Kennesaw Business Association (KBA) is one of the largest business associations in the Metro Atlanta area and serves the greater Kennesaw area. KBA provides more than 36 networking opportunities throughout the year to support the needs of over 425 members. As our mission states, we devote our efforts to improving the business conditions and community in the Kennesaw area by promoting higher business standards and better business methods. Through the encouragement of uniformity, networking, and cooperation by businesses and retail merchants, KBA has boasted a Shop Local focus for more than 40 years.
In 1975, downtown Kennesaw merchants joined together to create a business organization that would promote and preserve the historical heritage of downtown Kennesaw, while encouraging people to patronize their businesses. The first significant promotion by the KBA was the creation of “Trade Days,” which later became known as the Big Shanty Festival. This annual festival stimulates tourism and promotes business in the downtown Kennesaw area.
Today, the Big Shanty Festival not only remains one of the largest annual festivals in Cobb County, but it has become one of the primary sources for KBA’s ongoing mission to give back to Kennesaw’s schools and non-profit organizations. With the resources generated by The Big Shanty Festival and the fall Taste of Kennesaw, we give back over $100,000 each year to the community.
Monthly networking events are the backbone of KBA’s activities and include a business lunch with a guest speaker, an after-hours social gathering, and an early morning networking event. Several other Expo-style events round out our annual calendar of events and attract participants from Kennesaw and beyond.
We use the most current technology, including our website, emails, text messages and social media, to keep our members updated on upcoming KBA and community events. We maintain a long-standing relationship with the City of Kennesaw, the Cobb Chamber, the Town Center CID and Kennesaw State University to keep our members informed.
