It’s 9 a.m. and the streets are flooded. Roads are not easily navigated by delivery trucks and businesses are forced to close their doors indefinitely. Unfortunately, this is a scene that has been repeated more than a few times in the Granite State recently with floods, ice storms and even tornados disrupting business activities.
Bearing in mind that maintaining operations is key to long-term business survival, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and USDA Rural Development are working together to promote the importance of preparedness and communications even before a disaster strikes. The Division of Economic Development and the USDA will host “When Disaster Strikes! How Will Your Business Survive?,” a series of workshops in all ten New Hampshire counties to educate business owners and senior level managers on business continuity, social media efforts and media relations – all in an effort for these companies to be better prepared if a natural or manmade disaster were to effect their daily operations. The workshop series is just the first step in helping NH businesses. Concurrent plans also include developing three online web portals focused on supporting the public safety infrastructure.
“We believe education and preparation, especially in times of crisis, are essential to running any business,” said NH Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy. “The workshops are designed to be a hands-on learning situation with best practices on business continuity, social media and media & public relations. Businesses who participate in the workshops will be engaged and given opportunities to learn how to be prepared before a crisis situation happens.”
On December 11, 2008 New Hampshire was hit with a devastating ice storm that left much of the state paralyzed. Entire sections of the state’s electric systems crashed, leaving more than 400,000 homes and businesses without power. Many roads were closed due to fallen trees and branches making efforts to restore power that much more difficult. President Bush issued an emergency declaration for New Hampshire. Hardest hit communities included: Belknap, Carroll, Merrimack, Rockingham, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough and Merrimack. The workshop series and development of the web portals were made possible through a grant provided by the USDA and are designed to help small to medium sized businesses located in counties designated by the Presidential Disaster in the federal fiscal year 2008. With additional support from the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA), funding was secured to include Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, the two counties that were not affected by the ice storm. Businesses in all ten NH counties will receive the opportunity to attend a seminar happening in the county in which their business is located.
Molly Lambert, State Director for USDA Rural Development stated that, “This is an extraordinary opportunity for USDA Rural Development to partner with federal, state and local leaders to create the platform and Internet based tools necessary for businesses to minimize economic loss and more efficiently recover from natural disasters. The ability of this program to assist business owners, their employees, and families to prepare for future disasters is critical to stable, healthy communities across the Granite State.”
“The Community Development Finance Authority wants to nurture an environment in which entrepreneurs have all the tools to succeed. Challenges to operating a business can range from economic to natural disaster. We are pleased to support this workshop series with the main goal of educating business owners on how they can be better prepared,” added CDFA Communications Director Kevin Flynn.
The workshop series will run once in each of NH’s 10 counties. The workshops will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end promptly at Noon.
The break-out sessions will focus on:
Business Continuity: How businesses, non-profits and the public sector can use business continuity planning to prepare and to respond to emergency situations. Presented by: Jeannette McDonald, Principal, Cogent Solutions LLC
Social Media: Web 2.0 Disaster Management: How to use social networks to plan for and respond to emergency situations. Presented by: Allen Voivod, Principal, Epiphanies Inc.
Public and Media Relations: Communicating in a time of crisis, getting to know your local media before disaster strikes. Presented by: Monica Bardier, Principal, PingPR and Scott Tranchemontagne, Principal, Montagne Communications.
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Workshop Series Dates & Locations
June 2 Tech Village, Conway
June 7 Cheshire County, TBA
June 9 Pease Public Library, Plymouth
June 14 White Mountains Community College, Berlin
June 16 Division of Fire Standards Training and EMS Fire Academy, Concord
June 21 Hampton Police Department, Hampton
June 23 Gilford Public Library, Gilford
June 28 Claremont Savings Bank, Claremont
June 29 NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, Manchester
In addition to the workshop series, three online tools are under development and are focused on the public safety infrastructure. Those three internal websites, which will operate as part of nheconomy.com, the State’s economic development web portal, include a business emergency preparedness site, a financing site and a manufacturing site. All will work to ensure that the New Hampshire business community is well positioned to be prepared when the next disaster or disruption in operations takes place.
This post was provided by State Broadband Director Carol Miller who was one of the driving forces behind the Telecom Summit – great job by all associated with this event!
