AYSA Workshops for August Announced July 2, 2009

We are at it again with a line-up of great workshops to help your business or non-profit stand out among the others. Are You Socially Acceptable Workshops are interactive, informative and affordable.

· Hands on Intermediate WordPress Workshop – Thursday, August 27, 2009 / 6pm-9pm

Gangplank HQ
325 E Elliot Rd
Chandler, AZ 85225

Members of our WordPress Workshop have learned to install WP, personalize and theme it, and load and manipulate content. Now that you’ve had time to build your own site, lets take it to the next level with some intermediate techniques.
Learn to use plugins to manipulate menus, bring in social media, boost your RSS feed, and add graphics. Learn how to manage image galleries online, add video, and even boost the SEO of your blog. We’ll cover managing users and subscribers of your site as well as how to write blog posts that sell.
This is an intermediate class open only to those who have previously taken WordPress Workshop. A sense of comfort with the internet and your own computer will be helpful. Attendees may follow along, or actively participate with your wifi enabled laptop.

$79 for small business
$39 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

· Let the World Know – PR, Marketing & Social Media for your Product – Saturday, August 29, 2009 / 9am-4pm

Gangplank HQ
325 E Elliot Rd
Chandler, AZ 85225

Don’t make the same mistakes so many organizations make- save yourself money, time and heartache by knowing how to leverage PR, Marketing and Social Media for your new business. Even if you’ve got a budget to hire a publicist, and marketing department, arm yourself with these valuable knowledge tools so you know who to hire, can be an active participant in the process, and when you’re being taken for a ride.

$79 for small business
$39 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

· Hands-on Social Media Seminar – Sunday, August 30, 2009/ 9am-4pm

Gangplank HQ
325 E Elliot Rd
Chandler, AZ 85225

Social media. Everyone is telling you to follow them on twitter, from your newscaster to your hairdresser. Your daughter is concerned you’ll show up on her facebook account, and you keep getting emails to LinkedIn, but can’t figure out why people love it. You’d love to send photos online! What’s the hype, and doesn’t this all take a lot of time? Every day, people are telling you why you and your company SHOULD be using social media, but no one is telling you HOW to use it. Bring your wifi enabled laptop, sit back and get ready to be shocked at how easy it is to dip into Social Media. We’ll take you through how to set up an account, to how to use it and what neat tools each technology has. We’ll walk through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, and Youtube all in one day. Step by step, at a very quick but fun pace. This is a beginner to intermediate class, but requires you have a wifi enabled laptop (you can follow along without one, but will be at a disadvantage) and are comfortable with your computer and the internet.

$99 for small business
$49 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

· Making Events Happen for Non-Profits- Monday, August 29, 2009 / 9am-12pm

Gateway Community College
room MA1100N
108 N. 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034

Does the idea of planning your organizations next event make you sigh? Does it do the same for your org’s attendees? Maybe your org is planning an event for the first time? Have your past efforts cost, not gained your org donations? Planning an event is an overwhelming job for anyone, but the responsibilities and liabilities that it presents non profits are particularly challenging. Learn how to make your event successful from a technical aspect, including how to plan a theme, to how to budget reasonably, where to spend money, how to gain RSVPs, how to manage volunteers and how handle day of event management. Learn how to solicit donations, including how to craft “ask letters” and how to find people in organizations to solicit. Then learn how to promote and brand the event, from social media like twitter and facebook to online, inexpensive services for printing. Use online management tools to garner more attendees, and solicit after the event donations through promotional items. Attendees will leave the event with a great handle on how to make that next event happen! While ideal for non profits, businesses can benefit from this primer as well.

