zone 5
On Friday, June 12th, Zone 5 was joined by clients, friends, family and even a former New York state gubernatorial candidate at our 20th anniversary cookout, bringing together two things we do so well at Zone 5 - showing appreciation and food.
The weather brightened up on what started out as a gloomy day. The clouds parted and opened up the sky for the sun to peer through on a great tribute to 20 years of hard work and creativity. Guests enjoyed a menu prepared by Zone 5ers that included marinated pork, rack of lamb, mahi mahi and saffron shrimp wrapped in bacon, along with other cookout favorites such as hot dogs and salads.
Since the addition of our third-floor deck, summers at Zone 5 have witnessed client and employee appreciation cookouts roughly every other week. Would you like to join us? Contact your favorite Zone 5 staffer for an invitation.
The 20th Anniversary Summer Cookout Series and International Wednesdays highlight the summer of 2009 at Zone 5
With one full summer (and plenty of good food) under our belts, Zone 5 is pleased to announce the return of our Summer Cookout Series and International Wednesdays. And we're kicking it off in style with a barbeque bash: the rumble on the rooftop, the thrilla south of Arbor Hilla (whatever you want to call it), as we celebrate the big 2-OH at 25 Monroe - Zone 5's 20th Anniversary Cookout Festival Party Gala. Festivities start at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th on Zone 5's rooftop deck. Contact your favorite Zone 5er for an invitation!
Zone 5 staff and guests convene on the rooftop deck roughly every other Friday at 3:00 p.m. for some well-deserved (and often needed) quality eats and R&R. Everyone in attendance enjoys some fine food and conversation after a long work week, while taking in the ambiance only summers in Albany can provide (OK, maybe Troy can provide it, as well. Maybe.)
Also returning to the menu is International Wednesdays, where numerous culinary artists in residence cook, bake, grill and fry delicacies from various ethnic cuisines including Indian, Cuban, German and Italian, to name just a few. This year's calendar will commence with Mexican on Wednesday, June 17th. (Again, contact your favorite Zone 5er for an invite.)
So, get out your stretch pants - it's gonna be a long summer. See you on the deck!
1989, the same year the Berlin Wall came down and the first episode of the Simpson's was broadcast, 2 people started a business to serve the photographic and technical needs of the printing industry. Our firm, originally called "Zone V Lithographic Prepress," opened up shop at the base of Central Avenue in downtown Albany.
The exact date of inception was February 15th. On this date in 1989, two earth-shattering events happened – the Soviets announced that all of its troops had left Afghanistan, ending 9 years of military occupation, and a young Todd Mosher started the journey of creative firm ownership and management.
Over the next two decades Zone 5 grew in size and service, adding creative staff and offering new services such as Web development, marketing, public relations and exhibit design. After taking a few years to "find ourselves" in the suburbs, in 2007 we moved back to a resurgent downtown Albany into a 100-year old refurbished building. 18 years and 28 people later we found ourselves at 25 Monroe Street, right in the heart of the creative district, with the Palace Theatre, the Albany Symphony and Capital Repertory Theater in the immediate neighborhood.
This year, Zone 5 celebrates its 20th anniversary as a provider of creative services and products to businesses and organizations in the Capital Region and beyond. To mark this celebration, we will celebrate in grand fashion on our outdoor deck on Friday, June 12. (Click here for more details.)
Other famous events on February 15th:
1764: The City of St. Louis is established
1879: President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court
1952: England's King George VI is buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
1965: A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner
1972: Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time
2001: First draft of the complete Human Genome is published in Nature
2005: YouTube, the popular Internet site on which videos may be shared and viewed by others, is launched in the United States
Meat, Pillows and Dolls. Not the most comprehensible way to describe the Zone 5 ’08-’09 Holiday Party to New York City, but the briefest way to capture the main elements of the trip. You want comprehensible? Well, OK.
First, why a holiday party the first week of February? I think it was about 6, maybe 8 years ago, when every company, club, and society decided that the middle of December had gotten too busy, so they moved their holiday parties and gatherings to either the first week of December or the first week of January. We decided a few years ago to avoid the pre- and post-holiday schedule jam by having our holiday party at either the end of January or beginning of February. It was still festive, cold, and wintry. Plus, we weren't exhausted from attending all those other parties just a few days earlier.
