Satchmo Summerfest Press Conference

This morning I got to tag along with Ann Wills to a Press Conference for the 10th annual Satchmo Summerfest. Ann is on the Board for the festival, so she was asked to say a few words. I thought the event would be stuffy, when in actuality it was very lively; that's New Orleans for you. There was a live jazz band that played Louis' classics and one colorful reporter carried a small chihuahua in her purse...which had gone by unbeknownst to me until the furry creature popped his head up inbetween the purse straps. I also noticed a few anti-BP shirts in the crowd. My morning was complete once they brought out the cake. Cake for breakfast...I may need to hit the gym this afternoon.

The Perks of Being an Intern

This past weekend I got to experience some of the better moments of intern life, getting an inside view at some fabulous events that I otherwise would have never had a chance to attend - Butterfly Tea at Le Salon and the Jade Absinthe Launch (part of Tales of the Cocktail). I did countless mini-projects for both of these events, so getting to attend them was extra gratifying. I got to see my work come to fruition and got to see yet another slice of New Orleans lifestyle I hadn't seen before.











Butterfly Tea
While I'm not exactly in the target demographic for Butterfly Tea, I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't like this event. The Audubon Nature Institute partnered with The Windsor Court to create three afternoon Tea seatings, featuring butterflies from the Audubon Insectarium. The tables, the butterfly set-ups, even the sandwiches were so elegant - the amateur photographer in me had to take advantage (as you can see). The event went well overall, but it made for a busy day and I went home a little more tired than usual.

Jade Absinthe Launch
In my four years here, I have never managed to attend a Tales of the Cocktail event. My August birthday meant that this would be my first and last opportunity to see this much anticipated festival - but my empty wallet also reminded me that it probably wasn't going to happen. Luckily, the Windsor Court, one of KM's clients, hosted an event and I was sent to help out and take some pictures. The event was definitely worth the wait. Ted Breaux (left), creator of Jade Absinthe, put on a great show and I really enjoyed meeting him and learning about the product. Absinthe has seen a comeback in the US, and this high-end line is crafted by Breaux himself. The absinthe cocktail samples were delicious and the crowd was VERY interesting. While acting as impromptu "bouncer" I met several interesting people like the President of the Absinthe History Museum, the owner of Pirate's Alley, a few media personnel and some other notables.
All-in-all I would say it was a great weekend to be an intern in NOLA.

A Few Tips on Getting the Most Out of Your Internship...

So you've landed your first internship. You are probably feeling a variety of emotions - You're excited, a little nervous, and perhaps feel completely unprepared. But do not worry, because I have left you with a few things I have learned to ensure that you have the best internship experience.

1. Do your best work on all projects, no matter how big or small they are: Everybody has to start somewhere, and if you are starting out with your hand permanently attached to a file cabinet, that's okay! It's important to learn that even the most menial tasks can lead to big results. As you get more comfortable doing the simple things, it's very likely that your employer will become more comfortable giving you more important projects.

2. Always ask what else you can do to help: Once you're finished with a task, ask what else you can do to help. You should be looking for things to do, that way you can take full advantage of the learning opportunities you have been given.

3. Don't have a panic attack if you make a mistake: It will happen eventually. There is no need to get upset because you are expected to make a few mistakes down the road, and it's these mistakes that will help you learn. So when it does happen, take a few breaths, and learn how to fix your mistake.

4. Ask questions: If you don't understand something, ask for some clarification. You're new at this and although you may think you know all there is to know, chances are - you don't. So don't be afraid to admit you don't understand something or may need more explanation.

5. Get to know your coworkers: Getting to know your coworkers makes the workday a lot more enjoyable. After all, if they are working in the same industry as you, chances are you may have similar interests. Also, forming good relationships in the office can lead to future business contacts down the road.

Hopefully these tips will help all those internship-seekers out there to have a better understanding of what to expect and how to react in different situations. It's been a great summer for me at Keating Magee - I've learned a lot and am leaving with a better understanding of the business I hope to one day be a part of.

Becoming Tech-Savvy

I spend an awful lot of time on my computer these days (both at home and in the office). However, there are some things I enjoy doing more than others. For example, I would rather play around on facebook than enter data in an excel spreadsheet - but who wouldn't?

