GOLD COAST INNOVATION CENTRE CEO LUNCHEON WITH DR CLARENCE TAN

The Gold Coast Innovation Centre is pleased and privileged to welcome
Dr Clarence Tan to present a CEO Luncheon Forum:

What I did last Summer @ Singularity University, Silicon Valley - Trends in Exponential Technologies and Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

Dr Clarence Tan is the Entrepreneur in Residence Fellow at GCIC. He was recently selected to attend the prestigious Graduate Studies Program at Singularity University in NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley**. Singularity University (SU) was founded in 2009 by Dr Ray Kurtzweil and Dr Peter Diamandis with founding sponsorship from Google, Cisco, AutoDesk, ePlanet Ventures, Nokia and Kauffman Foundation and hosted at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.

Clarence will talk about what he has learned about the exponential technologies and the opportunities and positive impact that these technologies will bring in the near future as well as the grand challenges in the areas of poverty, global health, security, energy, space and education.

Details for the event:

Date:
Wednesday 16th November 2011, 12pm for 12:30 – 2:30pm (inclusive of lunch)

Cost:
GCIC Members $15 per head, Non Members $35 per head (pay cash or cheque upon arrival or let Jeanette know if you would like to be invoiced

Location:
Gold Coast Innovation Centre
Building G39, Level 3 Meeting Rooms 3.38/3.41
Griffith University Gold Coast Campus,
Parklands Drive, Southport Qld 4222

Car Parking:
Parking details will be sent on acceptance of this invitation.

RSVP:
Strictly limited places. Please RSVP to Jeanette at admin@gcic.net.au

Quick tips for taking pictures for your website

Getting strong images for your website doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and quite simply, if you have a reliable camera, the chances are you can do it yourself and save your self lots of money.

But before you reach for the camera, I recommend a visit to iStockphoto. At iStockphoto you can search for and purchase any type of image you maybe looking for, and for a small fee (approximately $1.50 Australian) purchase the rights to use a professional image.

Failing iStockphoto, i have put together four quick tips for taking pictures for your website.

1. Lighting, lighting and lighting. Depending on your subject be sure to make sure the lighting is right, and if you are using a flash, you should take into account how the flash might effect the picture, for example it may cast shadows for reflect off different surfaces. If you are taking internal shots you may want to switch on all the lights and use portable lamps to get the light just the way you want it. For example if you are a real estate agent, an external shot of a house at dusk, with all the lights on is always appealing.

2. Be creative! – Use Angles. Find a more interesting angle to present your item or shot. Don’t just take the same shot anyone would by just standing there. Try dropping to eye level or taking an overhead shot (depending on what you are taking a picture of). Also keep in mind if you are taking a picture of a person, a shot which is taken looking up to them gives the subject more power, whilst a shot with a downward look gives the subject less power, whilst straight on is neutral.

3. Hold the camera steady - Nothing worse than a bunch of blurry shots. Use a tripod as much as possible to keep your shots steady. Especially when photographing people.

And finally, if you are planning to use the images you use on your website in other marketing collateral like brochures, make sure you take the highest resolution possible, because, images used on the web are much smaller than those required for brochures and posters.

2012 Gold Coast Mayoral Candidates Forum

The race to the 2012 Mayoral election on Australia's Gold Coast is fast approaching and the Creek to Creek Chamber of Commerce plays host to the Gold Coast's first 'Mayoral Candidate Forum' on Thursday 1 September 2011 at Currumbin RSL from 7.00am -8.30am.

The Forum includes Mayoral Candidates Tom Tate, Suzie Douglas and David Power.

This is a chance to meet the Candidates and ask questions in an engaging and friendly atmosphere.

Details available on the Creek website tomorrow - pre-bookings now available.

A tip for new LinkedIn users

A friend recently asked me, Gordo, i am new to the LinkedIn thing - do you have a some do's and dont's...

to which i replied...

Depends on your goal, but if you are looking for work or changing jobs i would use it as a tool to promote yourself professionally, so (not that i do that often) post links to articles that position you as being in touch.

So if you are in the finance field link to online articles about what is happening in the economy. The thing to remember about linking to online articles is your personal brand - the articles you link to are a reflection of you - so instead of linking to some dodgy article, link to the Financial Review.

