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SUNSHINE TAHOE DONATES $10,000 TO TAHOE TRUCKEE’S TRAILS & VISTAS!

Published by Christina on April 25th, 2013, in Charitable Giving, General, Recent Projects

Trails & Vistas 10th anniversary art hikes and evening concert will take place Sept. 7 and 8 – reserve your tickets NOW

 

  • WHAT: Experience Art in Nature: Trails & Vistas 10th anniversary art hikes
  • WHEN:  Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013
  • WHERE:  Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on Donner Summit, Tahoe National Forest
  • TICKETS:  $30 adults, $10 children. Only available online at TrailsandVistas.org.

I am so proud to honor the creativity and sheer sense of wonder inherent in Trails & Vistas’ annual art hikes. To recognize and support Nancy Tieken Lopez’ imagination and incredible talent, Sunshine Tahoe has donated $10,000 for Trails & Vistas 10th anniversary. Trails & Vistas’ art hikes blend world-class artistic expression with walking in nature.  Following the public art hikes, local third grade students have the opportunity to experience Trails & Vistas field trips in Donner Park.

10TH ANNIVERSARY ART HIKES & CONCERT

On Sept. 7 & 8, 2013 attendees from around the country will hike along the Pacific Crest Trail on Donner Summit and experience award-winning live music, dance, storytelling, sculpture and painting. The theme for Trails & Vistas 10th anniversary art hikes is “Reflections.” More than 30 participating artists, including musicians, dancers, poets, singers and visual artists, will perform aside stunning alpine lakes and breathtaking vistas. The guided art hikes will be offered every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Advance purchase is highly recommended (the event has sold out every year). Tickets cost $30 for adults and  $10 for children.

In addition to the art hikes, a 10th anniversary concert will take place at the Truckee Regional Park Amphitheatre from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7. Performers include double-neck guitarist Ian Ethan Case from Boston, MA, Reno Taiko Tsurunokai, a Japanese drum group from Reno, NV and the forty-piece San Jose State Symphony Orchestra plus an opening act by Ann Licater, a world flutist from Los Angeles. Artist Susie Alexander from Truckee will paint while the orchestra plays and a ballerina from Inner Rhythms will be painted on stage – both performance art pieces are expected to wow the audience. Concert tickets are available online and are 50 percent off when combined when art hike tickets or $20 for general admission.

After four incredibly successful years running Truckee’s Historical Haunted Tour, a fundraising event conceived, created and produced by Sunshine Tahoe, the October 2013 Tour, has been cancelled. In lieu of the event, Sunshine Tahoe, the founder and producer of the Tour, is donating $10,000 to Trails & Vistas.

“The purpose of Trails & Vistas is to reestablish bonds between individuals and others and individuals and nature. Putting art in this context changes the experience and the audience. We are so grateful for Sunshine Tahoe’s past and ongoing support,” says Nancy Tieken Lopez, Trails & Vistas founder and executive director. “Christina’s valuable contributions – both in expertise, her time and financial support – will undoubtedly culminate in the long term success and ongoing growth of Trails & Vistas.”

ABOUT SUNSHINE TAHOE

From big picture thinking for special events of any size to the logistical minutiae of communications guidelines, crisis management, public relations and advertising support, Sunshine Tahoe excels in the often-overwhelming world of bringing together not-for-profits and the business community.

ABOUT TRAILS & VISTAS

Trails & Vistas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to create experiences of art in nature that inspires environmental awareness. Partnered with Truckee Donner Land Trust, Inner Rhythms Dance Theatre and the KidZone Children’s Museum, Trails & Vistas and the partnering organizations believe the annual art hikes strengthens the ties between the Land Trust and arts organizations in the Lake Tahoe Truckee region and also increases participants’ commitment to building a stronger community and environmental stewardship through creative expression. In addition to art hikes, the organization’s programs include Helping the Wild and contributing an original painting to the 20 mile museum created by the Donner Summit Historical Society. Learn more at trailsandvistas.org.

 

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KIRA CATANZARO NAMED 2013 SCRIPT WRITER AND THEATRE DIRECTOR

Published by Christina on April 15th, 2013, in Charitable Giving, General, Recent Projects

April 25 Update: Truckee’s Historic Haunted Tour has been tabled for 2013, Kira remains on standby if the tour resumes in 2014 and is appreciated and loved by all Trails and Vistas and Historic Haunted Tour Volunteers.

Truckee’s Beloved Historic Haunted Tour is pleased to announce Kira Catanzaro as the 2013 Script Writer and Theatre Director

Theatre arts and storytelling are in Kira Catanzaro’s blood. She began her literary career with a submission to the Connecticut Young Playwrights’ Competition in 1983. Since then she has written in various genres for numerous magazines and newspapers, including Inside Design, Perspectives, Moonshine Ink and The Sonoma Valley Sun. She has also written several poems for Trails and Vistas as well as historical monologues for Historic Haunted Tour.

