Gettin' Snazzy in Downtown Elgin

As Tom Skilling was all but forbidding people to leave their homes during the ice storm that was really nothing more than some plain old rain last Tuesday night, a crowd of people were enjoying some snazzy, jazzy holiday fun in downtown Elgin’s Martini Room at the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Holiday Soiree (which is pronounced swor-A… it’s just a snazzy name for a party. Feel free to use it for your next gathering. People will think you are ultra cool).

There was a live jazz band, favorite fare from downtown restaurants and, of course, snazzy cocktails that slosh over the rim of their snazzy glasses in transit. Luckily, that was the only sloshing going on. Everyone was very well behaved.

Events like this where neighbors, fellow business owners, city staff and organizations can connect and enjoy their downtown is where the true “power meetings” are happening. Over the next few days I heard some great stories of people making new business contacts, trying out a new restaurant, and changing their perspective on what is and what can be in downtown Elgin.

Martini Room is one of our many best kept secrets down here. We at DNA hope that events like our Holiday Soiree will turn the rumor mill on turbo speed. If you have a good time downtown, tell someone about it. Did you love the music? Tell someone. Did you love the food? Tell someone. Better yet, bring some friends or clients with you to check it out for themselves. And then post your comments on our blog so you can tell the whole wide world about it!

Though we love for people to have a good time, we don’t throw parties (or soirees) just to throw parties. We want our parties, events, workshops and all that we do to have an economic impact on our downtown businesses. We want you to shop, dine, enjoy, live in and love downtown, and we want our businesses to prosper.

With marketing dollars in high demand and attention spans at an all-time low, the personal invitation is still one of the most effective marketing tools out there. Use it. I’ll start… uh-hem… I, Tonya Hudson, am personally inviting you to enjoy your downtown. Make the most of what is here, and believe me when I say, more is sure to come.