Volunteer Opportunity – Event Coordination

Event:         Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards

Date/Time:  Wednesday, April 13 10:30am – 6pm (required)                             

Elettra Communications is looking for student volunteers to assist with Vancouver’s premier restaurant industry event. This opportunity will appeal to students who have an interest in public relations, publishing, marketing, or event management.

Now in its 27th year, the Vancouver magazine’s Restaurant Awards event is the biggest of its kind in North America. Nineteen of the city’s top food critics form the judging panel and vote on the best dining experience in more than 40 categories. The event includes a reception and awards show. The annual extravaganza welcomes more than 900 restaurateurs, chefs, sommeliers, suppliers, and food and wine critics.

Elettra Communications is the producer of Vancouver magazine’s Restaurant Awards. Elettra is a public relations firm that specializes in event management, media relations, and marketing communications. www.elettra.ca

Duties:

Volunteers will assist with a range of activities including:

·       Event set up

·       Guest check-in

·       Awards presenting/backstage coordination

·       Coat check

·       Event wrap-up

Benefit to you:

·       Event coordination experience

·       Exposure to the behind-the-scenes workings of a large event

·       Opportunity to build contacts in the PR, marketing, and publishing industries

·       Lunch will be provided

How to apply:

If you would like to volunteer for this opportunity, please contact leanne@elettra.ca

In your email please provide a brief introduction of yourself, and include a description of your current course of study, why you are interested in this position, and your contact information.

Carter Hales Design Lab has joined forces with Hong Kong-based Distinguished Den Distribution Ltd. to create the identity and packaging for Four Fox Saké, a new entry into the saké market.  The premium beverage is poised to transform the perception of the traditional Japanese rice wine from staid to upscale and hip.

Distinguished Den tasked Vancouver-based Carter Hales with delivering a brand that honours Japanese saké tradition, but appeals to trendsetting, upwardly mobile consumers with a penchant for premium products and high-end nightlife experiences. The brand was recently unveiled in Hong Kong and can now be found in some of the city’s most fashionable clubs, bars, and restaurants. 

Carter Hales handled all the branding aspects including the visual identity (logo and associated elements), website (fourfoxsake.com), print and digital collateral, and custom bottle design. 

“Our task was to bring saké into the 21st century to a high-end clientele. The packaging needed to honour the ancient traditions, but turn heads in a nightclub setting,” says Sean Carter, Director of Design at Carter Hales Design Lab.  “Another challenge is that saké only has a one-year shelf life, which is exacerbated by ultraviolet light, so it is important that the design protect the saké. The result is a bottle which gives a nod to tradition, but exudes modern cool: a two-piece construction, with an LED light that illuminates the bottle in the darkness of a nightclub.”

For inspiration, Carter Hales looked to Japanese mythology and the figure of Inari Okami, the ancient God of rice, saké, swordsmiths, and foxes. Legend has it the fox spirits of Inari were entrusted to guard the Torii gates, only allowing the purest of spirits to pass. Four Fox Saké represents this purity and perfection. The crest on the bottle features four foxes guarding the Torii gate with snowfall overhead and rice fields at their feet. The Samurai swords, elegantly embossed in the profile of the bottle, pay homage to the ancient swordsmiths to whom Inari was god. The chrome finish, combined with the wooden cap, produces a modern take on an ancient classic.

“We gave Carter Hales a difficult assignment – creating an aspirational brand within a category in need of revival,” says Neil Hosie, Co-Founder, Distinguished Den Distribution Ltd.  “To say that Carter Hales crushed this project would be something of an understatement. They listened intently to what we wanted to achieve and delivered us something so unique and beautiful that it was beyond our wildest expectations.”

Made in Niigata, Four Fox Saké is brewed according to centuries-old methods. Using Niigata’s pure, melted snow and highly-milled Gohyakumangoku rice, it is classified as Junmai Daiginjo – the highest grade of saké available.

Recent years have seen increased international interest in saké amongst discerning consumers seeking a sophisticated alternative to champagne, vodka and scotch. Exports of saké from Japan have more than doubled since 2001[1] with worldwide exports reaching record-breaking levels in 2014[2].

Four Fox Saké is currently available in select Hong Kong nightclubs, restaurants and specialty liquor retailers.  It will be launched in nightclubs in London and New York later this year.

About Carter Hales Design Lab

Carter Hales Design Lab is a multi award-winning branding, graphic design, and digital firm. Based in Vancouver, Canada, the studio is headed by noted Vancouver designer Sean Carter and agency account veteran Ross Hales. Carter Hales helps businesses and organizations thrive through inspired design. Clients include YVR, TransLink, The City of Vancouver, The Wickaninnish Inn, BC Place, Vancouver Convention Centre and ScotiaMcLeod.

