All Aboard! My amazing weekend filled with a brewery tour and boats!

August 19th, 2010

This is what I love about summer . . .  these perfect sunny weekends that are filled with adventures (perfect for crossing off Summer Resolutions I may add) and after my two weeks of downtime I was ready to get back out there and make a splash in the warm weather – and that’s exactly what I did!

I was in Kelowna this weekend for a wedding and I was invited to have a tour of the brewery for one of b*co’s clients – Tree Brewing. I had never been on a beer tour in Canada before and I was really excited to see what goes on. There are so many different steps involved in producing beer…it’s crazy. The most interesting part to me was the production line; the machines that they have can bottle 80-100 bottles in 60 seconds from start to finish! The staff at the brewery was so knowledgeable and friendly, and it was a real treat to be able to go up there.

And what would a tour be without sampling all of the wonderful products? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which one was my favourite but I’m going to have to go with the ‘test beer’ that they’re sampling right now. It had these delicious vanilla notes (YUM!) I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for that beer when it hits the shelves! So if any of you are heading up to Kelowna I would highly recommend that you stop in – you will not be disappointed.

My other big event this weekend was the first event for the Social Order! Some of you may not have heard of The Social Order yet. It’s my new venture with Betsy from b*co. We plan events for extraordinary people who want to take part in exceptional activities! And this weekend we kicked off our first event with a wonderful group of extraordinary people who went on an exceptional sailing trip courtesy of Captain Evan Seys of the S.V. Perehelion. The weather could not have been more perfect, the crew was delightful and our Captain rocked the open sea!

Once we were all settled on the boat we motored out to the open waters while enjoying some food and drinks. We traded tales of our sea adventures but the really interesting part was listening to our Captain tell his stories about sailing all over the world. He has been across the North Atlantic 45 times, across to Hawaii in a 40-ft sailboat, has sailed in almost every good cruising ground in the world, and even raced with 4-time America’s Cup Champion, Russell Coutts aboard an RC44 rocket-ship in Dubai. Talk about a Capitan that knows his stuff!

Once we reached an open area (with some wind) our Captain invited the crew to test their sea legs out. He let the sails down and the crew went to work! It’s really a team effort and The Social Order Sailing crew stepped up to the plate. And after a lovely sail we headed back inland to relax and enjoy the gorgeous weather!

We had the lovely Kari Heese taking photos of our wonderful adventure and there are some posted on facebook (The Social Order) so make sure to check them out! I must say we are a pretty snazzy looking crew dressed in our sailing attire.

Don’t want to miss out on any more events? Well then make sure you stop by The Social Order website and say hi at http://www.thesocialorder.ca
We have plenty more events in store for you and I can guarantee that you won’t want to miss out on another one!

Caitlin xo

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Caitlin’s Post: My “Slow Down” Summer Resolution

August 16th, 2010

After a very fun-filled long weekend I decided that it was time to slow things down, but not to worry, this week was still filled with crossing off Summer Resolutions.

After the activities over PRIDE weekend, I wanted to take it easy for two weeks (a first for me during the summer!)   I know that it’s an odd time of year for downtime, with the beautiful weather and a million and one events happening, but I wanted to do it for me.

I made a plan that instead of going out, I would treat myself to a new cookbook and expand my culinary skills. Well, it turned out that someone has been keeping busy in the kitchen for the last week – it just wasn’t me. When I bought my new cookbook I also bought one for my boyfriend Dave – and he has been slaving over a hot stove all week (not that I’m complaining!)

While I was looking for the book that I wanted, I stumbled upon a copy of The Best of Chef at Home by Michael Smith (a Canadian from PEI I might add) and gave it to Dave to read over to kill some time. By the time that I found my book I ended up having to pull him away from The Best of Chef at Home, and he was still talking about all the different recipes that he had seen. So, I decided if he had enjoyed the book so much, I would buy it for him as a gift.

