YYC Communication Events: May 13

After MRU Shift last week, Calgary seems to be taking a break from  events in communications, writing and social media. Get ready for these upcoming events by getting your tickets now:

WordCamp Calgary 2013 – Saturday, May 25 & Sunday, May 26
Calgary Women in Communications Luncheon - Wednesday, May 29
Ladies Learning Code WordPress Workshop – Saturday, June 1
CPRS Brand Leadership – Wednesday, June 5
CPRS Building a Marketing Plan – Thursday, June 6

It’s a beautiful day. Let’s change the world.

The video starts with a man sitting on the sidewalk, somewhere in Scotland. Beside him, a cardboard sign spells out “I’m blind, please help.” The camera pans across people going about their day, laughing and talking. One pedestrian drops a coin on the sidewalk, about a foot away from the blind man, who grasps for it.

Then, something changes. A woman in black stops to write something on the sign. When she leaves, we hear coins begin to clatter on the sidewalk. Pedestrians drop them by the handful in front of the blind man. The woman returns and we see the message she wrote: “It’s a beautiful day, and I can’t see it.” The same thing with different words, for an entirely different effect.

George Herbert Mead said that human beings have the power to shape the world through language, and as communications professionals we know the power of words. While some days might seem like an endless battle against ambiguous headlines, boring press releases and atrocious PowerPoint presentations, we have a part to play in creating a better world. Our actions can be as small as changing the tone of a conversation, and as far-reaching as holding our organizations to ethical standards. Our words can make a difference: to individuals, to organizations and to society as a whole.

Sometimes people don’t know how to get what’s “in here” out, and we have that gift.

Joe Shuker, BAPC Student, Royal Roads University

How do you want to change the world today?

YYC Communication Events: May 6

YYC Communication Events: May 6

Photo above: The crowd at Calgary’s CPRS/IABC Christmas party in 2012.

IABC/Calgary Open Board Meeting
I went to a similar event in the fall of 2012, and it’s a great chance to meet some of the people behind the scenes at your local IABC chapter if you’re a member (IABC: International Association of Business Communicators).
Description: Join the IABC/Calgary chapter for the last open board meeting of the 2012-13 season. We welcome Nadine Nicholson, ABC, CPCC as the guest speaker on the topic of professional coaching and how it can help you with your goals.
When:  Monday, May 6, 2013 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: ENMAX Glenmore Room, 141 50 Ave SE Calgary, AB
Cost: Free
Website

IABC/Calgary “New Member” Event
If you’ve joined up with the IABC within the last year, head over to the Melrose Cafe & Bar to meet with other Calgary IABC members, as well as board members and volunteers.
Description: Welcome to IABC/Calgary! If you’ve joined our chapter in the last year and haven’t yet attended a new member event, we’d love to meet you!
When: Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Where: Melrose Cafe & Bar, 730 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Cost: Free
Website

MRU Shift: 2013 Social Media Revolution (Getting Down to Business)
If you can’t make it in person, be sure to follow the hashtag #mrushift throughout the week.
Description: With every session offering you a chance to actively engage in social media, do, see, touch and maybe even smell the social media experience.
When: Thursday, May 9, 2013 (Registration opens at 8 a.m.)
Where: Ross Glen Hall, Roderick Mah Centre, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB
Cost: $325
Website

Upcoming:

CPRS Brand Leadership – Wednesday, June 5
CPRS Building a Marketing Plan – Thursday, June 6
YYC Communication Events: April 29

YYC Communication Events: April 29

I’m in Victoria this week for my Royal Roads residency (see photo), but there are still some great communication events happening in Calgary. Big shout-out to the Ladies Learning Code event happening this Saturday: if you’re a woman who works in web communications, this is a great opportunity to break into some of the programming aspects of the medium you’re working in.

CANCELLED – How to take an app from idea to market with Rae Mapey
IABC/Calgary brings you an event about building and marketing a new app, from start to finish.
Description: From one idea to one of the best new travel apps available. What’s the recipe for success? Join Rae Mapey, creator of Simply Declare Travel App, for an exclusive Skype event.
When: Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Registration at 11:30 a.m., Luncheon 12 – 1 p.m.
Where: U of C, Downtown Campus
Cost: IABC Members $35, IABC Non-Members $55, IABC Students $25, Student Non-Members $35
Website

Indy i-Cademy: Making Sense of Apple (and other) Technology
DIY office tech for the entrepreneur, including setting up email and other apps across devices and web hosting best practices.
Description: Who remembers when we could “call IT” to get things fixed, or just ask a question? As Indys most of us don’t have that luxury anymore!
When: Friday, May 3, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Where: Community Room Southcentre Mall
Cost: Free hands on session. Limited sitting, registration required.
Website

