The Ottawa Post Event Video:
The Victoria post event video
It has been another long hiatus since I last updated this but I now have a moment to breath so I thought I would post a new entry. It has officially been 3 full days back at home and it is nice to sleep in my own bed. I do not miss the hotel beds with their overly fluffy pillows and their hard mattresses. I also do not miss having to eat unhealthy foods. Their is only so much subway one can eat before having to indulge in some of the more tasty, unhealthy fast food joints.
Since my last post I had driven to Ottawa from Halifax and put on the Campus Chase event which despite the rain was a huge success. I have quickly found that we are an amazing events company. The events we put on seem to run extremely well and all the participants have an amazing time. Lets hope now that they become brand ambassadors and help spread Campus Chase so next year it becomes even bigger.
Their was a quick turn around and we drove to Montreal and had a day to prepare for the Montreal Campus Chase event. All hands were on deck and if it were not for the "fantastic four" Myself, Madison, Jordan and Cory this event would not have run as well as it had. We had our work cut out for us but we managed to pull it off.
The hell began after this event. I hit an ultimate low the following day. I had driven home to Toronto to spend two quality days of relaxation before heading to Edmonton to put on our 6th event. I had one task on Sunday and it was suppose to take an hour and a half. 8 hours later I was still working on the same task and ready to quit. I pulled through and took the next day to really analyze the entire situation. It had been 21 days of being on the road, we just launched a brand new property, and we were all tired. No wonder I was emotionally drained.
To put things all into perspective I really have learned a tremendous amount. It is to the point where I would be able to ace every MBA interview I will have based on all of my experience gained in 2 and half months. I have been able to learn about brand launching, experimental marketing, staff management, sponsor integrations, sponsor relations, sponsor management, budgeting, shipping and recieving and the list goes on.
I flew out to Edmonton on Tuesday Oct 27th and we ran our event on the 29th. The regional director was really on the ball and helped make our lives a lot less stressful. We pulled our 6th event and finally had a break. We all flew back to Toronto on the friday and had the weekend to recover.
Now here I am back on the grind for another 3 weeks. We have 3 events left Toronto, Winnipeg and Quebec City. It is down to the short strokes I am excited to be done but also excited at the new opportunities that await.
Until next time
THE CHASE IS ON
Monday, November 2, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Back in Ontario
It has been far too long since I posted but I was hoping to have resolved the issues I have been encountering with Facebook. Apparently I am not allowed to post video's anymore which is extremely unfortunate.
A lot has gone on since I last posted. The Vancouver event wrapped up and we took the ferry over to Victoria. We had a couple of days before the event but their was much to do. Our first trip to the University of Victoria was where I was acquainted with a large population of Bunnies. They appear to be everywhere on campus. I happened to ask someone why their were so many rabbits and was told the story. Apparently many years ago someone pulled a prank in the school science labs and released all the rabbits. These rabbits then of course mated which is why the population is so large today. Wondering if that is more just a funny made up story or if it is actually what happened.
The Victoria event was another huge success. The participants had a amazing time and the weather remained relatively dry and sunny. My BlackBerry street team was once again phenomenal. The bar is being set higher every time now Lets hope that continues.
(sunrise from the ferry to Victoria)
Once the event finished we had an hour and half before I had to drive the U-haul back to the ferry. This was the beginning of 24 hours of hell. I arrived at the Ferry terminal and boarded the ferry about 30mins late. The ferry ride lasts approximately an hour and half. I was in Vancouver by 9:40pm and then had about a half an hour drive to the airport where I was to unload the U-haul contents into an Air Canada cargo container, return the U-haul and get on my flight to Halifax. I unfortunately missed my flight and had to stay in the Fairmont hotel at the airport. It cost 300 for the night and I had a hard time justifying that amount of money for a 5 hour sleep. It was my only option so I ended up staying there. at least I was able to live in luxury for that small amount of time.
