Rolling Out The Red Carpet

Genitti’s, Marquis Theatre to co-host Chamber’s new awards ceremony

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They literally will roll out the red carpet next month for greater Northville’s usually unheralded heroes – those hardworking but behind-the-scenes people who really grease the wheel.

The occasion is the Northville Community Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Awards Dinner, slated to begin 5 p.m. on March 9 at Genitti’s Hole-in-theWall and move across East Main Street to the historical Marquis Theater. To be given the celebrity treatment will be the men and women who through their efforts help make the city and township excel on multiple levels.

“I knew our Citizen of the Year is something we’ve done for a long time,” said Douglas Wallace, executive director of the chamber. “But it’s nice to be able to recognize all the community people and get them together and recognize them in the larger audience. That’s a nice plus for us.”

Six important awards will be presented during the Marquis Theater portion of the night, beginning around 7:30 p.m. after an estimated 200 guests have had dinner and drinks at Genitti’s and then walked across the red carpet from one side of East Main to the other.

“We pay for the rental carpets and all that stuff, to put a red carpet down the street with stanchions and the whole thing,” said Wallace, the mastermind behind the inclusive gala. “We’re just trying to make it a fun night.”

So after a “happy hour” at 5 p.m. and family style dinner from 6-7 p.m. at Genitti’s, guests will walk over to the Marquis beginning at 7 p.m.

“Then at 7:30 p.m. we’ll start a presentation,” Wallace said. “I was just talking to the Novi-Northville Civic Chorus and they said they’d like to do 15 minutes of singing when we start. That’s a perfect thing.”

Although there could be winter weather to contend with, Wallace said the elements shouldn’t pose much of a problem for the guests – especially since the bulk of the evening will be held indoors.

“The whole point is just to get people to be there and be a part of it,” Wallace said. “If we have a beautiful night I’ll be excited. If we don’t I’ll still be happy because we have a lot of people coming to celebrate each other and that’s the most important part.”

The John Genitti Citizen of the Year will be unveiled during the awards presentation. The award, renamed to honor John Genitti in 2014, “celebrates the dedication and commitment of community members that give their time, energy and talent to make Northville a special place to live, work and play.”

Also, to be presented together for the first time in Northville will be awards shining the spotlight on standout businesses (large and small), organizations and individuals for a variety of accomplishments.

Community service and Northville District Library volunteer of the year recipients also will be honored.

“Normally, the township always does theirs at a meeting, ‘Oh, we’d like to recognize a person of the year,’” Wallace said. “They put that out there at a board meeting. But I thought this would be a nicer way to do it.”

Wallace knows from personal experience that such grand ceremonies resonate with the overall community. Before becoming Northville’s chamber director in February 2022, he held similar jobs in Mt. Pleasant and Plymouth – where he oversaw awards nights to much success.

The idea to feature a red carpet was something he was pushing almost as soon as he began the Northville job.

“It went really well,” Wallace continued. “Mt. Pleasant’s had like 400 people every year, so it’s a great crowd. Everybody from the community comes and celebrates, so it’s nice. In Plymouth, they have about 200 or so. It’s a great community thing for them, too.”

Working hand-in-hand with Wallace on putting the event together were chamber staff members Matt Zook and Olivia Moses. Countless others helped behind the scenes, he added.

As for the red carpet treatment, Wallace said not only do the award recipients get a special night to remember, it also boosts the importance of work ethic and volunteerism.

“Most of them are unsung heroes,” Wallace emphasized. “I think the biggest thing is, those businesses – the city, township, for us (at the chamber) – we don’t always have a place to say thank you to the people who’ve worked so hard in our community to keep it going and be what it is. It’s just a great opportunity for us as organizations to say thank you.”

Others might see the hubbub and think getting involved might just be up their alley.

“It’s not so much because of the ‘Oh, I think I’m winning an award.’ I think a lot of times people don’t realize that ‘Oh, I could have been volunteering and helping over here?’ They didn’t realize these (organizations) needed volunteers. People don’t realize how much they can do.”

Marquis Opening Scene

Meanwhile, the Marquis Theater’s involvement for the awards night is a major win, according to Wallace. Its owner, Brandon Bueter, was convinced to open the Marquis’ doors for the event, prior to the venue officially reopening following renovations.

“It was a good introduction for us to get Brandon to have more community groups seeing this place, since he hasn’t had it open in a few years,” Wallace said. “It’s his first thing in a while. It’s a big plus for us to see the Marquis opening again.”

Wallace said the Marquis is on track to officially re-open later in the year, with an October string of Michigan Philharmonic concerts already planned.

The theater seats 400 people, but there only will be about 200 for the March 9 event. Wallace said he wants the annual event to grow to the point where it can easily draw the Marquis’ capacity amount.

“I think in the future we can get the whole 400 or so,” Wallace added. “But it’s a newer event, so trying to make things happen and put together is always a work in progress. But I think it should be fun. Once people see what it’s like I think they’ll jump right in.”

Tickets for the Northville Community Chamber of Commerce First Annual Awards Dinner are $75 and can be purchased by visiting www.Northville.org.

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