Free enterprise is such a wonderful thing! There is nothing quite like watching someone very talented move to the next chapter of their life, when they leave behind the cushy job with the big salary to dive into their own business…doing what they want to do. I had the pleasure of catching up with good friend, Laura Arth on the first day of her new venture, Arth Capital Consulting, where “capital” represents the most valuable asset of business, human capital. This is a highly specialized firm that allows Laura to continue her very close relationship with the meetings and convention business by solving short-to-long-term staffing solutions for organizations and corporations. She offers professional and reliable meeting, convention and event staffing along with a network of top flight service providers that include travel professionals, limo operations, destination services and a myriad of other options. You would not believe the number of times I have heard people bemoan “My meetings manager is out on maternity leave, and we have a major program in LA in 3 weeks!” or “Where do I find 15 people to work registration for my convention in town next week?” It is uncanny that those who have always worked hard and live up to their word seem to have a very extensive list of resources and contacts, and Laura’s is among the best I have ever seen. I guess you could say she has come out of the blocks rather quickly…it was day one…and she already had two long term solutions in place and two new requests, all before lunch!

Laura hails from Lincoln, Nebraska where the strong midwestern work ethic was instilled in her from the start. Instead of ballet classes and piano lessons, she was more prone to be found with football in tow in search of a game of tackle. She attended the University of Nebraska, bleeds Cornhusker red and continues to make a number of football games each year. She was quite somber this past season as the Huskers suffered through a torturous year that sent their coach packing, much to the delight of many fans. Now, she has that bounce of optimism in her step that they will once again be “contenders.” Upon her graduation with a B.S. degree in International Business, Laura accepted a position with Four Seasons Hotels that landed her in their Washington International Sales office where she worked for three years, representing the highly prestigious hotels in their chain. In an effort to more effectively use her international studies, she spent two years working with the Cotton Council International where she handled their programming throughout the world.

I first met Laura some twelve years ago when she joined Associated Luxury Hotels (ALHI), a consortium of luxury four and five star, domestic and international hotels where she was Vice President of Sales and Marketing. She easily impressed me with her great attitude, the ability to actually listen in order to get things correct the first time and how prompt and accurate she always was in providing me the information I needed. In all honesty, Laura made my life quite a bit easier, as I never had to worry that anything would slip through the cracks with her. You know the old adage, when you need something done right…ask the busiest person you know? Last year, I looked like a genius when I asked her to join our Advisory Board of the Hospitality program at James Madison University where we endeavor to produce students of distinction and future leaders of the hospitality industry. Then, thirty seconds later, I asked if she would help run our major fundraiser, Le Gourmet, we were holding a few months later. Needless to say, the very fun event came off spectacularly, without a hitch, and we were able to provide some needed funding to the program and the great kids studying hospitality. Oh yes…she and another great friend and colleague are chairing the event this fall!

As you can imagine, all work and no play does not make well for Laura, and at the end of the day, you may find her toasting another successful (or not) day down at the University Club where she is quite active and a member of the Board of Governors and also the Foundation Board. You may also find her on the racquet ball courts, but I would think a better bet would be in the very nice Spa at the Club. Now that her offices are in Old Town, I am certain she will find a suitable spot or two nearby to hold “meetings” when she is away from the office. Being the friend I am I will try to assist her in this endeavor with my limited knowledge of Old Town. When I asked Laura what her hobbies are, she responded “Bridge, golf, shoes, Nebraska football and Dewar’s…in no particular order!” You gotta’ love it.

If you have need for any of Arth Capital Consulting’s services, I can very highly recommend you give Laura a call. As I mentioned, she made my life much easier, and I am sure she will do the same for you…she is great at making problems go away! You can reach her at 703.548.4999, and when you see her, get her a Dewar’s and welcome her to Old Town.

< Prev		Next >