Missed this year's Burger & Brew Fest? No worries, here's the highlights:

The 4th Annual Fremont Burger & Brew Fest was held on May 26th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Attendance was the largest the event has ever seen, clocking in at just over 7,500.

The tasting portion of the fest featured 38 craft brews from 18 bay area breweries. And this year, the coveted People's Choice Best Brew Award went to Palmia, Lemon Infused Lager. 

"Palmia is much more than a refreshing, naturally lemon-infused beer. It is our 90 calorie love letter to good taste. Inspired by adventures on the coast of Spain, our dream was to bring a new choice to the light beer market, a lager that has superior flavor & offers a long overdue alternative to all the other watered-down beer brands. Whether you find yourself relaxing at the beach or just spending time with friends after work, Palmia wants your time & your beer to be of the highest quality."

12 food trucks dished up 39 unique burgers in every style of food from Mexican to Indian. And the 2nd Annual Burger Throwdown competition was fierce this year. The Fremont Firefighters returned as defending champions and once again took home the perpetual trophy. 

Plus, ​Burger Throwdown Sponsor, Sysco San Francisco, had a big surprise for all the competitors; they would be donating not just $250 to the winning team's charity, but $250 to ALL the competitors charities. Those charities included the Special Olympics of Northern California, Friends of Children with Special Needs, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and Math Science Nucleus.

​New additions to the Burger & Brew Fest this year included 3 new "hangout" areas; the Arcade (with free pinball and classic arcade games), the Park (picnic tables, pink flamingos, and yard games), and the Living Room (couches!). The Fest also featured artisinal sangria for those non-beer drinkers and a FREE Designated Driver gift bag for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

As usual, the main stage was packed with music from up and coming bay area bands. This year's line up consisted of Trip Wire, The Morning Yells, and Shark Punch.

Several artists were also out selling burger and brew themed crafts along with some delicious snack vendors. Burger & Brew Fest merch was a big hit this year with the addition of our buttons series, each selling for just $1!

Planning for the 2019 fest has already begun. Dates and delicious details will be released soon.

Communication has changed immensely since I began my professional practice back in 1984. At that time, phone messages were written on small pink sheets of paper. Written communications came by U.S. mail or, in cases of extreme urgency, were hand-delivered. For the most part, telephone calls were made or came in between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It was a major innovation when businesses started to have fax machines.

Now, communication is constant and instantaneous. One gets phone calls to confirm that one got the text confirming that an email had been received confirming that a fax had arrived. Emails and texts come in at all hours seven days a week. There is the always present smart phone with (in the case of mine) its dings and blinking blue light.

Maybe I am just old, but I am not at all certain this is a good thing. Instant communication often means less well thought out communication. A text or email comes in that you disagree with or that makes you angry; you immediately fire back. The other party responds. Soon the communication becomes more about who can get to their mobile device more quickly rather than an exchange of information or ideas.

There is then the increased stress level generated by the barrage of communications. A text came in to me; I must respond right away or feel guilty. I am on vacation and receive a telephone call; again instant attention is needed. It gets to the point that one can not relax, read a book, enjoy a park or anything else without constant intrusions. This can not truly be a healthy way to live.

I hear the response now...but this enables people to stay in contact and connected; that's a good thing. I don't disagree, but there is a flip side. What about the situation where you have three or four people sitting in a room together and all of them are looking at their smart phones or iPads or something of that sort rather than communicating with one another. Again, not a healthy situation.

I have a few suggestions as to how to combat these problems. I suggest that we each need to commit to at least a few hours a day or a week when we don't go on social media; we don't answer the cell phone; we don't text. We can spend that time absorbed in the people and things around us or giving thoughtful consideration to how to address whatever issues we may need to handle. Let's spend some time thinking and reflecting before we text, email or call. Let's not feel we must immediately text, email or call simply because we thought of something at 4:00 a.m. and have our electronic device handy. Take the time to think through the idea first. Let's try it; I bet we will find more civilized communication and less stress. Wouldn't that be nice?

Now, I must go...I have texts which need to be sent RIGHT NOW!

There is more to your membership with the Fremont Chamber of Commerce than just paying your membership dues. The Fremont Chamber is a vehicle you need to drive on your road to success.

The Chamber produces over 80 events annually to bring people together and network. And of the 80 events, approximately 80% of them are free to attend. FREE! So what are you waiting for? To keep up with all the Chamber’s events, SIGN UP for the Fremont Business Brief, our weekly e-newsletter.

Here are a few more ways that you can make the most out of your Chamber Membership...
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Market and Promote Your Business:
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1. The Fremont Business Brief: Members may submit press releases, member news articles, and new members’ company profiles are posted all at no cost.
2. Open for Business: Is a section of the Chamber’s website on which members may post coupons, events, special discounts and job postings all at no cost.
3. When members join, members may pick out 3 different categories to list your business at no cost.
4. Seminars: Members may host their own seminars on the first Thursdays each month in the Chamber’s conference room at no cost.
5. Connection Clubs: Members may speak at the Connection Clubs about their expertise at no cost.
6. Ribbon Cuttings and Mixers: Members may attend these events to network and get better connected in the community at no cost.
7. Fremont Street Eats Member Market: Pre-book your 3 dates for a booth space at Fremont Street Eats, a weekly food truck event from May through October. There is no cost to book a booth space.
8. Banner Ads in the Fremont Business Brief: Members may purchase a 4-week banner ad in our weekly e-newsletters for a low cost.
9. Burger & Brew Fest Business Marketplace: Affordable booth space is available at the May 26th event which attracts over 7,500 attendees.
10. Fremont Festival of the Arts Business Marketplace: Affordable booth space is available to members at the largest free street festival west of the Mississippi. This year's event will take place on August 4th and 5th.

Get Involved and Join One of the Chamber’s Committees/Clubs:

1. Join the Membership Committee to develop new services for members.
2. Join the Government Affairs Committee to weigh in on legislative issues that may affect your business community.
3. Join the Marketing Committee to ensure all Chamber events and services are well communicated to members and the public.
   
4. Join the Fremont Festival of the Arts Committee to keep this long tradition alive and vibrant.
5. Join the Board of Directors to keep the health and welfare of the Chamber going strong.
6. Join a Connection Club, the Chamber’s networking groups that meet on a regular basis.
7. Join the Ambassador Club, who are the Chamber’s right-hand men and women and facilitate all mixers and ribbon cuttings.

Joining a Chamber is not a silver bullet for greatness, but it is a vehicle to achieve it. You need to be involved and use your benefits to affect change in your business success. So, I'll ask again... what are you waiting for?