This is the fourth post in our ongoing series, “Two Minutes With”. We’re getting to know a little more about the Elettra team, our clients, and our partners/suppliers. Today we chat with Elettra Managing Partner, Gwen Hardy.

Alma Mater:  UVic

Favourite restaurant or food: For dinner, Chambar. Specifically the Moules Congolaise. Possibly the only dish I have ordered there but it’s hard to deviate when you know you love something. For lunch, whenever I have time to walk a few extra blocks, I head to India Abroad on Hornby. Their vegetarian dishes are full of flavour, their naan is fresh, and they have a side salad with an inexplicably spicy yogurt sauce that just works. Heaven.

Morning beverage of choice: Typhoo tea to ease me into the day, followed by black coffee at work.

Favourite spot in Vancouver: On the water in Howe Sound.

Oxford comma: Yay or nay? Yay. The infographic featuring strippers, JFK, and Stalin pretty much sums it up for me. (Do a Google image search. You’ll get it.)

Best piece of career advice you have received? Contribute. In every meeting, on every conference call, and in every interaction make sure that you add value to the conversation.

What are you most proud of in your career? Striking out on our own and starting Elettra.

Why do you choose to live in Vancouver? The water. I love visiting other places, but I feel claustrophobic when I can’t get to a beach or get on a boat. Makes the mortgage payments worth it. Almost.

Which news story were you most captivated by in the past year? I would have to say the ongoing Federal election campaign. Unlike with a snap election call, fixed election dates mean that the electorate gets to take a good, long look at their candidates. Hopefully this will result in more substantive discussions around the issues.

Where would we typically find you on the weekend and what would you be doing? Chasing after my kids, aged two and four.

What is something you learned in the last week? That oysters boost your serotonin levels. Margaret Trudeau was the keynote speaker at the Kettle Society’s Making a Difference luncheon last week. She shared her personal story and talked about how important diet is in maintaining mental health.

A university degree is part of our identity in the working world, and often stands as common ground to make a new connection. Even years after the degree hangs on the wall, our network of peers continues to grow.

UBC has a strong penchant for alumni relations and believes in supporting the lifelong community you join when becoming a UBC student. Their new complex, the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre was born to facilitate relationships of likeminded students and alumni.

The centre, located at the corner of University Boulevard and East mall in the Vancouver Campus, is home to classrooms, social spaces, a lounge library and café. Its other main function, a selling point for those who aren’t Thunderbirds, is as a conference and events venue.

The 41,700 square foot facility can house anything from corporate meetings to fundraisers and weddings. The smallest space, ideal for meetings or web-conferences, is an intimate size of 350 square feet. For those looking to host a larger-scale event, parties of up to 400 can fit inside the reception-style space.

Although built in the spirit of alumni relations, the complex was designed to accommodate all types of events. Its diverse selection of spaces boasts advanced technology for audio, video, telecommunication services, digital signage and web-conferencing.

To ease the process of event preparation, the centre provides front-of-house staff to support planning. In-house kitchen and catering staff are also available.

Check out this article from Meetings Canada for more info!

One of the most common pieces of advice I received at the start of my career in public relations was to read - A LOT. Pick up everything and anything and pay attention to tone and voice. Then, continually practice your own writing. With this advice in mind, I picked up Margaret Trudeau’s new book - The Time of Your Life: Choosing a vibrant, joyful future. She will be in Vancouver May 21st to speak at The Kettle Society’sMaking a Difference Luncheon and I thought I would try to better understand her in advance of the event.

Given the intended audience of the book is women over 50, and I am in my early twenties, I was surprised how often I could relate to Trudeau’s words. The following are three of my favourite ideas from the book: 

1) “The cognitive unconscious cannot tell the difference between a physical threat and a threat to the ego.” Ever notice that whether we are hurt physically or mentally we exhibit the same symptoms? We become short of breath, our heart rate elevates, and we become nauseated. Next time your ego is taking a hit, try and keep your rational brain in control by remembering how your brain is deciphering this ‘threat.’

