Online connections have become a growing part of most professionals networking efforts, but even those companies that provide online networking opportunities still see the value of in-person meet ups.
That’s why Maria Wirth, who operates the local Business Owners Trade Alliance, has been working with the website, Alignable, to bring together people who have met through technology, to events around the Greater Lehigh Valley, Poconos and Berks County.
Wirth is the leader of Alignable Alliance of Lehigh Valley/Poconos/Berks, a local networking group, and started organizing events for fellow Alignable users.
While her work with Alignable is volunteer, as the founding partner of a business bartering facilitation firm, she understands the benefit of networking for her business and others like her.
“What I do is basically connect businesses to trade opportunities with each other. I work with startups, small, medium and even larger businesses that may have extra inventory or capacity and they’re looking to leverage that,” she said. “You have to think of my business as building a village.”
Her Alignable group represents businesses of all types and sizes throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania from startups to one of the largest roofing companies in the area.
Alignable began promoting in-person events about two and a half years ago, according to Chuck Canto, Alignable’s head of communication and content marketing.
Wirth soon got involved, organizing meet ups in Allentown and then expanding into the Poconos and Berks County regions
“Maria is the queen of our in-person events,” said Canto. “She takes these to a whole new level.”
Wirth called it a passion project. Not only does it help her business, by helping her connect with people who could use her services, she enjoys watching local small business owners support each other.
“It’s just always a really heartwarming experience,” she said.
Canto agreed that that is part of the appeal for him and the others at Alignable.
“We are small business owner lovers,” he said. “Many of us used to be small business owners ourselves.”
One of the highlights of the events she organizes is the awards Alignable hands out to members.
The small business owners vote for each other based on the contribution they make to help other businesses in the region, so Wirth explained that the more a person does for others, the more votes they are going to get.
She recently hosted an event at the Delta Hotel in Breinigsville to honor local honorees, that more than 100 people attended.
She was an award recipient herself, Canto said with all of the effort Wirth puts into bringing businesses together she was a shoe in for Local Business Person of the Year. She was also Top 50 winner throughout Alignable’s North American footprint.
“The theme of it is that the people who win are the biggest supporters of other small businesses. You have to give of yourself,” she said.
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