By Marian Marquez, Arlington Economic Development
During the month of May, Arlington Economic Development (AED) celebrated Business Appreciation Month in Arlington with a series of high-profile business events. However, this work is not confined to just one month per year; we do it year-round at AED! This activity, otherwise known as AED’s Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) program, doesn’t usually make headlines but is an important pillar of our economic development strategy.
The goal of AED’s BRE program is to create a positive and engaging business environment through value-add services and innovative programs. What constitutes value-add varies from one company to the next; for those seeking connections to potential customers, partners, or decision makers we offer networking events such as the Arlington Premiere, executive lunches or, simply, introductions. For other companies that may not have the bandwidth or in-house expertise, we offer a variety of marketing and promotional activities including ribbon cuttings, media promotion, and award nominations. Similarly, AED’s business intelligence team performs research on everything from real estate options to demographics for companies looking to move or expand.
A look at several recent activities illustrates the breadth of our business engagement efforts. Last month, we joined forces with two other jurisdictions and the State of Virginia to bring 18 startups to Collision, North America’s fastest-growing tech conference. This gave our entrepreneurs valuable opportunities to meet with investors, pitch their products, and benefit from the show’s content and matchmaking programs.
In April, we convened a roundtable of cybersecurity executives, state and local officials, and workforce partners to discuss some of the challenges faced by the industry in attracting and retaining talent. We are now focused on defining initiatives that the state and county could support to help address this issue.
Lastly, we saw 15 Arlington companies recognized with prestigious awards during the month of May alone – throughout the year our team spends a lot of time nominating companies for local, regional and international awards, and it is always great to see them win!
The takeaway is that we strive to develop tailored programs and events to meet the needs of businesses in our community; as those change, so do our priorities. We would love to hear from you if there is something we can do for your business.
A look at several recent activities illustrates the breadth of our business engagement efforts. Last month, we joined forces with two other jurisdictions and the State of Virginia to bring 18 startups to Collision, North America’s fastest-growing tech conference. This gave our entrepreneurs valuable opportunities to meet with investors, pitch their products, and benefit from the show’s content and matchmaking programs.
In April, we convened a roundtable of cybersecurity executives, state and local officials, and workforce partners to discuss some of the challenges faced by the industry in attracting and retaining talent. We are now focused on defining initiatives that the state and county could support to help address this issue.
Lastly, we saw 15 Arlington companies recognized with prestigious awards during the month of May alone – throughout the year our team spends a lot of time nominating companies for local, regional and international awards, and it is always great to see them win!
The takeaway is that we strive to develop tailored programs and events to meet the needs of businesses in our community; as those change, so do our priorities. We would love to hear from you if there is something we can do for your business.
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