2) “Leave aging gracefully to out grandmothers, it’s time to age proactively.” What we do in our young lives affects how we feel as we age. Exercise and nutrition can be used as a preventative practice for disease and injury. Eating right and exercising regularly when you are young is an investment in your body and will help you dramatically as you age.

3) “The term mental health has become synonymous not with health, but with illness.” There is a great deal of sigma that surrounds the issue of brain health. People fear being labeled as mentally ill and this fear often hinders them from seeking help. The fear and stigma can create a bigger barrier to a satisfying life than the illness itself, in many cases. Trudeau will cover this and more mind opening matters during her keynote speech at Kettle’s Making a Difference Luncheon.

After reading Trudeau’s book, I am excited to listen to her speech on May 21st. Want a little inspiration in your life? Join us at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver for insight into Trudeau’s struggle with overcoming a mental illness. Then after the event, have a copy of her latest book signed to take home and enjoy.

For tickets to Kettle’s Making a Difference Luncheon visit: http://www.thekettle.ca/2015-making-a-difference-luncheon/

Elettra Communications is excited to welcome our new intern, Jenny McKenzie, to the team! Jenny recently earned her post-graduate degree in public relations from Humber College. Prior to Humber, she received her bachelor’s honours degree in communications from Brock University.

While at Brock, Jenny completed a communications internship at Best Buy Canada Ltd. This position sparked her interest in PR, and encouraged her to pursue a career in it. Since then, Jenny has dedicated her time to building relevant knowledge and skills, inside and outside the classroom. 

In her spare time, Jenny is an avid sports fan and music buff. During her undergraduate degree, she was a committed member of the varsity volleyball team. Jenny has sought ways to pair these interests with PR, and her volunteer experiences range from sports PR to music conferences. Another passion of hers is travel, which led her to backpack across Australia in 2013.

Originally from B.C., Jenny is excited to return to her roots in Vancouver. She is always seeking new challenges, and loves the diversity of PR. After dedicating many years to education, she is eager to see how her skills transfer from the classroom to the workplace.

Welcome to the team Jenny!

This is the third post in our ongoing series, “Two Minutes With”. We’re getting to know a little more about the Elettra team, our clients, and our partners/suppliers. Today we chat with Jenna Anderson, who has been on the Elettra team since September 2014 as a Tour Guide at Vancouver International Airport. Jenna is now moving into a Community Relations Coop position at YVR. Best of luck in your new position, Jenna!

Favourite quote: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” - Anais Nin

Favourite place to visit: New Zealand. It has gorgeous scenery, lovely people, and amazing activities like canyoning!

Favourite author: George R. R. Martin, he created a captivatingly detailed universe in A Song of Ice and Fire and I cannot wait for him to finish the Winds of Winter.

Morning beverage of choice: First, orange pekoe tea then an hour later a cup of coffee.

Best piece of career advice you have received? Take initiative, triple check all of your work, and always arrive 15 minutes early.

Why do you choose to live in Vancouver? Where else can you hit the slopes, go hiking, go to the beach, and then get some of the best sushi all in one day.

Natural talent you wish you had: The ability to gracefully walk in high heels.

At a time when headlines often herald the closing of large retail outlets, it’s refreshing to hear about a local company that is doing well and investing in new stores and an enhanced customer experience. Trail Appliances BC is one such company! The retailer has just opened a 22,000 square foot state-of-the-art showroom in Richmond’s home improvement hub at Sweden Way, just off Bridgeport Road.

Trail’s new showroom offers a must-see shopping experience for appliance hunters and features two functioning demonstration kitchens and 14 inspiration kitchens offering a high-touch experience for customers.

Check out the Vancouver Sun’s article on Trail Appliances and find out why they believe old-school showrooms are still important when appliance shopping!

I can’t believe how quickly time flies. It seems like just yesterday I started my internship here at Elettra Communications, yet somehow I’m already heading into my last week. Working with a range of clients in a variety of industries, I’ve been lucky enough to have some pretty great experiences in my short time here.

