Hubspot Certified #GordonWatson

Social Media Success Summit 2015

Check out Social Media Success Summit! Online conference to improve your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+  marketing.

This is an awesome online summit delivered over a number of weeks - so you can attend every session. Definitely worth taking a look at if you want to be a leader in social media.

Madonna - What It Feels Like For A Girl

With the recent announcement of Madonna's #RebelHeart Australian tour dates, I thought I would post one of my most favourite Madonna experiences.



I say experience because it is the combination of the creative in the video, the sound (the re-mix), the lyrics and Madonna's performance that make this song as relevant today as the day it was released.



Can't wait for #RebelHeart Brisbane March 2016!

TURNING POINT book trailer

CSIRO measures how we felt after #MH17

Using the CSIRO We Feel website App we can measure how Twitter users were feeling when they found out about the recent #MH17 terrorist attack and how they were feeling after the event by the language they were using on the social platform.

Check out CSIRO We Feel and take a look for yourself.

Post by Gordon Watson.

Certified #inbound marketing graduate

Just a quick post to say I am feeling a bit chuffed. I have just graduated Hubspot Academy!

I highly recommend the course for any marketing communications practitioner looking to keep their skills relevant in this rapidly changing landscape.

You can learn at your own pace, by watching a series of videos. Better still you can download the slides for each of the nine presentations, as well as accessing other handy material along your study journey.

For more information check out Hubspot Inbound Marketing.

This is Australia calling - Gordon's 2014 Eurovision preview

Eurovision blasts onto our screens this week and features a glut of melodic merriment especially if you are into cakes and long ballady type songs that try to evoke some sort of gut wrenching reaction. 

Whether that gut reaction is a vomitous or sheer splendour sensation depends upon your musical taste. 

But one thing you can be guaranteed is Eurovision 2014 has every genre covered including a stunning entry from The Netherlands.

So belt up and get ready for Gordon's Eurovision 2014 preview and my heavily anticipated winner prediction.

It must be noted my predictions are so accurate that if you are tipped to win by yours truly you may as well start gorging yourself on Danish ice cream and start reflecting on what could have been.

As a guide of my cunning prediction prowess, I predicted Emmelie de Forest to finish 10th last year, instead she bolted home leaving my prediction in the dust, #awkward.

A month ago, I thought France's Twin Twin with ‘Moustashe’ had it in the bag and it was just a formality before they won. ‘Moustache’ is a captivating mix of modern pop, and powerful lyrics under the guise of quirky staging and delivery. If they don’t win, I am sure the song will become the anthem for Movember later this year.

But with the release of the Eurovision 2014 compilation and a couple of listens through the entire album, I think there are a few countries that could take home the glittering prize in 2014.

Overall you could be mistaken for feeling this year is decidedly dull and middle of the road with many countries going for a ‘safe’ ballad and big vocal, which means when a country stands out, they stand out big time.

Two just stand outs are Malta and the host countries neighbour, The Netherlands.

Malta’s ‘Coming Home’ taps right into the new pop meets folk genre and will definitely get feet tapping whilst The Netherlands effortlessly transport listeners to a country genre with a beautifully created song called ‘Calm after the storm’.

Other countries to watch, especially taking into account the notorious voting block patterns are Greece and Estonia with couple of dance floor smashes. But with the trouble between Russia and the Ukraine this year the ‘eastern block’ maybe slightly weaker.

Also, look out too for the bilingual offering from Israel with ‘Same heart’. This rock meets pop song is delivered with passion and throaty skill. Italy too is one of my complete favourites.

Countries who totally missed the mark include some of my favourite places to visit like Iceland and the ‘busty’ broads from Poland. Both countries appear to be way off brief for my liking and will be there to just make up the numbers.

The fact that I haven’t spoke about the UK’s entry ‘Children of the Universe’ probably means a) it could be a potential winner or b) means the UK are again lucky to make it straight through to the grand final and will come closer to 24 instead of number one.

One of the big questions is can Denmark go back-to-back and my answer is definitely maybe.

