Late Friday afternoon we were thrilled to get the call from Small Business BC to let us know we had made it to the final round for the Small Business BC Successful You Awards. A huge honour for us as Community is at the heart of the work we do at Amuse “we bring people together” is not just a tag line for us, it’s a philosophy and a way of working we hold dear.

The big gala is on Feb 28th and we are thrilled to celebrate with all the other amazing nominees the fabulous work that occurs here in BC by small business owners and their teams. If you’d like to join us please contact Marc Smith @ 604-687-6335 by Feb 2nd as I have a block of tickets available at $49 each a $10 savings from the current price of $59. Let’s celebrate!

How we got here:

Stage #1 – get nominated

Stage #2 – Collect enough votes from the public to be make it to the Top 10

Stage #3 – Fill out the long form application and include 3 letters of support from your peers/community in support of the nomination.

Stage #4 – A panel of judges review the long form applications and score each one. The 5 nominees with the highest scoring applications move on to…

Stage #5 – in front of the panel of judges we make a 5 to 10 minute presentation followed by a Q&A session

Stage #6 – on Feb 28th the award for Best Community Impact is announced!

We are thrilled to announce that Amuse Consulting has been recognized in Small Business BC’s Successful You Awards Best Community Impact category. This is the first year for this category and we are honoured to be recognized to be in the Top 10 from a huge list of nominees.

Community is what drives Amuse Consulting founder Marc Smith and there is no recognition that means more to us than one that honours community spirit. In true community fashion we would not have been able to do this on our own so we would like to take a moment and thank all of our friends, colleagues and clients for their unwavering support over the years.

Behind Amuse is a huge village of suppliers, clients, colleagues and of course friends. Inspiration, support and striving to do better each time is what they help us do and without them there would be no Amuse Community.

Here is the list of the other amazing 9 organizations that we are honoured to be nominated with. Please check them out and if you can support them in the future AWESOME!

In no particular order:

1. Seeds Natural Food Market
2. Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE)
3. Lux Jewels
4. A Little More Good
5. Dance With Me Studio
6. Kit n’ Caboodle Quality Children’s Consignment Ltd.
7. HapiFoods Group Inc. (Holy Crap Cereal)
8. Academic Advantage Tutoring
9. Kids Physio Group

For a full list of all the nominees in all categories click here http://www.successfulyou.ca/vote.

The next step is a long form application from which 5 finalists are selected and interviewed by a panel of judges. The awards are presented Feb 28, 2012 at a gala event at the Pan Pacific Hotel. Hopefully we will see you there!

At the beginning of Nov I was part of Event Camp Vancouver and was asked to be the  Social Media Concierge for the weekend. At that conference one of the many people I met was Terry Coatta the President of AssociCom, a private social networking solution for associations around the world.

Terry was impressed with my grasp of the role of Social Media Concierge and asked if I was willing to do a Live Stream interview with him about the topic of Hybrid Events, Social Media and the role they can play to help Associations grow. So here are clips from that interview. I apologise in advance for some of the sound levels. Just crank up the volume. These may or may not be in order

1. The Role of Social Media Concierge

2. What is a Hybrid Event

3. Every Event is a Hybrid Event

4. Business Models of Associations

5. Hybrid Events for Associations

6. Price of Hybrid Events

7. How to Handle Event Disasters

8. Cocktail Rules for Social Media

With only 3 weeks left until Amuse Consulting Presents Marketing Essentials for Business Owners we’ve just received some major support from 3 Vancouver based businesses. Hootsuite. webnames.ca and High Output Business Network (HOBN) all have come on board to support the seminar and offer some amazing deals to our attendees.

