September/October 2011
Mind Your Business
A Publication of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
WHAT’S INSIDE: LACDC
1, 2, 3
SBDC
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CHAMBER
5, 6, 7
MAINSTREET 8, 9 LAMVB
Next Big Idea Festival - Sept. 17th 11 am - 3 pm - Ashley Pond Los Alamos MainStreet’s signature event The Next Big Idea: A Festival of Discovery, Invention and Innovation will take place on Saturday, September 17th at Ashley Pond.
Imagine finding scientists, technologists, innovative artists and inventors all in one place showcasing the most exciting new ideas, discoveries, inventions and innovations. The Festival kicks off Friday, September 16th with STEM Student Day at UNMLA. Students from 7th-12th grade have hands on access to scientists and inventors. Students have fun while opening their minds to careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Friday evening, the Next Big Idea Festival presents a FREE concert, Ryan McGarvey at
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FAN Clubs
5:30 pm to 7 pm
7pm at Ashley Pond, sponsored by Del Norte Credit Union.
September 14 Aspen Ridge Lodge
The Festival on Saturday starts at 11 am. Exhibitors will be around ‘the pond’ AND INSIDE the Community Building for exhibits that require projection equipment. Be sure to visit the inside exhibits.
September 22 United Way of Northern New Mexico @ Chamber of Commerce Blue Window Catering
An added element this year is the Science and Math-based Art Contest and Exhibit. Contest winners will be announced at the Festival. More than $3,000 will be awarded. There will be live entertainment in the form of science shows, flash mobs, Einstein look a like contest. There will be limited edition fractal posters for sale at the information booth, great food and much, much more! Check out the schedule on page 9!
October 19 Self Help
LACDC News
Bright Youth - Bright Members The Chamber’s 2011 Summer Internship program is winding down and the results of surveys of participants have been extremely positive.
“What a great program!” says Clay Peres, Business Manager at Ski Pajarito. “Our intern finished his last day with us on Saturday and he did a great job.” The sentiment was similar from all businesses and organizations that responded to the survey. The program was offered to all Chamber members this spring as a product of the collaboration of the Chamber with the New Options New Mexico project of the Kellogg Foundation and Innovate+Educate New Mexico.
Eleven interns were placed with members for the summer under the program which offered employers a pre-screened candidate pool and reimbursement of a portion of each interns wages. Forty-five young people ages 16-24 applied for the program and twenty-seven of those completed the ACT Work Keys Career Readiness Certification exams this Spring and earned National Career Readiness Certificates. One hundred percent of the applicants found that the program was either “extremely” or “very” effective in helping them to prepare for future employment opportunities. One commented, “It’s a great way to find a job in a town where finding a job isn’t always the easiest. It’d be an even better program if it wasn’t just for the summer, but year-round.” The program was one of several pilot projects under the Kellogg initiative that took place around the State. “No decisions are yet in place about whether this pilot will be able to be continued, but we are going to try hard to make it positive through collaborations with the sponsors,” says Chamber Executive Director Kevin Holsapple.
