April 2013 In Business Magazine by InMedia

APR. 2013

Roundtable: U.S. Businesses Urgently Need Global Leadership Skills

Is It a Win for Our Economy? Power Lunch By the Numbers Business Calendar $4.95 INBUSINESSMAG.COM

This Issue You Are Here Summer Travel Guide

A Jean-Georges Vongerichten Creation

April 2013

www.inbusinessmag.com In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce. Partner Organizations

Rick Murray, CEO Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 Southern Arizona (520) 327-0222 www.asba.com

Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 • www.aztechcouncil.org

Located at The Phoenician 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 214-8000

Lynda Bishop, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (602) 772-4985 • www.nawbophx.org

www.jgsteakhousescottsdale.com Rick Kidder, President & CEO Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce (480) 355-2700 • www.scottsdalechamber.com

Mary Ann Miller, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 • www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities. The members of these and other Associate Partner Organizations receive a subscription to In Business Magazine each month. For more information on becoming an Associate Partner, please contact our publisher at info@inbusinessmag.com.

Associate Partners Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce www. ahwatukeechamber.com Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry www.azchamber.com Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce www.azhcc.com Chandler Chamber of Commerce www.chandlerchamber.com Economic Club of Phoenix www.econclubphx.org Glendale Chamber of Commerce www.glendaleazchamber.org Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce www.phoenixblackchamber.com Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce www.gpglcc.org Mesa Chamber of Commerce www.mesachamber.org North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce www.northphoenixchamber.com North Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce www.northscottsdalechamber.org Peoria Chamber of Commerce www.peoriachamber.com Westmarc www.westmarc.org

A p r i l 2013

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At Waste Management, giving back is a responsibility we take to heart. Learn more at www.wmofarizona.com

A community partner. Waste Management is a valued and trusted community partner. Every year, we give back tens of thousands of dollars to community organizations in need. Waste Management is proud to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central AZ, the Special Olympics, Keep Phoenix Beautiful and Habitat for Humanity. 1-800-796-9696

ÂŠ201 Waste Management, Inc.

APR. 2013

IN BuSINESS MAGAZINE

Contents

Roundtable: U.S. Businesses Urgently Need Global Leadership Skills

April 2013

SPORTS

Is It a Win for Our Economy?

APRIL 2013 • inbusinessmag.com

Sports Means Business: Is It a Win for Our Economy?

Power Lunch By the Numbers Business Calendar $4.95 INBUSINESSMAG.COM

This Issue

You Are Here Summer Travel Guide

Sports is valued as entertainment and recreation, but J. Rentilly looks deeper at how sports has provided a sunny side up to the Arizona economy, richly impacting revenue and employment in a variety of markets and fields at a time when both have been sorely needed. Departments

11 Guest Editor

Features

20 Trucking: Moving Commerce

Don Rodriguez looks at the state of the trucking industry in Arizona and the infrastructure that enables this backbone of commerce to function.

30 Strengthening the Pipeline for

References

Customer references can be a cornerstone of a business’s growth strategy — if they’re not derailed by common mistakes that Bill Lee describes in this wake-up call to business owners.

32 Check the Vital Signs of

Client Relationships

Andrew Sobel suggests benchmarks for business owners to perform annual checkups to keep client relationships healthy.

38 Stress and Bullying Take a RaeAnne Marsh explores situations, repercussions, and how caring for their human assets will impact companies’ bottom line. Special Section

Summer Travel Guide

Destination close-ups encounter Northern Arizona, Kauai, London and San Diego.

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14 Briefs

“Microsoft Biz Hub ,” “Knowing Asian Business,” “Healthcare Cost Calculator,” “Multi-family Gains Benefit Chandler,” “FIRE & ICEE,” “Local Banks Merge, Establish Stronger Capital Position,” Packaged Water Company Aims to Help Local Economy” and “’First to File’ Patent System Replaces ‘First to Invent’”

18 By the Numbers

Sports is a numbers game. Plus: Key economic indicators provide a sense of the health of the local economy.

San Die

ern Ar

izona

Hawa

From tra Ph these velers are oenix, vis great destina iting tions Lo ndon

t deal s,

destin

View from the top looks at how Aaron Matos turned a simple jobs board into a comprehensive job search and recruitment tool.

New releases explore new strategies of business marketing.

MeR TraV el

Grea

Noted business and community leaders Debbie Castaldo, Robin Milne and Kimberly Trichel respond to IBM’s burning business question of the month.

31 Books

SUM

North

12 Feedback

22 Trickle Up

Toll on Business

45 You Are Here

Michael K. Kennedy, Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee member and shareholder of Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A., introduces the “Sports” issue.

ations

and m ore in sid

e…

34 Nonprofit

American Cancer Society Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

42 Assets

The 2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS Plus: Top mice to improve performance on the computer

43 Power Lunch

The Capital Grille Plus: Lunch break locales to catch up midday on scores and more

66 Roundtable

U.S. businesses urgently need to develop global leadership skills. Business Education

40 Intellectual Property: Protecting a Core Business Asset

In this second of a three-part legal series, Lewis and Roca attorney Flavia Campbell discusses key intellectual property issues business owners face during the early stages of their enterprises. On The Agenda

35 Spotlight

Learning Initiatives for Entrepreneurs Program Economic Club of Phoenix

36 Calendar

Business events throughout the Valley On the cover: Chase Field, courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks

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PREVENTION MATTERS. MORE THAN OF ADULTS AGES 20-64

90%

Cavities are

100%

nearly

HAVE AT LEAST ONE CAVITY.

The likelihood to seek preventive care INCREASES with dental benefits.

preventable.

31%

81%

w/o insurance

with dental insurance

visit the dentist 2x or more annually

MEET THE VARGAS FAMILY The Vargas family had the following dental services performed in the past year: Father: 2 preventive visits and 1 periodontal service Mother: 2 preventive visits and 1 crown Son: 2 preventive visits and 1 filling Daugther: 2 preventive visits

EvEry SmilE mattErS. GEt DElta DEntal .

Cost of care without Delta Dental insurance:

$2,802 Cost of care with Delta Dental insurance:

$1,488 DEltaDEntal aZ.com

Data used is reflective of average claim charges and discounts for the Delta Dental PPO Network (12/2012). This information is intended for illustration purposes only. Your actual claims and plan premium may differ from the amounts reflected.

April 2013 • Vol. 4, No. 4

passionate about your profitability Publisher Rick McCartney

At Holmes Murphy, we think providing you with innovative answers

Editor RaeAnne Marsh

to the ever-increasing challenge of rising healthcare costs is one

Art Director Benjamin Little

Contributing Writers Kathleen Brush Flavia Campbell Dave O. Dodge Mike Hunter Bill Lee J. Rentilly Don Rodriguez Andrew Sobel Alison Stanton

of the most important things we can do to affect your company. That’s why we take the time to get to know your company’s challenges and consult with you to provide the highest-quality, lowest-cost solutions — tailored especially for your business. If you are looking for an advisor who understands the complexities of Employee Benefits and a partner who helps you develop the right financial solutions, call Holmes Murphy — the nation’s 26th-largest* broker.

Photographer-at-large Dan Vermillion Advertising

* Business Insurance, July 2012

Cash flow solutions to help your business grow. “My business runs better now that I’m not chasing invoices.” Jay, Hallmark Global Tech.

Visit www.bibbyusa.com or call 877-88-BIBBY

A p r i l 2013

Operations Louise Ferrari

lferrari@inmediacompany.com

Senior L ouise Ferrari Account Executives lferrari@inmediacompany.com

Cami Shore

cshore@inmediacompany.com

Greg Stiles

gstiles@inmediacompany.com More: Visit your one-stop resource for everything business at www.inbusinessmag.com. For a full monthly calendar of business-related events, please visit our website. Inform Us: Send press releases and your editorial ideas to editor@inbusinessmag.com.

President & CEO Rick McCartney Editorial Director RaeAnne Marsh Senior Art Director Benjamin Little Financial Manager Donna C. Mitchell, CPA

Corporate Offices 6360 E. Thomas Road, Suite 210 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 T: (480) 588-9505 F: (480) 584-3751 info@inmediacompany.com www.inmediacompany.com

Vol. 4, No. 4. In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 6360 E. Thomas Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. To subscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 6360 E. Thomas Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 or visit inbusinessmag.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You may send to editor@inbusinessmag.com or mail to the address above. All letters sent to In Business Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication, website or brochure. InMedia accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. InMedia Company, LLC reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers’ claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of InMedia. InMedia Company considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorney and/or financial professional. © 2013 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by the publisher.

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Michael Kennedy, Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, Shareholder, Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A.

Guest Editor

Sports Scores Big for Business

Michael Kennedy is a founding partner of Gallagher & Kennedy. He served as chairman of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee from 2005-2012 and as chairman of the 1994 Phoenix Open. He has been president of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and chairman of the Thunderbird International Junior golf tournament since their inception. Kennedy practices in the area of commercial litigation, was an inaugural member of the Maricopa County Bar Hall of Fame, and has been consistently recognized during the past decade by Best Lawyers, Chambers USA, Super Lawyers and Lawdragon as a leading lawyer in America.