Website: http://carterhales.com

Twitter: @CarterHalesLab

Facebook: Carter Hales Design Lab Inc

Instagram: carterhalesdesign

###

For media inquiries, please contact:

Lorna Allen - Elettra Communications                                   

O: 604.738.3870 

C: 778.858.8805                                      

lorna@elettra.ca                                               

[1] http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/rice-wine-makers-hope-to-promote-sake-overseas

[2] http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Japanese-sake-exports-reach-new-record-high

Next up in our book club is Steven Fink’s Crisis Communications: The Definitive Guide to Managing The Message - a follow up to Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable. 

Fink is well positioned to be an authority on the subject of crisis management and crisis communications having dealt with more than his fair share of difficult situations on behalf of clients.  He has provided counsel for some of the world's most prestigious companies in crisis management and crisis communications, strategic public relations, corporate communications, and high level, confidential issues relating to economic espionage.

Whereas Crisis Management deals primarily with the reality of the unfolding crisis and how to manage it, Crisis Communications focuses on the perception of the event and, most especially, the perception of how it is being managed.

The book doesn’t make any groundbreaking revelations on the dos and don’ts of developing a crisis communications strategy, however, what makes it an entertaining and enjoyable read are the real life examples of well known companies who have hit the mark in their crisis communications…or missed it completely.

The book contains detailed analysis of recent high profile catastrophes such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the crisis at Pennsylvania State University in 2011, and the unintended acceleration glitch that rocked Toyota in 2010.  Fink uses these examples to reinforce the importance of being prepared and having a carefully thought out crisis communications strategy in place.  These case studies also highlight many examples of what not to do should your company find itself at the centre of media circus.

Here are a couple of key takeaways from the book….and if you’d like to know more about crisis communications for your organization then please give us a shout!

Perception always trumps reality

Throughout the book Fink comes back to this one single point.  It doesn’t matter if your company has not done anything wrong, if it is perceived otherwise in the court of public opinion, then that perception is what people will remember. And that perception may ultimately affect your business and the value of your brand.

If a crisis is being managed well, the goal of effective crisis management is to form the public’s perception to match the reality. In the end, crisis communications, or the lack thereof, is all the public remembers.

“Remember: even if you know you’re right, if the perception is that you’re wrong, you ARE wrong.  Or, at least, you’re wrong in the eyes and minds of those who matter.”

Reservoirs of good will

Things are chaotic enough during a crisis that you need every advantage you can muster.  It is therefore a good idea to take stock of how your company is perceived on a normal day.  Are you considered trustworthy?  Are you communicative with your publics?  If there is something you need to address then do it now. 

It is important that your publics think good things about you before crisis hits.  This is what Fink calls “reservoirs of goodwill”. 

“Part of your proactive crisis management and crisis communications strategies should be to measure the depth of your goodwill reservoir and see what you can do to increase it.  The more goodwill you have in the bank or reservoir, the more your public will tend to trust you and believe you when your crisis hits, and the more you can draw on it to tide you over.”

The Elettra team toasting our IABC Silver Lead Award of Excellence for Media Relations.

Wishing all our clients, suppliers, and friends a jolly holiday season!

Elettra is available over the holidays. If you need to reach us, email us at info@elettra.ca.

And if we don't see you before then, we wish you all the very best for 2016.

Today in our ongoing series, “Two Minutes With”, we're talking to Elettra Account Manager Lorna Allen.  

Favourite quote:

I love inspirational and witty quotes so it’s hard for me to pick just one. But here are two I like and think of often.

Mark Twain: A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t.

Anais Nin: Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

Somebody wise also once told me to remember to "be the you that you know you are" which I always try to remember.

Favourite place to visit:

Top of my list is the South of France especially the Cote D’Azur. I used to go to Cannes and Antibes every spring when I lived in Europe and I thoroughly enjoyed the food, the Kir Royals, and the beautiful coastal scenery.

I also have a very special place in my heart for Hong Kong.  Truly the most colourful and vibrant city I have ever had the pleasure of visiting.  It has it all: beautiful beaches, world class shopping, the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, and that iconic cityscape. 

Favourite author:

Daniel Woodrell – the novelist who penned Winter’s Bone, Tomato Red, Give Us a Kiss and many more. I really enjoy his “country noir” style and think he is very underrated.

Oxford comma: Yay or nay?

I’m an Oxford comma convert.  But only since moving to Canada.  My English teacher did not believe in it and my punctuation habits were deeply ingrained.  My colleagues at Elettra have made me see the light on this one though and I think it definitely clarifies meaning when listing things.

If you didn’t work in PR, what would you choose to do?

I would be a full time film journalist.  I dabbled in this field when I lived back in the UK and the highlight of my year was attending film festivals, working red carpets and interviewing actors and directors.

