Find the products and services you need — click here!
Other search options:
Member List A–Z •
Category List •
Advanced Search
|
ChamberWorks December 2001 |
» Past Issues |
» President's
Message
» Wine
Tasting & Silent Auction Jan. 25
» November
Business After Hours Recap
» Holiday
Membership Reception Dec. 19
» January
2002 is a Busy Month
» Santa
Was Here
» Don't
Forget!
» DEDUCT-A-RIDE
Workshop
» Gift
Certificate Time!
» Shop
Only Fairfield
» Reminder:
2002 Business Guide
» Welcome
New Members!
President's Message
Thanksgiving weekend marked the start of the holiday
season here in Fairfield. Santa Claus arrived at the Sherman Green
on Saturday morning by fire truck, instead of his helicopter, due to
early morning inclement weather. To everyone's enjoyment the sky
cleared in time for the horse and wagon rides, musical
entertainment, and children's games. I'd like to recognize and
thank the following Chamber members for their generous sponsorship
of these events: Cargo Bay, East of West, Henry C. Reid & Son,
Splash Hand Wash and the Rosenthal Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Care
Center. Abbey Tent & Party Rentals helped set-up the tents, and
Devore's Bakery provided cookies for the children. Also, thanks to
all of the volunteers for making this a successful day!
The Thanksgiving-to-Christmas shopping season this year is unusually long, with 32 days. The last time the holiday shopping season was this long was 1990, so you have plenty of time to get out and shop at the many fine stores throughout Fairfield. No time to shop? Call the Chamber office for a Gift Certificate. Have your credit card ready when you call! It's that simple and you'll still be supporting our participating local businesses.
Let's celebrate the holidays together at the Chamber's Holiday Membership Reception at Vazzy's on Wednesday, December 19th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. The evening is also a good way to introduce a non-member to the Chamber. So, invite a non-member to experience a wonderful business after hours reception. See you there!
Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year!
Michael R. Gness
Edward Jones Investments
President, Fairfield Chamber of Commerce
Wine Tasting & Silent Auction Jan. 25
Denise T. Johnson, Chairman
Mark your calendars now for the 7th annual
Fairfield Chamber of Commerce Wine Tasting and Silent Auction.
Once again the Greenwich Workshop Gallery will host this very important chamber fund-raiser on Friday, January 25, 2002 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This is a real opportunity for you and your company to receive exposure through planned press releases and at the evening event which we expect will be attended by 140-150 individuals.
We are looking for an item, service or gift certificate with a value of twenty-five dollars or more. Do you have concert or theatre tickets you are not planning to use? Do you subscribe to a professional sporting event? Are you willing to offer your vacation home for a weekend or two? How about buying a chamber gift certificate to auction? Can you cook a meal for six? The possibilities are endless.
Please take a moment to think about what you can donate and call the chamber office before the holiday rush is upon you. We will pick up your donation if you are unable to drop it off at the chamber office.
Your help with this chamber event is critical. Proceeds from the event help to support chamber activities which, in turn, make Fairfield a better place in which to live or do business.
Thanks.
November Business After Hours Recap
Geraldine Piascik of Hudson United Bank on Black Rock
Turnpike welcomed a large crowd of people at their Nov. 14th event.
This was a great opportunity for business people in the Black Rock
Turnpike area to stop over and "mix it up" with their
neighbors. Thank you, Geraldine.
Holiday Membership Reception Dec. 19
Vazzy's Restaurant, located at 1229 Post Road in Fairfield, will host our December 19th Holiday Membership Reception. This has always been a well-attended event, so we suggest you call the Chamber and make your reservations EARLY! And, please don't forget that we ask you bring donations for the needy. See the reverse side of the enclosed reservation flyer for suggestions.
January 2002 is a Busy Month
Starting on January 15th, at the Rotary Room of the Fairfield
Public Library, beginning 7:30 a.m. the Chamber will once again
co-sponsor a meeting regarding Deduct-A-Ride, along with MetroPool and
the Connecticut Department of Transportation. A more detailed description is here.
The 7th Annual Wine Tasting & Silent Auction will take place on Fri., January 25th, 7-10 p.m. at the Greenwich Workshop Gallery in Fairfield. Open to the public, the cost is $25 per person, and will include an assortment of fine wines to sample, hors d'oeuvres, coffee and desserts. This is an important fund-raiser for the Chamber's programs. Last year's event was attended by almost 150 people. Come on over, enjoy the fine food and atmosphere with friends, and bid on some exciting and interesting items!
The January Business After Hours, which annually welcomes Fairfield's newest teachers, will be hosted by The Fairfield Historical Society at their 636 Old Post Road location on January 30th, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Please come by to meet and greet these educators and welcome them to our community.
If you have any questions regarding the above mentioned programs, or wish to make a reservation, call the Chamber office at 255-1011.
Santa Was Here
Patricia Ritchie, Executive Director
If you weren't at Sherman Green on November 24 th, you didn't see the huge crowd that turned out to greet Santa. He arrived sans helicopter (we were fogged in) but on the top of a big hook and ladder with his dog, "Dispatch", at his side. Around 10:30 a.m., the rain stopped raining, and even if a few of the planned events didn't happen, people loved it.