The 2011 NH Telecommunication Summit on May 11 at the Radisson in Manchester NH was an exciting gathering of service providers, technology companies, state agencies, regional planning commissions, municipalities and business. Sponsored by NH Business Review, the NH Division of Economic Development, the New Hampshire Telecommunications Association, Head Networks and G4 Communications.
Roy Duddy, Interim Director, Division of Economic Development welcomed a crowd of close to 150 participants. He thanked everyone for their support and interest in the discussion surrounding expansion of broadband to unserved and underserved communities in the State of NH.
Carol Miller, Director of Broadband Technologies at the Division assumed the role of master of ceremonies keeping attendees on track for the keynote, breakout sessions, and a service provider panel as Industry Leaders share their insight.
“This represents the first time in several years that providers, municipalities, and businesses have gathered to share information and resources about telecommunications,” she said.
The keynote was delivered by Scott Valcourt, UNH on the Network NH Now, and other initiatives that build upon the federally funded assets in construction that will build middle mile fiber to all 10 counties of NH. The Public Safety Microwave Project encompasses a planned upgrade of state agency facilities to a multi-user platform to free up space on state owned mountain tops for wireless broadband providers. The New Hampshire Fastroads LLC will bring that fiber to the customer premise in two last mile projects in Rindge and Enfield. In addition, Valcourt talked about the impact to economic development and the way it will change and enhance telemedicine, education, and job growth opportunities for the people of NH.
Breakout sessions included “Wireless/Cellular Technology Today” by AT&T’s Brian Krause, “Where’s My Broadband?” by Michael Blair of the NH Mapping and Planning Program at UNH, “Telecom 101 for Businesses and Municipalities” by Cisco’s Paul Gasparro and “Who Needs Broadband?” hosted by Carol Miller, Director of Broadband Technologies for the State of NH.
The Service Provider Panel was moderated by Matt Cookson, Executive Director of NH High Tech Council. The Panelists were Brad Scofield, Regional Director of Product Management for Comcast, Jeremy Katz, CEO of segTEL, Gunnar Berg, CEO of Cyperpine Wireless and Bill Meehan Director of Segment Marketing of FairPoint Communications.
Each panelist described their company products and footprint. They answered questions about expansion to rural areas, and business incentives to enhance investments in infrastructure.
Allen Voivod of Epiphanies Inc., provided the social media blitz for the Summit thanks to the generous sponsorship of G4 Communications. Video from the event can be seen online at the following location: http://www.youtube.com/NHEconomy, and photos can be seen at http://on.fb.me/2011TelecomSummit. Read the event’s comments on Twitter by following the hashtag #NHTelecom.
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be featuring some guest commentaries from the great professionals who’ve volunteered to speak at the Begin With Yes Careerfest scheduled for March 15th at White Mountains Community College in Berlin. This week’s entry is from the Division of Economic Development’s “social media guru” Allen Voivod of Epiphanies, Inc. Thanks for such a great commentary Allen!
Social networks influence our lives in countless and unexpected ways, including how we lose, find, and change jobs.
The stories are out there – good and bad. A Cleveland software architect profiled in Time Magazine who, after losing his position, landed a new one in just 11 days thanks to connections on Facebook and Twitter. A freelancer who lost out on a gig at Cisco because of an all-too-honest tweet.
Epiphanies Inc.'s Allen Voivod
There should be no surprises here – networking in real life also helps people land jobs faster, and people have been losing jobs for more than a decade thanks to ill-advised emails. But social networks put a much more powerful spin on these concepts in the world of work. So, how do you adapt? Here are five tips to help your cause.
1. Think like HR does. According to a recent survey of hiring professionals, more than 80% use online search and social media profiles to narrow down fields of job candidates. They even use online channels to find “passive candidates” – already employed people who’d consider a better deal at a different company. What will those hiring professionals find out about you?
2. Google yourself. Who does Google think you are? Do the results help or hurt? Regardless of what’s there now, you can affect those results by opening accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks. These sites are so popular, they routinely come up on the first page of search results. And search optimization studies show that most people don’t go past the first page on Google.
3. Privacy control. All social platforms offer privacy options to help you control what’s shared publicly and what’s kept private. Use them! Furthermore, you’re already careful about what job-related things you say via plain old email, right? Use that same standard of caution with your social networking updates, and you’ll be just fine.
4. Plan ahead. Develop your networks now, before you actually need them. Add content to social networking profiles, and grow them over time. Like many things in life, creating an effective online presence doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t wait until disaster strikes – build your safety net steadily, so it’s there to catch you when you need it.
