Archive for September, 2010
Halton-Peel Communications Association Fall Meetings
September 30th 2010This is a guest posting by Mary M Harvey, owner of Buzz4Biz, and a member of Halton-Peel Communications Association.
Learning the skills of improvisation can empower you to respond in the moment — in an inventive way by using heightened listening skills. You can learn to use spontaneity to enhance creativity. Improv exercises provide a structure (although it is likely an unpredictable and unplanned framework) in which to be creative. The restraints are similar to what you find in day-to-day business. Businesses are constrained by budget, time, logistics and personalities. And yes, we have to work with what we have. During improv exercises participants act “in the moment.” You learn to be spontaneous and supportive while always keeping your goal in mind. You learn to listen interactively, and jointly advance the action of a specific task while building on the contributions of all the participants. That’s not really very different from what happens in business. Successful collaboration requires exceptional communication skills and the ability to build on each team member’s contributions.
Taking part in an improv experience can:
1. increase confidence
2. improve public speaking skills
3. enhance acting abilities
4. provide comfort in social settings
5. refine brainstorming abilities
6. improve listening and observation skills
7. enhance creative-thinking abilities
8. improve decision-making skills
9. develop team building skills
Last spring I participated in a 90-minute session with two graduates of the Second City improv program and it was a hoot. It took me beyond my comfort zone, but in a non-threatening venue. It certainly increased my self-knowledge and allowed me to explore some new capabilities. We are thrilled to have Joan Patch and Tracy Bradley return for another hilarious evening of improv.
Encore improv 3
October 12, 2010, 7:15 to 9:00
Open to the public after the annual general meeting for members at 6:30.
Location: e-Spot, 353 Iroquois Shore Road, Suite 200 Oakville, ON L6H 1M3.
Free for members. $20 for non members.
Evolution of Marketing and Publicity in Broadcast Communications
Our guest speaker, Steve Rayment, has anecdotes and stories to share about the foibles of broadcasting and the volatility and instability of this sector. Steve leads marketing and publicity efforts for TVO and is one of the most experienced and successful broadcast marketing/communications executives in Canada. For more than 20 years, he has guided the communications efforts of leading Canadian broadcasters such as TSN, Discovery Channel, History Television, HGTV, Food Network, and many more.
November 10, 2010 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Location: e-Spot, 353 Iroquois Shore Road, Suite 200, Oakville: Visitors welcome
Free for members. $20 for non members.
Guelph’s The Bookshelf Sells Escarpment Views
September 27th 2010We’re pretty happy to share the news that Escarpment Views is now being carried for sale by Guelph’s wonderful bookshop The Bookshelf. Even better, copies are selling! Escarpment Views is being sold there instead of being given away, because it’s outside of our coverage area, which we define as the communities that are closer to the Niagara Escarpment.
Mike approached staff at The Bookshelf to see if they’d be willing to try stocking the magazine and they were, because they like to carry work by local people, and as they said, it’s a good magazine that they’ve enjoyed reading in the past.
We’ve heard from other people that the magazine has a prominent spot in the bookstore and that it’s getting noticed. This is really helpful to us in increasing recognition of the magazine. We greatly appreciate The Bookshelf’s interest and support.
If you can, drop into The Bookshelf and let them know if you like Escarpment Views. If you love reading, I know that you’ll then enjoy spending time browsing among all the wonderful books and other offerings that are available in this very special bookstore.
Which bookstores do you enjoy?
Hamilton/Halton Watershed Funding for Planting
September 20th 2010News from the Hamilton-Halton Watershed Stewardship Program: Are you planning to plant native trees, shrubs or plants this coming spring? You may be eligible to access funding for your planting.
If your project site falls within Hamilton or Halton Conservation Authorities’ watersheds, AND your project site requires a minimum of 50 trees or shrubs or herbaceous plants, you may be eligible to access funding to assist in the cost of trees, and/or planting.
Interested landowners should contact the program as soon as possible because stock orders for this coming spring will be finalized this fall, and stock availability is limited. Landowners should contact Cherish Elwell, Watershed Stewardship Technician, Hamilton-Halton Watershed Stewardship Program, or call 905-525-2181, extension 181.
Crawford Lake Conservation Area’s Indian Summer Festival
September 17th 2010Are you ready for fall? Or, are you still clinging to those warm summer days? Celebrate those last few days of summer at Crawford Lake Conservation Area’s annual Indian Summer Festival. The festival is a celebration of Ontario’s First Nations heritage, and will be held this Sun. Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. This year’s festival will include dancers, guest presenters, children’s activities, vendors and much more.
The Iroquoian village will come alive as the White Pine dancers perform traditional First Nations dances. The interactive performances will be held at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and include music, dancing and First Nations cultural teachings.
Guest presenters Chief Top Leaf and Joe Paquette will encourage visitors to learn more about Iroquoian culture with their special storytelling and teaching sessions. Join Chief Top Leaf in the Iroquoian village and Joe Paquette lakeside from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., for these exciting presentations.