Why such extravagant festivity? We decided to shoot a little over the top for a few reasons: we hadn't had a party in '08 because of our giant open house event, we were about to celebrate our 20th year in operation (coming up on February 15th), but mostly as a thank you gesture to our hard-working staff, who had produced some great work and achieved some lofty goals over the previous year. What better way than to celebrate with a trip?
Now to make it comprehensible. First, the MEAT. Our first adventure had us seating just under 40 staff and guests at one of the premiere eating establishments in the city that doesn't sleep - Churrascaria Plataforma, a fine, fine Brazilian Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan. As the largest party there on this night, our people enjoyed butlered service of over 50 prepared meats, including flank steak, prime rib, turkey, lamb, sausage, and more. You cannot leave this place hungry - not one member of our party had room for dessert! This is definitely one place you have to prepare yourself for.
Second, PILLOWS. Our choice for overnight lodging was the Hotel Novotel Times Square. The views were outstanding - both from our rooms and from the dining area. Extremely comfortable rooms (including pillows) made for a non-memorable sleep, which is exactly what you want when you sleep in a hotel - not to remember any of it! The service from the hotel staff was beyond wonderful - and the location couldn't be beat.
Third, there's the DOLLS. And Guys, too, I guess. Yep, you guessed it - Guys and Dolls to be exact. Our staff took in the first matinee of the newest show to hit Broadway, Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls, starring Oliver Platt and Lauren Graham. For some, it was their first Broadway show - for others, a chance to see familiar movie and TV stars live in this presentation of great music and choreography. Of special note was the song, "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" which nearly brought the house down.
Special thanks to those who made the trip a smooth adventure, especially Frank the bus driver and Franc from Hotel Novotel. But especially to our owner, Todd Mosher, who chose this adventure as a way to show appreciation to our staff.
Hi there Zone 5 readers. I'm Colleen and I'm the new Web and Social Media Project Manager 'round these parts. Instead of telling you about myself, I thought I'd show you what I'm about by sharing some details about a special enterprise I'm involved with - the Mobile Health Competition.
I decided to enter this contest about two hours before the deadline. Normally, I would never do something so ridiculous. But I decided that coming up with a smartphone application idea to help teens deal with cancer was pretty much right up my alley.
Mobile and social apps? I’m paid to think about those. When you specialize in web and social media, apps are an exciting part of the territory. Teens? My last job was at a high school, and before that, a college. Cancer? I’ve been in remission for eight years, but I still remember the experience like it was yesterday.
So what was the idea?
My idea was an app that specifically tries to prevent isolation. I tried to apply all that I know about social media, and all that I know about being a young cancer patient, to come up with an idea that was usable, workable, and doable. You can read all about it here.
On that page, you may also notice a large green button that says, “Vote for this entry.” This is because my little idea somehow beat out a bunch of entries from around the world to make the Top 10! Now that it’s in the Top 10, things move from the judges to a public voting stage. Then the top three entries go back to the judges for a final decision on which one gets made.
Experts wanted
I’m sure the Zone 5 blog readers have an opinion or two about what makes a good app. Please vote for the idea you like best (though I’d be very grateful if it were mine). Then spread the word. Forward this message. Post the link to Facebook, Twitter, and Linked in. Tell people so they can help the best app get made.
You only get one vote per computer. But you don’t have to give the contest people any details about yourself; so don’t worry about being spammed later. Voting ends the 23rd, so act quickly.
Thanks so much! The winning entry person gets $5000 donated to the cancer charity of their choice. If I get lucky enough to help these kids, I’ll leave that decision up to all of you who helped get me through this voting stage.
So, what do you say? Will you help the new girl out?
Student and parent perspectives are critical to the higher education industry. To keep our communications relevant, Zone 5 conducts periodic focus groups to garner input on topical issues.
Join us for our next session! On Thursday, December 1, we will be hosting Z5 FocusEd, a “live focus group event” featuring both prospective student and parent groups. Open to the higher education community, this event will be accessible via Twitter and live stream video on Z5FocusEd.zone5.com. Or you are welcome to join us at our focus group facility in our Albany, NY office.
For more information, visit the Z5FocusEd’11 site.
How did you spend your afternoon last Friday, September 16? Responding to emails? Cutting out of work early to get a jump on the weekend? Rapelling off an 18-story building? For most of you, it probably wasn't the last choice. But for Zone 5 graphic designer Katie Diduch, that's the perfect idea.
