Chatting over Chinese

Last Tuesday, Ronald and I traveled to one of my all-time favorite eateries, Five Happiness, for an Advertising Club of New Orleans luncheon. The purpose of the event was to honor Loyola University students for their advertising and marketing successes. A buffet was set up with an array of the best Chinese dishes Five Happiness has to offer. Walking down the buffet line, I spotted my three favorite dishes: General’s Chicken, Pecan Shrimp, and Combination Fried Rice. I helped myself to every dish available then made my way back to my seat, trying to keep my mountain of food from collapsing. As I indulged in my lunch, I began to reflect on my Ad Club experience. This has been my second Ad Club luncheon, and I have loved every minute of both experiences. The luncheons are held at the best venues in town, and the members of the club are always charming. I have been very impressed with the speakers, especially the guest speaker of this particular luncheon, WWL-TV’s Sally Ann Roberts. “Opportunity happens suddenly,” she explained to the Loyola students. “The only thing that can hold you back in life is you,” continued Roberts in reference to living out your dreams. Roberts spoke of the brilliant future of New Orleans and the vast opportunities this great city will bring. I looked around the room and noticed the smiles that filled the faces of the audience. At that moment, I realized how lucky I was to be sitting among the Ad Club in the great city of New Orleans.

A Disk in Distress

I am proud to announce that I have learned how to create and edit videos! Ronald gave me an excellent tutorial on the art of "iMovie." The task was to edit the video Brooke captured from the French Quarter Festival press conference. She took wonderful videos of the festivities during the event, and she enlisted my services to create a single, brief video to showcase her experience. All in all, the project turned out to be a success, minus a brief technical error that occurred before we even began. The video clips from the event were stored on a disk, which we put into the disk drive. To our surprise, nothing happened, and when we attempted to eject the disk there was a low growl, similar to the noise an animal makes when it feels threatened. The disk was stuck in the computer! There is very little that can be done to remove such a disk without ultimately breaking the computer. Because of this, we sought help from others in the office, which resulted in three adults staring at the computer without a clue of how to rescue the disk. Ronald had a brilliant resolution: Google, "how to remove a stubborn disk from the disk drive of an Apple". The moment I began to type the question into the Google bar, the disk popped out of the drive! Ronald was right- Google does solve everything! I am not exactly sure whether Google actually aided in saving the disk, or whether it was more of a right-place, right-time situation; however, the disk was rescued and our video editing project was finally completed! Please see Brooke's blog titled, "French Quarter Festival Press Conference," to view the finished project.

GEAUX HORNETS!

I had the privilege of going to last night’s game with Margaret and we had a great time! The Hornets were playing the Portland Trailblazers and it was a “sit at the edge of your seat” kind of game. I will admit that my knowledge on basketball is pretty sad, but I know a good game when I see one!
The Hornets were behind until the third quarter and then came out of no where and kept making basket after basket.

Congrats Hornets!

Although I don’t get the game 100%, I have been to many sporting events and what I have learned is that everyone has their own tradition.Take me for instance, every time I go to an event like this I have to have nachos. It is a must and I have no idea why!

When I was looking at the audience I could tell that each person had their own tradition. I saw a group of people painted in blue and yellow, saw people with thunderstix, and of course saw the unforgettable die hard fan group, the Bee-Zanies.

So, I have to ask you, what's your tradition?

French Quarter Festival Press Conference

Today, I went with Ann Wills and Ronald Evangelista to the French Quarter Press Conference which was held at The Court of Two Sisters. I couldn’t have asked for a better day; the weather was perfect, the people were friendly, and the food was fabulous!

As the three of us approached the welcoming table, we were greeted by smiling faces who asked us to fill out a name tag. After putting on my lovely “my name is Brooke” sticker, I shadowed Ann and Ronald while they said hello to everyone.

Since I am inviting everyone to join me on my journey, I have attached a video of the press conference, so you can see what I experienced.

I learned many important things about the festival that I must share with you! Before the festival begins, mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 6 because House of Blues is hosting TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Festival day) party from 7-10pm, featuring Rockin’ Dopsie! Now, if that wasn’t exciting enough, I have even better news. This year the festival is adding an extra day! Yes, I said it…the festival is adding an extra day that they’re calling, ‘Locals’ Lagniappe’ day! The festival will run from Thursday, April 7 through Sunday, April 10! Most importantly, it is FREE to enter!

If you are worrying about transportation…don’t. This year the shuttle is being brought back since it was such a huge hit last year, but with double the amount of buses! There are many ways to get to the festival including streetcar, bicycle, and car. If you are driving you can park in the lot at the Convention Center Lot F for $10 and take the free shuttle to the festival.

If you are like me and are interested in the different types of food that are going to be offered, trust me you will not be disappointed. Some of the fabulous food options are Antoine’s, Boucherie, Dunbar’s, The Court of Two Sisters, Crepes a la Cart, Little Tokyo, Oceana Grill, Jacques-Imo’s, Red Fish Grill, Rotolo’s Pizzeria and Desire Oyster Bar.