5. Creation versus curation. So you have a Facebook profile, a Twitter handle, and LinkedIn account – now what? You feed it content that shows you care about the work you do. If you find creating content difficult to do on a regular basis, go for curation – finding and sharing content from other sources with your own network. Share an opinion about other people’s content, and you get both creation and curation in one shot.
Whether you’re currently employed or currently seeking work, managing your online presence, reputation, and personal brand is critical for your professional growth and potential. If you’re not visible online, you’re essentially invisible to the executive, headhunter, insider, benevolent connection, or hiring manager filling or creating a great position you want and deserve.
Allen Voivod is co-owner of Epiphanies, Inc., a social marketing and success strategies firm based in Gilford. He is one of five featured speakers at the upcoming “Begin With Yes Career Fest,” March 15th at White Mountains Community College. The event is free, but space is limited, so register now! Email lsherman@dred.state.nh.us to attend in person, or go to http://bit.ly/NoBullStream on 3/15 to watch real-time video of the event.
When developing an effective job search strategy, it’s best to keep this simple theory in mind – Positive attitude plus positive action leads to a positive result.
That’s the philosophy of award-winning human services CEO and local author Paul Boynton who is working with a team of State and private sector partners to help unemployed New Hampshire citizens access the tools and resources they need to return to the workforce.
Boynton, CEO of Manchester-based social service agency The Moore Center, announced today that he will be offering free downloads of his successful “Begin With Yes” inspirational book to any unemployed New Hampshire citizen throughout 2011 via a special download from his www.beginwithyes.com Web site. In tandem with this effort, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, White Mountains Community College, Public Service of New Hampshire, Logo Loc and media sponsor New Hampshire Business Review will hold the “Begin With Yes Career Fest” at White Mountains Community College in Berlin on Tuesday, March 15th from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
“The lessons you learn in my book about the power of being positive and setting attainable goals are all good, but there needs to be a corresponding action plan to turn those good thoughts into activity,” Boynton said. “That’s why we’re not only offering free downloads to folks who are out of work, but are also providing them with the concrete set of tools they need to conduct an effective job search. It’s a two-pronged approach.”
In addition to Boynton’s keynote address, there will be four other general session workshops – “Job Search – Applications, Resumes and Cover Letters” (White Mountains Community College speaker TBD), “Effective Communication Skills in the Job Search” (Dr. Russ Ouellette, Sojourn Partners), “Networking – It’s Not Who You Know, But Who Knows You” (Kevin Shyne, North Country Tech Prep Director and Leadership North Country Executive Director) and “Social Media Basics for Job Seekers” (Allen Voivod, Epiphanies, Inc.).
“Recognizing that helping to develop a job ready workforce is a primary goal of education, White Mountains Community College is thrilled to be a part of this event,” said White Mountains Community College President Kathy Eneguess. “We look forward to lending the expertise of our staff in developing and coordinating workshops that provide valuable information to citizens looking for a fresh start backed with new ideas.”
Through a special arrangement with Manchester-based EZStream and Portsmouth-based Kinney Hill Media Partners, the entire event will streamed live at http://bit.ly/NoBullStream .
“Though the event is taking place in the North Country, we are definitely committed to ensuring that all citizens have access to this great information,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy. “Whether you’re someone who has been out of work for a long time or someone who is underemployed and is just seeking a new career direction, you’ll truly benefit from the combination of Paul’s book and the interactive workshops.”
“Public Service of New Hampshire is proud to take an active role in sponsoring and being on the coordinating committee of such a creative and proactive event in the state’s North Country,” added Public Service of New Hampshire Economic & Community Development Manager Pat McDermott. “Helping our citizens to get back to work and build a stronger workforce and local economy is a mission that everyone embraces and we’re just happy to be able to do our part.”
Unemployed citizens can download copies of “Begin With Yes” free of charge at http://www.beginwithyes.com/purchase.html. They will need to click the “ebook” option and enter YESNH in the discount code box. Admission to the “Begin With Yes Career Fest” is also free but is limited to the first 200 people. To register, contact Leslie Sherman at lsherman@dred.state.nh.us.
