Don’t forget to enter the 2010 Beerku Contest

The 2010 Beerku Contest is still underway. What’s a beerku, you ask? It’s a haiku dedicated to beer. And if you write the winning beerku, you’ll win two free tickets to the Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic Feast. Saturday, July 17, Eighteen world-class chefs will be coming to Bend for a night of cuisine expertly paired with Deschutes Brewery beer.

Entering to win is easy, but writing a beerku that captures the tastiness of beer or the enjoyment of drinking a pint can be challenging. (Remember, you have to follow the five syllable, seven syllable, five syllable model.) Here’s my first attempt:

Raucous pub at night
Joining my friends for a pint
Winter kept at bay

Hmm, maybe I need to keep working at that one.

Go ahead, give it a try yourself!

@jennyfurniss

Sixth Annual Bend Brew Fest

Back by popular demand, the Bend Brew Fest celebrates Bend's bent for brews. Held at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, the festival features great food and more than fifty distinct craft beers and ciders will be available for public tasting. This is a festival where the focus is on tasting and enjoying fine craft beers. There will be live music and several booths for additional activities during the event.

WHEN: Friday, August 20 from 4 - 11 p.m.; Saturday, August 21 from noon - 11 p.m.

WHERE: Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend.

CONTACT: (541) 312-8510; info@bendconcerts.com

COST: Free admission; $1 token for beer tasting. All proceeds benefit Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Oregon.

First Friday at Deschutes Brewery Pub

Deschutes Brewery will be participating in First Friday with an outdoor BBQ and several special beers being served. A Deschutes Brewery employee, Sarah Cook, will be displaying her photographs during the event, and there will also be live music.

WHERE: Deschutes Brewery Public House

1044 NW Bond Street Bend, OR 97701

CONTACT: (541) 382-9242

WHEN: July 2, 5p.m.

Starting off a Summer of Beer in Portland

In Portland, Oregon, beer festival season is upon us - and it's going to be a good one!

Kicking things off is the 6th Annual North American Organic Brewers Festival in North Portland. With over 50 organic beers to try you will be sure to find a brew to your liking and maybe even some new favorites. Beers in this year's festival hail from Colorado, Utah, California, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon with exotic names like Organic Acai Berry Wheat, Yerba Mate Black Lager and Flower of the Gods IPA. Of course they have more standard brews on tap such as the People's Porter from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing or Pike Brewing Co's Naughty Nellie Golden Artisan Ale. 

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Festival of Ruckus

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How to Survive the Pendleton Round-Up

Campbell likes to keep abreast of the buzz around Oregon and spread the word about the most interesting events in the state—like the 100 anniversary of the Pendleton Round-Up, Sept. 11 to 18.

I hear you’re thinking about venturing east to play cowboy for a day. Do you want to look like some sunburned tourist? No way! So follow my tips to surviving the Pendleton Round-Up. Take it from me—I’ll admit it, I’m a Pendleton townie.

1. If you want to go to the Rodeo, buy your tickets now. There are still tickets available for Wednesday and Thursday, but Friday and Saturday have already sold out.

2. By now most of the hotels are booked, but you won’t have to sleep in your pick-up truck—call the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-547-8911 to access a list of available rooms, houses and camping spaces.

3. Sign up for the Pendleton Underground Tours! My mother insisted on dragging me along when I was a bratty teen, and even I had a blast. You’ll get to walk through the underground tunnels used by Chinese workers and check out an opium den and an old-time brothel.

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St. Charles Health System Presents Free Summer Sundays Concert Series in Les Schwab Amphitheater

The Bend, Oregon concert series is sponsored by Central Oregon health system focused on well-being of its community Grab three things this Sunday, and the next seven Sundays to follow: 1. warm jacket, 2. sunscreen 3. a designated driver. Actually, anywhere you go in Central Oregon you'll need a warm jacket and sunscreen. ;)

While you're planning your upcoming Sundays, remember some of key House Rules while enjoying your free entertainment at the Ampitheater:

• All events are held rain or shine
• Guests 2 years of age and younger are welcome at all events free of charge.
• Bike transportation is encouraged. Ample bike parking is located north of the amphitheater on Shevlin-Hixon at The Art Station.
• A variety of food and beverage vendors, including beer & wine, are located inside the amphitheater for your enjoyment.
• Any person under the age of 21 found drinking alcohol on the premises will be evicted without refund.
• There are 2 ATMs located at the Amphitheater.
• Smoking will be allowed in designated areas, in the vending area only.