The official drink of the festival is the Absolut Cosmopolitan. Can you think of a better marriage…cranberry and vodka? I haven’t seen a couple this happy since spaghetti met the meatball. If you don’t like Cosmos, don’t worry there are plenty of other options that include Abita Beer, Absolut Vodka, Jameson’s, Community Coffee, Malibu Rum, Pat O’Brien’s Bar, and Tropical Isle.

While you are walking around eating the fantastic food and drinking the delicious drinks don’t forget to stop by and see some of the great bands that are playing. In total there will be over 250 bands! All different types of music for everyone to enjoy!

Before you leave the festival, don’t forget to shop! The festival is selling t-shirts, posters, hoodies, tank tops, and hats, and last, but not least a beautiful pin/pendant created by jewelry artist Monique Leon. I’ve actually had the pleasure of seeing the pendant and I must say…gorgeous! I think it’s important for everyone to know that all of the proceeds from merchandise sales go towards keeping the festival free and open to the public. So I’m here to tell you to shop till you drop!

I hope everyone goes to the French Quarter Festival and has a great time! Stay tuned for more postings on my journey!

French Quarter Festival, Here I Come!

Hello everyone! My name is Brooke Cockrell and I am the new intern here at Keating Magee! I am currently in my last semester of my senior year at Tulane and majoring in Media Arts with a minor in Public Relations. Ever since I started working here, everyone has been so friendly and extremely helpful, truly making me feel like I am a part of the KM family.

Although I have lived in New Orleans for almost two and a half years, I have not experienced the French Quarter Festival and all that it has to offer. I know you must be thinking how is it possible that I could miss out on such a wonderful event but I must be honest…I have what you call a “lawyer’s tan” and have been studying indoors for the past few years.

Since I am in my senior year and the festival pretty much takes place on KM’s doorstep, I feel like it’s the perfect time to let my hair down, get some sun and have a great time! I will be sharing with everyone my experiences including food, bands and drinks (yes, I am of legal age!) Stay tuned!

Not Just a Game

A Hornets game is much more than a professional basketball game. Upon acquiring a ticket, a fan is able to experience delicious food, drinks, costumes, contests, performances, the Honeybees, Hugo, Chris Paul, and of course, basketball. Brooke and I were offered tickets to Wednesday night’s game against the Trailblazers, to which we graciously accepted. We brought along Keating Magee’s trusty camera and video recorder, and set ourselves up for a great night of entertainment.

A few noteworthy observations:

ThunderStix- Those long skinny balloons that make noise when smashed together provide the perfect distraction to a player from the opposing team when attempting to make a free throw shot. Every time a Trailblazer had an opportunity to make a free throw, the fans began to wave their ThunderStix in a fierce motion. I found this sight to be very amusing, and yet very effective.

Hornet’s Brides: As I approached one of the many concession stands, I noticed two women in bridle gowns standing in line. The floor-length dresses were white with purple, teal, and gold trim, and the veils that covered their faces were designed in the same manner. I inquired about their attire, to which the “brides-to-be” responded that their goal was to capture the hearts of the entire Hornet’s team. Hornet’s fans are clearly the best!

Oyster Eating Contest- During the half time show, two men were brought on the court to compete in an oyster eating contest. Only in New Orleans is it acceptable to pummel raw oysters in your mouth, two at a time! The crowd grew wild as the lucky winner thrust up his arms in joy as he swallowed what was left in his mouth.

Although the entire game was neck and neck, the Hornet’s defeated the Trail Blazers’ 95-91. I left the game with great pictures and fond memories. I can’t wait for the next Hornets game!

Introducing: Margaret

Bonjour! My name is Margaret Lohmann, and I consider myself to be a true New Orleanian. I was born and raised in this beautiful historic city, and find it almost impossible to leave. After graduating from the Isidore Newman School in Uptown, New Orleans, I began my undergraduate journey a few blocks away at Tulane University. As a typical college student, I found myself torn between joining the family business and pursuing a career in something I loved. My family is comprised of doctors, nurses, engineers, and science teachers. As a Cell and Molecular Biology Major, I felt a void in my life that prompted me to reconsider my future. I quickly changed to Communication, a major that had always solicited my interest. The courses offered to a Communication major immediately wet my appetite and kept me hungry for more knowledge.

Once I declared Communication as my major, I became a marketing intern at the Alliance for Affordable Energy. The company sells energy efficient appliances, while promoting a “greener” way of life. The internship allowed me to gain a better understanding of the marketing, advertising, and public relations field and cemented my interest in this field.

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Tulane University, I was given the opportunity to intern at Keating Magee, one of the top advertising, marketing, and public relations firms in New Orleans. I have been here for a month, and have already learned more than I would ever learn from a classroom. I have been included in conference calls and meetings, as well as attended business luncheons and fashion shows. Each morning I awake with a smile because I am able to spend the day at Keating Magee!