On my first day, I was able to help out with Harbour Centre’s Urban Grind. I got to meet thousands of Vancouverites that, through the power of PR, showed up to hike to the top of the Vancouver Lookout to enjoy some music, beers, and great city views. I also got insight into the back end of events like this by tracking the event’s success on a weekly basis and preparing a post-event report for the client. 

In addition to the Urban Grind, I was part of a team that celebrated all of the hardworking employees at YVR, promoting their new employee appreciation program: YVR Stars.

I got to spend a morning handing out coffee, tea, and cookies to YVR employees coming in to work, while telling them about the YVR Stars program.

On top of that, I was solely responsible for organizing the Chefs’ Showcase for this year’s Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards. What does that mean? It means I got to spend a good portion of my days talking to the top chefs in Vancouver and inviting them to prepare some of their signature dishes to be presented to (and thoroughly enjoyed by) the over 900 guests at this year’s awards. This also means I got to work on a project that was 100% my own, from start to finish. That was a pretty good feeling.

Plus, I got to catch a glimpse of the event itself - a room full of Vancouver’s finest from the restaurant industry coming together to celebrate each other’s successes.

Aside from working on some pretty amazing events, my internship at Elettra has allowed me to put my writing skills to good use. One of the main reasons I’m in PR is because I love to write. Throughout my internship, my bosses recognized this passion and encouraged it by giving me opportunities to write blog posts, client articles, and social media content.

I would also like to acknowledge some of the extra perks of working at a PR agency - the proverbial cherry-on-top of my internship. Working on the Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards meant I was able to visit some of Vancouver’s top restaurants before the crowds got to them. I also got to hand deliver mail to some pretty great food trucks; needless to say, some delicious lunches were had. Additionally, I was able to attend this year’s Boink Day hosted by Spring Advertising where I learned I could bouce on a pogo stick over 30 times for a good cause!

So there you have it, some first-hand insight into life as an intern. It’s been an incredible experience and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Of course, saving the best for last, I would like to thank all the ladies at Elettra for being so supportive and encouraging during my time here. I hope our paths cross again soon.

And now, I’m off to find a job!

Well, the results are in and we are closing the books on another year of organizing Vancouver magazine’s Restaurant Awards. By now people have likely heard that Ask for Luigi was the event’s big winner with four awards, Hawskworth won Best Upscale, Vikram Vij won Chef of the Year, and Tojo’s and Zest tied (yes tied!) for best Upscale Japanese. This year marked the 13th year that I have organized the event. Vancouver magazine is my longest running client and, my two lovely children aside, this event is my proverbial baby. Every year people tell me it was the ‘best ever’ and I wonder how we are going to make it better still.

I have to say that our team does an awesome job of organizing this event and we are focused on nailing every last detail. But what made Tuesday’s event so memorable were the emotional moments on stage that demonstrate the passion that those in the restaurant industry have for what they do.

We saw Premier Crew award winner Rose Nguyen give an impactful speech saying that it was the “great moment of her life”. We heard the son of the Amay’s House’s owners praising his parents for coming to Canada with $20 and building a successful business. We saw Vikram Vij get overwhelmed as he thanked his grandfather for getting him started in his career. And we were even treated to a spontaneous singing of Happy Birthday by our entire crowd to Bartender of the Year winner, Lauren Mote.

event production, PR, vancouver, PR agency, pr company

These are the moments that we can't control, but that we aim for as we plan the event. We pore over the results as soon as they come in from the accountant, agonizing about which awards we are going to present on stage. We ask ourselves which categories saw exciting movement from the previous year. Who will likely be most surprised? Who hasn’t had a chance to shine on stage in recent years?

It’s hard to say exactly what makes one event more successful than another, but moving beyond the tactical details and trying to connect with guests on an emotional level is key.

I would like to thank everyone whose talents contributed to an amazing event. The entire team at Van mag. Mark Philps for his stellar videos (here, here, and here). CBC’s Gloria Macarenko and Stephen Quinn who nailed the tone of the event perfectly. Our amazing host venue, the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. And the guys at PSAV who pulled an all-nighter to set up the event. And last, but not least, the fabulous women that I work with at Elettra. You rock.