$79 for small business
$39 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

· Email Marketing that Works – Monday, August 29, 2009 / 1pm-4pm

Gateway Community College
room MA1100N
108 N. 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034

Raise your hand if you or your company:
-sends email newsletters from your email or outlook
-puts more than one email address into the to,cc or bcc field
-attach photos to newsletters
-have no idea who reads your emails
-send more than one email newsletter a week
-send emails that never look right when opened

Guilty of one of these email marketing sins that send your great ideas to the spam folder, put you at risk of violating the law, or just plain don’t communicate your message? Email marketing has been made easy for even those with no HTML knowledge whatsoever. Using exceptionally low cost online accessible tools we can craft effective and well designed emails that appear correctly everywhere. First, learn the “5″ W’s of Email Marketing: Who you should send them to, When you should send them, from Where, Why you should send them, and What they should say. Next, learn how to set up an account, create an email both in dynamic html and text. Next, learn how to track and use the data that the email program gives you to get your message across even better. Attendees will learn where to find resources for creating dynamic email marketing pieces, as well as guidelines for what they should be saying. Attendees will leave the event with a great handle on how to make that next event happen! While ideal for non profits, businesses can benefit from this primer as well.

$79 for small business
$39 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

· Hands-on Elevator Speech- 60 Seconds to Sell – Monday, August 29, 2009 / 9am-12pm

Gateway Community College
room MA1100N
108 N. 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
2 guys step onto an elevator, and one guy says to the other……It’s not a joke- you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and when you’ve got something to sell, whether it’s an idea, a product or a cause-you’ve got to be ready to tell someone your story before you get to the 5th floor. What’s the story of your business? What’s the point of your goal? What is your personality and passion? Learn how to craft a definitive “elevator speech” that tell a story that won’t put your listeners to sleep. Then practice pitching it and hear a critique. Attendees will leave the event with a practiced pitch and advice on how to take that pitch to the right audience.

$79 for small business
$39 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

Famous Dave’s helps July 4th Diamondbacks game June 29, 2009

John Erlandson of Famous Dave's and Wilbur the mascot

FOX SPORTS ARIZONA HONORS THE MILITARY ON JULY 4 DURING ITS ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS/COLORADO ROCKIES TELECAST

FAMOUS DAVE’S BAR-B-QUE DONATES FOOD FOR EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE

For the third consecutive year, FOX Sports Arizona will honor the United States military with its July 4th “This One’s For You” telecast. This year, it takes place during the Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies telecast and coverage begins on Saturday, July 4, at 4:30 p.m. with the Miller Lite Diamondbacks Live pre-game show. The network will be on location at the Arizona National Guard’s 161st Refueling Wing at Sky Harbor Airport, where it will produce both its pre-game and post-game shows live during a Fourth of July party.

“This One’s For You” was created to offer the network’s thanks to the brave men and women who currently serve and have served the United States of America in the military and to remind everyone about the sacrifices these heroes are still making in the Middle East.

Nearly 250 people are expected to come to the event at the 161st Air National Guard Refueling Wing. Families of fallen Soldiers, families from the Arizona Army National Guard’s 123rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (currently in Iraq), Soldiers and Airmen who have previously been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Phoenix Area Air National Guard Color Guard and the Patriot Guard Riders will be in attendance.

A satellite feed from Balad, Iraq, will allow Arizona National Guard Soldiers to interact with their families back in Phoenix throughout the event. FOX Sports Arizona will conduct live interviews with the 123rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment who will be watching the D-backs/Rockies game at its base when it begins at 3 a.m. there. Meanwhile, American troops worldwide will also be able to celebrate July 4 by watching the D-backs & Rockies live via the American Forces Network, which is making FOX Sports Arizona’s telecast available to Department of Defense military, civilian employees and their families stationed overseas and aboard U.S. Navy ships at sea.

This Arizona National Guard unit will watch the game in Balad from the 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs Office Broadcast Studio. While deployed, the Soldiers of the 123rd MPAD provide Public Affairs support to the 3d Sustainment Command Expeditionary. The 3d ESC is responsible for providing all logistical support throughout the Iraqi theater of operations. This is the second time the 123rd MPAD has deployed in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The soldiers of the 123rd MPAD are from the following communities: Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Prescott, Scottsdale, Tempe, Tucson, and Yuma. The unit is also augmented by soldiers from Amsterdam, N.Y.; Los Angeles, Reno and San Diego. More than 5,000 Arizona Army and Air National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have answered the call and been ordered to federal active duty in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom since September 2001.