Results on Las Conchas Cash Flow Loans The Los Alamos Chamber was quick to move on making funding available to cover the interest cost for members needing lines of credit in the wake of the Las Conchas fire. The Chamber funding together with low interest loans offered by member banks such as LANB meant that businesses could quickly access cash for short-term needs without having to consider the effect of interest costs on their future operations. More than 30 businesses and organizations borrowed more than a half million dollars under the program. A similar intiative after the Cerro Grande fire lent more than $2M. “This initiative came out of what we learned from Cerro Grande,” says Chamber Executive Director Kevin Holsapple. “There was a need to make it as easy as possible for businesses
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to make the decision that they were going to do the things that would be needed to resume business. The business shutdowns forced by the evacuations put extra stress on businesses and our goal was to help relieve a bit of that.” The Chamber tapped emergency funds to implement the program, and will be seeking ways to replenish the fund. If you can help with that, please contact Kevin Holsapple at 661-4806. Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
“Destination” initiative a catalyst for action “Great workshop with ideas I’ll use right away,” and “I want to go to the bootcamp,” were among many favorable comments following Jon Schallert’s presentation in August on community reinvention and making a business a destination. The workshop was a condensed version of the two and a half day “boot camp” presented by Schallert in June at Longmont, CO that was attended by six local businesses and representatives from the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center. The program has been enabled by financial support from Los Alamos National Bank and the Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation. The presentation was attended by an attentive and participatory audience of about sixty business owners and interested individuals from the Los Alamos area. The morning meeting was followed by an informative marketing roundtable and question/answer session. Later in the day Schallert spoke in a public meeting with community members including representatives of County Council, State Legislature, Los Alamos School district and others. Schallert spoke to the current environment for small business operators, his impressions of Los Alamos, the businesses he has started working with here and how small businesses here can be supported. Several good suggestions were discussed on “business friendliness” of state and local government and how the community could help in supporting
businesses. All attendees left with constructive ideas about what would be helpful. The six merchants who went through the bootcamp at Longmont expressed a strong desire to pursue ideas presented in their businesses and to mentor or assist others in achieving results in theirs. The group also has strongly recommended other local business owners attend a future boot camp to help move the business community forward. Three local business people have already stepped forward to express their interest. The Chamber is wanting to hear from additional interested individuals. Please contact Katy Korkos (661-4816) or Don Wright (661-4854). Other things discussed was the desire and need to continue to keep their efforts to improve their businesses and the community in the public eye. Possibilities include training seminars open to the business community sponsored by the Chamber and the SBDC that would include some or all of the participants.
Smart Town on Smart Phones LACDC has implemented smartphone apps for connecting with local businesses, events information, viewing coupons and special offers and many other functions. Free smart phone apps for both IPhone and Android are now available at the Iphone App Store and the Android App Marketplace... search for “Los Alamos”. Information in the apps comes from the Chamber’s member database and events calendar ... the same data feeds visit.losalamos.com, fyiLA.com, losalamoschamber.com, and other Chamber websites. Take advantage of this new member benefit. September/October 2011
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UNMLA Small Business Development Center Fall Workshops @ SBDC 190 Central Park Square
$25 Workshops are FREE to Chamber members if you register at www.losalamoschamber.com. For more details about the workshops, contact Meagan Maez at 661.4805
September
October
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CRS Taxpayers Information Session 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. FREE Speaker: Rep from NM Tax & Rev. Basic tax workshop and how to file reports
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Marketing Plan that Builds Community 1:30 p.m. - 4p.m. Fee: $25.00 Speaker: Rubina Cohen, Firefly Santa Fe Create and implement a marketing plan
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Overcoming Challenges and Improving Confidence for Success: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Fee: $25 Speaker: Bhasweti Gewhas, Life Coach Confidence building techniques for success
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Basic Bookkeeping 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Fee: $50.00 Speaker: Karen Simpson, NNM College Two-part series - basic course in bookkeeping
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HR Basics for Small Business Owners 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Fee: $25.00 Speaker: Karen Stone Mickool-Stone Assoc Info on personnel records, enforcing policies and procedures and employment laws.
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Social Media Marketing Beyond the Basics 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 pm Fee: $25.00 Speaker: Rubina Cohen, Firefly Santa Fe Incorporate top social media sites
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Coaching... It’s Not Just for Athletes Anymore 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Fee: $25.00 Speaker: Ed Mickool, Master Certified Coach, Stone Associates - Coaching/your bottom line.
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Creating/Managing a Home-Based Business 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Fee: $25.00 Speaker: Rosanne M. Roberts R.M. Roberts and Associates
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Intermediate QuickBooks 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Fee: $50.00 Speaker: Karen Simpson, Northern NM College Instructor & Owner of DQ Learn complicated tasks involved in managing bookkeeping systems
Introduction to QuickBooks 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. UNM-LA, Room 412 Fee: $50.00 Speaker: Karen Simpson, NNM College Beginner’s level course - entering transactions producing financial statements. Basic bookkeeping knowledge is required.
