Speakers Announced for Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit

The 2013 Washington, DC Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit is scheduled for April 19 at the Gannet/USA TODAY headquarters in McLean, VA. With just under one month to go the list of speakers for the one-day event, which will focus on emerging technologies and trends in marketing communications, keeps growing.

So far, 45 speakers have been lined-up for sessions including: New Developments in Mobile Marketing, Public Relations in a Social World, Marketing & Sales: How to Integrate them Effectively, SEO in 2013: Search in a Social World, Federal Marketing and Startup Marketing: Working with a Lean Budget.

The event will also feature two keynote sessions and Joe Rospars, Founding Partner and Creative Director of Blue State Digital will lead one of those sessions. In his role at Blue State Digital Joe is responsible for overseeing all strategy agency engagements. He previously served as Chief Digital Strategist for the Obama for America campaign where he was Barrack Obama’s principal digital strategist and adviser, overseeing the digital integration of the unprecedented fundraising, communications and grassroots mobilization effort.

Joe has also been named to the Advertising Age “Digital A-List,” and Rolling Stone included him among “100 People Who Are Changing America.”

Other speakers include: Amena Ali, CMO, Earth Networks – WeatherBug; Peter Cherukuri, SVP, Advertising & Business Development, POLITICO; Kevin Dando, Director, Digital Marketing and Communications, PBS; and Rob Pegararo, Technology Columnist.

For a full list of speakers and panels, and to register, visit the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit website. Speakers are also being revealed via Twitter @mamsummit and Facebook leading up to the event.

James River Writers seeks Nominations for 2013 Emyl Jenkins Award

The award recognizes a person or group that inspires readers and writers in central VA.

Richmond, VA, February 14, 2013—James River Writers (JRW), the largest literary arts organization in the State, honors the memory of Emyl Jenkins, who died in 2010, with an annual award to an organization or person who embodies James River Writers’ mission of building community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia.

“Emyl was an advocate for writers and their readers,” said Maya Smart, former board chair of JRW. “She had a knack for connecting people and organizations, and she shared her time and expertise with everyone she encountered.”

Virginia Pye, novelist and long-time JRW supporter, said, “She wanted us all to shine as she did: with success in publishing and happiness in our lives.”

Award Guidelines:

Who may be nominated: Any Virginia individual or organization that, in the same spirit as Emyl Jenkins, builds community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia.
Procedure: Entry must explain in no more than 500 words how the nominee makes Virginia a better place for writers. Entry must include contact information (e-mail and phone) for the nominator and two others who can further illuminate the nominee’s qualifications. Send nominations to info@jamesriverwriters.org or James River Writers, 320 Hull St., #136, Richmond, VA 23224. No entry fee. Deadline for entries is March 31, 2013. Members of the JRW board of directors and the JRW advisory board are not eligible.
Judging: A panel of judges, chosen from the JRW board of directors and membership to represent different levels of writing experience, will determine which nominee best matches Emyl Jenkins’ efforts to build community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia.
Announcement of winner: In addition to a gift reflecting Emyl Jenkins’ style, the winner will receive a free admission to JRW’s nationally-recognized annual writers’ conference. The winner and a guest will be invited to join JRW at its spring fundraiser on June 6, 2013, where the award will be presented.

Questions? Call (804) 433-3790 or e-mail info@jamesriverwriters.org

About James River Writers: James River Writers builds community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia. A nonprofit organization, JRW serves aspiring and professional writers and passionate readers in all genres through a variety of programs, services and events.

About 2012 Emyl Jenkins Award Winners: Poetry advocate Ed Lull and the Virginia Screenwriters’ Forum won the second annual Emyl Jenkins Award in 2012. A driving force in the state’s poetry world, Lull served four terms as president of the Poetry Society of Virginia, as well as six terms as the organization’s executive director. His involvement has been notable for outreach and inclusion of those with a passion for poetry. The Virginia Screenwriters’ Forum has a long history of helping those putting pen to paper in the state. For more than 20 years, VSF has sought to bring writers together to share their love and knowledge of screenwriting by offering support and constructive feedback to members’ scripts in progress. Beyond regular critique sessions, the VSF has sponsored periodic workshops and hosted speakers from the film industry.