For the third consecutive year, the NH Insurance Department and NH Division of Economic Development will join exhibitors at the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) Annual Conference, to be held October 17-19, 2010 at the Hilton Baltimore in Baltimore, MD. The state welcomes conference attendees to visit booth #9 and “sow the seeds of business success” by accepting a gift of black-eyed Susans, the seeds of which are embedded in plantable business cards.
Business Development Manager Michael Bergeron is representing the state at this year’s conference. Serving NH citizens since 1997, Bergeron works directly with businesses considering relocating or expanding to New Hampshire. He provides a wide range of services, ranging from site analysis and selection to facilitating state financing and incentive packages. In the insurance industry alone, he has helped nine insurance companies redomesticate to New Hampshire in the last two years.
“As the most livable state in the nation, New Hampshire offers an exceptional business environment for insurance companies,” notes Roy Duddy, Interim Director for the NH Division of Economic Development. “With the lowest insurance premium tax in the Northeast, no personal income tax or sales tax, and ready access to skilled labor, businesses and employees alike enjoy the many rewards of working and playing in the Granite State.”
Joining Bergeron at this year’s ACLI conference is Allen Voivod of social marketing company Epiphanies, Inc., which has helped the Division of Economic Development double their website traffic and create one of the largest economic development presences on Facebook in the US. Voivod will be interviewing industry leaders and capturing highlights to share on the state’s new industry-specific “Redomesticate NH” social channels on Facebook and Twitter.
A whopping 500,000 of Facebook’s 500 million global users live in New Hampshire. Twitter recently crossed the 100 million user threshold and became the third largest search engine in the world, besting all but Google and YouTube. More than 80% of companies, recruiters, and human resource professionals report scanning online channels – including social networking sites – to research candidates, find prospects and weed out applicants.
Epiphanies Inc.'s Allen Voivod holds court at last year's Social Media Business Summit.
In an effort to bring this ever-growing impact and power of social media to more New Hampshire businesses, organizations and professionals, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, in partnership with social marketing and success strategies firm Epiphanies, Inc. and Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), will host the second annual “A-Ha!” NH Social Media Business Summit at PSNH, 780 North Commercial Street, Manchester, on Monday, September 27th. To ensure content is geared to the needs and skill levels of the attendees, the Summit will be split into two three-hour sessions for two different audiences, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
“The shift in how we connect and communicate is changing the way business is done in New Hampshire and beyond,” says New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher. “If you want to be competitive and relevant to your target market, your community, and in your industry, you have to actively explore what’s happening – and what’s possible – in the social media realm. This Summit is the place to do exactly that.”
The Morning Session, from 9:00am to noon, is designed for social media beginners, small business owners, professionals in mission-driven organizations and passionate entrepreneurs. Presentations include “Social Marketing on a Shoestring Budget” and “Facebook on Fire: Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts to Fuel Your Success on the World’s Hottest Social Network.” The last hour will feature the NH Entrepreneur Success Panel, featuring: Christy Cegelski, Drink Skinny, LLC; Stacey Lucas, Veggie Art Girl; Bill Rogers, Now or Never Media; and Steve Varnum, Communications and Marketing Director, NH Community Loan Fund.
The Afternoon Session is geared for people who are already running with one or more of the major social media platforms – including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and blogging. Ideal for social media enthusiasts, community leaders, marketing mavens, brand managers, bold entrepreneurs, and visionaries of mission-driven organizations, the afternoon’s presentations include “Facebook Marketing: Customization, Fan Building, and Advertising” and “Engaging the Social Senses: Listening, Monitoring, and Measuring.” Additionally, there will be a Cross-Industry NH Success Panel, featuring Erica Murphy, Director of Communications and Community Relations, The Common Man; Paul Boynton, Author of Begin With Yes and CEO of Moore Center Services; Steve Boucher, Communications and Legislative Director at the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development; and Abby Fitchner, Microsoft’s Developer Evangelist for Startups.
Summit Sessions will be presented and moderated by Lani and Allen Voivod, co-owners of Epiphanies, Inc., whom Boucher calls the Division’s “social marketing gurus,” and who’ve delivered workshops, webinars, slidecasts, and boot camps online and off, for Chambers of Commerce, trade associations, and business development events throughout the Granite State and for clients and entrepreneurs across the country.
“We received tremendously positive feedback from last year’s New Hampshire Social Media Business Summit,” PSNH Economic & Community Development Manager Pat McDermott said. “We’re proud to help bring these ideas and strategies to the business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders who play such an important role in New Hampshire’s economic growth and vitality.”