FOX Sports Arizona’s D-backs announcers Daron Sutton and Tom Candiotti will be able to interact with the troops in Iraq and their families in Phoenix during the game telecast. Brad Steinke, Jody Jackson and Ken Phelps will host the pre and post-game shows at the 161st Refueling Wing and Mark McClune will be on site in Denver for the network’s coverage as well. The D-backs Rally-backs crew and Baxter will also be at the base to entertain the families with the tee ball games, a inflatable speed pitch machine and raffle giveaways.

Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que is donating all the food and drinks that will be served to the families at this event and this effort is another part of its wide-ranging commitment to the military. The local franchise is offering a year-long promotion on Mondays in which all Famous Dave’s Valley locations will provide anyone with a military ID or family military ID a 20% discount on their meal, at any location, any time until December 31, 2009. Famous Dave’s restaurants in the Valley are located in Chandler at 3250 West Frye Road; Peoria at 16148 North 83rd Avenue and Mesa at 1011 Dobson Road. For more information www.famousdavesbbq.com.

For this special telecast, all of FOX Sports Arizona’s advertisers are contributing to the production by agreeing to remove all of their sponsored elements within the telecast in order to allow for as much time as possible for the troop’s involvement.

“This is our way of saying thanks to the men and women in the United States military who serve our country so bravely in not only the Middle East, but around the world,” said Mike Connelly, FOX Sports Arizona Senior Vice President & General Manager. “We hope it allows them to escape the realities of what they are facing and let them and their families connect on this very special day for our country.”

Media wanting to gain access to the base for interviews, photographs or live shots during the event need to have prior approval and should contact Major Paul Aguirre in the Arizona National Guard’s Public Affairs office at 602-267-2550. The 161st Air Refueling Wing is located at 3200 East Old Tower Road in Phoenix, AZ 85034 and is just south of Sky Harbor Airport. You can only access the base from 24th Street. Follow Old Tower Road until it comes to a dead end in front of the base.

FOX Sports Arizona televises the most regional sports action in the state and is the exclusive cable television home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Phoenix Mercury. FOX Sports Arizona is currently seen in 2.8 million households in Arizona & New Mexico and can also be seen across the country via home satellite services.

– FOX SPORTS ARIZONA –
Contacts: Brett Hansen, FOX Sports Arizona, 602-251-8902
Major Paul Aguirre, Arizona National Guard Public Affairs, 602-267-2550

Staffing Services Save Small Businesses Money June 23, 2009

All businesses experience employee turnover. But small businesses are hit especially hard by high turnover because it forces them to pay the high cost of hiring—again. The cost just to hire and screen an employee can be as high as $375. This includes advertising for the position, conducting a background check and drug screening). And most small businesses don’t have a human resources department that can do these tasks.

Staffing services are taking the burden off small business owners by providing pre-screened employees that have been interviewed, drug tested and had their backgrounds checked. This gives the business owner several advantages, said Mike Hayes, owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing.

“Sometimes because the owner doesn’t have the time or resources he or she will not check references or ask for a drug screening,” Hayes said. “This can be a fatal mistake. Some people come across well in the interview but if you investigate their job history, you’ll find things that show they are not a good employee. And while it does happen occasionally, very few people will show “signs” of addiction during a job interview. A drug screening will alert you to any problems and save you a lot of headaches in the future.”

Hayes offers companies a ‘try it before you buy it’ on the job interview to employers.

“’The employee agrees to work at employer for three hours at minimum wage to see if there is a good fit,” Hayes said. “The small business owner didn’t have to go through the hassle of hiring the employee and doesn’t have to go through the hassle of letting the employee go.”