Kira made her stage debut in Sao Paulo, Brazil at the age of five. With an Honorable Mention at the New England Theatre Festival for her role as Jean Louise in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and several leading roles in high school musical theatre productions, she earned her entre to the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute at New York University. She has performed in Trails and Vistas since 2006 and in Historic Haunted Tour in 2010 and 2011. She is now performing on stage in Sonoma, California, where she resides.

ABOUT TRUCKEE’S HISTORIC HAUNTED TOUR, THURSDAY OCT. 17 AND FRIDAY OCT. 18

Unforeseen events and startling spirits are planned for the 2013 Historical Haunted Tour,” shares Christina Stoever-Young of Sunshine Tahoe, the producer of Truckee’s annual Historical Haunted Tour. “We’ll be kicking off both evenings at Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats and dare you to join us as we embark on a journey like no other in downtown Truckee!”

Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 6 for  $35 / each * 21 years of age and over (no exceptions). The event sells-out within weeks therefore we advise purchasing well in advance.

The 2013 Historical Haunted Tour, produced by Sunshine Tahoe, is a fundraiser for Trails and Vistas. Sponsorship, ticket sales and raffle revenue offer Trails and Vistas operating revenue to continue their mission within the community. For more information visit truckeehistorytour.com or call (775) 527-4485.

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PUT YOUR LOVE OF DRAMA TO THE TEST

Published by Christina on March 19th, 2013, in Recent Projects, Startups

Call for Actors

Seeking submissions for Actors for the Historical Haunted Tour of Truckee, October 17 & 18, 2013

Actors and other performing artists are invited to submit ideas and work samples for the Historical Haunted Tour of Truckee, Califonia. We need your talent to showcase Truckee’s Wild West Historical Haunts!

Nurse welcoming group to the basement of Truckee's First Hospital

This adult only fundraiser is one of our town’s most talked about events – Truckee’s Historical Haunted Tour on Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18, 2013!

Sold out for the last four years in a row, the walking tour skillfully combines historical insights and haunted tales with short skits or songs of 5 minutes long. Along the way, guests learn about the history of the building, spooky tales or tantalizing scandals. Historical research will be given to the site actors to write a short script in late June.

Submission Details *Actors need to be over 21 years old.

Submission deadline is April 15, 2013.

Inquires should be directed to:

Maria Jones, Board of Director for Trails & Vistas

Maria Jones email: maria@trailsandvistas.org

or phone: (530) 448-3056

About Trails and Vistas

All event proceeds of the Historical Haunted Tour will support Trails and Vistas, a not-for-profit providing 10-years of art, music and awareness of land preservation to the region through its nationally renowned Annual Art Hike, and art in nature field trips for local third grade students.

Trails and Vistas is a 501(c) (3) organization that combines walking in nature with artistic expression in the majestic Sierra Nevada. The organization’s mission is to create art experiences in nature that inspire awareness and land stewardship. Each of the 23 hiking groups in the annual September art-hike is guided by a Trail Leader, and historically, the art-hike sells out by mid-August. To learn more about Trails and Vistas, visit www.trailsandvistas.org or email info@trailsandvistas.org for more information.

 

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Let’s Get Real

Published by Christina on January 9th, 2013, in Career Advice, General, Social Media, Startups

Four years ago, while walking with a spring in my step after an incredibly informative conference day at AdTech, I stopped at Banana Republic. At that very moment, my phone rang… I was thrilled to see a familiar name behind the ring and then it hit me like a baseball bat – shopping at Banana Republic was no longer going to be a part of my individual freedom. I was about to be swallowed by their future advertising. Suddenly I felt less free and, to be honest, a little paranoid.

The phone I was carrying allowed me to stay in touch with my family and business in a moment’s notice. It gave me directions to just about anywhere in the world and if I had the right model, allowed me to spend ample time shopping on the internet.

What I had just learned was this device was going to be a big part of my future marketing campaigns. Yes, if I was at Starbucks Coffee they would send me a text when I walked in the door offering me a discount on my favorite latte. When I visited Banana Republic I would receive a message letting me know the style of shirt I purchased last spring was available in new spring colors and in “my” size.

My senses were overloaded as I struggled to grasp this next phase in social media, and I immediately wanted to know how I could implement these tools into future programming. Four years forward and we now reference the quickly developing tactic as Real-Time Marketing.

I’d like to share a story of a few examples of this trending tactic in the world of social marketing. As you read the examples, I encourage you to read between the lines. Are any of these tactics one you can incorporate into your programming? Would it behoove you to re-adjust your strategy by doing so? Do you have an upcoming event that would allow you to test a real-time marketing strategy?  How are you measuring your current social media efforts?

