00] And again, we have the slide up there about how the business community can get involved.

[1:01:04] Carla and her team from meeting KWI are here at that table.

[1:01:08] If you want to engage with your business in some way in this, please do that.

[1:01:12] We would love to see that happen, excuse me.

[1:01:16] So join us next month, October 7th.

[1:01:19] We'll be back at Embassy Suites for our legislative luncheon.

[1:01:24] Shane Nome of Robling Solutions will be the moderator.

[1:01:27] In my absence, Jackie Roberto will be our facilitator and MC next week, and if you would, please treat them as if I was here.

[1:01:39] Well, maybe you should be nice to them, maybe you should be respectful to them.

[1:01:43] No, seriously, they'll do a great job and we hope to see you all next month, October 7th.

[1:01:49] Have a great weekend.

[1:01:51] This meeting stands adjourned, go to October fest and then go to blink next weekend.

[1:01:55] Thank you all, I appreciate it.

Covington Business Council - September 2026

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