Monthly Archives: April 2009

I’m going to Convergence ’09 on May 11th.

Convergence '09I am very excited about Convergence ’09. It may prove to be one of the best digital marketing events in Vancouver this year. There are three reasons I make this statement.

  1. The keynote speaker is David Plouffe, Campaign Manager, Obama for America
  2. It takes place at the new Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (although it went massively over budget, it is the only LEED certified convention centre in North America)
  3. Last year’s event rocked (and I’m not just saying that because I was on a panel)

Take a look at the program, there are all kinds of great topics.

Here’s a description of the talk by David Plouffe:

After winning the election on November 4, 2008, President Obama called Plouffe “the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.” Credited with achieving one of the biggest upsets in American political history, his campaign generated a brand loyalty program with unprecedented success. Plouffe shares with the audience the election story and the process of developing a winning social media strategy that inspired millions to engage in the Obama campaign.

It takes place on May 11th. The price is $299 for the day, but they have early bird pricing on for $199. You can register for Convergence ’09 here.

Let me know if you’re going… I’ll see you there.

Tune in to "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…"

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...In 1987, my friend Eric Drysdale (now my brother-in-law) gave me a mixed tape full of songs by Elvis Costello, and told me he thought I would love him. Being friends with Eric meant being introduced to amazing music. He has great taste, and a talent for finding new artists. I listened to the tape, liked some songs, didn’t much care for others and that was that.

I didn’t take to Elvis immediately, but Eric’s words stayed with me and when I was travelling through Europe in my year off between high school and university (part of that trip was with Eric), I noticed that Elvis was playing Amsterdam the same time as I was there. I got a ticket and saw a show that changed my life.

I have been to a few concerts in my life that were transformational, transcending above the time and place and material and audience into something amazingly unforgettable. The Elvis Costello show in Amsterdam was one of those times. Eric was right, I fell in love with Elvis and started buying his back catalog, which was a pretty major commitment. Since then Elvis has been in a class apart for me, and his songs resonate, conjuring up times and places for me like no one else.

Recently I heard that Elvis was getting his own talk show. I thought it was a little odd, but he did fill in for David Letterman when the talk show host fell in 2003.

Amy and I have watched the first two episodes of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…, and are incredibly impressed.

It is a show about music and inspiration and connecting with audiences and how songs materialize, made by music lovers for music lovers. It isn’t watered down, and it isn’t the least bit sensationalistic.

Elvis also embraces his own stature as a singer-songwriter of great influence and import and uses it in the show, starting each show with a cover of the guest artist’s material to kick off the show. With another host this might self-aggrandizing., but it IS Elvis Costello after all. He asks insightful questions and has conversations that help you understand the music, the artist, the background and context. In last night’s episode he asked a bunch of questions to each member of The Police individually, which painted a rich picture of the band and then brought them all out and tied it all together. It’s clear he loves doing the show and the moments when he plays live with his guests are like nothing else on TV.

I know the show is being carried on the Sundance Channel in the States. Check it out!

Welcome to the new vancity.com.

Vancity

I am so happy to launch the new look of vancity.com today!

This was truly a team effort: Julie, our recently-departed designer, did an amazing job; Wendy, our usability expert and project manager, shepherded the project through usability testing and led the team wonderfully; and Roberto, one of the newest Canadians, expertly managed a lot of the content and big fixes. Our extended team at Central 1 did all the front end development and did a great job. It’s truly an honour to work with Vancity’s WEB Team (WEB stands for Web Engagement & Banking)!

I already blogged about why we made the changes, so I won’t repeat myself here.

Check it out and tell me what you think.