Wherever you were in 2023, MoCo360 wanted to be there, too. We collaborated to bring people together—whether it was to chat with women who inspire, celebrate writers from the area or connect local residents with the journalists who cover them.
Here are a few highlights of our 2023 gatherings:
More than 170 people networked and attended the inaugural Women Who Inspire Luncheon, held in September at the Marriott Bethesda Downtown, to celebrate Bethesda Magazine’s Women Who Inspire honorees. As executive editor, I moderated a lively, newsy and fun discussion with honorees Anne Khademian, executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove; Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee; and I.M.P. Chief Operating Officer Donna Westmoreland. MoCo360 owners Scott and Jillian Copeland and MoCo360’s own “Ms. MoCo,” Rachel Pomerance Berl, spoke, and several Women Who Inspire honorees from years past were also in attendance.
MoCo360 and Bethesda Urban Partnership feted accomplished adult writers and promising youth in March at the awards ceremony for the annual Essay and Short Story Contest. Family members, judges and community members such as Carol Trawick and I lauded about two dozen writers who shared their personal histories, their thoughts and their imaginations in their winning entries—out of about 350 submissions. The celebration featured stirring readings from some of the adult and youth winners.
The annual Faces of Bethesda Magazine, a presentation of advertiser profiles, was transformed into a standalone publication this year—and landed with a bang last spring at a reception at our North Bethesda headquarters. About 50 attendees included not just advertisers but representatives of the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations.
On a blustery December morning, Senior Editor Amy Orndorff and I met with about a dozen loyal readers at MoCo360’s inaugural Coffee with the Editor at Soulfull Café at Main Street in Rockville. Immediately, we were peppered with questions about education coverage, ideas on development news, suggestions on politics and very strong opinions on a variety of topics. We had energizing discussions—and we’ll be conducting more of them in 2024. Check your email for invitations to future meetups!
Our journalists and other staff members also showed up at key community events throughout the year to support area organizations—averaging at least once a month. Among them were the Bethesda Chamber Golf Outing, the MCAEL Spelling Bee (where MoCo360’s killer team managed a second-place showing), the John Hopkins Women’s Journey at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, NAMIWalks at Rio in Gaithersburg, the second annual Planet Bethesda gathering, a Bethesda Big Train baseball game (I still have my MoCo360 squishy baseball!), Taste of Bethesda, Potomac Day, the Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame and the Central Farmers Market—at Pike & Rose and at downtown Bethesda.
Ashley Fletcher is MoCo360’s industrious director of events and special projects, and when she makes these ambitious plans, we’re often looking to start long-term relationships with readers, via newsletter signups or magazine subscriptions. But these interactions are also meaningful for us—and hopefully for you—right in the moment, when we get to talk together about ideas, experiences, opinions and questions.
Look for us in your neighborhood in 2024. We’ll be presenting more opportunities to bring everyone together.