Here in Arizona, we have the year-round privilege of being able to root for our home-town team, as Metro Phoenix is host to professional teams for baseball, football, basketball and hockey. Not to mention such major events as Waste Management Phoenix Open, the Super Bowl, MLB All-Star Game and NASCAR. But sports has value far beyond entertainment. As an industry, the business of sports impacts our economy off the field, court or ice, more than on it. Hopefully, many of you remember and directly benefited from our hosting Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and its $501-million economic impact, as calculated by ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business. We are planning to exceed that half-billion dollars in 2015 with recently awarded Super Bowl XLIX. And perhaps in March you were on an airplane to Sky Harbor and noticed the number of passengers sporting their favorite MLB team hat, preparing for a few days of Spring Training and Arizona Hospitality — to the tune of a $422-billion economic impact. Not to be overlooked are the economic impact, global exposure and annual $7-million contribution to Arizona charities by the venerable Thunderbirds as host of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Arizona is truly at the epicenter of professional sports and sporting events! In his cover story that takes a behind-the-scenes look at some of our biggest sporting events, J. Rentilly delves into the development, the employment and the process of growing the sports businesses here. Members of the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority, food and beverage vendors, building contractors and members of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission are among the many players who help him scout out the value and reach of sports as business. Even in today’s Knowledge Age, much commerce relies on trucking to transport materials and merchandise, and Don Rodriguez explores the business sector of trucking in Arizona for this issue of In Business Magazine. Bill Lee examines the crucial business practice of using customer referrals as a growth strategy as he discusses “Why Customer Reference Programs Fail.” Providing insight on another function at the core of business, Andrew Sobel offers suggestions to strengthen B2B connections in “Check the Vital Signs of Client Relationships.” And in this installment of the Education Series on legal issues of business, Lewis and Roca attorney Flavia Campbell provides insight into protecting a business’s intellectual property. This issue debuts a special twice-yearly feature — a travel guide to selected destinations, with articles that give a broad view of the experience to be enjoyed there plus specific suggestions for attractions and activities, dining and accommodations. There is so much more in this issue of In Business Magazine. I know you’ll get something from it as we who are invested in this community continue to work hard on building our individual companies and thereby strengthening our economy. Sincerely,

Michael Kennedy Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee Shareholder, Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A.

No Shortage of Things to Do Arizona makes the national news consistently for all kinds of reasons, but even the recurrence of negative press doesn’t seem to stop the desire by visitors (or us locals) from attending the premier sporting events occurring right here in the Valley. With two Super Bowls in the last seventeen years, new venues that impress teams from elsewhere, top championship games and fans that continue to follow our teams, it is no wonder our economy benefits from the business of sports.

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Connect with us: A clear “champ” himself, Mike Kennedy led the charge to award us Super Bowl XLIX and is arguably our greatest advocate when it comes to laying out a strong foundation to build a robust sports industry here. We want to thank him for leading this sports issue of In Business Magazine. Sports has become more than a cottage industry in the Valley and we look forward to more. —Rick McCartney, Publisher

Story Ideas/PR: editorial@inbusinessmag.com Business Events/Connections: businessevents@inbusinessmag.com Marketing/Exposure: advertise@inbusinessmag.com Or visit us online at www.inbusinessmag.com

A p r i l 2013

Feedback

Valley Leaders Sound Off

Executives Answer

Sports as a business has a tremendous impact on the local economy; as entertainment, it affects the cultural scene of our community. Pertaining to another realm in which the major teams contribute to our local quality of life, in what ways does your organization support the community?

Debbie Castaldo Executive Director Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation Sector: Nonprofit

Robin Milne Executive Director Phoenix Suns Charities Sector: Nonprofit

To say the Arizona Diamondbacks have a passion for community giving is an understatement. Established in 1997, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation supports three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare and children’s programs of all types, including education and youth baseball field development. In addition, the Foundation has established charitable programs that address the needs of veterans, educators and everyday heroes. The Diamondbacks and its Foundation have made charitable contributions totaling more than $33 million to nonprofit organizations from across Arizona — making the D-backs one of the most impactful organizations in Arizona and in sports. Funds are raised through events such as the annual Evening on the Diamond presented by University of Phoenix, 50/50 Raffle supported by Western Refining, D-backs Celebrity Golf Classic presented by Chase, D-backs Race Against Cancer presented by Dignity Health, Diamonds Back Field Building Program in partnership with APS, and the D-backs License Plate Program. The Foundation distributes funds through our grants and Grand Slam Awards, Diamonds Back Fields, education initiatives, Youth Baseball and outreach programs, and strategic partnerships with community partners addressing complex issues facing our community.

Phoenix Suns Charities was launched in 1988 with the vision to give every child in Arizona the opportunity to maximize his or her potential. The Phoenix Suns is the original professional sports franchise in Arizona and was one of the first NBA teams to form a foundation. Since its inception, Suns Charities has donated in excess of $13 million to more than 200 nonprofits. Currently, Suns Charities grants more than $1 million annually. The charity also awards almost $40,000 annually in college scholarships. This past year, Phoenix Suns Charities created an education-based partnership with Central High School, known as “SunsCentral.” This partnership is the result of a $500,000 grant that Suns Charities donated to Central High. The program focuses on four key factors that directly impact a student’s likelihood of graduating: success in the classroom, attendance at school, mentoring and work-study. Phoenix Suns Charities will continue to expand its outreach in the community, and is thankful to be a part of an organization that is dedicated to making big plays on and off the court.

Arizona Diamondbacks arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com

Phoenix Suns Charities nba.com/suns/charities

Debbie Castaldo enters her fifth season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, overseeing the organization’s community giving as VP of corporate and community impact and executive director of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. Castaldo leads the team’s industryleading community efforts that include charitable contributions totaling $33 million. Under Castaldo’s guidance, the organization became the first professional sports team to win the 2010 United Nations NGO Positive Peace Award.

Robin Milne, executive director of Phoenix Suns Charities, works alongside the board of directors to raise and grant more than $1 million annually to nonprofit organizations dedicated to bettering the lives of Arizona children and families. Milne, who resides in Paradise Valley with her husband, Richard, is active with ASU’s Foundation for Women & Philanthropy and Banner Health’s Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Kimberly Trichel Director of Community Relations Phoenix Coyotes Charities Sector: Nonprofit The mission of the Phoenix Coyotes nonprofit, Coyotes Charities, is to enhance the quality of life throughout Arizona communities by supporting nonprofit organizations that promote healthcare, education, cultural arts and sports-related programs for children. Our grant program gives us a chance to financially support the community and opens the door to volunteer opportunities as well. Our players, mascot, cheerleaders, NHL alumni and management staff make several appearances throughout the year at local nonprofit events,

A p r i l 2013

hospitals, schools and community events. We are very fortunate to have generous corporate partners and individual donors that contribute to our Tickets for Kids program that allows children from a nonprofit to attend a Phoenix Coyotes hockey game. We hold free hockey clinics weekly at Valley schools, nonprofit organizations and home games to give back to the community and educate Arizona about hockey. The majority of our funding comes from events such as a yearly Golf Tournament and Community Carnival. We also have in-game fundraising through our 50/50 Raffle and Ticket Fundraising Grants. We are very proud to be a part of the Valley and are always open to new ways to support Arizona’s thriving community. Phoenix Coyotes phoenixcoyotes.com

This is Kimberly Trichel’s sixth season with the Phoenix Coyotes. She has been in her current role as director of Community Relations since July 2012, overseeing Coyotes Charities and the Community Relations Department. In her previous role as manager of Hockey Administration, she assisted General Manager Don Maloney with all hockey operations-related items. Before joining the Coyotes organization, Trichel worked several years for the Central Hockey League.

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Briefs

Quick and to the Point

Bytes Microsoft Biz Hub Microsoft’s Business Hub is dedicated to helping small business thrive through business products, support and resources. Microsoft is supporting the Braddock’s Procurement Opportunities Guide online as an e-Guide. A key tool in helping small businesses secure government contracts, it provides information on how to compete with large corporations. procurement_guide

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Go online for more!

Multi-Family Gains Benefit Chandler

The new development that broke ground in March at Alma School and Pecos roads represents a planning change by the City of Chandler’s economic development department. Because the city was already considering whether to change the zoning on some properties — and what to change to — as a result of the recently completed “4-Corner Retail Study,” Chandler was open to developer Michael Pollack’s application to rezone the Alma School/Pecos property from commercial to multi-family. “I originally bought this piece of land seven years ago with the intention of building a retail center, and then, as time went on, too many shopping centers went up around it and I believed we really didn’t need any more shopping centers built along the Alma School Road corridor. So I felt the highest and best use for this Alma School property should be multi-family,” says Pollack. Jeff Kurtz, planning administrator for Chandler, says, “It provides housing opportunity that does not already exist.” Pollack, who is involved in a similar rezoning project for another property at the same intersection, sold the property to Tucson-based Aerie Land Development, L.L.C., whose plan Pollack describes as “a creative, one-story, low-density, multi-family housing plan.” Comparing the housing to casitas, Kurtz notes that, even though they are market-rate rentals, “they are all individual buildings, with no one above, below or next to” each unit. Kurtz observes the property is undersized for traditional shopping centers and that there was overcommercialization along Alma School Road. The new project not only “takes away from the overcommercialization,” he says, “it supports existing commercial in the area” by bringing greater population density. —RaeAnne Marsh City of Chandler chandleraz.gov Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments pollackinvestments.com

Visualize This

Seeing Is Believing FIRE & ICEE

Colliers International, a leading

commercial real estate firm in the Valley, offers a series of videos on our local market. The “Colliers Market Insight” videos are relevant commentaries on the latest market trends and insights by Bob Mulhern, managing director for Greater Phoenix. To

Visit our “Briefs” link online.