Families with young children will enjoy the discovery hunt with prizes, and free craft making. The reconstructed Iroquoian village will also be open for exploration between 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Visitors can explore the park’s beautiful woodlands and take a peaceful stroll on a boardwalk around the rare, meromictic lake.
Those with a love of shopping can try the special First Nations arts and craft sale or the Crawford Lake giftshop for a great memory of their day. Visitors can also satisfy their hunger with the tasty BBQ or snacks from the giftshop.
Crawford Lake Conservation Area is located on the corner of Steeles Ave. and Guelph Line, 15 km north of the QEW, and 5 km south of the 401. Admission for this special celebration is $7.25 for adults; $6.25 for seniors and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Children ages 4 and under are admitted free! Conservation Halton Annual Passholders only need to show their pass for admission.
For more information, see Conservation Halton, where other events and recreational programs are also listed.
The autumn issue of Escarpment Views contains a photo in “Events Along the Rock,” of National Aboriginal Day festivities that were held at Crawford Lake in summer.
Take a Coffee Break® & Help Fight Alzheimer’s
September 14th 2010Coffee Break® supports programs for half a million Canadians with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.
One in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
Coffee Break® is the Alzheimer Society’s major nationwide annual fundraiser where friends, co-workers and customers gather in communities across Canada to raise funds for local Alzheimer Societies. Foodstuffs in Downtown Georgetown will be hosting a Coffee Break from September 16 to 25. [I think a cafe on Mill St. in Creemore is also participating in this.]
Participants at these events make a donation in exchange for a cup of coffee. The money raised stays in the province or community to help support local programs and services.
Even if you’ve already picked up your “usual” from one of Georgetown’s many great restaurants and coffee shops, you can still support our local Alzheimer Society by stopping in at Foodstuffs to “buy” a coffee cut-out or by visiting the Foodstuffs.ca home page for a link to the on-line Virtual Coffee Break.
The Coffee Break at Foodstuffs will feature local Ultimate Bean coffees brewed fresh for sampling. Every day there will be a draw for fresh-baked treats, coffees and accessories, and all participants will receive a special-edition newsletter filled with recipes, puzzles, coffee lore and nutritional information. Drop by Foodstuffs at 89 Main Street South in Downtown Georgetown any time from September 16 to 25 to join the in-store Coffee Break for our local Alzheimer Society. You’ll be helping someone you know.
For more about the great specialty store Foodstuffs, see this “Worth the Visit.”
Halton-Peel Communications Association Presents Judi Hughes
September 13th 2010Here’s some news about a professional development opportunity for communicators, courtesy of Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA).
GET OFF THE FRAGMENTED FOCUS TREADMILL!
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”
“If you don’t have a plan for yourself, you’ll be part of someone else’s.”
“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”
We’ve heard all those clichés about the importance of planning. But as one management guru has commented, unless you have defined, precise and clearly set goals, you are not going to realize your maximum potential.
The new HPCA year kicks off on Wed. Sept. 15, when Judi Hughes of Your Planning Partners presents “Getting Off the Fragmented Focus Treadmill” for HPCA members and guests. Judi’s interactive presentation, designed for small business owners, will share new tools to help energize businesses and focus on creating plans with achievable goals.
It all takes place at the e-Spot, 353 Iroquois Shore Road, Suite 200 (above Artisano Bakery Café), off Trafalgar Road above the QEW in Oakville. Networking starts at 6 p.m. and the presentation runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free for members, $20 for non-members.
Please register for this not-to-be-missed event by Sept. 14 on the HPCA Events page.
Free copies of the Autumn issue of Escarpment Views will be available at this meeting.
Free Water Festival Family Day at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
September 09th 2010Enjoy a day in celebration of the Niagara Children’s Water Festival. On Sept. 12, visit beautiful Ball’s Falls Conservation Area from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm, rain or shine, to explore some interesting and fun activities related to our precious water resources. Admission is free and complimentary hot dogs and drinks will be available.
Visitors will have an opportunity to meet some special guests including Alex the Owl, the second- largest owl in the world, with a six-foot wingspan and measuring two and a half feet tall. His ‘Falcon’ companion and some ‘sciensational sssnakes’ are sure to delight kids of all ages. Experience interesting hands-on exhibits and Water Discovery Centres presented by many project partners. In addition there will be plenty of fun activities to keep the kids amused including children’s crafts, face painting, balloon twisters to name a few. The Town of Lincoln’s firefighters will let kids experience the latest in firefighting equipment and learn some great fire safety tips. The Region of Niagara, Waste Management will be on hand with a variety of recycling bins available for purchase including blue and grey boxes, kitchen catchers and green organic bins.
Water plays an important role in the quality of life that we enjoy. Grandparents, parents and kids are all welcome to come on Sunday Sept. 12 to enjoy a great outing at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area.