Basim has a Bruno Mars-esk type sound and his catchy ‘Cliché Love Song’ will at the very least stir the crowd into a frenzy of flag waving – regardless of your colours.

Gordon’s 2014 Eurovision predictions:

Douze points Moustache, Twin Twin – France

Dix points Calm After The Storm, The Common Linnets – The Netherlands

Huit points Coming Home, Firelight – Malta

Sept points Amazing, Tanja – Estonia

Six points Same Heart, Mej Finegold – Israel

Cinq points La Mitta Citta, Emma – Italy

Quatre points Rise Up, Freaky Fortune featuring RiskyKidd - Greece

Trois points Cliché Love Song, Basim– Denmark

Deux points Hunter of stars, Sebalter – Switzerland 

 Un point Undo, Sanna Neilsen – Sweden

The rest…..

11. To the sky – FY R Macedonia

12. Something Better – Finland

13. Dancing in the rain – Spain
14. Children of the universe – UK
15. Miracle – Romania
16. Running – Hungary
17. Cake to Bake – Latvia
18. Not Alone – Armenia
19. Quero Ser Tua – Portugal
20. Is it right – Germany
21. Mother – Belgium
22. Maybe – San Marino
23. Silent Storm – Norway
24. Tick Tock – Ukraine
25. Moj Svijet – Montenegro
26. Start a fire – Azerbaijan
27. Heartbeat – Ireland
28. Round and Round – Slovenia
29. Attention – Lithuania
30. Shine – Russia
31. Rise like a phoenix – Austria
32. Cheesecake – Belarus
33. We are Slavic – Poland
34. One night’s Anger – Albania
35. Wild Soul – Moldova
36. Three minutes to Earth – Georgia
37. No Prejudice – Iceland 

PS - Europe is in for a massive treat when Australian, yes Australian superstar Jessica Mauboy sings during the semi final. Go Jess!

Helpful links to online marketing resources

Some helpful online resources to help maximise your online communications.

Sensis 'Yellow Social Media Report' - What Australia people and businesses are doing with their social media.

Why should keywords be the foundation to your marketing? Keyword outline by Hubspot 

Looking for a App building company? Choose from these App building companies

Adobe 2013 Mobile Consumer Survey

Not sure what LMAO means? Try this internet slang dictionary

How much is a website visitor worth? Read How to calculate the value of your website traffic 

Schedule your social media with this Hubspot Social Media Publishing Schedule

Schedule your blog content with the Hubspot Blog Editorial Calendar Template

When is the best time to send email marketing? MailChimp data provides and insight

Fast Company article on 10 Surprising social media statistics.

Create creative looping videos and capitalise on visual content with Vine

Wearable technology. The latest gadgets from the recent London Wearable Technology Show

Need a catchy headline with your keywords? Portent's online content maker. 

Why do people follow brands on Facebook?

Keyword and search engine statistics.

Use Google Hangouts to broadcast messages or events.

Why email marketing is till king 

Mind blowing statistics about the importance of video content 

Updated rules for running Facebook competitions

5 social media metrics your CEO actually cares about

News Apps for a new device. How will Apps for Google Glass change the way you engage with customers? The revolution is already beginning in Melbourne Australia.

Technological and social media adoption

Check out this link:

Technology adoption

and video from Erik Qualman from Socialnomics to get an insight into how quickly the technological landscape is changing.

Apple - iPad Air - TV Ad - Your Verse

Walter Mitty On The Favourites List

I have a new film on my favourites list – welcome aboard, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ (WM).

Having seen previews and mixed reviews of WM, I came into the theatre thinking this is not your usual Ben Stiller movie, for me that means the not stop hilarity of Zoolander, and Meet the Fockers and although not in the same vein, WM entertains and inspires.

This film is SO beautiful, the cinematography stuns with panoramas of Greenland and Iceland that will leave you breathless. Among the many scenes that stood out for me was the simple juxtaposition of the red Air Greenland Airplane set against the stark rugged terrain of the Greenland landscape. This scene left me wanting to leave the everyday behind and to follow my dream and take the next Air Greenland flight to Nuuk.