Through the stellar fundraising efforts by our friend Jared's from our favorite local coffee shop, Melville's Mug, Katie was awarded an opportunity to join him as he participated in the “Over the Edge” fundraiser for Special Olympics. More than 60 people took part in the fundraiser, scaling down the State Street side of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Albany.
Visit the Society for All Things Z page to see pics from the event and YNN for local news coverage.
Back-to-school ads on television aren't an accurate indicator. Niether is Halloween candy on store shelves, as they arrive earlier and earlier each year. One needs to look suqarely in the face of a calendar to see that we've just arrives at the downside of summer, starting our descent into autumn.
But all is not lost. To celebrate (is celebrate the right word?) the 66% mark in the summer of 2011, we're inserting another deck party into the schedule. Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 25.
The fun starts at 4. Take the elevator up to the third floor and join us as we embrace (what's left of) the sun and summer!
With each successive SEMICON West held at Moscone Center in San Francisco, fewer attendees recall the days when the show was hosted at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds. That was when exhibitors (especially the big OEMs) actually had equipment in their booths and materials/components/subsystems suppliers used games and magicians to attract attendees to their exhibits. There were also the infamous RVs for hospitality out in the parking lots and the occasional streaker through the Hall of Flowers. Attendance generally exceeded 25-30,000 as Silicon Valley claimed several operating fabs. The best hospitality suites were at the Villa Hotel and Dunphy's in San Mateo. Big companies held golf tournaments and hosted Bay cruises on private yachts. Many industry veterans remember that the business was "fun" back then.
Flash forward to last week to SEMICON West 2011 and InterSolar at Moscone where ~20,000 attendees (a couple cab drivers said that they were told it would be more like 50,000) focused more on events/programs/TechXpots that featured Extreme and Emerging Technologies, updates and debates on when the 450mm and EUV insertions would occur (and at which technology node), what will drive Next Generation Lithography (including a presentation by Dr. David Lam on a new approach to EBeam) and 3D Through Silicon Vias & Packaging, Surplus Equipment productivity, Market Updates and Forecasts and the ever important SEMI Standards sessions.
The leading chipmakers held Executive Meetings with their key equipment & materials suppliers in the South Hall while large OEMs did the same with components and subsystems vendors in hotel suites around the convention center. Executive programs included the Executive Summit where supplier CEOs (including Lam's Vice Chairman Steve Newberry of the “profitless prosperity” analogy fame coined in 2009) addressed business and technology challenges facing the industry and the 450mm Transition Forum wherein the consensus was that it WILL happen; however, whether beginning in 2013 or 2017 the audience and panelists were of a split opinion. Tom Sonderman stated that GlobalFoundries’ Fab 8 (currently being built in Malta, NY) was designed to handle 300mm down to the 14nm node but acknowledged that 450mm was now on their technology radar screen. There was even mention of a possible 450mm Consortium to be located in Albany in or near CNSE and Sematech.
The ever popular Bulls & Bears was moderated by industry icon Jim Bagley, Chairman of Lam Research and featured leading analysts from Citi Group, Credit Suisse, Barclays Capital and BofA. Jim was quick to remind the audience that “years ago the panelists would take the questions on how the industry was doing and wing it with their answers.” In the “New Normal” each panelist had tons of charts, data and statistics...to defend past forecasts and underscore future predictions. Driving themes were COST and (further) Consolidation. During the Q&A I was tempted to ask “Jim, are you going to buy Novellus or is Rick going to buy Lam?”. The rumors abound...
GlobalFoundries, Sematech and Tech Valley were quite visible...GloFlo with several key presentations and a booth in South Hall for recruiting engineers for Fab 8...Sematech with its annual ITRS Update and popular Wednesday night reception...and the latter with a New York Loves Nanotech exhibit and signature annual dessert reception as well as a reception hosted by the M+W Group.
It is somewhat ironic, yet just another industry inflection point, that there soon will be more silicon processed in Tech Valley than the original Silicon Valley.
Hospitality suites and receptions were back with a vengeance this year as networking remains a driving value proposition for this show and conference. A tip of the hat to Tokyo Electron and Michelle Pesesz for another class act reception...especially the outstanding food and service at the St Regis. Even Applied Materials was back to two nights of parties for key customers and industry executives/notables.