But to be honest, I had no idea it would work out so well for me! Dave was in the kitchen all last week preparing recipes for us – homemade granola, macaroni and cheese, and on Saturday night we stayed in and cooked a feast (I say we because I did help with prepping the side dishes for our meal). Dave had planned the whole menu and gone shopping during the week so on Saturday night we were all set to start cooking. He made a ham, green beans with almonds and brown butter mashed potatoes YUM!! I haven’t had to cook for a week – it’s been amazing.  So I didn’t really get to sharpen my culinary skills but I got to see Dave expand his, and in my mind that’s just as good.

Of course what would be the point of my 2 weeks of downtime unless I could reward my good behaviour?!? So this Sunday that’s exactly what I’m going to be doing. I’m working with Betsy from b*co on another venture, called The Social Order; it’s a group of extraordinary people doing exceptional things. And this Sunday August 15th is our first official outing — “Sailing in Style”. We are taking a group of extraordinary people out on the S.V. Perehelion for a 4-hour adventure! Whether you’re an experienced sailor, or haven’t quite found your sea legs just yet, this will be an incredible day of affordable luxury. Our Captain, Evan Seys has been across the North Atlantic 45 times, across to Hawaii in a 40-ft sailboat, has sailed in almost every good cruising ground in the world, and even raced with 4-time America’s Cup Champion, Russell Coutts aboard an RC44 rocket-ship in Dubai.

Evan will provide instruction and guidance to those who want to “Crew” for the afternoon, and if you’re more interested in hearing his tales from the sea, he will gladly share those too! Or if you just feel like lounging in your Sailing Whites with a glass of red, that’s totally up to you! If you’re interested in joining the crew, just let me know!

I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday to help me celebrate my good behaviour!

Caitlin xo

Cookin' in the kitchen with Dave

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Caitlin’s Summer Resolutions continued…My PRIDE long weekend!

August 3rd, 2010

When I was trying to make my plans for August long weekend I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do, and I kept wondering to myself where I could go that would help me check off items from my Summer Resolutions list? Then it hit me -I didn’t need to go anywhere. Vancouver had so many events going on with the fireworks and Pride that all I needed to do was stay in town to enjoy one incredible long weekend, and let me tell you that’s exactly what I did.

After this weekend I can now say that I’ve watched 3 out of the 4 fireworks and that’s a new record for me. I somehow always seem to miss out on the Saturday nights, but this year I got one Saturday in so I’m going to cross that off my Summer Resolution list. Next year I’m going to try to get all 4 in!!

And after a 5-year hiatus I went to the Pride Parade, which is something I’ve been meaning to do during the summer, so I’m checking that one off my list as well (I’m such a busy girl!). However in spite of a great weekend in Vancouver I did end up missing my girlfriend’s birthday party in Whistler. Happy Birthday Bec!!!  I hope you had a great weekend xo

If I had to describe my weekend in one word I think it would be WOW! On Sunday a group of us headed down to English Bay to watch the parade. We were a little early but there were so many tents and booths set up that we just wandered around until the parade made its way down to us. The streets were filled with people (it reminded me a little of the Olympics) but thanks to my friend Karl and his family who got down to the parade nice and early we were able to get a front row seat, and I even had a chair to sit in!  The parade was amazing — it’s so wonderful to see everyone coming out to support the gay community.

With the weather being so nice we decided to keep celebrating. We made a stop in at my place to regroup and get a plan together. And of course while we were there we had to break out a bottle of one of our favourite summer cocktails, Twisted Mist Strawberry Margarita. This time I blended it with ice and WOW!  It was the perfect afternoon cocktail to help us cool down from the hot afternoon sun.  After we regrouped it was clear that there was only one area of town that could provide us with the party that we needed – Davie Street! So off we went in search of brightly coloured beads and a fun summertime party. And, as I live just a few blocks away from Davie Street it didn’t take us long to join the party and all its glory.

It’s definitely going to be hard to top this weekend but I still have a few weeks left of summer and a list of Summer Resolutions that need to be crossed off.  I wonder what I’ll do next weekend . . .

Caitlin xo

PRIDE Weekend and Fireworks, check!

