Holiday Party Planning is Upon Us!

The clock is counting down, and so are the budgets when it comes to the holiday season of 2009. Recent polls suggest that budgets will be scaled down and festivities will be low profile. According to an outlook by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 62 percent of companies will hold office parties this year, down from 77 percent last year. Two years ago, 90 percent had parties. But even though the mood may be less than cheerful this holiday season, it is imperative to have a year-end get together to celebrate the new year or to meet outside of the office. It boosts moral and can actually increase productivity in the workplace!

When budgets are smaller than previous years, it’s a good idea to look at different ways the cash can be moved around. Scale back on table centrepieces and decorations and put that money toward the entertainment. Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, have a buffet or serve hors d’oeuvres during a late night cocktail party. Have a cash bar or host your event at a local pub/bar. What your guests will appreciate and remember more is the fun they had dancing the night away or laughing along with a great comedian. Share your budget-friendly party ideas in the comments!
Natalie Fournier – Marketing & Communications Expert

Pete Luckett Makes Olympic History!

Canada’s favourite greengrocer, Pete Luckett was one of the 12,000 Canadians chosen to carry the Olympic torch. On Tuesday, November 17th, Pete ran down a section of Connaught Avenue in Halifax as supporters cheered him on. The LimeLight team was there (with fantastic signs, I might add) to support our friend and encourage his important journey. This nation-wide torch relay is now the longest one ever to take place by a host country in Olympic history. This is a 45,000 kilometre relay that is stirring up patriotic and celebratory feelings in all Canadians! We are so proud of Pete and everyone who has, and will be, carrying the torch across Canada. It was so exciting and touching to witness the passing of the flame from torch to torch – a moment we will never forget!
Kim George, President, LimeLight Communications Group Inc

Jill, Pete, Stephanie & Natalie

Pete begins his run!

The torch is coming!

Pete waves as the torch comes his way!

The Greengrocer is ready!

Family Volunteer Day – Make it Every Day!

Saturday, November 21st is Family Volunteer Day – recognizing the importance of lending a hand as a family and helping others. It was implemented to encourage families to support community-oriented projects and designed to showcase the benefits of families working together. As the holiday season quickly approaches, volunteering is definitely on the minds of people across the world. Close to LimeLight’s heart is a variety of organizations, notably Dress for Success and Feed Nova Scotia.  The team at LimeLight has supported Feed NS over the last few years by working in the warehouse in Bedford or participating in their Adopt a Family program. During the holiday season, we hope you lend your support to a charitable organization in your area. Remember, volunteering and supporting these organizations is encouraged all year-long! Have your family make it a tradition year-round and everyone will benefit!
Jill MacKay, Office Manager

Great Big Dig – Awesome Event!

On Saturday night Kim and I attended the Great Big Dig, an event that raises funds for the IWK. Hats off to Jennifer Parkhill and her team at Parkhill Events and to Doug Doucet of RCS for putting together a great event. We booked Bruce Guthro as the featured entertainer for the evening. He performed with his son Dylan…the kid is awesome! The Mellotones were the after party entertainment and as usual they rocked!!!  The events team added a nice touch to the evening with hand written cards from Doug on the tables thanking the guests for their support….sweet idea!!! Stephanie Purcell, Client Services Director  

Meetings Mean Business- say it like you mean it!

If you are in the meetings and events industry- you have no doubt heard this phrase many times in the past year– in ads,  articles, blogs and bi-lines. Meetings Mean Business. Three small words that are critical to our industry. In the ‘new economy’ more than ever we need to help our clients demonstrate the value of meetings, gatherings and face to face contact.  We need to deliver great value, loads of resources and we need to come together as an industry to support one another.

In our gorgeous city of Halifax, I believe we have a strong and vibrant meetings & events community.  Over the next 5 days our city will host a very influential group of delegates from CANSPEP- Canadian Society of Special Event Planners.  They will experience our unique hospitality, show stopping entertainment and local personalities and sight see in a way that is only possible in Nova Scotia. And  hopefully, they will take all of these ideas and insights back to their clients and recommend Halifax as their next event destination.  Pulling off an incredible line-up over five days just can’t happen without huge collaboration from the industry!