A p r i l 2013

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Image courtesy of Aerie Land Development, L.L.C.

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Briefs

Quick and to the Point

‘First to File’ Patent System Replaces ‘First to Invent’

The change in United States patent laws that went into effect on March 16 of this year is intended to better align the U.S. with all other industrialized countries, in that all countries now utilize a “first to file” standard as opposed to “first to invent” when determining who has priority to an invention. Previously, if a company could show it was, in fact, the first to invent the item, that carried more weight than the date on the patent application. The new system, however, turns this around, putting a greater push on companies to both expedite their internal R&D processes and monitor their competitors’ activity. Gavin J. Milczarek-Desai, Ph.D., co-managing partner of Quarles & Brady’s Tucson office and a registered patent attorney, suggests businesses address this change by expediting internal processes for disclosing and reviewing inventions and for making decisions about which inventions have merit for filing a patent application. Another strategy Dr. Milczarek-Desai describes is defensive early publication “if a company is not interested in a patent; maybe the item will last only a few years, too short to go through the time and expense of the patent process.” Patents are awarded to a device, product, composition of matter, method, or article of manufacture if it is new and not obvious, he explains, and by getting the item into the public domain, a company circumvents a competitor presenting it as something new. He also notes the importance of monitoring competitors’ published patent applications and patents. “There will be an ability to challenge, and the earlier you do it, the cheaper and more effective [that challenge] will be.” —RaeAnne Marsh Quarles & Brady, LLP quarles.com United States Patent and Trademark Office uspto.gov

Packaged Water Company Aims to Help Local Economy

The idea was ahead of its time when Liesl Harder Kielp, founder and president of AguaSAC, L.L.C., began talking with colleagues three years ago about packaging water in a pouch. “The film structures available were not conducive to water — they would taint the flavor,” explains Kielp, who is also founder of EnVision Flexible Packaging, referring to the material used for making the containers. Modifications over the last few years have overcome that hurdle, and Kielp’s package design overcame another. While most packages of this type have a gusset on the bottom, Kielp’s have side gussets. “It makes the pouch more like drinking from a bottle or a juice box,” she says, noting it has more structure and stability, and the consumer can handle it without squeezing the contents out. After putting a year into development, Kielp launched the product the first of February with Sedona Bottling Company’s natural artesian water. Kielp felt it was a good fit for two reasons. It is naturally fresh and healthful water packaged in pouches that are completely recyclable and free of the Bisphenol A, a controversial chemical compound. And, she says, “both AguaSAC and Sedona are Local First companies, and I’m on a mission to push local businesses … [it] helps our economy.” To affix the labels on the pouches, Kielp provides employment for disabled individuals in the community. AguaSAC works with the Arizona Foundation for the Handicapped, which hires workers through its own organization, and with Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, which trains the individuals and then mainstreams them away from SAARC to become direct employees of AguaSAC. Kielp also created a packaging line that enables AguaSAC to achieve the same speeds as bottling lines. “Filling speeds [for pouches] can be very slow, and that’s the reason pouches have not taken off in the U.S. as they have in Europe,” she explains. This innovation enables AguaSAC to handle large orders as well as ones as small as 100. Offering customized labeling that puts any business’s information and logo on the front of the pouch, AguaSAC markets to businesses that give water to their visitors, retailers such as Starbucks and Bashas’ that sell it to their customers, and even youth organizations such as Little League that can use them for fundraising.. —RaeAnne Marsh AguaSAC, L.L.C. aguasac.com

The merger of First Scottsdale Bank and Commerce Bank of Arizona, Inc.’s parent company, CBOA Financial, Inc., will establish the new entity as the second-largest commercial bank franchise headquartered in Arizona when the transaction closes, which is expected to happen in the second half of this year. The new Commerce Bank — the name under which the merged entity will operate — will have more than $300 million in assets and “will have more ability to raise capital,” says Rich Vogel, chairman and CEO of First Scottsdale Bank. “Our combined organizations

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are in a very strong capital position and we will be aggressively lending to credit-worthy customers in both Phoenix and Tucson.” Consolidation is a trend in the banking industry nationwide, says Paul Hickman, president of the Arizona Bankers Association, “and Arizona is no exception.” He notes that compliance and technology costs have made community banking a more difficult endeavor, and says that, because of economies of scale, “banks can deal with increased compliance costs better when they’re a larger institution.” Vogel, who has been a banker for 30 years,

says he’s seen many swings in the market. “Nothing stays down forever,” he says. “We already see some recovery in the economy.” Noting they are now in the two largest markets in Arizona and that they are “very bullish on both markets in the long run,” Vogel adds, “”We are a stronger bank with the combination of these two banks; we are stronger than if we operated alone.” — RaeAnne Marsh First Scottsdale Bank fnbscottsdale.com Commerce Bank of Arizona commercebankaz.com

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Photo courtesy of AguaSAC, L.L.C.

Local Banks Merge, Establish Stronger Capital Position

By the numbers

by Mike Hunter

Metrics & Measurements

Sports Figures Are Prime Here

Key Indicators

Major events bring millions of dollars to the Valley Sports is an attraction, no doubt about it. Blockbuster events attract impressive numbers; more importantly, they generate impressive numbers in a far-reaching impact that this issue’s cover story explores. The Valley is host to a great number of these marquee events for a variety of sports, both professional and amateur. Golf aficionados and the socially connected alike flock from near and far to the calm, hushed greens of PGA Tour highlight, the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The annual event impacts the local economy to the tune of millions; the total in 2012 was $222 million. Another major event, the Super Bowl, draws thousands of visitors to the testosterone-laden gridiron contest and pumped more than $500 million into our economy when it was here in 2008. Equally high-octane is NASCAR, bringing more than $400 million annually with two Sprint Cup weekends at Phoenix International Raceway. And recently, when budget cuts that the City of Phoenix was wrestling with caused it to consider shutting down the Reach 11 sports complex in North Phoenix, area merchants mounted a campaign to keep the facility open. The facility’s 11 soccer fields, the merchants argued successfully, regularly host tournaments for youth leagues, and the visitors they bring fill the local hotels and restaurants.

But beyond the direct spending by visitors (which, it is worth noting, is a transfusion of out-of-town money into the local economy) is a ripple effect as the purchases impact vendors in the supply chain, add business and employment opportunities, and put money in the wallets of the supporting labor force. The 2012 Phoenix Open’s economic impact beyond the out-of-town money from visitors included staging costs that went to local businesses for tents, equipment, signage, parking and security, and more. The total for this was close to $50 million. In similar fashion, our home professional sports teams spend for goods and services as a regular part of our economy — and the Valley is home to many professional sports teams. In addition to the big four (Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Suns), our full slate includes the Arizona Rattlers, whose win last year of the Arena Bowl Championship marked the third championship for our National Conference team, and the Phoenix Mercury, our team in the Women’s National Basketball Association, which brought home WNBA championships in 2009 and 2007. —RaeAnne Marsh

Key indicators for our state economy are provided in each issue to identify those key numbers that give readers a sense of the health of our local economy. Economic Indicators (Arizona) Unemployment (Jan. 2013)

Attendance Percentage Out-of-towners

78,603

Fiesta Bowl (2011) 67,232

0.00

2,472.9

0.01

No. of Housing Permits (Feb. 2013)

1,635

-25.14

Consumer Confidence (Q3 2012) (Arizona)

71.3

32.04

Average Hourly Earnings (Dec. 2012)

$22.68

-0.03

Eller Business Research

Retail Sales (Arizona) Retail Sales (in thousands)

Dec. 2012

Jan. 2013

Total Sales

$8,163,059

$6,675,577

5.17%

5.69%

Retail

$5,521,149

$4,101,740

Food

$1,032,383

$1,036,809

Restaurants & Bars

$927,344

$880,576

Gasoline

$682,183

$656,453

Contracting

$818,659

$752,786

Change Y0Y

Elliott D. Pollack & Company edpco.com

Eller Business Research

FMR Associates, Inc. fmrassociates.com

Real Estate

W. P. Carey School of Business wpcarey.asu.edu

Commercial: Office*

Insight Bowl (2011)

Phoenix Open (2012)

55,453

518,262

Spring Training (2012)

25.7%

Net Absorption (in SF)

92,786

1,256,546

Rental Rates (Class A)

$23.45

$23.27

Commercial: Indust.*

1,712,042

60%

29.8%

58%

Net Absorption (in SF)

$349.10

$291.40

$313.20

$300.21

$300

Rental Rates (General Industrial)

Direct Spending by Out-of-town Visitors

$100.6 m

$28.2 m

47.0 m

$89.7 m

$230.4 m

Total Impact

$188.0 m

$47.6 m

$84.6 m

$222.0 m

$422.3 m

Cactus League Employment Impact Cactus Leagues Operations

Wages

Residential: Total Median Sale Price

MLB Operations

Stadium Events 870

$21.1 m

$26.7 m

$32.5 m

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1,776,184

$0.51†

$0.46†

Feb. 2013

7,293

7,074

$130,000

$173,226

542

779

New Median Sale Price

$224,396

$266,940

Resale Sales Volume

715

11.2%

2,853,602

New Build Sales Volume

Resale Median Sale Price

527

Q4 2012

12.3%

Feb. 2012

Total Sales Volume

2012

Elliott D. Pollack & Company

Q4 2011

Vacancy Rate

Bowl and Phoenix Open: ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business Spring Training: FMR Associates