More and more companies are using staffing agencies. According to the American Staffing Association, on an average day in 2008, U.S. staffing agencies employed 2.66 million workers. Mike Donley, owner of Donley Service Center in Phoenix, is one of them.

“A staffing company has been absolutely essential to the success of our business, not only in finding quality employees, but for saving time and money on the amount of work our staff would have had to devote to going through resumes and interviewing,” Donley said. “We’ve been able to focus on servicing our clients instead of wasting quality time and money on searching through hundreds of applicants.”

The number of applicants for any type of job is expected to increase. Arizona’s unemployment rate is at 8.2 percent, the highest rate in 26 years.

“We had two customer service positions recently and we had 150 online applications, 35 people who came into our office and 375 resumes,” Hayes said. “We get this kind of response every time we post a job.”

Michael D. Hayes is owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing in Phoenix. Mike is a member of the Executives’ Association of Greater Phoenix (EAGP), 100 Club of Arizona, Men’s Art Council, and The Arizona Trucking Association. He provides practical, real world advice on his blog, www.momentumstaffing.wordpress.com. Mike has been featured on several Phoenix television and radio stations and in the Arizona Republic. You can learn more at www.youtube.michaelhayesspeaks.com. Email: hazer@momentumtrans.com 602-477-8193

Social Media Basics – Are you socially acceptable? June 9, 2009

I’ve been asked to talk Twitter and other hot social networking sites a lot lately by the media and local communications groups. Part of the reason why is that the producers and group organizers see me online, being social. I am not wasting time online, but instead building and nurturing relationships with others who are in the biz (media, PR pros, clients, etc.) Thats basically the point of social media. A new way to build relationships and get the word out and learn.

I was on 12 News Morning show today. Here is a clip.

If you’d like a few bits of info on what social media is about and how it can help you, see below:

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USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

Social media, broadly defined, is internet communications services that provide the means to interact with a narrowly defined or selected group of people who share similar interests.

Popular Social Media Sites:

YouTube: Videos online of anything and everything. Send, comment or upload your videos to share with others.
Yelp: Allows users to post reviews, photos and descriptive information and can become a top referring website
Flickr: Photosharing site. Post photos, do basic editing, share photos or have others upload their photos with yours (for example a family gathering, everyone puts their photos on one page.)
Facebook: Created as an interface for social interaction where users join groups and share information between people with similar interests.
Digg: Is a way to classify and bookmark web content. It allows users to share important URL’s with others and together build a storehouse of knowledge about a particular subject.
Twitter: Twitter is like a micro-blog, where you can follow people you find interesting and share common interests

Tips to get started: Find a blog that is of interest to you. Or, find a blog about a topic you’d like to learn more from. Comment once in a while.

Start a Facebook page and look for old school friends or neighbors to get back in touch. Become a “Fan” of your favorite busineses, tv shows, etc Start a Fan Page for your business or cause and use it to update others on whats happening in your biz and interesting articles that relate. Post photos, events, news.

Use Twitter to discuss topics, news, etc in 140 characters or less. Use it on your phone to discuss whats happening now, wherever you are!

It’s a Marathon, not a sprint. Learn as you go. Good way to find more common ground with younger generation, too. Social Media is how they converse!

STILL CONFUSED? Take a Hands-On Class for Social Media or WordPress this weekend!

Need help in your job search? May 29, 2009

Michael D. Hayes, owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing in Phoenix

Need Help in Your Job Search? Head to Boot Camp!

Local staffing service offers help for job seekers

Despite a decrease in the unemployment rate in April for Arizona, economists predict that more layoffs are still in the future. More job applicants equal more competition for the few positions available. Momentum Specialized Staffing is helping applicants hone their job search skills with a Job Search Boot Camp.

“Our trained staff will review your resume, video tape a mock interview and coach you on how to improve your interview style,” said Michael Hayes, owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing. “With more than 108,000 people looking for work in Arizona, having the edge is important.”