Welcome new staff person Meagan Maez Meagan Maez returned to Los Alamos, her hometown, in late spring of this year after graduating from the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in organizational leadership. She began working at the Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation in early July as the Creative District coordinator and as a business counselor at the Los Alamos Small Business Development Center. Meagan loves the outdoors and spends much of her free time hiking and camping, spending time with her family and her two dogs.
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Future Planning and Goal Setting 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Fee: $25.00 Speaker: Bhasweti Gewhas, Life Coach Make clear decision about the future
Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
Chamber Business Spotlight
Updates:
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Los Alamos School of Gymnastics director Loui Janecky was featured in the official publication of USA Gymnastics University after her certification as a Level 3 coach
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Enterprise Computing Systems, LLC is offering a new service in medical billing
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The Hill Diner got the attention of the national media during the Las Conchas The Color Qube Series: fire with the community’s efforts to keep people fed. Vibrant Color Reduce waste and cost.
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Georgina Williams, LPC has fulfilled her dream of opening her own practice, now in Central Park Square
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Trinity Natural Health, with Bobbie Hall and Merry McIntyre, has a new location on Central Avenue
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The people who attended the Destination Retail BootCamp in Longmont, CO in June have set up a Blogspot blog, called Destination Los Alamos, where they hope to blog about their experiences and mentor other businesspeople
Business help after Las Conchas fire The Chamber jumped in to help local businesses while the Las Conchas fire was still burning. First by staying in touch with members via e-mail, cell phone and social networking and then by working with partners to get low-interest (and zero interest) loans lined up for businesses with cash flow problems. We also connected businesses with the Small Business Administration for their Disaster Recovery Assistance program, and referred people to our Small Business Development Center for monetary help with recovery from the evacuation and fire.
The Chamber is also helping businesses to connect with the grant program that was set up by Los Alamos National Laboratory. The purpose of the program is to compensate businesses who provided support for firefighters, emergency workers and others. The grant applications are available at the Chamber and Los Alamos National Bank. For more information about any of these programs, contact Katy Korkos at 661-4816 or Don Wright at 661-4854.
Go to fyiLA.
com for
information as to what’s happening September/October 2011
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Chamber News
Time to Join the CommunityMatters Initiative CommunityMatters is all about “Strengthening Connections between our Members and the Community.” This initiative facilitates new ways for members to work together, engage the community and help get their message out. Features of CommunityMatters include the Jemez Adventure map (used by visitors and locals), coupon book (targeted to visitors and newcomers to the community), LA Deals (local shopper e-bulletin), Assets In Action (supports development of youth), Community Dialog communication, fyila.com information (web-based information) and electronic posters. When your organization joins, your organization recieves an 1/8 page ad in the Essence of Los Alamos and White Rock - a bimonthly publication that focuses on stories that higlight essential people, places and activities that make our community a great place to live. Deadline is October 31st for you to get registered in time for a new year of the program and in the next issue of the Essence. Contact Suzette Fox 505.661.4844 or Katy Korkos 505.661.4816 for more information.
Katy's Corner - Community Reinvention Program It was really exciting for me to accompany destination business expert Jon Schallert on his visits to those local businesses who participated in his Destination Retail Boot Camp in late June. It was exciting because Schallert has a talent for pointing out things that each owner could do that would have immediate impact on profits. Those were things like putting large graphics on their dominant wall, adding action items to social media posts, or even freshening up paint schemes and decluttering. Schallert’s visit to Los Alamos was a part of the Community Reinvention program that the Chamber has joined. The concept behind it is that if we can get a few more businesses to succeed magnificently, the entire community and all the businesses will benefit. We can set our own new higher standards for appearance, customer service and reputation. Many businesses in Los Alamos County have the potential be destinations in their own right. A destination is a business which creates its own traffic, not relying on a “captive audience” of just those people who live nearby. In the course of his Boot Camp, the attendees went through his 14-step process which starts with creating a strategic vision for a business. In two-and-a-half days, we looked at things like “unique positioning,” multi-level service, and pro-active adaptability, before progressing on to ideas about marketing, image, and loyalty validation. Brad Burk, Denise Lane, Steve Watts, Melanie Bennett, Don Taylor and Kent Pegg all experienced it for themselves, and have all volunteered to be ambassadors to other businesses who are looking at becoming destinations. The group will get together monthly to go through our homework and help each other stay motivated. We all know we should get around to those things like painting or replacing outdated fixtures, but sometimes it just takes a fresh pair of eyes to help us see what to do next. I’d like to help by being that fresh pair of eyes- please call Katy at 505- 6614816
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Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
Welcome New Members!
