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Hackberry Creek Young Executives and Irving Chamber Young Professionals gathered Friday, October 15th for the 2nd Annual YEX/Young Professionals Golf Tournament at Hackberry Creek Country Club. The 9 hole scramble consisted of 52 players.

Nearly 70 young professionals enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and entertainment at the awards reception following the tournament. Prizes were awarded to the top 3 teams, along with longest drive, closest to the pin, door prize and putting contest winners.

Here are some pictures from the event:

The Chamber's ypILC Committee (Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas) recently hosted a wine tasting at Lincoln-Las Colinas inside their beautiful lobby space. A great turnout enjoyed tours, wines provided by Reserve Wines and food from Humperdinks, Corner Bakery and Via Real. It was a great time! Look for an announcement on another event this Fall coming soon! To learn more about this exciting group sponsored by the wonderful folks at TXU Energy, contact Vanessa Segovia at vsegovia@irvingchamber.com.  

ypILC (Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas) hosts a special Cinco de Mayo mixer at La Joya Fine Mexican Dining. The ypILC organization is designed to engage 25-40 year olds from the Irving-Las Colinas area in philanthropic and social events. With the help of presenting sponsor, TXU Energy, they have created a place for young professionals to do more than exchange business cards. This latest mixer is yet another fantastic opportunity to create meaningful relationships, to share ideas and leadership tips.

Register to attend the ypILC mixer today! And, for more Cinco de Mayo-related activities two days later on May 7, the Chamber along with partners, the U.S. / Mexico Chamber and the Irving Hispanic Chamber, are hosting a great celebration as well. RSVP to that event by calling 469-893-1796.

Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas (ypILC) hosted a successful networking golf scramble with the help of TXU Energy and Hackberry Creek Country Club. The event was extremely well attended by the Chamber's Young Professionals and by Hackberry Creek's young professionals organization. In total nearly 60 attended the reception with 40 hitting the golf course.

While the most talented golfers may have been the "pros" from Dallas Baptist University's golf squad, some Chamber members showed real talent! J. Wilms of the Grand Prairie AirHogs won closest to the pin, even though his team which included fellow Chamber member, Rakesh Patel, finished last. Golf may or may not be their sport, but at least they received complimentary tennis lessons for their last place finish!

Check out the photos below and be sure to sign up for the next ypILC event (and join the organization if you haven't already!):  ypILC welcomes Monty Farrar to Hackberry Country Club to discuss the top 10 leadership mistakes to avoid.

The Chamber and presenting sponsor TXU Energy launched Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas (ypILC) with a successful mixer last Thursday. ,The group is geared for those 23-40 interested in growing their social and professional networks and in giving back to the community.

More exciting, already planned events include a Golf Tournament March 19 and a leadership seminar from Jack Smalley, SPHR on April 13. Both of these will be held at Hackberry Country Club. Register today!  

Photos from the launch mixer below:

Some of those in attendance listen to a presentation about ypILC membership benefits of which there are many!

 Jon Bennett, Director of Community Relations at TXU Energy works the room.

Networking ypILC style!   

While the weather kept us from our launch this month, the Chamber has rescheduled the first Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas (ypILC) mixer for Thursday, March 4 at 5:30 at the Las Colinas Country Club. We invite you to find out what this new program sponsored by TXU Energy is all about! More than an exchange of business cards, expect relationship building, leadership development and quarterly social events -- all especially geared for young professionals.

Full details are on facebook and on the Chamber's Web site.  RSVP to Vanessa Segovia vsegovia@irvingchamber.com with your name, company and title! 

UPDATE: Due to the inclement weather, our Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas Mixer will be postponed to a later date. Please check the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber website for details. We will be updating you regarding the date change in the near future. Stay safe in today's weather and we look forward to seeing you at the Kick-Off for ypILC.