Once in my hotel room I called West Jet so that I could change my flight. They had told me their was a flight to Halifax in the morning at 7am. I set my alarm woke up at 5:30am and went to check in. I picked up my boarding pass, loaded my luggage, and went through security only to find out that I was put on the wrong plane. Instead of going to Halifax I was headed to Toronto. West Jet corrected the mistake but it cost me 3 hours in Toronto. Thankfully my mom met me at the airport and we were able to eat some food and catch up. I finished eating and scurried off to catch my flight which was delayed by an hour. The original plane that was to be used for this flight was stuck in poor weather and never took off from the airport it was originally flying from.
at about 5:45 in the afternoon I finally boarded my flight to Halifax. I landed at 9:30pm went to the Hotel and slept.
Halifax was extremely nice. I didn't have much of an opportunity to do any sightseeing which was a little disappointing but I was able to walk downtown and along the stores that face the waterfront. The second night we were there we went to dinner where the food was amazing. In addition to amazing food the pub had amazing live music. I learned that many bars and pubs in Halifax have constant live music and entertainment.
The third event was at Dalhousie University in Halifax and again it went incredibly smoothly. It appears that Madison and I are starting to become much more efficient at our jobs allowing us more time to focus on preparing for the following event. The event concluded I was able to go to St,Mary's track and do a workout and then went out for dinner with everyone at a fairly fancy restaurant.
The following day, I embarked on a 14 hour long drive from Halifax to Ottawa. The drive was very interesting as I have never had the opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. The drive was extremely tiring but a great experience.
Tomorrow is the Ottawa Campus Chase. It should be another great event. Only 2 more days till I am home in my own bed. I cannot wait.
A lot has gone on since I last posted. The Vancouver event wrapped up and we took the ferry over to Victoria. We had a couple of days before the event but their was much to do. Our first trip to the University of Victoria was where I was acquainted with a large population of Bunnies. They appear to be everywhere on campus. I happened to ask someone why their were so many rabbits and was told the story. Apparently many years ago someone pulled a prank in the school science labs and released all the rabbits. These rabbits then of course mated which is why the population is so large today. Wondering if that is more just a funny made up story or if it is actually what happened.
The Victoria event was another huge success. The participants had a amazing time and the weather remained relatively dry and sunny. My BlackBerry street team was once again phenomenal. The bar is being set higher every time now Lets hope that continues.
Once the event finished we had an hour and half before I had to drive the U-haul back to the ferry. This was the beginning of 24 hours of hell. I arrived at the Ferry terminal and boarded the ferry about 30mins late. The ferry ride lasts approximately an hour and half. I was in Vancouver by 9:40pm and then had about a half an hour drive to the airport where I was to unload the U-haul contents into an Air Canada cargo container, return the U-haul and get on my flight to Halifax. I unfortunately missed my flight and had to stay in the Fairmont hotel at the airport. It cost 300 for the night and I had a hard time justifying that amount of money for a 5 hour sleep. It was my only option so I ended up staying there. at least I was able to live in luxury for that small amount of time.
Once in my hotel room I called West Jet so that I could change my flight. They had told me their was a flight to Halifax in the morning at 7am. I set my alarm woke up at 5:30am and went to check in. I picked up my boarding pass, loaded my luggage, and went through security only to find out that I was put on the wrong plane. Instead of going to Halifax I was headed to Toronto. West Jet corrected the mistake but it cost me 3 hours in Toronto. Thankfully my mom met me at the airport and we were able to eat some food and catch up. I finished eating and scurried off to catch my flight which was delayed by an hour. The original plane that was to be used for this flight was stuck in poor weather and never took off from the airport it was originally flying from.
at about 5:45 in the afternoon I finally boarded my flight to Halifax. I landed at 9:30pm went to the Hotel and slept.
Halifax was extremely nice. I didn't have much of an opportunity to do any sightseeing which was a little disappointing but I was able to walk downtown and along the stores that face the waterfront. The second night we were there we went to dinner where the food was amazing. In addition to amazing food the pub had amazing live music. I learned that many bars and pubs in Halifax have constant live music and entertainment.