Business Name Contact Name Phone La Wana Dewees/ LaWana DeWees 970-749-6521 Team Murphy Real Estate ARCS/Alpha Restoration Blake Molz 505-473-2057 Construction Services Loss Recovery Services, Joshua Nussbaum 888-882-6264 Uli’s Uli Campbell 505-662-4558 Storkan Chiropractic Gary Storkan 505-662-2077
September
Contractors, Engineers, Architects Insurance Fashion, Clothing Health & Medical
Chamber Member Anniversaries
Business Name
Animal Clinic of Los Alamos Arbonne International, Pam Houghteling Brownell’s Hallmark Shop Buffalo Thunder Resort Dance Arts Los Alamos DECA/BPA DeNuke Services Enchanted Paradise Spa Enchanted Trek Travel Fabulous 50’s Diner Family YMCA Harp of the Spirit Holiday Inn Express at Entrada Homewood Suites J & L Storage Vans Little Forest Playschool Los Alamos Heart Council Los Alamos Home Improvement Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation Mary Deal Realty MindPower Innovations North Central Regional Transit District North Road Inn Pac-8 Ponderosa Montessori School SMPC Architects SOC-Los Alamos White Rock Baptist Church
September/October 2011
Type of Business Real Estate
Date Joined 1998 2010 1978 2008 2001 1987 2009 2010 2008 2008 1988 2006 2009 2005 1986 2006 2008 1998 2007 1978 2010 2008 2006 2000 2008 2001 2004 1995
October
Business Name
Date Joined
Best Western Hilltop House Hotel Bill’s Computers & Radio Shack Brownrice Internet BUILD New Mexico Community Bank Curves for Women De Colores Energy Solutions First National Bank of Santa Fe The Hill Stompers Holman’s J.J. Wechsler JonTom Appliance Repair LA Mesa Law Firm Lewis Muir Los Alamos Arts Council Los Alamos Historical Society Los Alamos Medical Care Clinic Los Alamos National Bank Los Alamos Technical Associates Martini’z Grill at UNM-LA Metzger Stores Morgan Stanley Neptune & Company Netuschil Development Patrick Coriz, DDS Real Estate Associates Sue Hofmann State Farm Agency The Jemez Agency TRK Management Washington Safety Management Solutions White Rock Science
1986 1990 2010 2001 1978 2007 2007 2004 1978 2007 2009 1978 2009 2008 1984 1995 1978 1983 1968 1978 2010 1978 1999 1997 1978 1999 2010 2005 1968 1978 1992 1999
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MainStreet News & Events
For more information on the MainStreet Program please contact: Suzette Fox Phone: 505.661.4844 E-mail: suzette@losalamos.org www.LAmainstreet.com
Los Alamos Creative Culture District
On July 26th, 2011 the County Council held a work session in which developers and supporters of the Los Alamos Creative District Plan had the opportunity to introduce and familiarize council members with the the final version of plan. Jerry Allen and David Plettner-Saunders of the Cultural Planning Group presented the plan. Rich Williams of the New Mexico Economic Development Department was present to discuss the State’s participation in the Los Alamos Creative District process. Many members of the plan’s steering committee were also present, providing words of advocacy for the plan from their constituencies. The work session resulted in a request from Council to return at a future work session date to continue discussions and to follow-up on concerns and questions raised by counselors. The feedback from the counselors from the first work session have been helpful to the Creative District’s steering committee members, who have begun working closely with the Los Alamos County Administrator to determine the most effective next steps as they move forward with the Creative District initiative. The final version of the Los Alamos Creative District Plan is available to view, along with other supporting documents and materials, online at www.creativenm.org. If you are interested in getting involved or want to know more about the Los Alamos Creative District please visit www.creativenm.org, contact Kevin Holsapple or Meagan Maez of the Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation.
