Elettra’s Leanne Kedrosky wrote the following post on why switching to a standing desk was right for her.

A month ago I switched to a standing desk for two reasons. One is that I have scoliosis, which is a back condition that makes it difficult to sit all day without pain. Second, sitting for a long period of time makes me feel lethargic and I wanted to evaluate if standing more would boost my energy. After purchasing the Oristand, a cardboard standing desk creating by Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes, here is what I found:

1.    I really do have more energy! The 3 o’clock slump doesn’t crush my productivity like it used to. Instead, I can crush my work without feeling the need or a midday coffee and at the end of the day I feel ready to head to the gym or tackle the evening’s activities.  

2.    I feel better physically. I’ll admit, it takes some effort to keep good posture when standing all day, but it has made a big difference for my back. The soreness that used to show up in my back daily has pretty much disappeared.

After having such a positive experience to switching to a standing desk, I decided to do a little research to back up my claims. As it turns out, it has been argued on the TED stage that sitting is considered the new smoking because it can be so bad for your body in the long term. I’m extremely happy with the results from my little energy experiment this month and will continue to stand up for standing desks moving forward.

Vancouver film buffs will have the opportunity to catch a number of critically acclaimed international films over the next fortnight at the 34th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), which kicks off on Thursday.

As a former film journalist and self-confessed film fanatic, I am really excited about this year’s selection of films. It is chock-full of features and documentaries I have been looking forward to seeing.

I’m also excited to be volunteering in the VIFF media office where I get to combine my passion for communications and my love of cinema!

One of the perks of volunteering is that I get a pass granting me access into most screenings so have eagerly scoured the VIFF schedule and selected the movies I most want to watch.

Here are the top five movies I intend to check out:

Room

Lenny Abrahamson’s adaptation of Emma Donaghue’s powerful bestseller is at the very top of my list.

While the subject matter may not be for everyone (it’s inspired by the horrendous Josef Fritzel case) the film generated rave reviews at Telluride and Toronto – even winning the People’s Choice Award at the latter.

Brand: A Second Coming

Documentarian Ondi Timoner’s film about British comedian and activist Russell Brand is screening in the documentary section of the festival.

This promises to be a revealing and intimate portrait of Brand’s life over the last few years and his struggle with addiction. 

Beeba Boys

I’m a sucker for a gangster film so when I saw the trailer for Beeba Boys, a film about a ruthless mobster loosely based on “Bindy” Johal, I was very intrigued.   A gangster film set in Vancouver and directed by a woman no less!

I love seeing this city on the big screen and it’s especially nice to enjoy it for itself and not as a stand-in for a US location.

London Road

Received enthusiastically at TIFF, this unorthodox musical recounts the chaos that followed the murders of five prostitutes in Ipswich, England in 2006.

Evolving from the stage musical of the same name it is based on actual taped interviews conducted with inhabitants of London Road, the quiet residential street from where the victims were picked up.

45 Years

This drama generated glowing reviews from critics and earned Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay best actor awards at the Berlin Film festival earlier this year.

It tells the story of an older couple whose lives are rocked when the husband receives a letter revealing that his past love’s frozen body has been recovered from the Alps five decades after she fell to her death.

By Lorna Allen

One of the exciting parts of starting Elettra seven years ago (yes, seven years already!) was naming it. Many people ask us where the name came from.

We had two criteria that guided our naming process: we wanted a name that had a story and that was tied to communications history.

Elettra was the name of the steam yacht that housed inventor Guglielmo Marconi’s private floating laboratory.  Marconi, the Italian inventor known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission, did much of his research from the Elettra. It played an important part in the evolution of his work, especially in short wave wireless communication

In fact, the vessel had such a profound impact on his life that Marconi eventually named his daughter Elettra as well.

Well, when you find a good name it’s hard not to put it to good use.

From office to jobsite, the Elettra team is always ready for action. One of the best parts of working in PR is the wide variety of projects that we get to work on. One day we are pitching a fashion story and the next we are pulling on steel toed boots to scour a jobsite in preparation for an event. Every day is different and brings a new set of thrills and challenges. One thing is for certain, Elettra’s ready to tackle any project – regardless of the footwear required!

Next time someone asks Elettra's Lorna Allen what a typical day in the life of a PR person is like, we think she should just show them this picture.

In the pic, Lorna is high atop Vancouver's TD Tower working with photographer Rob Kryut to get some spectacular snaps.