“Our goal is to connect the dots, empower action, and incite attendees to thrive with these tools, channels, and platforms,” said Lani Voivod. “The opportunities are here waiting for them.”
“With social media as with business, belief is everything,” Allen Voivod added. “We aim to help people believe in their own bigger picture of possibility and success.”
As a special gift to New Hampshire’s business community from the Division of Economic Development and PSNH, admission to this event is free. However, there are only 100 seats available for each session, so early registration is strongly suggested. To register, go to www.AhaNH.com. For more information, call Epiphanies, Inc. at (603) 524-5248, or email events@EpiphaniesInc.com.
Over 30 exhibitors will be displaying the latest energy efficiency offerings at Greenerpalooza III, scheduled for August 12th at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford.
A number of "green" vendors will be displaying their wares at Greenerpalooza III.
Sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire, Citizens Bank and media sponsor NH Business Review in coordination with the NH Business Resource Center, Greenerpalooza is a celebration of energy efficiency efforts in the Granite State. Set against the backdrop of a Sheryl Crow/Colbie Caillat concert, this is a truly an event that encourages the exchange of information between green businesses and 5,000 concert goers.
This year, attendees will be able to visit with the following exhibitors:
Public Service of New Hampshire
Citizens Bank
Acorn Organic Salon
Build Green NH
Lakes Region Heating & AC
Ultra Geothermal
GDS Associates Inc.
WindMonitoring.com
Lakes Region Community College
Dawn Solar Systems
KW Management Inc.
Frase Electric LLC
Energy Audits Unlimited
ConVerdant Vehicles
Green Alliance
Water Energy Distributors
Just Be Products LLC
Sendout Cards
Atlantic Home Systems
The Mountain
Trailtex
EarthTec
The Water Depot of New England
NH Department of Environmental Services
Upper Valley Green
Greensource Energy Solutions
Stay Work Play
Resource Management, Inc.
NH Division of Economic Development
NH Business Review
Epiphanies, Inc.
Belknap Landscape Company
Greenerpalooza will also feature an appearance by Reverb this year. Reverb is a non-profit environmental organization that educates and engages musicians and their fans to promote environmental sustainability. It was founded by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband, Guster guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner.
Reverb’s greening services include carbon neutral concerts and venues; biodiesel for vehicles and generators; waste reduction; biodegradable catering products; recycling; green bus supplies and cleaners; energy efficiency; green contract rider; eco-friendly merchandise; green sponsorship; and on site and on-line fan outreach.
Romance, recycling and a healthy dose of frontier justice – that’s what’s on tap in the newest “Earth friendly” entries on No Bull TV.
For those of you who’ve forgotten (which is understandable as we haven’t been posting a ton of videos lately in advance of our latest extravagonzos), No Bull TV is the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s YouTube station featuring vids on Greenerpalooza, the WMUR Project Economy Job Fair and Career Expo, the Jericho ATV Park and more.
This year, as previously referenced on the No Bull Business Blog, we have partnered with the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion, Citizens Bank, Public Service of NH, Epiphanies Inc., New Hampshire Business Review and The Mountain to not only present Greenerpalooza III on August 12th, but to unveil the Granite Green Team, very much in evidence at select Meadowbrook concerts.
The Granite Green Team, a squad of eco-volunteers clad in very cool t-shirts designed by our friends at The Mountain, hands out seed cards with recycling and energy efficiency information on them at concerts throughout the Meadowbrook season. Located on the card is information that can also be used to sponsor the planting of a tree, a great way to build sustainability and encourage green practices.
To ensure that concert goers get the message about the benefits of recycling and observe eco-friendliness while visiting Meadowbrook, the Green Team pulled together a series of Public Service Announcements that make an important point while being entertaining at the same time.
In the following clips, Allen Voivod of Epiphanies Inc. fame, plays our resident rocker while PSNH Economic & Community Development Manager Pat McDermott, Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion Marketing Director and I comprise the green jumpsuit stylin’ Granite Green Team. In the “Romance and Recycling” clip, Dan Freund of Kinney Hill (the video production team that did such a great job on this shoot) and Meadowbrook’s Kate Lilly play the couple who find love through recycling.