Trick or Treat on MainStreet Come on out the weekend of October 28th and 29th for Los Alamos MainStreet’s Halloweekend! As darkness falls on Los Alamos on October 28th, Los Alamos downtown will be over taken with grizzly ghouls and creatures crawling in the search of candy. Last year, Trick or Treat on MainStreet saw an estimated 2500 people flock to downtown Los Alamos. Get involved - be a sponsor and/or participating business. Make your location memorable. Give it a little thought and creavity so the attendees have a reason to come back to visit you at a later date. Contact Suzette Fox at 505.661.4844
WinterFest Weekend - December 2-4th Save the first weekend in December for WinterFest. If you are a newcomer to the area, WinterFest is an event designed to attract folks to our downtown celebration with the Holiday Lights Parade and other fun activities taking place throughout the weekend, including a horse-drawn wagon ride at the Chamber of Commerce. If you have an event going on that you want listed in the WinterFest Event brochure, contact Suzeete Fox, listed above.
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Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
„
U Next Big Idea - Schedule of Events
IDEAS AND DISCOVERIES
Friday, September 16, 2011 - STEM Student Day
L IV E B A N D Place: UNM Los Alamos Campus Time: 9am to 3pm $50 on-line Registration: www.nextbigideala.com GRE AT STEM Student Day, a gathering of STEM (science, technology, F O O engineering & math) D professionals from around New Mexico share their expertise with students grades 7-12. HA STEM Day Schedule: N • • • • • • •
Kraz-E-Science Show - Dave Schwellenbach Science Olympics - Physics/Engineering/Chemistry Lunch by Martini’s Grill in cafeteria Meet the Inventor activites with: Bob Hockaday (Energy Related Devices) Don Davis (LAHS Robotics) David Kratzer (Super computing)
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Saturday, September 17, 2011-Next Big Idea Festival
Place: Ashley Pond and Community Building at Ashley Pond Time: 11 am to 3 pm Exhibitor Registration: www.nextbigideala.com The Next Big Idea Festival offers interactive exhibits with activities for youth of all ages to have fun while opening their minds to science, innovation and discovery. The Science and Math-based Art Contest Winners will be announced during the festival. There will be live entertainment, great food, and much more. Festival Schedule: • • • • •
(3) Kraz-E-Science Shows (2) Flashmob performances SMART contest winners announced Einstein Contest and winner -8/< _ A M TO P M _$SHLEY 3OND /OS $LAMOS Ursonate performance at the Bradbury
September/October 2011
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LAMVB News September 2011
Calendar of Events October 2011
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Fuller Lodge Art Center Art Opening Reception Painting by Umi Rabi
6 ,13 Los Alamos Farmers Market 20, 27 Mesa Public Library parking lot
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Exhibit Opening: Maps of New Mexico at Los Alamos Historical Museum
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Los Alamos Arts Council presents Brown Bag Fuller Lodge - Jan McDonald - Brass Ensembles
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Leadership Los Alamos - Class of 2011 presents Fundraiser for Pajarito Mountain Crab dinner and silent auction 4pm to 7pm - dinner tickets for sale
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Pajarito Trail Fest Run Pajarito Ski Area
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Historical Lecture: Homesteads on the Pajarito Plateau Fuller Lodge
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Los Alamos Concert Association presents Piffaro, The Renaissance Band at Duane Smith Auditorium Fuller Lodge Arts & Crafts Fair Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church Parish Hall
8 ,15 Los Alamos Farmers Market 22, 29 Mesa Public Library parking lot 8
Poetry Gathering at Mesa Public Library
9, 10 LALT Presents: 8 X 10 (cubed) 16,17 Los Alamos Little Theater 23,24 10
2011 Walk to End Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Starts at Betty Ehart Senior Center
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Historical Lecture: Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau at Fuller Lodge
28,29 Los Alamos MainStreet presents: Halloweekend