Free Summer Sundays Concert Schedule:

• Sunday, June 13 - The Lights Out & Rosa’s Buds
• Sunday, June 27 - Empty Space Orchestra
• Sunday, July 4 - Staxx Brothers
• Sunday, July 11 - Mingo Fishtrap
• Sunday, July 18 - Paul Thorn
• Sunday, July 25 - Great American Taxi
• Sunday, August 1 - Stolen Sweets
• Sunday, August 8 - Dangermuffin
• Sunday, August 15 - Victor Johnson

3rd Annual NorthWest Crossing Hullabaloo

Now in its third year, the NorthWest Crossing Hullabaloo has become a staple in the summer event “diet” for Central Oregonians and visitors alike. Promising fun for the whole family, the Hullabaloo goes a few steps further than the standard free street festival with great activities like these:

June 25 Schedule of Events from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.:

3:30pm

Kids’ Crit, presented by Umpqua Bank This popular “mini-criterium” takes place before the “big” kids get racing. Participation is FREE and prizes will be awarded for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd places in each age category. Free ice cream from the Umpqua Bank Ice Cream Truck for each participant. Now that’s a yummy finish! Age Categories: Ages 4 & Under (1 lap) Ages 6-8 (2 laps) Ages 9-10 (3 laps) Ages 11 & 12 (4 laps)

Pre-register in advance at Umpqua Bank’s NorthWest Crossing store. Participants must arrive by 3:20pm at the start/finish are at the intersection of John Fremont & NW Crossing Drive.

4:00 – 8:00pm

Hullabaloo Kid Zone

Enjoy laughter and fun with your kids at the Hullabaloo Kid Zone. There’s no shortage of kid-friendly fun to keep little ones entertained all evening long. Face painting, science experiments, and of course the ever popular bouncy houses!

4:30pm – 9:00pm NWX Criterium, presented by BendBroadband (logo) Whether you’re new to racing, a hard-core cyclist, or a world-class spectator, you won’t want to miss the excitement of racers zooming through the ‘hood and down NW Crossing Drive. Participants: OBRA License and helmets required. Annual and one-day licenses will be available for purchase. Registration will be located in the Start/Finish area on John Fremont/NW Crossing Dr. Day-of registration is $30 or $20 with 4 cans of food to benefit NeighborImpact. Race produced by Central Oregon Racing.

3:30pm - Registration open 4:30pm - JUNIORS - 25 minutes 5:05pm – TANDEM – 30 minutes - $40/pair registration 5:45pm – WOMEN – 30 minutes 6:25pm – CAT 4/5 MEN - 35 minutes 7:15pm – CAT 3 MEN - 40 minutes 8:05pm - PRO/1/2 MEN - 55 minutes

4:30 – 9:00pm

Hullabaloo Food Court

With all the Hullabaloo-ing you’ll be doing, you’re sure to work up an appetite! We’ve got you covered.

5:00 -10:00pm Hullabaloo Main Stage, presented by The Garner Group Hosted by Clear 101.7

We’ve gathered a talented line-up of musicians for your listening pleasure…

5:00-6:00pm: Atti2d

Don’t let their ages fool you. These local teens know how to rock! Atti2d performs a variety of covers from artists like Van Halen and KISS, as well as their own original music. These ambitious young musicians even recently released a debute album! Catch these talented teens before they hit the big time!

6:30 – 8:00pm: Todd Haaby & Sola Via

Back for their third Hullabaloo performance by popular demand! Haaby’s sultry mix of world music entwines fiery flamenco, Spanish guitar, South American tempos and the contemporary sounds of rock guitar.

8:30 – 10:00pm: Jonatha Brooke

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke brings her unique blend of folk, rock and pop to the Hullabaloo main stage. Her 7^th solo album, The Works, was released in 2008 and inspired by the musical archives of the late Woody Guthrie and she is fresh off a recent European tour. Jonatha’s honest and intriguing lyrics, along with the full sounds and melodies of her band make this a must-see performance!

The next day, June 26th, features the kick off of the popular NWX Farmer’s Market, which will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of September. For more information, visit www.nwxevents.com.

For additional information, please contact Valerie Yost at 541-382-1622, or email valerie@brooksresources.com. @mariefayandre

Win Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic Tickets

The Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic is considered the must-attend golf and culinary event in the Northwest. That’s because it brings 18 world-class chefs to Bend for a night of cuisine expertly paired with Deschutes Brewery beer. Add in a day of golf, a variety of wine and dancing to live music, and we’re talking about the party of the summer. And all proceeds of this fundraiser benefit 40 children and family nonprofits through the Deschutes Children’s Foundation. The Sagebrush Classic will be held July 16 and 17, 5 to 10 p.m. at the Broken Top Club in Bend. Want to win free tickets to the Sagebrush Classic? Pour a pint of your favorite beer to get into a poetic frame of mind, because the 2010 Beerku Contest has begun. The haiku must follow the traditional form — 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables — and must make some reference to beer, though not specifically to Deschutes. The first-place winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Sagebrush Classic Feast. The contest closes July 8. Good luck, everyone! — Jenny Furniss (@jennyfurniss)

Social Media: In the hands of PR

We recently read an article discussing the departmental fate of social media and now have an answer to the longstanding debate; who controls social media in the office, Marketing or Public Relations?