Q4 2012

27.9%

42%

Employment

Q4 2011

Vacancy Rate

78%

Average Spending per Visitor per Day

YOY % Change

8.0

Job Growth (in thousands) (Dec. 2012)

Marquee Event Financial Impact BCS Bowl (2011)

Number

6,751

6,295

$122,500

$162,000

* Cassidy Turley Arizona †

Industrial rents are expressed as triple net. Latest data at time of press

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A p r i l 2013

SE C TOR

Industry at Its Best

Trucking: Moving Commerce Public infrastructure as well as business costs impact operations for companies in this core sector

Once a semi gets up to speed on the open road, few things can stop its momentum unless it’s a car trying to edge past. Even then, it’s almost a sure bet who will keep moving if the maneuver is too close. “It’s not the smartest thing to cut off an 80,000-pound trailer,” says Tony Bradley, the new president and CEO at Arizona Trucking Association. And, despite the roadblocks a recession and plunging consumer activity have posed for the nation’s trucking industry over the past five years, Bradley knows the ongoing need for shipping and now a recovering economy will keep the big rigs on the road. “Without trucking, we’re not able to function,” he says. Over the horizon, better days are returning for trucking. The Winter Trucking Report released recently by Utah-based TAB Bank showed signs of a slowly but steadily improving industry based on such factors as fuel costs and invoices. While TAB Bank provides alternative funding services to a variety of industries, like manufacturing, staffing and technology, the company’s first industry was transportation, and it

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produces a quarterly report on the trucking industry — an industry whose performance is recognized as a precursor to the economic situation of the country. By the end of January, diesel prices were at their lowest point since August as the nationwide average hit $3.911, calculated to the industry standard of three decimal places. Measuring its core group of trucking clients, the bank found sales volume at the highest point of 2012 in October, then decreasing the rest of the year as the post-holiday shipping season progressed. For the past 17 years, Collin Stewart, president and owner of Phoenix-based Stewart Transport, has ridden the cycles of the economy. The saving grace for his company — which has a small niche business of shipping kit cars — is that his core business is carrying refrigerated food. “People gotta eat,” he says of the steady demand for meat, produce, dairy and other products. In fact, he actually sees business increase during the holidays because of the big rush to fill client orders. Typically, business trails off in the first quarter of the inbusine ssmag.com

Photo courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies

by Don Rodriguez

Photos courtesy of Avnet, Inc. (top); McCarthy Building Companies (bottom)

new year as companies deplete their stocks and start fresh, he says. But something different happened in the first quarter of 2012: No downward slide happened. People continued shopping beyond the holidays as the economy started heating up. “This time around, it’s steady for the first quarter but not as strong as last year,” says the immediate past chairman of the Arizona Trucking Association. In the last five years, there has been a shakeout in the industry as some companies have closed their operations, Stewart says. The reasons vary. Some had problems meeting the federal and state regulations as they tightened, while the increasing cost of fuel made it tough for others to compete, he says. A big reason some firms stopped operating has been the increasing prices of equipment that needs be replaced. For example, Stewart says, the price of a tractor is 15 percent more than it was five years ago. Sometimes federal mandates mean equipment that otherwise still works needs to be updated or replaced, he notes, pointing out that for inbusine ssmag.com

trailers with refrigeration, pollution controls must be installed to meet standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. While other sectors of the economy can increase prices because costs or even demand are up, that can’t easily be done in trucking when customers can just shop around for a better rate from companies pricing low to stay alive. “Rates charged to customers have not rebounded as we’d like to see,” Stewart says. That means finding ways to cut operating costs and increase fuel economy, he says. Some companies have resorted to cutting staff. Stewart, however, has increased staff to its current 70 employees. “With our increased staff, that helps us become efficient,” he says. Efficiency in his industry incorporates the need for enough people working on a rig that no issues of time and safety would be at stake; if it isn’t back on the road fast, potential revenue starts decreasing on that truck plus competitors get the business. Also, engines, tools and other equipment could cause some serious damage on the mechanics if the team is short. Looking at ways to meet the bottom line is a skill not limited to Stewart’s team. Bradley says the more than 300 companies that comprise the association’s membership are headed by “pretty sophisticated businessmen.” While some industries count the dollars, trucking firms need to measure shipping costs in tenths of a cent multiplied by the mileage that fleets must travel. “Add millions of miles to it and that adds up,” he says. Another expense that comes up is the cost of accidents. For example, “when freeways shut down [after an accident], it impacts the [trucking] traffic in the Valley,” Bradley says. While driver — truck or passenger vehicle — error often is a cause, roads worn out by years if not decades of use can contribute to risky safety conditions. “You’d be hard-pressed to find any trucking company to say roads are up to par,” Stewart says. Sometime roads just fall apart, as was the case when Highway 89 in northern Arizona recently split, causing some of the road to shift down and resulting in the highway’s closure. “The infrastructure is always a concern,” Bradley says. With an extensive background in public policy, he notes the highway user fees that pay for road construction haven’t been adjusted for inflation since the 1990s. Those fees are paid through the fuel taxes that every state driver pays at the pump. “Now that folks pay $3 to $4 a gallon, when is it good to talk about how we fund the roads?” asks Bradley. According to Robert Samour, Arizona Department of Transportation’s senior deputy state engineer for operations, at least 80 percent of the highway system was rated as good or excellent condition during the agency’s most recent annual evaluation. Part of this was due to investing more than $125 million annually for pavement preservation. Yet, “various factors have created a ‘perfect storm’ of funding challenges,” he says. Arizona may find itself concentrating on preserving existing infrastructure as it joins other states to urge Congress and other policymakers to work on identifying more reliable and sustainable funding sources, Samour says. Through it all, the industry is very much alive. An example is the membership level of the state association, which Bradley says is strong. “While always a good membership size, the goal is growth,” he says. With the need for trucking never ending, Bradley should get his wish. Arizona Department of Transportation azdot.gov Arizona Trucking Association arizonatrucking.com Stewart Transport stewarttransport.com TAB Bank tabbank.com

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Trickle Up

A View from the Top

Aaron Matos: Morphing a Job Board to Recruiting.com His success lies in helping other companies hire the best people

As founder and chief executive officer of Jobing.com and, now, Recruiting.com, Aaron Matos is devoted to helping companies hire the best people in the most timely and cost-efficient ways possible. “I went into human resources early in my career, and found out that most people didn’t really enjoy what they were doing at work,” Matos says. Along the way, he found a passion for recruiting. Through his position as a corporate director of human resources for a publishing and media company based in Arizona, Matos saw first-hand the importance of recruiting local job candidates as quickly as possible. He launched a local job board network called Jobing.com in 1999 as a division of his employer’s organization. “In 1999, the Internet was booming globally, and I thought it would be a good way to connect people with jobs.” In 2001, Jobing.com, L.L.C. was formed. The company, which was one of the first online local job boards, has always had a special focus on recruiting and top-notch customer service. Over the years, Matos has been a pioneer in innovative ways to link employers with employees, including using videos to help with the recruiting process. The company has helped to produce more than 20,000 employer videos alone. As Jobing.com grew in popularity, Matos realized the Internet was growing right along with it. The constantly growing and changing Internet was challenging at times for Matos, who quickly learned that in order to succeed, he had to adapt to these changes. “The Internet evolved incredibly rapidly, and changes in technology are so fast,” he says. “Things that worked for us in 2000 didn’t work for long.”

On the Job and Beyond ■■ Aaron Matos earned his undergraduate degree at Arizona ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

State University and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Matos is a board member of the Dean’s Council of 100, a national group of top executives who advise Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. He has served on the executive committee for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and has held a position on the board of governors for the International Association of Employment Websites. In 2008, Matos was named Business Leader of the Year by the Arizona Business Leadership Association. Matos’s first job was working as a bike mechanic. He enjoys cycling and triathlons and is a three-time Ironman finisher. He says he appreciates the dedication that is required of these pursuits.

