110-year-old Vancouver company looks to future in new South Vancouver design hub, Launches celebratory rug collection

One of Vancouver’s most enduring businesses, Burritt Bros. Carpet & Floors, has officially announced its relocation to the up-and-coming interior design hub of South Vancouver. The company is marking the move to its new Fraser Street and SE Marine Drive home with The River Design Quarter Rug Collection, a series of rugs that celebrates the shared history of Vancouver and Burritt Bros.

“There’s a renewed energy in South Vancouver today. Along with major residential development, the area is attracting top-notch design-related businesses – it’s being dubbed the River Design Quarter,” says Harvey Burritt, co-owner, Burritt Bros. Carpet & Floors and Colin Campbell. “Opening a beautiful showroom in this central and accessible neighbourhood is the perfect way to launch Burritt Bros.’ next 110 years.”

Burritt Bros. is joined in the new location by Colin Campbell, providers of fine flooring to the design and architecture trades. The two shops sit side-by-side with a stunning showroom, offering retail and trade customers an unparalleled selection of high quality, high fashion floor coverings. The spacious showroom boasts soaring ceilings, a flood of natural light, and an artfully displayed collection of fine area rugs, carpet, and hardwood flooring.

Burritt Bros.' Main Street shop, 1967 - 2016

Burritt Bros. has a longevity that is rare in Vancouver. The company was founded in 1907 by Ed Burritt, grandfather of current co-owner, Harvey Burritt, and the company’s story is interwoven with the city’s history. Over the past century Burritt has covered the floors of the city’s most iconic buildings (including all three incarnations of the Hotel Vancouver, the Marine Building, and the Orpheum Theatre), laid linoleum on troop ships in World Wars I and II, and installed flooring in countless family homes throughout Greater Vancouver.

The River Design Quarter Collection includes the Aerial ‘48; a rug that celebrates Burritt’s new home on the Fraser River. The rug was inspired by a City of Vancouver archival photo depicting the 1948 flood of the Fraser, with farms on either side, absent of any of today’s industrialization. The rug pays homage to the mighty Fraser, which has powerfully shaped the region’s geography and economy but is rarely celebrated.

Ariel '48 from the River Design Quarter Collection

“Through our custom rug design process we use historical artefacts to celebrate our connection to Vancouver and the region,” says Keith Donegani, co-owner of Burritt Bros and Colin Campbell. “Aerial ’48 is an ode to our new home on the river, and we’re certain Vancouver history buffs and B.C. enthusiasts will adore it.

The full River Design Quarter Collection is on display online www.burrittfloors.ca and at the Burritt Bros. shop in South Vancouver.

The new combined showroom and offices are located in the River Design Quarter at #60 (Burritt Bros.) and #55 (Colin Campbell) 8385 Fraser Street in Vancouver. 

Everyone is rushing to check out the new Suquet Interiors. Read all about the beautiful new Yaletown shop in these publications:

WESTERN LIVING

WESTENDER

VITAMIN DAILY

BLUSH

Our client Meetingmax today had their op-ed featured in the Vancouver Sun. Check out President and CEO Jeff Duncan's thoughts on why the meetings industry should embrace the collaborative economy.  

We're thrilled to see our good friends at Carter Hales Design Lab featured on Hey There. 

If you haven't checked out Carter Hales before, you really should. They do incredible design and branding work. In fact, they just delivered a new identity and website to NYC's La Guardia Airport, which is pretty big time if you ask us!

We are thrilled to bits to be working with the fine folks at Suquet Interiors on their PR launch.

Check out our news release to learn about the great story behind this Vancouver interiors brand:

Suquet Interiors Unveils Yaletown Retail Shop

New gallery-style shop features an eclectic collection of objects for the home

Vancouver, BC; June 13, 2016 – Suquet Interiors has announced the official opening of its new Yaletown showroom. The stunning space is as much a gallery of striking design pieces selected from around the world, as it is a shop offering luxury furnishings and objects for the home. The 4,200 square foot Homer Street space beautifully demonstrates how to artfully blend rustic, traditional, modern, and edgier style elements. 