This is a guest contribution by Rebecca Lieb, an analyst at Altimeter Group who covers digital advertising and media, an area that encompasses brands, publishers, agencies, and technology vendors. You can follow her on Twitter @lieblink.

How Real Companies Are Leveraging the Power of Real-Time Marketing

That’s all well and good, but in the real world, how are marketers working in real time? There are lots of examples from brands you probably recognize, and most break into one of two buckets: event driven, and customer driven. The former category is what this post will focus on. Event driven real-time marketing embraces public events — think a major sporting event, the Oscars, or Fashion Week. Brand events like trade shows or product launches fall into this category, too. You can even count breaking news in this bucket. Let’s review seven examples of real brands going real-time with their marketing to spark your creativity.

Pepsi During Fashion Week 2011

Pepsi launched their Diet Pepsi skinny during Fashion Week 2011. Rather than advertise, the product was integrated into the event. Pepsi hired a journalist with full press credentials to the event. When she published, Pepsi amplified the content on social channels and also used Twitter and Foursquare to flag notable events. Brand positioning: “get the skinny” on fashion and pop culture.

Pizza Hut & Foursquare Team Up During the Super Bowl

People who checked in to the game unlocked a ‘Super Swarm Sunday’ badge with an offer: “spend $10, get $5 off” at Pizza Hut when paying with American Express. As of 6:20pm EST, 175,365 people had checked in (the number was growing by 1,000 per minute). By the time the badge expired, 303,445 people had checked in.

Oxygen Network Pilots OxygenLive

With over 2 million viewers per episode, “Bad Girls Club” is the Oxygen Network’s top show. Early in its fourth season, the network piloted “OxygenLive” on the East Coast. The show, a “social viewing party” with talent from the show, pulled comments and conversations from social networks into a hub. Ratings for adults 18-49 were up 92% from the previous season in the East, while in the West, where “OxygenLive” didn’t air, ratings rose a mere 14%.

Walgreens’ SoLoMo Foursquare Program

Customer driven real-time marketing tends to be customer service focused. In fact, new research from The Social Habit finds consumers reaching out to companies on social channels expect a response within 60 minutes. That’s why it’s freat that Walgreens’ SoLoMo (social, local, mobile) Foursquare program reaches in-store shoppers. Consumers who check in at a Walgreens location on Foursquare instantly receive a coupon for a special offer. Even more innovative: the coupon can be scanned directly from the phone.

Pretzel Crisps’ “Social Sampling” Program

This real-time program monitors Twitter conversations to identify customers who are “in need of a snack.” @PretzelCrisps offers to deliver a free product sample, often with a follow-up that encourages recipients to share feedback and start conversations about the brand. Pretzel Crisps has garnered over 4.2 million earned media impressions since the launch of the program in July 2010, has delivered some 3,600 free samples to consumers, and the company has seen sales increase up to 87 percent over the previous year.

@ChicagoCabbie Generates Repeat Business With Real-Time

The man managing #ChicagoCabbie proves you don’t have to be a big brand to get a big bang out of real-time marketing. The Twitter handle belongs to cabbie Rashid Temuri, who gets 90-95% of his repeat business through social media channels, primarily Twitter. Customers can follow him and check his location on Google Latitude or Find My Friends. When they need a cab, they know if he’s nearby and can tweet for a ride. Bonus: free WiFi in his cab!

EuroControl Oversees European Air Safety

During the Icelandic volcanic eruption in 2010 that grounded all flights in the region, their homepage featured updated maps of the volcanic ash movement, explaining the implications. They updated their Facebook page, Twitter account, and relevant LinkedIn groups with useful information for travelers. They consistently used Twitter hashtags #euva and #ashtag to inform customers. After introducing the hashtags, customers themselves started sharing stories and tips with them.

Getting Real About Implementing Real-Time Marketing

Larger organizations dedicate significant resources to real-time marketing. Applebee’s has 7,000 employees in 1,000 locations handling real-time at a local and community level. Dell and Gatorade have vast listening centers equipped with sophisticated listening technology to measure brand sentiment. But all real-time strategies, large or small, begin with listening and learning — long before talking or doing. Measuring conversations and sentiment is the first step in determining how real-time programs will develop. You can start with free monitoring tools, or invest in one of the many paid social media monitoring technologies.

The highest cost of real-time marketing can be the team that makes it happen. After all, always-on means 24/7 staffing. Arm teams with the necessary tools, and train them to respond in accordance with social media policies and in the brand’s voice. Most importantly, empower them to work in an agile environment, free of the chain-of-approval strictures that are completely antithetical to real-time marketing.