Every scene in the movie was beautifully crafted and the reason is Ben Stiller himself as he also produced and directed the film. He made ordinary city scapes take on a new deeper meaning which added to the perfectly balanced script and great cast. The cherry on the cake for me is WM still has dashes of classic Stiller humour, like the ‘Benjiman Buttonie’ scene on the porch with his gorgeous co-star Kirsten Wiig. I did LOL.

An added bonus is WM also features a brief but classic cameos by Sean Penn and Shirley Maclaine. And like all classic films with the laughter there is a tear, and the final scene is like reading the final line of a exquisite piece of poetry – and for me, that did bring a little tear.

Is it because of my love of everything Ben Stiller, his humour, my fond memories of Iceland and my yearning to visit the Himalayas and Greenland that I rate this movie so highly, probably yes, but I think I won’t be the only one who will be adding WM to their favourites list J

Now to download the awesome sound track!

5/5 A must see

FREE Christmas event in Robina Varsity: Lights on the Lake

Local businesses and community groups are putting on a free Christmas community event this Saturday 14 December 2013 at Sports House .

Organised by Varsity Lakes Community Limited and Varsity Lakes Community Bank, the ‘Lights on the Lake’ event is funded by local business and volunteers at no cost to Gold Coast ratepayers.

‘Lights on the Lakes’ will feature, activities for the kids, music, food and drink stalls and of course a visit by Santa as well as fireworks.

‘Lights on the Lake’ will also feature the announcement of the winner of the ‘Varsity in Lights’ competition – a month long competition awarded to the best decorated shop front window in the Varsity Central area.

Varsity Lakes Community Bank Director and Organising Committee Spokesperson Mr Gordon Watson said, “This is the inaugural ‘Lights on the Lake’ event which we hope to grow over the next few years. The committee is dedicated to creating events that bring locals together and attracts people to our area; events like other successful initiatives the Varsity Vibe and Varsity in Lights.”

“Best of all, ‘Lights on the Lake’ is a great way to celebrate the diversity of the Robina Varsity area. We have such a diverse and vibrant community who love where they live and ‘Lights on the Lake’ is a reason to bring the community together,” Mr Watson adds.

The event details are:

What: ‘Lights on the Lake’
When: Saturday 14 December 2013
Time: from 5.00pm – 9.00pm
Where: Sports House Christine Ave, Varsity Lakes
Bring: A rug and other comforts you may desire
RSVP: by ‘Liking’ the Varsity Lakes Events page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VarsityLakesEvents

The Robina Lions Club will also be selling their delicious Christmas cakes and puddings at the event, so if you haven't grabbed one yet, you will be able to on the night.

This is a grass roots event and sharing this event with other locals on social media or other online channels would be warmly welcomed.

Climbathon, Sabah, Malaysia - Challenge complete!

Words cannot describe the feeling of elation as I crossed the finish line in the 2013 Malaysian Climbathon at Mount Kinabalu in Sabah last month.

Without doubt this event lives up to its reputation as the world's toughest challenge and the reason is quite simple; you can read all the blogs, look at all the maps, and train your guts out for an event like this, but it is not until you are actually in this incredible mountain's presence and on your way that you have any idea of just how tough this challenge is.

The pain burning in your legs from ascending what is the tallest mountain in South East Asia acted as a constant reminder of my vulnerability and my insanity.

Half way into the race I found myself asking why did I think a new 40 year old without a track record of running in mountains, could have thought he was up to the challenge. And to top things off just as you put in place mental coping mechanisms so you can manage the pain, your lungs are slowly gripped by thinning oxygen and the effects of altitude.

That said, I do love a challenge, and to be honest there was one point between Layang Layang Hut and Mesilau Nature Resort I thought I can't take anymore, and tried to justify pulling out as at least having a go.

Click here for the race map.

But, just like Dori did in the movie Finding Nemo, I started saying to myself just keep going, one step at a time, or in this case one muddy, slippery, rocky, treacherous step at a time, because I knew if I could make the Nature Reserve, even though my legs had been punished and were stinging from the steep inclines, I would be able to run the rest of the 10km home. And as it turned out, I did and in a pretty good time for me, considering...

