Connector Awards 2009

by Conor on November 30th, 2009

Here at Connector, we’re all about connecting individuals but we’re equally fascinated with connecting Tribes, which are communities with shared interests.  Back in May, we held our Connector Tribes event, and at Connector Launches we saw some new Tribes such as The Digital Times and Bloggertone launch themselves to the Digital Public.

At our Christmas Party we’d like to reward the ‘Tribes of the Year’ and today we’re delighted to announce our shortlist for Tribe of the year, congrats to:

Culch.ie
Dartmouth Square
D Light Studios
Synth Eastwood
Funky Seomra

RSVP – Register for this event on Facebook Events (or if you don’t have a Facebook account, Register Here >>)

We will also be announcing 2 Connector ‘Person of the Year’ Awards (Male & Female) on the night. The awards are for friends of Connector who have had a successful year worthy of some peer recognition.  So why not come along to our Christmas Party with some friends and see who has been crowned with one of these new awards.  We’ll also be giving our predictions for the people & tribes to watch in 2010, same as we did with our ‘Top 10 to watch in 2009‘.

The night is sponsored by Peroni and we can’t wait to celebrate our great year with you. We hope to see you there & before then, next week is Tribes Week and we’ve written about each of our five shortlisted Tribes. Check back here to see if you can spot your Tribe and you can check out our Tribes page for more info.

Connector will be giving a Tribes workshop in the new year which will include some really important advice on getting sponsorship, utilising social media to it’s full potential, community management and content creation including podcasts, webTV and blogging. Email conor or rob [at] connector [dot] ie for more information about this event.

Diary of a Meteor Apprentice

by Rob Cumiskey on November 18th, 2009

Last week, we were proud to announce that one of our own, Izabela Zelazna, was chosen to compete in the Meteor Apprentice competition. Izabela has written a diary entry about her first task in the competition:

My first task in the Meteor Apprentice competition was all about social media. We were given a week to get as many fans as we could for Facebook fan page.

‘Use all possible social media and scream about your case’, my friend told me. Scream is good, I thought, however I didn’t want to create too much noise. I think that people are usually reluctant and slow to join Facebook Fan Pages these days, not wanting their News feed to be spammed.

First of all, I decided to record nice and friendly videos and post them on my Facebook page and YouTube channel. I wanted to spread the word through the networks and personal contacts that I have made so far. Knowing that Meteor is about entertainment, engagement and humour, I wanted to incorporate it all, and make people interact and smile.

The number of people signing in was not impressive though. Facebook may have had spectacular results in reaching 100mln users in 9 months but it was essential for me to understand that my audience is dispersed and the key is to have an interesting twist and share worthwhile content.

With that in mind, half way through the task, I decided to use another angle –to position myself as a foreigner, who aspires to succeeed and boldly goes for a high profile job. I sent this positive release to the press and it worked perfectly. My press release got coverage in two Polish newspapers in Ireland (Gazeta.ie, Polski Express) as well as Polish newspaper in Poland – Gazeta Krakowska. I also asked my international friends from Amsterdam for support.

So after all the effort and campaigning, I ended up with nearly 780 of the most diverse and multinational fans in the whole competition.

This has great potential. What should the next step be?

Magners seeking a new TV Presenter

by Conor on November 3rd, 2009

The Search is on!  WANTED: Magners League Professional Fan
Magners League announces search for Ireland’s first ever spokesfan.

Magners League is offering the opportunity of a lifetime to one lucky
job-seeker to become the ‘Magners League Professional Fan’ for this
current season 2009-10.  This unique position is diverse, fast paced and
demanding.  The many benefits include seats at Magners League games,
meeting rugby stars, getting to know team managers and trainers, travel,
(some) fame and the appreciation of  new-found fans.

The ideal candidate will be available to attend Magners League matches on
each match weekend from December through to the ML Grand Final next May.
Developing relationships with key personnel and media from each of the
provinces, the successful candidate will work with the Setanta Sports
production team in interviewing players and fans and providing in-match
summaries, in addition to maintaining their own blog and continuously
looking for opportunities to drive the profile of the League.

The chosen candidate will have strong communication and interpersonal
skills and be able to build relationships with all Magners League
partners.  He/She will have strong presentation skills, will enjoy working
with people and will be innovative and creative with a can do attitude.

Orlaith Fortune, Marketing Manager Bulmers said, “If you think you have
what it takes and you want to be part of the League’s most exciting season
ever, then all you have to do is apply… If you are passionate about sport,
hard-working and not shy in front of a camera, then this is the job for
you!”

The 2009/10 Magners League has all the makings of another all-action
tournament brimming with clashes high in both intensity and quality
between teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  With the introduction of
play-offs for the four leading sides, this season promises to be one of
the most thrilling ever.

For details on how to apply before November 24th 2009, click here >>

Connecting 48 hour filmmakers

by Conor on October 2nd, 2009

Do you have a burning desire to create a film? How about a burning desire to create one in 48hours?  This weekend Studio Rua  and Crewger.ie are running a 48hour film competition in conjunction with the Darklight Film festival, and we want you to join us!

The rules are simple, make a film within 48 hours, but I think that might have been obvious… Its a great opportunity for groups of film makers to really push themselves as teams and individuals, go through the whole film making process and learn some amazing things along the way. There are some great prizes, and the judges will be a line up of Irish film celebrities featuring Kirsten Sheridan, Lenny Abrahamson , and Vanessa Gildea

Time is running out though, so if your interested send an email to info_at_studiorua_dot_ie. The closing date for registration has already passed, but there’s a few spot left, first come first serve!

