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Featured Stories:

Mystery in Montmartre Annual Dinner & Dance
2011 Community Christmas Parade

2011 Alliance Christmas Campaign
Next Month is the Annual Job Fair
2012 Tourism Forum Date Set
Get Ready for the Taste of Williamsburg!
Garden Month 2012

In this Issue:

Members in the News

New and Renewing Members

Ask SCORE:  Anticipate Trends to Capture New Business

Alliance Calendar

The holidays may be over, but one of Williamsburg's most anticipated annual events is just around the corner.  Invitations to the Alliance's Annual Dinner & Dance are in the mail to Alliance members.

The event will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2012, at the Williamsburg Marriott.  This year, guests will travel to 1960s Paris to enjoy an elegant evening with a mysterious twist.  The evening begins with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and dancing.  Music will by provided by premier party band Rare Mixx.

Tickets for this must-attend event of the year are $85 per person.  Tickets are limited, and advance purchase is required.  We recommend buying your tickets now before they sell out. Please mail in the order form on your invitation or fax it to 229-2047.  We accept American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.  Please note that a request for a reserved table of ten requires an initial purchase of ten tickets.

In addition, Gold level sponsorships ($1,450) remain available.  The sponsorship entitles your business to ten complimentary tickets to the event, including one reserved table of ten, recognition at the event and inclusion in all promotional materials for the dinner.   Click here for the registration form for details and send in your completed form today.  Credit cards (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa) may be used for payment of sponsorships.

For additional information, please contact the Alliance at 229-6511.

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The Alliance's 2011 Christmas campaign reminded prospective visitors that Williamsburg is a special place for the holidays where they've always wanted to come -- and more than 40,000 people visited www.ChristmasinWilliamsburg.com to discover all there was to see and do in the Historic Triangle every day of the holiday season.  Designed as a one-stop showcase and portal to more than 200 holiday programs and events, holiday travel packages, shopping and dining experiences, and suggested itineraries for making the most of a seasonal visit, the Christmas in Williamsburg site attracted more than 95,000 page views for area information.  These statistics reflect a more than 100% increase in activity to the website compared to 2010.

The 2011 campaign included new 15-second television ad spots increased from the 5 and 10 second spots used in 2010.  The ad buy also included Washington, DC, as in 2010, but expanded to include Baltimore, Richmond and Hampton Roads.  In addition to the broadcast advertising, the Alliance's marketing and promotional efforts included online search and an active social media campaign that increased the Alliance's Williamsburg Weekends Facebook page fan count by more than 100% in less than one month.  The campaign was funded through a partnership with the Alliance, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, James City County, Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg.

The Alliance also conducted a special presentation focusing on the holidays to more than 700 North and South Carolina AAA trip advisors attending the AAA Carolinas Superbowl of Knowledge event in Greensboro, NC on November 19 - 20.

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Looking for employees for your business or considering a job change for yourself?  Then you won't want to miss next month's 26th Annual Williamsburg Area Job Fair on Wednesday, February 29, from 10 am - 3 pm at the Crowne Plaza Williamsburg at Ft. Magruder, 6945 Pocahontas Trail

The registration fee for an exhibit space is $400.  The nominal feel includes an exhibit space plus additional benefits for employers who sign on to participate.

More than 900 job applicants attended last year's event, which helped businesses to fill their needs for workers and helped hundreds of area job applicants find gainful employment.

To participate as an exhibitor, download the registration form and fax it to 229-2047 or call 229-6511 for additional information.  Send in your form today - space is limited!

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The Alliance promotion of the Gardens of Williamsburg is just around the corner and the Alliance needs your help in making sure that all of the Historic Triangle garden-related visitor experiences are included on our website.  Please send your visitor friendly garden activities to Kaye Pelley with the Alliance (pelley@williamsburgcc.com) for inclusion on the GardensInWilliamsburg.com website.

The Alliance Leisure Travel Committee Gardens Working Group will meet in January to discuss some of the visitor options related to gardens.  Laura Viancour from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation will update the group on the garden experiences offered in the historic area for 2012.  Terry Buntrock will update the group on plans for the Williamsburg area during Virginia Garden Week, celebrated April 21-28, 2012, with Williamsburg being the featured day Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

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Members in the News -- Celebrating Our Achievements

Ferris & Associates, P.C. has consolidated with the Richmond law firm of Carrell Blanton.  The new law firm's name will be Ferris & Associates - A Division of Carrell Blanton Garrett & Van Horn, PLC.

Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center has promoted Susan Shaheen to director of Patient Care Services.  Jesse Cornelius has been promoted to manager of Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, with responsibility for three outpatient clinics.

Howell Creative Group has recently been awarded an American Graphic Design Award for their work on New Town's 2010 Holiday Marketing Campaign.  The intensive campaign included brand development, print and online advertisements, website design, as well as marketing collateral.

Robert Leek of Sentara Healthcare has been elected to the Board of Directors of Prevention Connections.  Prevention Connections is committed to "the prevention and reduction of tobacco use and childhood obesity through education, intervention, policy development and community outreach to improve the health of individuals and communities.  Leek is also state chair of the American Lung Association's Virginia Leadership Council, and serves on the Board of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth.

Colonial National Historical Park recognized individual adult volunteers with the George B. Hartzog Award.   Richard Houston received the Individual Service Award.  He has been a volunteer with Colonial National Park Service since 1996 and has accumulated over 2000 hours.  Barbara Shepherd was recognized with the Enduring Service Award and is the longest-tenured volunteer in the park.  She has donated over 5,000 volunteer hours in her more than twenty years of service.

The Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Kimberley Maloney, President, the Williamsburg Pottery, as the recipient of the Business of the Year 2011 Award.

Jennifer E. Stuebbe, Director of Employment Solutions in the Newport News office of Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, has been honored by Inside Business as a recipient of the 9th annual Women in Business achievement awards.  Stuebbe is one of just 25 women in the Hampton Roads area selected to receive this prestigious honor.

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New and Renewing Members

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Ask SCORE: ANTICIPATE TRENDS TO CAPTURE NEW BUSINESS

Ask SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business

ANTICIPATE TRENDS TO CAPTURE NEW BUSINESS

Owners of new and growing small businesses today know one thing for sure:  Conditions on the business playing field can change rapidly.  The technology that seemed cutting edge last year is now outdated; or worse, obsolete.  Buyer moods can swing dramatically, and marketing strategies are in constant flux.  Anticipating trends can be extremely valuable in keeping you current on everything from sales strategies and customer desires to technology tools and the general economy.  As your business grows, change will be inevitable and small business owners should constantly look ahead and seek out ways to shake things up.  The more you test the winds of change, the better your chances of success down the road.

But, how can you tell the difference between a fleeting fad and a true trend?  Louis Patler, a market research guru for companies such as American Express and Dell, has spent decades tracking emerging trends and studying their impact on business.  He says the key to successfully piloting a business in the years ahead will be embracing new ways of thinking.  For example, Patler says that truisms like "stick to what your business does best" are outmoded.  If you want your business to grow, consider that past business traditions and processes might only hold you back.  Trying new approaches is vital.

Advances in technology will continue to radically change how small companies do business.  You will need to keep up.  Small business owners who know how to acquire and manage information will achieve the most success.  Capturing and analyzing data about customer needs, wants, behavior and how they use your product or service will become increasingly critical.

SCORE answers your business questions for free.  For confidential advice, make an appointment  with a SCORE counselor by calling 757-229-6511 or emailing info@SCOREwilliamsburg.org.  The Williamsburg SCORE office is located in the Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance Building at 421 N. Boundary Street. 

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