The added incentive for me to finish the race was Geoff at the finish line - I had dragged him all the way to the darkest jungles of Borneo for my 40th birthday and the least I could do is finish the race! The other reason was of course the money which we had raised for the Robina Lions Club and the Lions Club Prostate Cancer Research.

And as each remaining kilometre became less and less my sense of completing the challenge become overwhelming.  Even though I finished quite sometime after the winners, the locals were out in force cheering on every competitor and at every turn the event organisers were on hand with leg sprays and water and words of encouragement - which let me tell you means a lot when you are in a world of pain.

 I did shed a bit of a tear at the finish line but I was so proud of myself for sticking it out and rising to the challenge.

Of the over 570 competitors across the weekend only 393 completed this intense race.

I managed to fall across the line in 61st position in the Men's Veteran category in 5 hours and 2  minutes and we ended up raising $720.00 for the Robina Lions Club which is great.

So all in all, I had the best 40th birthday. And the added bonus is we met some wonderful new friends from around the world too! One of which (Irene) came 5th in the Veteran Women's and took home prize money!

This event makes Tough Mudder look like a bridal waltz so if you are looking for a real challenge, you have to get into Climbathon 2014!

Climbing for Cancer Cure | Malaysian Climbathon

Robina Lions Club member and Datapod Business Relationships, Marketing and Communications Manager Gordon Watson is taking part in the 2013 Mt Kinabalu International Climb-a-thon and is using the event to raise money for Lions Prostate Cancer Research.

The Climb-a-thon is a 23km half marathon up one on the Asia’s steepest mountains and set in the Borneo rainforest in Malaysia and doubles as a unique way to mark turning 40.

Gordon said, “I wanted a challenge my on my 40th birthday and I found this race on Google. And the fact that I can use it to raise money for the Club, through my Bendigo Community Bank Varsity Lakes, and support an important cause, provides me with so much more motivation to finish this punishing race.”

If you would like to make a contribution to Gordon’s fundraising efforts simply pop into the Bendigo Community Bank at Varsity Lakes or make a direct deposit to:

BSB 633000 Acc 150214435 and remember to tag your deposit with your details so a receipt can be forwarded to you for tax purposes.

The race attracts participants from all over the world and features two races starting at Kinabalu Park and finishing in Kundasang over the weekend of 19-20 October 2013.

For more about the event visit Climbathon Malaysia

Gordon's Gold Coast Gems

Justin Lane Burleigh

Gone are the days when Australia’s Gold Coast was just theme parks and the beach - a culinary and cultural revolution is taking place and it is the southern Gold Coast which is leading the charge.

If you are a visitor to the Gold Coast and your trip hasn’t taken you further south than your Surfers Paradise hotel you are missing out big time.

Surfers Paradise has been left behind and left wanting when you consider some of the #goldcoastgems emerging in a southern Gold Coast renaissance.

Whether you are on holiday or a local this post tells of my favourite hidden gems.

I am by no means a qualified chef or art critic but I do know good service, good menus and food along with innovative ambience and leading edge interior design when I see it. And the gems I mention below have one or all of these characteristics and are definitely worth checking out.

In no particular order be sure to check out these out:

Elk Espresso (Broadbeach) - Great coffee, innovative urban fit out, great organic menu, friendly service and close to the beach. Only trouble is getting a table.

Lake Cafe (Varsity Lakes) -  This family owned cafe restaurant is groovy nook lakeside at Varsity Central. Offering a classic menu and extensive wine list, Lake Cafe will not disappoint. (The pork belly is my favourite :))

Ambarella Fine Food (Burleigh Waters Bermuda Street) - This new cafe and deli bring a sophisticated market to the southern Gold Coast. The cafe is cute - if only the barista would smile occasionally.

Blackboard Coffee (Varsity Lakes) - Stylish modern urban surrounds, staff with spunk and a vibe that could have you thinking you were in London, this is a great place for a coffee and a snack.

The fishhouse (Burleigh - Goodwin Terrace) - Stunning food, stunning location, stunning wine list, fishhouse is a Gold Coast MUST. And don't just roll up, in most cases you will need to book ahead. You will not be disappointed and the chef's selection is culinary titillation.