Jean Anderson, Richmond liaison for National Novel Writing Month, and WriterHouse, a non-profit writers’ community in Charlottesville, won the first James River Writers Emyl Jenkins Award in 2011.

James River Writers announces the February 2013 Writing Show // Beyond Hollywood:

Local and Indie Filmmakers Talk About Their Craft
Richmond, VA. February 8, 2013- James River Writers, the largest literary arts organization in Virginia, presents a new set of writing and publishing professionals on a panel almost every month in a popular program called The Writing Show. On February 28, James River Writers is partnering with the Richmond International Film Festival to offer an evening with screenwriters, directors and producers.

Movie lovers, aspiring screenwriters, and writers looking to recycle their unpublished novel will enjoy an opportunity to go behind the scenes and learn about the business and craft of getting a script produced, even when you don’t live in Hollywood.

The panel includes filmmakers Imogene Drummond, Michael Gibrall, Brent Martz, Scott Mathias and Ron Newcomb. Julie Geen, local writer and chair of JRW’s Writing Show, will be moderating. Logistics about the February Writing Show are as follows:

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2013
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Pavilion Room // The Children’s Museum of Richmond // 2626 West Broad Street,Richmond, VA 23220
Fees: $10 in advance, www.jamesriverwriters.org // $12 at the door // $5 students

Panelist bios are as follows:

Imogene Drummond, artist, writer, filmmaker, paints and makes art films—or visual poems—about creativity. She adapted her Divine Sparks poem into Divine Sparks award-winning film (2013). Currently, she’s developing Divine Sparks Arts, Creativity & Literacy Guide. Her article on cultural transformation “Options for the Future” was the closing piece in the thought-provoking anthology The Rule of Mars: Readings on the Origins, History and Impact of Patriarchy (2006) endorsed by Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist and author Jared Diamond. www.idrummond.com

Michael Gibrall is a two-time Emmy Award winner, once for his work on the NFL Draft for ESPN, and once directing a local newscast. He has written several feature and short screenplays since 2010 in various genres, won eight screenplay awards, and has been nominated six times at film festivals and competitions across the country. Michael wrote, produced and directed the children’s television pilot, “The Learning Curves,” which was shot in Richmond. www.oneofeachproductions.com

Brent Martz, producer of Not Today, is the creative ministries pastor at Church in Yorba Linda, Calif., and no stranger to large-scale entertainment with purpose. Brent co-wrote, directed and produced an interactive musical drama, with a cast and crew of more than 200 members, based on the last week in the life of Christ, which ran for three years and drew more than 10,000 viewers. Outside of Not Today, Brent has also produced four award-winning films, including Day of Reckoning and Deletes. www.nottodaythemovie.com

Scott Mathias has written and co-written several full-length films, including Opening Act Production’s projects, The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers and Eulogy for a Stranger and Fear. He is currently working on a graphic novel and has other projects he is working to publish. Scott has been a journalist and business writer for over 20 years, writing about everything from art to politics to health. He is a communications graduate of Virginia Tech and Wheaton College. openingactproductions.com

Ron Newcomb is a writer, producer and director. He has been a script and production consultant on several projects. He has been a training instructor in several areas of filmmaking. Ron is an alumnus of the distinguished Act One Writing Program in 2004 and the Dov S-Siemens Film School in 2008. He has been involved in several other film events and workshops throughout the DC area. He has worked on features and many short films. www.thefellowshipmovie.com

About James River Writers: James River Writers (JRW) is a non-profit organization of over 300 members that builds community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia. JRW offers an annual writers’ conference, regular panels at The Writing Show, literacy improvement programs for young writers, and writing awards and contests. Since its founding in 2003 JRW has played a key role in expanding the region’s life-long literacy and in adding a vital dimension to Richmond, VA’s cultural offerings. JamesRiverWriters.org