Why do you choose to live in Vancouver?

I fell in love with Vancouver back in 1999 when I lived here on a temporary working visa. It is such a beautiful city and I love how accessible everything is.  I made up my mind to come back and live here again and 14 years later I finally did just that.

What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?

I go through phases.  At the moment it is probably either Hello by Adele or Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.  It is nearly Christmas after all!

Fun fact about you:

I once had drinks with George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Venice

If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be?

It would be to go back in time and be present when Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. His words have inspired so many people over the years and I think it would have been incredible to have been present to hear and witness it first hand.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

Hmm…my love of cinema brings a lot of people to mind.  But sadly my favourite film characters don’t always meet the most pleasant of ends.  For that reason, I think Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice would be preferable. However, my friends would probably say I’m more like Bridget Jones (in fact they have done so...many times).

Harbour Centre is one of the most iconic towers in the Vancouver skyline, and never is it more radiant that at Christmastime when the top is decked with festive red lights. It's a downtown holiday tradition that's spanned more than 30 years.

Yesterday, the Elettra team took Vancouver Sun up to the very top of the tower to see the hanging of the lights. It's a massive job for the Harbour Centre crew. They fearlessly hang 1,100 lights 200 metres above the city streets. Be sure to enjoy their hard work by looking up when you're walking around downtown this holiday season.

Media professionals and public relations / communications practitioners enjoy a symbiotic relationship.  It’s important to know what types of stories appeal to specific outlets and reporters and how they like these stories to be pitched.

Lorna Allen from our team recently took over responsibility for supplying journalist profiles on the CPRS Vancouver website. Her first subject was Tim Renshaw, managing editor at Business in Vancouver.

Check out the article here.

Finders & Keepers: How the world’s most powerful consumer is changing everything

This winter we’re cozying up with a few books. And if they’re good reads, we’re going to tell you about them. We're starting with Finders & Keepers, by Spring Advertising Creative Director, Rob Schlyecher.

In Finders & Keepers, Schlyecher tells us that the demographic information - age, gender, education, etc. - that marketers have long relied on to make decisions actually reveals very little about how consumers spend money. Demographic info comes up short because it does nothing to explain how a consumer feels.

There is a better way, according to the author, to understand consumers' purchasing decisions. Based on extensive research done in Australia the findings of which were tested in real estate market in the US, Schlyecher identifies two groups called, not surprisingly, Finder and Keepers. (There are actually three if you count the Finder’s upstart cousin, the Evolving Finder).

Finders value discovery and the time spent in, well, finding. When it comes to a product or company, they like information - they want to know about the provenance of a product and the story of how it was crafted. They value design, innovation, and authenticity. They love sharing the story of their discovery. Price is only a piece of information for the Finder, it’s not the deciding factor for their purchase. And in fact, they may be downright distrustful of a discount.

Keepers, in contrast, are very price sensitive. They like a deal, but they don’t want to spend a lot of time getting it. They value brand highly, especially as it relates to status and established trust in the product they know. They are not particularly adventurous.

How does this work in practice? As just one of many examples, Schlyecher suggests a true Finder who is a chocolate lover would make the extra effort to visit the Thomas Haas Patisserie (a bastion of authenticity and craftsmanship if ever there was one) in an out-of-the-way industrial park tucked behind an automall in North Vancouver. We suppose a Keeper with a chocolate craving would probably be pretty happy picking up whatever's on sale in the grocery aisle.

Schlyecher argues that, for several reasons including Finders not being price sensitive, companies that appeal to Finders can be recession proof. But for those companies going after Keepers based on pricing tactics, it’s ultimately a death spiral (the book offers up the poignant example of Circuit City) - that is, unless you’re Walmart, of course.

Granted, this is a massive oversimplification of Schlyecher’s thesis, but for the in-depth goods on Finders & Keepers (and how it could apply to your own company), we suggest you pick up a copy of the book. It’s a great read.

As a public relations agency,  the concept of Finders and Keepers bears thinking about. After all, PR is all about telling a story. And it works best when that story is about innovation, quality, service, and experience. In fact, PR is downright ineffectual if it’s trying to tell a lowest price story.  It would seem that PR is made for Finder companies. We’ll certainly be giving the Finders and Keepers philosophy considered thought in the future.

The Elettra team is over the moon to have been recognized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and to have been awarded a Silver Leaf Award of Excellence for Media Relations. What’s more, we were the only public relations agency in Vancouver to pick up a Silver Leaf award this year.

For a full list of the winners click here.

We received this accolade for our work on the opening of Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing restaurant, which opened last summer. 

It was a really fun project to work on and it was exciting to watch the various stages of the transformation of the former Monk McQueen’s.  The end result is a stunning location with a beautiful patio area, and thoughtful and authentically Irish input.  Not to mention a fabulous and extensive menu.  It was a pleasure telling the world about it!