The following day, I embarked on a 14 hour long drive from Halifax to Ottawa. The drive was very interesting as I have never had the opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. The drive was extremely tiring but a great experience.
Tomorrow is the Ottawa Campus Chase. It should be another great event. Only 2 more days till I am home in my own bed. I cannot wait.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Day 3 - The First Event
Quote of the Day: "Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his or her will, his/her signature, on important acts he/she touches. This is not the voice of ego but of the human spirit, rising up and declaring that it has something to contribute to the solution of the hardest problems, no matter how vexing!"
This is the first video from the 9 Campus Chase events. It took place in Vancouver this past weekend and was a huge success.
So, I arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday with not much to do. I went to bed only to have 3 hours of sleep and the beginning of a horrible cold. It took a ton of medication, courage, and hard work to not want to curl up in a ball and die but I knew how important it was to start these events off on the right foot. On event day my main responsibility is managing the BlackBerry Street team. The street team is the group of individuals responsible for raising brand awareness to participants and non - participants. They are walking billboards and there actions are constantly being monitored. BlackBerry has invested a lot of money to be apart of this event so it is integral that each individuals upholds the integrity of the brand. Thankfully everyone went beyond their call of duty. The client representative remained happy and I still have a job.
My Team
On to Victoria!!!!!
This is the first video from the 9 Campus Chase events. It took place in Vancouver this past weekend and was a huge success.
So, I arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday with not much to do. I went to bed only to have 3 hours of sleep and the beginning of a horrible cold. It took a ton of medication, courage, and hard work to not want to curl up in a ball and die but I knew how important it was to start these events off on the right foot. On event day my main responsibility is managing the BlackBerry Street team. The street team is the group of individuals responsible for raising brand awareness to participants and non - participants. They are walking billboards and there actions are constantly being monitored. BlackBerry has invested a lot of money to be apart of this event so it is integral that each individuals upholds the integrity of the brand. Thankfully everyone went beyond their call of duty. The client representative remained happy and I still have a job.
My Team
These guys were unbelievable. They kept their spirits high and gave the client piece of mind. I owe a lot of thanks to these 12 individuals great work!
We finished the event and I went straight home. I slept for 13 hours and am now feeling much better. I have received some antibiotics to fight this nasty cold and with another good night sleep should be as good as new.
Event 1 down 8 more to go.
On to Victoria!!!!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day 1 - Vancouver - The Defintion of an Outlier
Quote of the Day:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan, 'Press on,' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"
I arrived in Vancouver today. It is my first trip out here and it is quite spectacular. The mountains, the ocean, the lifestyle, and the weather were all major drawing points. The UBC Campus was very picturesque it reminded me of something I imagined a University would look like in a major motion picture. I cannot comment on much of what happened today as it was more logistics and event preparations.
I did have the opportunity to read a fantastic book on the flight over though. My mom had suggested I purchase a book by Malcolm Gladwell entitled Outliers: The Story of Success. Malcolm is the #1 best selling author of both The Tipping Point and Blink.
Definition
Outlier - Something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body
- A statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample
The novel digs deep into how individuals become successful. But how do these individuals become successful? Is it hard work or maybe natural talent? We love to hear the stories of rags to riches and how an individual overcame a plethora of adversity to ultimately become very successful. Through these depictions we often are left with the impression that it is as a result of their constant hard work and natural talent. It appears however that this may be nothing more than smoke and mirrors and another more important aspect is really what makes an individual truly successful.
It appears that their are 3 factors that can lead to becoming an expert in a particular field.
1. The year or month you were born in
2. 10,000 hours of perfect practice
3. Your socioeconomic status.
(Notice how i did not say innate ability)
A study on hockey players was conducted that showed that their was an inordinate amount of individuals who were born from January to March. Is this just coincidence.... 100% not. Since the cut off date for a hockey player is Jan 1st the athletes born closer to this date have more time to mature. Since these individuals tend to be bigger having as much as 11 more months to grow then someone born in December they are given greater opportunities.
