The Brain Storm

Two weeks ago, the Keating Magee interns were presented with a challenge to devise a plan for one of KM’s clients. We were separated into two groups and assigned to different initiatives. Caroline and I were grouped together and entrusted with the task of creating a plan for collaboration between two companies that would result in a 5k walk and fair.

Last Wednesday, Caroline and I headed out to the company’s office to speak with its director of outreach. She gave us a virtual tour of the interactive aspects of the company’s website to be incorporated into the event. Meeting with the director gave us firsthand experience in working with clients!

After extensive brainstorming and research, Caroline and I created a six-month plan for the initiative. It was fun to bounce ideas off of each other and try to think outside of the box. We presented the plan to Ann, Tricia and Ronald Tuesday!

Stay tuned for more details!

The Storm...

Around 12:00 yesterday afternoon, I stepped out of the Jax Building with one thing on my mind: lunch. I decided to head to my usual spot, Subway, where I planned to bring my sandwich with me and eat it at my desk. It seemed like a nice day so I began walking the two blocks to Subway. As I was about to push the door opened to the sandwich shop, I felt something hit my forehead. I looked up to notice a massive raincloud moving quickly in my direction. I hesitated for a moment, pondering whether or not I should run back to the office to grab my raincoat/ umbrella. On an impulse, I pushed the restaurant door open. I reasoned that I would only take a minute, and it would be silly for me to run all the way back to my office. I quickly made my way through the line, crossing my fingers that the rain would hold up until I was safely at my desk. As I was paying, I heard a loud crash outside. I looked out the window and saw to my amazement that it was torrentially raining. There was no way out- if I left now, I would be drenched by the time I returned to the office. New Orleans is infamous for quick spots of heavy rain, so I decided to wait it out a few minutes. Well, a few minutes turned into a half hour and the storm had not subsided. I knew what I had to do, even though the outcome would leave me soaked. I politely asked one of the Subway workers if he could spare a plastic bag to cover my head, and I took a deep breath as I opened the door. I surrendered to the rain. I ran as fast as I could back to the office, only stopping once to retrieve my shoe that had slipped off during a hurdle over a puddle. I made it to the office in one piece, but I was a very soaked one piece. All in all, I definitely learned a very valuable lesson: do not underestimate the power of New Orleans summer rain. It can happen at any moment, especially when you least expect it. Make sure to always have an umbrella/ raincoat with you at all times.

A Culinary Treat

This morning I was invited to attend a photography session at the Windsor Court for Culinary Concierge. The magazine is featuring a dish from The Grill Room in their upcoming issue. The theme of the issue is red, white and blue so naturally, the dish was a Foie Gras dressed with blueberries.


It was so interesting to watch the food stylist pick apart the way the setup was put together. It made me realize how much thought goes into just one picture. I also got a few lessons from the photographer on how to eliminate glares and make a colorful picture really stand out. It's safe to say I don't have a future in photography, but the lesson may come in handy one day!


After the shoot, the chef, Drew asked if I would like to taste the dish. Of course, I did not hesitate. All I can is YUM! I definitely recommend it if you ever visit The Grill Room. Visiting Windsor Court was such a pleasant way to start off my day!

Volunteer For a Good Cause!

Yesterday, Susan, Behn and I ventured out to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Harahan for a tour of the Community Kitchen and warehouse. Of course I managed to take the longest route possible, as Jefferson Highway has red lights on practically every corner. Once I finally made it to Harahan, I somehow managed to get lost despite having spent the last 24 years of my life in this fine city. After countless phone calls to Behn and Susan for directions, my panic was relieved as the “Second Harvest Food Bank” sign came into sight. I cheerfully made my way into the building and located the rest of my group. Our very helpful tour guide, Linzy, informed us that she once worked at Keating Magee! She gave us a tour of the Exhibition Kitchen, which will be used to host taste tests, as well as demonstrations of nutrition programs. We were told that the kitchen was still under construction; however, it already looked great! The warehouse containing all of the food was very impressive. We were blown away by the huge refrigerators and freezers used to store bananas, potatoes and other nutritious food that is provided to those in need.