Also included in the session is:

• Dos and don’ts of interviewing
• Knowing how to understand what job goals are realistic based on your experience and education level?
• How to properly answer interview questions
• Binder with resources to reference along with their personal critique sheets

The cost is $125. For a limited time. For more information, call (602) 477-8193 or email hazer@momentumtrans.com.

Michael D. Hayes is owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing in Phoenix. Mike is a member of the Executives’ Association of Greater Phoenix (EAGP), 100 Club of Arizona, Men’s Art Council, and The Arizona Trucking Association. He provides practical, real world advice on his blog, www.momentumstaffing.wordpress.com. You can learn more at www.youtube.michaelhayesspeaks.com. For more information, call 602-477-8193 or email hazer@momentumtrans.com

Famous Dave’s BBQ Stimulus Package – Free Lunch for Northwest Valley May 29, 2009

Look for a Famous Dave's Catering Truck on June 2!

WHO: Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que in Peoria

WHAT: Five of their Famous Dave’s Catering Trucks will be blasting through various busy areas of Peoria, Glendale and Surprise on Tuesday, June 2nd with free lunch for hard-working folks. If you see a Famous Dave’s Catering truck and flag them down, you’ll get a free bbq sandwich, coupon for free wings, and a bottle of their award-winning Rich n’ Sassy BBQ sauce.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 2nd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE: Keep on the lookout and listen for bullhorns or should we say “Pighorns”

WHY: Because everyone deserves a free lunch once in a while, and Famous Dave’s wants to show some west side love to our “saucesome” neighbors in Peoria, Glendale and Surprise.

For more information on Famous Dave’s in the Valley, go to: www.famousdavesbbq.com

*please note this event does not apply in restaurant.*

WordPress, PR/Marketing and Social Media Workshops this June May 26, 2009

Hands on WordPress Workshop, Build Your Website or Blog in a Day
Saturday, June 13, 2009 / 9am-4pm
Gangplank HQ
325 E Elliot Rd
Chandler, AZ 85225

What’s the point of a website if you can’t update it, when the name of the game today is constantly providing fresh content to users? Everyone is blogging- how do you get one of those? The beauty of WordPress is that it allows you to quickly mount a functional, professional website or blog that you’ll be able to easily maintain and control yourself.

Learn the different between posts and pages, what a plugin is and how to get them, how to install and change themes, and how to moderate blogs.
We’ll start from scratch and mount a wordpress website of your own by the end of the day for you to experiment with, or turn into your own online brand. This is a beginners class, but a sense of comfort with the internet and your own computer will be helpful. Attendees may follow along, or actively participate with your wifi enabled laptop.

$99 for small business
$49 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

STARTUP right. PR, Marketing & Social Media for your New Biz
Sunday, June 14, 2009 / 9am-4pm
Gangplank HQ
325 E Elliot Rd
Chandler, AZ 85225

Thinking about a new business? Opened the doors but no one is walking through them? Are you a victim of “the new economy” and considering working for yourself?
Don’t make the same mistakes so many new businesses make- save yourself money, time and heartache by knowing how to leverage PR, Marketing and Social Media for your new business.

Sometimes the most important part of marketing is knowing what NOT to do. Learn “Top Ten Marketing Mistakes Startups Make” so you can avoid the roadbumps.
You’ll need to let people know about your new business- how do the companies featured on the news get there? For the basics of PR and how to deal with the media, you can learn how to target the right reporter and pitch the right story to gain free exposure through the media with this step by step tutorial.

You keep hearing about Twitter and Facebook, but you’re not sure how to actually use it for your own business. Is it worth the time? What if my customers aren’t on social media? Learn the answers and how to leverage these tools to engage customers and monitor your brand online.

Even if you’ve got a budget to hire a publicist, and marketing department, arm yourself with these valuable knowledge tools so you know who to hire, can be an active participant in the process, and when you’re being taken for a ride.