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33696/7-Inspiring-Examples-of-Real-Time-Marketing-in-Action.aspx#ixzz2HWu2tfWt

My head is spinning and I’m excited about the future of our industry. It continues to unravel on a daily basis and I can’t help but think about ways to implement these strategies. As I prepare to head out for a meeting in my car, which is very low on gas, I’m curious – is my car directing me to the nearest gas station?  Or, is it sending me to the nearest gas station paying the car manufacturer to direct me?

It’s definitely getting real…

 

 

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$16,000 Raised, Over 400 Spooked!

Published by Christina on November 5th, 2012, in Charitable Giving, Recent Projects

Sold out four years in a row, Truckee’s Historical Haunted Tour has raised more than $31,000 total for Trails & Vistas and the Truckee Donner Historical Society since 2009. 

Mrs. Marshall & Ghost from Wells Fargo & Co. Haunted Express Car #5

By Nicole Cheslock

 

 

 

The Historical Haunted Tour began as an experiment by Sunshine Tahoe to support two nonprofit organizations and give an economic boost to historic Truckee during the traditionally slow month of October. It has proven to be a successful fundraising initiative and favorite annual activity. In 2009, 70 tickets were available – the tour sold out three weeks in advance. In 2010, 140 tickets were offered. Once again the tour sold out weeks in advance. In 2011, every resource was stretched to the max, and more than 290 tickets were sold. This year more than 400 people from near and far attended the guided walking tour and enjoyed wine at Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats!

2012 Highlights
• Raised $16,000 through cash sponsors, admission and raffle ticket    sales
• Record 400 attendees
• Haunts: Downtown Mountain Home Center, Coffeebar, MOBO Law, Scraps Dog Bakery, Old Jail Museum and The Pour House.

Regulators Taking over Moody's

“We captivate a crowd with engaging stories about Truckee,” shares event producer Christina Stoever-Young of Sunshine Tahoe who attributes the tour’s success to the incredible talent and dedication offered by all of the volunteers and sponsors.

Pre event coverage contributed to another sold out event. Thank you to all of the Tour’s media partners - The Weekly, Moonshine Ink, Sierra Sun and Tahoe Truckee Radio – and everyone who found this news worth covering! Special thanks to Sac Bee, 7 x 7, Cap Radio, Tahoe Culture and LifestyleandCharity.com.

The Historical Haunted Tour, produced by Sunshine Tahoe, is an annual fundraiser that celebrates local history with a fun and spooky twist. The script skillfully weaves together previously untold stories from the past with dramatic twists and new haunts every year. Sunshine Tahoe attribute the Tour’s success and popularity to engaging storytelling and high quality performances plus generous community support. Sponsorship, ticket sales and raffle revenue offer the nonprofit beneficiaries operating revenue for field trips, arts and historic preservation. For more information visit truckeehistorytour.com or call Sunshine Tahoe at (775) 527-4485.  Photo credit – Rob Retting, visit our online image gallery @ Rob Retting Images.

Truckee Hospital Nurse from 1907

Watch a preview compliments of event sponsor Tahoe TV.Truckee\’s Historic Haunted Tour 2012

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A Hauntingly Good Time

Published by Christina on September 27th, 2012, in Recent Projects

Join us for a night you won’t soon forget. Only a few tickets are still available, don’t miss out…

SPONSORS CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESS OF HALLOWEEN-INSPIRED FUNDRAISING EVENT THAT BENEFITS TRUCKEE DONNER HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND TRAILS & VISTAS

Truckee, CA’s fourth annual Historical Haunted Tour offers an evening complete with entertaining storytelling, merriment and prize-packed raffle to raise funds for the Truckee Donner Historical Society and Trails & Vistas on Thursday, Oct. 18 and Friday, Oct. 19.

  • What:  Historical Haunted Tour
  • Where:  Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats, 10007 Bridge Street, Truckee, CA 96161
  • When: 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18 and 19. Tours depart every 15 minutes, last approximately two hours
  • Tickets:  $35 at truckeehistorytour.com

“The Tour is such a success based on the generosity of our incredible sponsors and raffle donors and the tremendous contributions made by more than sixty talented volunteers,” shares Christina Stoever-Young of Sunshine Tahoe, the producer of Truckee’s annual sell out
fundraising event.

The Historical Haunted Tour features frightening tales with an entertaining twist and treats galore. Each attendee will receive a flashlight key chain thanks to the generosity of Mountain Home Center, and, everyone who completed a brief survey will receive a $10 Squeeze In coupon. In addition, tour attendees will enjoy a 10 percent discount off their dining bill at Moody’s (food only).

The adults-only tour features stops at many historic gems including Bespoke, Coffee Bar, downtown Mountain Home Center, MOBO Law, the Old Jail Museum, Scraps Dog Bakery and The Pour House.