Here are 10 reasons you should sign up now to attend Marketing Essentials:

1. Until Sept 16th get $40 off your registration fee thanks to support from our sponsors. Enter discount code Hootsuite  and $40 will be reduced from the ticket price. You must register by Sept 16th to get this discount.
2. Hootsuite is offering all attendees one month free Hootsuite premium + one month free access to Hootsuite University
3. webnames.ca will be giving every attendee a one year .tel domain. This is your online business card and is very SEO friendly.
4. HOBN will offer one month free membership to its weekly networking events to all attendees. events take place all over the lower mainland and you are welcome to attend any chapter event.
5. George Moen – President of Blenz Coffee, a serial entrepreneur, sought after speaker and all around marketing success story. See what Seth Godin has to say about George Moen http://www.neilgodin.com/marketingdangerouslyblog/2010/06/03/idea-of-the-day-how-did-george-moen-hijack-the-olympics/
6. Matt Astifan a great speaker and known for keeping his talks relevant and inspirational. Matt will really help you understand the Social Science of Facebook and how you can make it work for our business. Here’s what one of Matt’s previous seminar hosts had to say http://www.elevatedmarketing.ca/matt-astifan-webfriendly-review/
7. Kemp Edmonds will show us how we can really use Hootsuite to get the most out of our twitter efforts, from engagement to business intelligence and metrics Hootsuite does it all. Hootsuite is the biggest Vancouver Social Media success story having everyone up to the White House as a client. We are lucky to have them on board.
8. 6 acclaimed speakers promising you relevant actionable presentations that will enable you to take action right away!
9. You are serious about growing your business and taking it to the next level.
10. Commit to success. Register your participation now and begin the next level of success.

When I founded Amuse Consulting in 2004 I knew I could create outstanding events for my clients. What I didn’t realize was how much else I had to know how to do and do well. How do I create a Facebook Fan Page that engages? How do I find time for Twitter? What is a marketing plan? Do I need to worry about Google+? If you are experiencing that pain & marketing yourself & your business is a daunting task, this is a must attend event for you.

I’ve put together some of Vancouver’s leading experts to share their secrets with you. Best of all they all understand the limited time and resources available to business owners like you. Everyone will get something out of this day. The speakers are committed to providing you with inspiration, executable strategies and tools for you to start using first thing Monday morning.

Are ready to take your business marketing to the next level? Sign up now! Tickets are limited and the early bird price of $199 + HST is only good until September 16th.
Here’s your speakers and check out the schedule & topics they will cover below.

Here’s an overview of the day:

• 8:30am registration begins
• 9:00am George Moen Keynote presentation “Businesses today need affordable, traditional & new media solutions to take the friction out of the sales process”
• 9:30am  Derek McCallum “How to maximize your marketing efforts. Key questions to ask about your business to better understand your product offerings & your key target audience”
• 10:30am coffee break
• 10:45am  Matt Astifan “The Social Science of Facebook Marketing”
• 11:45am Lunch and networking
• 12:45pm Kemp Edmonds “Hootsuite & how you can use Twitter to develop key sales connections & business intelligence on your industry & clients”
• 1:45pm  Donna Willon “LinkedIn, the largest Business to Business online networking platform & the power of your profile”
• 2:45pm coffee break
• 3:00pm Bonnie Sainsbury “Google + what is it & how can you utilize the power of Google to propel my business in rankings and search”
• 4:00pm – 5:00pm All the presenters will be back for a Q&A panel session from the audience

Come on you know you have a million of them. Every day I field an endless stream of questions from businesses and organizations that need & want help to make their event that little bit extra special. So I’m asking you what are your burning questions?

Marc Smit

Q&A

Put your question or challenge into the comments box and I’ll compile the list. I’m creating a Tips Tuesday Blog where I will tackle one question each Tuesday and give you the inside scoop from an event professionals perspective. You never know your question and my answer may be featured.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for reading this post even though it isn’t business related.  This post is about my Birthday – and about supporting one of my favourite charities, Qmunity!

I was contemplating what I could differently on July 25th to celebrate my42nd birthday  - I know, I don’t look a day over 29! - and I was at a loss.  In the past, I’ve thrown big birthday bashes, cruised English Bay, and stretched the celebration over multiple weeks having private, intimate dinners with all my closest friends.

