Competition

Join the AAF DC Foundation and advertising, marketing, and communications undergraduate college students from across the DMV for CREATE!—a hands-on challenge to sharpen your skills, expand your network, and boost your resume in just one day. **Event Details** **Date:** Saturday, February 21, 2026 **Location:** Yes& — 1700 Diagonal Rd, #731, Alexandria, VA 22314 Nearest metro station is King Street Metro (blue/yellow lines), there are also parking garages nearby and metered street parking. **Time:** 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM **Register for *FREEEE*:** [https://bit.ly/CREATE_2026](https://bit.ly/CREATE_2026) **Why Participate?** **Gain real-world experience:** This isn’t just a classroom exercise; it's a stepping stone to your career. **Learn from industry professionals:** Mentors will be onsite to provide insights and feedback. Win BIG! **All members of the winning team receive:** * A 1-year AAF DC student membership * FREE entry to the AAF DC American Advertising Awards Gala in March 5, 2026 * Access to three AAF DC paid events for one year (excludes ADWKDC Conference) **Boost your resume:** Add a competitive edge to your experience. **Have fun:** Meet like-minded peers, challenge yourself, and enjoy a creative, high-energy experience. It’s 100% free to participate! **What to Expect** **Team Formation:** Students are placed into teams—an awesome chance to meet and collaborate with new people. **The Challenge:** A local nonprofit will brief all participants on a real marketing challenge—it could involve fundraising needs, brand awareness, partner engagement, or more! **The Work:** Teams will brainstorm, strategize, and craft a compelling marketing campaign with guidance from seasoned advertising and marketing mentors. **The Perks:** Breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided throughout the day. Contact: Judy Markoe, AAF DC Foundation Chair – [jmarkoe123@gmail.com](mailto:jmarkoe123@gmail.com) Jodie Spalding, AAF DC Foundation President – [jms23md@gmail.com](mailto:jms23md@gmail.com) Spots are limited—sign up now! Don’t miss this chance to elevate your marketing game and make meaningful connections. We can’t wait to see you at CREATE! 2026!

❄️ **Winter Hours = High Noon 12 pm Start!** Think of it like daylight savings, but with more double-faults. Refugees tennis **now starts at 12:00 pm**, not 9:00 am. Join us for our weekly Herndon Tennis Refugees meetup! We’re a drama-free doubles crew for experienced, competitive players (USTA high 3.0–4.0). Come rally, connect, and have fun. No line-call drama or cutthroat battles. Fair play is the baseline. When the old Meetup vanished like a botched overhead, we were stranded like tennis orphans. So we made something better: scrappier, smarter, and shockingly organized. We turned chaos into kick serves and awkward goodbyes into solid backhands. If you’re returning—welcome home. If you’re new—nice upgrade. **The rundown:** * We start with 2 courts (8 players). * If full, **join the Waitlist**—at 12 RSVPs, we add a 3rd court; at 16, a 4th. * Rotating doubles. Friendly, flexible, and fun. * Events open Sundays at 9am and fill fast. * Frequent late cancellations (within 36 hrs) are discouraged. We may ask you to find a sub or limit your future participation. The old group left us at the baseline. Now? We’re charging the net. 🎾

Join us for an afternoon of chess in a fun and relaxed setting. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome! Club boards are provided. Bring your own clocks or use Chess.com's Chess Clock app. We generally meet in the blue room, which is to your right after entering. If we're not in the blue room we're at the far left near the beer tanks in the back corner.

Top level Backgammon Tournament play. Have fun and improve your game. Free lessons to new and inexperienced players. Club been active over 30 years, posting on Meetup is new.

* Come enjoy a fun & casual game! * Be 15 mins early so that we can pick teams that are balanced for everyone’s enjoyment * Mandatory: Bring BOTH a white shirt and a black shirt * This is RECREATIONAL, fun play & we don't keep score so take it easy :-) * $12 to play. PayPal Karyn or Zelle Zane in advance of the game. * PayPal Link: paypal.me/VRBLSoccer Follow the shirt rules, be considerate, and remember that this is *not* a competitive fast-paced game. Directions: drive by the outdoor fields, and when you reach the South Run Rec Center building, drive behind it, where you will find the indoor field and parking.

Open gaming at Panera! New players welcome. We have many games on hand or you can bring your own. We are happy to teach or learn one of yours.

We’re still working to get more people into these Meetups, but our goal is to give PlayYourCourt members a few social tennis outings each week in addition to your practice sessions and Challenge League matches. These Meetups are co-ed, super laid back, and all skill levels are welcome. Post your skill level and a suggested court in the comments section so we can round up as many players as we can for some tennis fun! Also, if you’re looking to meet new practice partners or play some matches and you aren’t already in the PlayYourCourt Community, you can go here to see what we’re all about and sign up: https://www.playyourcourt.com/tennis-community/arlington-va/meetup/ If you love tennis, we’d love to have you! Be sure and watch the quick video that explains how everything works. Happy hitting! - Scott

Use Promo code WINTERME to receive $5.00 off! Purchase tickets here: [https://www.prosinthecity.com/event/speed-dating-washington-dc-16059](https://www.prosinthecity.com/event/speed-dating-washington-dc-15412) Calling all Millennial singles! Tonight, Professionals in the City is hosting an event for singles in the age range called Millennials. Professionals in the City is bringing intimacy and romance back to the art of speed dating! Although this combination may at first sound improbable, once you get involved, you will understand why this event is so highly anticipated! Our speed dating events are carefully designed to introduce to you as many potential partners as possible. Enjoy the ease of conversation with a new friend of the opposite sex in a seated, relaxed setting. Tonight's Speed Dating Washington DC venue is the perfect backdrop for getting to know other professionals in an atmosphere where you can actually hear yourself and your companion's conversation. During the speed dating portion of the evening, you'll date for approximately one hour, meeting intriguing members of the opposite sex as you spend a few minutes with each new acquaintance. Meet singles at our singles speed dating event and discover whom you click with! After the speed dating, join us at our Speed Dating Washington DC event for a night of socializing and more interactions. There will be a cash bar for this eventful evening, so come and meet other single professionals like yourself and have the time of your life! Then, after the event, use our exclusive online system from home to choose your matches from the people you met at the event. Without having to disclose your email address, you'll be able to send messages privately through our system to anyone who attended the event. Check in is at 7:00 and the dating begins at 7:20. Please check in at 7:00 so you have a chance to mix and mingle before the dating begins. Numbers are limited at this event so sign up soon!

A very Midwest way to spend the night. 🖤 Euchre Night at TownHall Short North brings cards, cocktails, and community together for an easygoing evening of friendly competition. All skill levels welcome—confidence encouraged.

How to be a Better Communicator Communication is everything in life You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message **Chris (the organizer)** with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

Join other experienced and aspiring agile coaches and professionals to: * develop and practice your coaching skills in a peer-to-peer environment * share current successes and challenges in your work environment and get support from each other * learn from each other, build better relationships and experiment with new ideas