“I dare you to join us as we embark on a haunted journey like no other,” invites Stoever-Young who mentioned that more than seventy percent of the tickets have already been purchased but it’s not too late to get in on the raffle. Raffle tickets will be available both evenings of the event at Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats.

2012 Highlights
Visitors and residents alike are encouraged to help support the Historical Haunted Tour’s beneficiaries while vying for unique raffle prizes. The drawing will take place at 9:30 p.m. on Friday at Moody’s (winners do not have to be present to win). For just $5, raffle tickets offer an opportunity to support two nonprofit organizations and a chance to win extraordinary prizes.

  • A weekend at The Richardson House
  • Two nights at The River Street Inn
  • Two nights at The Truckee Hotel
  • Two night stay at the Hampton Inn
  • A vintage English flask compliments of Bespoke
  • Pampered Pooch package from Scraps
  • Dorinda’s Chocolates
  • A KidZone Children’s Museum Membership
  • “Early Morning” Squeeze In gift baskets
  • Walking tour for 6 with Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin
  • A rustic walking stick and admission to Trails & Vistas 10th Anniversary Hike
  • Framed vintage photo from Truckee Donner Historical Society
  • $50 Burger Me gift coupon
  • Surprise Historical Haunted Tour Souvenirs

Treats for Children
The KidZone Children’s Museum in Truckee is offering a special hands-on Halloween science night including a pizza dinner for ages 5 and up from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18. The cost is $20 per child with a discounted cost of $15 for additional siblings for Tour attendees. Call (530) 587-5437 to reserve a place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year’s sponsors include The Richardson House, Spin Games, Sunshine Tahoe, Truckee Donner Historical Society, Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats, Squeeze In and KidZone Children’s Museum. Media partners include Tahoe TV, Moonshine Ink, The Weekly, Sierra Sun and KTKE.

ABOUT TRUCKEE’S 2012 HISTROICAL HAUNTED TOUR
The 2012 Historical Haunted Tour, produced by Sunshine Tahoe, is a fundraiser for the Truckee Donner Historical Society and Trails & Vistas. Sponsorship, ticket sales and raffle revenue offer the two Truckee-based nonprofits operating revenue to continue their missions
for the community. The tour has raised more than $15,000 for the two nonprofits over the last three years. Admission is $35 per person and includes a complimentary glass of wine.

Tickets and more information are available at truckeehistorytour.com.

 

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TRAILS & VISTAS 2012 PREPARING FOR SELL-OUT

Published by Christina on August 19th, 2012, in Recent Projects

TICKETS ARE GOING FAST!

BOOK NOW FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 8 OR SUNDAY, SEPT. 9

Trail & Vistas is the only guided hike of its kind!

Celebrating it’s 9th year, Trails’ is once again aligning the stars to enchant you on a hike like no other. As this is a sell-out event, I strongly encourage you to BUY TICKETS now to ensure your participation in one of the year’s most popular events. To boot, my lovely sister, “Erika Miss America” will join an entourage of the nation’s most celebrated artists.  I hope to see you on the trail. – Christina


Beloved Chief Red Hawk with InnerRhythms Dancer on Donner Summit, photo credit Scott Thompson

What: Trails and Vistas 2012 art hikes

Where: Donner Ski Ranch, 19320 Donner Pass Road, Norden, CA  (10 minutes from Truckee, CA)

When: Saturday, Sept. 8 and Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012

Theme: The Dreaming Tree

Tickets: Available online at www.trailsandvistas.org. $30 general admission, $10 ages 5 to 12 years old.

 

 

 

Nonprofit organization Trails and Vistas announces Tahoe Truckee art hikes overlooking Donner Lake and the Sierra on September 8 and 9, 2012 at Donner Ski Ranch. Attendees will experience rare live musical performances, original dances, poetry readings, storytelling and installation art along a guided, moderate two-mile hike that creatively blends art and nature. The theme for the 2012 art hikes is  “The Dreaming Tree.”

Trails and Vistas performances are the only guided art hikes of their kind throughout the state. Thirty talented artists and sixty volunteers collaborate to present the signature art hikes. Artists range from world musicians and dancers to storytellers and visual artists.

Attendees chose from one of the morning or afternoon scheduled art hikes and begin a two and a half hour guided adventure through the natural world. Host sponsor Donner Ski Ranch offers sweeping views and a relaxing place to enjoy refreshments before or after the hike.

“I often state that although our modern technology is wonderful, it has changed the way people interact and connect. Technological connections are not the same as physical connections. Many of us know this but the act of ‘disconnecting’ technically is so profoundly hard to do. Trails and Vistas brings that to the forefront – allowing even for just a few hours a chance to reconnect physically to each other, to the earth, and to what is truly important in our lives,” shares Patty Baird, co-owner of The Cedar House Sport Hotel, a Trails and Vistas sponsor.