Social Eating House + Bar (Broadbeach) Located in the new sophistication of the Oracle precinct Social has a relaxed vibe, is stylish by nature and is a great place to share great food with friends.

Ze Pickle (Burleigh) - This gastro burger place is to die for. Their chilli burger is hot even for a chilli lover like me. The burgers are all wagyu beef and the fit out is a sublime blend of copper number plates and bespoke tables and chairs.

The Wine Barrell (Mudgeeraba) - Capitalising on the trend of tapas, this unexpected gem in Mudgeeraba is fab. Menu and wine list are great - the batter on the tempura oysters was perfect - although it took a while for the service to kick in.

Justin Lane (Burleigh) - Urban casual dining at its best. The gourmet pizzas are superb, the staff are excellent and the vibe is pulsating - A MUST.

The Koffee Shack (Burleigh) - Great value, great friendly and youthful service, you can see why this cafe is a Gold Coast favourite. An excellent choice for breakfast.

Pablo Pablo (Palm Beach) - Behind the blue door lies a delectable array of latin delights, including imported beer. The asparagus, and the jarmon crockets are a couple of my favourites.

Canteen (Burleigh) - Tucked away in one of Burleigh’s cute laneways Canteen is one of the reasons Burleigh is becoming the mecca for great coffee on the Gold Coast.

Plantation House Cafe (West Burleigh) - Not open Sunday’s :( but when it is open, offers an atmosphere in which to enjoy a coffee and a friendly bite to eat in a pleasantly surprising location.

Borough Barista (Burleigh) - Arguably the Gold Coast’s best coffee and in the best location. Getting a seat is tricky and the doughnut muffins are the temptress from the land of sweet sensations. Quite simply this is an endulgance you could have everyday.

Barefoot Barista (Palm Beach) - This urban coffee and bite nook started a Palmy revolution, where others are now following. Great coffee and a delectable homemade rustic menu to match. 

Jellurgal Cultural Centre - (Burleigh Heads) - Recently opened by the Minister for Tourism herself Jann Stuckey MP this indigenous cultural centre is an escape to the Gold Coast’s orginal ancestral heritage. The centre is also a place to enjoy a coffee, a personal tour and a place to buy original local indigenous artworks.

Miami Marketta - Quite simply a sensation! Miami Marketta is arguably the cultural hub of the Gold Coast. The industrial precinct of  Hillcrest Road is transformed every second Friday of each month into a heaving meld of art, international music (Rabbit Radio), food, furniture, clothes and other gorgeousness.

Eurovision 2013 this is Australia calling

Aussie Eurovision tragic Gordon Watson 

#Aussieeurovisionfan Gordon Watson gives his assessment of the 2013 Eurovision song contest.

The event that stops Europe, and some other parts of the world, is on again!  Yes it is time for Malmo to roll out the glitter carpet for Eurovision!

The 2013 Eurovision is packed with class, great songs, great performances and the usual left field performance that leaves you thinking WT! 

After trawling through the Eurovision website and playing, and replaying, each song in this year’s competition I have come up with a definitive list of my favourites based on the song and the performance. And let me tell you, what a tough task it was and I think this year’s live voting will go right down to the wire.

Missing from this year’s Eurovision is some the usual ostentatious quirkiness and instead replaced with a competitive mix of new sounds, big ballards and dropping beats that will worm their way into your ear.

Classic ear worms (songs that get stuck in your head) from this year’s competition include Bonnie Tyler and Believe In Me and the beautiful Eg A Lif. But look out for Ireland with Only Love Survives, and Malta with Tomorrow. It is safe to say, my favourites for 2013 have kept it simple instead of trying to be everything to everyone and as a result have created some of the best music Eurovision has ever seen.

It was tough to pick a winner, but coming out on top for me, and I hope this is a good omen for Hungary was ByeAlex with Kedvesem. This cute song sung in Hungarian, translates to she’s the one for me, whirls around your ears and takes you on a melodic and hypnotic journey of love.