To continue it has been shown repeatedly in various disciplines (computer programming, sports, marketing) that it requires 10,000 hours of perfect practice to become an expert. If we couple that with the above point we find it clear that the individuals who are given a greater opportunity to participate and practice in their selected discipline will ultimately accumulate the 10,000 hours of perfect practice before the younger, less mature individuals do.
Finally, it has been shown that socio-economic status can play an important factor into it as well. as compared with a lower socioeconomic class, Wealthier individuals tend to become more involved with their childrens lives given them a greater opportunity to participate in a discipline that they truly enjoy.
This only skims the surface on what Malcolm Gladwell discusses in his novel. It is a fantastic book and a good read. I was quite skeptical that innate ability does not play a role in the level of success someone has. I find it hard to believe that Wayne Gretzky was not naturally amazing. However, when I continue to think about it maybe the reason he became "The Great One" was simply because he accumulated 10,000 hours of perfect practice before everyone else.
The Moral of the story for future parents: Have your child born in January, make lots of money, and have them practice practice practice.
What do you think?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Can you complete more than 3 tasks?
Quote of the day: "Have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously. We're not talking about life and death here."
If you ever have the opportunity pick up the book 'I Wish' by Tony Altilia. The quote I posted is one of the many that can be found throughout this phenomenal easy to read novel. It gives ten kernels of experience for those beginning their careers from those concluding theirs. I recieved it as a gift and carry it around where ever I go.
Before I begin I must state that I will refer to my mentor Richard Parkinson quite often as I write these posts primarily because his insight and expertise are quite remarkable.
I will start with a list:
1. Carry out my job with diligence, passion and dedication so I can reach my desired objectives.
2. Fulfill my duties as a caring, loving and passionate boyfriend to my phenomenal girlfriend.
3. Continue to move in the direction my track and field career has taken me so far.
4. Continue my application process to business school.
5. Travel across Canada in 6 weeks all the while keeping the client happy and running 9 successful events.
6. Continue to be the driving force behind the marketing initiatives for our Toronto event.
7. Maintain a social life.
8. Keep up my healthy lifestyle.
Richard, who continually drives me to excel in everything I attempt to accomplish, sat me down one day and lectured me on the importance of balance. His main conclusion was that individuals only have the capacity to complete 3 tasks well. I just provided you with a list of 8 item and I could have easily supplied 3 or 4 more. So how do I strike this balance? Do I eliminate something? Their are aspects of my life that I do not want to give up as it helps me keep my sanity but their is just not enough time in my day to complete every single task well. I think I am doing a fantastic job but know that their may come a time when I will bite off more than I can chew. Can I prevent this from happening or is this something that makes me unique?
I believe this is enough serious discussion for today. I have finished packing and must say my last goodbyes before heading off to bed and starting the adventure of a lifetime.
See everyone in Vancouver.
If you ever have the opportunity pick up the book 'I Wish' by Tony Altilia. The quote I posted is one of the many that can be found throughout this phenomenal easy to read novel. It gives ten kernels of experience for those beginning their careers from those concluding theirs. I recieved it as a gift and carry it around where ever I go.
Before I begin I must state that I will refer to my mentor Richard Parkinson quite often as I write these posts primarily because his insight and expertise are quite remarkable.