Public chooses Help! Teeth Hurt! as recipient of social entrepreneur support kit from alumni UBCalumni UBC has revealed that the winner of its 2015 “your evolution” program is Help! Teeth Hurt! – a project aimed at creating a specialized dental clinic for adults with developmental disabilities. The organization will receive a “social entrepreneur support kit” including a mentoring session with UBC President, Professor Arvind Gupta.

“your evolution” empowers social entrepreneurism projects undertaken by UBC alumni around the world. It’s an innovative, online project-sharing platform that uses the strength of the UBC network to connect and support alumni working on socially beneficial projects. This year approximately 300 projects were uploaded to the “your evolution” website and 10 finalists were selected. The public has been voting at www.yourevolution.ubc.ca and this week Help! Teeth Hurt! was named the overall winner with a total of 1024 votes.

Help! Teeth Hurt! is a project founded by lawyer and UBC alumna Joan Rush.  The mother of an autistic son, Joan discovered that many adults with developmental disabilities fall through the cracks in terms of dental care.  Adults suffering from conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism can't be treated in a typical dental office and often require treatment under general anesthesia.  Many adults with developmental disabilities also have complex medical conditions, which require that they be near a hospital intensive care unit while under sedation.

There is currently no specialized dental clinic in B.C. that includes a general anesthetic suite for these adults, and dental students currently receive little or no training in how to treat them. The resulting problem is that many adults wait years for treatment in hospital and suffer serious and irreversible decay.

The goal of Help! Teeth Hurt! is to create a specialized dental clinic for adults with developmental disabilities at the UBC Hospital. This clinic would treat adults with disabilities and be a training centre for students of dentistry, medicine, and social work.

As the winner of this year’s “your evolution” Help! Teeth Hurt! will receive a “social entrepreneur support kit” including:

•  Professional photography session or the production of a video to help its cause.
• A mentoring session with UBC President, Professor Arvind Gupta.
• A mentoring session with entrepreneur, venture capitalist and Chairman of Rising Tide Fund Ossama R. Hassanein. MASc’74, MBA’76 – a member of UBC’s start an evolution Campaign Cabinet.
• Access to a consultation with a UBC faculty member in an area most relevant to the project’s needs (e.g. business, law, engineering, computer science).

It's an exciting time in downtown Vancouver. For the past three years, Pacific Centre at Granville and Robson - the city's busiest shopping, working, and entertainment precinct - has been undergoing a dramatic transformation. The first phase of the Pacific Centre redevelopment is now complete with the opening of the office space at 725 Granville Street. Sony Pictures Imageworks have now officially moved in. Retail tenants in the mall space will begin to open this summer, and the Nordstrom opens with a bang in September.

Check out the Vancouver Sun's story today about the completion of the 725 Granville office space.

Cadillac Fairview has opened the doors to its new AAA class office space at 725 Granville Street and the first tenant - Sony Pictures Imageworks – has moved in. Part of the redevelopment of the former Eatons/Sears building 725 Granville offers four floors of office space above Nordstrom’s future Vancouver location. Each floor has 17-foot ceilings, slab to slab, and offers 73,000 square foot floor plates, a unique feature not currently available in the downtown core.

Sony Pictures Imageworks will occupy a whole level of office space on the 5th floor of the building.

Microsoft will join Sony at 725 Granville later this year when they move in to their offices on the 6th and 7th floors. Law firm Miller Thomson will take occupancy of 48,000 square feet of office space on the 4th floor in early 2017.

This is the second post in our ongoing series, "Two Minutes With”. We're getting to know a little more about the Elettra team, our clients, and our partners/suppliers. Today we chat with our friend and partner, Lisa Edward, Art Director/Owner of  Studio Chartreuse.