The mood was upbeat and positive...even as industry analysts and observers warned of a slowing Q3/Q4. Congratulations to Stan Myers, retiring CEO, and SEMI for again delivering a busy and engaging week.
See y'all next year...same time, same place!
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
Kelly, Michelle (me), Kim and Michelle after the race WEEK TEN: WE DID IT!
A few thoughts:
1. I am lucky to know Kim, Michelle and Kelly
2. I am glad to be back in an early morning exercise routine
3. I will be stronger for the next race (because there will be one)
4. I will never win the race, but I can find victory in my own accomplishments
5. I am happy. We did exactly what we set out to do … challenge ourselves, deal with a lot of cramps, do something good, and have a big glass of wine (please tell me you cracked the La Crema, Kelly)
This was a great experience. Thank you, MQ, for suggesting we get involved. And thank all of you for keeping me going when it would have been so easy to stop.
Michelle O'Brien Quentin (Facebook entry)
I couldn't be more proud of Kim Varsanyi, Michelle Lansing Mercier, and Kelly Fahey (oh and me), for completing the Freihofer Run for Women today! Holy cow....we did it!!!
Well said.
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK NINE: Countdown to race day
How is it possible for nine weeks to fly by so quickly? Seriously, the race is THIS SATURDAY and I’m beginning to panic. I know I’ve tackled this gig before, but as I stated in week one, that was a toddler and many pounds ago.
As a group, the ladies are in varying stages of readiness:
Poor Kelly came down with bronchitis at the end of last week, but is mentally willing herself back to health in time for the race. (Eye of the tiger, Kelly!)
Kim has continued to rock the roads and has officially run 3+ miles a number of times now. Jealous!
Michelle Q. isn’t giving herself credit for all that she’s accomplished. Head up, my dear, you’ve done a wonderful thing for yourself.
And me? Well, no one reading this blog regularly will be surprised to hear that I faced yet another health challenge this week … my back went out last Friday (a new adventure) and I’ve been nursing it as prescribed. Honestly, I think the weeklong lack of activity is my biggest source of anxiety. What if my legs refuse to move? What if I’ve forgotten how to rhythmically gasp for air? What if, what if, what if?!
AURGH!!!!! No more stinkin’ thinkin.’ I can do this, I can do this, I can do this ….
(At this point, notes of encouragement are most eagerly welcomed. I will, of course, share them with the ladies. … unless you’re just blowing smoke.)
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEKS SEVEN & EIGHT: Grrrrrrrrrr
Quite honestly, the past two weeks have been a blur. A busy work schedule, another stomach bug (blast you, daycare!), and various life commitments have all cluttered my path to running glory. So I hope you’ll (is anyone reading this???) forgive me for this double duty edition of the blog.
Admittedly, I am a bit down regarding my performance of late. While I was able to accomplish the scheduled 2.8 miles twice last week, Saturday’s run was an exercise in failure and frustration.
As promised, I’ve been nothing but honest in this blog, so I will offer the following reflection – I am disappointed in myself. Eight weeks of unwavering commitment and I have not lost a pound. Eight weeks of early mornings and I am falling further and further behind the others. It is maddening to have people finish running 10 – 15 minutes before me and then drive off in their cars as I shuffle towards the finish line.
Hello, I basically gave up wine … how about a little something to show for it?!
I know, I know … wah. Self-defeat/pity does me no good; I should be proud that I’m doing something good for myself. Yeah, I get it. But I began this journey with expectations that are falling short, and now I’m just annoyed.
My plan? Vent (done) and move on. I will do this. Even if I have to kick my own butt to get there.
P.S. A HUGE thumbs-up to Kim for running 3.2 miles last week. Show me how it’s done, girlfriend.
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK SIX: I got two new things …
1. Phlegm. I live with a two-year-old Petri dish, and last week he was kind enough to bring a chest cold home from daycare. This phlegm acquisition meant laying low on the running for a few days. No, I didn’t use it as an excuse to go back to my sedentary ways. Rather, I consulted with the group trainer and she explained the rule is “symptoms above the chest, keep running … below it, rest.” So, I did.
2. Sneakers. I don’t know what to say about this experience. Unexpected? Awkward? After a number of recommendations, I headed to an unnamed running store (again, product endorsement deals are welcome … give me a call). I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting the ceremony that ensued. A young (high school?) consultant expertly assessed my foot, stride and goals to provide me with the perfect running shoe.