$99 for small business
$49 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

Hands-on Twitter, Facebook and Linked in Workshop
Monday, June 15, 2009 / 9am-12noon
Jobing Main Offices
4747 N 22nd Street Suite #100
Phoenix, Arizona

Social media. Everyone is telling you to follow them on twitter, from your newscaster to your hairdresser. Your daughter is concerned you’ll show up on her facebook account, and you keep getting emails to LinkedIn, but can’t figure out why people love it. You’d love to send photos online! What’s the hype, and doesn’t this all take a lot of time? Every day, people are telling you why you and your company SHOULD be using social media, but no one is telling you HOW to use it.

Bring your wifi enabled laptop, sit back and get ready to be shocked at how easy it is to dip into Social Media. We’ll take you through how to set up an account, to how to use it and what neat tools each technology has.

We’ll walk through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Flickr, all in one day. Step by step, at a very quick but fun pace. This is a beginner to intermediate class, but requires you have a wifi enabled laptop (you can follow along without one, but will be at a disadvantage) and are comfortable with your computer and the internet.

$79 for small business
$34 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

PR, Marketing and Social Media Bootcamp for Non Profits
Monday, June 15, 2009 / 9am-4pm
Jobing Main Offices
4747 N 22nd Street Suite #100
Phoenix, Arizona

Often non-profit organizations get so tied up in their events and their programs, that marketing principles are broken. These marketing principles are simple to fix and crucial to the long-term success of your organization. Make sure your organization gets a clean bull of health by seeing if you violate “The Top 10 Slaughtered Marketing Rules at Non-Profits”.

Non profits struggle to keep up with the competition, not sure where to go next in their marketing efforts. They see others on television or featured in the local publications wondering “How did they do that?” For the basics of PR and how to deal with the media, you can learn how to target the right reporter and pitch the right story to gain free exposure through the media with this step by step tutorial.

Social Media is a big buzzword, but still confusing to so many business owners and non-profits. How do you leverage these tools to engage customers and monitor your brand online? Once you have an audience, how do you measure the impact you’ve had? Learn how to ensure you’re participating in the conversation about your organization online

By the end of the day, you’ll have a slew of new tools in your arsenal to ensure your non profit is being heard loud and clear, raising donations, volunteers, public education and client awareness.

$99 for small business
$49 for non-profit 501c3
To sign up or for more info: www.areyousociallyacceptable.com

MADCAP Theaters to Bring Music Back to Mill Avenue May 22, 2009

Ask any Arizona resident what they know about Tempe and they will undoubtedly mention Arizona State University, Mill Avenue and the idea that Tempe is the local hot-spot for cutting-edge music, arts and entertainment. Thanks to a recent partnership between Downtown Tempe Community, Inc. (DTC) and Centerpoint on Mill, this reputation will remain intact for many years to come.

DTC, a private, non-profit organization that works in conjunction with the City of Tempe to increase awareness of the cultural, lifestyle and commerce experience in the Mill Avenue District, has partnered together to develop the Mill Avenue District Community Arts Project also known as MADCAP. Located at 730 S. Mill Avenue, MADCAP will provide a creative way to use the abandoned movie theater space to re-establish Mill Avenue as a destination for live entertainment and cultural activity.

“Many people have asked what happened to the music scene on Mill Avenue,” said Nancy Hormann, DTC President and Executive Director. “This area has a rich history of supporting contemporary music and other performance arts. Residents and business owners alike have been looking for an affordable way to bring back these types of entertainment events, we feel MADCAP theaters is a perfect solution for this situation. Long-term MADCAP will not only bring music back to Mill, but will also bring new economic growth to the area as well.”

DTC is working on a simple renovation of the empty theaters by converting them into raw alternative performance spaces. Each space will then be used to host a variety of performances and activities including; live music, comedy and dance performances, theatre productions as well as lectures, film screenings and corporate meetings.

“This space provides a unique opportunity for performers and companies,” said Hormann. “The movie theaters were a great set-up, with each space having fantastic acoustics, it allows the building to have a variety of acts and events going on simultaneously without interrupting each other.”

