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Member News
& Events
events

February 2010

RMA Loves Its Members Open House

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Wishing you an especially Happy Valentine’s Day!

No cost, however please bring as your entry pass one or more canned goods for donation to the Virginia Food Bank.

Love is in the air around RMA!   We are feeling extra appreciative of our members, with a tough year behind us, and the challenges ahead. It’s the TOGETHERNESS thing that will help us all move forward and ahead—So more than ever, we LOVE our members!

And yes, it is also another networking opportunity…to welcome new members, reconnect with old friends or get to know your RMA staff better. 

Don’t forget to bring business cards. (You never know what you might win!)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
5:00–6:30 p.m.

Location: Retail Merchants Association
5101 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 662-5500

Cost: No cost, however please bring as your entry pass one or more canned goods for donation to the Virginia Food Bank.

Contact: For more information, contact Jenny Price at 804-288-8389 or jprice@retailmerchants.com.

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First Friday Forum

Highlights

Friday, February 5, 2010

First Friday Forum

Using Web Tools to Increase Your Business Presence

Our panel of experts (Mary Fender, Dana Matheny, Laura Posey, and Andrew Rountree) discussed how small businesses can take advantage of the "new media" and other web tools. Moderated by Ken Wayland.

Upcoming

Friday, March 5, 2010

Building a Brand from the Inside Out

Title Sponsor

Village Bank

Photography Sponsor

Robert Thomas Photography

Audio Visual Sponsor

Visual Aids Electronics

Print Media Sponsor

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Online Sponsor

Richmond.com

Every business is known for something—is your brand creating the impression you want it to?

Every day, as consumers, we make buying decisions based on the reputation of a company’s brand. We consider whether we trust a brand, believe in a brand, and agree with a brand. Brands make us want things, spend money, and even think a certain way. A brand generates feelings, builds emotional connections and becomes the shorthand that influences our buying behavior. And the logo is only the beginning.

Lisa Moroni-Hall and Cathy McPherson from Brandevotion will discuss how distinctive brands are built both behaviorally and visually, and provide essential steps to developing a memorable brand.

Lisa Moroni-Hall serves as Managing Partner and Account Director for Brandevotion.  Lisa’s experience covers a wide breadth of disciplines with emphasis in human resource management, organizational development and brand strategy & development. She has worked with a variety of companies such as regional airlines, international hotels, leading financial institutions and non-profit organizations. Her clients include UPS, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Vizada, SkyTerra, PLANIT Technology Group, Susquehanna Bancshares, Luck Stone and Goodwill Industries.  Prior to launching Brandevotion, Lisa held positions with First Union National Bank, Circuit City and most recently as VP of BrandInside, the brand development division of The Martin Agency. 

Cat.jpgCathy Ferris McPherson is a Senior Consultant for Brandevotion, with over 25 years experience in all aspects of marketing.  She has worked closely with companies such as Luck Stone, DuPont Fibers Federal Credit Union, World Access, Fairfield Inn by Marriot, PLANIT Technology Group and Goodwill Industries in the area of brand strategy & development.   As a professionally trained focus group moderator, She has provided customer service and retail marketing training for a number of individual retailers and shopping center developers, and has been a keynote speaker for professional conferences on the topics of gender communications, basic marketing skills, and brand development.  Cathy is an associate professor of business administration and marketing communication for Mary Baldwin College. She is a Co-Founder of Dress for Success Richmond, a non-profit organization that helps low-income women successfully prepare to enter the job market.

Friday, March 5, 2010
7:45–9:15 a.m.

Location: Westin Richmond Hotel
6631 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23226
804-282-8444
Directions >>

Cost: Members, $25; Non-members, $30

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Member News & Events

Bob Hines, of Thomas Hines Antiques, Carytown, won a $1500 advertising package from the Richmond Times-Dispatch in RMA's member renewal contest—which he has donated to the Central Virginia Foodbank. BRAVO BOB!!

Meet at the Westin Richmond—Special for RMA members!

Meetings of 30 people or less, receive free room rental with purchase of breakfast and lunch. Over 30 people? Take 10% off the master bill. This is for RMA Members Only. You must reference your membership to get this discount.  Please book and actualize before March 31st.  To make reservations or if you have questions, please contact Arik Cullen at 205-5208.

Meet Richmond.com’s new senior account executive

If you’re interested in reaching Richmond.com’s growing audience, Whitney Allen can help you. Whitney is the senior account executive for Richmond.com, and she will work to create a marketing plan for you that generates results. Richmond.com nearly doubled its monthly audience in 2009, and it reaches people that can grow your business. We have banner advertising, directory, e-mail, video and event listing opportunities. Call Whitney at (804) 649-6839 or e-mail her at wallen@richmond.com.

Third Annual Virginia Independent Film Festival

Sunday, February 28 from 1:00–10:00 pm.  

Finalists come from throughout the state including films from Alexandria, Bristow, Fairfax, Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke and Virginia Beach. .

The Festival will be held at the historic Byrd Theatre, 2908 West Cary St.  Documentaries will be screened from 1:00–3:00 pm; short films from 3:00–5:00 pm and feature films will be shown from 5:00–10:00 pm.   The cost for attending each screening series is $5.00 (or $2.00 with student I.D.). An all-day pass is $10.00.  Passes for each series are available at the door 30 minutes before each series is scheduled to begin.  For more information about the Virginia Independent Film Festival, visit the Virginia Film Office website at www.Film.Virginia.org. 

Tuskegee Airmen: Black History Month Presentations at the Virginia Aviation Museum

Tuesday, Feb. 23, and Thursday, Feb. 25, at 9:30 and 11 a.m.

They had to fight to prove their worth. When they got the chance, they became one of the most decorated units of World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen are the first African-American Air corps unit. Meet an original Tuskegee Airman—retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Grant S. Williams Sr.—when he tells his story at the Tuskegee Airmen at the Virginia Aviation Museum. Tuskegee Airmen is included with Aviation Museum admission. Tickets are $6 for ages 13-59, $5 for ages 4-12 and 60+ and $5.50 for active military. Pre-registration is requested. For museum information and pre-registration of nine people or less call 804-236-3622. To pre-register groups of 10 or more for Tuskegee Airmen call 804-864-1400. For museum information,  visit www.vam.smv.org. The Virginia Aviation Museum is at 5701 Huntsman Road on the grounds of Richmond International Airport.

Friends of Boaz & Ruth Dinner & Auction

March 26, 6:30 pm

They will be at the new MeadWestvaco building at 501 S. Fifth St in Richmond, where they will celebrate with cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner and live auction.  Items range from 2 nights at the Hope & Glory Inn to a personal tour of the Capital with Delegate Jennifer McClellan!  For more information, contact Martha Rollins, info@boazandruth.com.
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