Innovative News For September2026

Aug 31

11 min read

Welcome to the Innovation Spot, a flexible coworking solution less than a mile from Downtown Woodstock! This month's newsletter highlights some new members, announcements for upcoming events, updates on exciting happenings this month, and more!

Upcoming Events at The Innovation Spot:

Monday, September 7 - Labor Day. The business office will be CLOSED for Labor Day. As always, members will have full access to their space. Have a great long weekend!

Friday, September 11 - Sure Connexions. Sure Connexions has moved to Fridays! Sure Connexions is an interactive faith-based networking organization that normally meets at The Innovation Spot. However, on this Friday, Sure Connexions is hosting Barry Loudermilk at First Baptist Church of Woodstock.

U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk, by special invitation from Sure Connexions faith-inspired gatherings, will communicate his Career, Family and Faith story.

This time will seek to honor his faithfulness, applaud his diligence, and celebrate the entire Loudermilk family’s heart-felt representation of the people of Georgia, District 12.

We will also recognize and honor other elected officials who register in advance and attend on 9/11.

Friday, September 11 at 11:30 – WAREHOUSE Bldg. at First Baptist Church- 11095 Hwy. 92, Woodstock, GA 30188

Event is free but reserve your spot HERE

Wednesday, September 16 - Member Breakfast. We will be serving breakfast all morning in the Coffee & Tea Bar in the main building. We appreciate our members and want each of you to know it. Please be sure to join us!

Welcome to the Inspiration Blog! We will occassionally have an article on our website that we want to share with you in our newsletter. In this section, you'll find an excerpt of the article along with a link to our website to finish reading it. We hope to provide helpful business practices and ideas, information about coworking and shared spaces, event planning advice, and many other useful topics!

To Sit or To Stand; That Is the Question

Standing desks might seem a bit trendy today, but they actually come from a long history of use. Artists and architects alike are known for their use of easels and drafting tables, both being forms of a standing desk. In fact, even though it doesn’t seem to be recorded in the annals of history anywhere, many still believe that Leonardo Da Vinci...read more here

Member Spotlight: Kellie Martin [Rithum]

If you've ever bought something from a retailer like Home Depot and it wasn't available in the store, chances are that transaction - and everything leading up to it - was powered by Rithum. From the digital marketing ad you searched on Google that pointed you to the Ryobi 40V lawn mower - to the listing details you saw when you clicked through to the Home Depot site, you had confidence the item was available and could be shipped to your address. Once you bought the mower, it showed up as expected. Rithum is not only the plumbing behind all of that, but also the industry expertise that advises and guides both brands and retailers on how to maximize exposure and revenue in online commerce.

Kellie Martin is Vice President, Client Success – Brands at Rithum, which means she leads a global team that works directly with the brands — the Ryobis of the world — selling through those retailers and marketplaces (think Amazon.com). Her job is to make sure those brands actually get results: their products show up in the right places, look right to shoppers, and sell. She and her team act as part coach, part translator, and part advocate, helping brands make sense of a fast-moving online marketplace and bringing what they learn back to Rithum's product and strategy teams. When a customer clicks "buy" and it all just works, that's the outcome Kellie's team is built around.

To contact Kellie Martin

VP, Client Success

kellie.martin@rithum.com // kellie.martin02@gmail.com

Thursdays in September September Brown Bag Concert Series.

Free lunchtime concerts in The Park at City Center from 12 pm to 1 pm. A great Mothers Morning Out activity! So, bring a chair, pack a lunch, or take out lunch from one of our great downtown restaurants and enjoy!

Saturdays April 18-December 19 Farm. Fresh. Market.

Find locally grown produce, jams & jellies, honey, locally raised meats, seafood from the Georgia coast, fresh baked bread and pastries, bath and beauty products, and much more.

Every Saturday 8:30 to noon

at Market Street and Reformation Brewery’s Backyard in Downtown Woodstock

Vendor's List and Vendor Info HERE

Thursday, September 3 Good Morning Cherokee Breakfast

6:30 - 7:30 AM: Registration & Pre-Event Networking

7:00 AM: Ballroom Opens & Buffet Breakfast Available

7:30 AM: Buffet Closes & Program Begins

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM: Post-Event Networking

Location:

Cherokee County Conference Center

1130 Bluffs Pkwy, Canton

Program:

"Do the Real Work for the Good Life"

Speaker:

Dr. Mark Roberts, President

Reinhardt University

Cost:

If you do not have a standing reservation, pricing is as follows:

Chamber Member Advance Registration: $22

Chamber Member Registration: $30

Future Member Registration: $40

If you do not have a GMC standing reservation, you must register by 3 PM on the Tuesday prior to the event to receive a printed name tag and advance pricing. After the 3 PM advance registration deadline, you may register at the price below or pay at the event!

Chamber Member attendees may donate up to two door prizes per company.

