The YVR School Tour Program  is almost set to take off for another year. This week our two new tour guides Jenna Anderson and Leanne Kedrosky are in the midst of a rigorous training program. It takes a lot of knowledge to be a YVR Tour Guide, so they're spending the next two weeks getting to know the airport, meeting the key players, and memorizing a three hour-long tour script.

Jenna is an SFU Communications student currently on a Co-op work term. Leanne is a recent graduate from BCIT's Marketing Communications Management Program, who did her practicum at Elettra this past spring.

Leanne and Jenna are excited to be a part of the Elettra and YVR School Tour team, and can't wait to meet a lot of smiling young face this fall.

Welcome on board, Jenna and Leanne!

After a summer of all things light and bright on the home decor front, BC Living magazine is easing us into fall with the Home Trends page in their Fall 2014 issue.

Texture, metals, and natural elements feature heavily and beautifully. This includes a luxurious cowhide rug from our client, Burritt Bros. Carpets & Floors.

BC Living Fall 2014 is on newsstands now.

Local company Mahony & Sons opened the doors to their newest location in South False Creek earlier this week and Vancouverites have been flocking to the new restaurant to check out the detailed authentic Irish décor and sample delicious dishes and drinks on the stunning waterfront patio.

Prior to the opening Breakfast Television’s Dawn Chubai came down to Mahony & Sons to broadcast four cooking segments with Executive Chef Paul Nguyen and the Mahony brothers.  Viewers learned how to make Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos (a Mahony & Sons best-seller), Lily Belle’s Shrimp Salad, and Lee’s Lamb Dip, and Bar Manager Barry Quinn gave some useful tips on how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness.

Executive Chef Paul Nguyen prepares a shrimp salad at Mahony & Sons for BTV

The opening of Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing has proved of great interest to the local media and food bloggers with rave reviews appearing on the Georgia Straight website, Vancity Buzz, Modern Mix, and My VanCity (to name just a few), as well as on the websites of national food trade publications such as Canadian Restaurant News and Foodservice and Hospitality.

Follow @MahonyAndSons on Twitter for details on further coverage in the coming days and weeks.

The latest Green Space magazine from Business in Vancouver has a great article on Cadillac Fairview's geo-exchange retrofit project in downtown Vancouver. The project, in partnership with Vancouver-based Fēnix Energy, is to undertake Canada’s first geo-exchange retrofit of an occupied, mixed-use high-rise complex in a downtown core. The retrofit is taking place at Cadillac Fairview’s 777 Dunsmuir property in Vancouver, which includes a 19-storey office tower, as well as the Holt Renfrew and Sport Chek portion of Pacific Centre.

Read the full article here.

Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing

The craic was mighty on Thursday evening as Mahony & Sons hosted a special sneak preview for media of their much-anticipated Stamps Landing restaurant.

The family-run company has just completed a complete overhaul of the former Monk McQueen’s site in South False Creek and will be officially opening the new 10,000 square foot location on Monday, August 18 at 11am.

Guests at last night’s media event were invited to experience true Irish hospitality and enjoyed the perfect pairing of Guinness and oysters upon arrival, followed by a tour of the new premises before sampling a number of signature Mahony & Sons dishes prepared by Executive Chef Paul Nguyen.

The Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing Media Launch

Mahony & Sons, Mahony and Sons, Stamps Landing, False Creek, Restaurants, Irish pub

Mahony & Sons Stamps Landing can seat up to 600 people spread across two levels - 150 upstairs, 150 downstairs, and 300 on the four waterfront patios. Key features include an Oyster Bar, an extensive patio with double-sided fireplace, and a private sunset patio perfect for small groups.

Executive Chef Paul Nguyen

Thank you to all media who attended – Mahony & Sons appreciates your support!

Elettra’s clients Mahony & Sons are featured in Malcolm Parry’s column in today’s Vancouver Sun. The article touches on the family’s extensive history in the hospitality trade and reveals some of the exciting features to be enjoyed at the fantastic new location at Stamp's Landing when it opens next month.

Click here to have a gander.

We are delighted to be working with Muscular Dystrophy Canada in the run up to their Empowerment in Action Summit 2014.  This engaging and informative event will take place at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport from the 22nd – 24th August and will feature interactive workshops and panel discussions providing valuable information and inspiration to anyone whose life is directly impacted by a neuromuscular disorder. If you would like more information go to http://muscle.ca/we-can-help/educational-events/empowerment-in-action/

The deadline for registration is 8 August 2014.

Cadillac Fairview's redevelopment of the former Sears building / new Nordstrom building reached its next milestone today. The crane that has been doing all the heavy lifting was dismantled and removed in a 12 hour operation. Here are some stunning photos.

Next time someone asks Elettra's Lorna Allen what a typical day in the life of a PR person is like, we think she should just show them this picture.

In the pic, Lorna is high atop Vancouver's TD Tower working with photographer Rob Kryut to get some spectacular snaps.

What of?

....All shall be revealed soon.

Elettra Communications is working with Saint Bernadine Mission Communications to showcase Harbour Centre’s variety of retailers through soccer with a social media contest called “Spot the Footie”. As part of its “Spot the Footie” contest, Harbour Centre is offering a chance to win a grand prize of a pair of 5-pack Whitecaps FC tickets.  Each day from June 12 to July 16, 2014 there will be a Whitecaps soccer ball placed at a different Harbour Centre retailer.   @Harbour_Centre will tweet a daily clue describing the location of the footie.

