“Social media has changed our lives. It has not only changed the way we communicate, but the way we connect with one another, consume our news, conduct our work, organize our lives, and much more. So why not celebrate?” –Mashable

Still think social media is just a trend? Please take a peek at this video… it is worth EVERY second and literally gives me chills.

Are you ready to CELEBRATE?

-Blair

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Happy Social Media Day!

Chair Becky Johnson developed a logo for the event and designed this year’s brochure.  We took care of the printing (we’ve got the best color tri-fold pricing around, gang!) and then Keleigh used Becky’s brochure as a base for designing a website for the event. Here’s a little peek into our process:

• Ethan took the design and, quick as a dog can lick a dish, turned it into a WordPress-based shell of a site.
• Intern David (who left us last week and whom we already miss terribly) ported the event information from its pages on funbeach.com into the new site’s database.
• Keleigh went behind David, re-purposing elements and information, adding photos from prior years, and, in general, organizing the facts for a user-friendly presentation.
• Meanwhile, Keith did some research on long-tail key phrases for the site, which Ethan and Keleigh then ran through our proprietary process known as “Site Wide Level I Search Engine Optimization”, so the site should come up with a solid, organic, search result.
• While that magic was taking place, Wendy, Sue and Keith were clicking through things in general, looking for errors, points of confusion or any other items we could improve.
• Finally, it all came to the inevitable crescendo known as site launch!

That’s when we told Becky we had started work on her site.  Long Beach Merchants Association Event Chairs are volunteers here on the Peninsula, so we try to help them out when we can, and not add work to their oh-so-full-and-unpaid platters.  Becky’s just about done giving the site her thorough once-over so we can make requested changes.  In a few short weeks, it will be time to change all the information for 2011!

Take a look.  We’re pleased, and hope you are, too.

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Have you got sand in your, er, shoes?

It has been an absolute delight to work with the Lewis & Clark National Park Association, which runs the bookstore in Fort Clatsop, the main visitor center of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Parks.  Not only do I love, love, LOVE the park itself, the people that work there are pretty spectacular.

If you’ve not been to the Park in awhile, take the time to make a visit.  Personally, my favorite days are summer, when the Fort Replica fills with the sights and sounds of a turn-of-the-century working camp and, in winter, when trails are quiet and imaginations can run rampant with what it was really like to winter over there in 1805-1806.

Lewis & Clark National Park Association is a private non-profit organization which supports educational activities at Fort Clatsop and offers an incredible depth and breadth of Lewis & Clark memorabilia and educational items in their on-site bookstore, as well as online.  They’re a hard-working lot that always has a smile, a can-do attitude, and a passion for history and the park itself.

Consider using our latest brochure for the group, to join and support the educational activities at Fort Clatsop, which you can pick up at the book store, or here at beachdog.com.  As I type, hundreds of schoolchildren are finishing up ranger-led field trips, a Youth Nature Writing Contest has just concluded, Nature Adventure Camp is about to put smiles on kids’ faces, and these are just a few of the many events and programs in store.  This is top-notch, family-fun, educational entertainment, folks.  And it is right here in our own back yard.

Enjoy!

~Keleigh

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Fort Clatsop Historical Association

The mighty group of volunteers who have headed up the event for much of its existence added a certified half marathon last year, which has made it attractive to even more runners.  You can download their brochure and registration form online, or pick up a copy here in our office, or at the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau.  Artist Don Nisbett made it easy for us to look good designing that one!

~Keleigh

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Beach to Chowder has a home of its own on the web

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Memorial Monday

I suppose what I should be blogging about today is that Karl, along with Astoria Sunday Market Director Cyndi Mudge, built a brand new site for this event, but what I want to tell you is this: Start training now: The Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is just 3-1/2 months away!

The mission of the Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is to offer fishermen and industry professionals an opportunity to bond and share information that will save lives, improve productivity, increase demand for seafood products, and promote job opportunities. The mission is also dedicated to educating the public about the fishing industry including the steps fishermen have taken to ensure a renewable resource for the future. The Festival will showcase American fisheries and the process of selecting, preparing and cooking seafood.

The REALITY of the Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is FUN FUN FUN!

• Captain Phil Harris Highliner Competition, the Signature Competition of the Festival – No Whiners, Only Highliners! There are three categories:  kids, under age 40, and 40 and above. Cash prize for 1st place is $500 plus prizes from industry leaders.  Additional $500 to overall winner for a total cash prize of $1000.  There is a practice area set-up for competitors.
• Dover Sole Relay – Slimy, Fishy Fun!  Teams of three compete for the highly coveted Dover Sole Crown. This is a relay race carrying a shovel full of Dover Sole – the slipperiest, slimiest fish in the sea.  Winners are based on speed and number of fish left on the shovel.
• Filleting Competition – Surgical Precision at Lightning Speed! Filleters will be competing in three heats with the winners of each heat competing in the final round.  Cash prize plus industry prizes for the top filleter.  Winners are judged on speed and recovery.
• Hyster Competition – Contestants maneuver through an obstacle course
• Survival Suit Races – See crabbers run.  Run crabbers run!
• Wizard of Crab Coiling Competition – Do we even have to explain this?

September 18-19, 2010

When you visit the new site, take a look at the Captain Phil Harris Memorial CD and the Raffle Tickets.  Both of these were also beachdog projects!

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No Whiners! Only Highliners!

The Port of Ilwaco got a little face lift this spring, adding a right sidebar for their social networking activities.  If you’re not yet a fan of Discover Ilwaco on facebook, make a point of it!  Then head down to the Saturday Market tomorrow.  It’s the best!

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Port of Ilwaco

Keleigh designed and illustrated the collateral package for the event, from logo to postcard, brochure, posters, entry form and website.  Who do you think was her inspiration?

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Maybe your pooch is more of a woof walker?

She also designed a carbon-less registration form to use on the beach;  it lets the registrant keep a copy as a receipt, which includes the full text of the release they agree to at registration.  We can create custom, affordable carbon-less forms in all the popular sizes.

David is working on giving the Doggie Olympics their very own home on the web: www.doggieolympicgames.com. Check it out!

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A DOGGONE GOOD TIME!

Long Beach citizen volunteer Mark Perez has been hard at work editing the site’s content and developing new pages.  Longbeachwa.gov grows more comprehensive and useful every day!

At the same time, Tourism & Event Coordinator Ragan Andrew envisioned a section of the site dedicated to package travel and tour operators. She, along with Councilman Jerry Phillips and contractor Melody Johnson, designed the site structure & function, including a password-protected area. The “scrapbook-y” look and feel of the micro site was inspired by a sales book Ragan had developed.

They’re thrilled with the results, and that makes us very happy!

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Speaking of the City of Long Beach…