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Guitarist Sandy Hoffman in Concert at Fuller Lodge
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Los Alamos MainStreet presents: STEM Student Day - Next Big Idea Festival UNMLA campus 9 am to 3 pm
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Next Big Idea Festival Presents: Ryan McGarvey at Ashley Pond 7 pm
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Los Alamos MainStreet presents The Next Big Idea: A Festival of Discovery, Invention and Innovation at Ashley Pond 11 am to 3 pm
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Authors Speak Series: Local Symposium Upstairs rotunda of Mesa Public Library
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Fuller Lodge Art Center Art Opening - Muerto
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Los Alamos Arts Council presents Guitars at the Lodge - Michael Chapdelaine
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Pajarito Mountain Ullr Fest Fall Festival
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Eliot Fisk Classical Guitar, presented by Los Alamos Concert Association at Duane Smith Auditorium
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Los Alamos MainStreet: Trick or Treat on MainStreet
28 -30 Los Alamos Light Opera Performance - Into the Woods at Duane Smith Auditorium
Go to fyiLA.com for a complete and detailed list of events.
Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
The LAMVB, a program of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation, operates the Visitor Center in Los Alamos and the White Rock Tourist & Information Center (WRTIC). The LAMVB also produces and distributes advertising and marketing materials such as the Los Alamos Visitor Guide. We also maintain the online visitor guide at visit.losalamos.com.
How Times Have Changed by Cindy Whiting
There have been a lot of changes in the ten years that I’ve worked here at the visitor center. Visitors used to commented, “Ooooh, you have one of those new flat screen computers – how cool.” I don’t hear that anymore...now it’s, “Do you have Wifi?”
Statistics tabulating was not done as much back then. This tool is employed much more today. This is most obvious in our periodic reports to Los Alamos County. Suffice it to say that it takes much longer now to complete the report. They only used to be generated 4 times a year. Now I generate them every month.
The term MVB (Meeting and Visitor’s Bureau) had not yet been coined. Publicizing visitor centers as a venue for meetings had not yet become vogue. After this, it seems, came the term CVB (Convention & Visitor’s Bureau).
We didn’t start a concerted effort volunteer program until probably 2004 or 2005. There were just the 4 or 5 regular people who came in at lunchtime to relieve the receptionist at the front desk. Now we have 18 such volunteers.
We had no Walking Tour map. Actually, there may not have even been a walking tour - the historical sites around town marked with a number designating their place on the tour.
There were no pretty flowers in the front of the visitor center. That’s definitely a nice change. Our curb appeal is much more attractive now.
There was no online calendar of events. We only had the events listed on a handout. I don’t think we even used the term “hard copy” yet. It seems hard to believe that there was no central location where you could see a list of Los Alamos events. In fact, when you mentioned the term “going online” people probably still thought you were referring to a fishing line.
September/October 2011
Our beautiful and user-friendly website www.visit. losalamos.com has been created. Before that, the only way to access the chamber of commerce and visitor center was to call us on the phone! This really seems hard to believe. We live in such an innovative community, the Meeting and Visitor’s Bureau has to follow suit. Be sure to contact us and take advantage of our services.
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Fair & Rodeo Weekend
Parade Winners:
First Place: Los Alamos High School Band Second Place: Hill Stompers Band Third Place: Pajarito Ski Area
Newsletter Managing Editor: Suzette Fox - 505.661.4844 email:suzette@losalamos.org Contributions by: Suzette Fox, Kevin Holsapple, Katy Korkos, Meagan Maez, Cindy Whiting, Don Wright
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