Everything I Know about Marketing I Learned from Google By Aaron Goldman
September 07th 2010
Everything I Know about Marketing I Learned from Google by Aaron Goldman
Considering the dry topic, this is a surprisingly readable account of the company called Google and how its name rose to become a verb in the dictionary. Author Aaron Goldman even uses it in adjective form: “Googley,” a new word to me, as well as the more familiar “Google juice.”
Goldman explains how Google, the most important search engine on the Internet, works, swiftly scanning trillions of pages to find the ones most relevant to a query. Things that Google looks for include the title of a page, copy and images on the page, links pointing to the page, the date the page was created, and how often it’s updated. Goldman recommends that marketers trying to get to the top of Google, should corner the market on their area, by making themselves “the Google of your category.”
The rest of the book, in 21 chapters, goes into great detail about Google’s own rise as well as that of several other companies who use the Internet highly effectively. Lessons shared can apply to small companies as well as the world famous. The chapter “Your Unique Selling Proposition is Critical” is particularly interesting. It covers what attributes make effective slogans, and lists Goldman’s 25 favourite ones, going from “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!” to “Breakfast of champions.” The chapter includes an exercise to discover your unique selling proposition, which can lead to new, highly targetted ways of considering your brand.
This book is most relevant to people using the Internet extensively, but it is accessible enough for almost any marketer to get some benefit out of it. It can be read enjoyably from cover to cover, but Goldman advises in his introduction that each chapter should be read, digested and applied individually.
Research manual or marketing overview, this book explains the Internet as it is now, as well as where it, and our customers, may be going in the future.
McGraw-Hill, 2011, $31.95
Eden Mills Writers’ Festival
September 03rd 2010The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival happens September 17 to 20, with the main event on Sept. 19, bringing some of North America’s best authors to the beautiful riverside village of Eden Mills for stellar readings, music workshops and writing seminars. Giller Prize winner Linden MacIntyre, bestselling novelist Joy Fielding, mystery writer Linwood Barclay, The Wayfinders’ author Wade Davis and YA author Shane Peacock are just a few of the writers who will be part of the 2010 festival. See the website for complete listings.
And look for us on Publishers’ Way under a patio umbrella at the Escarpment Views table! We’ll be displaying some of our beautiful photo centre spreads, giving out free current and back issues, as well as offering our notecards for sale and taking subscriptions. Do come by and say hello.
If the weather is fine, this can be one of the most memorable days of the summer. I’ve had magical times at the festival, which is why I am happy to come back year after year. It’s wonderful to mingle closely with famous faces as well as to meet up with friends I didn’t plan on seeing.
What are your memories of Eden Mills Writers’ Festival?
Hamilton’s “Downtown Localicious Experience”
September 02nd 2010The Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Area presents the 3rd annual “Downtown Localicious Experience” from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3 in conjunction with The Art Gallery of Hamilton 2010 World Film Festival and The James St. North Supercrawl. This 17-day event showcases local chefs creating delectable lunch specials and prix-fixe dinner menu items made with the best of the area’s bountiful harvest. Downtown restaurants called the “Delicious Baker’s Dozen” participating in this year’s Localicious program will include Acclamation, al Centro, Bistro Parisien, Boo’s Bistro, Brownies Downtown, Capri Ristorante, Claudio’s Ristorante, Dalina’s Egyptian & Mediterranean Cuisine, Incognito, La Cantina Ristorante, La Piazza Allegra, London Tap House, and Slainté’s Irish Pub. A special “Night on the Town” prize draw package will be featured in each restaurant and will include two tickets to the Broadway musical “SPAMALOT” at Hamilton Place Oct. 26, compliments of HECFI with overnight accommodation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, dinner for two and limousine service to and from the hotel, provided by Hamilton Limo.
To kick off this year’s event everyone is welcome to attend an exciting Downtown Localicious Launch Party on Sept. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Guests will enjoy local samples from downtown restaurants, winery and brewery, local music and a chance to meet guest local chef Margarita Tsanganitas of Barangas on the Beach who will do a cooking demonstration of some of her favourite local dishes. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available at all participating restaurants and at the BIA office. See more information on this year’s program or call 905 523 1646.
This year the BIA has joined forces with the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) to bring together The Downtown Localicious Experience and the 2010 AGH World Film Festival (WFF), marrying delicious fresh foods with art and entertainment. The festival takes place from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 centered downtown with local viewings of world-class films and other exciting activities. See the list of festival events. The BIA will be hosting “GOREmét Movie Night” on Sept. 25 from 7 to 11 p.m. in the James St. North Supercrawl area as part of WFF. A large screen will display short films, music videos and animation shorts and will feature live streaming of the surrounding events including restaurants, other features of super crawl, music and the art galleries between viewings.
The other partner is the James St. North Supercrawl on Sept. 25 from 1 to 11 p.m. Dozens of galleries and studios launch new exhibitions, musicians perform in the street, local artists display their work and hundreds of people fill the sidewalks as they weave through the event, all for free. There’s more information for this year’s Supercrawl.
Have you attended one of these Hamilton events in the past? Will you be going to any this year?