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Staying on top of the latest advancements and incorporating them into his business has been key to staying technologically current and successful overall. “It is really important to stay flexible and adapt, and never rest on your laurels. There have been lots of innovations in technology along the way.” Another challenge that Matos faced was the downturn in the economy. Jobing.com did quite well through the recession of 2001, he says, but the second, more recent recession was very hard for the company. Helping to recruit candidates for jobs was difficult, he explains, when a lot of the jobs just weren’t there anymore. “We get paid when employers hire people, so it was definitely a challenge dealing with the bad economy. It was hard for all of the companies in the industry as unemployment rates rose to 10–12 percent.” As the economy continued to struggle, Matos realized a lot of companies were trying to save money on their websites. This observation helped inspire him to offer cloud-based “candidate relationship management” software to help with recruiting and website development. Matos launched the new technological services in 2010, and in 2012 rebranded Jobing.com to Recruiting.com. In addition to providing next generation technology that will help companies recruit and hire great employees, the company still features the local, regional and niche job boards. Matos says his style of leadership has allowed for the adaptability that has been necessary for his company to grow and thrive over the years. “I want people in our organization because they want to build something. I’m never afraid to ask people to work hard, and to roll up their sleeves.” Recruiting.com recruiting.com

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Photo courtesy of Recruiting.com

by Alison Stanton

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A p r i l 2013

Photo courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks

Is It a Win for Our Economy? Valued as entertainment and recreation, sports is also a big-league economic driver and jobs creator by J. Rentilly

NHL/Phoenix Coyotes

Paul Connors / Associated Press

Phoenix Coyotes

Courtesy of Westgate City Center

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver

Courtesy of Glendale Chamber of Commerce

Westgate City Center

Courtesy of Glendale Chamber of Commerce

Inside the Jobing.com Arena, the Phoenix Coyotes prepare for a White Out game

University of Phoenix, home of the Arizona Cardinals

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hen the Arizona Diamondbacks played its first game in Phoenix 15 years ago, it entered an already crowded National League West Division where many locals carried with them baseball traditions linked to other franchises, according to Derrick Hall, president and CEO. “In some markets, all they have to do to sell tickets is put out a pocket schedule and open up the gates,” says Hall. “In Arizona, we’ve had to earn every single fan, and it’s been really fulfilling to see the number of D-backs jerseys increase exponentially in the stands in recent years.” The team, which last won the World Series in 2001, is now a part of what is arguably a very sports-focused community. On the heels of a particularly harsh economic cycle, sports — at the professional, collegiate, high school, amateur and youth levels — has provided a sunny side up to the Arizona economy, richly impacting revenue and employment in a variety of markets and fields at a time when both have been sorely needed. “The Arizona economy is supported in a lot of ways by tourism, and sports really brings people into the state,” says Judy Bernas, member of the board of directors of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority. “Sports is a leisure activity, but it’s also an enormous economic driver for us, both by way of revenue and employment.”

Extended Impact of Revenue and Jobs So the economic impact of sports is not limited strictly to the $500 million the Super Bowl is estimated to have brought to Phoenix in 2008, or the $65 million the NBA All-Star Game inspired, or the hundreds of millions the Waste Management Phoenix Open pumps into the economy annually ($222 million from the 2012 Phoenix Open) but extends also to employment in such obvious arenas as players, coaches and management, and also wider ranging such as accountants, marketers, personal trainers, ticket takers, promotions, construction, parking, uniforms and stadium furniture, hoteliers, wait staff, transportation, food services (like that provided by local companies Shamrock Foods and Stern Produce) and more. In fact, Jonathan Robins, owner of Tempe’s Jonathan Robins Bakery, makes a pretty penny providing football-shaped cheesecakes and other “fine bakery items” to a number of professional and college sporting events in Arizona, enjoying a taste of the $1.5-$2 billion the state’s sports business annually generates. “The large events are great,” says Robins, who also serves a number of regional hospitals and hotels. “It’s possible that everyone in Arizona knows someone who works in the sports industry, however tangentially, even if that person never picks up a ball,” says Bernas. “It’s enormous, the number of people in the state who work in the industry.” “No matter what’s going on with the economy, the appetite for sports doesn’t change,” says Brian Smith, Ph.D., dean of Grand Canyon University’s recently launched Colangelo School of Sports Business. “It’s almost recession-proof, and this has been hugely meaningful for Arizona, where the economy has been really up and down. If you take away the sports industry in Arizona, you’re looking at major losses — revenue, employment, morale. Sports is integral to the overall health of the state’s economy and landscape.” With such facts and figures in mind, many in the state have mobilized to capitalize on the state’s pitch-perfect weather and tourist appeal by building new, state-of-the-art facilities and actively

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Courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks

We Built It and They Came

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Goran Dragic, point guard for the Phoenix Suns

Ian Kennedy, pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks

NBA/Phoenix Suns

When Proposition 302 passed in 2000, it allowed public money to be employed toward the construction and renovation of nearly a dozen key stadiums in the state. Though many were skeptical of taxing Joe Q Public to expand the state’s sports market, the move has proven more than savvy. Much of the money, overseen by AZSTA, has been used to revitalize the region’s Cactus League and sports training facilities, which now house 15 of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams, and is used virtually year-round. “At AZSTA, we take very seriously our stewardship of public money,” says Bernas. “Are we getting a good return on the investment? Are we making a difference? The return is always higher than the tax dollars by four to seven times. So, yes, I think this is going well.” As example, Bernas cites the rousing success of Cactus League baseball. Perhaps the most lucrative perennial in Arizona, Cactus League is “arguably one of the most important tourism events in Arizona,” according to the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission. Although a recently reported analysis by The Arizona Republic showed that municipalities lose significant sums to maintain the facilities within their borders, the net effect to the community and the state’s economy is positive. The Cactus League and its partners — AZSTA, Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona Office of Tourism — last December released the results of a two-year-long study that showed the overall economic impact during and after the spring training season. The result: $632 million, including $422 million during the regular spring training season. The latter figure is a significant jump from a figure of $112 million five years ago, the previous time such a study was conducted. Additionally, attendance at spring training games increased 40 percent since 2007 to 1.7 million in 2012. Out-of-state visitors account for 56 percent of the fans attending games. According to the report, families visiting Arizona for spring training games stayed an average of 5.3 nights, a boon to local restaurants and hotels. More than simply hotel stays and ticket sales, though, Cactus League is significantly impacting employment and new builds in the

Christian Petersen

Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks

Barry Gossage/NBAE

recruiting regional, national and international sporting events to complement the four major professional sports franchises (MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL) that already call Arizona home base. “We play everything in Arizona,” says Dr. Smith. “And that’s only increased in the last decade or so.” The renaissance of sports in Arizona occurred when the Phoenix Suns landed in 1968, but the addition of other pro sports franchises in the last 40 years, as well as a burgeoning youth market, has seen a market on an almost continuous upward trend. This has been key to the state’s tourist economy. “I remember when tumbleweeds would blow down the street at 5:30, Downtown, because anybody who worked there had gone home and no one else ever went there,” says Ray Artigue, a Phoenix native, owner and president of Artigue Agency, a full-service marketing and communications firm specializing in the sports industry. “But you bring the Suns downtown, bring the Diamondbacks downtown, and the dominos start to fall. You get a fully developed downtown, restaurants, retail, residential, tall office buildings. Can the Suns and Diamondbacks take complete responsibility for that? Of course not. But they were seeds planted 20 years ago, and the ripple effect has been really significant to the economy.”

US Airways Center, home of the Phoenix Suns

state. Sports construction has been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise grim Arizona market, says Bob Hart, executive VP and Western Division manager of Hunt Construction Group, the nation’s largest sports builder. “Though there are only a few pro sports facilities left to build ground-up in the region, we’ve seen a lot of renovation and refurbishment on stadiums built 10, 20, 30 years ago, and that’s been keeping us busy,” says Hart. “There’s also been a lot going on with college facilities and spring training stadiums.” In the last three years, Hart has overseen several spring training facilities, including set-ups at Glendale, Goodyear and Talking Stick.

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Sports Means Business The $100-million stadium Hunt Construction is building for the Chicago Cubs is well underway, set to open in 2015, employing about 2,000 craft workers, Hunt says, and utilizing “all local Arizona businesses, and about 22 percent of that from Mesa firms.” In addition to the stadiums themselves, Hart and company — which has built for 137 teams nationwide — is enjoying a lot of “collateral development” builds of beautification, retail or commercial use adjacent to the stadiums. “In Mesa, we’re improving a public park, adjacent to where the Cubs will play,” says Hart. “It’ll probably be the nicest park in Arizona.” Courtesy of Waste Management Phoenix Open

Courtesy of PIR

Waste Management Phoenix Open

Courtesy of City of Phoenix

Phoenix International Raceway

Power of Youth AZSTA is also deeply invested in developing youth sports programs and tournaments, which draw tens of thousands of tourist competitors and families from around the world each year. “Arizona is becoming a hub for youth sports,” says Bernas. “Time and again, people from all over the country tell us we have the best facilities they’ve ever seen, and people love coming to Arizona.” PRSC launched in 1988 with a mission “to enrich the community through sports.” According to Katie Brown, executive director, this means “bringing in sporting events to the Valley that bring tourism, economic development through spending in our community, and also offering youth in the area the opportunity to participate in great sporting events.” Since 2009, PRSC has brought in nearly $134 million in direct visitor spending, with 186,265 visitors to events it has produced or stewarded. (Estimated at $177 per day, though some estimate visitor spending at closer to $300 per day). PRSC is, Brown says, especially devoted to serving high schoollevel competitions in the state, as well as sporting events “not as well-served by other markets and organizations,” on a statewide, national and international level. For events like the U.S. Youth Soccer 2012 Far West Regionals, which welcomed 4,600 players, coaches, families and tournament officials last June, an impact of $10 million of spending on hotels, restaurants and local businesses was estimated, while the National Hockey Festival was projected to generate an estimated $21 million for Phoenix businesses in 2010 and 2011. A high school volleyball tournament last summer brought more than 6,000 female youth athletes from 519 national teams, bringing $22.9 million to the area. “People don’t realize how much money comes from the grass-roots sports — high school sports, youth sports, the lower profile sports,” says Brown. “But people come to these events from all over the country. They need to stay in hotels. They need to eat at restaurants. They often visit museums and other tourist attractions. There’s a lot of direct spending there, even if it’s not an all-star game or the Super Bowl. A four-day youth soccer tournament can make a huge economic impact on our community.”