Design-savvy Vancouverites will be familiar with the Suquet Interiors name. Originally founded by architects Georgina Tapia and the late Ramon Masana, Suquet was known for the magnificent and massive stone fireplaces and facades that it first imported from Mexico and Europe, and then began producing locally.  Suquet’s beloved stonework can still be found in homes and restaurants, and on retail exteriors across the city.

The new Suquet Interiors is a retail-focused operation helmed by the original founders’ son, Ramon Masana Tapia, and his business partner, Rick Bohonis, co-founder and past-president of national interiors chain, Urban Barn. While the original handcrafted Suquet stone fireplaces have pride of place in the new shop, they sit alongside diverse range of furniture and housewares selected by Masana Tapia and Bohonis.

“Suquet has a rich history. What we’ve created in this new space is both an ode to my parents and a leap forward into something much more eclectic,” says Masana Tapia. “Our collection reflects a design aesthetic in which rustic and traditional pieces nestle perfectly alongside modern, even edgy pieces.”

The collection is diverse and luxurious, whether it’s a live-edge teak table from Indonesia, a ceramic urn from Vietnam, leather camp chairs from Texas Rover Company, or a superhero-inspired surfboard mosaic by artist Jason Dussault. 

“Our collection reflects the way people are designing their home today,” says Bohonis. “It’s no longer about the strict adherence to a single style or era, but rather a focus on beautiful, singular pieces, collected over time, that together make the home an expression of self.”

“And while we’ve certainly chosen the pieces that inspire us in that way, part of our vision is the act of creation with our customers,” continues Bohonis. “Discovering the things that bring our customers joy will play a big role in how Suquet evolves.”

 Suquet’s selection of fine art is curated by Art Director, Jennifer Angers Daerendinger. She has lovingly selected pieces from respected local and international artists, including Justin Oglivie, Jason Dussault, and Tanya Slingsby.

 Suquet Interiors is located at 1014 Homer Street in Vancouver. The shop is open from 10am – 6pm Monday – Saturday and 11am – 5pm on Sunday. http://suquetinteriors.com

Our intern, Sara MacIntosh, shares her tips for creating a digital content calendar.

Engaging your audiences online is one part art, one part consistent effort. If you’re responsible for your organization’s social media, the need for content may feel like it’s never ending.  Keeping up is challenging, but a content calendar can help you take a strategic approach to both storytelling and time management.

A content calendar (AKA an editorial calendar) is simply an outline that lists your social media channels and plots out content opportunities over a given time period. It typically includes post copy, relevant links, and an indication of the images and video you’ll use. At a glance, you’ll be able to see what is to be posted and when, making gaps or overlapping content easy to spot.

Here are my five tips for creating an effective content calendar:

1.     Start with a solid understanding of your audiences. Which of your social media channels reach which of your audiences? And what kind of content is the audience interested in? Not all of your content will be appropriate for every channel.

2.     Determine the calendar range and set a frequency. Identify the amount of time you are working with. Are you planning for week? A month? Working month-to-month is often a good place to start. You get the benefits of planning ahead without the information gaps that might exist with longer range planning. Frequency is important to consider – some organizations will post multiple times a day, while for others a few times per week will be sufficient. Either way, if you set an explicit frequency goal, you are more likely to achieve it. 

3.     Identify the stories you want to tell. What does your organization have to say? Are you making announcements, launching new products? What insights can your leadership team offer on your industry? When you don’t have internal stories to share are there universal topics that you can tag onto (eg: holidays, larger news stories)?

4.     Words + visuals = content. The words you use to tell the story are important, but no social media post is complete without an image or a video. Write posts and source images ahead of time where appropriate. Whenever possible, include a call to action in the post.