Volunteers are extremely valuable to the Food Bank, as 9000 volunteers per year equate to 13 full time paid staff members! Since volunteers are crucial to Second Harvest, everyone reading this should go out and volunteer today! The Second Harvest Food Bank is a wonderful necessity in New Orleans, and I look forward to working with them in the months to come!

The Hospitality and Tourism Industry in New Orleans

Attending a seminar on The Future Planning of The Hospitality Industry yesterday was quite an experience. Lindsay Caroline and I woke up bright and early to attend the seminar which was at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Luckily after we arrived we quickly realized that there were sugar coated pastries with ample coffee to help wake us up.

A panel of national experts were the speakers at yesterday's conference. Each speaker presented power points with multiple graphs and different data. The main theme seemed to be about the importance of keeping the ADR (Average Daily Rate) for rooms at a higher and more steady rate.

One of the speakers Chris Klauda, Vice President, Quality Services, D.K. Schifflet & Associates, Ltd. presented some very interesting data on how guests of hotels are using social media after a trip. Despite popular belief only 20% of guests reported posting or tweeting about their trip; however, a whopping 70% used some form of social media to share photos they had taken with their family and friends. The Lesson? Hotels better be camera friendly!

Anyway, the conference was interesting and we got a free breakfast!
-Behn

Field Trips Galore

Field trips seem to be a reoccurring event for the interns at Keating Magee this summer. As much as I like being in the office, it is also such a privilege to be asked to visit a client or attend a seminar as a representative for the company. The past week I have felt like I'm back in third grade, when I would wake up with butterflies in my stomach due to the excitement that I felt about the upcoming field trip.

Speaking of butterflies...

There are some things that I personally believe you can never get too old to enjoy. Attending the Butterfly Tea at Le Salon is one of them. The Windsor Court Hotel and Audubon Nature Institute teamed up for the second year in a row to a host a tea catering to children and adults alike. Special guests included live butterflies in special terrariums at every table. Seeing the children's faces light up as they realized they had actual butterflies at the table was something that I'll remember most from the day. As I watched them press their little faces against the temporary homes and listened to them try to talk to the colorful insects, I knew that this was an event that they would treasure.

The staff members from Audubon Nature Institute were beyond friendly when it came to answering the children's questions and explaining the displays of butterflies they had featured around Le Salon. The Windsor Court Hotel was more than accommodating to the guests and spoke to the children in a such an exciting tone that I am sure the kids felt they were the most important people in the hotel. It's not everyday that you see a luxury hotel open up its doors to large amounts of babies, toddlers and young kids. Just another example of New Orleans hospitality.

And speaking of hospitality...

This morning Behn, Lindsay and I attended The Hospitality and Tourism Industry: Future Planning with a Panel of National Experts. It was so interesting to hear how New Orleans ranks in comparison to national tourism rates. Needless to say, NOLA is the place to be!

Until next time,

Caroline

Louisiana Cancer Research Center Walk-Through

If you have driven to or from the Quarter recently you may have noticed a building just off I-10 that doesn't quite fit the typical New Orleans architecture. This sleek and modern building is the home of the new Louisiana Cancer Research Center.

This week I had the opportunity to tour the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. My first visit was on Monday where Ann, several board members, and I were taken on a full tour of the facility. Not only did we get to see the general public areas and offices, but the labs as well. I've personally never spent more than a few hours in a lab, but found the logic and design process that went into building them fascinating.

Today, Ronald, Ann, and I met with an event planner to discuss the general set up for the grand opening celebration set for mid October. Unfortunately, I will not be here for the event, but I think everyone will be impressed with what a great addition this facility will be to the community.

Next week should be another busy week with the kick off of our House of Blues and Second Harvest projects!