The Chamber and presenting sponsor TXU Energy are pleased to launch Young Professionals Irving-Las Colinas (ypILC), a group for those 23-40 who are interested in growing their social and professional networks and in giving back to the community. More information on the benefits of membership and the group itself will be presented at the first mixer, February 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Las Colinas Country Club. Other exciting, already planned events include a Golf Tournament March 19 and a leadership seminar from Jack Smalley, SPHR on April 13. Both of these will be held at Hackberry Country Club.  

With lots of RSVPs already, including many on our facebook page, we're expecting a great crowd on Thursday for our first mixer and we hope to see you there!  

More than just great networking and events, the group will provide a valuable resource. One of the things that will be provided in this space -- specifically for the Chamber's young professionals -- will be success stories and tips for professional development. The first article (below) comes from UK-based communications consultant, Barbara Gibson, whose power networking tips we included in an edition of the Business Focus several months back. Future articles will contain advice from Irving business leaders who have found success.

Power Networking Tips
By Barbara Gibson, ABC

The Golden Rule Work for your network. Don't look at networking with the idea of "what

can it do for me?" See yourself as a resource for every one of your contacts. Be a matchmaker.Send business leads and job leads to your contacts. Like most things in life, what you get out of your network depends on what you put into it first. The most powerful network is the one that is made up of people who owe you favors.

1. Remember that everyone else in the room has sweaty palms, too. Concentrate on making other people feel at ease not on your own insecurities.

2. Wear your nametag on your right side, as close to your face as possible, with your first name printed as large as possible. Always include your last name and company. Tip for job seekers: in the space where other people write their company name, write in "(looking for a job)." It's a great icebreaker.

3. Never get caught without a business card. Carry a stack to every event. Tuck extras in your wallet, computer bag, glove compartment, etc.

4. At networking events, keep your own cards in your left-hand pocket; place other people's in your right-hand pocket. Perfect a quick-draw technique.

5. Learn to "work the room." Don't gravitate toward people you already know well. Don't sit with people you work with. Make it your goal to meet at least 10 new people at every event.

6. Develop and rehearse a 30-second "elevator speech"--two or three sentences that describe who you are, what you do and the kind of contacts you hope to make. For example, "Hi, I'm Barbara Gibson. I've recently launched a new business doing media spokesperson assessment and development--a whole new category of business. I generally work through the PR professionals that support spokespeople, either the in-house PR people in large companies or PR agencies, and I work with clients all over the world."

7. Try giving and asking for two business cards - one to keep and one to pass along. Be a networking matchmaker.

8. As soon as possible after meeting a new contact, jot down notes on the back of the person's business card. Your notes (for your eyes only) should include memory joggers (mustache, red hair), reminders of where you met, what you discussed, things you have in common.

9. Follow up! Send a short note or e-mail to strengthen the initial contact. This is where your notes from #8 come in handy. For example, "I enjoyed meeting you at last week's IABC meeting. It's good to know I'm not the only cricket fan in the group. I'll keep my eyes open for a photographer for that project you mentioned. Hope to see you again soon." Always enclose your business card or contact details again.

10. Maintain contact. Develop a tickler system to remind you to touch base at least every 6-12 months. Clip articles that might interest them, send invitations or comp tickets to company events, e-mail a cartoon, or better yet, send them a business contact that will benefit them.

11. You can do #9 and #10 even if you haven't actually met! For example, you attended a luncheon meeting and the keynote speaker is someone you'd like to get to know, but didn't get the opportunity to meet (or did, but it was scarcely more than a handshake). Try to get a card, or obtain a mailing or e-mail address from the event organizer, and send a short note saying "I heard your presentation at yesterday's IABC meeting, but didn't get the chance to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I hope I get the chance to meet you sometime soon." Again, include your card or contact details, and plan for further follow-up. If you get the opportunity to meet in person, introduce yourself with a reminder of where you saw them before, along with a mention of your note. You'll now have the beginnings of a solid contact.