Be sure to include your business card on the give away items!

Saturday, September 5 USCS Sprit Car Spectacular Labor Day Celebration.

🏁 Labor Day Weekend Racing Returns to Dixie Speedway for Samaritans Purse- Operation Christmas Child Charity Event! Bring five toys/essential items that will fit in a shoebox and get $5 admission in the grandstand 🏁

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 5 as the USCS Outlaw Sprint Cars thunder into Dixie Speedway for an unforgettable night of high-speed excitement!

Feel the ground shake as the winged sprint cars battle wheel-to-wheel, plus enjoy a full night of stock car racing featuring your favorite local divisions along with the final Demo Derby of the season!

🔥 USCS Outlaw Sprint Cars

🏁 Stock Car Racing

MiniVan DEMO DERBY

📅 Saturday, September 5

📍 Dixie Speedway

🎟 Bring the whole family for an action-packed Labor Day Weekend tradition!

Details HERE

Wednesday, September 9 LunchIN' by INWDSTK.

Lunch Is Served!

Every great brand starts with a great story! Join us at our next LunchIN' as our guest facilitator, Joseph Baum Co-founder of Maniac, explores "The Role of Story in Branding & Marketing". Discover why the strongest brands are build on compelling stories and how that philosophy comes to life through, photography, video, visual identity, websites, and every customer touchpoint.

Whether you're refreshing your brand or building one from the ground up, you'll leave with practical insights on creating authentic connections that make your business memorable. Great branding doesn't just look good, it tells a story worth remembering.

LunchIN' is a quarterly boxed lunch event that includes an interactive learning discussion with a small business subject matter expert on important topics for business leaders.

Networking begins at 11:15am with the program to start at 11:30am.

Location & Time:

1 Innovation Way

Woodstock, Georgia

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Registration for this event is required due to limited seating.

Thursday, September 10 Taste of Woodstock.

Join us for the 15th annual Taste of Woodstock on Thursday, September 10, 2026! The city's best local restaurants will feature their tastiest bites - appetizers, entrees & desserts - in this community-favorite event! Taste. Repeat. Conquer.

Location:

Woodstock Arts Event Green

111 Elm St, Woodstock, GA 30188

4 pm - 8 pm

Tickets and more information HERE!

Friday, September 11 9/11 Day of Rememberance.

7:00 pm at the Park at City Center

Please join us as we remember, on this 24th anniversary, those we have lost, and the service men and women, who continue to fight for our freedom. We honor the men and women wearing the uniform of police, fire, and rescue.

Visit our 9/11 Memorial that features two subway tracks recovered from beneath the crumbles of the World Trade Center. We will also be giving out a limited supply of 9/11 Remembrance lapel pins. Ceremony begins at 7:00 pm in The Park at City Center.

Saturday, September 12 Woodstock Summer Concert Series - Face 2 Face Elton John & Billy Joel Tribute.

For the final show of the season on September 12th, electrifying Elton John and Billy Joel tribute band Face 2 Face will pay homage to the two iconic piano legends.

Time and Location:

7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater

101 Arnold Mill Rd, Woodstock, GA 30188

Click HERE to RSVP and for more details!

Tuesday, September 15 Business After Hours.

Location & Time:

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers

6884 Hickory Flat Highway

Woodstock, GA 30188

4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Cost for 2026 Business After Hours:

If you do not have a standing reservation, pricing is as follows:

Chamber Member Advance Registration: $10

Chamber Member Registration: $15

Future Member Registration: $25

If you do not have a BAH standing reservation, you must register by 3 PM on the Monday prior to the event to receive a printed name tag and advance pricing. After the 3 PM advance registration deadline, you may register at the price in the link below or pay at the event!

Tuesday, September 15 emPOWer by INWDSTK.

Come be emPOWer'd with IN WDSTK @ Edward Jones - Financial Advisor Ivan A Garcia, CFP®

EmPOWer is a Young Professionals IN WDSTK event designed to create relationships,

spark personal development, and have a great time!

What to expect:

5:30-6:00p - Let's network!

6:00-7:00p - Topic Discussion

7:00-7:30p - More networking!

Membership with IN WDSTK isn't required to attend,

but attendees are encouraged to join by clicking here: https://inwdstk.glueup.com/org/inwdstk/memberships/

We invite anyone who would like to connect with the community inside Woodstock.

Bring your friends and come ready for a fun and collaborating event!

Location & Time:

Edward Jones - Financial Advisor Ivan Garcia

8330 Main Street, Building 13, Suite 200

Woodstock, Georgia

Event registration is required to attend.

Thursday, September 17 Cherokee Chamber Power Hour.

Join us for an hour of fast paced networking with fellow business leaders as well as the Chamber Board Chair, Debra Williams, and Chamber President & CEO, Pam Carnes!