5.     Pre-schedule your posts. Social media management tools like Hootsuite are a community manager’s best friend. They allow you to pre-schedule posts, helping reduce the pressure of posting on the fly. Having said that, it’s important leave some room in your social media plan for spontaneity. The real social media magic happens through genuine conversation with your audiences – and that can’t be scheduled!

Elettra Communications provides social media strategy and content development services. We build content calendars for all platforms. Contact us at info@elettra.ca.

We are excited to welcome our new PR Consultant Sarah Hitchings to the Elettra team this week.

Hailing from New Zealand, Sarah brings extensive PR experience, having worked in the field for more than six years on a diverse client portfolio.

Working for Vancouver Fashion Week as PR and Media Coordinator in April was a natural fit as her first PR role in Canada, after working with New Zealand Fashion Week for several years.   Prior to this, her previous role back home saw her working for one of NZ’s top not-for-profit specialization agencies, working alongside charities, social-change organizations, and top NFP clients. 

Sarah’s career has seen her launch New Zealand’s first Kickstarter campaign, she account managed Deaf Aotearoa’s New Zealand Sign Language Week and Diabetes New Zealand Awareness Weeks, and was appointed Social Media Liaison for the Rise Up Christchurch Global Telethon (after the devastating Christchurch earthquakes in 2011).  She is passionate about niche communities, evolving technologies, social good, awareness weeks, and small business.

Seeking adventure, snow, and the world’s best maple syrup, Sarah packed her bags and moved to Canada in October 2015, and has embraced the Vancouver lifestyle enthusiastically.  When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her writing, biking to yoga at Dude Chilling Park, camping, ice-skating or snowboarding. 

Sarah is excited to get stuck in and achieve great PR for Elettra clients, and we are delighted to have her at the agency.

It's been a busy spring at Elettra, and we're delighted to welcome a slate of new clients to our agency:

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) is the voice of the construction industry in the Lower Mainland, representing more than 700 members. We'll be partnering with them on media relations, communications strategy, and content development.

Suquet Interiors is a stunning new Yaletown shop offering original and exclusive furniture and objects for the home. We'll be working with them on a media relations launch and event.

PARC Retirement Living builds and operates premium retirement residences where the focus is on living well. Elettra will provide media training and media relations services to PARC.

Since 1996, JYSK has been offering Canadians "Quality for Less". With a passion for Scandinavian design, they offer furniture and accessories with a sense of sophistication at affordable prices. We're working with JYSK on native advertising.

A big welcome to all. We're looking forward to working with you!

Our intern, Sara, played an integral role in organizing the ever-popular Chefs’ Showcase at this year’s Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. Here she shares her takeaways on making it a success:

On April 13th, we helped Vancouver Magazine celebrate its 27th Annual Restaurant Awards. Hosts Gloria Macarenko and Stephan Quinn from CBC handed out nearly 50 awards ranging from Restaurant of the Year to Best Food Truck. A panel of 18 judges spent the past year preparing for this event, tasting more than 2,000 dishes all over Vancouver and BC, narrowing their list down to 150 restaurants in 48 categories.

Elettra Communications (and its principals) has been the producer behind the event for 14 years. Their work includes everything from organizing the event set up (alongside the Sheraton Wall Centre, the host venue), to getting key influencers within the community to participate.

The Chefs’ Showcase is an opportunity for all nominated restaurants to share their work with their peers and local influencers. During the first couple weeks of my internship at Elettra, I had the responsibility of planning and executing the Chefs’ Showcase. Before my internship at Elettra, I had never planned an event. I had help organized events but I had never executed one from start to finish.  Looking back at the event, there are a couple tips that everyone planning an event, either big or small, needs to know that make your job easier:

1. Details are huge

People say that the details really make an event. Once the big things are booked, the details have to be taken care of. This could be everything from double-checking that the sponsors have everything they need, to making sure the flower arrangements are exactly how the client envisioned them. Having the details thought out before the event ensures you deliver exactly what the client wanted and frees you from worrying about any unexpected hiccups.