Influx of Outside Dollars For the record, when the Super Bowl rolls back into town in 2015, economic impact is expected to approach $600 million, with 85 percent of the 73,000 football fans expected from out of town, spending at least $2,000 per person. This generates that most-desired type of currency: “outside dollars,” money spent by out-of-towners. Out-of-town dollars are especially meaningful to hoteliers like Mike Ehmann, general manager of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, a 1,000-room luxury hotel. “Sports certainly has an impact on us,” says Ehmann. “For the biggest events, like the Super Bowl or the all-star games, we’re sold out for days, but we also get a lot of guests staying for tournament games and youth sports.”

Jobs and Good Works

U.S. Youth Soccer Tournament at the Reach 11 sports complex

A p r i l 2013

Ehmann says Spring Training is also an enormous boost for the venue, with sports in general giving the Sheraton “nice peaks in business.” To accommodate the extra guest load, Ehmann will supplement his 300 full-time and 359 part-time employees with additional, temporary hires, stimulating the economy and aiming to

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Courtesy of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Courtesy of AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Cactus League home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies

New York Giants’ wide receiver David Tyree pins the ball to his helmet as he catches a 32-yard pass late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots

Courtesy of Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce

exceed guest expectations. “It makes a positive difference not only to us, but to the entire community, to have these events. It’s been essential, absolutely, especially in the recent economy.” When hotels are full, local restaurants and businesses tend to enjoy an uptick in business as well. “From my vantage point, these sports franchises deserve indirect credit for creating other jobs,” says Artigue. “Nobody puts a brand new restaurant in unless it’s wellplaced. Well, cater-corner to U.S. Airways Center, you’ve got 45 Suns games feeding your establishment every year. That’s waiters, cooks, bus boys and all the rest. That’s good money.” Educators like Grand Canyon University’s Dr. Smith and, formerly, Artigue, who previously served as executive director of the MBA Sports Business Program at Arizona State University, believe the job market in the sports industry only continues to expand, as the collars for many jobs go white. “We need number crunchers more than ever in the sports industry, people who understand the big economic picture,” says Artigue. “These are jobs that didn’t exist as such in the industry a few years ago. But, as sports worldwide becomes a more corporate beast, we need people who can do that. Sports is, after all, a $240-billion industry nationwide, larger than all the domestic auto makers combined. Somebody’s got to crunch those numbers.” The economic impact of professional sports isn’t measured only by ticket counts and hot dog wrappers, but by the philanthropic endeavors of the organizations. The Arizona Diamondbacks, for example, have given more than $30 million to the Phoenix community in the last decade, supporting a wide range of special projects, from suiting up underprivileged Little League teams to refurbishing fields and supporting indigent health care. “We are a community asset and we’ve cultivated a lot of good will in the community,” says Diamondbacks president Hall. “The philosophy is: We need to give back to the community as much as we can. You can’t control your wins and losses on the field, so you look to find other ways to win, even when you’re losing.” The Diamondbacks organization employs 250 full-time workers and another 2,000 part-time workers, 50 weeks a year, and in 2010 was named The Most Positive Team in Sports by United Nations, a credit to Hall’s belief that a positive, employee-first culture is best business. Last year, the Diamondbacks gave nearly $4-million charitable contributions to the community, Hall says. A less tangible, but richly significant economic impact comes from the media exposure offered by national broadcasts of sporting events from Arizona, says Artigue. “Most of our pro sports events are broadcast back to the cities we’re playing, and there are almost always postcard shots of Arizona during these broadcasts, which situate the state as a desirable tourist destination.” Artigue notes that the media exposure value of the 2008 Super Bowl game was estimated at $60 million. “That’s a lot of postcards inviting people to come to Arizona. Sometimes it’s for a game. Sometimes it’s for a vacation. Sometimes it’s a businessman who decides to move his corporate headquarters to the state. You can’t underestimate the economic impact of the media exposure for a state like ours.” Beyond the baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, football and myriad other sports played in the area, and the rich and varied economic and employment impact they offer the area, Artigue says it’s important, too, to note how such a blooming sports market affects quality of life for Arizona residents. “You can’t measure that by dollars and cents,

Scottsdale Stadium, Cactus League home of the San Francisco Giants

but sports is invaluable to the quality of life in Phoenix,” says Artigue. “Ask anyone who lives here what sports means to them and their quality of life. That’s worth appreciating, too.” Arizona Diamondbacks dbacks.com Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority az-sta.com Artigue Agency artigueagency.com Colangelo School of Sports Business gcu.edu Hunt Construction Group huntconstructiongroup.com Jonathan Robins Bakery jrbakery.com Phoenix Regional Sports Commission phoenixsports.org Sheraton Phoenix Downtown sheratonphoenixdowntown.com

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A p r i l 2013

Marketing

Packaged to Impress

Strengthening the Pipeline for References Customer references can be a cornerstone of a business’s growth strategy — if they’re not derailed by these common mistakes by Bill Lee Harnessing the power of references and referrals seems like an obvious win. What could make more sense for a business than to leverage the enthusiasm of happy customers to convince buyers that they need its products and services? And in an increasingly social and networked world — not to mention an economy where every dollar of revenue is critical — this type of third party validation is more important than ever. So why do we have so much trouble mastering the art of customer advocacy? It’s not effective to just half-heartedly paste a few new tactics on top of current operations and expect advocates to start singing a business’s praises. Nor can it rely on a few enthusiastic supporters with vibrant personalities to carry its message. The program has to be well staffed so it becomes a seamless and well-integrated part of the entire growth engine. And it needs to command sufficient resources to kick it off strongly and to keep it going over time. There are certain predictable mistakes companies make that can derail customer reference programs before they ever get off the ground. Creating the right infrastructure and approaching the efforts with the right mindset will increase the likelihood of success substantially. “Cheaping out” on resources. Reference programs are often organized as an afterthought, assigned as one of several programs to a junior-level employee who has too much to do, and managed with a spreadsheet. Someone may hand him a list of prospective references who may or may not be happy customers, or strategically significant, or even profitable. Before long, reference requests to the new program go wanting, as sales and marketing return to their old habits of trolling for

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references themselves, leading to underutilization of potential powerful references at one extreme, or burnout at the other. Reference programs deserve adequate resources to realize their potential. Failure to install the right systems and processes. This includes an adequate reference management system (RMS) that automates as much of the data needs of the program as possible. And these needs can be considerable: Which references are there, and from which industries or segments? What requests have they fulfilled? What other advocacy activities do they engage in? What reference content have they provided? Where can the business get hold of it? The key questions to ask are: Are the right processes and policies in place? What policies have been established for references and testimonials in the sales and marketing efforts? At what points in the sales process should references be used? How will customer videos, stories, and other customer content be used in social media efforts? What rules have been established for customer content in marketing communications? Not integrating references into the growth strategy. It’s easy to spot a reference program that’s disconnected from the company’s growth strategy: Reference managers look puzzled when asked about the corporate strategy for growth. They recruit or keep customer references that may or may not be from markets that senior management is targeting. Everything they do and say shows they’re out of the loop. Managers of reference programs that are well integrated into strategy can report, for a new product launch, how many customer references will be needed. And they can tell from which industries or customer segments these references should come. They’ll know what types of inbusine ssmag.com

Books reference activities they’ll need to engage in. They’ll know how many references are candidates to be early adapters of the new product line. Failure to measure (or even understand) the business value of references. It’s a red flag when reference managers tout the number of new references they recruited — without regard to their actual value in generating business. They’re measuring inputs that have little bearing on business results, not outputs. More sophisticated programs continually measure their business value and adjust accordingly. Reference programs can dramatically improve sales productivity by freeing salespeople from the time-intensive task of hunting down references themselves. They can increase media awareness by providing content for reporters or analysts that makes it more likely it will be published. They can ensure the success of new product launches by providing critical early adopters, references and referrals. Lack of executive support. Too often, customer reference programs are rolled out with limited resources and staffed by junior people working off a spreadsheet — a recipe for failure. A successful reference program needs significant resources and a strong rollout that involves the entire company. It must cross boundaries, working cooperatively with other divisions in the business such as sales, marketing, social media, PR, product development and the like. Without strong, hands-on executive support from a powerful leader who is passionate about advocacy, none of this will happen. Lack of imagination. Many reference programs suffer from inertia, churning out old-school PDF case studies that are way too long and that don’t get read. With advances in technology and social media — along with the current boom in personal and professional communities — those who adopt customer reference programs must think much more broadly about the forms advocacy can take. These may include references, referrals, testimonials, serving on advisory boards, and participating in a business’s customer communities. Not giving customers a good reason to reference them. Many companies resort to gifts, prizes, awards, cash discounts and even low-grade bribes to get customers to refer them. Not good. Smart companies think through why their customers would advocate for them — and come up with better and more ethical reasons than those. First, provide a terrific product or service. That’s the price of admission. Then get creative in providing appropriate reciprocal value to the potential advocate. If she likes the limelight, a business can offer to do a joint case study or marketing piece. If she wants to affiliate with her peers, it can invite her to user groups or customer events. If she’d like a higher profile in her industry, it can arrange for speaking events where she can tout her accomplishments — with the help of that business’s product or service. A business that knows its customer well enough to know what is valuable to her can find a way to give it to her — and she’ll give that business an enthusiastic, and genuine, referral. The Hidden Wealth of Customers: Realizing the Untapped Value of Your Most Important Asset customerreferenceforum.com

Bill Lee, author of recent release The Hidden Wealth of Customers: Realizing the Untapped Value of Your Most Important Asset, among several others, is CEO of educational organization Customer Reference Forum (www.customerreferenceforum. com), which, in response to demand on the subject, created monthly teleconference series The Master Class Series on Customer Reference Programs. Lee has spent nearly a decade building vibrant communities of customer engagement professionals, and his annual conferences, including the Summit on Customer Engagement, have attracted many of the world’s leading global firms.

