I was just having lunch with Hans Dippel of Rich Xiberta USA at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in Santa Rosa.

Hans asked me how often he should post on Facebook.

"Everyday"

Hans is very social face to face. He has almost 5,000 friends on Facebook.

Those "friends" want to hear from him and more. They want to hang out together and chat during the day.

It's the Hans Café where friends sit at their desk and take a break from work or the kids or chores or the boss or...

Build your own Café where friends can hang out, where their observations and opinions matter.

Santa Rosa Hosts the Tour of California

so... I'd suggest the Amgen Tour of California was a big success for the City of Santa Rosa.

"The city's organizing committee raised $540,000 in donations and in-kind services to pay for the coveted start-finish of Stage One of the eight-day Tour."

"In return, race visitors spent an estimated $6.8 million locally and the city and county received the exposure of a telecast broadcast to 200 countries."

" ... for a crowd estimated at 40,000".

Sounds like a great deal to me.

For the full article from the Press Democrat's Bob Norberg you can read his article.

Bikes Make A Difference

Do you understand how important riding bicycles and bicycle events are to our community ?

The Santa Rosa Cycling Club does.

They just held their Wine County Century event with 2,500 cyclists participating. Cyclists from the greater Bay Area, all over California and even some out of our state folks.

Cycling is a healthy form of exercise and transportation. It's healthy for the environment plus it a great form of advertising for the event sponsors, our tourist industry and our County.

Soul

The art community is the soul of a community.

Do you know who your local artists are ? Do you support the arts ?

We are very fortunate that here, in Sonoma County we have a very active art scene.

Business needs to embrace the arts. Artists are in the business of making art. They are part of our business community. 

It's time to think outside the box.

In this case the "box" is being burned.

At an undisclosed Sonoma County location a local artist had a bright idea. Let's take that old artisan handcar from the Handcar Regatta catch it on fire and ride motorcycles through it.

Sometimes great inspiration comes at the price of taking a creative risk.

Where Do You Have Coffee?

No one really cares.
Over and over again I get asked "I don't see the point of Social Media. No one cares where I have coffee."
They're right on the second point. No one cares where you have coffee. Yet, everyone cares where they have coffee.
Social Media is conversation both entertaining and informative.
If you're a well know entertainer your audience will be very interested in where you drink coffee. Unless you're lady Gaga though no one but you cares where you drink coffee.
So why post where you eat or drink anything? Because it's information your audience can appreciate.
The North Bay, Sonoma County, CA where I live is a destination place for food, wine and event tourists. People come here to have a good time. To drink wine, our terrific beers and sample our artisan foods, taste our organic produce and take in the landscape. More and more folks are coming here to  watch or enter biking, running and triathlon events.
Sonoma County has become internationally recognized as a "lifestyle" destination.
With so many people visiting Sonoma County and the North Bay oddly enough people do want to know where the "locals" have coffee. The best coffee. Coffee they can take home and share with their friends. Maybe coffee they can buy and sell in their coffee shop. A coffee shop that they create in their home town.
People do care what we in Sonoma County eat, drink and how we recreate only because they want the same experience when they visit here.
So be great hosts. Endorse and share the products, services and people you enjoy by living everyday in Sonoma County and the North Bay. People want to know.
On the first point "I don't see the point of Social Media..." who can convince anyone that communication is the basis of all civilization?
Social Media is simply the most effective communication tool ever invented since the creation language.

Sobering

I was at an informative event yesterday that was about the benefits to our city for hosting sporting events like triathlons and bicycle races.
It seems like a no brainer to me yet I've been in too many conversations with boomer business folks that demand convincing. "Where's the ROI ?" they ask.
If you really want to know all you have to do is spend less than an hour on the internet. The information is there waiting for you.
It's a similar conversation I have with boomer business owners about Social Media. I've finally come to the conclusion that it's a waste of time to attempt to convince folks about almost anything when there are so many others that have done their research are already convinced and can move ahead with a little help.
In talking to one of the presenters yesterday he said "Well the x generation and millennial business owners understand the power of Social Media and events. The boomers that don't get it well, we don't have to worry about them. They won't be around much longer in decision making positions to make a difference."

Essential Music

When planning events music is an essential component.

I was recently asked at a business event I'd helped to produce, "why live music ?"

The real question should be, "why are there so few business events that include live music ?"

Music is everywhere.

There's music at the grocery store, in the elevator, at your dentist's office in the mall.

What's a movie without music?

How many commercials don't include music?

We include music with almost every public event including: 

Baseball 

Graduations

Weddings

Church and Temple services. 

Music is always there when we celebrate transitions and change.

So what's a business event if it doesn't promote and encourage a change in the way you do business?

Boring. :-(

What's a business event with live music?

Inspirational!