As a further testament to the value and impact of meetings, MPI (Meetings Professional International) today released results from the Canadian Economic Impact Study Update. By updating this study, the MPI foundation Canada and CEIS are creating a benchmark for measuring the economic impact of the meetings and events industry to the Canadian Economy.  Now these numbers really mean business!  Check it out!

Kim George, President, LimeLight Communications Group Inc.

Adding a bit of Lunch to your Learn!

Wrapping up the (very fast) month of October the LimeLight gals headed across the harbour for a wonderful Lunch & Learn event Co-Hosted with RCR Hospitality Group. The very successful luncheon was held at Onyx and included a to-die-for Asian inspired meal that we have all been raving about since. Colette Robicheau of Organize Anything gave a fabulous talk sharing with us her Top Ten Productivity Tips. My favourite tip – #8: Plan Rewards. Set a morning goal for yourself, like checking your voicemail before going to get your morning coffee or chat with a co-worker. You’ll be amazed at how productive those first 20 minutes of your day could become.

While attending the event, we noticed a lot of people have now opted for the new hands – off approach. With the recent outbreak of the H1N1 virus it only makes sense that hand shaking has taken a break from the business world. But what is the correct etiquette for turning down a hand shake? Take a look at this article that gives some fun helpful tips on how to politely turn down a hand shake and offers some creative replacements for the hand shake.

If you are interested in more of Colette’s helpful tips or other Lunch & Learn resources – check out the following link where you’ll find everything you need: www.LimeLightGroup.com/Lunch&Learn 

And be sure to check out our Facebook page to see some great photos from the event.

Jill MacKay, Office Manager

What Can Tweeting Do For You?

You may be aware that like most organizations, LimeLight has joined the Twitter community.  It is becoming a widely used communication tool for businesses and regular Joes/Janes to highlight new products and service – or just give a shout-out to your friends and followers.  CNN posted an interesting article today on how five normal people are now leading extraordinary tweeting-lives.  These 5 people are more popular than Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton, having amassed millions of loyal followers who read their tweets daily.  So how do they stand out among the rest?  And how can we use their tips to help us plug our own tweets?

Find your tweet-niche: What interests you?  What does your company want to tell the world?  Ask yourself what you want to gain from tweeting.

Keep it simple: Not just because tweets can only be a maximum of 140 characters, but also to get the point across simply and effectively.   Tweeter Stefanie Michaels says “If you can’t say it in 140 [characters], you shouldn’t be saying it. It’s made me a better writer … because you find a way to get to the point.”

Share links: Use links to promote events and activities your organization may be working on. 

Don’t worry about your numbers:  A smaller following could be more useful to you and actually help connect you with valuable feedback from your fellow tweeters.

Etiquette and trends: When someone follows you, it is polite to follow them back.  You are never obligated to follow someone, however.  This can help make connections between people on your list and give you a visual of who is following who.

Let them  know you’re tweeting: Add a link to your website and share your tweet ID in your email signature or in your newsletters.

Travel tweeter Michaels says of the micro-blogging site: “I’m on all the time. When you start doing this all the time, and you engage [with people], and people know you care – that’s when you grow.  It goes viral very quickly. And once you go viral, you’re golden.”  Tell us how you make tweeting work for you – share your tips in the comments! – Natalie Fournier

A Daily Read with Seth Godin

I subscribe to the daily blog of Seth Godin – marketing and branding genius extraordinaire. If you enjoy quick short reads of business related subjects I’d definitely recommend signing up for his blog. I’ll say I’m a ‘fan’ of Seth Godin in general! That’s a booking engagement I’d love to do some day. If you haven’t read one of his books, pick one up. I posted his Sunday blog because it caught my attention. Enjoy the Read, Stephanie Purcell

Fear of apples

At the farmer’s market the other day, not one but three people (perfect strangers) asked me what sort of apple to buy. What do I look like, some sort of apple expert? Apparently.