We thank Mahony & Sons for bringing us on board and we wish all the other BC Silver Leaf winners “congratulations” on their achievement.

I think that warrants a celebratory glass of bubbly at Stamps Landing, don’t you?

BC Aviation Council's Silver Wings Awards at YVR's South Terminal

The critical first step in planning a gala is selecting the right venue. To help take anxiety out of venue choice, here are some tips from Elettra’s event team.

Decide whether you prefer a traditional or non- traditional venue

Traditional venues include hotels, conference centres, and restaurants. A non-traditional venue can be anywhere, really – a farmhouse, an airplane hangar, or an outdoor plaza to name just a few. The appeal of non-traditional venues is obvious – they tend to be more interesting, creative, and unexpected than the (often) beige four walls of a hotel ballroom. Start by asking yourself if this element of surprise is important to your organization and your guests.

While the cost of hosting at a hotel or conference centre may seem high at first glance, remember that a non-traditional venue is usually a blank slate. That means you’ll need to consider the cost of bringing every single spoon, glass, and chair to the event site. Not to mention the audio-visual and décor required to make the space come alive and the extra event planning and labour hours required to pull it all together.

But when it comes together…wow, you can truly blow your guests away! Elettra worked with the BC Aviation Council (BCAC) on their Silver Wings Awards. For their 20th anniversary they didn’t want the typical hotel ballroom, so we turned YVR’s South Terminal into a gala awards show venue, complete with staging, AV, and a dinner buffet. It was so worth the time and effort to create something unexpected for BCAC’s guests.

Venue size

A half-full room, no matter its size, suggests that an event is not a success. Before booking your venue, do some serious thinking about how many people will attend. Is your invite list 500? Consider realistically how many people will come at the ticket price point you are setting.

Hotel and conference spaces offer a bit more flexibility on room size as ballrooms often have air walls that can divide up the space. This means you can often make adjustments to your venue footprint once you have a sense of how ticket sales are going. In a pinch you can also use pipe and drape to section off a space, but this isn’t ideal and it’s much better to choose the right size of space in the first place.

Location & accessibility

How easy is your event to get to? The answer to that question has a direct bearing on RSVP numbers. Is your event in the downtown core and starting right after work? Great. Have you chosen a far-flung spot that’s not easy to get to via transit? No problem, but you’ll need to budget for shuttles or taxi vouchers to facilitate guest transport.

Atmosphere & décor

Oftentimes hosts treat décor as a “nice to have,” but it’s every bit as critical to the event’s success as food and drink. A good event manager will insist that this is part of the plan. When choosing your venue, consider what it will take to create the desired atmosphere for your guests. If you choose a beautiful spot like Vancouver Art Gallery’s Rotunda, it might not take much more than a bit of lighting and some florals, but if you choose a windowless ballroom or a warehouse, be prepared to devote some serious budget and effort to creating an atmosphere worthy of your event.

Have an event you need help planning? Contact Gwen or Simone at Elettra Communications. We have a combined 30 years' experience in creating successful events of all shapes and sizes. 

Welcome to our new feature, Elettra Communications' Word of the Week. 

We're word lovers, that's for sure, so each week we're going share a word that is inspiring or intriguing us.

This week it's alacrity, which means brisk and cheerful readiness.

Usage: "We are approaching this challenge with alacrity."

Today in our ongoing series, “Two Minutes With”, we're talking to talented graphic and web designer, Michael Young.  In addition to being an in-demand designer, Michael is also exceptionally handy with a camera. In fact, he's Elettra's go-to photographer for shooting building interiors/exteriors for our PR campaigns.

Check out Michael's online portfolio here.

Favourite publication: Montecristo is simple, tasteful, and always interesting.

Favourite quote:  Creative work can often go under-appreciated. Hemmingway sums it up nicely with..  "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."

Favourite food: There is nothing better to eat in the world than a carefully loved and lightly seasoned, grilled Wagyu steak with a peppercorn cream sauce on the side, paired with a dark full bodied stout.

Favourite font: The obvious choice - Helvetica is perfect when kerned and used properly and obviously boring when not. In graphic design, it separates the amateurs from those who care.

Best piece of career advice you have received? Get paid doing what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. Sounds cliché but I'm very happy that I took it to heart, I love what I do and wouldn't change it for the world.

Why do you choose to live in Vancouver? It's home, I was born and raised here. It wasn't until I left that I truly appreciated how beautiful it is.

What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod? It's always changing but right now, anything by Mø.

What is your favourite PR campaign (local, national, or international): Sony (allegedly) acted as though Kim Jung Un was going to engage in war due to The Interview film. The buzz that came from this was enormous. 

Michael Young shooting for Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing

Michael Young shooting for Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing

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