What of?

....All shall be revealed soon.

Elettra Communications attended a special Gala event at the weekend at The Kettle Society’s new supported-housing building located at 1134 Burrard Street.

The Kettle Making a Difference – An Evening with Olympian Clara Hughes and Friends, was a special fundraising event to raise funds for The Kettle Society’s community mental health programs and celebrate Clara’s inspiring 12,000km bike ride across Canada to build awareness and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.  The Kettle had been chosen as Vancouver’s “community champion” for the ride.

Kari Adams from CTV emceed the event and CTV broadcast live weather forecasts and interviews from the VIP reception.

Speakers included: Deputy Mayor Adriane Carr; Debra McPherson, President of the BC Nurses Union; Daniel Boffo from Boffo Properties; Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk; Brenda Lea Brown, Chair of the Kettle board; and Kettle member Denis Piper.

Six-time Olympian Clara Hughes took time out of her grueling and physically challenging schedule to address guests and VIPs and deliver an emotional and inspiring keynote speech which touched on her own experiences with mental illness.

PR, Vancouver, Pacific Northwest, public relations, agency, firm, media, magazines, design, decor, Burritt Bros., Zoe Pawlak

If there's one thing that makes coming home from a beautiful, sunny vacation a little easier, it's finding something awesome like this on your desk when you get back in the office... Gray magazine's February issue has a beautiful cover feature on the Burritt Bros. / Zoe Pawlak Over Oceans Rug Collection. The piece highlights the inspired collaboration between artist and retailer, and describes the process of transforming a painting into a series of five hand-knotted Nepalese rugs.

Congrats to Zoe and our friends at Burritt Bros. This is been a fantastic project to work with you all on!

Gray's February issue is on newsstands now. A couple more pics after the jump....

File this one under: Really Great Gift Idea for the foodie / spirit connoisseur on your Christmas List. Vancouver's first micro-distillery, Long Table, has launched Peppermint Mist just in time for Christmas. Made with local, organic peppermint, this little tipple has Christmas in every drop. Imagine Peppermint Mist in hot chocolate, drizzled over vanilla ice cream, or served chilled as an accompaniment to a chocolatey Christmas dessert.

I, for one, can't wait to take this beauty along on my next wintery hiking trip. It will be heartily enjoyed along with some hot coffee on top of a snowy North Shore Mountain.

And in other news, Charles & Rita Tremewen, owners/distillers of Long Table, have just told us that next week they are launching Vancouver's first Aquavit. Aquavit is a traditional Scandinavian spirit made with herbs and spices. It's traditionally served around Christmastime, so it makes another great gift choice for a spirit-lover on your list.

- Simone

Zoe Pawlak is featured in Elle Canada's Five Minutes With profile. She talks rugs, colours, and fashion collaborations. Read it here.

Elettra Communications moved house a few weeks ago, and we're getting quite comfortable in our new surroundings. We've relocated just one block west and one block north to the Standard Building at 510 West Hastings. If you've ever looked for an office space in downtown Vancouver, you'll know how challenging it can be to find a spot with character. For Elettra, having an inspiring place to come to every morning and lovely surroundings to welcome our clients to is an important part of doing business.

We really lucked out with our new home in the beautiful Standard Building, which dates back to 1916 (photo of the lobby at right). Changing Vancouver has a great post on the history of our building and our corner at Hastings & Richards.

Though we do a lot of thinking about the future, Elettra Communications has always had a connection with the past. Our name, Elettra, comes directly from communications history.  The pioneer of the radio, Guglielmo Marconi, had a floating laboratory, a ship he called The Elettra. From The Elettra, Marconi conducted the experiments that would forever change how the world communicates.

From the window of our new office we look out at the Dominion Building, Sun Tower, and the Woodwards buildings - all of which are architectural icons that represent Vancouver's past and present.  We feel really lucky to be here - connected to the past and working on the future.

We're looking forward to welcoming our clients, suppliers, and friends to our new office. Do drop by for a visit!

Suite 520 - 510 West Hastings, Vancouver BC, V6B 1L8

We just got our certificate of diversion from Urban Impact Recycling. This document outlines how much waste we diverted from the landfill by implementing our in-office recycling program. Since we moved to our new office last summer, we helped save:

• 3,010 L of water
• 7 trees
• 1,763 kw of electricity

Here's to continued waste reduction in 2011!