The advance ticket cost for the art hikes is $30 general admission and $10 for ages 5 to 12 years old. Organizers encourage people to purchase tickets this month because the hikes often sell out in advance. If there are tickets available the day of the hike, the cost is $40. Visit www.trailsandvistas.org for tickets and more information.

2012 Artist highlights

VISUAL ART

“My art is about connection – to a place, to the earth, to people’s lives. The Dreaming Tree art hikes are sure to inspire, surprise and delight our senses,” shares Nancy Tieken Lopez, Trails and Vistas’ artistic and executive director who began designing art hikes while earning a Masters of Fine Arts from San Jose State University fifteen years ago.

Illustrator and sculptor Angelique Benicio will bring an element of mystery and magic to The Dreaming Tree.

POETRY AND STORYTELLING

“Native American music, especially drums, rattles and chants are a part of my culture, and, growing up, music was always inside my heart and soul,” shares Blackhawk, a 2012 art hike participant who learned music from his uncle Guy Many Horses and his grandfather Two Feathers. At the age of twenty-two, Blackhawk moved from music to become a professional kick boxer, winning four world kickboxing titles and earning an eighth degree Black Belt in karate. Now retired from kickboxing and living in Utah, Blackhawk is back in the studio sharing stories through his music. For the 2006 Trails and Vistas art hike Blackhawk shared his karate knowledge on top of a giant boulder, silently moving with power and fluidity. Blackhawk will be storytelling and playing his 12-string guitar in honor of his brother Red Hawk, a long time art hike artist, who passed away last year.

Trails and Vistas also showcases local creative talent. Poet and dancer Jean Louise Fournier has performed her poetry at Trails and Vistas for the past four years and will return with movements that show a strong connection to place. Kira Catanzaro is a performance artist and writer who has performed in Trails and Vistas since 2006. Catanzaro explains, “I turn to Mother Earth for restoration. She is my nourishment, my comfort, my teacher and my joy. I secure my roots to her heart and open my crown to share her abundant inspiration.” Her poems are an invitation to step off of the path of the mundane and into the realms of the mystic. Cathee vanRossem-St.Clair, artist, poet, storyteller and artist-in-residence for Arts For the Schools says, “Since I lifted my first crayon, storytelling and language — the language of birds, the language of the earth, and the silent language we humans use to interact with our inner and outer landscapes– have fed my art. Images from dreams, observations, and quirky musings push their way into my sketchbooks to this day.”

Aimee Lowenstern will be performing an original poem at The Dreaming Tree. After attending a previous Trails and Vistas’ hike her passion for art in nature soared and, as a Sierra School of Performing Arts student, she is one of Trails and Vistas youngest performers.

DANCE

New for The Dreaming Tree art hikes is Sonja Brodt who founded Ecokinesis Dance Company and blends science and art by drawing inspiration from her career in the environmental and agricultural sciences at the University of California, Davis and from the dance traditions she has studied around the U.S. and Asia/Pacific region. Ecokinesis Dance Company seeks to increase an understanding and appreciation of the natural environment. The company fuses elements from ballet and modern dance, Hawaiian hula, East Indian folk dance and Japanese butoh to create movement that is “eloquent and flowing,” says Rasmi Simhan, Sacramento Bee Arts Critic. Meri Superak, who plays a stunning native flute, will accompany her.

A San Francisco Bay Area native, Lesley Ehrenfeld Chapman performed “The Trees Have Eyes,” her first piece for Trails and Vistas last year at Spooner Lake. When performing in nature, Chapman looks to the environment for inspiration. Her installation for The Dreaming Tree will combine sculpture, movement and mythology. “Lesley is sure to delight our eyes and imagination with grace and discovery,” promises Lopez.

InnerRhythms Dance Theatre brings unforgettable performances to Trails and Vistas each year. Elizabeth Archer is the artistic and executive director of the Truckee-based dance company as well as the performance director for Trails and Vistas art hikes. Archer and InnerRythms co-founder Sheri Woodsgreen will choreograph two pieces that will dazzle with beauty and breadth of dance for The Dreaming Tree.