About Richmond International Film Festival: The Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) is an inclusive and spirited festival designed to honor true film artists. Festival week features four days of film screenings of all genres and niches (features & shorts). From award winning to emerging artists, filmmakers will travel to Richmond for the premiere of their film and compete for top awards with the Grand Jury, as well as international screenwriters. Through its film productions, shot predominantly in Virginia each winter, the festival also provides an additional collaborative platform between local filmmakers and other filmmakers from across the country. www.themixshorts.com

About The Writing Show: The Writing Show, held the last Thursday of almost every month, features panels of authors, editors, agents, librarians, booksellers, illustrators and other literary professionals. Each show includes a moderator whose expertise is tied to the show’s topic. Previous topics have included Trends in Publishing, Memoir, Plot Structure, and Writing for Children, to name a few. The Writing Show routinely draws nearly 100 attendees. In 2012, nearly 1,000 people were served by the series.

Sponsored By:

Main Street Homes Awards Strategic Branding and Marketing Contract to Siddall, Inc.

Richmond, Va., January 29, 2013 – Today Main Street Homes announced selection of award-winning advertising and new media agency Siddall, Inc. The new home builder based in Richmond hired Siddall to lead strategic branding and marketing efforts. Siddall’s contract with Main Street Homes will begin this month and be in place for one year.

Siddall will evaluate the brand identity for Main Street Homes to make it most effective in today’s challenging real estate market. The agency will work with Main Street Homes to successfully communicate the value of its quality homes and neighborhoods throughout the Richmond region.

“We’re very excited to begin our partnership with Siddall. We choose Siddall not only based on their experience in real estate marketing, but also because they have the capabilities and partnerships that we were looking for to communicate our message in a creative and effective way,” said Vernon McClure, founder and president of Main Street Homes. “The real estate market has been improving in the past few years, and we’ve succeeded based on the quality of our homes and a true commitment to personal service. With Siddall’s help, we will continue this growth and reach an even broader audience.”

Main Street Homes delivers ‘quality with style’ through superior neighborhood and home plan design and excellent customer service and interaction. Since 2000, Main Street Homes has won more than 100 Parade of Homes awards presented by the Home Building Association of Richmond. Their 3,700 square foot Design Studio has also been named one of the top in the nation.

“Main Street Homes contributes to the high quality of life in Richmond by offering affordable luxury homes,” said John Siddall, chairman of Siddall, Inc. “We are pleased to continue our work in the building and development sector to help keep Richmond on top of the ‘best places to live’ lists.”

More about Siddall, Inc.

Siddall, Inc. is an award-winning advertising and new media agency located in Richmond with 37-years of experience in corporate, government and non-profit areas of industry. Siddall is a member of Worldwide Partners, Inc., the largest owner-operated advertising and marketing communications network made up of 86 agencies in 52 countries managing $3.4 billion in advertising expenditures. For more information, visit www.siddall.com or “like” on Facebook.

More about Main Street Homes:

Founded in 1996, Main Street Homes is a new home builder in the Richmond area, including Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties. Main Street Homes was recognized as Richmond Builder of the Year in 2009 and 2011 for designs focused on maximum curb appeal, livability and value. Find more information at www.gomsh.com or “like” on Facebook.

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Awards Branding and Website Design Contract to Siddall, Inc.

Richmond, Va., January 25, 2013 – Today advertising and new media agency Siddall, Inc. announced a new contract with the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). A national association based in Washington, D.C. dedicated to reducing high-risk pregnancy complications, SMFM selected Siddall for strategic branding and website design services. Siddall’s contract with SMFM will begin this January and be in place for up to nine months.

Siddall will evaluate the brand identity for SMFM including a logo, tagline and visuals such as fonts, colors and graphic elements. The agency will then apply the brand to a number of communication platforms, including the website.

