What’s happening in April
Important dates to remember

1 International Mobility & Trade Corridor Project Luncheon. The IMTC presents this general assembly meeting focusing on the role of transportation systems in regional economies. Both Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration will make presentations. Other topics of interest include inspection-operations changes at the border, large-scale border-region infrastructure improvements, and trade and travel demands. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Best Western Lakeway Inn in Bellingham.

1 Prosperity Professional Network. This networking session will allow members to make valuable connections with like-minded professionals while going deeper into learning and applying universal principles of prosperity, abundance and the power of positive thinking. Books by authors such as Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Catherine Ponder, Bijan and Lynn Grabhorn will be explored and examples of how these ideas can be explored and celebrated in everyday life will be looked at. The group is open to all professionals, with no limit in each category, and will meet the first and third Friday of each month from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. For more information and location of the meetings contact Meredith Murray at (360) 738-4071.

1-3 “The Art of Personal Marketing.” Renowned counselor, teacher and speaker, Sandy Levy, will conduct her widely-successful three-day workshop, “The Art of Personal Marketing” in Bellingham April 1 –3. The hands-on workshop is specially designed for businessmen and women who are seeking to excel in their professions and break through barriers for achieving personal independence and prosperity. Attendees will receive materials, a 30-page workbook and personalized video of their participation. Lunches, dinners and refreshments are included.
To book your reservations or for questions call (360) 527-27796 in Bellingham or (866) 285-0654.

5 8th Annual Seattle Business Forum. Sponsored by the WWU Foundation, this annual Seattle event, held in the Grand Ballroom at the Westin Hotel in Seattle, attracts a large audience of business and civic leaders along with Western family and friends. Alan Mulally, executive vice president of the Boeing Company and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will be the keynote speaker. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. with Mulally’s keynote address at 12:45 p.m. Single tickets for the event are $100 per person. Table sponsorships are also available (tables are rounds of 10, sponsor fills 9 seats and WWU fills remaining seat with student or faculty member). For information call (360) 650-3629.

11 San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting. San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce members meet on the second Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

13 “Effective Communication.” The Mt. Baker Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management sponsors this luncheon on Wednesday, April 13 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Northwood Hall on 3240 Northwest Avenue in Bellingham. Western Washington University’s student chapter of the Northwest Human Resource Management Association will present a lecture on effective communication when constructive criticism must be delivered. Cost is $12 for members and $17 for non-members.

13 “Revenue Generating Networking.” The eWomen Network’s Accelerated Networking series continues with a revenue-generating lecture by guest speaker Lori Richardson, president of Smile & Dial Services. Richardson’s talk will be on taking action that leads to sales success now. The event will take place April 13 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Harbor Club Bellevue and costs $50. Register by calling (604) 985-3739 or going to www.eWomenNetwork.com.

15 TAG Monthly Luncheon. TAG presents “How a Local Tech company – LumenIQ, Inc. – wins big business with a multinational company.” Steve Brinn, chief executive officer of Bellingham-based LumenIQ, will speak about the trials and tribulations of cutting a deal with multi-national company Motorola. Brinn will tell how LumenIQ focused on the application of image perception technology to commercial needs. The event is from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the DIS Building at 1305 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham. The event is free for TAG members and $10 at the door for non-members to cover lunch. Contact Paul Grey, 756-8080 for details or to RSVP.

16-17 Washington Apartment Association’s Educational Conference. The Northwest Rental Owners’ Association is sponsoring this event held at Mount Vernon’s Best Western Cotton Tree Inn. Seminars at the conference will include everything from tips for rental owners to real estate professional workshops with clock hours available for agents. Also included are a two-day trade show, social hours and a banquet and auction. For information or to register call (360) 755-1682.
The Northwest Rental Owners Association represents rental property owners in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties and has more than 150 members representing more than 1,600 properties.

19 “Everything you always wanted to know about servers… but were afraid to ask.” Northwest Computer, Intel Corporation and CSS will host the seminar from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bellingham Yacht Club. The seminar will cover new server technology including 64-bit processing and blade servers as well as opportunities to achieve cost savings through enhanced infrastructure manageability. The information presented is intended for IT professionals, CFOs, Technology directors and anyone who is currently running or anticipating the implementation of a server with their organization. Presenters include Ethan D’Onofrio of Northwest Computer and Bill Elwell, Ben Shamansky and Josh Hansen of Intel Corporation. Admission is free and includes complimentary beer and wine after the presentation, as well as product giveaways. For reservations contact John Walstad at Northwest Computers at 734-3400.

20 “Working with difficult clients.” 4th Corner Consultants’ Roundtable presents Jeanette Nyden’s interactive discussion on how to successfully deal with difficult clients. Nyden is one of the Puget Sound’s leading negotiation authorities and will conduct a lively and interactive session. The session will be held at the Quality Inns Baron Suites in Bellingham and costs $10 for non-members.
The 4th Corner Consultant’s Roundtable meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Look for upcoming events and speakers at www.4thcornerconsultants.org.

21 Schmoozefair 2005. The Economic Development Association of Skagit County presents this yearly event to network with local businesses. Enjoy booths, food, music and schmoozing from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm at Van Zyverden’s Bulb Warehouse at 12035 Higgens Airport Way in Burlington. Call Carol at (360) 336-6114 for more information.

22 Full Business Day Conference. Sustainable Connections presents its second annual business conference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven. Conference attendees will include local business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs and community and economic development professionals.
Keynote speaker David Van Seters is president of Small Potatoes Urban delivery, the largest organic delivery service in North America, and will speak about successful sustainable initiatives in his company. In addition, other successful entrepreneurs and innovators will lead workshops and structured networking sessions to help participants learn strategies on marketing, financing and negotiating partnerships.

23 Renewable energy workshop. Learn how to integrate solar, wind and mini-hydro powering to your business energy plan. The workshop is Saturday, April 23 at 8:30 a.m. at the Washington State University Research Station on Memorial Highway. Presenter Tim Nelson covers the theory of renewable energy as well as the details of how to buy equipment for self-installation. The day includes a tour of a home and business that have operated ‘off the grid’ for years. The workshop is $50 per person in advance, $60 per couple. Call 416-7605.

27 Administrative Professionals Day Celebration. The Bellingham Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals will host a luncheon and professional development workshop on Administrative Professionals Day (formerly known as Secretaries Day) on Wednesday, April 27 at the Hotel Bellweather.
Speakers include Ramona Abbot, owner facilitator and trainer for Essentially Professional Business Consulting Services, Julie Clarke, Misty Thomas and Judy McCoy.
Highlights include 2005 Administrative Professional of the Year presentation and seminars including, “A Roadmap for Success” and “Balancing Work and Home: A Simple Detour.” For information about the luncheon and seminar fees visit www.bellingham-iaaap.freeservers.com or call Linda Nielson at (360) 676-6692.

29 “Leading Teams: A Systems Approach.” Ernie Hughes and Gail Rognan will teach this unique workshop about being a productive leader at the Bellingham Hampton Inn from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday April 29.
The seminar identifies the specific conditions that foster work-team effectiveness and details how to establish them. Hughes, the founder of The Systems Thinking Company, and Rognan, the founder of Renewal of Spirit and the author of “Living out Your Passion While Living Without a Job,” divide the seminar into four unique parts.