Special thanks to Emma Womack, Vice President of Corporate Development at Meadowbrook, for arranging the shoot and ensuring that these PSAs will run on the venue’s video wall throughout the 2010 season. Never thought that my buddies and I would be sharing the stage with Sugarland, Heart, Cheap Trick and the Zac Brown Band!!
– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director
For years, Grammy Award-winning musician Sheryl Crow has been spreading the word about environmental awareness through activism and song. Now she will be joined by a team of green minded public and private sector partners as she makes her way to the Granite State as part of her 2010 tour.
Crow, joined by 2009 BMI Pop Award Songwriter of the year Colbie Caillat, will headline this year’s Greenerpalooza III concert on August 12th at 8 p.m. at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion.
Co-sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire and Citizens Bank in coordination with the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and media sponsor New Hampshire Business Review, Greenerpalooza III is a celebration of New Hampshire’s energy efficiency efforts. Over 5,000 concert goers will not only get to enjoy a concert from a multi-platinum artist, they will also be able to visit a special eco village on the Meadowbrook midway where vendors will be extolling the virtues of wind and solar power as well as other alternative energy sources.
“Greenerpalooza has been great at opening people’s eyes to the potential of a greener, more sustainable future,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher. “By using the unifying force of music, we are able to help citizens to become more energy efficient, learn about new technologies and share a positive environmental message with their neighbors.”
Show headliner Sheryl Crow is no stranger to promoting and endorsing a green lifestyle. She is a founding member and one of the driving forces behind the Green Music Group, a coalition of musicians, industry leaders, and fans working to inspire widespread environmental action. Crow recently encouraged her fans to accept the Green Music Group Challenge, an earth friendly call-to-action that asks music fans to send an email to legislators expressing support for effective, fair environmental legislation.
“Sheryl is an excellent choice for this year’s Greenerpalooza event based on her strong record of supporting environmentally friendly initiatives,” said Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion Marketing Director Chris Lockwood. “She is an artist who isn’t afraid to take a stand and to live the message that she sends through her music. She’s truly dedicated to spreading the word that taking care of the planet is everyone’s responsibility.”
Greenerpalooza III has brought new partners into the fold for this year’s offering. Citizens Bank, a lending institution that has demonstrated a commitment to the community through its Champions in Action initiative as well as other charitable endeavors, has signed on as a co-sponsor, believing that encouraging sustainability fits in well with their corporate mission.
“We believe that a bank should contribute to the growth and vibrancy of its communities, said Cathleen A. Schmidt, president of Citizens Bank. “We are excited to partner with the NH Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire and other like-minded companies, to showcase eco-friendly initiatives at Greenerpalooza. Attendees will have the chance to learn about our Green$ense incentive program, and how small everyday activities such as reducing paper-based transactions can have a tremendous impact on the environment and the world we live in.”
Also new to the event this year is the addition of the “Granite Green Team,” a virtual “green army” of volunteers who will collect recyclables at Meadowbrook concerts and distribute wild-flower seed cards that have an on-line voucher to plant a tree in an area in need of reforesting. The seed cards can be planted after the voucher is redeemed. A team of 4-6 representatives from Public Service of New Hampshire, the Division of Economic Development, Citizens Bank and social media partner Epiphanies, Inc. will each attend a show during the 2010 season and encourage concert goers to dispose of recyclables responsibly and to observe eco awareness in their daily living.
“This is a great new twist to Greenerpalooza,” said Pat McDermott, Public Service of New Hampshire’s Economic & Community Development Manager. “Recycling and making energy-efficiency improvements are simple, cost-effective ways to make a big difference in protecting the environment. Since 2003, our customers have reduced air emissions by more than 3.1 million tons by participating in PSNH’s portfolio of energy-efficiency programs. That’s equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 579,000 cars.”
Volunteers will all be clad in special t-shirts designed by Michael McGloin of Keene-based The Mountain, creators of the multi-million selling “Three Wolf Moon” shirt. The shirts feature a lushly growing tree with a guitar for a base and limbs extending from a recycling sign as birds fly off in the distance.
“The design is a depiction of things that we typically associate with green living and shows the beauty of what can happen when work towards a better, more Earth-friendly future,” McGloin said. “We at The Mountain incorporate environmental friendliness into our business practices and are excited to be part of this team of people trying to make a positive difference.”