Better still, post links back to your blog (a recent commentary you may have written) so you can position yourself as an authority on a particular subject. LinkedIn combined with blogging can be a powerful tool to position yourself as a leader in your field - and the best thing is these social media tools are free!

Also show a bit of personality - companies like to know what makes their leading candidates tick, so that they know they will fit with the culture of an organisation.

This is a funny story, my new boss told me the other day, that on paper I was by far the best candidate for my job (which was naaiice - Kath and Kim moment there) but when she read my LinkedIn and then spoke to Walshie (my previous Director) - who referred to me as 'Gordo', she immediately thought, this guy will fit with our culture - so to cut a long story short - be your beautiful self - and the rest will fall into place.

Eurovision 2011 | Twitter and social media into the future

There was a time we watched Eurovision for the quirky commentary of Terry Wogan and more recently Graham Norton. But with the recent introduction of a live feed, Twitter has added another dimension to the iconic event.

Eurovision first tapped into the Twitter phenomenon in 2009 when Norwegian superstar Alexander Rybak won in Russia – since then Twitter has become as almost as entertaining as the Eurovision Song Contest itself.

During this year’s Eurovision held in Dusseldorf Germany from 11-14 May 2011 the Grand Final had an estimated 500 tweets per second ranging from comments about the pants the lead singer from Hotel FM (contestant from Romania) wore, to parts of the anatomy which the sand artist should draw on the big screen during the Ukrainian performance. The running live Twitter commentary added a new, very colourful and entertaining dimension to the contest.

So what will happen in the year’s ahead? Tweeting during the event will continue, but live social media commentary, including Twitter, will become an important part of a winning strategy.

Social media unleashes the comments and thoughts that were once confined to a lounge room somewhere in Europe into an international forum where the global consciousness is laid bare for all to see and share.

Social media allows watchers and those interested in the event to share opinions and personal recommendations in real time and this ability can and will alter the way someone will vote within the 15 minute voting window, as well as positioning and creating an effective brand around an act in the lead up to the competition.

This will be particularly good news to the UK as they battle the obvious ‘block voting’ of the south and eastern European countries and look to winning their first title since they revolutionised Eurovision by using popular band Katrina and the Waves to win in 1997.

My tip to the UK is to combine a popular generational artist with the power of social media. Selecting Blue this year was almost a stroke of genius, but had it been supported by an effective integrated social media campaign, this would have arguably won them the title with ‘I can’.

I say bring out the Pet Shop Boys, Elton John , or adopted sisters Kylie Minogue or Madonna and combine this with social media and the UK will take Eurovision 2012 by absolute storm!

Queenstown pick | Best little cafe in Queenstown

On a recent trip to spectacular Queenstown, New Zealand, we discovered possibly the cutest café in the in the area.

Vesta is, as the sign says – design, espresso, refreshments, wares, reads, art, fashion, beauty, jewels, history and mystery.

We had a look round at some of contemporary pieces, including a selection of groovy lighting, on display and all in the context of this original rustic cottage setting.

With so many nooks to enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat, including a gorgeous glasshouse, we enjoyed possibly the best latte in Queenstown in a small cosy room, which if the walls could talk, would tell you stories from a time dating back to when Queenstown was first settled in the 1800's.

Located on the water-front in Queenstown this cute cottage is guaranteed to please the visitor looking to take home a warm and unique memory of this truly beautiful town.

Vesta
19 Marie Parade
Queenstown
New Zealand
home@vestadesign.co.nz

Disaster a boon for gaining social following

The recent cyclones in northern Queensland and flooding in Brisbane have been a disaster on one hand and a boon for social media and attracting followers on the other.

For the millions of Australians who use social media like Facebook and Twitter many users flocked in droves to sources that were able to advise on important events first hand, including Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and energy company Ergon Energy.

There is no doubt what has happened in Queensland so far in 2011 is nothing short of catastrophic – severe flooding in Brisbane as well as two cyclones in northern Queensland has left the state with a massive clean up and rebuilding program.

In a social media sense both brands literally went from zero to hero with in the space of the disaster, and have contributed significantly to a positive shift in brand attitude and advocacy simply by using social media in real and transparent way.