For 2011, I wanted something more… meaningful.  Starting in January of this year, I  devoted myself to one charity for the year, giving them 100%  of my volunteer support: www.qmunity.ca.  So, I thought, “Why not combine two of my passions Social Media and Giving Back?” This is where you come in…

Starting today, I’m asking my phenomenal social media connections on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to take a moment to consider the following:

1. Have we engaged one another on any of the social media platforms I’m on?
2. Have I tweeted or posted something which was useful or helpful to you?
3. Have you attended an event I produced which you enjoyed?
4. Have I done any pro bono work for you or a charity/business with which you are involved?
5. Do you just plain like me?

If you answer yes to any of the above, then I would be honoured if you clicked HERE to donate $1 to Qmunity in my name. I don’t expect anything more than a $1. Of course, you are welcome to give more, but all I ask is for $1.  Any gift over $20 receives a tax receipt. My hope is to raise $1500 with your support. Donate now!

This unique birthday idea is made possible thanks to my amazing friends at Global Currents.  If you want to know more about Global Currents and how they are changing the world, please call me as I’ve got a special offer for you if you’d like to explore your own online fundraising.

Thanks again for all your support and for making this the most meaningful birthday, yet!

How you can use twitter more effectively? or

What should you tweet about?

Well, I’ll share ALL my social networking secrets with you on Tuesday September 14.

I’m giving a practical, interactive (and that means bring your laptop) 1 hour session that will walk you along, step by step, from concept to real tweeting. I will demystify Twitter and Facebook and show you how, as a successful entrepreneur, I’ve actually used social media to triple my network, enhance my public profile, and secure better clients. This seminar is for Business Owners & Professionals that would appreciate a hands on, knowledge packed session on how to effectively use Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin for their business.

To fit into your schedule you can choose from 1of 2 classes. Please choose 1 only.

Breakfast Session – 7:30 am to 8:30 am with registration and light networking at 7 am. Free coffee and Wi-Fi will be available for all attendees.

Lunch Session – 12:30pm to 1:30 pm with registration and light networking at 12 noon. Free coffee and Wi-Fi will be available for all attendees. Please feel free to brown bag your lunch.

Marc Smith is the owner of Amuse consulting Inc, A boutique event planning company based in Vancouver that specializes in creating client and staff engagement events. Clients include RBC, VanCity, and A Loving Spoonful to name a few.

Please see the web site for more info on Marc & Amuse Consulting. www.amuseconsulting.ca

Thanks to our Sponsors

Thanks again to all who came out to show their support and of course a huge thank you to all my suppliers and sponsors. Lonsdale Rentals Mobiry Seven 25 Design & Typography House of Q Michi Sushi Road 13 Mozart Bakery & Cafe Hot Wax Mobile Music & Tattoos For Now

The rest of the great photos taken by Cole & Jakob from Nordica Photography can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/amuseconsulting/

Now you may wonder why I’m getting nervous after all I’ve planned over 100+ events since starting Amuse Consulting in 2005 and 6 years of events I planned at all Vancouver Capers Community Market stores. Well the answer is simple, this is a huge milestone both for me personally and for my company and so I’ve really put it all out there.

I’ve lined up a fantastic array of suppliers doing their best work and some neat and nifty surprises that are sure to please and get people talking. It’s an event with a Marc/Amuse twist. To find out some of the special treats in store for you check out an earlier blog from last week.

Something I have not shared yet with  most folks is how truly thankful I am for the amazing support I have received from clients, friends, colleagues, and the fantastic social media world that I dipped my toes into last year. So here is my public thank you in the largest voice I can muster THANK YOU for an amazing 5 years. I really look forward to the next 5 years and beyond.

For those sitting on the fence yes there are a few tickets left. $20 gets you a great evening of fun, of course my thanks, and the knowledge that the money is going to charity. Two in fact Kids Up Front Vancouver & A Loving Spoonful. Buy your ticket here http://amuse5year.eventbrite.com/

So here’s to seeing you on Wednesday May 19th at the Harrison Galleries, at 6pm. I’ll be the one smiling from ear to ear.