The Denver Metro Chamber’s annual meeting Wednesday included several firsts.

It was the first time in 137 years of the event it was held at the Gaylord Rockies Hotel and Convention Center in Aurora, as opposed to a traditional downtown Denver venue.

And it was the first time attendees got to see Lord Stanley’s Cup. That was courtesy of the Colorado Avalanche winning the NHL championship in June and Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, owner of the team, loaning chamber officials the iconic trophy for a couple hours.

President and CEO J.J. Ament ticked off the chamber’s accomplishments in the last year, his first as the organization’s leader after taking over for longtime CEO Kelly Brough – who was in the audience.

“We continue to meet the needs of the business community, and our membership, as we maintain a steady drumbeat of programming and advocacy,” Ament said to the crowd of more than 600 business leaders and government officials, including Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and Attorney General Phil Weiser.

Chamber officials helped recruit 17 companies to Denver, which helped create 7,000 primary jobs and added $545 million in economic impact to the metro Denver region, he said. Officials also worked on some 70 pieces of legislation, or potential legislation, as part of its public policy work.

“We worked to merge economic development, policy work, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and small business teams to create a more holistic and cohesive approach to our work,” Ament said.

He pointed to “rock star” hires like former Adams County Manager Raymond Gonzales, who is now the executive vice president of the chamber and president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. (EDC).

He also identified headwinds in the coming year.

“The pandemic has changed the way we work,” he said. “People are exploring new careers. … There’s a potential recession, greater competition for talent and polarization in our public dialogue that seems to get worse.

“Companies are facing bigger challenges – so our new leaders and new approaches are abundant to help their success.”

Incoming Board Chairman George Sparks, president and CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, is perhaps the first historian to serve in that role.

His keynote speech recapped significant historical events for the 20th century, showing how all those events served as a “foundation to change.”

He spent a fair amount of time talking about the evolution of our energy use and policies, arguing the move away from oil and gas will take time.

“For decades and decades, coal miners were so proud to provide electricity and power to civilization,” Sparks said. “Now they’re demonized, and that’s wrong. We need to take care of those folks and somehow figure out a way to achieve our environmental goals.”

Officials surprised former CEO of Pinnacol Assurance Phil Kalin with the Del Hock Lifetime Achievement Award, noting his 40-plus years of service to the business community.

In a video tribute, officials talked about Kalin’s work to always give back to the community, mentor younger workers, and constant emphasis on DEI efforts. They described him as “thoughtful, composed and caring.”

“This is very humbling,” Kalin said.

His impromptu speech included advice to business leaders: “We are responsible for making the world a better place.”

“We must make a difference, and to the extent I’ve done that in my work I’m very proud.”

Though the program ran over by more than 15 minutes, those who stayed to the end were rewarded with Ament presenting the Stanley Cup, escorted by Avs’ mascot Bernie. Attendees were allowed to take a picture with the cup, and dozens lined up to do so.

“We continue to represent you, our membership, at the state capitol working for a business-friendly environment and helping to reduce the preventive regulations and burdens on employers and employees,” Ament said.