MUSIC

New for 2012 are Billy Bensing and Kellie Garmire. Bensing, whose beautiful and passionate vocals have been compared to James Taylor and Neil Young, has spent much of his life traveling the world and sharing his talents as a singer and songwriter with guitar and mandolin. At the age of 16, along with his sisters and mother, Bensing moved to Paris, France. Guitar in hand he immersed himself in the language and culture. After three years his family moved to Sydney Australia. Settling in Sydney, Bensing continued writing songs and performing. Determined to pursue his song-writing career, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he recorded and performed successfully for several years. Yearning for a more tranquil and natural lifestyle, Bensing visited the Sierra Nevada foothills where he found what he was looking for and settled in Grass Valley. He quickly found steady work and began to network with other musicians. In 2005 his collaboration with Mary Youngblood, the renowned American Indian flutist, was featured in a Grammy Award winning CD called “Dance with the Wind.” Born in Chico and raised in the Central Valley, Kellie Garmire relishes in the creativity that music and song bring to her life. She will perform with Bensing.

Also new for The Dreaming Tree is classical guitarist Louis Valentine Johnson who has performed as a soloist throughout the US, Europe and South America and has collaborated with symphony orchestras and gifted musicians from all over the world.

World musician Emily Tessmer will return to Trails and Vistas 2012. She is a Truckee resident and explains, “I believe that we are living in very special times where sharing your light with the world is of the utmost importance. Music is the language of the heart, which transcends all time and space, and with a gentle hand can remind one of their divine essence.” She has been writing, recording and performing music for 17 years.

On Sunday, the Banana Slug String Band from Santa Cruz will also perform. The band has played at hundreds of venues across the country and Canada, and their playful tunes explore environment stewardship. Families with children will especially enjoy the fun band.

The Dreaming Tree host sponsor is Donner Ski Ranch. Additional sponsors include The Cedar House Sport Hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites, Kelly Brothers Painting, Moody’s Bistro & Beats, The Richardson House, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, The Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce and The Truckee Hotel. Media partners include Cap Radio, 101.5, Moonshine Ink, Sierra Sun and The Weekly.

Visit www.trailsandvistas.org for the most up to date event news and list of 2012 participating artists.

About Trails and Vistas

Trails and Vistas is a non-profit organization based in Truckee, CA. Nancy Tieken Lopez started art hikes while earning a Masters of Fine Arts from San Jose State University, and she collaborated with local non-profit organizations to design the first Trails and Vistas art hike in 2004. Trails and Vistas’ mission is to create art experiences in nature that inspire environmental awareness. The distinctive art hikes are a collaborative effort led by founder and artistic director Nancy Tieken Lopez and co-director Elizabeth Archer with vital support from volunteers and regional environment and arts organizations including the Truckee Donner Land Trust, InnerRhythms Dance Theatre and the KidZone Museum. Visit www.trailsandvistas.org for tickets and more information.

 

 

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Marketing to Yourself – or Your Customer?

Published by Christina on July 17th, 2012, in Career Advice, General

B2B Sales Pros Not Satisfied with Content in Campaigns

RESEARCH BRIEF FROM THE CENTER FOR MEDIA RESEARCH

According to a survey from Corporate Visions, 80% of B2B marketing and sales professionals say their demand generation campaigns are ineffective to semi-ineffective, Among those, content is the biggest challenge. 37% say the single most important factor hampering successful demand generation campaigns is “… (it) isn’t engaging or provocative,” while 31% cite a lack of sales and marketing alignment, and 12% cite budget constraints.

Reasons For Ineffective Demand Generation Campaigns (Of Those Responding Ineffective)
Reason % of Respondents
Content isn’t engaging or provocative 37%
Lack of marketing/sales alignment 31
Budget constraints 12
Not enough content 9
Lack of executive buy-in 8
Source: Corporate Visions, July 2012

Moreover, campaign messaging lacks a customer focus, says the report. 60% of B2B marketing and sales professionals say their organization’s demand generation campaigns focus solely on their own company’s products, features, and services, rather than focusing on their customers’ pain points.

As a result, nearly two-thirds (65%) of sales-specific respondents say their sales teams use less than one-half of the demand generation content their marketing department produces.

Tim Riesterer, chief strategy and marketing officer for Corporate Visions, concludes that “… survey results… show us that organizations are facing serious challenges when it comes to creating and executing effective demand generation campaigns… creating engaging content and developing messages that clearly address customer pain points… “

About the data: Findings are from Corporate Visions’ Q2 2012 Sales and Marketing Messaging Report, based on a poll of more than 440 B2B salespeople and marketers in the second quarter of 2012.

Notes from Christina: If you have an internal sales team that interacts well with your customers you are doing yourself a disservice by creating and executing programs and marketing campaigns without their input. Although it’s often a hard tablet to swallow, a savvy internal sales team will know more than anyone in your business about the nuts and bulbs of your brand. Let them participate and soak in the success that will surely follow. Let’s be clear, your internal sales team isn’t always packaged as such – it can be your employees on the floor everyday, staff directly interacting with customers, your volunteers and even your board of directors.

