My Equestrian Video Blog
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PowToons: Digital Toolbox
Summary
PowToons is a cloud-based software tool for creating animated presentations and animated videos. It is essentially a combination of presentation and animated cartoon. Founded in the United Kingdom in January 2012, Powtoons mainly attracts the age group from 18-34. Releasing a beta version in August 2012, this software has seen fast subscriber growth since. In February 2013, PowToons introduced a free account option allowing users to create animated videos that can be exported to YouTube. Competing against this new innovative software includes Prezi, Microsoft Powerpoint, GoAnimate, VideoRascal and Animoto, where Powtoons is competing against some longer established technology. PowToons is a globally used presentation software but receives the most mentions in Israel. This digital tool is used in marketing to create presentations but it also allows marketers to create animated videos without having to invest in expensive software. Marketers can use it to create demo or explainer videos, creative advertising, content marketing, educational pieces and tutorials. The benefits of PowToons is it is easy to use where you just drag and drop when using the software. It is free to use or you can upgrade to an inexpensive subscription which has a 30 day money back guarantee. Powtoons provides high definition quality videos, can easily be exported to YouTube, videos can be up to 60 minutes long and there is an extensive library of: templates, transitions, animated characters, fonts (even kinetic text options), images and effects. One aspect PowToons lacks is its relationship with social media. It is not used as a social media tool but can be used to enhance what’s online. Through a marketing perspective, it can be used to create marketing material that is linked into many social media tools including Facebook, Twitter, Vine and Pinterest. Currently, there are 1 million subscribers having made 1.9 million videos, and the numbers continue to grow. We believe professional Event Marketers should be using this digital tool for two primary reasons. Firstly, to enhance presentations to clients, and secondly can be used to create low cost videos for demos at experiential events and trade shows. The only downside of PowToons is it does not have an an undo button when creating your presentation, and tends to be slow after working on the software for a period of time. More and more companies are utilizing this revolution in presentation software, creating a more engaging and exciting presentation for viewers.
Here is a PowToons video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY3nMkW0SNw&rel=0
References:
http://www.marketingtechblog.com/powtoon-animated-presentations/
http://www.crunchbase.com/company/powtoon
http://jamiebillingham.com/2014/02/content-marketing-in-2-minutes/
http://www.maketecheasier.com/use-powtoon-for-social-media-marketing/
http://www.mikes-marketing-tools.com/directory/powtoon.html
www.woopra.com/blog/2014/02/20/success-story-powtoon-735k-users-and-counting/
Sponsorship Toronto: Canada’s National Sponsorship Conference
This week, myself and my fellow colleagues participated in the Sponsorship Toronto Conference in downtown Toronto. Held on November 5th and 6th, this two day conference attracted many local and national speakers and attendees. The Grand Hotel and Suites where the conference was held was great, as it was easily accessible, and professionally run. As part of the conference, I was able to participate by volunteering as a room manager in the York Room along with a friend and classmate Saudya Khan. Together, we worked as a team to make sure this conference room ran smoothly and on time. We took turns between formally introducing our guests to the audience, as well as being the techie who dealt with lights and timing our speakers. It was exciting to personally meet and converse with our guest speakers, and also gain valuable information while listening to their presentations. One speaker who stood out to me was Judy Haber from Orangeville, ON. Judy’s presentation discussed ‘The Secrets of Sales Success.’ One tidbit of information she mentioned that stuck with me was to not judge a book by its cover. This is geared towards not judging an individual or a company when looking to make a sale. She described an example where one of her biggest deals came from an individual who ran his company from his basement! First looking at the circumstances Judy wasn’t sure what would happen following her communication with this individual, but later signed a deal with him for over a million dollars! She expressed that no matter what the situation is, people will surprise you, so don’t judge a book by its cover. Another interesting fact I took from Day 1 of the conference was said by the last speaker of the day, Luc Prevost of Rougemont, Quebec. Luc was a very enthusiastic and approachable individual, who expressed his knowledge in Sponsorship. He based his presentation on the company Oasis, where I learnt that Oasis is currently the most bought juice company in all of Canada. His presentation was short and to the point, but he left ample time to discuss one-on-one with the listeners with any personal questions they had.
Overall, it was a great experience volunteering at Sponsorship Toronto. The refreshments, lunch, speakers and organizers did a great job in making the conference run smoothly and professionally. The only thing that I would add would be for the room manager volunteers to switch rooms throughout the conference to gain an experience in every conference environment taking place at the Grand Suites Hotel.
