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Holiday Season Is No Time For A Networking Holiday!

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Originally published to TribLocal.com (Chicago Tribune) in Dec. 2011

For business owners, the holidays can be a great time to network and start connecting – or reconnecting – with people and set the stage for business in the coming year. Many companies, trade associations, Chambers of Commerce and other professional groups use the holiday party format as a way to bring people together in a less-than-businesslike environment, to eat, drink and exchange business cards.

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BOC | NETWORKING 2011 Holiday Event in Highland Park

In a departure from the regular early morning meetings held on the fourth Friday of each month, the Breakfast of Champions invited members and non-members alike to come together for a Holiday Business After Hours event to celebrate a year of great networking…with more networking, of course!

The 2011 event, sponsored by ATI Graphics, Inc. (http://www.atigraphics.com), a Highland Park based branding, graphic design and web development company founded in 1997 by Larry Bloom, helped fill the two month gap between regular morning events since the fourth Fridays of November and December conflict with the holidays. More importantly, it made the most of a season that is all about bringing people together and connecting.

“The holiday season is a time to celebrate a good year or lament a tough one. Add a bartender and a few door prizes and you’ve got yourself a festive networking event!” says Bloom.

For dedicated networkers, it is a time packed with opportunities, not a time for a “networking holiday.” No matter if the room is filled with business associates, family and friends or a hybrid mixture of all three, ‘tis the season to network!

About Larry Bloom

In addition to being the editor of the BOC | NETWORKING blog, the host and facilitator of all BOC meetings and events, as well as the Vice President of the prestigious Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, Larry Bloom is the President of ATI Graphics, Inc., a Highland Park, Illinois based branding, graphic design and web development and consulting firm established in 1997. In a crowded field of branding and web consultants that have materialized to capitalize on an expanding industry, Larry Bloom stands apart. With 16 years of web development and over 20 years of design and branding under his belt, Bloom eclipses many of today’s “experts” by offering a modern eye for strategy and a “pre-web” sensibility about business and marketing. Over the years, he has helped businesses make millions of dollars by educating clients on effective messaging and the difference between a web site and a web presence. Bloom's "On-Demand Advisor" program offers great value to clients. You can learn more about ATI Graphics, Inc. at www.atigraphics.com

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