Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours April Networking Event at Uptown Cafeteria
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is on Thursday, April 28th at the Uptown Cafeteria in the heart of Uptown Minneapolis. The event will start at 5:30 and go as late as people want to stay.
If you want to get to know other Twin Cities professionals, make valuable connections, meet new friends and check out a great venue, join us on the 28th for this event.
Uptown Cafeteria will be offering beer sampling from Brooklyn Brewery along with other great happy hour specials for the event, including:
- $3 domestic taps, house wines and rail drinks | Mini bacon burger, chips and salsa
- $5 specialty taps and good girl martinis | Chick nachos, sloppy joe sliders
- $7 house margaritas | Ahi tuna and crackers
You are encouraged to bring a colleague, friend or business partner that might be interested in attending. Please RSVP by registering for the event, as we have a limited amount of space and need to let our hosts know how many to expect.
There is a large parking ramp right near the Uptown Cafeteria, which is the easiest place to park for this event.
I look forward to seeing you all there, it will be a fun event! If you have any questions, please let me know.
-Jeff
Also, tickets are now available for the 2nd Annual TCTHH Charity Event on May 26th at Stella’s Fish Cafe. Make sure to get your tickets soon, as there will only be 250 available.
Click here for more information about this event and to buy tickets>>
February TCTHH Event w/ NSHMBA’s 2011 Kickoff Event | 508 Bar + Restaurant
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is on Thursday, February 24th at the 508 Bar/Restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis. The event will start at 6:00 and go as late as people want to stay.
This month’s event is combined with the MSP Chapter of National Society of Hispanic MBA’s 2011 Kick Off Event and the Twin Cities Business Peer Network.
Last time all 3 of our groups got together for an event was last August at Santorini. We had over 300 people attend that event to extend our networks and have a great time. We will be in the basement level bar at the 508, which is reserved for this event.
This event was organized by NSHMBA and is supported by TCTHH and TCBPN. You will have an opportunity to learn about all of our groups and network with members, as well as leadership from all 3 groups. A variety of appetizers will be provided and prizes will be raffled throughout the night.
You are encouraged to bring a colleague, friend or business partner that might be interested in attending. You will need to RSVP for this event by registering for the event by February 17th, as we have a limited amount of space and need to let our hosts know how many to expect.
I look forward to seeing you all there, it will be a fun event! If you have any questions, please let me know.
Note: there is a parking lot across the street or multiple parking ramps nearby. (Block E, Target Center, etc.)
-Jeff
Also, please mark your calendars on Thursday, March 24 for the March TCTHH event, which will be a special event at Summit Brewery. All of the details regarding that event will be shared with you very soon.
Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours at Aloft – January 2011
We had another great networking event last night at Aloft’s w xyz bar in Downtown Minneapolis, here are some pictures from the event!
Twin Cities Business Spotlight | CSM Corporation
This month’s Twin Cities Business Spotlight takes us on a look inside of CSM Corporation, one of the more diverse commercial real estate companies in the nation. CSM’s portfolio of properties has 3 unique areas of real estate that contribute to the growth and financial strength of the company. I had the opportunity to interview CSM’s Corporate Marketing Manager, Aimee Cheek to ask her how CSM got started, how the company has weathered a tough economic climate for the real estate industry, and how her role at the company has changed over the years.
Hi Aimee, thank you for taking the time to let us into CSM Corporation with a first hand look at the business. First off, can you give me a brief history about CSM Corporation and where the company got its start?
AC: CSM Corporation and CSM Lodging are owned privately by Gary Holmes. CSM began modestly when 12-year-old Gary Holmes, now CSM’s CEO, started selling light bulbs door to door in Minneapolis. A young entrepreneur, Gary enlisted his Boy Scout troop as a sales force. At age 14, he used his light bulb earnings to buy his first real estate asset – a set of Minneapolis duplexes. To see the full story as told by Gary and some of his friends and family, click here to see the video.
CSM Corporation is a commercial real estate management and development company. How do you differ from the traditional commercial real estate companies and what sets you apart from others in the industry?