Photo taken by Abi Roman: Judy Haber discussing how to be successful in sales at the 2013 Sponsorship Toronto Conference
Volunteering at 2013 Toronto Scotiabank Marathon
This past weekend, October 18-20th, was the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon held in the Toronto core. Myself, as well as three-thousand other volunteers dedicated our weekend to helping with various positions for the race weekend. There were three races at this event, a 5K, a half-marathon and a full marathon. It was the biggest event I have volunteered at and was a great learning experience for the area within marketing I am most interested in; sports marketing. My positions this past weekend included working at the packet pick-up booths on Friday at the Direct Energy Centre, and signing in the VIP/Elites on Sunday. All the participants and athletes were super nice and all seemed pumped for race day. The majority of the racers participated in the 5K race but combined with all the races there was a total of 20,000 racers on Sunday. Volunteering as VIP check-in, I was able to have a great view of the finish line and the giant video screen. Signing in individuals like Councilors, Elite athletes, Doug Ford and other VIP’s was exciting as I would not of been given that chance to talk and socialize with them if not for volunteering. Midway through my volunteer shift, I could hear the roar of the crowds behind me. I took a moment and stood by the sideline and saw that someone was about to break a record! A significant record was broken at the marathon, where Deressa Chimsa of Ethiopia ran a marathon in 2:07:05. This was the fastest marathon time on Canadian soil and brought in lots of excitement from the crowds. When Deressa Chimsa was on the final stretch the crowds went absolutely wild! I don’t know much about marathons or running, but there were way more fans than I would of expected.
From a volunteers perspective, it was a great weekend knowing how appreciated both the organizers and participants were for our time. I was thanked personally by a few athletes on friday and by the organizers on Sunday, which made volunteering more fulfilling. The thank you wishes makes volunteers want to come back to help again next year, and spreads a positive word of mouth for new people to volunteer in the future.
Photo taken by Cindy Atwood-Mcconnell: Myself, Saudya, Lindsay and Becca Volunteering at the Expo
School Visit to the Steam Whistle Brewery
Monday October 7th was not your typical day of school. Unlike most school programs, the Seneca Event Marketing class was lucky to spend their Monday class learning all about event marketing at the Steam Whistle Brewery. Venturing down to the downtown core, this field trip was extremely exciting and instructive. We began our visit with a tour of the Brewery, seeing how a well recognized Canadian beer is made. Sampling beer that was under fifteen minutes old was so cool! Tasting beer that fresh was nothing I have ever experienced before. We learned that the Steam Whistle beer is only made of three basic ingredients, and they include water, barley and hops. Seeing all the mechanics behind making beer makes me enjoy it that much more now. There is a team behind every great brand or company and that includes Steam Whistle. It was great seeing all the staff and employees love their job and of course, after work beer time!
One interesting aspect of this field trip to the Steam Whistle Brewery was learning all about the events side of this venue. Matt Weed, Special Events Manager at Steam Whistle presented our class with a great presentation outlining the various events that take place at the venue. Events including fundraisers, conferences, weddings, corporate events and more take place at the Brewery. A crazy fact Matt shared with us was that Steam Whistle is a popular favourite for hosting wedding receptions. He stated that every Saturday for the rest of the year was booked solid for wedding parties! Learning about all the opportunities at the Brewery was great knowledge for any future events we may put on where we need a fun venue. The historic brick and interior, the location, and the enthusiastic staff are what attracts people to this awesome place. I can’t wait to visit the Steam Whistle Brewery again soon!
Photo taken by Kosta Kalambalikis: Photo of myself, Saudya Khan and Becca Levitt infront of the Steam Whistle Brewery
Seneca College hosts 2013 Arts Exposed Conference
On October 4-5th 2013, Seneca College hosted yet again the informative Arts Exposed Conference in Markham, Ontario. This was the first event myself and fellow Event Marketing classmates volunteered at an event taking place at Seneca College. It was an enjoyable day volunteering, socializing, and listening to the various guest speakers of the conference. I have never been a part of a conference event before so it was great experience and a learning tool to be involved in Arts Exposed! I really enjoyed my volunteer position as working registration, along with my classmates Saudya Khan, Becca Levitt and Kosta Kalambalikis. It was exciting signing in the attendees as they arrived and directing everyone to the conference downstairs. The four of us worked together as a team, and were each responsible for handing out name-tags and folders to a specific section on our attendee list. All the attendees were very nice and looked enthusiastic to be attending the Arts Exposed event.
After volunteering, I was able to listen to the speakers give their presentations. I gained valuable tips and information that I can take with me for planning events within the Event Marketing program at Seneca as well as in future job situations. One speaker I really enjoyed listening to was Janice Price, CEO for the Luminato Festival. She discussed different ways to make events successful, and drew in the experiences from other event specialists on stage. She was very engaging with the audience and offered valuable information for individuals who are currently in the event industry or who aspire to be. One specific note that stuck with me was how Janice emphasized on the importance of partnerships in your events. Socializing with classmates during Arts Exposed was fun, and connecting with our classmates in the other Event Marketing section. My professors put on a great event and it was fun seeing them in their element.