“Siddall’s outstanding work in the healthcare industry and creative process will perfectly complement the mission of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine,” said Daniel O’Keeffe, M.D., executive vice president of SMFM.

Established in 1977, SMFM is a society of physicians and scientists who are dedicated to the optimization of pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. Goals of the SMFM include advancement of knowledge in reproductive biology that will enhance the quality of women’s healthcare.

“The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine is making significant contributions to the science of pregnancy and birth,” said John Siddall, chairman of Siddall, Inc. “It is a privilege to offer our branding and website design expertise to this honorable organization.”

More about Siddall, Inc.

Siddall, Inc. is an award-winning advertising and new media agency located in Richmond with 37-years of experience in corporate, government and non-profit areas of industry. Siddall is a member of Worldwide Partners, Inc., the largest owner-operated advertising and marketing communications network made up of 86 agencies in 52 countries managing $3.4 billion in advertising expenditures. For more information, visit www.siddall.com or “like” on Facebook.

More about SMFM

SMFM is a non-profit membership group for obstetricians/gynecologists who have additional formal education and training in maternal-fetal medicine. The society is devoted to reducing high-risk pregnancy complications by providing continuing education to its 2,000 members on the latest pregnancy assessment and treatment methods. It also serves as an advocate for improving public policy, and expanding research funding and opportunities for maternal-fetal medicine. The group hosts an annual scientific meeting in which new ideas and research in the area of maternal-fetal medicine are unveiled and discussed. For more information, visit www.smfm.org or “like” on Facebook.

John Siddall to Speak in Reston Museum’s 50th Anniversary Series

Richmond, Va., November 26, 2012 – John Siddall, chairman of advertising and new media agency, Siddall, Inc., will speak on November 29 at the Reston Museum in a history series leading up to the community’s 50th anniversary in 2014. The special program, The Early History of Reston – Marketing, Sales & Public Relations (1964-1974) “Translating the Dream to Reality,” will feature panelists Peter McCandless, Houston Park, Lee Shur and Chuck Veatch along with Siddall who were on the original team in charge of marketing the nation’s first large-scale planned community.

Panelists will discuss the origins of now “world famous” Reston, a concept which changed the face of suburban landscape in America. The presentation will highlight founder Robert E. Simon Jr.’s unique vision for Reston which included blending contemporary architecture and clustered, mixed-use land development within the traditional “colonial” style of Northern Virginia suburbs. Speakers will also discuss the market challenges facing Reston today.

“It was an honor to be a part of the marketing team beginning in 1974. For the next two decades, our agency helped Reston find its voice and tell its story. We helped the community gain wide acceptance and transition from an “experimental idea” to the best place to live Northern Virginia,” said Siddall. “We were gratified when Reston became the model for suburban planning in America for the next 50 years.”

This free program is presented by the Reston Historic Trust and the Reston Museum. It will take place on Thursday, November 29, 2012, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center – Lake Anne Reston Community Center – Lake Anne, 1609 Washington Plaza, Reston, VA 20190. For more information, call the Reston Museum at 703-709-7700, email restonmuseum@gmail.com, or visit www.restonmuseum.org.

More about Siddall, Inc.

Siddall, Inc. is an award-winning advertising and new media agency located in Richmond, Virginia with 37-years of experience in corporate, government and non-profit areas of industry. Siddall is a member of Worldwide Partners, Inc., the largest owner-operated advertising and marketing communications network made up of 86 agencies in 52 countries managing $3.4 billion in advertising expenditures. For more information, visit www.siddall.com or “like” on Facebook.

Mike Hughes at the Brandcenter:

We had a great turnout for the inaugural event in our new speaker series. Mike Hughes, President of The Martin Agency and an important creative leader in the Richmond advertising community, spoke at the VCU Brandcenter about his life and career.

Mr. Hughes opened his talk with an overview of what’s happening at The Martin Agency today, followed by some words of wisdom—although, with his trademark humor, he said he was irritated that wisdom hasn’t come with age.