​Favourite publication:Paper Mag

Favourite social media sites or blogs: Design Milk, My Modern Met, and Dwell

Favourite quote: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. —Wayne Gretzky

Role model: Barbara Kruger

Favourite place to visit: Cannon Beach Oregon is my favourite beach along the Oregon coast. Tons of fond memories from family vacations here throughout the years. Cannon Beach is one of those places you wished were part of your everyday walk. Incredible rocky coast with miles of sand to walk while you listen to the waves crashing…

Favourite restaurant or food: Spicy and ethnic are my go-to’s: La Mezcaleria has an amazing atmosphere and the most amazing Mescal Margaritas! Kin Kau is a new one in my neighbourhood. The combination of excellent spicy Thai food with a relaxing modern interior is the perfect combination for me.

Favourite author: Stephen King (specifically ‘The Shining’)

Morning beverage of choice: Bulletproof Coffee - gives me so much more energy throughout the day without making me jittery

Favourite spot in Vancouver: Too many to list, but one of my ‘new favourite spots’ is the new Convention Centre. I can’t get enough of the stylized 3D stack of lumber walls throughout. Did you know that there are over two acres of wood feature walls!

Oxford comma: Yay or nay? Depends on which font I’m using ;)

Favourite font: Univers Condensed, Gotham Black, HelveticaNeue-UltraLight.

What are you most proud of in your career? Being one of three women who completed the design of the Scitech Technology Center in Al Khobar Saudi Arabia.

Why do you choose to live in Vancouver? It is such a beautiful city with oceans, mountains and is the exact perfect speed for me. Not too fast, and not too slow. I worked six months in Toronto and realized that even though I often work late, I definitely relate better to the west coast speed of things.

Fun fact about you: I’m quite the computer geek and love all things technology. Whether it’s installing a better Wordpress plugin for my clients site, or setting up a VOIP telephone system so I can work internationally with clients in different countries - I love learning so much and it gives me a great sense of achievement when I’ve mastered something I knew nothing about a few hours ago.

media training, interview skills, reporter, interview training, pr, public relations, media, vancouver, bc, firm, agency, consultant, company

The phone rings. It’s a reporter. And they want to interview you. It’s a rare breed who doesn’t find themselves feeling a bit nervous, if not completely stressed out, at this prospect.

The truth is, a little bit of nervous energy about media interviews can be a good thing. At Elettra we always say, “if the thought of doing an interview doesn’t give you pause, you’re doing it wrong.” But if you get too wrapped up in the anxiety of the situation, it will make it difficult to deliver your message in a clear and compelling way.

This is where media training comes in.

Interactions with the media are unlike social or business conversations, so it’s vital for company spokespeople to enter interview situations feeling confident and prepared. Media training teaches company spokespeople how to communicate clearly, concisely, and calmly during interviews.

Elettra Communications offers a variety of media training programs to suit your needs:

Media Training 101 Workshop

Our Media Training 101 Workshop is designed to maximize learning in a friendly and fun environment. The focus here is on building comfort and confidence. These sessions typically run four hours in length, and are offered one-on-one or in a small group setting of up to four participants. The training includes:

• An information presentation that covers media interaction theory and provides real-world examples of interview techniques in action.
• A brainstorm around potential interview situations that spokespeople may face and key messages they want to deliver.
• On-camera interview practice. Interviews are taped and the videos are played back for the group to review. Feedback is delivered in a positive manner, and participants learn from the feedback their colleagues receive

Media Training 201 Workshop

Media Training 201 is an advanced class that builds on the theory and practical training covered in 101. In this session we focus dealing with difficult or complex topics, challenging questions, and stressful interview situations. Sessions are approximately two hours in length. Time is spent reviewing messaging and engaging in on-camera practice. Typically, sessions have one or two trainees.

Tailored Sessions

If you have a particular situation you need practice dealing with, a group than four, or any other particular need, we can create a session just for you. Tailored sessions are available in person and over the phone.

Do you want to increase your comfort and capability in media interviews? Then talk to us about setting up a media training program to suit your needs.

Gwen Hardy and Simone Abt have a combined 28 years of experience providing media training to spokespeople and senior leaders in organizations large and small, including Vancouver Airport Authority, Starbucks, Rogers, Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, City of Vancouver, JOEY Restaurants, and Trail Appliances. They specialize in creating a supportive and encouraging environment that helps spokespeople to grow their interview confidence and capabilities.