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PEI – A brilliant example of great PR!

July 26th, 2010

Up until a few weeks ago, Prince Edward Island was considered a “hidden gem” in the tourism industry, and one can bet that only a handful of Americans would have been able to place the province on a map. But unless you live under a rock (not to be confused with “The Rock” aka Newfoundland and Labrador), you are now planning your next or first trip to “The Gentle Island”. Most of this newfound exposure is thanks to the unbelievable show “Regis and Kelly” put on a couple of weeks, back…again, I’m guessing you saw at least a bit of the show…maybe Regis eating an oyster, or lobster fishing!?!?

There has been a lot of talk over the amount of money that went in to brining this American duo to town, but how can you possibly but a dollar figure on the exposure that has come out of this? For a province with a total population of 140,000 (no I did not forget a “0″!), they have achieved what so many provinces/states/countries can only possibly dream about.

At one point, the province was #2 in the Top 10 Google searches in the United States. Seriously!?! And in Canada, the first show was the most-watched episode ever, with a series-high audience of almost 1 million viewers, more than doubling the average daily audience of 417,000 viewers this season, an increase of 132%.

And it wasn’t just about Regis and Kelly…it was about the food, culture and beautiful landscape of the province. One of my favourite segments each day was the local chefs who were brought out to showcase some of their signature dishes, and to encourage Regis to try out the shellfish that he so famously avoided (Did you see Letterman?!!).  The 4 chefs were Gordon Bailey from Lot 30, Wesley Gallant from Ship to Shore, Ted Grant of the Culinary Institute of Canada and Liam Dolan of Claddagh Oyster House. They all did an unbelievable job, and I’m sure there have been countless people lined up at their establishments to try out the culinary delights that were showcased.

At the end of the day, there are now millions of people across North America and beyond who know about the red sand beaches, PEI potatoes, Anne of Green Gables, the incredible seafood, and of course COWS!

I was lucky enough to be on the Island the week before Regis and Kelly, when another incredible crew was in town…Cirque du Soleil created a special event specifically for Charlottetown, and it was absolutely unbelievable! PEI also just hosted the Cavendish Beach Music Festival with names like Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum to name just a few!

My point to all of this is that no TV ad, print layout or radio buy could ever have provided this sort of insight and access to one of the most beautiful places on earth. So congratulations to all involved in Tourism Prince Edward Island and your partners on being an innovative and professional leader in Tourism in Canada and around the world! Looking forward to seeing what else you have in store…and I will most DEFINITELY be back soon!

Cheers,

Betsy

Carson Kressley on Live! With Regis and Kelly on location in Prince Edward Island

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Nothing says summer like a pool party (and a great summer cocktail)

July 21st, 2010

The summer is now in full swing and I can’t believe how quickly the weeks are flying by! I’ve been keeping busy with checking my Summer Resolutions off my list and this week was quite productive. I got to bottle my first batch of u-brew wine (it’s actually a wine based cocktail) and test my new favorite summer time drink at a pool party!

b*co worked with a company called Winexpert to help them launch their new product — Twisted Mist, the world’s first consumer made, ready-to drink-wine- based cocktail…how cool is that!?!  So one fine day in June the b*co team set off to Broadway Brewing to start making our own batch of this amazing summer beverage!  It comes in two flavours Mojito and Strawberry Margarita and you can serve it chilled, over ice or blended as a slushy cocktail. And it’s ready in four weeks, just in time for the warm weather.

So the b*co team patiently (some more than others) waited the 4 weeks and then headed back for the bottling process. While we were bottling our summer cocktails we HAD to do a little taste test (the b*co team is thorough!!!) and it was well worth the wait. They don’t taste overly sweet or artificial, it’s a light refreshing cocktail perfect for the summer weather.

Once I had my Twisted Mist bottled I was eager to test out my new summer cocktail. Lucky for me I didn’t have to wait all that long, I was invited to attend a pool party on Sunday and I figured that would be the perfect spot to test out my new bevvies.