All of the attention was enough to make a running poser like myself quite uncomfortable. Did I mention I was in a skirt and sweater? And they asked me to run up and down the sidewalk as part of my consultation? There’s an image … cringe.
I’m happy to report that I’m back up and running this week. Admittedly, the first run back wasn’t all that enjoyable. (Can your muscles atrophy in four days?) But we move forward … only three weeks left to go.
P.S. In case you were wondering, I do like my new sneakers.
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Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK FIVE: Halfway there
This week marked the halfway point of our group-training program … only four weeks left until the big F.
And speaking of F, we uttered a few expletives during Saturday morning’s run. Our first distance adventure, we switched gears from our usual run/walk routine to a full-fledged run (jog, shuffle … whatever). NO stopping.
At first, we were skeptical and, well, downright negative.
There is no way I can run without stopping.
Me, neither.
This is insane.
Thirty minutes and 2 ½ miles later …
OMG, we did it.
I can’t take another step.
Are you sure we went that far? Ask the trainer.
After confirmation from the trainer, we allowed ourselves a few minutes of pride and jubilation … yes, there was even a high-five or two. But, our celebration only went so far – we are, after all, realists. We know there is still another mile to add to the course to reach our 5K goal. Still, it appears this training gig is working. Only a few weeks ago, we were gasping for air at 90 seconds.
And to think, I still haven’t gotten new sneakers.
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Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK FOUR: Enough with the rain.
April 23, 2011 7:07 AM
Michelle seriously?
It’s not just raining … it’s pouring
Hello?
I didn’t see Kelly’s texts until I arrived at the Crossings on Saturday morning. Just as well – I think we would have quickly texted each other out of running in the deluge. Admittedly, I was dangerously close to ditching the gals anyway – an evening of sleeping on my 2-year-old’s floor (ah, nightmares) left me extremely tired and sore. But I didn’t want to let them – or myself – down … girl power and all that jazz.
Ugh. I got to the Crossings and it was still pouring. Annoying. If I’m going to forgo a precious Saturday morning sleep-in for the sake of self-improvement, don’t I deserve a cloudy day at the very least? I’m not asking for unicorns and rainbows, I just don’t need Mother Nature making training any more difficult than it already is.
Suck it up, Michelle. Shut up, voice in my head.
I found Kim and Kelly huddled under the pavilion, along with 50 or so other rain warriors. Fortunately, I was late, so I didn’t have to stand outside long before we started our run.
Ha, ha, ha … we’re all laughing about the ridiculousness of this situation. Ha, ha, ha … I have rain pouring off my nose. Ha, ha, ha … one of the trainers is walking faster than we’re running (not kidding).
Ha, ha, ha … the run is over. Seriously? How did that happen?
Never would have imagined it, but our run in the rain was the fastest (it’s all relative) and most enjoyable session yet. Go figure. Lesson learned? I have no idea, but I dare anyone to question our commitment.
Running tonight … it’s raining again. Enough already.
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK THREE: Life happens, but we’re still accountable.
What an oddly inspiring week. Family dinners, child obligations, a mismarked book club date, and the big “D” kept Team Zone 5 from running together. But it didn’t matter. Despite our varied absences from group participation, we still held ourselves – and each other – accountable.
Kim sent out an email with her run time and distance.
Kelly sent me a text. (Note: I am both impressed and jealous of her ability to run for five minutes … in a row.)
And Michelle gave us updates at the office on her progress with “Coach Buzz.”
Me? I shared a very valuable lesson with the ladies – running and a stomach bug don’t mix. We’ll leave it at that.
In the end, we all made progress this week. Each of us is running a bit longer and aching a bit less. And most importantly, we are all keeping our promises to root each other on.
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK TWO: I can’t breathe … I must need new sneakers.
Well, team Zone 5 has officially completed our second week of training. Unfortunately, I fear our enthusiasm is being dampened by the lack of oxygen available to our lungs.
According to one of the super-mega-fit coaches, we should be able to carry on a “labored conversation” while training. Labored? Yeah, I’m working my way up to that—right now I’m “panting heavily” and avoiding conversation all together.
On the upside, I spent Saturday morning’s run listening to two women discussing cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes—the best cupcakes … ever. And while I would be open to product placement opportunities (you can email me at Zone 5), I’ll keep the name of the prized confectioner to myself.