Photo taken by Cindy Atwood-McConnell: Myself and fellow classmates Becca Levitt, Saudya Khan and Kosta Kalambalikis responsible for the registration booth at 2013 Arts Exposed Conference Event
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/ First Aid Workshop
During this week’s workshop, we had a guest come in from The Red Cross and teach the Event Marketing class at Seneca everything we need to know about CPR/First Aid. Jesus Gomez was our teacher for the day, and he expressed very enthusiastically important medical information. It was a very informative workshop where Jesus explained information verbally, on the whiteboard and through videos. Following each segment throughout the course, we were all able to practice the medical procedures hands on. Being an athlete, many of the things we were taught was a refresher for what I already have been taught during potential sporting accidents within equestrian sports. Specifically, this entails with what to do incase of spine, neck or head injuries, as those are the most common injuries to have when experiencing a serious fall during competition. I have had a lot of practice with bandaging and dealing with equine surface injuries so some areas in our workshop were repetitive. Believe it or not but treating surface injuries and bandaging reflects the same treatment on horses as it does on humans; just a bigger scale when dealing with horses.
What I learnt from Jesus during this workshop that I found extremely useful was knowing the specific signs for when someone is experiencing a heart attack, a stroke and a diabetic attack, and what to do thereafter. I had no idea that men have a higher chance of having a heart attack versus women, and that the signs of women having a heart attack is mainly from experiencing both back pain and gastrointestinal pain simultaneously, not chest pains! With heart attacks, strokes and diabetic attacks occurring frequently within society, knowing how to act promptly by performing CPR is an extremely useful tool to have. It was great practice to use the dummies to perform proper CPR, and how intense the procedure is. We all got quite the workout through practicing the procedure of thirty strong pumps on the chest followed by two breaths of air on our dummies. It sounds simple but it is intense! During actual CPR, Jesus explained that our adrenaline would kick in and we were likely to have more energy and strength while performing CPR. With loved ones who are either diabetic, in older age, or who are out of shape, it is necessary to have first aid skills incase of a sporadic life threatening crisis. It was a long workshop, but worth every minute! You never know when someone around you is in desperate need of your help, and now we have the practice and education to help saves lives!
Seneca EVM class practices CPR procedures through Jesus Gomez’s instruction
Photo taken by Abi Roman
What were your thoughts about orientation week?
Reflecting on last week’s orientation week in the EVM program at Seneca College, I would say it was the best orientation week I have attended thus far. It was extremely insightful, educational, practical and lots of fun. All the group tasks throughout the week allowed myself and my fellow classmates the chance to familiarize ourselves with each other, and understand the general ideas of what we will be taught in this program. What stood out to me the most was the various field trips we attended in already the first week of school! Usually field trips occur mid way into the semester but it was great to right away interact and visit with marketing professionals in the fields we are interested in within this program of sports, arts and entertainment. Our last field trip during orientation week was to the TrojanOne office. This company is based on integrated brand activation, and during our visit various individuals in different areas within the company took their time to speak with us. I found it very helpful for preparing to take my own steps into the event marketing industry to hear from the individuals who started out as students and interns like myself. One of our speakers was Kristyn Turner, who elaborated on her experiences and tasks within TrojanOne as well as the steps she took to be a part of the TrojanOne team. It was even more exciting for me to hear from Kristyn because we both graduated from the same high-school! Hearing how she became a part of a great company by taking an event marketing program like the one at Seneca and than doing internships, provided me with the framework and ideas of how to succeed in event marketing upon graduation. All of the information during orientation week from our speakers on our field trips and professors in the EVM program at Seneca gave me a great idea of what to expect in the event marketing industry. It is a lot of hard work in event marketing, but as seen from both the speakers and professors this career is extremely rewarding and also a lot of fun!
Photo taken by Chris Bacchus
Myself, Abi Roman, and Kristyn Turner, Consumer Engagement Coordinator at TrojanOne
What do you want to take out of the Event Marketing Program?
In the Event Marketing Program at Seneca College, I hope to learn the necessary networking and marketing skills to exceed in this industry. Being an athlete and a sports lover, I am very interested in the field of sports within the event marketing industry. After visiting the Pan Am office during orientation week and hearing Kyle Iannuzzi’s talk on his tasks as part of the Toronto Pan Am team, I learned that to excel in the sports marketing industry it is best to participate in local events or charities as a volunteer. There you can start being involved in events, and start networking to gain contacts that can possibly assist you in finding your dream job. Another great tip to take moving forward was said by the CEO of the Luminato Festival, Janice Price. She explained to myself and fellow classmates in the EVM program to take all interviews and opportunities; not to close any doors because you never know what you might miss out on. It was interesting to see an idea like the Luminato Festival blossom into what it is today from the collaboration of similar ideas between two individuals. From the examples stated above, I am using them as guidance to further develop the intellect to be successful within event marketing. I hope that this program will prepare me to be a part of a team that coordinates various events, as well as help me determine my weaknesses so I can improve them before stepping out into real job experiences.
Photo taken by Chris Bacchus: A picture of myself, Abi Roman, and speaker Mary Ann Farrell, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, Luminato Festival
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