Hormann added that MADCAP theaters would help assure that local musicians and artists had an affordable space to express themselves while helping Tempe continue to build its standing as an art-friendly community.

The location of the MADCAP theaters will also be beneficial for meeting planners and promoters as Mill is easy to get to whether walking or driving, there is ample parking and there are a plethora of diverse restaurants and bars in the area. Additionally the costs to rent out the theater spaces will still be significantly less expensive than most larger facilities in the area. “By day, corporations and businesses can have speaking engagements and meetings here and at night, it’s a place for live music, dance performances and comedy acts,” said Hormann.
Scheduled to open in early June, MADCAP is currently looking for volunteers and donations to help with the restoration process. For more information, go here.

FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE CONTACT:

Casaundra Brown
Director, Marketing & Communications -Downtown Tempe Community, Inc.
(480) 355-6068

Nancy Hormann
President & Executive Director -Downtown Tempe Community, Inc.
480.921.2300

H.O.P.E EXPO TO BRING NEW BUSINESS AND HOPE FOR ECONOMY IN EAST VALLEY May 18, 2009

(Mesa, AZ) Support local small businesses at the 2nd H.O.P.E Expo “Helping Other People Excel” on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th at the new and improved Power Square Mall in Mesa. A variety of small business owners will be displaying and selling their products at this weekend event. This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to network and possibly do business with others and for the public to shop and support products sold by members of their community.

Kim Carter, the mastermind behind the H.O.P.E Expo is a Mesa businesswoman who went from being laid off to now making a million dollars a year in revenue working on her own businesses online. “I believe small businesses are the backbone of our community and wanted to bring an affordable opportunity to others like me to share, sell and network with others,” said Kim. “Power Square Mall was the perfect location to host this shopping event because it is a going through its own revival with new owners and look and had plenty of space for vendors to show off their products.”

If you are a small or home-based business and would to participate, tables are for sale starting at only $100. Contact Kim Carter to secure you space at info@hopeexpo.com or call (480) 650-6110.

Along with the weekend shopping event that is free and open to the public, vendors will have an added opportunity to network with other business owners and local Meet Up groups for free from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26th at the mall. Details will be sent after vendor table orders have been set up.

COST: Event is free to the public. A donation of a canned food or non-perishable food item for Mesa based “A New Leaf Foundation” www.turnanewleaf.org is appreciated.

Hours of event for shoppers:
Saturday, June 27th hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 28th hours: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
For more info: www.HopeExpo.com
###

EVENT LISTING:
H.O.P.E “Helping Other People Excel” Expo
Saturday, June 27th hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 28th hours: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Power Square Mall
(Power Road & Baseline Road)
Mesa, AZ 85209

Vendor Cost: $100 per table.
SHOPPER COST: FREE TO ATTEND. A DONATION OF A CANNED OR NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEM APPRECIATED FOR ‘A New Leaf Foundation’

If you have any questions please contact:

Kim Carter
(480) 650-6110
www.HopeExpo.com

Clive Cussler and Jana Bommersbach to speak at Literary Feast on June 4th May 14, 2009

June 4 — Literary Feast to benefit the Arizona Unit of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic  

Internationally known and best-selling author, Clive Cussler and Arizona author and journalist, Jana Bommersbach (whose latest book “Bones in the Desert” chronicles the murder of the mother of one of our honorary Board members, Terri Bowersock) will speak at a Literary Feast Fundraising Luncheon on Thursday, June 4^th at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. The Literary Feast is an event to help raise friends and funds for the Arizona Unit of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. Sponsorships are available.  

Date: Thursday, June 4^th

Time: Registration at 11am

11:30am-1:30pm Authors speak and Lunch

 

Where: Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa

Grand Ballroom

2400 E. Missouri

Phoenix, AZ 85016

 

Ticket price: $100, includes lunch and valet parking

 

Contact Sandy Dominick at 602-443-0155 or email adominick@rfbd.org for seating info or sponsorship opportunities.  

For more info on RFBD, go to: www.rfbd.org/az