In order to participate, individuals need to take a photo of the Whitecaps Footie in its newest location and share the photo on Twitter and/or Instagram.  To keep track of the submissions, participants are asked to include #HarbourCentre and #Footie, and are required to follow @Harbour_Centre on Twitter.  Every participant can enter once a day throughout the contest.  To bring attention to the contest we worked with Vancity Buzz on some separate contesting for their readers and followers.

So far we have seen many submissions, a substantial increase in both Twitter followers and interaction with the @Harbour_Centre account.  This has been the result of strategic hashtag usage, monitoring and consistent engagement from the @Harbour_Centre.

More contest details can be found on Harbour Centre’s website. Look forward to seeing your entry!

On Monday, June 16, 2014 the Vancouver Police Foundation launched its Kops’ Shades for Kids Campaign.  Back by popular demand, the campaign connects the public to the police via iconic, mirrored aviator sunglasses - a signature look inherently tied to police. Introduced last summer, the campaign raises funds for Vancouver Police crime prevention projects and early intervention community outreach programs. It also seeks to strengthen the link between the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and the community it serves.

“We have been reminded in recent weeks of the vital role that police officers play in our communities – here in Vancouver and across the country,” said Peter Brown, Vancouver Police Foundation Chairman. “The sunglasses serve as a visual sentiment that all citizens can wear to show their support for, and pride in, Vancouver’s police officers.”

The launch event was held at the corner of Granville and Georgia. There were four cameras and two reporters who attended, along with many people walking by who stopped to see what was happening.

This was a hard to miss event, because right on the side of the street were two large police horses, a police dog and his trainer nearby.  There was also music and free popcorn courtesy of Jack FM.   Policemen and policewomen were available to answer questions from anyone who wanted to chat.  This event brought in a crowd of people, and it was a great opportunity to share with the public what the Vancouver Police Department and the Vancouver Police foundation do.

Great program for a great cause. Click here if you are interested in learning more, or buying your own pair of shades.

After six weeks of learning about PR in the SFU PR Program, I felt like I had a solid ‘tool kit’ to prepare for my practicum at Elettra. In class, we learned a little bit of everything from media kits, pitching, and social media for PR, but there is only so much you can learn in a classroom. The practicum component of the course is a chance to give that newly developed ‘tool kit’ a try, and taking advantage of the opportunities that come with it, whether the opportunity is presented to you directly or not.  When I started my practicum with Elettra, I had no idea how many opportunities would come my way.

Direct Opportunities: The first day of any practicum or job is always nerve-wracking, so it was nice to find out that on my first day of Elettra I was given a list of smaller and lower priority tasks. These tasks were a direct opportunity to show my capability, even if it was on a small scale. In my perspective, every task that you are assigned is an opportunity to do well.

Indirect Opportunities: Your practicum is what you make of your practicum. Yes, your supervisor will assign you tasks, but you also have the opportunity to find ways to go above and beyond those. For instance, my supervisors gave the team a brief overview on an upcoming project and let us know that there would be a brainstorm for ideas later on that day. Even though this was not “assigned”, I took advantage of some extra time I had, and did a mini brainstorm on my own. I essentially prepared a little pitch for my idea, anticipated problems and prepared answers for those problems. When I presented this to my supervisors at the brainstorm that day, they invited me to not only be part of the project but they also asked me if I would like to be hired on after my practicum to complete the campaign! This was a bit of a ‘aha’ moment for me, because I realized how initiative can help you make the best of your practicum and how you have the power to form your own opportunities.

Reflection: The SFU PR program really helped me to start thinking from a PR perspective and gave me a little more confidence with the skills I had developed. My experience at Elettra was a fantastic way to learn in a supportive environment, a chance to try out my skills in assigned tasks, and a chance to take advantage of some really great opportunities.

Beyond the Article: If you would like to see the campaign I helped with, take a look at Vancity Buzz’s page and the Harbour Centre website’s contest page.

By Natalie Pope Natalie never considered public relations as a career option, but upon investigation she realized it was a perfect fit.  Natalie is currently enrolled in the SFU PR Certificate and has joined Elettra Communications to complete the 3-week practicum component of the course.

For the longest time PR was a mystery to me. But as a recent SFU Communications and English graduate, I learned that Public Relations is an area that many students in my field enter. As graduation approached, I began to chat with communications professionals from IABC  and through various Vancouver events. I didn’t know what my career path would be but I did know that I love working with people, writing, social media, and events. After a lot of thought and self-reflection, I realized that PR was something that might indeed by a fit for me.

I decided to act on this realization and enrolled in the SFU PR certificate program. Because of the program, I’ve learned relevant and hands-on skills that are integral to being a professional communicator. I also met many exceptional individuals including the industry-professional instructors and my classmates who will be the future of PR, I’m sure.

The SFU English Department held an event called “What can you do with your English Degree?”, where SFU English Alumni spoke about their current profession. Simone was one of the speakers at the panel and she spoke passionately about how Elettra makes a point of finding meaningful opportunities that the team feels strongly about. This was something I was immediately drawn to and it was even more appealing when I found out how passionate Elettra is about providing exceptional learning opportunities for their interns or practicum students. Again, this was music to my ears.

I am thrilled that Elettra Communications is part of my PR journey. So far, my journey into PR has been a path of discovery, and I look forward to continue learning and discovering during my time here!

Beyond the Article:

• Connect with Natalie on Twitter or LinkedIn
• Want to hear more about Natalie's career journey? She has written about it for the SFU Online Learning Community