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BRANDING BY NATURE

Published by Christina on June 26th, 2012, in Career Advice, Startups

Dream Marketing

Have you met Winter?  She’s a Leonberger. Yes, Leonberger. The name is a derivative of Leonberg, Germany. The breed was created to look like lions in the late 1700’s to guard grand castles and large estates throughout southern Europe. Furthermore, they had a second role: to be a loving and loyal family companion.

In an effort to achieve each trait, multiple breeds were bred with one another, and alas! Perfection was achieved. The cross between a St. Bernard, Great Pyrenees and Newfoundland gave the noble gents their “ideal” dog, and thus the Leonberger was born.

They enjoyed a high social status for many decades and were only owned by those of a high social status. And then, war. These hard working, loyal, loving giants were sent in to horrific battles, and thousands were lost. The depleted population began to grow, when once again, war. By the end of World War II, only a few hundred Leonbergers were left, and the breed began to gently fade away.

In the 1980’s, by chance, a group in Germany united for one simple cause: to repopulate the Leonberger population.

Fast forward to the 1990’s. I was backpacking through Europe after college graduation. After a long bus ride to a very small town in Austria, I visited a tiny church that I vowed would be the place I would be married one day. As I turned to walk down the cobblestone path, daydreaming of love and marriage, I encountered an animal that literally took my breath away. What was it? A small pony? A large dog? No, couldn’t be, with all of that long hair. It was pulling a small carriage. A working animal, no doubt, but what?

An incredible dog, affectionately known by locals as a “Leo.”

Almost two decades later, some dreams faded while a great deal were only yet to be realized. Still, like a faint sound in the background, there was something missing.

It was Winter.

Winter is my Leo, and she’s a gem. I found her through a horse and Leo breeder in Washington: Starfire Farms. Beyond being incredibly high maintenance, stubborn and lazy, she is kind, sensitive, protective, and adores children.

Why am I sharing this story? Because I have repeated it more times in the past four years than I have repeated any other story in my lifetime. Whether at either of our homes, in Truckee or Sausalito, I am asked over and over and over and over: “What kind of dog is this?” A Leonberger.

“Is it a male or female?”  Female.

“How much does she weigh?”  150.

“What is her name?”  Winter.

“Is she protective?”  Yes.

“But friendly?”  Very.

“May my children pet her?”  Of course, she loves children (as she kisses their gorgeous faces).

“Are the males bigger?”  Yes, up to 200+ pounds.

“Wow, so tell me now, what is the combination that makes a Leonberger?” St. Bernard, Newfoundland and Great Pyrenees. They were bred to look like lions at noble estates in the 1700’s.

“Really!  Are they AKC recognized?”  Yes.

“Where do you find them?”  Only about 1,500 in the United States.We recommend Starfire Farms.

“Are they good guard dogs” Let’s put it this way, a stranger will not come up our driveway, and she’ll chase a bear or coyote away for miles.

“May I take a photo?” Of course. (She’s been in thousands by now.)

Why do I reference her as a marketer’s dream? If I had a dollar for every time I’ve relayed the series of questions above, I could pay off my car — twice. Is Winter a beauty like Giselle? Nope. Is she Heidi Klum? German with great hair, long legs, and gorgeous eyes yes — but still not Heidi.

Winter is her own marketing machine. She generates more attention than any person, animal or item that I’ve ever seen. There are no prep teams, designer clothes, or stage photo shoots — nor is there product development, market research, or photo shop.

She is a Leonberger — the purest example of the brand in itself. Winter has charisma, swagger, beauty, and most of all, a loving confidence you simply cannot ignore.

Am I biased? Terribly. Is she really “that big of a deal” when out and about? Give me a jingle and you can take her for a spin. And if you’re really smart, you’ll have her wear your logo on a custom made coat. She’ll take care of the rest.

Truckee Thursday

 

 

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Truckee’s Historic Haunted Tour Signs Host Sponsor

Published by Christina on May 22nd, 2012, in Recent Projects

For the 4th year in a row, Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats will graciously serve delightful libations to over 300 tour attendees.

 

We are absolutely thrilled to announce the host sponsor of Truckee’s 2012 Historic Haunted Tour – Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats!

 

Host Sponsor - Moody's Bistro Bar & Beats

Share our gratitude by enjoying Moody’s delicious happy hour or popping in for dinner and letting them know you’ll be back for the 2012 Historical Haunted Tour!

The new and improved venue includes happy hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. daily, wine on tap, pizza, calamari and bison burgers plus spicy octopus crostone, Ahi poke, maple-glazed pork belly and salads.

Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats will offer haunting libation and fare specials for 2012 tour attendees. Keep an eye out for room / vacation home specials at some of our Truckee favorites including The Truckee Hotel, River Street Inn and The Richardson House.

 

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