So on Sunday I grabbed a bottle of Strawberry Margarita, a bottle of Mojito, a few fresh strawberries, limes and mint leaves and set off for some fun in the sun. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon as we lay in the sun, played in the pool, and had a wonderful BBQ dinner. I was excited to try my new drink, so after we finished dinner I grabbed the drinks from the cooler and all I had to do was add my garnishes and I was done! The cocktails were delicious and after being out in the sun for a few hours they were the perfect drink to wrap up our day with.  I can’t wait ’til the next pool party!

Caitlin xo

Twisted Mist Strawberry Margarita anyone!?!?

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Summer Resolutions/ Canada Day (Caitlin’s summertime blog)

July 12th, 2010

We have all heard of New Years resolutions but I’m going to change things up a bit with my new “Summer Resolutions” program. I gave up on the idea of New Years resolutions a few years back. It was just too disappointing to make all of these wonderful plans for the new year only to give up a few months in (and in some cases it only took a few days. . . )So in lieu of that I came up with the idea of Summer Resolutions.

What, you may ask, is a Summer Resolution?

Well it’s like a New Years resolution but instead of making resolutions in January I’ve decided to make them in the summer.

I create a list of places and things that I want to see and do during the summer months in our fair city of Vancouver with my lovely group of friends.  My friends and I have been trying to cross things and places off our list for three years now. Yet the only thing that we seem to accomplish is adding more wonderful summer time plans to the list and not crossing many of the items that we’ve already added.

Some of the things on our list are simple day trips. One of our trips is to catch the seabus over to North Vancouver and explore that area of our beautiful city, another is to play ‘tourist for a day’ in Vancouver hopping on and off one of those great big buses that you always see around the city. These are also two of the things we haven’t done yet.

There is one item on our list every year and it always gets crossed off, our Canada Day sailing trip. This year marked the third annual sailing trip and although the sun didn’t really make an appearance it was a great day. I had good company, great food and a nice day on the boat.

Once we were back at the dock we continued on our Canada Day journey by heading down to see the re-lit cauldron at Canada Place. I know that many of you must have seen the cauldron a million times during the Olympics but with no chain link fence up, being able to go right up to the cauldron was a pretty cool experience.

It wouldn’t be Canada Day without fireworks, and courtesy of one of my dearest friends we were able to watch the fireworks on her fabulous rooftop patio. This wasn’t just any rooftop patio party — this one had two DJ’s and about 50 other people celebrating Canada Day in style.  After some fabulous fireworks and an acapella version of O Canada (started up by our hostess I might add) to show our Canadian sprit we wrapped up our rooftop celebration for Canada Day and called it a night.

The fun in the sun is just heating up and I’ll be taking you with me on my summer adventures -checking off my summer resolutions as we go!

Caitlin xo

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b*co’s summer adventure series

July 5th, 2010

You all know miss b*co herself, Betsy Cooper but I’m guessing you may not know who I am. My name is Caitlin Brownless and I’ve been working with b*co since December. I’ve been keeping a pretty low profile, soaking up all the knowledge that b*co has had to offer me. Now with summer rapidly approaching I feel that it is my time to step out into the limelight.

My first big project with b*co was working at Atlantic Canada House during the Olympics, which was one of the greatest working experiences of my life. It was an incredibly popular venue, even receiving a gold medal by the Vancouver Sun just one day after it opened. The talent was big, the food was great, the beer was refreshing and the line-ups were massive! Although I’m sure there were a few hiccups along the way I made it out alive and loved every minute of it!

And now I’ve been given the task of looking after the b*co blog. Excited with the idea of my new project, my head was swimming with ideas on what to write about. Then it hit me . . .  the summer! Summertime is quickly approaching and this year there are a few things that I want to accomplish before it’s over. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

So I’m in the process of creating my summer resolutions list and I’m going to start having to put my money where my mouth is and figure out how to make this all happen.  I’m hoping that you guys will put your two cents in and help me get through my list of summer resolutions.