AC: One of our main differences is our diversity in properties. We have three areas of real estate: residential apartments/townhome communities, commercial/retail properties and hotels. With this “three-legged” stool approach, in almost any given economic scenario at least one of the areas will be doing well. 
CSM also has several in house capabilities and teams which allow us to move quickly when opportunities arise. And of course, being privately owned by a single owner who is very involved in the business, allows CSM to be very nimble in our business decisions.
As we all know, the financial markets, along with the real estate markets, have been hit pretty hard the past couple of years. What has CSM done as a business to counteract the economic environment that we are currently facing and what opportunities have presented themselves as a company?
AC: One of the things that CSM does is to make very wise, careful decisions about each of our investment properties and to stay well capitalized. This allows the properties to be more profitable and our threshhold lower. We, like many companies, had to re-evaluate our processes and procedures when the economy took a hit. We have used the Kaizen method throughout the last couple of years to really fine tune our business. Lastly, we continue to look for opportunities to grow our portfolio. In the history of CSM, our biggest growth has come when the economy is down and we are continually looking for the right opportunities to build or acquire new real estate.
Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours | January Newsletter 2011
Happy New Year to everyone, I hope you had a great holiday season and are ready to have a great 2011! The December TCTHH Newsletter had great feedback and it was something that a lot of people found value in. The goal is to share news, events, job opportunities, promotions and other items of information that can help our community stay connected. Here are some things that happened, are happening and are coming up in the Twin Cities!
Events
- January TCTHH Event at Aloft Minneapolis’ w xyz bar – Thursday, Jan. 20th
http://tcthhjan2010.eventbrite.com
- US Pond Hockey Championships at Lake Nokomis – Jan. 21-23
http://www.uspondhockey.com/
- January YPCTC Event at Tryg’s – Wednesday, Jan. 26th
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192019114145608
- Junior League of Minneapolis Duets fundraiser for charity on Saturday, Jan. 29th
http://www.jlminneapolis.org/?nd=duets
- From LEAD with Love at Theatre de la Jeune Lune on Saturday, Feb 12th
http://www.theleadproject.org/events/from-lead-with-love/
Outreach
- TCTHH is looking for one lucky venue to host its May charity event. Nominate a venue!
http://tcthursdayhappyhours.com/2011/01/05/where-should-the-2nd-annual-tcthh-charity-event-be-held-nominations-please/
- The Social 360 and It’s Just Lunch are looking for Bachelors/Bachelorettes for the 3rd Annual “Date for Life” auction to benefit Children’s Cancer Research Fund. The event is on February 10th at the Fine Line. (Thanks to Jason Mitzo of The Social 360 and Brenna Rick from It’s Just Lunch for sharing)http://www.dateforlifemn.org/ or email info@thesocial360.com for more information!
- OLSON Agency is hiring a Social Engagement Strategist
(Thanks to Mike Kraabel and Thomas Wendt for sharing this)
http://tbe.taleo.net/NA1/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=OCO&cws=5&rid=493
- Entry Level Sales Position with Timm Medical Technologies Inc.
(Thanks to Heidi Zuehlke for sharing this)
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=165832066767710&topic=522
- Nerdery is hosting a Winter Open House for recruiting. To recruit more interactive talent, The Nerdery is hosting an open house geared at hiring web professionals Wednesday, January 19th.http://openhousenerdery.eventbrite.com/
Congratulations!
- Congratulations to Lauren Melcher for her election to the MIMA Board of Directors!
http://www.mima.org/about/board.asp
- Aaron Weiche was recently hired Vice President at Spyder Trap Online Marketing. Congratulations to Aaron on the new position!
http://www.spydertrap.com/blog/2011/01/2011-begins-big-with-a-switch/
Want to share something with us next month? Contact us to let us know you would like to share a news item in the next TCTHH Newsletter.
Where should the 2nd Annual TCTHH Charity Event be held? Nominations Please!