In a generous Q&A session, he offered some advice for building a successful agency: “Be really good at something.” While the industry has changed since he joined The Martin Agency, he said the core of the business remains the same—attract good talent, foster collaboration, and bring big ideas to life.

Thanks to Mr. Hughes for the wonderful conversation, to the VCU Brandcenter for hosting the event, and to everyone in attendance. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Special thanks to Metcalf Photography for all of the great event photos.

Barber Martin Makes Ad Age

“The company’s latest TV ad features Tai, an elephant who appeared in the movie “Water for Elephants.” In the spot, a man spots the pachyderm in his front yard. “It’s just hanging out,” he says. His wife replies, “Honey, it’s auto insurance. It’s supposed to be there when we need it,” while the voice-over steers viewers to Elephant.com. The spot is by Barber Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., where Elephant is based.

Still, Elephant is not interested in matching the ad spending of its big rivals or does it come anywhere close. The marketer spent a mere $3.35 million on measured media in 2011, according to Kantar Media.

The big marketers have “almost created this expectation that you’ve got a have a flashy new ad every week, and that gets really expensive,” Mr. Minkler said. “You’ve got to have a presence and it’s got to be memorable on TV” but “there’s a point at which it becomes overkill and it becomes about agencies trying to win awards or a company trying to say they’ve found the cool next character people will talk about.”

View the full article here.

Online Bullying

Five different speakers addressed the sensitive topic from personal and professional perspectives. TMI Diversity, Inc. (@RVADiversity), specialists in civic engagement and inclusion, sponsored the gathering and moderated the discussion, with audience members providing instantaneous feedback through “clicker” response technology to further fuel the discussion.

The news organization’s view was presented by Kevin Clay, Editor of GayRVA.com. Getting the group to focus on “What kind of community do we want to be?” was Richmond’s ‘KindnessGirl’ Patience Salgado. Salgado’s KINDNESS CHANGES EVERYTHING message never wavers, but it was somewhat of a shocker to hear the beloved Kindness Girl confess that she sometimes feels anything but kind! And turns out that’s okay – she’s still loveable and we are too.

It might take effort to be kind. Make the effort.

Perhaps the most personal story of the night came from Chad Brown, who came to this issue from the other side. Brown relayed his own history as an internet troll and explained why for several years he actually thrived on clever put-downs and high-tech hijinks orchestrated at the expense of others. Although he never meant any true harm, he explained he did not really consider consequences of his actions, outside of thinking it was all highly amusing. Until his online actions seriously impacted his life. And ruined relationships. Now, Chad has a new perspective:

You can still have fun on the internet, have a sharp sense of humor, and not be mean. What you say will impact people – so think about that when you post online.

For more about this story here.

“Simple Survey”

Chances are you’ve never heard of Simple Survey, a startup that makes it easy for restaurants to get feedback from customers.

After all, the company didn’t even exist at 9 p.m. Friday night.

But marathon sessions of strategic planning, Web development and customer surveys this weekend brought the company to life. A group of entrepreneurs who spent the weekend developing Simple Survey pitched their concept Sunday night during the conclusion of Richmond’s first Startup Weekend at the Virginia War Memorial and took first place.

The idea for Simple Survey grew out of separate pitches Friday from Rob Forrest, who was thinking about new ways to do surveys, and Martin Romero, who pitched an idea for creating paperless receipts that could be sent to phones.

Once they recruited additional team members, the group spent Saturday talking to local restaurants. Owners and managers told the team they struggle to get consistent feedback from customers and want an easier way to get that feedback.

Helen Dow, an accountant on the team, said she was impressed by the product’s financial viability.

“I think the customer research we did was key,” she said. “We’re going to meet soon and set up the corporate structure. We definitely plan to keep going with this.”

The other team members were Chase Worthington, James Goodwillie, Lee Gimpel, Joey Figaro, Hope Norman and Tim Masterson.

Startup Weekend is a global series of events backed by The Kauffman Foundation”

Check out the original article here.