Stayed tuned to see what’s next . . . . it’s going to be an awesome summer and I’m taking you all with me!

‘Til next time

Caitlin xo

b*co's blogging coordinator

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b*co’s olympic experience

April 21st, 2010

It’s hard to believe that it was just over two months ago that the Olympic flame was lit at BC Place, and the 2010 Olympic Winter Games were officially under way!  Many of you know that I started off on my own Olympic adventure nearly four years ago, as I moved across the country to Vancouver and started b*co communications in the hopes that I would be able to work on the Games in some way. It turned out to be even more exciting than I could ever have imagined! There were so many highlights on both a professional and personal level, that it really has taken me all this time to try to put them all down in a cohesive “OLYMPICS” note, but here goes:

Olympic Experience:  Although I have been to two Olympic Games before this one, there is no feeling like hosting the world in your own backyard! The energy was incredible, and it was an honour to be able to work with so many great people to bring about their ideas and dreams on the Olympic stage. During the Games, b*co was hard at work on projects for clients including Atlantic Canada House, Canada Place, Kinder (via Harbinger), Goodyear (via Environics) and Olympian Rob Fagan…busy days!

Lineups : The lineup at Atlantic Canada House was the talk of the town. Ashley MacIsaac, The Trews, Sloan, Matt Mays, The Once, The Navigators, Two Hours Traffic, Shaun Majumder and SO many more incredibly talented artists performed throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Our House” was filled with music, culture and cuisine, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget! (and yes, the lineups were pretty crazy too!). It was particularly special for us to be able to extend this experience to support the Paralympic Games in Whistler.

Yahoo: Yahoo! FanCouver was a fun and interactive space in Yaletown where visitors could get their photos taken, enjoy some hot cocoa, and meet some incredible athletes and experts. For the Opening Ceremonies, we worked with the great team at Yahoo! and Environics to introduce media and other VIPs to the venue, and interact with   legends including Elvis Stojko, Jennifer Jones, Dominique Dawes, Tiki Barber and many more! We also brought in a group of Grade 5 and 6 students to learn about online broadcasting, and have some fun! FanCouver was a great interactive venue and we were very proud to be a small part of it.

Media: It was such a great opportunity to work with media from all over the world. From local bloggers to national and international broadcasters, they were all here, and looking for great stories. The city of Vancouver, and our entire country received incredible media exposure on the world’s biggest stage. And from a Canadian perspective, the coverage from host broadcaster CTV was unprecedented, providing coverage, news and stories on TV and online like never before. Congratulations!

Pride: The pride and passion that Canadians showed throughout the Olympics was something that I will always remember. In a commentary on this spirit, Stephen Brunt expressed it best – “the story was supposed to be all about winning about finishing first, about putting a swagger in our step. Turns out the swagger was already there, it was just waiting for the right stage.” (If you haven’t already seen it, check out his montage here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz8tzP3oeDg). And now that we know it’s there Canada, let’s continue to be loud and proud!

I Believe: I truly believe that I couldn’t have made it through this adventure without the support of my incredible team, my fabulous colleagues from the other agencies in Toronto and Vancouver, some amazing clients, my very understanding friends…and of course my extremely supportive family! THANK  YOU!!!

Canada Place: Those famous sails were every where during the Games! If you watched any of the CTV and NBC broadcasts (which if you didn’t, you must have been in hibernation!), you saw the iconic sails of Canada Place in the background. One of the most beautiful views was of the Sails of Light, a nightly montage featuring VANOC’s “Look of the Games”. And if you were in the downtown core of Vancouver, you inevitably heard the Heritage Horns sounding when a Canadian won a medal (which happened more times than in any other host country!). We were thrilled to work with Canada Place to get these messages out there, as well as help to provide lighthearted information how to become an “Authentic Canadian”. By the way, did you know that in 1975 the beaver became an official emblem of Canada. Yes, that’s right, one of our highest honours went to a giant, buck-toothed rodent!

