Advertising Federation Taking Shape in Southwest Virginia

Nov. 21, 2010 - PRLog -- Several professionals in Southwest Virginia are embarking on a journey to form a business league for Advertising professionals in the region. The American Advertising Federation of Southwest Virginia is currently accepting members. The club is set to be chartered into the National Advertising Federation in early 2011.

“This club will be an amazing resource for the advertising, marketing, creative and communication professionals in our region, and will serve to give our many talented professionals a platform to network and showcase their skills” said Elana Blevins Todt, who initiated the group this past August.

The club will also be hosting a charter membership drive event on Dec. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Macado’s in Marion, Virginia. “All members registered by Dec 1 will have exclusive discounts and lifetime perks, as well as an opportunity to network with current members and find out more about the organization,” said Todt.

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 40,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The national chapter of the AAF is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and acts as the "Unifying Voice for Advertising”. The AAF boasts national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country. The AAF also has nearly 100 blue-chip corporate members that are advertisers, agencies and media companies, comprising the nation's leading brands and corporations.

Jeremy Bise of ThoseGeeks, an Abingdon, Virginia based web development Company said, "I'm excited to see Southwest Virginia businesses represented in such a prestigious organization.  The opportunities the American Advertising Federation offers will surely help our business, and others, grow.”  

“The national chapter of the American Advertising Federation and the Northeast Tennessee chapter have both been very supportive in establishing a chapter in Southwest Virginia, roughly the 276 area code region that is not currently served” said Todt
Danielle Goodrich, President of the American Advertising Federation of Northeast Tennessee said “The Advertising Federation is a great resource for individuals and companies. Via our chapter we have placed 5 jobs this year locally and a few regionally.”

One major draw for the organization is the ADDY® Awards, the largest national advertising competition. The awards recognize creative excellence through all forms of advertising. Jeremy Bise added “Not only will this club provide great networking and development opportunities for members, the potential for local, regional, and national recognition for outstanding work will push us to do the best we can do and will put the spotlight on Southwest Virginia businesses."

The mission of the American Advertising Federation is to serve a vital role in education and professional development for its members and the community. Goodrich said “The Northeast Tennessee club has been able to help in educating the advertising and arts community and students in our area through speaker programs. By having out-of-market and in-market experts come and speak monthly on national trends, we have really served as a trend impetus in our region.”

I hope to follow in the footsteps of the Northeast Tennessee chapter to build a network of our local professionals and build awareness for the value of advertising and marketing in the region,” said Todt. “We are better together. The better the advertising professionals of Southwest Virginia are, the better they can support our local businesses, which, in turn,  will be more ready to compete in the global market.”

For more information on the Advertising Federation of Southwest Virginia please visit the website at www.aafswva.com or email info@aafswva.com.

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About American Advertising Federation of Southwest Virginia.

We’re a non-profit professional trade association serving the Southwest Virginia advertising, marketing, public relations and creative community. Members volunteer their time and talents to plan and execute many events throughout the year.