Before I called a restaurant to ask them to participate, I found out a little bit about the restaurant. The simple things such as who their Chef and General Manager is and how long they have been open. Just having a quick browse around their website before calling helps to get a feel for the restaurant and how best to approach them.

2. Organization is key

You may have a vision as to what the event should look like, but without having a plan, it makes the vision hard to accomplish.  Being able to put together a plan of what the event will look like will make it easier to connect with different vendors and have contract and contact available to you. Having this information will make the weeks running up to the event is less chaotic, and if there are any issues, the information is right there to access.  

Starting with just an Excel spreadsheet listing the restaurants who were nominated, I had to craft a system to keep participating restaurants and their information organized. If I received an email or a phone call from a nominated restaurant, I would have to input it right away otherwise I knew it would just get lost or forgotten about. Having this information printed out made the registration of the showcase go more smoothly.

3. Be a problem solver

Things will never go exactly as you planned. If something comes up, being flexible will help you think on your feet and solve problems in a creative way.

With 36 different chefs (and restaurants) with over 46 dishes there will always be some issues. Despite requesting otherwise,  of the dishes arrived on site the same time which made matching up the dish with its label challenging. Having critical information printed out before hand allowed me to match the dishes to the information. If something didn’t match up properly, I got creative and figured out ways to match the dish to the restaurant.

A big thank-you to all of the participants in the 2016 Chefs’ Showcase at the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. You can check out all of the winners here. From having seen their work up close, I highly recommend you pay them a visit. 

Position: PR Account Associate

Elettra Communications (www.elettra.ca) has an immediate opening for dynamic, well-rounded PR Associate. We’re looking for the communications total package – someone with superior writing skills, media relations know-how, and social media savvy. And if you’re an events wizard, that goes a long way, too.

 The position is full-time, permanent.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Act as day-to-day contact for clients.
• Participate in the development of PR strategies.
• Handle tactical execution of PR campaigns from start to finish.
• Develop a variety of communications tools and content, including media materials, social media content, articles, web copy, speeches, and client correspondence.
• Build targeted media lists – local and national.
• Develop effective pitches and successfully generate media coverage for clients.
• Handle incoming media inquiries.
• Develop social media strategies and content.
• Develop messaging and provide guidance and coaching to spokespeople.
• Work with senior team members on issues management strategies and develop key messages.
• Handle event coordination responsibilities for client events.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Business, Arts, Marketing, or Public Relations.
• A dynamic, energetic, and enthusiastic personality.
• Aptitude for BOTH creativity and organization.
• 1-3 years public relations experience.
• Exceptional writing skills. You must be a great writer who can develop compelling, sophisticated prose in a variety of styles.
• Previous media relations experience with a track record of successfully generating media coverage.
• High level of digital literacy, including facility with all major social media channels. Experience in social media management, content development, and monitoring.
• Exceptional media literacy and an unwavering thirst for knowledge of current events.
• A love for, and strong interest in, the city of Vancouver.
• Flexible with hours and able to respond to media inquiries / attend events outside the 9-5, Monday-Friday work week.
• Skill in photography, InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator considered and asset.
• PR agency experience is an asset.

 Applicants are asked to send their cover letter and resume to info@elettra.ca. The posting will remain open until the position is filled.

We are pleased to welcome our new intern, Sara MacIntosh, to the Elettra Communications team. Sara is a second year Marketing Communications student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Throughout her two years at BCIT, she has strengthened her communications skills and developed her ability to create digital content

During her free time, Sara enjoys photography and writing and exploring the city to find new restaurants. She is very passionate about food and visually showcasing food.  When she isn’t with camera in hand, you can find her curled up on the couch with a good book or planning a new adventure.