Snowboarding: There were so many great moments for our snowboarders! b*co recently started working with Snowboardcross rider Rob Fagan, and we couldn’t be  more proud of his performance both on and off the snow. Before the Games even started, Rob raised the bar by stating that he would donate half of his winning funds to KidSport should he finish on the podium. Unfortunately, it was not to be this time around, as he finished just out of the medals in fifth place. But he made a name for himself as a great athlete and individual, and we’re sure there are lots of other opportunities for him around the corner. And did I mention we got to see Jasey-Jay Anderson win his Gold medal and Mike Robertson take home silver?!? Unfortunately I wasn’t in the crowd for Maelle Ricker’s historic Gold, but I cheered loud and proud at her Medal Ceremony the following night!

Hopefully this note gives you some insight into my Olympic experience and why you may not have heard much from me in February and March! So now what? Well, after a much-needed vacation, we’re back at work on a number of projects, and are looking to keep the positive vibe rolling as we continue this adventure. Hopefully there will be many more exciting updates to come!

Cheers,
Betsy

Gold Medal Hockey Game at Atlantic Canada House with family and friends!

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b*good for goodness sake!

January 3rd, 2010

It was just over 3 years ago that I made the move to the West Coast, with the 2010 Olympic Winter Games seeming like a very distant future. It’s so hard to believe that there are now only 8 Mondays left until the Games begin! It’s been such an amazing journey to this point, and I’m sure the next three months will be something none of us across this country and beyond will ever forget! b*co will be heavily involved with a number of projects throughout the Games,but I’m sure I’ll find some time to get out to the mountains, rinks, and parks to cheer on our athletes and celebrate all of our successes! If you’re going to be in Vancouver, please get in touch!

This past year has been a busy one, with one big milestone in particular. Twenty-five years after my Dad finished his final triathlons and marathons, I ran my FIRST triathlon! It was an unforgettable experience, and I’m sure he would have been proud of me for getting out there and finishing it. And I’m planning to do it again next year, so let me know if you want to join me!

I spent a lot of time this summer and fall traveling through BC, and the Okanagan in particular. It is an incredible place with beautiful lakes and beaches, desert air, and of course fabulous wineries! It felt great to get to know more about my “new” part of the country.

On the work front, b*co has had another prosperous year, and we’re very thankful for all of the wonderful clients, colleagues and friends we have had the opportunity to work with. Thank you all! Our team is continuing to grow, and we’ve got exciting ideas for the future, so stay tuned!

Most importantly, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Holiday season! Get out there and enjoy your friends, family and loved ones.

Cheers!

Betsy and the b*co team

Completing my first triathlon!

Completing my first triathlon!

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Friday, October 23rd — Beer and Birthday Benefit

October 19th, 2009

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE my birthday! I don’t know what it is about it, but every year, I get excited about it, and make sure that I have plans to do something fun. This year is no different, and I’ve decided to do something that is both fun for me, and my friends…AND support a great cause!

So if you’re in Vancouver this coming Betsy's Birthday and Beer Benefit, make sure you come to Ceili’s Irish Pub for “Betsy’s Beer and Birthday Benefit” (with a title like that, it’s got to be good, right?). Here are 3 great reasons for you to attend!

#1 It’s Betsy’s Birthday
#2 Beer Tasting: For this event, we will be hosting an exclusive tasting of Black Tree Dark Ale, a new beer from Tree Brewing that was created in support of the BC Fire ReLeaf Fund
#3 Benefit: In lieu of the extravagant gifts you would typically give me :) , I am asking for donations in support of the BC Fire ReLeaf program, an initiative developed by Tree Canada to reforest the regions of the Okanagan that were devastated by this summer’s wildfires.

And if that’s not enough, there will be samplings of Black Tree, appetizers, and of course, cake!

Date:  Friday, October 23, 2009

Time: 4:00 – 8:00PM

Place: Ceili’s Irish Pub, Banshee Room

Entry: By Donation

Tax receipts can be issued for donations over $20. Please provide cash or cheque, payable to Tree Canada

See you Friday!Betsy's Birthday and Beer Benefit

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