Ladies Learning Code: Intro to HTML & CSS
I’ve been chatting with the ladies at Chic Geek YYC, and this event sounds fantastic. Learn the basics of HTML & CSS, necessary to work with email marketing and blogging at this all-day event on Saturday.
Description: If you are looking to get your feet wet when it comes to programming, then this is the workshop for you.
When: Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Assembly Coworking Space, 119 – 14th St NW, Suite 400
Cost: $54.49
Website

Upcoming:

Ladies Learning Code, Calgary Edition: Intro to HTML & CSS – Saturday, May 4

IABC/Calgary Open Board Meeting – Monday, May 6

IABC/Calgary “New Member” Event – Wednesday, May 8

CPRS Brand Leadership – Wednesday, June 5
CPRS Building a Marketing Plan – Thursday, June 6

YYC Communication Events: April 8

Welcome back to your list of Calgary events in writing, social media, communications and marketing. I eased out of doing these in January to prep for Royal Roads (and I thought I wouldn’t have time for them once I started school), but I really enjoy keeping track of the cool things that are happening in Calgary. You can expect a list of YYC Communication Events every Monday.

Did I miss your event? Leave me a note in the comments.

ZEDS Comic Communications: Wit & Writing for Women
I went to the co-ed version of this class back in February, and it was fantastic. This might ruin the surprise, but the scariest part of the co-ed class was first thing, when we had to ad-lib about a random topic in front of the microphone (“Babies”). That made it easy going forward, when ZEDS broke down the rules of comedy piece-by-piece for us to practice.
Description: If you’re a woman interested in learning how to apply the skills of standup comedy to your social and professional interactions and your writing in a female-friendly setting, come on down!
When: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: ING Direct Cafe, 660 6 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Cost: $5
Register here

Derek Wilken, ZEDS Comic Communications

Derek Wilken, Creative Direction at ZEDS Comic Communications, at the co-ed event on February 25, 2013. Photo credit: ZEDS Comic Communications

Upcoming:

The Skills of Comic Writing – Monday, April 22

Ladies Learning Code, Calgary Edition: Intro to HTML & CSS – Saturday, May 4

What the heck is this Royal Roads thing?

It can be tough to schedule D&D sessions around someone who’s only available on Saturdays, but that’s my rule. Fun things can happen on one day of the week, because on Sundays and weekday evenings, I’m doing homework. As of Tuesday, April 2, I am neck-deep in my first set of classes at Royal Roads University (and loving it).

The “blended” program I’m taking at Royal Roads doesn’t provide the same experience as your traditional bachelor’s degree (it’s geared towards people who are working or otherwise engaged in real life). I’ve confused enough people in conversation with the details of how this is going to work that I’m put together a FAQ for my friends, family and readers. Read More…

Bottle Run! Making time for spring cleaning

Bottle Run! Making time for spring cleaning

Everyone from budget bloggers to environmental advocates will tell you that disposable plastic water bottles are bad. What they don’t mention is that crinkly, sticky, smelly bags of them will pile up in your basement month after month until the cats can’t get to the litter box.

A slight exaggeration, but only because we have a big basement.

Whether you need to build a website, do your taxes or empty out your basement, all sorts of things we don’t want to do still need to get done. So after fifteen months or so of letting blue-bagged cans and bottles reproduce, we designated one Saturday last month “Bottle Run Day.” A certain writer, accountant and housekeeper for cats and I hauled 17 gigantic bags of bottles and cans out to the borrowed truck and had them piled to the ceiling before we realized it would take more than one trip.

It wasn’t too bad, actually. After a few minutes of confusion at the bottle depot, I was tearing open and emptying bags onto the counter for counting and Glynn was bringing bags in from the truck. The cashier counted out fifties at the cash register. Rinse, repeat, no more bottles in the basement.

In that spirit, here are three things you can do to accomplish your own unavoidable chore:

  1. Make a commitment. A week before Bottle Run Day, Glynn called up his parents and asked to borrow their truck. In that moment, Bottle Run Day became official—there was no escaping it. Takeaway: hire a web designer, talk to an accountant, borrow a truck. Make a commitment and leave yourself no choice but to follow through.
  2. Have a plan. Don’t run in two different directions when you get to your metaphorical bottle depot. Do some research on what you need in a website, put all your receipts in one shoebox, have your bottles packed and ready to go. And if you have a plan that will keep you from having to stand in line with six cubic metres of bottles, make sure to communicate that to the rest of your team. Which brings us to…
  3. Don’t go it alone. One person can make the plans and the other person can shove them out the door, but more likely everyone will end up doing a bit of both. Whatever you do, don’t suddenly disappear on the other person with the assumption that they know what you’re planning (while I went to get us a spot in line, Glynn was trying to figure out where I had disappeared to. And I’m supposed to be the communications specialist.)