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Sales & Marketing

Grow the Core: How to Focus on Your Core Business for Brand Success Growing core business is key for sustainable, profitable growth, yet advice on how to do it is thin on the ground. Grow the Core is a practical guide to focusing core business for brand success, illustrated with inside stories on brands that include Apple, James Bond, Heinz, Nespresso and McDonald’s. A program of six “Workouts” helps to harness the whole marketing mix to grow core business; it includes product, design, communication, distribution and packaging. The author grasps what is fundamentally important in marketing and turns his sights on the vitally important topic of growing the core. David Taylor 29.95 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. On shelves and online

Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling This is a sales book that makes sense for those struggling with the fear of making cold calls. Smart Calling is the benchmark as the highest professional standard for effective cold calling. Take the initiative to read and implement the author’s rational principles; readers are likely to sell much more and develop a prospect base of potential customers who will call when they are ready to purchase or graciously take future calls. Art Sobczak $22.95, Second Edition John Wiley & Sons, Inc. April 2013

Professional Services Marketing: How the Best Firms Build Premier Brands, Thriving Lead Generation Engines, and Cultures of Business Development Success This book is a fully field-tested and researchbased approach to marketing and client development for professional services firms. The book, now in its second edition, covers five key areas that are critical for firms that want to grow and become more profitable: creating a marketing and growth strategy, establishing a brand and reputation, implementing a marketing communications program, executing lead generation strategies, and developing business by winning new clients. Also, readers will learn about real-world case studies that illustrate major points, as well as quotes and stories from well-respected professionals in the industry. Mike Schultz and John E. Doerr $29.95, Second Edition John Wiley & Sons, Inc. June 2013

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Focus

Our Subject In-Depth

Check the Vital Signs of Client Relationships

Perform annual checkups to keep client relationships healthy by Andrew Sobel Annual checkups play as vital a role in a businessperson’s professional health as physicals do for individuals — especially with regard to client and customer relationships, which are the lifeblood of every business. Most clients vote with their feet. They don’t tell a business they are unhappy — they simply start to give their business to its competitors. Client relationship checkups can help gauge the health of these relationships, prescribe changes when necessary and identify ways to further grow them. Infusing client health checkups with the right questions, what I call “Power Questions,” lights fires under people, challenges their assumptions, helps them see problems in productive new ways and inspires them to bare their souls (which, of course, strengthens the bonds in the relationship). All business interactions are human interactions, and part

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of being human is acknowledging that one doesn’t know everything about everything — certainly not about another person’s needs. Questions help one understand these things more deeply; they’re an essential tool when assessing the health of client relationships. When client relationship checkups aren’t performed regularly, the relationships can take unexpected turns, as happened between a Fortune 100 client of mine, which I’ll call Company Y, and his client, IBM. IBM’s then-CEO Sam Palmisano decided to visit Company Y’s CEO. A week ahead of the visit, Company Y’s relationship manager for IBM called his counterpart to discuss the upcoming CEO summit between their companies, and apparently did not get a return phone call during that week. The story goes that when Palmisano met with Company Y’s CEO, he opened by saying, “My people tell me we have

an ‘A’ relationship with your organization.” Company Y’s CEO responded, “Well, my team tells me your relationship with us is a ‘C.’” Fortunately, this was a wakeup call for the IBM team to dramatically improve the relationship with Company Y. Within a year, the relationship was indeed an “A,” and today Company Y views IBM as a key trusted partner in operating its business. IBM is a great company that has been quite innovative in the way it builds long-term client relationships. But as this story illustrates, even well-managed firms can dramatically misread the health of a key client relationship! The successful firms I work with maintain some type of process to determine the health and strength of important client relationships. They seek feedback at multiple levels. They access the client’s views using a variety of channels — through the relationship inbusine ssmag.com

manager, during senior executive visits, using independent surveys and in client forums (virtual and in-person). Here are some questions you should ask yourself when you are considering the health of your client relationships: Do you have access? While some leaders are notoriously busy and it does take time to get on their schedule, the fact is, if you don’t have access, you may not be considered relevant! Also, if you think you have a good relationship but the client says, “There’s nothing going on. It doesn’t make sense to meet,” that’s still a bad sign. It means they don’t really value your ongoing insight and perspective. Do you and your client trust each other to do things without extensive documentation, checks and controls? Trust is the essential foundation of every long-term relationship. It’s the feeling that the other person will come inbusine ssmag.com

through for you. It’s the belief he or she will meet your expectations. It’s the confidence he or she will demonstrate integrity, deliver competently and focus on your agenda. When trust is present, you don’t need to constantly check up on the other person. You don’t need to put in place endless controls and systems to monitor results. If your client is constantly micromanaging you, then he or she may not trust you, and you need to find out why. Does your client openly share information with you? In a healthy, trusting relationship, there is transparency. Does your client give you access to his or her plans and proposals? Does he or she freely share information with you, within the constraints of confidentiality? When you’re a vendor, you get very limited access to information — it’s on a “need to know”; when you’re a trusted advisor, your client treats you as part of the inner circle. Does your client confide in you and bounce ideas and decisions off you? Does your client ever call you up to run a new idea or potential proposal by you and get your opinion? Or does the client make important decisions and then call you afterward? It’s not reasonable to expect a client to discuss everything with you, but if there’s an issue in your domain, and the relationship is a strong one, the client will most likely draw you in before reaching any final conclusions. Are you the first person the client calls when in need something in your area of expertise? This is an essential litmus test of a healthy relationship — loyalty. If the client views you as interchangeable with other suppliers, then you’re a vendor, and you’ll be subjected to constant price pressure as the client continually shops around. Are you treated with respect — like an important advisor? This is hard to quantify, but you usually will know in your gut if this is the case. I had a client who I felt didn’t value me. He asked me to help teach his senior partners how to be better trusted advisors to their clients but, ironically, he didn’t want a trusted advisor himself — he wanted an armslength “expert” who would be at his beck and call. I finished the project and moved on. Is working with this client a satisfying, rewarding experience for you and your team? Some clients just drain you. They are overly demanding, they check up on your every move and they basically drive you crazy. Sometimes, you’re also stuck with a client who is too low in the organization to really appreciate the impact

you have. This is not a healthy relationship! Life is too short — if you can’t fix a situation like this quickly, you should get out and double-down on more promising clients. Is the relationship economically rewarding for you? You could have a great personal relationship with a client but for a variety of reasons be losing money on the work! Sometimes, weak profitability is your fault — you have underestimated the scope of the work or underpriced it. But sometimes it’s a sign of a client who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Are you having an impact and helping to improve your client’s business? In the best relationships, you have a clear and positive impact on the client’s organization. You help the client improve his or her business. If, for whatever reason, this is not happening, it’s a warning sign: Are you working on peripheral issues that are not really important to the client? Are you stuck too far down in the organization? Is the client ignoring your recommendations? Is your good advice simply falling on deaf ears? Is your client referring you to friends, colleagues and other organizations that could use your expertise? Active word-ofmouth referrals are, arguably, the ultimate sign of a good relationship. Are you getting referrals? Would your client give them to you if asked? How enthusiastically would your client recommend you? A testimonial is one thing — it’s passive — but an active referral is a sign of a very different level of satisfaction and delight with your services! Each year, go through this checklist and rate each of your relationships. Are you weak, average or strong on each of these ten points? Better yet, rate yourself and then ask these same questions to your client. Then compare the answers. Through quality communication and thoughtful Power Questions, you can strengthen your client relationships and add value to them at the same time. Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others andrewsobel.com

Andrew Sobel, co-author with Jerold Panas of Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others, is an executive educator, coach and top-level management consultant who has worked with leading corporations such as Citigroup and professional service firms such as Ernst & Young. In addition to numerous books, he has authored articles that have been featured in a variety of publications such as The New York Times, Business Week and Harvard Business Review.

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NonProfit

by RaeAnne Marsh

Actions to build Community

American Cancer Society: Grassroots Effort Making a Difference

The American Cancer Society will once again welcome guests to enjoy an evening of Arizona’s glorious spring weather as it hosts Picnic Under the Stars at the Phoenix Country Club on May 4. The outdoor picnic vibe will be French, though, with the French theme carried through food, music and a backdrop of Paris’s night sky setting off the stage for the event’s presentations. “It’s nice to have it outside. It’s a more relaxed gala,” says Maraka Mason, distinguished events director here in Phoenix. The move to an outdoor venue was made in 2011, Mason explains, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Phoenix’s first American Cancer Society gala hosted by Mrs. Robert Goldwater in her backyard. Dinner and silent and live auctions will fill the first part of the evening, then the rest of the night will be given over to dancing to the live sounds of the celebrated local band Groove Merchants. The Phoenix office of the American Cancer Society is one of hundreds of local offices through which the national organization — which celebrates its 100th anniversary in May — reaches and serves local communities. It hopes to raise $400,000–$500,000, the majority of which will be used for services locally as well as for research. American Cancer Society cancer.org

Snapshot

■■ The American Cancer

■■ ■■ ■■

Society aims to help individuals every step of the way from their initial cancer diagnosis. It operates a 24-hour information hotline and a national website to answer questions and assist people looking for services in their local area. In 2013, there will be an estimated 34,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients in Arizona. “So we want people to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle, and ways of prevention,” says Mason. ACS has contributed to a 20-percent decline in cancer death rates in the United States since the 1990s, and has played a role in nearly every cancer research breakthrough in recent history. Hundreds of volunteers throughout Arizona assist in programs that include providing rides to treatment and emotional support from someone who has been through it him- or herself.