Tickets to the Sheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat concert, which include entry into the eco-village, are available online at www.meadowbrook.net. To learn more about the latest happenings with Greenerpalooza, visit the newly created Greenerpalooza III Facebook page at www.facebook.com/greennh.
How many times in a business situation do you think that it pays to “get wild?”
Well, I’m here to tell you that next Friday, the entire state of New Hampshire will go “Wild for Innovation” as we partner with Public Service of New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire to host a daylong celebration of some of the finest innovative initiatives in the nation.
Our good friend Allen Voivod of Epiphanies, Inc. just wrote a great blog about our upcoming event – here’s what he had to say:
Networking, Innovating and Getting Wild About Business
Here’s one thing that 2009 taught us – everything you think you know about business can change very rapidly, and cause even the most stable of companies to get nervous, get shaky, and in some unfortunate circumstances, go under.
Here’s something else we know – out of recessions come some of the most powerful, profitable, game-changing companies. General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, CNN, Federal Express, Burger King, and dozens of other giants started out in what some would consider the worst of economic circumstances.
One of the keys to their survival through thick and thin is their ability to innovate – to constantly search for ways to improve the way they do business, internally and externally. This is the overriding theme behind “Wild for Innovation,” billed as “a unique opportunity for New Hampshire businesspeople to converge with some of the brightest at UNH for a day of learning, sharing, celebration.”
It’s happening Friday, March 5th, at UNH in Durham, starting at 12pm and continuing through 5:45pm, after which there’s going to be a tailgate-style networking dinner. (You can stay and watch UNH’s hockey team take on Boston College at 7:30pm and make a night of it, too.)
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t planning on going originally, even though one of our clients is involved in putting on this event. But I’ve since changed my mind, and the reason why is because of what I learned from studying up on trade shows a couple of years ago:
If you want to stand out in your field, look at what’s happening in different industries to get fresh ideas, find out what’s working (and what isn’t), and bring some of that into your own presence as appropriate.
Same thing goes for innovation – if you want to get in the innovation mindset, surround yourself with open-minded business professionals who are thinking in that direction. Surround yourself with people who are actually innovating for a living. Get fresh input from different fields that you can take back and put to work in your own business.
You’re going to get that (and a lot more) from Wild for Innovation Day. It’s an event unlike others I’ve seen put on here in NH in the past, tickets are limited for it, and half are gone already, so don’t wait until the last minute – jump on it today.
Bearing in mind that maintaining operations is key to long-term business survival, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and USDA Rural Development are working together to promote the importance of preparedness and communications even before a disaster strikes. The Division of Economic Development and the USDA will host “When Disaster Strikes! How Will Your Business Survive?,” a series of workshops in all ten New Hampshire counties to educate business owners and senior level managers on business continuity, social media efforts and media relations – all in an effort for these companies to be better prepared if a natural or manmade disaster were to effect their daily operations. The workshop series is just the first step in helping NH businesses. Concurrent plans also include developing three online web portals focused on supporting the public safety infrastructure. 
Roy Duddy, Interim Director, Division of Economic Development welcomed a crowd of close to 150 participants. He thanked everyone for their support and interest in the discussion surrounding expansion of broadband to unserved and underserved communities in the State of NH.
That’s the philosophy of award-winning human services CEO and local author Paul Boynton who is working with a team of State and private sector partners to help unemployed New Hampshire citizens access the tools and resources they need to return to the workforce.
Business Development Manager Michael Bergeron is representing the state at this year’s conference. Serving NH citizens since 1997, Bergeron works directly with businesses considering relocating or expanding to New Hampshire. He provides a wide range of services, ranging from site analysis and selection to facilitating state financing and incentive packages. In the insurance industry alone, he has helped nine insurance companies redomesticate to New Hampshire in the last two years.
Crow, joined by 2009 BMI Pop Award Songwriter of the year Colbie Caillat, will headline this year’s Greenerpalooza III concert on August 12th at 8 p.m. at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion.
Greenerpalooza III has brought new partners into the fold for this year’s offering. Citizens Bank, a lending institution that has demonstrated a commitment to the community through its Champions in Action initiative as well as other charitable endeavors, has signed on as a co-sponsor, believing that encouraging sustainability fits in well with their corporate mission.
Here’s something else we know – out of recessions come some of the most powerful, profitable, game-changing companies. General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, CNN, Federal Express, Burger King, and dozens of other giants started out in what some would consider the worst of economic circumstances.