Attention: TCTHH is looking for the next great venue to host its 2nd TCTHH Charity Event benefiting the NICU at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
Do you have a favorite bar, restaurant, event center, mansion or other cool venue that you want to nominate to be the host of the 2nd Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours Charity Event?
Please nominate your favorite venues below in the comment section. This blog post will be followed by a poll for all of our members to vote on the place that will hopefully (pending talking to the venue of course) be lucky enough to host the charity event in May.
Last year this particular event was held at Solera, which was did an awesome job of hosting us. The event also raised $7,000 for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
If you are interested in being a sponsor for the event, please contact us about sponsorship here.
Thanks!
January TCTHH Event – Year 3 Kickoff! | Aloft Minneapolis – w xyz bar
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is on Thursday, January 20th at the Aloft Minneapolis – wxyz bar in Downtown Minneapolis. The event will start at 5:30 and go as late as people want to stay.
This month’s event marks the start of the 3rd year of TCTHH events and is offically event #22!
If you want to get to know other Twin Cities professionals, make valuable connections, meet new friends and check out a cool venue, join us on the 20th for this event.
Aloft Minneapolis is a bold new hotel featuring loft-inspired design for an easy breezy Twin Cities stay. Aloft Minneapolis is a fresh, fun, forward-thinking alternative. Breeze into a hotel that offers more than a comfy bed and a friendly smile, and enjoy a whole new travel experience. Energy flows and personalities mingle in a setting that combines urban-influenced design, accessible technology, and a social scene that’s always abuzz.
They will be offering us great happy hour specials that have been extended for the entire time our group is there. They are also providing complimentary appetizers which include pita chips and hummus, chips and salsa, vegetable tray and a dessert tray. Here are the happy hour specials:
- $5 specialty elixirs
- $4 house red and white wines
- $3 tap and domestic beers
- $5 select appetizers
You are encouraged to bring a colleague, friend or business partner that might be interested in attending. Please RSVP by registering for the event, as we have a limited amount of space and need to let our hosts know how many to expect.
Guests may park at meters on the street, or at the Guthrie parking ramp next door.
Start off the New Year by connecting with some great new people and helping TCTHH kick off year #3 in style!
I look forward to seeing you all there, it will be a fun event! If you have any questions, please let me know.
Guests may park at meters on the street, or at the Guthrie parking ramp next door.
-Jeff
TCTHH Twin Cities Business Spotlight | Ergotron, Inc.
In continuation of the TCTHH Twin Cities Business Spotlight, a blog series dedicated to getting to know other companies in Minneapolis/St. Paul and the people that help make them go, I had the opportunity to interview Heather Rouillard, Global eMarketing Manager for St. Paul based Ergotron, Inc. Heather gave me great perspective on what it’s like to work for a quickly growing global company and some of the challenges she faces as a marketer for a company that deals with customers in over 60 countries.
Tell me how Ergotron got started and how it has grown into a company that is committed to designing affordable ergonomic solutions for computer users?
Ergotron was founded in 1982 by Harry Sweere and the name is derived from the words (ergo)nomics and elec(tron)ics. We are the global manufacturer of digital display mounting and mobility products and are committed to dominating the global markets we serve: Healthcare, Education, Corporate Office, Digital Signage. With the introduction of patented CF lift-and-pivot motion technology, Ergotron’s products require less user effort to achieve more motion. Not many people are lucky enough to work for a company that helps make ergonomics affordable for computer users everywhere, helping to make lives healthier and more productive. We have been on an award winning growth pace for the past five years, and we expect this growth to continue. It’s easy to wake up and come here every morning!
I understand that one of the main goals of Ergotron is to promote wellness for people that are spending a lot of time behind a computer monitor on a daily basis. How has Ergotron incorporated wellness/health benefits into your marketing and sales message?
Ergotron incorporates wellness and health benefits into every product that we sell. In fact, our tagline reads: Wellness. Productivity. Balance. Feel the difference. We have created sites to help educate people about healthier computing. 