Snapshot

■■ Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS serves about 6,000 people through its programs for men, women, transgender and youth. ■■ The organization reaches more than 30,000 people thanks to ■■ ■■

volunteer-staffed outreach to at-risk populations at such locations as homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters and bars. Local bars have invited the organization to come and set up a spot to do testing. They have also helped raise money by selling ribbons people can dedicate to affected individuals, and then posting them in their establishment. The organization also works with clinical trials research, and has helped with 32 of the 34 medications now available. “Those drugs are instrumental to people living longer,” says Davis. “We’ve really helped globally.”

The 18th annual Night for Life Gala, which will be held May 11 at the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, is the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The organization’s other two signature events carry a similar theme — Tour for Life, for which owners of many of the Valley’s most prestigious homes open their homes, and Dining Out for Life, a designated time during which local restaurants donate a percentage of their sales. “We always try to promote life and have individuals live longer,” says Mesha Davis, chief development officer. “Just because you become positive with HIV doesn’t mean your life has to end.” She notes HIV can strike anyone, regardless of race, gender or age. The evening will start with cocktails and a silent auction, then move to the ballroom for the formal dinner. The program will recognize community members for their work and contribution to the organization’s mission, with awards in such categories as Outstanding Philanthropist and Community Champion (the latter of which could be an individual, a group, or another nonprofit the Center has partnered with). A live auction will be the evening’s finale. “The whole intent is to raise money,” Davis shares candidly. “We try to provide a holistic approach of services needed for someone to be healthy who’s living with HIV or AIDS.” Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS swhiv.org

In business to do good for the community, nonprofits enrich the lives of those who contribute as well as those who receive. In Business Magazine showcases two nonprofits in each issue, focusing on their business organization and spotlighting an upcoming fundraising event.

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Photos courtesy of American Cancer Society (top), Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS (bottom)

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS: Holistic Approach Promotes Life

www.inbusinessmag.com

April 2013

O n t h e Ag e n D a

A listing of Greater Phoenix business organizations and their events. Visit www.inbusinessmag.com for an expanded monthly calendar of educational, networking and special business events.

Economic Club of Phoenix

Chandler Chamber of Commerce

Economic Club of Phoenix and Dean’s Council of 100 Executive of the Year 2013 Luncheon

Learning Initiatives for Entrepreneurs, Academy Workshops

Photo courtesy of Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation

Thurs., April 25 — 11:30a – 1:30p Long recognized as the place to meet national and international leaders in business, the Economic Club of Phoenix’s monthly luncheons have included CEOs from Southwest Airlines to the Ford Motor Company who have taken the stage to share with local executives their wealth of experience. This month’s luncheon, which will be held at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in Scottsdale, will honor Major General Josue (Joe) Robles Jr., USA (Ret.), president and CEO of United Services Automobile Association (USAA). USAA is one of the leading financial services companies in the country, with more than 9 million members and assets of $182 billion that it owns or manages. Well known for exceptional service, it has been serving military families since 1922 with a comprehensive range of insurance and financial services. Robles’s many recognitions include awards for service and honor during his military service and, more recently, being named “No.1 Veteran in Business” by The Christian Science Monitor in 2009 and “Innovator of the Year” by American Banker. Luncheon fee for Economic Club of Phoenix members varies with their type of membership; for nonmembers, the cost is $75. Advance registration is required. —RaeAnne Marsh

Tuesdays, 4:00p – 6:00p Bringing the high-quality workshops and seminars to the East Valley, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce is one of only 22 locations in the country that provides the HewlettPackard Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (HP LIFE) program. HP LIFE focuses on business skills and IT training geared to start-up companies and small businesses, and in Arizona is presented through the Arizona Small Business Development Centers. “The Chandler Chamber and the Maricopa Small Business Development Center have a longlasting partnership. With a classroom located right in our building, we offer classes … to business owners and start-up companies every Tuesday,” says Paige Gruner, the chamber’s marketing and communications manager. “And the great thing is, they are free!” One component is the Startup Lab, which Gruner explains is “an open lab to work on your start-up company and get any advice you may need.” This is offered on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and is followed by the SBDC Academy Workshop, which goes another two hours, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The workshops present a different topic every week, ranging from marketing plan strategy to sales. Academy Workshops for April are the following: April 2: “Social Media Part Two” — an advanced course on how to apply social media to generate revenue in small business, including using social media as part of sales campaigns and specialty social media platforms like Pinterest and YouTube. April 9: Email Marketing — giving attendees an understanding of the series of steps they need to take in order to build a professional email marketing campaign, possibly one of the most powerful free marketing tools available to small business. April 16: Effective Websites — providing business owners an honest look at what they need to understand about their website and how best to make it work for them. The demonstration portion of the class will cover how to manage Word Press. April 23: Blogging — focusing on the different types and means of communication, and introducing the concept and characteristics of Web 2.0 and, specifically, blogs and the advantages they might bring to a small business as a low-cost means of multi-directional communication. April 30: Search Engine Optimization — created in partnership with Google and based on what small-business owners need to know to take control of their website SEO, content will provide an understanding of the steps a business owner needs to take to create and maintain a search engine-optimized business website. Classes are held in the chamber’s conference room. Attendees can register online through the chamber’s website. —RaeAnne Marsh Chandler Chamber of Commerce chandlerchamber.com

Notable Dates This Month

Economic Club of Phoenix econclubphx.org

Mon., April 15 Tax Day Mon., April 22

Earth Day

Agenda events are submitted by the organizations and are subject to change. Please check with the organization to ensure accuracy. See more events online at www.inbusinessmag.com.

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O n t h e Ag e n d a AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Women in Business Luncheon Tues., April 16 10:30a – 1:00p

An interactive personal development session where you will become your own “Chief Energy Officer” and learn to consciously direct your energy to create the life and work you LOVE, led by energy expert, professional speaker, former senior legal counsel and former green energy company CEO Vicki Sandler (www.vickisandler.com), award-winning author of Find Your Scream, Live Your Dream: Discover Your Inner Leader. Members: $15; Non-Members: $25 Foothills Golf Club 2201 E. Clubhouse Dr., Phoenix ahwatukeechamber.com

ARIZONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY Update from Capital Hill Luncheon Tues., April 2 11:00a – 1:30p

With U.S. Senator Jeff Flake. Members: $60; non-members; $75 Hyatt Regency Phoenix 122 N. 2nd St., Phoenix azchamber.com

ARIZONA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 55th Annual Black & White Ball and Business Awards Sat., April 27 6:30p — midnight

Carnival theme Members: $300; non-members: $350 Sheraton Downtown Phoenix 340 N. 3rd St., Phoenix azhcc.com

ARIZONA SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Shred-a-Thon

Thurs., April 4 1:30p – 5:30p

In celebration of Earth Month, Recycle 1 is providing a shred truck outside the ASBA office. Bring any confidential paper documents you would like securely destroyed. Free Washington Corporate Center 4600 E. Washington St., Phoenix asba.com

Creating Your Effective Networking Commercial Tues., April 9 1:45p – 3:00p

Get tips to develop an effective 30-second networking commercial in this hands-on workshop.

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April 2013

Members: Free; non-members: $10 ASBA’s Business Education Center 4600 E. Washington St., Phoenix asba.com/events

Getting Break Through Results Using Emotional Intelligence Thurs., April 11 8:30am – noon

Discover what Emotional Intelligence is and what understanding it can do for you. Members: $15; non-members: $35 ASBA’s Business Education Center 4600 E. Washington St., Phoenix asba.com/events

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL Council Connect: 0-70 in 3.5… Wed., April 17 11:30a – 1:00p

“0-70 in 3.5… How Social Media and Mobile Have Accelerated the B2B Sales Pipeline,” presented by IDS Technology Marketing, on the impact that new media have on the increasingly complex B2B sales and marketing pipeline. Members, $35; non-members: $55. Lunch is provided. Seasons 52 2502 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix aztechcouncil.org

Arizona Health and Medical Technology Expo: Privacy and Security Technologies Wed., April 24 12:30p – 6:30p

Arizona Health-e Connection co-hosts an expo with keynote speaker, and health and technology topics by top experts. Members, $35; student members: $15; non-members: $55. Includes reception. Scottsdale Hilton Resort & Villas 6333 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale aztechcouncil.org

CENTRAL PHOENIX WOMEN Luncheon

Tues., April 16 11:30a – 1:00p

Speaker: Lea Haben, CEO of SmartFem. $75 The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix 2401 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix centralphoenixwomen.org

CHANDLER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Small Business Development Center Academy: “Social Media Part Two” Tues., April 2 4:00p – 6:00p