In the space of 10 days Anna Bligh's followers on Facebook ballooned from approximately 1,500 ‘likes’ and being ‘on the nose’ in the electorate to hero status of over more than 7,500 ‘likes’ as of mid February, as well as being back in the political game after record low approval ratings in the polls.

The boon in followers stems from our thirst, and emerging expectation, for timely and personal news as seen through the eyes of people involved in the disaster at the time.

Ergon Energy was another big winner during the disasters. After having no social media presence in place at the start of the year, Ergon Energy now has more ‘likes’ on Facebook than the Premier herself. Ergon Energy went from joining Facebook on 31 January 2011 to having almost 9,000 ‘likes’ 12 days later.

Ergon Energy has quickly become an industry leader in terms of how an organization can use social media channels to disseminate information in times of emergency. Ergon Energy successfully used Facebook and Twitter to assist customers with the recovery from cyclone Anthony that crossed the northern Queensland coast at Bowen on 31 January 2011 and the preparation and recovery from cyclone Yasi that crossed the northern Queensland coast at Tully late on 2 February 2011.

Ergon provided customers with critical preparation information, updates on electricity outages as well as safety and maintenance updates, which kept customers updated in real time, and allowed customers to talk with and share information with others effected by the disaster.

Social media became a critical communication tool, which allowed the Premier and Ergon Energy to manage customer expectations as well as position their brands as reliable and trustworthy in times of disaster.

The success of this open dialogue using social media is tangible with both brands developing a legion of brand advocates who are now willing to defend their brand.

Keep your eye out this year for case studies outlining the success of these social media campaigns; they will be an interesting read.

What we Googled in 2010

Ever heard someone say I wonder what makes them tick?

Well according to the Google search results for Australians during 2010, the answer is a whole range of things, including our hunger to find out more about gadgets like the iPad and the new iPhone 4 as well as important events and issues like the World Cup Soccer and Wikileaks.

We also searched for fun items like our favourite ads online including the iPad advert, KFC ads and the memorable Libra invisible ad.

But one of the big events of the year was the federal election and searches on issues surrounding politics peaked, with Bob Katter and Julia Gillard leading the way.

Enjoy the following top tens as compiled by Google.

Fastest-rising searches 2010

1. chatroulette

2. formspring

3. ABC3

4. world cup 2010

5. tumblr

6. ancestry.com.au

7. event cinemas

8. omegle

9. wikileaks

10. jetstar

Most popular searches 2010

1. facebook

2. YouTube

3. google

4. ebay

5. hotmail

6. yahoo

7. real estate

8. maps

9. commonwealth

10. white pages

Fastest-rising news stories 2010

1. chile earthquake

2. haiti

3. ipad

4. iphone 4

5. vancouver 2010

6. melbourne storm

7. android

8. volcano

9. oil spill

10. world cup

Top questions people ask Google - ‘What is …?’

1. What is love

2. What is energy

3. What is twitter

4. What is depression

5. What is bullying

6. What is democracy

7. What is Skype

8. What is Pi

9. What is veal

10. What is probate

Fastest-rising election stories 2010

1. australia election

2. bob katter

3. julia gillard

4. election results

5. voting

6. abc election

7. nla newspapers

8. greens party

9. labor party

10. poll bludger

Fastest-rising people 2010

1. Cody Simpson

2. Andy Irons

3. Justin Bieber

4. Julia Gillard

5. Lara Bingle

6. Katy Perry

7. Kim Kardashian

8. Jessica Watson

9. Andrew Bolt

10. Kevin Rudd

Fastest-rising advertising campaigns 2010

1. ipad ad

2. kfc ad

3. libra invisible ad

4. mazda ad

5. old spice ad

6. brut ad

7. kia ad

8. aami ad

9. qantas ad

10. perfect italiano ad

Fastest-rising retailers 2010

1. woolworths online shopping

2. urban outfitters

3. shopbop

4. saks fifth avenue

5. dfo south wharf

6. nordstrom

7. rubi shoes

8. graysonline

9. zara

10. walmart

Top ten lists compiled and posted by Kate Mason, Public Affairs Manager, Google Australia and New Zealand.