It is official, companies are giving the most budgetary and strategic control to PR.

As social media expert Augie Ray writes in his article Social Media is a communications channel and not a marketing tactic:

"Rather than think of Social Media as part of the marketing toolkit, it would be more accurate to consider Social Media as a communications channel. Social Media isn't a one-way advertising medium but a channel for two-way (or more) dialog; it is much more akin to the telephone or email than to an ad medium such as TV or print."

Social media is a fluid and interactive platform that requires dialogue with the customer base. Let's face it, the most attention getting content is short, direct and sparks some personal interest within our lives. Social media is informal and relaxed - most of the target audience visit Facebook and Twitter purely for entertainment. Yet we all want authenticity and friendship in a sea of strangers and a free service without advertisements. PR's more flexible approach to information release is better suited for social media and has taken the reigns with much success.

And what defines "successful" social media campaigns in business these days? Well, numbers of course!

We all know how much numbers speak; amount of product sold, hits on a websites and now number of followers on Facebook or Twitter. Public Relation departments are finding their measurement methods have been extremely valuable in securing social media in their hands. Coming to the table with concrete numbers is also giving PR more of a voice. The more hardline statistics that PR can bring to executives and clients, the more value and influence they will have in strategic business decisions.

It is interesting to think about our own perceived value in terms of social media. Is our popularity based on how many Facebook friends we have? Our wittiness and intellect on how many followers we have on Twitter? Are we less of a person when someone de-friends us? Where do we draw the line to protect our self perception? I, for one, am hoping that the numbers game stays focused on successful PR moves in social media and no one ever tries to use how many followers I have to measure my worth to the world!

Have a Smoke, Save the Earth

Whether you love it or hate it, The Onion holds up a mirror to our culture and gives us a good reason to laugh. Last week their article on eco-friendly cigarettes announced, “Executives at Philip Morris USA this week unveiled Marlboro Earth, a new eco-friendly cigarette that gradually eliminates the causes of global warming and environmental destruction at their source.” — by killing off the human race. This article reminded me of the constant barrage of greenwashing broadcast every time I flip on the TV or turn on the radio. Whether it’s Chevron claiming to harness “human energy” or a product being repackaged as eco-friendly, suddenly every product is good for the environment! Funny how that works.

But what if your company really does want to lessen its impact on the environment—and let consumers know you care? How do you set yourself apart from the scammers? A good place to start is the University of Oregon’s Greenwashing Index. People submit examples of truly eco-friendly products and examples of greenwashing. Browsing the index is a fun way to see what sustainable-savvy consumers think about green marketing campaigns.

Luckily, we live in Oregon, which can now be found in the Urban Dictionary as Oregonic—organically grown in Oregon. “Made in Oregon” has a new meaning, and its one companies could use to market new lines of organic products nationally. Because it’s better to sound truly Oregonic than sound like you’re peddling Marlboro Earth.

—Jenny Furniss (@jennyfurniss)

Facebook Officialness

Beyond our privacy settings and advertising budgets, Facebook seems to have gained control over the "officialness" of our relationship status.  

Now that everyone and their Mom has a Facebook profile, Facebook has the power to make your relationship official because everyone gets the memo. There is no need to ask, "So, what exactly are we?" in private anymore. Nope, now you can wait to know that answer when your beau requests to confirm you as "in a relationship" with him on Facebook. :) 

Alright, so that scenario is ridiculous. But, I'm sure someone found out their relationship had become labeled via Facebook! Maybe that's not the case, maybe it's a lack of privacy that really gives Facebook the power to make or break relationship titles, publicly. 

On NBC's new hit show, Parenthood, the parents of a high-school-aged girl found out she is in a relatioship via Facebook. The Uncle of the girl, Crosby, knew how to login and get the dirt for her parents, and he even knew the lingo, "They're Facebook official. See? Right there. Is in a relationship with!"  

Each click we make within Facebook is now a status update. Everything we 'Like', comment on, who we befriend, etcetera. 
  
"... is n a relationship with..." 
"... has changed relationship status to it's complicated." 
"... is now single."
 
We have created Facebook Officialness. -@jacqsmith