The Competition takes place this weekend, from 10:00 on saturday morning until 10:00 on monday morning and there is a registration fee of €50.

Connect with a Guinness on Arthurs Day @ TheChurch.ie

by Conor on September 23rd, 2009

As you may know Connector likes getting free stuff and sharing free stuff with friends.   I love to give away tickets to events especially if they are events that are hard to get tickets for due to popular demand .  So I am delighted to have some FREE tickets to give away to the Arthur Guinness party in the Church on Thursday 24th September. The exact amount is to be confirmed today but be either 2 or 4.  AndI amsure we can throw in a few complimentary pint of  Guinness for your too !

If you would like to join the party in the place where Arthur Guinness was christened,  then here is a chance you have to pick up some tickets.  The Church is a fantastic venue for a live music show & it is supposed to be a BIG band playing … but I am sworn to secrecy as to who it is !

To enter, simply leave a comment below & we’ll pick one at random on Thursday morning and contact the winner to make arrangements.

Connect with the EU

by Conor on September 22nd, 2009

This is a cool idea from Phillipe which seems to be going very well judging by the qualityof the video entries to the competition.  I’d like people to check out these great videos from good friends of Connector Martin Moylan & Dan Dalton who came first & second respectively in the recent Canon Digital Video Contest we ran.

The Proposition …  Make a short film, inspired by the notion of Democracy & Dialogue. Go on… It doesn’t matter if you record it on your mobile phone, a state of the art digital video camera, or create your own DIY animation – the idea’s the thing. Make it a comedy, a tragedy, a documentary, an animation – whatever takes your fancy. It’s about self-expression. And if it gets people thinking, even better.

The Prize … The winning entry will win a state of the art HD Digital camera worth €1400 and have their work screened this October at the 2009 Darklight Film Festival. There are also runners up prizes for highly commended entries.

Here are the videos from the lads and give please them your support by viewing it, rating it & passing it on if you like their work.

Just 1 Vote – Martin Moylan

Green People – Dan Dalton

Be Heard – Martin Moylan

Connect with Nokia Electric Picnic tickets !

by Conor on September 1st, 2009

As you may know I am connected to the fine people @ Nokia and like to pass on details about cool stuff they are up to … so do you fancy a chance to win two great packages to the fabulous Electric Picnic festival ?!  If you still have not got a ticket, this could be your last chance for fantastic free festival fun with your friends !!

1st Super Prize – 2 x Electric Picnic Weekend Passes & Camping & Electric Picnic pack

2nd Super Prize – 2 x Electric Picnic Weekend Passes & Camping & Electric Picnic pack

An Electric Picnic pack includes a 4 man tent, 1 Nokia speaker set, 1 Nokia travel charger & 2 ponchos. For more festival details go to www.electricpicnic.ie

How to Enter
1 – Simply go to Nokia’s web site www.ovi.com
2 – Register for a free Ovi email account
3 – Email your name & phone number to nokiaelectricpicnic@ovi.com from your Ovi email

On Thursday afternoon we will check the email accounts and phone the winners so best of luck !!

Terms & Conditions
Closing date is Thurs 3rd Sept @ 12pm. You must be over 18 & an Irish resident. The prize is non-transferrable. Winners may be asked to pose for promotional photos. Only Ovi mail account holders are eligible.

Connector Canon Digital Video Awards Showcase

by connector on August 27th, 2009

If you missed the Connector Digital Video Awards night in June  you can now get an overview of this highly succssful contest which was managd by Connector in partnership with Edelman PR.  Congrats to the winners Martin, Dan & Ronan and thanks to Liam Cunningham & Canon for their generous support.

You can also check out more Connctor videos if you click here >>

Connecting with Martin Moylan's latest video

by Jamie Richardson on August 18th, 2009

I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything that Martin Moylan can’t do! Check out the Canon Digital Video Contest‘s Gold Award winner and his new endeavors!

Martin’s latest video, a tribute to The Dark Knight, is very impressive indeed! Not only did Martin direct this video, but played both roles using his Canon XH A1 . It’s truly a very stunning piece with great special effects as well! Work well done!

Have a look!

MARTINS DARK KNIGHT – tribute cut from Martin Moylan on Vimeo.

"What's In Your Handbag?" Connections

by Jamie Richardson on August 13th, 2009

Last night we had a wonderful opportunity to see some “handbag (or manbag) therapy” in action!

Kildare Village has launched a fun new digital campaign that allows people to upload pictures of the contents of their bags for a chance to win a €1,000 shopping spree. That’s a pretty great prize for revealing the insides of your handbag!

The “What’s in Your Handbag or Manbag”campaign looks like it will be an enjoyable way to interact with others and reveal what the contents of your bag says about you! When you upload your picture others can comment and vote on the contents. The bag with the most votes wins the prize!

Check out this new site >here>>

Debbie Percy is the Handbag Therapy specialist, at the Kildare Village stand, at the forthcoming Ultimate Girl’s Day Out in the RDS on 28-30 August 2009. We got a chance to hear all about this campaign from her via a Skype conference call at the WHPR offices at Ely Place.

A great night of connections and some revealing discoveries about the contents of some very interesting bags! I recommend that you check out this campaign and reveal the contents of your own bag!

A special thanks to the lovely Heidi O’Sullivan and the people at WHPR and Kildare Village!