Before the hour ends, you will have the opportunity to share about your business or organization for all to hear! You don’t want to miss this event as we are turning up the power on Power Hour with PowerPoints!

Your name will be entered into a drawing for each Power Hour you attend this year.

One lucky winner will be chosen in December who will receive a PowerPass --

free attendance (non-transferable) to every Power Hour in 2027!

Don't forget to bring promotional items from your business for the share table!

Location:

Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce

3605 Marietta Hwy

Canton, GA 30114

10:00 - 11:00 am

Cost: Chamber Member: $5; Future Members: $10

Advance registration by 12 PM on 9/16 is appreciated but not required; onsite registration is available.

Click HERE to register!

Friday, September 18 Morning INfluence by IN WDSTK.

Morning Influence is a networking event which includes breakfast and a brief presentation that focuses on updates given by Greater Woodstock on important issues or services offered that affect the community as a whole.

BRING A GUEST and you will be instantly entered in our raffle to win some great prizes and giveaways!

Event registration is required.

Location:

Chambers at City Center

8534 Main Street

Woodstock, Georgia

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Event registration is required.

Friday and Saturday, September 18-19 32nd Annual Dixie Fall Monster Truck Nationals, Freestyle Motocross, Show n Shine, Waterless Boat Race.

The 32nd Annual Dixie Fall Monster Truck Nationals are BACK!

Get Ready for Two Worlds To Collide…When Carnage on the Ground Meets Extreme Action in the Air at Historic Dixie Speedway at 8:00 pm both nights.

One of the premier motorsports shows in all of Georgia will showcase 6 of the Fastest Monster Trucks in the world! See the Big Air Insanity Freestyle Motocross show along with Tuff Truck Show N Shine - anyone can enter and a Waterless Boat Race on DIRT in a car crushing, axle-snapping, aerial assault show of a lifetime-anyone can enter.

The exciting and crowd drawing action will be taking place at Historic Dixie Speedway so make sure to take advantage of this special event by experiencing the hottest show in town!

This year’s truck line-up will include 6 TRUCKS - World Champion, Jim Kohler, as Avenger, Team Scream, and SO MUCH MORE!

Acclaimed riders will showcase their talents in a perfect blend of athletic ability and extreme stunt performances in the Big Air Insanity Freestyle Motocross show. Each rider will soar over 50 feet in the air, trying to out duel each jumping gaps of 70+ feet, from a mechanical take-off ramp to a mechanical landing ramp, while crafting their own show of daring stunt routines.

Rounding out Friday night's show will be the ever popular TUFF TRUCK Show & Shine Contest - anyone can enter and rounding out Saturday night's show will be some of the hardest hitting, most feared, free-for-all Waterless Boat Race on DIRT.

The Dixie Fall Monster Truck Nationals will take place on Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th at 8 pm. Tickets start at just $10 and are available online or at the box office on the night of the event.

Ticket purchase will include entrance to the MONSTERS Kids Zone Pit Party from 5 to 7pm, where fans can walk the track, take photos, get autographs from the competitors and have an unforgettable experience before the event.

More details HERE!

Thursday, September 24 City of Woodstock Walking Tours: Historic Families of Woodstock.

This new walking tour will explore the history of Woodstock, Georgia, by featuring several historic buildings and houses with close connections to historic families who have played a major role in shaping the city’s story.

Participants will meet at the Woodstock Visitors Center and depart on their walking journey from there; comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Tours begin at 6pm and run every half hour until 7:30pm. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Tickets are $5 each

For tickets click HERE.

Friday, September 25 Sunset Symphony.

Join the City of Woodstock for one of our favorite concerts of the year when the 80-piece Cobb New Horizons Symphonic Band comes to the Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater!

"A Night at the Movies"

Movie music from over the decades!

Bring your picnic basket and enjoy a relaxing evening out on the lawn.

Show starts at 7:30 pm. Admission is free. Visit website for musical program.

Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase.

More information HERE

Welcome to our newest members of the Innovation Spot team!

Daniel Geiman

FirstLight Home Care of Woodstock

Clint Lamorand

CedarStone IT LLC

Jeff Aurigemma

Zane Gray

Jackson Danzey

Maschmeyer Concrete Company

Jalena Green

Protective Opportunities Protecting Ourselves LLC

We L♥VE Reviews!

We appreciate you and your partnership with The Innovation Spot! Leaving positive reviews on Google really helps small businesses more than you know. Every review helps, and we thank you in advance.

Click Here to Leave Us a Review!

💡 Change is always coming. We can help you embrace and adapt.

The Innovation Spot partners with some great local businesses!

See more information below...

It'll Buff Detailing offers a variety of services that will transform your vehicle. They have three fully functioning bays utilized to offer services such as paint correction, ceramic coating, and full vehicle details.

Visit their website by clicking HERE or call 714.714.1325.

You can also visit their new shop location at

195 Stockwood DriveWoodstock, GA 30188

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