In our industrialized world, people are now afraid of apples. Afraid of buying the wrong kind. Afraid of making a purchasing mistake or some sort of pie mistake.

And they’re afraid of your product and your service. Whatever you sell, there are two big reasons people aren’t buying it:

 

 1. They don’t know about it.

2. They’re afraid of it.

If you can get over those two, then you get the chance to prove that they need it and it’s a good value. But as long as people are afraid of what you sell, you’re stuck.

People are afraid of tax accountants, iPods, chiropractors, non-profits, insurance brokers and fancy hotels. They’re afraid of anything with too many choices, too many opportunities to look foolish or to waste time or money.

Hey, they’re even afraid of apples.

Pack an Extra Pair of Socks – We’re Going on a Field Trip!

October kicks off this week and with that comes a chill in the air, sweaters on our backs and long sleeves on our arms.  It also means I have to buy another overpriced city transit pass and pay my rent.  Luckily, I may be able to stretch my dollar all while using my bus pass to take advantage of what else October brings: National Field Day Month!

Studies show that kids learn 85% more when the lesson is reinforced outside of the classroom and the field trip is a great way to teach valuable life skills and career education. So how can adults celebrate this month of learning?  School has been back in session for almost a month and most museums and galleries have grown quiet.  Some have even closed up shop for the season (the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History is closed for the fall due to much needed repairs.)  As you prepare for winter hats and scarves, you can also be hitting the road this weekend and take in a national park to watch the leaves change colours.  Pack a lunch and grab a blanket and enjoy the sites and sounds of fall in your neighbourhood. Whether it’s a bus ride to a local park or an hour drive outside the city to escape to a campsite – it’s the perfect time to learn more about nature!  Look up the nearest corn maze in your province/state and get lost – literally!  It’s also a fantastic way to get everyone working as a team.

Halloween is fast approaching so grab a few friends and head to a used clothing store to pick up a costume.  Dress up as your favourite philosopher, author or hero. That way, you have to do a little research on the person and learn a thing or two. Maybe your neighbourhood is hosting a haunted house with money going to charity!  October is Eat Better, Eat Together Month so why not google a recipie, head to your local market and have a great meal with your family.  Research indicates that children who eat with their families not only have better nutrition, but also do better in school and have fewer behaviour problems.  Plus, you can learn so much about loved ones and encourage communication!  Good food and good conversation – everybody wins!

Fall brings on many field trip possibilites for grown-ups.  Fall fairs, wine festivals, discount summer clothing hunting and outdoor activities.  All it takes is a quick visit to your city’s website to see what’s happening for the month.  In our city of Halifax we have plenty going on: a wine festival, Drum! hits the stage with Symphony Nova Scotia, Bruce Guthro is hosting a songwriter’s circle and Oktoberfest will surely make a big splash when it kicks off on the third.  Alan Frew is even performing at Casino Nova Scotia!  There is so much to do no matter what the weather is like outside your front door!  So pack up a bag for the day and hit the road – you have a field trip to go on in your hometown!
Natalie Fournier, Communications and Marketing Expert

Dress for Success

The team at LimeLight attended a fashion show for Dress for Success on Sunday. It was a fabulous event at the beautiful Halifax Club that featured a Turbine fashion show! The latest trends and a fabulous afternoon. I wasn’t aware how involved Dress for Success was with their clients. They offer educational programs and support along with the personal shopping experience they are well known for. It’s a great organization for individuals to donate clothing, volunteer time and attend their great events. They have a dedicated group of board members who all seem to have a great time donating time to this organization. Check out www.dressforsuccess.org for more info. It’s a great time of year to donate clothes you didn’t wear all summer. Make room in your closet for new things and give to help someone out. If you’re not wearing it…someone should be. Stephanie Purcell, Client Services Director