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ChamberWorks November 2003 |
» Past Issues |
» Message
From Our Chairman
» Santa
Visits Fairfield
» Community
Theatre Project
» October
Business After Hours Recap
» For
Your Information
» Leads
Group Seeks Additional Participants
» Trick
or Treat on Safety Street Updated
Message From Our Chairman
Patricia L. Ritchie, Dana Ambrosini and I met with about twenty Fairfield
University students and staff to discuss how the chamber might help to make
their stay at the university even better. This very enthusiastic group asked us
to put together a list of those businesses involved with the Student Discount
Program so that they could advertise and promote it through the student
newspaper, via E-mail and on the local TV channel. They were certain that if
students knew where they could get discounts, that they would shop in those
stores.
The group was also very interested in the gift certificate program and offered to promote it through the same channels at the school. They felt that this program might get ignored because not all the students know about it.
Additionally, we talked to the "Stag Card" facilitator. This card is the student ID that doubles as a debit card. As many of us know, other universities have offered local stores and restaurants the ability to participate in this program, and it is something that we at the chamber think could work very well here, too. The chamber will be working very closely with the university to explore the costs associated with such a program.The university paper, The Mirror, is expanding and offering more advertising space to those interested. Also, the TV station is offering commercial space to run continuously on all TVs throughout the university. They will actually come out and make a professional commercial right at your business. More on advertising opportunities, the Stag Card and Student Discount Program as work progresses.
Volunteers are desperately needed for Santa's Arrival Nov. 29. Please call Patricia at 255-1011 and give her two or three hours of your time. We need folks to blow up balloons, sell t-shirts and direct pedestrians down the sidewalks past the 31 participating organizations.
Ted Fitzgerald
Chairman
Santa Visits Fairfield!
One of the best holiday happenings around is the annual visit by Santa. The
Chamber will once again sponsor his visit on Saturday, November 29. At 10 a.m.
Santa will arrive at Sherman Green by fire truck, and make his way to the
gazebo, where he will meet and greet each child and hand them a small gift. A
variety of seasonal sales and refreshments will be available from local clubs
and organizations. See you there!
Community Theatre Project
The marketing committee will be putting together a proposal to present to Leo
Redgate, the owner/operator of the Community Theatre. At present, the theatre
has no trailers, no trivia, and no advertising prior to the beginning of the
movie. The marketing committee believes that for twelve or thirteen minutes,
those sitting in this darkened theatre are a captive audience that might be
interested in seeing what's going on with Fairfield stores and businesses, and
the latest trends or special deals available to them. Fillers might include
trivia about the town, and/or public service announcements.
However, this project will require a substantial investment for equipment to run the slides -- somewhere, we think, in the neighborhood of $5,000. Therefore, before we commit to this large expense, we are asking our members to let us know if they would participate in an advertising program of this sort. The expense would be nominal at best.
To that end, please watch the December newsletter for a chamber marketing questionnaire that will help us to determine whether we should go forward with our plans.
October Business After Hours Recap
Boccarossa Insurance on the Post Road was the location for our October 15
Business After Hours, and what a great crowd attended! Forty-five people came to
network, including a number of our newest members! Food was prepared and
presented by chamber member Thierry Le Meur of The Pantry.
Thank you, Steve, for a successful event.
For Your Information
EXPANDING SERVICES
Beginning this fall, the Fairfield graphic design firm Visual Transformations will also offer newsletter design, editing and production. Ann Stamler, with more than 10 years of experience in cultural, social service and political newsletters, will be responsible for editing and content development. Joseph Stamler will be responsible for design and production. He has designed and produced newsletter for the Arthritis Foundations's New York Chapter and the Stamford Symphony Orchestra, and has recently been commissioned to design and publish a quarterly newsletter for the Burroughs Community Center in Bridgeport. Additional services include design, layout, photo and copy editing, publication, and custom template design to enable clients to produce their own newsletters in house with the most popular page layout programs.
CHAMBER MEMBER GOES INTERNATIONAL
Gregory Beno, Branch Manager of Adecco Employment and Ellen Hyde Phillips, owner of Fairfield Interiors recently worked together on an international task force held recently in Manhattan, offering a design that makes the Adecco experience relevant and distinctive in the staffing industry.
Beno, for the Adecco Employment market in Fairfield-Milford, was selected among eight other colleagues from across the county to design a new corporate look for Adecco Employment. Working with Phillips who offers experience in office design were Amy Eisenberg of Fairfield Interiors and Jeanne Lengel of LJ Interiors, also of Fairfield. The team created a contemporary and cutting-edge office layout. Beno presented the design at Schlesinger Associates to an international committee from Italy and France. At the end of October portions of the team's design will be presented to an international committee of Adecco Employment colleagues in Barcelona.
Leads Group Seeks Additional Participants
Getting leads is more than just luck, it takes hard work and follow through. The
Fairfield Chamber Lead Group has become a valuable resource for its
participants. We are currently looking to fill in some available spots.
UPDATE: Leads Group I is now full. We are currently filling positions in Leads Group II.
If you are interested in participating, please call the chamber office right now to see if a vacancy is available in your industry.
The following rules are observed:
- Only Fairfield Chamber members in good standing will be allowed to participate.
- Only one representative per "industry" may participate.
- You must actively participate (bring leads to meeting).
Held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Second Floor Conference Room at the Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road, Fairfield.
Call the chamber today at 255-1011.
Trick or Treat on Safety Street
Update:
We've got pictures!
It was a perfect day for Halloween trick or treating. Kevin Lally (I've
nicknamed him Tent Man), Ted Fitzgerald, and someone we borrowed who
happened to be walking his dog, helped me set the tent up during the morning
hours. By 1:30 we had dressed in costume (you should have seen Linda's
handmade antebellum dress!) and prepared to hand out over 3,500 pieces of candy.
As the afternoon progressed, we hosted tricksters, princesses, monsters, and
other assorted imposters. With the temperature reaching 75 degrees, even the
parents were inspired to become someone else.
Thank you Lone Weglarz, Mary Ellen McLean, Diane Melish, Kevin Lally, Ted Fitzgerald, Dana Ambrosini, Linda Matthews, and Jill Kelly for helping to make so many children happy.