A woman came up to me during the afternoon and said: "I don't know who's responsible for this day, but it makes me proud to say I live in Fairfield." Well, I am not fortunate to live in Fairfield, but my association with the Chamber and all the volunteers and sponsors who help to make our events a success make up for that.
Thank you everyone for giving up your time to the families of Fairfield who have come to expect nice things from the Chamber.
Don't Forget!
The Fairfield Chamber web site offers yet another great advertising
opportunity for members. Take out a banner ad for the First
Quarter 2002 and put your name out in front of the thousands of people
who visit www.FairfieldCTChamber.com each month. Each banner is linked
to your web site or a splash page for your ad. Approximate size is 3
½" x 1" — contact the Chamber for more details.
We have three ad packages to choose from:
Home Page: Put your banner ad on our home page, prominently displayed as a "Featured Sponsor." One page, $375/Qtr.
Our Town: Place your banner ad on every page in the "Our Town" section, plus the Resources links page. Nine pages, $250/Qtr.
Business in Fairfield: Your banner ad will appear on every page in the "Business in Fairfield" section, which includes our popular online Member Directory and the Chamber Events pages. Seven pages, $250/Qtr.
DEDUCT-A-RIDE Workshop
The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, along with MetroPool and the
Connecticut Department of Transportation will once again host an
informational breakfast workshop on Tuesday, January 15, 2002, 7:30
a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the Rotary Room of the Fairfield Public
Library.
DEDUCT-A-RIDE is a benefit that helps give your employees a valuable tax break, helps them arrive each day with a more positive and productive attitude and helps you recruit and retain quality employees.
During this workshop, you'll learn the Why, What and How of DEDUCT-A-RIDE, plus you will learn of the free support services available from MetroPool (with the support of the Conn. Dept. of Transportation) that make DEDUCT-A-RIDE a turnkey program for your company.
There is no charge for the program, but reservations are required. See the attached form in this month's ChamberWorks, or call Linda at the Chamber office, 255-1011 for more information.
This holiday season, the Gift Certificate program will be two and one-half years old. The sales continue to grow from year to year. Why? Because more and more people now know about the program and what a great gift idea these certificates are. With over 46 area businesses on the redemption list, why would anyone choose a gift certificate to only one store? As you make your holiday list, remember the "Gift of Choice" gift certificate. Everyone loves to receive this gift – family, friends, teachers, babysitters, neighbors, coaches, scout leaders, bus drivers – the list is endless.
Thank you all for your tremendous support of this program. Happy Holidays!
Consumers often travel outside their town looking for "bargains", yet they lament the loss of personal shopping. They need an incentive to come back.
The Axxess Group proposes to launch a loyalty program for the town of Fairfield to keep shoppers coming back and buying more. The crux of their program is the Plus Loyalty Card, a high tech "smart card" where shoppers accumulate points for redemption only in Fairfield establishments. And best of all, one has to be a chamber member in order to participate in the program.
Many Americans belong to these loyalty programs. I do. And it's the only card I use. For my loyalty, I am rewarded with gift certificates in the amount of $15 after I reach a certain volume. Others of you have credit cards that give you "miles". So these cards really do work.
What are some of the benefits to merchants? Merchants can better retain customers. Frequency of visits increase. Amount spent per visit increases by up to 45%. Inventories are reduced through points promotions. Targeted mailings are more efficient and have a better response. And a merchant can attract new customers from neighboring towns because the program ensures a buffer zone around Fairfield.
Benefits to shoppers are obvious. A high-end smart card will offer rewards for dollars spent, or visits. There is a single card for Fairfield shopping: no key tags, coupons, or slip cards. Points can be swapped and accumulated. Cards are available in individual and family cards.
The card itself is uniqueÂ…it allows offline secure transactions using pin security. It can be replaced, including accumulated points, if lost or stolen. It stores data, and permits on site updates. It's compatible point-of-sale terminal stores and forwards transactions to the host upon demand, so keeping the data up-to-date is easy.
Retailers are always looking for ways to find new customers and to retain old ones. The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce is always interested in new ideas for promoting hometown merchants and for helping the membership grow. This might be the answer. We hope that retailers and anyone who is interested will come to the Axxess Group meeting scheduled for 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 6th at the Rotary Room of the library. Be prepared to ask questions about the cost for the program, how the town can create its own currency, and how the program might grow. Oh yes, and coffee will be served.
The Chamber Business Guide and Membership Directory is once again on the forefront. It's time to update your information: name, address, phone and fax numbers. Also, check the Chamber web site to be sure that all changes have been made. If you are on the Board and haven't had your picture taken, please do so. Call Photoland at 367-5816 and ask for Biten. He'll take your color photo and send us the bill. Additionally, if you plan to advertise in this publication, you need to let The Chamber Publishing Group know. Call them at 978-741-3344 or e-mail them at chamber@shore.net, or call us here at the Chamber office – 255-1011.
This is the publication that goes out in all our information packages as well as to the entire Fairfield community through distributions at the town hall, library, stores, schools and universities, real estate offices, new member packages and as hand-outs to visitors. The book is published only once and year and its importance cannot be stressed enough.
Welcome New Members for November!
For contact information, consult
our online Member Directory.
- Boccarossa Insurance
- CC&P, Creative Services Inc.
- C.L. Parker & Associates
- Precision Consulting, Inc.
- T & B Property Management