At least now we have somewhere to put our Christmas decorations. Next weekend’s project will be tackling my website’s About page and putting together an alternate plan for the weekly YYC Communication Events series.

What have you been putting off that really needs to get done this spring? What’s your plan of attack?

YYC Communication Events: Jan 21

YYC Communication Events: Jan 21

IABC/Calgary: Half-Day Social Media Workshop
A workshop on starting a social media program with limited resources.
When: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: University of Calgary, Downtown Campus, 906 – 8th Avenue SW
Cost: Members: $100, Non-Members: $125, Students: $50, Student Non-Members: $75
Website

CPRS/IABC Calgary Independent Entrepreneur’s Half-Day Conference
Today is the last day to register for the entrepreneur-focused conference “You. Your Business. Your Life.” Choose two sessions out of the available presentations on building your brand online, networking, consulting, developing your business and achieving work/life balance.
When: Friday, January 25, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Kahanoff Conference Centre – 105 12 Avenue SE
Cost: Members: $110, Allied Associations: $120, Non-members: $130
Website

Upcoming:

The next Calgary Social Media Breakfast is February 15.

ZEDS Communication’s Valentine’s class is February 12 and their Intro to the Joke class is February 25.

YYC Communication Events: Jan 14

YYC Communication Events: Jan 14

It’s a busy week in Calgary communication events, proving that we must be getting back into the swing of things. I’ll be in hiding with my laptop this week finishing up a side project, but if you’re heading out to one of these events, leave a comment and let me know how it goes!

Wit & Writing for Women
Tomorrow, ZEDS Comic Communications will be hosting their regularly scheduled Wit & Writing for Women session at ING Direct downtown. They’ll be recovering from the holiday season using, well, wit and writing, so check it out if you want to inject some humour into your work and become a better speaker.
When: Tuesday, 15 January 2013 from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: ING Direct Cafe, 660 6 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Cost: $5, register here

No confirmation as of yet as to whether Third Tuesday is going ahead. Keep an eye on the hashtag #TTyyc for updates.

Social Media Breakfast Calgary
SMBYYC #36! This Friday, Calgary’s social media breakfast theme is digital advocacy. Tim Shaw of Amplifi will explain how to use social media as a way to build community and create positive change.
When: Friday, January 18, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Where: WURST Calgary, 2437 – 4th Street SW, Calgary, AB
Cost: Free, register here

2013 Venture Road Show
On Saturday, Design4Change out of Mount Royal University is hosting a day-long event featuring “emotional branding, relationship marketing, launch pad and execution practices” for Calgary startups in the technology space. Visit the event page for details.
When: Saturday, January 19, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Mount Royal University, 4825 Mt Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB
Cost: Free, register here

Upcoming:

IABC Calgary Half-Day Social Media Workshop – Tuesday, January 22

IABC/CPRS You, Your Business, Your Life Entrepreneurship Conference – Friday, January 25

YYC Communication Events: Jan 7

YYC Communication Events: Jan 7

Post-holiday season, let’s look at this week’s events for Calgary communicators:

I’ve mentioned Mobile Mondays before, and today’s January 7 event is all about Mobile Healthcare. Check it out for presentations on the future of healthcare, the impact of mobile on the dental industry and an app demo on health data.

The January session of the Flywheel Reading Series takes place Thursday, January 10 at Pages Books on Kensington (1135 Kensington Road NW). Writers of every literary stripe will be marketing their work through literal word-of-mouth. If the arts are your area, this might be worth checking out.

Toastmasters is holding their one-day annual learning event on Saturday, January 12 at the Shell Training Centre. If you’re unfamiliar with Toastmasters, it’s an organization devoted to helping members develop their oral communication and leadership skills. If you’ve been wanting to brush up on your public speaking, this might be for you.
(Edit: I’m not a Toastmasters member myself, and the group actually recommends that if you’re interested in joining, your best bet is to find a local club with a time that works for you—there’s lots of them—and attend one of their meetings).

Upcoming:

Third Tuesday Calgary (social media club, rarely on Tuesday) – Tuesday, January 15 (unconfirmed)

SMBYYC (Social Media Breakfast Calgary) – Friday, January 18

IABC/CPRS You, Your Business, Your Life Entrepreneurship Conference – Friday, January 25

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