Jefferson chamber and Bridge Marina host network event
JEFFERSON – Close to 100 people, attended the 7th Annual Network on Lake Hopatcong event at Bridge Marina, Thursday. The Jefferson Township Chamber of Commerce along with Ray and Becca Fernandez, owners of the marina, hosted the event, where guests enjoyed food (provided by the Market Place of Roxbury) and drinks, along side the lake and boat rides just as the sun was setting.
The goal of the event, which was rained out last year, is to “give multiple chambers of commerce to network with each other and a chance to see the lake,” said Becca Fernandez. “We’re happy to do this
Ray Fernandez, owner of Bridge Marina, at the 7th Annual Network on Lake Hopatcong.
for the different chambers,” she said.
“This is the best lake in the state, with some of the best boating available,” said Ray Fernandez, touting the areas other resources including, “great shopping, hiking and camping.”
Eric Sinoway, entrepreneur and author of the book, “Howard’s Gift: Uncommon Wisdom to Inspire Your Life’s Work,” moderated a discussion about the business of sports with guest speakers Amy Aronoff Blumkin, chief marketing officer for the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and Barry Pincus, former CFO for the NY Yankees and current CFO for IMG Artists. The trio discussed the pressures of dealing with high profile events, challenging work assignments and difficult bosses. Pincus, who worked directly with legendary Yankee owner George Steinbrenner from 1991 through 1997, including the World Series win in 1996, said he also worked for Martha Stewart, another demanding and sometimes difficult boss. Pincus said he believes working in the sports and entertainment industry is like working on the “world’s best reality show.”
Blumkin, whose background is in marketing with an expertise in tourism and hospitality, said she took on the task of marketing the Super Bowl more than two years before the actual event. Blumkin offered three bits of advise for small business owners, like most of the guests present at the network event, including using social media, aligning with the client’s level of technology and nurturing relationships.
For Kenneth Fox, owner of Fox Architectural Design in Ledgewood, attending the Network on Lake Hopatcong is an important part of being a Jefferson chamber member.
“It’s important for me to be associated with the lake—I do a lot of lakefront designing,” said Fox, who estimates he has designed more than a dozen homes around the lake.
“It’s interesting to see how people started, how far they’ve come, how they’ve developed” said Dan Goldfarb, 22, manager at Batten the Hatches in Lake Hopatcong, after listing to the speakers. “It’s nice to see their success.”
The evening concluded with the distribution of door prizes that included tickets to Jefferson Highlights Summer Concerts, cooler bags full of goodies from the Market Place of Roxbury, Devils club tickets, a corporate retreat at Bridge Marina and an overnight stay at the Palace Hotel in NYC.
