The Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce will host on Thursday night what organizers hope will become a yearly event: an annual banquet to recognize its membership.

Guest speaker will be author Melinda Rainey Thompson. The banquet starts at 6:30 p.m. Thompson will sign copies of her book prior to the event.

Chamber banquets were once an anticipated event in The Camellia City. The Greenville Advocate devoted a hefty amount of space for photographs and copy following each banquet. Many of the merchants who helped start the Chamber of Commerce in 1941 are no longer in business, but director Francine Wasden hopes some of their families will be in attendance on Thursday.

Local farmer and businessman Col. Eric Cates said the last banquet he attended was “around 1970” and it was held at the National Guard Armory.

“Lots of music and always a guest speaker,” said Cates.

As of Monday, 250 tickets had been sold to the event.