SHOP LOCAL RALEIGH Director Scheduled to Speak at RMA Annual Meeting

Lynchburg, VA, - Jennifer B. Martin, the Executive Director of Shop Local Raleigh and The Merchants Association of Raleigh, will be the guest speaker at the Lynchburg Retail Merchants Association annual business luncheon for 2014. Ms. Martin will be part of the programs theme “Business Is Good for Everyone When You Buy Local” theme. Lynchburg’s RMA are also the founders of newly formed BUY LOCAL LYNCHBURG, the area’s only official BUY LOCAL educational campaign and efforts. This campaign covers and provides website, materials and educational support for Region 2000 local, independent businesses and supporters.

Registration is now open for the luncheon, which will be hosted at Phase 2 in their VIP banquet area on Tuesday, February 4, 2014. Phase 2 will be providing a lovely buffet lunch at this great venue. This annual event gives the Retails Merchants an opportunity to address the members and community members, providing a review of the previous year and forecast of the up-and-coming year. Awards will be given in a variety of categories.

“We are thrilled to host Jennifer Martin of Shop Local Raleigh, said Debbie Montgomery, Executive Director of Lynchburg RMA. We met Jennifer through our partnership with American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), and they have been kind enough to be mentoring us through this growth process. We, the Retail Merchants Association, are becoming known as the “BUY LOCAL PEOPLE” with our continued efforts over the last 4 years. We hope our commitment to this movement will pay off here just as it did in Raleigh.”

In years prior, attendees have enjoyed events such as Laurie Aldridge from Virginia Retail Merchants Association of Richmond with legislative updates for the election year, Dr. Clifton Potter reviewing life in Lynchburg from 1954 and local Business Owners such as Marc Schewel and Danny Givens.

Awards will be given for several “BUY LOCAL STARS.” These are the individuals or businesses that spend their own money and energies towards educating the community on buying local in 2013.

This year’s event is being sponsored by BUY LOCAL supporter and local business, Wooldridge Heating & Air. Lester Wooldridge, who opened his company in 1975, is a longtime supporter of Lynchburg Business and RMA’s BUY LOCAL educational efforts.

Interested participants can register on the RMA website at LynchburgRMA.com or by calling (434) 528-1732. Registration for the lunch is $16 for members and $22 for non-members. Space is limited and we have maxed out in the past. Deadline to register is Thursday Jan 30th.

To learn more about the Retail Merchants Association and their BUY LOCAL efforts explore our website, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/lynchburgRMA or like our Facebook page(s) at facebook.com/BuyLocalLynchburg; facebook.com/LynchburgRMA