In the past few days, I've learned how to do some pretty cool things on the computer here at work. Yesterday, I created email templates for various business needs. However, these weren't just your ordinary emails - they involved html code. It can be pretty tricky at first, but it didn't take too long for me to get the hang of it. Once I was done inputting all the different codes, I was suprised to see how professional and organized the email templates looked.

Erin and I have also been working on creating flyers for The House of Blues upcoming July Jingle contest. This was very exciting for me because I love art and getting to express my creativity. I created one part of the flyer's design using microsoft publisher while Erin created the other part using Adobe photoshop. Check out our final product!

Add to Resume: Proficient in Tying Bows

In preparation for the U.S. Launch of Jade Absinthes at the Windsor Court, invitations needed to be made; and 200 bows needed tying. Raquel created the invitation and I had the joy of assembling the parts. The key to maintaining one's sanity with a task such as this, is to ensure you:
-Maintain an athletic and upright posture (slouching most certainly will result in back pains)
-An occasional knuckle crack/finger stretch is needed (to avoid getting carpal tunnel)
-Hydrate
-Keep mind occupied on another subject other than shiny red bows (I thought about my grocery list, an occasional song, and lapsed into some peaceful self reflection)

NOLA on the Cheap - Top 10 Ways to Spend $5 or Less this Summer

Being an intern doesn't usually leave you with a hefty wallet. Rounding out my fourth year in New Orleans, I've decided to make a list of the best ways to spend $5 or less around the city during the summer. The list includes some popular and some less-traveled locations, many of them offering special student discounts or offers, and unique ways to cool off. They are in no particular order because on any given day, any one of these activities could be a favorite.

1. Friday Night Concerts
I've never been let down by anything at either the House of Blues or Tipitina's, and the venues are even more enjoyable when it's free to get in. The House of Blues offers free music in the VooDoo Garden on Fridays all year round, featuring different artists and types of music. Tipitina's has their #FreeFridays summer concert series from the Tip's Foundation, that features some great local acts. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I saw the New Orleans Bingo Show a few weeks ago at one of these events. The price tags on both of these events will let you splurge on a drink (at around $5).

2. Ms. Mae's
On your way to Tip's, you might find yourself a little "thirsty." Located at Napoleon and Magazine, Ms. Mae's has shockingly low prices on everything ranging from mixed drinks to craft beer on tap. Mixed drinks cost only $1, and beers range from $2.50 - $5.

3. Sunday Matinee at the Prytania Theater
I live nearby the Prytania Theatre and I have definitely made a habit of seeing any movie I can there. The theater has been around since 1915, and the owner, Rene Brunet is often standing outside greeting the incoming patrons. Sunday Matinees have one particularly great item, the raffle. With each purchased ticket, patrons also receive a raffle ticket. Mr. Brunet makes a comedy routine out of picking the 10 winning tickets, giving away prizes that surely exceed the sales for the showing. The theater also gives student discounts for all movies times, at already lower prices than the major theaters. Sundays (Wednesdays and Saturdays too) at noon feature classic movies, so see the schedule to pick a date that's right for you.

4. Tour of the NOLA Brewery
I was lucky enough to have a Marketing project on the NOLA Brewery, and I got to meet the owner, Kirk Coco and VP Dylan Lintern. They were overwhelmingly nice and generous with samples. The brewery was founded after Hurricane Katrina, and they have been blazing their way through the beer scene in the city with 3 standard beers and now 2 seasonal beers. I purchased a glass for $5 as a takeaway, which I will presumably fill at home once their beers are bottled (check for it around December). The brewery offers tours on Fridays in the afternoon, but if you email someone at the brewery (or maybe even just stop by), depending on availability they can probably set up a visit.

5. NOMA
At the last stop on the Canal Streetcar, the gorgeous building of The New Orleans Museum of Art is virtually impossible to miss. Wednesdays at NOMA are free for everyone ($7 for students all other days), but students from local universities receive free admission every day. NOMA has some great permanent collections, and I've never been let down by a featured exhibition. Beginning July 24th, the museum will feature "Ancestors and Descendants:Ancient Southwestern America at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century."

6. Get a Snoball
If you have spent any time in New Orleans, you have definitely heard of the "Snoball." A distant relative of the universally awful "SnowCone," Snoballs are often the only cure for the extreme heat of New Orleans. Almost every neighborhood in New Orleans has a Snoball stand. I'm fortunate enough to have Hansen's Sno-Bliz around the corner from my house (try the special flavors), but some of my friends prefer Plum St. Snoballs, where the icy treats come in buckets.