Through her years at BCIT, Sara has become more interested in the communications industry and how event and digital marketing can help improve communications plans. These interests have led her to the joining the world of public relations in Vancouver. She will be joining us at Elettra for the next eight weeks working on everything PR. She can’t wait to put her BCIT knowledge to work in the industry setting.

Welcome to the team, Sara!

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.

A celebratory event is a great way to show your employees how much you value them.  It’s also an investment in engagement and culture building, so it makes sense to spend your resources (including time and budget) wisely by making thoughtful event planning decisions.

Elettra recently worked with the Vancouver Airport Authority to produce just such an event. The first annual YVR Stars celebration was a cocktail party and awards show to honour the airport workers and volunteers who go above and beyond for customers. The event was a great success and inspired us to offer insight into how smart decision-making can lead to a top-notch corporate event. Here are four tips to take your appreciation event from ho-hum to stellar:

1)   Let your guests be your guide.

Start your event planning by mapping out everything you know about your guests. From this, create a guest profile to guide the planning process. Check your all decision against that profile. This includes everything from your venue location (is it convenient and easy for your guests to get to?), to the food and beverages you’ll serve (have you considered a variety of dietary needs?).

At YVR Stars, the nature our guest list – which included shift workers, 9-5 office workers, and volunteers – shaped the event. We chose a time that made sense for all workers and ensured it was drop-in style so that shift workers could stop by on a break. We even created plan for getting the invitation to guests who don’t work at a desk and therefore might not be able to receive an invitation via company email.

2)   Set the mood.

Have you ever been to an event that was billed as a celebration, but somehow just felt flat? Well, the truth is, mood doesn’t create itself.

Oftentimes lighting gets overlooked or even cut out entirely due to budget, but it really is critical for setting the tone. House lighting will never deliver on a party atmosphere, but proper lighting design adds drama, sparkle, and even the opportunity to brand the event through use of coloured lighting.

You might not think about the connection between food and mood, but have you ever been standing at an event for 30 minutes before a server finally appears with a tray, but then can’t even make it ten steps from back-of-house before his/her tray is empty? A hungry guest is one that doesn’t feel valued. When planning an occasion, collaboration with your caterer doesn’t stop at selecting a menu. Work with them to ensure that the food is tasty (you can even ask to do an advanced tasting), plentiful, and ready to go the moment your first guest walks through the door.

Of course setting the mood doesn’t stop there.  Décor and entertainment are also important. Don’t just hire a DJ, actually work with her/him to develop a playlist that suits your guest profile. For YVR Stars we injected some fun with a Tap Snap photo booth. Décor-wise, you can see from the photos what some colour can do.

3)   Say it out loud.

Though treating your guests to food and drink is a great start, showing your appreciation is about saying it out loud. In the case of YVR Stars we accomplished this through an awards show presentation. The program provided an opportunity to share and celebrate the stories of workers who went to great lengths in the name of customer care. This was backed up with a thoughtful gift in recognition of their efforts. We also spread the love around the room, incorporating reflections on everyone’s efforts and gave away many stellar door prizes that were a fit for our guest profile.

4)   Bring in the experts.

Creating a successful event is not about ticking off a to-do list. It takes strategic vision, technical know-how, strong supplier relationships, and, most importantly, time. If your company could benefit from this assistance, then it’s a good idea to call in an expert. Look for an experienced event planner, someone who views challenges as an opportunity for creativity. A good planner will act as your partner, providing smart counsel and making sure every last detail is considered. Together you’ll make event magic happen.

Elettra Communications has a combined 35 years' experience creating successful events of all shapes and sizes. We've done it all, from award shows and galas, to fashion shows, launches, and corporate celebrations. Our services include:

• Event feasibility studies and budgeting
• Venue selection
• Event planning and execution
• Collateral production
• Show scripting and direction
• Entertainment programming

Contact us for a complimentary one-hour brainstorming session at info@elettra.ca.