By Brian Trompeter
Vienna residents and business owners soon will have the chance to learn more about the Washington area’s economy, the town’s role in that ecosystem and practical details about Vienna’s recently updated zoning code.
Vienna’s Economic Development Department will hold its inaugural “State of the Economy” event Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. in the auditorium at the Vienna Community Center.
The two-hour-long event will feature a presentation by an economist from the Stephen S. Fuller Institute at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Officials with the Vienna Department of Planning and Zoning then will discuss the newly approved Code Create Vienna zoning rewrite and how it affects and supports the town’s commercial tenants, customers and business operations.
“This is the first year that we will be putting together this program, and we plan to make it an annual event,” said the town’s economic-development direct Natalie Guilmeus (formerly Monkou). “This year, one of our goals as a department is to continue fostering connections with our business community and help them to stay well-informed.”
The event not only will provide information, but will serve as an opportunity to meet and get to know fellow residents, business owners and local leaders, town officials said. Coffee and a breakfast spread also will be provided.
The event is free of charge, but attendees must register in advance by going to www.eventbrite.com and searching for “Vienna State of the Economy.”
The Vienna Economic Development Department also has several other initiatives in the queue this spring, including:
• Another offering from the Ignite Bootcamp Series for Vienna and Fairfax County business owners and entrepreneurs, this one about artificial intelligence (AI) and small business, to be held online Feb. 6 through 8.
Each session will be held from 8 to 9:15 a.m. The Feb. 6 presentation is “AI 101 for Small Business Entrepreneurs”; the one on Feb. 7 is titled “Mastering AI for Digital Marketing”; and the offering on Feb. 8 is “Navigating AI Risks for Small Businesses.” See www.exploreviennava.com/ignite for details.
• Vienna Restaurant Week is scheduled March 3 through 10.
• The department in May will hold an Economic Development Week/Business Appreciation.
Department officials also are working on advancing results of a parking study and its recommendations report, which officials soon will make public, and improving the town’s licensing and permitting processes for businesses.
The town’s economic-development department in the year’s second quarter also aims to announce a culinary-workforce program done in partnership with the city of Fairfax, Guilmeus said.
