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Featured Stories:

Join Us for the Annual Tourism Forum on March 6th
Mystery in Montmartre Annual Dinner & Dance
The 26th Annual Job Fair is February 29th
Christmas in Williamsburg 2011
The Taste of Williamsburg is March 28th!
Are you Displaying your 2012 Window Cling?

In this Issue:

Members in the News

New and Renewing Members

Ask SCORE: Devise a Backup Plan for Your Business Data

Alliance Calendar

The latest developments at our area's attractions and new offerings for visiting families, tour groups and meeting attendees will be center stage at the Kimball Theatre on Tuesday, March 6th from 3 - 5 pm.  That's when the Alliance will be hosting its Annual Tourism Forum.

Marketing campaigns being put in place to promote these new developments and the destination overall will also be unveiled.

Among the presentations at the Tourism Forum will be Busch Gardens/Water Country USA, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Williamsburg Area Destination Marketing Committee, as well as the Alliance.

Invitations are being emailed to Alliance members, but the Annual Tourism Forum is open to the entire tourism and business community of the Historic Triangle.

Please join us, and bring your colleagues.  RSVP to 229-6511 or wacc@williamsburgcc.com.

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A few weeks ago, Alliance members received invitations to the Annual Dinner & Dance, which will take place 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 be provided by premier party band Rare Mixx.

Tickets for this must-attend event of the year are $85 per person.  Since tickets are limited, advance purchase is required.  We recommend buying your tickets now before they sell out.  Please send in the order form on your invitation or call the Alliance at 229-6511 to order tickets.   Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card are accepted forms of payment.  Please note that a request for a 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 the Alliance's annual membership meeting, and inclusion in all promotional materials for the dinner.  Join the group of member businesses that have already signed up as sponsors (see list below).  Click here to complete the sponsorship form and fax to the Alliance  today!  Credit cards may be used for payment of sponsorships.

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

Click here to see a list of current sponsors.

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The 26^th Annual Williamsburg Area Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, February 29, from 10 am - 3 pm at the Crowne Plaza Williamsburg at Fort Magruder, 6945 Pocahontas Trail.

This popular event offers job seekers the opportunity to submit applications, meet and receive interviews with representatives of many of the major businesses and organizations in the area.  Anyone searching for a job, or a new career - either full or part-time - should show up with resumes in hand.

A limited number of exhibit spaces are still available and all area employers searching for employees are invited to participate in this year's Job Fair.  The $400 registration fee includes a reserved booth space, refreshments during the day, five hours of prime recruiting time, and the opportunity to receive job applications from hundreds of potential employees as they visit each exhibitor.  Last year's event attracted more than 900 job applicants. 

Interested in taking advantage of this year's Job Fair?  Call the Alliance today at 757-476-7323 to secure an exhibit space or
click here for registration form  Interested in attending the Job Fair?  See the flyer inserted in this newsletter for additional information.

Click here to see a list of current exhibitors.

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The month of December was a flurry of activity for the Alliance with the theme of "Christmas in Williamsburg 2011".  From the annual Community Christmas Parade to a substantially expanded holiday marketing campaign there was much to celebrate. Early data from area attractions reflects strong growth in visitation over 2010 and work is already underway to grow all of these results for 2012.

Smith Travel Reports for December 2011 report a 31% increase in demand for hotel rooms in the Historic Triangle compared to December of 2010.  Visits to the ChristmasInWilliamsburg.com website grew by more than 100% over the same period as well.  Area attractions reported visitation increases for December as high as 61%.  Growth in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Hampton Roads and Richmond, the markets targeted with the television campaign, reported increases of up to 153% in attraction visits over 2010 results.  While tax reports will reveal more about the actual impact of the holiday promotion, these early results speak well for the cooperative partnership between the Alliance, James City County, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg. 

Work is underway to continue to build upon the success of the 2011 Christmas in Williamsburg campaign.  The Alliance will work to continue the relationship with our partners while seeking additional partners and investment to leverage the 2011 success.

Click here to see more information on the annual Christmas Parade.

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The eagerly anticipated 19^th Annual Taste of Williamsburg will be held on Wednesday, March 28, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm The gala event will be hosted by The Crowne Plaza Williamsburg at Fort Magruder.  Guests will enjoy sampling a variety of tempting foods and refreshing beverages created by many of the area's finest establishments.

An invitation with a ticket request from will be mailed to Alliance members later this month.  Tickets to this popular affair are $35 per person.   Advance ticket purchase is required and ticket sales are limited. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover will be accepted for payment.  Tickets may be ordered by returning the ticket request form, calling the Alliance at 229-6511 or visiting the Alliance at 421 N. Boundary Street.

Sponsorship opportunities - Golden Gourmet ($700) or Silver Palate ($350) - are available and member firms are encouraged to sign up now to gain full recognition as a sponsor for this always sold-out evening.   Broaden your company's recognition in the community by becoming s sponsor.  Click here to complete the sponsor form and  fax it to us today at 229-2047 or call 229-6511 for details.

Convey a “sign of confidenceâ€� to consumers that you are a member of an organization committed to making the community a better place to work and live.  The 2012 window cling includes a QR code that, when scanned with a Smartphone, will take a person to the Alliance mobile website.  This website contains information useful to both visitors and residents.  It is presented by category and includes the name of your business, pertinent information, as well as a link to your website. It also provides coupons that consumers can use to assist them. Display your cling in a prominent place where it is visible to your customers.  If you did not receive your cling in the mail or need additional ones, contact the Alliance at 229-6511.

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Members in the News -- Celebrating Our Achievements

Howell Creative Group has been awarded the contract for advertising and marketing services on behalf of the Newport News Economic/Industrial Development Authority (EDA/IDA).  Howell will aid the City in promoting Newport News as a prime location for business.  They will work directly with the EDA's marketing committees to maintain a strong, diverse economic base in Newport News by working with existing local companies and marketing the City to new businesses.

The Muscarelle Museum of Art is pleased to announce that noted art historian and author John T. Spike has joined the professional faculty at the College of William & Mary as the Muscarelle's Assistant Director and Chief Curator.  Since January 2011, Spike has been Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Muscarelle, presenting a series of six lectures to the public, teaching two seminars in the Art Department and consulting with museum staff on curatorial affairs.

Guernsey Tingle Architects has been selected as part of the WM Jordan Company design-build team for the new 38,000 square foot Casey Toyota Dealership in York County.  The facility, located on Rochambeau Drive in the upper part of the county, is now under construction with completion expected in the summer of 2012.  Guernsey Tingle Architects is a Williamsburg based architectural and interior design firm, and is celebrating its 29th year.

James River Transportation was designated as one of the Top 50 Motorcoach Fleets by Metro Magazine in its January 2012 issue.  This recognition is given annually to the top North American transportation companies and this is the 12th consecutive year for James River Transportation.

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New and Renewing Members

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Ask SCORE: ENTER ARTICLE TITLE

Ask SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business.

DEVISE A BACKUP PLAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS DATA

Everyone knows that backing up computer files is important, and most of us will face a computer crisis of some type sooner or later. But simple laziness or perhaps a lack of information and belief that backups are too costly or time-consuming cause business owners to put it off, and that can have disastrous consequences. Damaged or lost data files have cost many small or home-based business weeks, months or even years of work. It can happen in an instant for many reasons. Suddenly your hard drive starts making loud, grinding noises and stops working. Your laptop might be stolen or maybe you simply push a wrong button. Computer viruses also can make files vanish.

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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