Wouldn't you like to network in a fun, relaxing environment? The Arlington Chamber makes networking easy at our monthly Business After Business events.

In today's world, organizations get farther when they band together to achieve a common aim. Last week, local jurisdictions (in the form of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority) agreed to the provisions laid down by the Virginia General Assembly to secure transportation funding, and there is now hope that the tide will turn and the region will finally make some progress in getting drivers and transit riders to their destinations in less time and with less hassle. Transportation has been your Chamber's number one priority for the past several years, and we will continue to keep it on our radar screen as we monitor the progress of the Transportation Authority's work.  Also in the near future will be the beginning of rail to Dulles under the supervision of Chamber member Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. 

Our efforts to get transportation funding passed and implemented centered around a group formed to work on that very issue - the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition. This group consisted of area Chambers of Commerce and other allied business group (see list below). The Coalition's fine work kept up the pressure on legislators and local jurisdictions to let them know how important it is to focus on a much-broken transportation system in Northern Virginia.

The driving force behind the coalition has been the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance - a McLean non-profit who, under the direction of their able Chairman (and Past Arlington Chairman, Dave Guernsey) and equally competent President, Bob Chase, have been the area's voice of reason and vision on transportation for the past twenty years. This organization's periodic e-mail bulletins have been most helpful to the Chamber and others in keeping abreast of relevant issues. The Alliance is willing to add Chamber members to the readership of this valuable tool. If you would like to receive these messages, please respond to president@arlingtonchamber.org. The collective list will then be passed along to the Alliance. Your information will not be shared by them with anyone, and you are able to opt out at any time.  

Member Organizations of the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition:

Alexandria Chamber of Commerce * Apartment and Office Building Association * Arlington Chamber of Commerce * Business Transportation Action Coalition * Committee for Dulles * Dulles Area Transportation Association * Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce * Dulles Corridor Rail Association * Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce * Greater Washington Board of Trade * Heavy Construction Contractors Association * Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce * National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (Northern Virginia Chapter) * Northern Virginia Association of Realtors * Northern Virginia Building Industry Association * Northern Virginia Technology Council * Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance * Prince William Association of Realtors * Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce * Washington Airports Task Force

Are you interested in improving your business communication skills and networking amongst those in the communications industry? If so, attend tomorrow's meeting Tuesday, July 17 from 5-6:00pm in the Chamber board room.

The brand new Budapest, Hungary Business Chamber (BBC) is asking the Arlington Chamber of Commerce to mentor them as one business organization to another. Arlington Chamber member Cindy Engquist of All About You Specialty Marketing Communications was invited to be the featured speaker at the BCC's late May launch event. Engquist accepted and spoke about networking - what it is and how it's done in the United States. 

The founder and Co-Director of the BBC is Orsolya Enekes (Orsolya Kuli when she was here), a former Arlington Chamber member, and her fond memories of her experiences here led her to take a bold move on her return to her native land. Business networking, as we know it, has never existed in Hungary. In fact, there is no word for "networking" in Hungarian.