I will start with a list:
1. Carry out my job with diligence, passion and dedication so I can reach my desired objectives.
2. Fulfill my duties as a caring, loving and passionate boyfriend to my phenomenal girlfriend.
3. Continue to move in the direction my track and field career has taken me so far.
4. Continue my application process to business school.
5. Travel across Canada in 6 weeks all the while keeping the client happy and running 9 successful events.
6. Continue to be the driving force behind the marketing initiatives for our Toronto event.
7. Maintain a social life.
8. Keep up my healthy lifestyle.
Richard, who continually drives me to excel in everything I attempt to accomplish, sat me down one day and lectured me on the importance of balance. His main conclusion was that individuals only have the capacity to complete 3 tasks well. I just provided you with a list of 8 item and I could have easily supplied 3 or 4 more. So how do I strike this balance? Do I eliminate something? Their are aspects of my life that I do not want to give up as it helps me keep my sanity but their is just not enough time in my day to complete every single task well. I think I am doing a fantastic job but know that their may come a time when I will bite off more than I can chew. Can I prevent this from happening or is this something that makes me unique?
I believe this is enough serious discussion for today. I have finished packing and must say my last goodbyes before heading off to bed and starting the adventure of a lifetime.
See everyone in Vancouver.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The beginning of the Next Chapter
As captain of the York University track and field team in Toronto, Canada I took on a task of keeping each and every member focused. It began each Monday with a weekly email I entitled "Good Monday Morning". I began each email with a new an inspiring quote. It was a few words that I hoped would go a long way.
So as I was beginning to gather up the courage to start a blog I thought I would continue the tradition I began in University and start each one off with an inspiring quote.
"The samurai Sword is a thing of beauty, its blade unsurpassed by any other sword. Those that wield it have earned un-paralleled respect and honour. In times of our greatest difficulty, we look for the sharpest edge to end our pain and suffering, however like that sword, it is through the heat and fire and years of being beaten that the finest swords in the world are made. If you remember, when you feel that there is no hope, if you only wish for the end to take you, remember that you are the samurai sword and nothing can stop you after you get through this"
6 weeks ago it began. My 2008-2009 track and field season had come to a close, I was studying feveriously for my GMAT's, and I was enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation. A mere two days into my vacation the phone rings. It is my mentor and former Director of Marketing at Wrigley. He informs me of a job opportunity and requests I send in my resume and express my interest. I follow the instructions and within a week I have been blessed with employment.
The job is with the world's largest urban adventure series City Chase (http://www.mitsubishicitychase.com/). Think of the amazing race but through a more urban landscape. It attracts thousands of participants each year and continues to grow. I have been hired to market an extension of the program entitled Campus Chase(http://www.campuschase.ca/). We will have 9 events across Canada starting in Vancouver October 7th, 2009. It is not an easy task but I know I am up for the challenge.
I have begun this blog to document each of the events. Through video's, photo's, texts, and tweets I hope to give some an idea of the world of event marketing.
So as I was beginning to gather up the courage to start a blog I thought I would continue the tradition I began in University and start each one off with an inspiring quote.
"The samurai Sword is a thing of beauty, its blade unsurpassed by any other sword. Those that wield it have earned un-paralleled respect and honour. In times of our greatest difficulty, we look for the sharpest edge to end our pain and suffering, however like that sword, it is through the heat and fire and years of being beaten that the finest swords in the world are made. If you remember, when you feel that there is no hope, if you only wish for the end to take you, remember that you are the samurai sword and nothing can stop you after you get through this"
6 weeks ago it began. My 2008-2009 track and field season had come to a close, I was studying feveriously for my GMAT's, and I was enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation. A mere two days into my vacation the phone rings. It is my mentor and former Director of Marketing at Wrigley. He informs me of a job opportunity and requests I send in my resume and express my interest. I follow the instructions and within a week I have been blessed with employment.
The job is with the world's largest urban adventure series City Chase (http://www.mitsubishicitychase.com/). Think of the amazing race but through a more urban landscape. It attracts thousands of participants each year and continues to grow. I have been hired to market an extension of the program entitled Campus Chase(http://www.campuschase.ca/). We will have 9 events across Canada starting in Vancouver October 7th, 2009. It is not an easy task but I know I am up for the challenge.
I have begun this blog to document each of the events. Through video's, photo's, texts, and tweets I hope to give some an idea of the world of event marketing.
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