7. Ride the Algiers Ferry
While this might sound like a strange idea, a friend of mine who lived in New Orleans his whole life suggested this to me last summer. The quick ride across the river always gives passengers a nice breeze and beautiful view of the city. The ride across the ferry is free, so you can save your money for a snack in Algiers at the Dry Dock Cafe.

8. Camellia Grill
The first time I saw Camellia Grill, it was still closed after the storm, and it was covered in graffiti and post-its begging for the restaurant to be reopened. Luckily it was and it has always been my favorite late night/early morning/weekend brunch or anytime place to go for cheap, delicious food. While not everything costs $5, you can get anything from two eggs to chili cheese fries, or their legendary "Freezes" at a fairly low cost.

9. Cafe Du Monde
If you find yourself in the quarter with empty pockets and a sweaty face, you might just find solace at Cafe Du Monde. This New Orleans icon is often busting at the seams with tourists, but catch it at an off time in the summer for a chance to cool off. Powdered Sugar coated Beignets speak for themselves, but try the iced version of the Cafe Au Lait for an anytime pick-me-up.

10. Southern Food and Beverage Museum
Pleasant air-conditioned places are hard to come by in the quarter, and so are interesting museums. At $5 for students, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SOFAB) provides an interesting background on food and culture in New Orleans and in the rest of the Southeast in a creative setting. The museum also features a separate Cocktail museum where the history of the cocktail is presented in a funny and eye-catching setup.

Being an intern means...

...doing an almost comical variety of things. I've taken a minute to reflect back on the week in order to write this post, and I'm pretty happy with the fruits of my labor. This week I've managed to clock some hours of travel time to Metairie, dabble in some graphic design, make invitations for the Windsor Court (complete with ribbon), create media lists and organize mailings. I've also managed to acquire a bottle of 2009 Superbowl Champs Saints Crystal Hot Sauce ("the Official Hot Sauce of the New Orleans Saints").

Though I spend a lot of time in the office, I have no doubt that being a Marketing Intern gives me a lot of variety in my day compared to some of the other internships I've heard about. Luckily, being busy means that I'm getting a lot of hands on experience and my days go by pretty quickly, instead of looking at the clock wondering when it will turn 5:00. Also, working at a firm means I get to interact with several different kinds of industries, like the music industry with the House of Blues, that I may not have gotten to interact with otherwise.

And In This Corner... Erin vs the Printers

Every now and then you will find yourself on a project that...let's just say lacks any particular flare or excitement. One of my tasks for the day was to print off a large amount of press clippings for one of KM's clients, Tobacco Free Living. Three months worth of news article clippings amounted to a few hundred pages for printing.

In my attempts to accomplish the task quickly, I made the fatal error in assuming the printer could handle such a load all at once. "File; Print" ... next document "File; Print"...and so forth. Once I had successfully sent off the print jobs, I walked over to the printer to collect.

Jammed. And on a day when Keating Magee was pitching to a potential client... even more fantastic. Hours later, the matter was finally resolved with the technician arriving just in time (not). He arrived as we had painfully predicted at 4:45. Luckily, Projects With Purpose (our next door neighbor) had allowed us to print the documents needed for the new business meeting... so my overconfidence didn't result in hampering the company's ability to pitch to a new client.

As my friend Joanna would say "Success is all about the hands you shake" Thank god for friends with functioning printers!

Go 4th on the River

Living in New Orleans is so exciting. There is always something new to do whether it’s a concert, a festival, or even a firework show. This July 4th marked the 20th anniversary of the GO 4th ON THE RIVER celebration. I’ve never been in New Orleans for the summer so decided I wanted to go to the best fireworks show in town and boy did I pick the right one. This fireworks display took place on the riverfront right by the JAX Brewery building where our office is located. They call it the “dueling barges fireworks extravaganza” and what this means is that both sides of the river shot off fireworks simultaneously and then met in the middle of the river for one giant combined fireworks show. I watched from the levee in Algiers Point (directly across the river from the office) where I had an amazing view of all of downtown and the French Quarter. The city skyline was absolutely beautiful from where we were. We could even see the St. Louis Cathedral! Here’s a picture I took from my phone that doesn’t do the skyline justice at all. Next time I’ll remember to bring my camera.