At their “sold out” launch party at Boynton’s Taproom last week, Stay Work Play officially launched their website with help from New Hampshire’s Super Secret Project, event sponsor Citizens Bank, Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, and attendees including young professionals and leaders from across the state.
(L to R) Chris Williams, Gray Chynoweth, Cathy Schmidt, Mayor Ted Gatsas, and Kate Luczko enjoy the festivities at Stay Work Play’s Website Launch party at Boynton’s Taproom last week. (Photo credit: Matthew Lomanno Photography)
The event, also a kickoff to a fall NH college campus tour, featured a live performance from The Super Secret Project. The Super Secret Project performed their newest release, “Middle Class in the USA” and also the New Hampshire-themed music video “Granite State of Mind” with a special Stay Work Play twist.
“Last night we started a bit of a revolution,” said Graham Chynoweth, co-chair of the Stay Work Play Board and Vice President of Business Operations & General Counsel at Dynamic Network Services, Inc. “StayWorkPlay.org is revolutionary because it is changing the way New Hampshire looks at itself and what others think of us. NH isn’t just a good place to start a family; it’s a great place to launch careers and start-up companies. It isn’t just a place to go camping; it’s a place to go to concerts. It’s not just a good place to retire; it’s a really cool place to live.”
Planned for the fall and winter, the college campus tour will bring entertainment to a few New Hampshire college campuses to engage students and encourage them to use the Stay Work Play web site at www.stayworkplay.org and organization as a resource for launching a career in New Hampshire. Stay Work Play is rapidly building a following on Facebook and Twitter and traffic has been building steadily since the beta launch of the site over the summer. The Stay Work Play website includes hundreds of links to other websites, as well as information, photos, and content that is divided into sections that relate to staying, working, and playing in New Hampshire. Special features include linkages to all of the young professionals networks across the state, to Facebook and Twitter feeds, a living index, and resources regarding jobs in the state, housing, events, and activities.
“The Stay Work Play Initiative is especially important to Manchester since our city is the business capitol of the state and home to 11 colleges and universities, educating more than 15,000 students each year, “ said Chris Wellington, Marketing & Retention Specialist for the Manchester Economic Development Office. “The city looks forward to working with Stay Work Play to help retain these young professionals and provide them with the opportunities they need to prosper both professionally and personally. The greatest challenge facing New Hampshire is the perception that Boston provides the greatest professional opportunities for graduates and young professionals. Stay Work Play will provide the state with a voice to let students know that New Hampshire and Manchester can not only provide graduates and young professionals with the same professional opportunities as Boston but also an unmatched quality of life.”
Over the next several months, the organization plans to add in a customized events calendar, enhance the job search component, launch a video contest, and is partnered with Business NH Magazine for the “Rising Stars” Young Professional Award, an inaugural event that will recognize companies and individuals who excel at addressing the needs of younger workers in New Hampshire. Attendees at this event, being held at Red River Theatre in Concord, will hear keynote speaker Peter Egelston, president of Smuttynose Brewing Company, share his story and advice for NH’s young professionals and entrepreneurs. Plus after the event there will be an exclusive showing of a cult classic movie. The event is being held on November 8th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Registration can be found at www.eventsNH.com or by calling (603) 626-6354.