TAG – They’re it
Technology trade group turns attention toward economic development

TAG members and friends celebrated at the group’s annual “Tech Stomp” in August: (back row, L-R) Port of Bellingham Executive Jim Darling, WWU Dean of the College of Science and Technology Dr. Arlan Norman, TAG President Robin Halliday, WTC Executive Director Lee Cheatham, TAG Chairman Paul Grey; (front row, L-R) WTIA President/CEO Ken Myer, Bellingham Angel Group President Bruce MacCormack and TAG Executive Director Anna Ehnmark.

By Hilary Parker

It was nearly 10 years ago – a time when dial-up modems still passed for current technology – that TAG, the Technology Alliance Group of Bellingham/Whatcom County, came into being out of a roundtable discussion attended by a group of Whatcom County technology company leaders.

TAG President Robin Halliday, now retired from her position as a vice president of DIS Corp., was part of that original group.
“We realized there were more technology companies in Whatcom County than anyone thought,” she said, and all the companies, no matter their size, were dealing with some of the same challenges.
Halliday says that the organization’s mission remains unchanged since its inception in 1999: Education, advocacy and promotion on behalf of Whatcom County technology businesses.
The advancement of that mission was supercharged with the addition of a paid executive director position. Anna Ehnmark, co-owner of OpenAccess Network Services LLC, a Bellingham-based Internet service provider, and a former TAG board member, stepped into the roll in January 2007. With the focus of a dedicated staff member, the group has seen its membership and programs thrive.
“Our membership has grown explosively,” notes Halliday.
Today the trade organization has 75 members (typcially organizations), including industry members, IT department members, associate members, such as service providers, and individual members. Membership is also extended to businesses and individuals in Skagit, Island and San Juan counties.
Monthly luncheon meetings have an educational topic, including speakers from every sector of the industry. The luncheons regularly have 80 to 90 attendees. Members may also get involved with Special Interest Groups, or SIGs, for their area of expertise.
The networking element of these events is one key to the vibrancy of the group. “Once you get people in the same room connections happen,” Ehnmark notes.
Tech Night, a job fair for area technology firms, is another TAG creation. This year’s event had 19 companies participate and brought out 200 job seekers.
“Workforce development is important to us in this industry,” Halliday said.
Connecting members to resources, such as educational programs, the SIGs or even a purchasing cooperative, is one way the organization serves its members. This includes creating new resources for members and the community at large.
One of Ehnmark’s biggest projects to date is the creation of a resource directory of Whatcom County technology businesses released last year. Her research uncovered 574 technology-based businesses in the county.
A similar directory, identifying the community’s research and teaching assets in the technology field, is next on the list. With several higher educational institutions in the region, outreach and engagement with the research community is key to the county’s continued growth in technology businesses, Halliday said.

Economic development moves to center stage
Fostering the economic development of tech-based business has become one of TAG’s primary functions, and local government has taken notice of the organization’s efforts. The City of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham are two of the group’s funding partners and work closely with the organization on economic development projects.
“I’ve been impressed to see how TAG has a good connection with the tech community,” said Dodd Snodgrass, economic development specialist with the Port of Bellingham.
Snodgrass sees TAG’s roll in collaboration with other groups such as the Bellingham/Whatcom Economic Development Council to be a valuable contribution to the overall economic development of the county. He points out that interest by national and international technology companies has huge potential for the region.
TAG is positioned to facilitate those discussions, and has been doing so most noticeably with two related projects, the Northwest Consortium for Technological Innovation and Development (NCTID) and waterfront Innovation Partnership Zone (IPZ).
NCTID is lead by Western Washington University’s College of Science and Technology (the college’s dean Arlan Norman is on TAG’s board) and is bringing together higher education, government and private sector partners to promote a technology-based economy. As Western works toward a presence on the waterfront as part of the Georgia-Pacific property redevelopment, TAG plays an important role in linking stakeholders from the different sectors.
“We see it as our role to be a liaison with industry,” Ehnmark said of the project. They hope to match entrepreneurs with researchers in higher education, creating partnerships that bring innovations to the marketplace. Fostering that relationship and facilitating access to capital are two primary ways that TAG is aiding that development.
“I think TAG’s been very helpful with the business connections with Western,” Snodgrass said. The port is also a NCTID member.
The Innovation Partnership Zone is another project where TAG and the port work together. One goal of the IPZ is to stimulate the growth of technology-based business, which is where TAG comes in.
“We are the voice that represents the entrepreneurial community,” Halliday remarked.
TAG also works closely with the Washington Technology Center (WTC), a statewide economic development organization; WTIA, the Washington Technology Industry Association, a statewide trade association; and Technology Alliance, a statewide organization of leaders in high-tech businesses and research; all to advance the region as a great place for tech companies.
As the IPZ and the NCTID projects have gained stream, the WTC has shown a special interest in the Bellingham area, which may translate into further economic development opportunities.
“Everybody is at the table and interested,” Halliday said, who is also a WTC board member.

Social networking conference debuts
This month, TAG breaks more new ground with its social networking conference, a two-day event in partnership with Western’s Small Business Development Center, Whatcom Community College and a number of sponsors from the business community. The aim of the conference is to give small- to medium-sized businesses an understanding of the new “digital village” that is changing the face of business’ online presence.
Ehnmark notes Web sites are moving from a “publish and push” model to two-way conversations. The opportunity for having a voice and educating potential customers grows increasingly important as the Internet becomes an interactive forum.
And in promoting the event to a larger area, it establishes the region as a technology leader. Ehnmark says organizers hope to have 200 attend the conference. (See conference details on the NWBM calendar, page 114.)
Based on TAG’s track record, the conference will likely be a success, which may simply be attributed to a group with good vibrations.
“Our group is just having a lot of fun,” Ehnmark said.

TAG Executive Director Anna Ehnmark and President Robin Halliday work together with state and local agencies to promote technology-based businesses.