Like every year expect the unexpected. I think if there is a song that leaps out from left field it could be Igranka performed by Who See from Montenegro. This song deliberately avoids being mainstream and maybe just enough of a leap to take the music savvy audience with it. Cezar from Romania will leave you in vocal bewilderment, but I am not sure this will be enough for the vocally schizophrenic talent (I mean that in a nice way) to take the title.

Finally, watch out for Finland’s answer to Pink. Krista Siegfrids is a power packed performer with a gritty edge and with a song called Marry Me, could well be on a winner, especially with countries like France passing new marriage equality laws.

For everything Eurovision visit http://www.eurovision.tv/page/malmo-2013

Gordon’s Eurovision Points for 2013

Douze points -  Kedvesem (Zoohacker Remix) performed by ByeAlex  - Hungary
Dix points  - Only Love Survives performed by Ryan Dolan  - Ireland
Huit points  - Tomorrow performed by Gianluca  - Malta
Sept points  - Eg A Lif performed by Eythor Ingi  - Iceland
Six points  - Believe In Me performed by Bonnie Tyler – United Kingdom
Cinq points  - What If performed by Dina Garipova  - Russia
Quatre points  - L’enfer Et Moi performed by Amandine Bourgeois  - France
Trois points  - I Feed You My Love performed by Margaret Berger  - Norway
Deux points  - Only Teardrops performed by Emmelie de Forest - Denmark
Un point  - Marry Me performed by Krista Siegfrids – Finland

Then….
11. Identitet, performed by Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko – Albania
12. Love Kills performed by Roberto Bellarosa – Belgium
13. L’Essenziale performed by Marco Mengoni – Italy
14. You performed by Robin Stjernberg – Sweden
15. Igranka performed by Who See – Montenegro
16. Contigo Hasta El Final (With you until the end) performed by ESDM – Spain
17. Glorious performed by Cascada  - Germany
18. Straight Into Love performed by Hannah – Slovenia
19. Its my life performed by Cezar – Romania
20. Hold Me performed by Farid Mammadov - Azerbaijan
21. Mizerja performed by Elitsa Todorova, Stoyan Yankulov  - Croatia
22. Shine performed by Natália Kelly – Austria
23. You and Me performed by Takasa – Switzerland
24. Waterfall performed by Nodi Tatishvili & Sophie Gelovani - Georgia
25. Ljubav Je Svuda performed by Moje 3 – Serbia
26. solayoh performed by Alyona Lanskaya - Belarus
27. Something performed by Andrius Pojavis  - Lithuania
28. Birds performed by Anouk – The Netherlands
29. An Me Thimasai performed by Despina Olympiou – Cyprus
30. Et Uus Saaks Alguse performed by Birgit – Estonia
31. Gravity performed by Zlata Ognevich – Ukraine
32. Lonely Planet performed by Dorians - Armenia
33.O Mie performed by Aliona Moon - Moldova
34. Alcohol Is Free performed by Koza Mostra feat. Agathon Iakovidis - Greece
35. Pred Da Se Razdeni performed by Esma & Lozano – FYR Macedonia
36. Samo Shampioni performed by Elitsa Todorova, Stoyan Yankulov – Bulgaria
37. Crisalide (Vola) performed by Valentina Monetta – San Marino
38. Rak Bishvilo performed by Moran Mazor – Israel

Last place…….Here We Go performed by PeR – Latvia (sorry Latvia :()

PS - I will be watching Eurovision live via the live stream and will be tweeting like a crazy man - you can follow me at twitter.com/gordonwatson or friend me on Facebook at facebook.com/gordonjameswatson

Vote for Troy Simpson in the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competition

Friend, author, former lawyer and local Canberra funny man, Troy Simpson is taking part in the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competition.

Vote for him simply by clicking on the icon above or by clicking Troy Simpson.

If Troy wins he could be visiting six continents in six months thanks to the fantastic people at hotels.com, Travelex and Viator.

For more about the competition check out mydestination.com

New Datapod App Streamlines Data Centre Design

The Datapod App will streamline data centre design

CIO’s from around the world can now design their own data centres and produce a personalised proposal within minutes thanks to a new App released by innovative Australian data centre manufacturer, Datapod.