Field Trip to the CVB

Yesterday Caroline and I had the opportunity to go on a field trip to the New Orleans Convention Center and Visitors Bureau! We ventured uptown to attend an exclusive “Tourism University” seminar. There we discussed summer travel trends, American Automobile Association (AAA) members and their impact on New Orleans tourism. We even got a sneak peek of the cover for the next “Southern Traveler” magazine. I’d spill all the juicy information regarding New Orleans and its awards in the next publication, but I think I’ll just have to let the suspense build. Besides, July is right around the corner.

The guest speakers were Don Redman, Public Affairs Specialist and Associate Editor of the “Southern Traveler,” and Jon Carlew, Marketing and Research Manager for the Automobile Club of Southern California. They shared some fun facts including that ¼ of all travelers to New Orleans are AAA members and that despite the everlasting recession there was a 12% to 13% increase nationally in Memorial Day travel from last year.

It was interesting to see the effects one demographic can have on an industry and how important it is to target such demographics while planning a promotional campaign.

It was also refreshing to witness the camaraderie and networking that interlocks the New Orleans area hotels, restaurants and entertainment industries. Almost all of the attendees of the seminar knew each other and expressed how they actively help one another by promoting the others’ companies and planning group business trips. While I’m sure some of these businesses are competitors, they come together for the greater good of this city, and I find that extremely inspiring.

And don't forget me - Susan! Since my freshman year of college, I've lived in many interesting places: Boulder, Dallas and Madrid - all amazing cities! But there's no place like New Orleans. This summer I decided it was time to say goodbye to the Big D and hello to the Big Easy.

If I have learned anything from this process it's that you can network anywhere. In fact, that is how I ended up here at Keating Magee. One day I struck up a conversation with a customer who I noticed was wearing a uniform from a local all-girls school. Being a graduate from the rival school I couldn't help, but say hello. As our conversation took its course I found out she was a native to New Orleans and knew of several firms with summer intern programs, including Keating Magee. I spent the last few weeks of my Spring semester discussing internship opportunities with D.A. Magee until I finally got the good news one afternoon while sitting in Spanish class!

I am now wrapping up my third week and can't believe how many deadlines are approaching! Since my first day here I have been working on the UnitedHealthcare Childrens Foundation golf tournament. The golf tournament will be followed by a live auction and raffle to raise additional funds for the Foundation. The Foundation will use proceeds to help families or individuals pay for therapies, treatments, or services not covered by commercial health insurance. The donation list for the first tournament, which is held in Birmingham, AL will be completed by next week! Last week I also had the opportunity to work on the set of Community Health Heroes, a pubic access show also presented by UnitedHealthcare.

Sometimes I feel like its more play and less work with all the festivals in this city. Last weekend Oyster Fest (Yum!) was held on the Jax Brewery parking lot & this weekend is Vieux-To-Do. Stay tuned for pictures!

Introducing: Caroline

Caroline Nawas here, coming to you from the 5th floor of Jax Brewery. To my right, I have the beautiful and always entertaining French Quarter and to my left, the mighty and powerful Mississippi River. I know what you’re thinking. It is 1:00 p.m. on a Tuesday. I should be at work, slaving, I mean interning away. Lucky for me, I work at Keating Magee, where the view is beautiful and the interns are treated as equal co-workers.

I grew up in Bossier City, LA and knew at a young age I was destined to be a LSU Tiger and a world-famous journalist. After completing my freshman year at LSU, I realized that taking the world by storm as a journalist was not for me. I loved writing, but I was also interested in all aspects of the communications field. I knew I could not limit myself to just one area. After doing thorough research, I learned that public relations embodied all of the things I was passionate about. It took just one PR class for me to fall in love. I felt that everything inside of me just clicked. And to my parents’ relief, I will be graduating next May from the Manship School of Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations.

I knew that finding an internship for this summer was crucial for my college career. I had some experience beforehand in the communications field, but never with an agency. In March, I visited Keating Magee to meet with D.A. Magee and other employees to discuss the internship opportunity. The feeling I got reminded me of my first PR class; it all just clicked.

Although this is only my second day, I already know that this summer I will be challenged, taught and included on experiences that will enable me to grow in my knowledge and become more experienced in the public relations and marketing field.

It will be a summer to remember and I can’t wait to share my stories with you!