January 24, 2013

FREE Workshop w ith StreetSense for Adams Morgan businesses

Circulator Bus Winter/Early Spring 2013 Marketing Campaign

DC Health Benefit Exchange

Ask Me About DC event - February 21, 2013

GWHCC Annual Business Expo - April 2

FREE Workshop with StreetSense for Adams Morgan businesses ONLY!

Have you not seen an increase in your business since the Streetscape construction finished? Are you struggling to get your old customers back/find new customers?

If any of this is true for you please join us on:

Monday January 28th
12 noon to 3 pm

at Mellow Mushroom
2436 18th Street, NW
Second floor

For a workshop:

Retail Therapy for Adams Morgan – The Road to Post-Construction Recovery for all businesses (retail, services, restaurants, etc...)

A.      A Reasonable Timetable for Recovery:  How Long Should it Take to Bounce Back?
B.      Customers:  Who Are They?  What Do They Want?  Where Have They Gone?
C.      The Path to Retail Health:  A Plan for 2013

Please join us at 12 noon for pizza and salads. The workshop will begin at about 12:45 pm and will wrap by by 3 pm. THIS IS A FREE EVENT FOR ADAMS MORGAN BUSINESSES. THE AMPBID IS PICKING UP THE COST.

Please RSVP no later than Friday January 25th to Kristen at kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org with your name, business name and number of people attending so we can plan on food. We do not have many RSVPs and this event will be cancelled if we don't hear from you. We are responding to your request for help so please RSVP.

The workshop will be led by:
Heather Arnold
Director of Research & Analysis, Streetsense

Ms. Arnold specializes in retail market analysis, incentive planning, and merchandising mix strategies for downtown environments. Most recently, Heather led a multi-disciplinary Streetsense team on the DC Vibrant Retail Streets project for the Office of Planning. This April, she will lead Streetsense’s Vibrant Streets team as they host their first Learning Lab for participants across the country in this interactive conference.  In her capacity as a retail market analyst, she has studied over 20 neighborhoods throughout Washington, DC, as well as downtowns in Philadelphia, PA; Durham, NC; Baltimore, MD; Seattle, WA; and St. Louis, MO.

Heather received her Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University and her Bachelor’s of Architectural History from the University of Virginia.

She lives in Rockville with her husband and two children -- regretful that she moved to the suburbs, but grateful that her children can walk to school.

Circulator Bus Winter/Early Spring 2013 Marketing Campaign

DC Circulator is going to be launching a new campaign this Winter/Early Spring to increase ridership and exposure of the Circulator buses and brand through local business outreach.

They are looking for businesses along each of the 5 routes who are willing to place a poster in their window and distribute FREE ride coupons to patrons who walk in and ask for a FREE ride coupon.

In return for the businesses' support, each business will be identified on social media posts on both Facebook and Twitter as places to get FREE ride coupons.

The poster and coupon will be designed in line with the current interior theme of: RIDE. EXPLORE.CONNECT. Web banners matching the coupons and posters will also be displayed on the Circulator and goDCgo websites.

There will be more information coming out next week on how to participate in this marketing campaign but if you would like to participate, please email Kristen at kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org . Thanks.

DC Health Benefit Exchange

On October 1, 2013, open enrollment begins for small group health insurance on DC's Health Benefit Exchange. To support implementation and ongoing oversight, the DC HBX Authority is seeking owners and employees of DC small businesses to serve with other stakeholders on standing advisory committees. These committees will advise the Authority's staff and Executive Board, and include representatives from health insurance carriers, insurance brokers, consumer advocacy groups and health care providers. It is very important for the perspectives of DC small business owners to be represented.
Brief descriptions of committee assignments follow:
Consumer Assistance and Outreach Advisory Committee. This committee will advise the DC HBX staff and Executive Board on the design and implementation of the Navigator and In-Person Consumer Assistance programs, consumer outreach efforts, and other issues as requested by the Executive Board or Authority staff.
Producers (Brokers & Agents) Advisory Committee. This committee will advise the DC HBX staff and Executive Board on all aspects of engagement of insurance brokers and agents in DC HBX policymaking and activities, including compensation and appointment, and other issues as requested by the Executive Board or Authority staff.
Plan Management Advisory Committee. This committee will advise the DC HBX staff and Executive Board on qualified health plan (QHP) requirements, dental plan requirements, the processes for certifying plans offered through the DC HBX, QHP enrollment, and other issues as requested by the Executive Board or Authority staff.
If you would like to be nominated to serve on one of these committees, please send your resume and a 100-word statement of interest by 5 pm, January 31, 2013 to Advisory Board liaison Shaunte Barker ( shaunte.barker@dc.gov ) with a copy to Bonnie Norton ( bonnie.norton@dc.gov ).
Be sure to include which committee(s) on which you would like to serve. For questions, please also feel free to contact Jill DeGraff Thorpe ( jthorpe@AFrameDigital.com ), a small business representative sitting on the DC HBX advisory board.

Ask Me About DC event - February 21, 2013

We are again going to participate in the annual "Ask Me About DC" event organized by Destination DC on Capitol Hill.

The day provides Members of Congress and House and Senate staff an opportunity to learn about attractions, entertainment and dining options in Washington, DC to support the needs of their constituents. The majority of the attendees are staffers and interns. There are more than 800 people who attend this event. Many of them have just moved to DC. This is a terrific opportunity to get your marketing materials in the hands of brand new DC residents.

We collect items from ALL ADAMS MORGAN BUSINESSES to distribute in a bag to attendees.

SOOO here is what we need from you before February 15th:

* Menus

* Business cards

* Flyers

* Discount coupons

* Disposable bags - we need close to 800 of them

* Give away items with your logo/name on them that would catch their attention

* Anything else you would like us to give to folks....

Please also consider doing a raffle of something. Having some kind of raffle at our table will encourage people to visit and encourage them to linger a bit longer. Clarence Myers will be collecting these items so please coordinate with him.  Clarence can be reached at 202-536-9515.

Thanks!

GWHCC Annual Business Expo - April 2, 2013

Can you believe that the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's (GWHCC) 4th Annual Business Expo is just around the corner?

GWHCC would like to invite Adams Morgan businesses to join them again at the Business Expo on April 2, 2013. www.gwhcc.org

The Adams Morgan Partnership BID sponsored two booths that were shared by 5 businesses at last year's EXPO (the 6th business was not able to go at the last minute) and showcased their businesses and built connections with participating government agencies, corporations, embassies, non-profits, small businesses, and individuals in the local Hispanic business community. This year GWHCC is anticipating over 1,300 attendees and 110 exhibitors.

Spaces are filling up fast so we would like to know by January 31st if you would like to participate again this year. We will pay for shared booths for 3 businesses per booth for up to 12 businesses or 4 booths.

If you would like to take advantage of this great opportunity feel free to contact Kristen at 202-997-0783 or kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org .