events November 11, 2009

Member News & Events

Have you taken the Membership Survey mentioned in a recent message from Nancy Thomas?   If you have not, please do.  Your responses will help us . . . so we can help you. Please contact Preston Perrin at 804-662-5504 or pperrin@retailmerchants.com with any questions or if you need another copy.  THANK YOU.

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Join Saxon Shoes to Help People in Need—Start Out on the Right Foot This Holiday

On Monday, November 2, 2009, Saxon Shoes began collecting used, but useable shoes to be presented to the Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center. For the past 17 years Saxon has collected over 100,000 pairs of shoes from the community to help those in need in our area.

"Each year Saxon Shoes donates hundreds of new shoes to children in need through programs with the United Way and other community organization," says Gary Weiner, president of Saxon Shoes, "and during the holidays we invite our customers and community to help us help others by donating the useable shoes in their closet that they just don't wear anymore for men, women, and children."

This year, they are reaching out the community to further involve local schools, churches and other organizations in the collection process.   All participating organizations will be listed on their website (http://www.saxonshoes.com) as a drop off location as well as in an eblast sent to their database of 15,000+ households.

The program is very easy to execute and will make a great impact in any organization with hands on Holiday Assistance.  Participants would be responsible for spreading the word to their colleagues and providing a collection box with signage to promote the program provided by Saxon.

A registration form is available at http://www.saxonshoes.com/shoesfortheneedy

Please let Amanda know if you have any questions.  Amanda Weiner, Special Projects Coordinator, 804-549-5039               

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Lakeside Holiday Open House

Friday, November 13, 5:00–9:00 p.m.

The Holiday open house will be inside Lakeside Towne Center at 6116 Lakeside Ave (beside Feathernesters).  In addition to the Market, there will be over twenty of the Lakeside Merchants joining the celebration.  Friday night, a trolley will offer free transportation from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to the merchants along Lakeside Ave. There will be free parking at Lakeside Towne Center and the Hub Shopping Center.  We hope to see you there for this fun event. (Saturday is regular market hours (8 a.m.–noon).  

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Libbie & Grove a Music/Spirit Stop

The SunTrust Richmond Marathon will be taking place Saturday, November 14th. Paul Cartwright has secured a different route this year so the runners will be coming through the Libbie/Grove area for the firs time.  Grove Avenue in will be closed from 8am to 11am.

The area has been designated as a Music/Spirit stop and a band is being supplied to play at the intersection of Grove and Libbie. If any music group wishes to play – they can do so but must coordinate this with the marathon organizers. Also offered is a ‘Spirit Group” fundraiser valued at $100 - $500 for any group that registers with them, shows up and cheers on the runners. This is a great way for non-profits, sports teams, schools, etc. to get funds. Spirit groups should be set up by 8 am and plan to stay until 10:30 am.

To participate as a music or spirit group, contact:  Leah 389-9491 leah@sportsbacker.org  or Sarah 370-3375  sarah@sportsbacker.org. Please contact Sally Ashby with any questions. We hope this will be a new, fun event that will draw many new faces to the Libbie & Grove Area. Sally P. Ashby, Director of Marketing, Carreras Ltd,804/282-7018

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Powhatan Chamber Luncheon

November 19th,  will be held at the County Seat Restaurant. Networking begins at 11:30; buffet lunch starts at 12 noon.
Lunch is $8.00.  RSVP is requested, call the Chamber office, 598-2636.  Any Business interested in donating a door prize for the luncheon, please call Tina and Diane at the Chamber office.

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An Evening of Storytelling by Friends of the River

Thursday, November 19, 6–8 p.m.

There is no cost to attend.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, 300 E Franklin St., Richmond, Va. 23219

The Richmond Times-Dispatch will launch the new book “James River Journal: A Year in the Life of a River.”  An Evening of Storytelling by Friends of the River will include several people who appeared in the newspaper’s James River Journal series, which chronicled the life of the river over a full year, and upon which the book is based.

Special invited guests include:

David Sligh - a river keeper for the upper James who travels the river and many of its tributaries searching for ways to reduce pollution.

Chris Hull - a river lover who enjoys snorkeling with giant catfish.

Danny Jefferson - a member of the Chickahominy tribe who traces the river’s history before Jamestown.

David Everette - a photographer who has captured thousands of images of the river.

Bryan Watts - a professor whose research helps protect eagles and other birds along the James.

Ralph White - manager of the James River Park and one of the river’s biggest fans for more than 30 years.

“James River Journal: A Year in the Life of a River” was written by Rex Springston, with photos by P. Kevin Morley. Springston and Morley will discuss the book and the James River Journal series at the event. They also will sign books.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event for $14.99, plus tax, or the book can be ordered at TimesDispatchBooks.com.

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Free Blogger Boot Camp:
Social Media Workshop for Small Business

Friday, Nov 20th, 2009, 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

To be held at CRT-tanaka, 101 W Commerce Rd, Richmond, VA 23224

In today’s market where everything revolves around Google, how do you ensure that your prospective customers are finding YOU online among millions of other brands? The main reason why social media marketing is such a phenomena is its ability to transform an unknown name into a popular brand online. So how do you get started? What are some simple steps you could take to start leveraging the power of social media? Why should you care about Search Engine Optimization?

Find out answers to all of the above and more at the Social Media Workshop sponsored by Network Solutions, LLC in Richmond. Key learning points from this half-day FREE workshop include:

• Advantages of social media marketing over traditional tactics
• How to start blogging with WordPress?
• How to turn Twitter into a customer service tool?
• How to increase your Google ranking with Search Engine Optimization tricks?

Speakers to include:

• Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Strategist, Network Solutions 
• Randall Windsor, Web Marketing Manager, Network Solutions
• Priya Ramesh, Director, Social Media Strategy, CRT-tanaka

Agenda:

• 8:30–9:30 a.m.: Light breakfast and Networking
• 9:30–10:00 a.m.: Intro to Social Media Best Practices (Doug Meecham)
• 10:00–11:00 a.m.: Maximize Customer Satisfaction Via Blogs and Twitter
• 11:00–11:30 a.m.: Importance of Search Engine Optimization
• 11:30 a.m.–12:00p.m.: Q&A

REGISTER HERE: http://richmondsocialmedia.eventbrite.com

Sign up today! Limited seating. Don't forget to bring your laptop to take your first steps in blogging. Attendees will learn how to use the Network Solutions WordPress Hosting package for free!

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Virginia Food & Beverage Expo to Showcase State’s Outstanding Cuisine

March 21, 2010

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will present the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo – Tradition of Taste 2010 on Wednesday, March 24, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in downtown Richmond, Virginia.  Exclusively for food industry buyers, the Expo will provide a quick and convenient survey of hundreds of Virginia food and beverage items from traditional fare to new and unusual tastes. Admission is free.  Not open to the public.  For more details, including convenient online registration, visit www.vaexpo.com.