Businesses Gather at Penfield for Beach Bash

A sold-out "Beach Bash" at in Fairfield on Thursday was a scene of convivial networking sponsored by area chambers of commerce.

It was the third annual such event convened by the and chambers and for the first time they were joined by the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, parent of the Bridgeport, Stratford and .

The crowd of 125 lawyers, accountants, bankers, holistic healers, magazine publishers, money managers and graphic artists dined on London broil and blackened Cajun salmon catered by Lasse's restaurant as the wine and beer flowed freely.

"It's great to meet people from the surrounding communities - we don't often get to do that," said Ed Kuryluk, who's with Right Mind Marketing in Fairfield. His company provides "micro-marketing" for small businesses.

David Boczar, a senior managing partner with Emerald Wealth Advisors in Westport, was chatting with Cian Stein, vice president for sale for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Stein was saying the Tigers provided 15 players to the National Hockey League last season and he was grateful for Boczar's corporate sponsorship of the farm team.

"We probably met at one of these events," Boczar said. "It's a terrific networking event that everyone looks forward to."

Tim Kwait, a graphic designer with Night & Day Media in Fairfield, agreed.

"The majority of my business comes from Chamber events," he said, noting that halfway through the evening - a 6 to 9 p.m. event - he had made numerous new contacts and become re-acquainted with others.

"Building a successful business is all about building relationships," said Fred Petrossi, branch manager of the . "People getting out from behind their desks, going face-to-face is the best way to build those relationships."

Geoffrey Morris, editor-in-chief of Fairfield, Ridgefield and Bedford magazines, called it a great event.

"Like Fairfield Magazine, all the chambers connect people and businesses and have fun doing it," he commented.

The Moffly Media Group, publishers of Westport, Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan-Darien and At Home magazines, was also busy networking.

Jonathan Moffly cheerily used the occasion to announce the November launch of a new magazine, Fairfield Living.

"It'll be a big, thick, beautiful glossy!" he said as a full moon was appearing over the water.

Speaking of water, Jean Walker, owner of Crystal Restoration in Norwalk, and Mary-Elizabeth Anderson, her marketing representative, were remarking how they were still getting calls to do flood damage repair from ice dams that piled on rooftops last winter.

But the only water on most partygoers' minds was the picturesque Penfield Beachscape on a perfect July eve.