Sarah Peterson, CSI DMC

When you’ve created an incredible event experience, one of the biggest thrills is being able to relive that magic via the photos and videos taken that day.

Capturing the exact images and video that a client wants isn’t always easy, even for a professional. There is a lot of movement throughout the day, and it's important to make sure everyone is on the same page. I know the struggle from both sides, as I’m often the event photographer as well as the media manager for our company’s creative services team.
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Behind every incredible post on social media or spectacular event photo gracing our website or marketing pieces, there’s a five-step process that can help provide the best results.

By John Laub, MainSpring Inc. 

Developing a custom solution isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s the right choice, and other times it makes more sense to go off-the-shelf. But, when it does make sense, history and industry standards suggest we assume what the industry has termed an “Agile Mindset.”

Using an agile mindset allows us to be flexible in working with clients and deliver innovative solutions that meet business goals. To put it simply, having an agile mindset means uncovering better ways to develop software, and help others do the same. Agile isn’t a process, and it doesn’t have rules. Instead, it has values—four values, which embody the agile mindset. 

By Morgan Mentzer, Arlington Chamber of Commerce 

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to take a break, reflect, and focus on gratitude and giving. Choosing to do good during this time of the year is a wonderful tradition to start for yourself or your family. Spend this holiday season giving back to your community through volunteering, performing random acts of kindness, or by making a donation.
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Your fellow Chamber members in the nonprofit sector compiled a list of ways you and your business can contribute and give back to the community this holiday season. 

As a benefit of the Chamber membership, we offer all members the opportunity to get more involved by joining a committee. The Chamber’s committees are a great way to broaden your network while learning about issues that impact your business and the community. There are a number of open committees to choose from, allowing you to select the committee that best suits your goals and interests. 

The Chamber has more than 100 nonprofit members who look to the Community Action Committee to connect the Chamber’s business and nonprofit members for the greater good of Arlington. The CAC serves the Chamber and gives back to the community is through coordinating several of the Chamber’s signature events and by hosting nonprofit forums. With the committees’ help, this year the Chamber paired over 260 volunteers with nonprofit sites across Arlington to accomplish various service projects during Volunteer Arlington Day.

To learn more about the Community Action Committee, we present the Chair, Linda Kelleher, Executive Director at Culpepper Garden. 

By Corey Shields, Ntiva 

​Work-life balance has become a hot topic, thanks in part to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) work policies, and the mobile devices that keep us digitally tied to the office 24/7. There are thousands of articles on how to maintain personal sanity in the always-on work culture of today, but what about maintaining your digital dignity?
 
87% of employers rely on employees to use their personal smartphones for work purposes, and estimates show that we do just that roughly six hours per week, so we know that most people carry their work with them wherever they go. Our home and work life are now frequently shared on one device, which is both good and bad.

By Andrea Aiello, Membership Engagement Manager, Arlington Chamber of Commerce 

So how exactly does a girl from Delaware get to the Chamber?  Well, the first stop is in Dallas at the University of Texas for a degree in Computer Science.  Then it’s back to the East Coast to work for a software company in Courthouse Plaza in Arlington, VA.  After quite a few years, the next stop is at a D.C. catering company where things are crazy, exciting, and exhausting.  And then, here I am! 

​Makes perfect sense, right?

By Emily Krause, Design Powers 

Setting goals can be hard. And sticking to said goals can be harder. But when it comes to your website, goals are an important part of your marketing strategy.

You may occasionally add blog posts, update your content, and look at your website analytics. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great things to do! Keep up the good work. But, setting and accomplishing site specific goals will help you track growth of your website and business.
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Need help figuring out what goals to set?  You’re in the right place. We’ve put together some simple steps and example of goals to get you started.

By Glenn Seth, F3 Wellness Connections, LLC

Work. Life. Balance.
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Wellness affects everything we do in life, especially our work. When we are exercising, eating properly, and managing stresses in our life, our performance increases both at home and on the job. Employees who feel well and have increased energy levels make productive employees who contribute to the work environment, impact the team in positive ways, and perform at their highest levels.
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So when it comes to wellness, why not encourage your employees to be their best through doing a corporate wellness program?

By Katie Nord, Events Manager, Arlington Chamber of Commerce

Amy Major, CSI DMC

We all know the importance of ensuring every necessary question is answered before planning an event to allow for a smooth operation and execution. However, sometimes there are so many components to discuss that we forget the most critical questions that can help excel the planning process and allow things to move more efficiently for all team players.
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Aside from the basic, necessary questions that consist of size of the event, budget, location, date and timing etc., let’s discuss the questions that are not always asked, but that are equally important to ensure a successful event!