For instance, comfycomputing.com, or the causal campaign we launched earlier this year, called The Uprising: Just Stand (www.juststand.org), that informs the world about the dangers of sitting disease, and how you can combat the effects of a sedentary work style. We give tips on how to change your daily routine, share all the recent articles, and inform the public that there are options to stand more. Research suggests that “sitting disease” is a serious problem among people who are chained to their desks most than 6.5 hours per day, actually shortening the lives of people who sit more than six hours a day, even when they exercise regularly. Standing is the antidote to sitting disease, and we’re here to help people understand that.
Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours | December Newsletter 2010
In an effort to share what’s happening with TCTHH members, I have decided to put together a quick monthly newsletter to share some news, jobs, events and other information that members have asked me to pass along. If you have anything you would like to share with the group next month, please let me know.
- Reminder: This Thursday is the December TCTHH event at the ICON Lobby Lounge (Showplace Theaters, West End) 200 people have registered!
(http://tcthhdec2010.eventbrite.com)
- Second Harvest sent me thank you letter for all of contributions that were made to the organization at the November TCTHH event. I wanted to share the letter with you as well. We collected 229 lbs of food and $132, which will provide 667 meals in our community. Thank you to all who helped out! (http://tcthursdayhappyhours.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/secondharvestthankyou.pdf)
- There are many MIMA members that are part of the TCTHH group and MIMA is having its Holiday Party this Wednesday at Five Event Center.
(http://www.mima.org/mimaevts/index.asp?eventID=239)
- Dustin Peltier, one of the owners of Team Liquor (and TCTHH member) is offering a discount at Team Liquor for all TCTHH members. If you mention TCTHH when ordering you can get 10% off on beer, 15% off on liquor and 20% off on wine. Team Liquor also offers FREE delivery in Minneapolis, which is great for any companies that are having a holiday party.
(http://www.goteamliquor.com/)
- Jeff Sauer, Principal at Three Deep Marketing wanted to share job opportunities that are available at Three Deep. They are currently hiring for 6 new positions!
(http://www.threedeepmarketing.com/twin-cities-jobs/)
- Tyler Brewton recently launched a new company in the Twin Cities called MyBackSpin.com, featuring a daily golf deal similar to how Groupon works, great for golfers in MSP.
(http://www.mybackspin.com/)
- Ad Fed MN – Ad2 Happy Hour at FAME on January 13.
(http://adfed.org/events/details.aspx?EventID=123)
Do you have news, jobs, events or information you would like to share with the group, or ideas for future TCTHH networking events?
If I don’t see you on Thursday, have a safe and happy holiday season!
-Jeff
December TCTHH Event | LoBBy LOUNGE at ShowPlace ICON Theater – West End St. Louis Park
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is on Thursday, December 16th at the LoBBY LOUNGE in the ShowPlace ICON Theater at the new West End area in St. Louis Park. The event will start at 5:30 and go as late as people want to stay.
If you want to get to know other Twin Cities professionals, make valuable connections and celebrate the holidays with some new people, join us on the 16th for this event.
Created by famed restaurant designer Jerry Kleiner — the mind behind 33 Club, Opera and Carnivale –the LoBBY LOUNGE is truly a stylish experience offered to all of their guests. The upstairs Lobby Lounge offers cocktails and delectable bites for all of its guests.
They will be offering us a great happy hour and will be providing some of their signature bacon popcorn snack in addition to the specials:
- $2 domestic beers
- 1/2 price house pour drinks
- 1/2 price pizzas
- $5 red and white wine featured glass
ICON LoBBY LOUNGE will also be raffling off a coupon that includes two regular admission adult movie tickets, two entrees and a bottle of select wine OR two cocktails/beverages to one winner.
You are encouraged to bring a colleague, friend or business partner that might be interested in attending. Please RSVP by registering for the event, as we have a limited amount of space and need to let our hosts know how many to expect.
There is plenty of free parking in the underground parking ramp at the West End shops.
I look forward to seeing you all there, it will be a fun event! If you have any questions, please let me know.
-Jeff