The Datapod App enables CIO’s to design their own data centre and Datapod Founder and Director Scott Carr said the new App is another way Datapod is better servicing the needs of the industry.

The free Datapod App for the iPad is available for download from the App Store. Once the App is downloaded customers can start designing their next data centre.

Using the Datapod App customers have a number of data centre design options from which to choose, including how many racks, the density, the type of cooling and build in redundancies as well as other infrastructure.

Once the data centre requirements have been selected the App then generates a personalised report for the customer which can be viewed as a PDF document.

The Datapod App empowers data centre designers by streamlining the design process.

“The Datapod App is an extension of the efficient modular Datapod system. The App cuts down the time required to design a data centre by helping customers better identify their needs. Better still, because our modular data centres are manufactured and tested before deployment our customers can have a fully operational data centre within three months of accepting a proposal,” Mr Carr said.

 

Datapod has government and business customers in Australia, the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States. For more information about Datapod visit www.datapod.com.au

Golden Opportunity – expert panel discussion & community forum

Wednesday 21st November, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Paradise Showroom, The Arts Centre Gold Coast, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. 

Free event.

Join leading arts, urban design and technology experts to discuss the City’s cultural future at a community forum next Wednesday.

The Golden Opportunity forum looks making the most of opportunities to enrich the Gold Coast's cultural life and economy through creatively amalgamating information & communication technologies and the arts. 

Inspired by a research paper by Professor Marcus Breen, entitled Golden Information: The Virtual (in the) Cultural Precinct, the forum will explore future opportunities for universities, schools, industry, local government, cultural and community organisations to intersect and collaborate around the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct and beyond.Co-chaired by Marcus Breen, Professor of Communication and Media, Bond University + Tory Jones, Executive Coordinator Major Projects, Gold Coast City Council. 

MC:  Professor Jeffrey Brand, Bond University.

With special guests Michelle Tabet (Arup), Sahba Abedian (Sunland Group), Prof. Michael Blumenstein (IT Forum Gold Coast), Dr. Lucy Cameron (Queensland Government) and Simon Goodrich (AIMIA).

Free event, please go to www.bond.edu.au/golden-opportunity for more information and to register.Invite friends and share on Facebook.Golden Opportunity is a collaborative cultural forum supported by Gold Coast City Council, The Arts Centre Gold Coast and Bond University.

RE-IMAGINING THE GOLD COAST

For those residents and business owners looking to be part of the Gold Coast cultural dialogue take a look at this invitation - ironically I cannot attend as I will be going to the Gold Coast Arts Centre to see the Sydney Dance Company.

BOND UNIVERSITY and TIGERMONKEY PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS... 

RE-IMAGINING THE GOLD COAST

Cerum TheatreWednesday July 25, 6:30pm-9:00pm

Experience a night like no other as the Gold Coast’s very own Jeff Licence and Dr. Sally MacKinnon take us on a journey intothe cultural underground of the Gold Coast, exploring issues that have formed the stereotypes and discovering a much deeper side to the coast beyond the ‘Glitter Strip'.

Professor Philip Follent from the Soheil Abedian School of Architecture, and Professor Marcus Breen from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences represent Bond University on a panel along with…

§  Rory O’Connor (Managing Director, Yugambah Museum),

§  Libby Sander (Founder, The Future of Work Project and Chair, Goldspaces)

§  Destry Puia (General Manager, Arts Centre Gold Coast)

§  Nerida Marshall (Screen Theatre and Writers Studio)

Bond University is also honoured to welcome the Honourable Ros Bates MP, Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts and State Member for Mudgeeraba; and Assistant Minister for Child Safety and State Member for Southport, Rob Molhoek.

Gold Coast’s Mayor, Councillor Tom Tate has also confirmed his attendance for the event, along with seven of our City Councillors.

Join leading people from our community to contemplate the future of our city.  

$15 general admission or $10 concession.

Ticket price includes drinks and canapés served during the intermission.

 To find out more & to register please visit:

http://www.bond.edu.au/about-bond/news-and-events/events/BD3_022122