Anyway, I’ve decided that new sneakers will make all the difference in my training regimen. Clearly, I’m not about to chalk my inability to breathe to 2 ½ years of inactivity. No, I’d much rather lay down $100 for some sporty kicks and expect them to carry me effortlessly across the course like the elegant swan I truly am.
Four friends. One challenge. A lot of cramps.
This is the story of four women determined to do something good for themselves. And then have a big glass of wine.
WEEK ONE: Yay!
What do you need to know about me to appreciate this running (ha! you’ll get the pun in a minute) blog? Not much. I’m the mother of an awesome little boy. And before having my awesome little boy (BALB), I was fit. Not thin, but fit. I actually loved going to the gym every morning before work … as in 6 a.m. But that was BALB. For the past 2-½ years, I have waivered from my fitness routine a bit. A lot. Whatever.
I’ve participated in the Freihofer’s Run for Women a number of times (BALB). And while I have never known (and never plan on knowing) the thrill of a “runner’s high,” I do consider the race to be an incredibly empowering and satisfying experience. So, when friend and co-worker, Michelle Quentin, said, “I want to run the Freihofer,” I jumped right on her sassy bandwagon. “I’ll do it with you!” Yay!
And then friend and co-worker, Kim Varsanyi, joined in. Yay!
And then friend and Zone 5er-by-marriage, Kelly Fahey, joined in. Yay!
And then reality set in. WTH have we done?
The race is only 10 weeks away. With none of us having run a step (intentionally) in quite some time, this is going to be a challenge. So to help us overcome our inertia, we’ve signed up for the race-sponsored training program. Team Zone 5.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, this blog will document what is sure to be an incredible (and more than likely, embarrassing) journey. Michelle, Michelle, Kim and Kelly—we are four women on a mission to do something good for ourselves. And I’m going to document every painful inch of it.
Yay.
It's 10 a.m. Or 1:30 p.m. Or 3 p.m. Various Zone 5 staff can be seen exiting the back door of our building for a short 2 block jog to our favorite coffee shop for lunch or a refreshing pick-me-up. Our home-away-from-home, or northeast satellite office, Melville's Mug
, could probably be considered our most active "vendor." So we were more than happy to help them spread the Melville's brand throughout their shop with the assistance of our design and production staff.
Many of the jobs that run through our production department are one-of-a-kind—It's not all posters and banner stands. Whether we're creating museum exhibits, custom wallpaper, "lobbyscapes," or wrapping coffee urns, our team is up to the task. We were more than happy to help our friends at Melville's make a new impression on their customers with new, custom-wrapped coffee urns.
Next time you're in Clinton Square (in the vicinity of the Palace Theatre or McGeary's), stop by for a Nantucket Sleighride or a cup of Rainforest Nut poured from their finely-wrapped coffee dispensers. You won't regret it.
I had the opportunity recently to meet with a prospective higher education client. Fortunately for us, presentations of this nature are a rather normal occurrence for Zone 5 since we are often under consideration for potential new higher education engagements. However, what was unique about this presentation was where it was to be—Ontario, Canada. I’ve had the pleasure over my long years in higher education marketing to travel across the U.S. working with clients or conducting presentations. After making sure I had all the necessary documents to simply cross the border, I began preparing for a meeting that would take Zone 5 international. One key question came to mind: What could really be different about this presentation other than being up in the Great White North?
I have to admit that I was wondering how we would actually work with a client on an international level. Was there anything different about Canada’s higher education system vs. here in the states? How would I speak intelligently about this university’s goals and challenges? Would they actually be willing to cross the borders themselves and work with our team? Zone 5 was, in fact, one of only three firms being considered for the engagement with the other two being Canadian agencies.
As I prepared for the presentation, I soon realized that in the end, this one would not be unlike others I’ve done. In that, colleges and universities across the board have very similar key goals such as increasing inquiries, attracting more qualified applicants and increasing enrollment—this university was no exception. During the course of my discussions with the president and the marketing team, my intuition came to be true. Zone 5 made it over the border and to the table because of our vast expertise in higher education marketing. In return, we would be helping a great university “go international,” as well.
Partnerships across the states and borders too? That’s Zone 5. Smart, Agile, Creative…International? Hmmm...I’m ready with renewed passport in hand.
