Dahle Communication

Green Drinks - A Great Way to Converse About Sustainability

 In Sioux Falls, Astronaut Studios has been putting together an event each month called 'Green Drinks.' Their website explains that:

Sioux Falls Green Drinks is an informal monthly mixer for people who are interested in conversation and learning about sustainable business, design, policy and living. It’s organized locally by the 
Sioux Falls Green Project and Astronaut. Fun is in our nature

The Green Drinks events have been a lot of fun and have really stimulated a lot of discussion around sustainability. Previous events have included speakers from various backgrounds including Poet (a major Ethanol producer in the US), the Plain Green Conference, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference attendees and a Mayor's forum.

 Along with the speakers, the rest of the time is spent just meeting people who believe in sustainability. During this time, people can discuss projects that they are working on regarding green projects or ideas that they have and want some discussion on. The nice part about the events is that they are usually at a bar or restaurant, which gives the meetings a very laid back feel to them. This allows the people who show up to feel comfortable and not feel like it is some big event that they have to be tense or dress up for (even though a lot of them come straight from working, so they are in their business clothes).

They have also did a great job with their branding. They have had some great artists create posters for each meeting and each of them have been great, which a couple of them I have included on this post.

If you are in the Sioux Falls area, you should try to check it out. The communication on sustainability and green innovation, jobs, energy, etc. has been a great way to get a discussion started on those topics. 

Ingite comes to South Dakota

Last month Brett Duncan over at Marketing In Progress reminded me of an event that I had found earlier, Ignite. Ignite is "a geek event in over 100 cities worldwide. At the events, Ignite presenters share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total of just five minutes." 

I love the concept of Ignite. You get 5 minutes and 20 slides that will automatically move every 15 seconds, which means you have to be prepared and you can't ramble on. Their tag-line is "Enlighten Us, But Make It Quick." 

 While most cities have been doing Ignite events, Scott and John Meyer at 9 Clouds, Inc in Sioux Falls decided to do something a little different - Ignite South Dakota - a State-wide project. This makes sense on several levels. First, with a total population of around 800,000 people, the State of South Dakota is about 1/3 the size of Dallas, TX who just had their Ignite last month. Second, this will allow smaller towns like Brookings, SD to showcase some of their talent when they might not have otherwise had that opportunity. Finally, South Dakotans are a big family. You've heard of six degrees of separation, but in South Dakota, it really is 1 degree of separation. Because of this, when I travel, I usually just say I am from South Dakota, since few people know where Sioux Falls is anyway.

I'm excited for Ignite getting started here in South Dakota. I think it is a great way for the talented people here in the Dakotas to showcase that talent here and on the web (which I am sure their videos will appear). 

So, if you are in the Brookings area on Wednesday April 21st, come on down and hear some great speakers. They include Megan Dahle of Mt. Jono & First Person History (and my wife!), Corey Heidelberger from Madville Times and an overall talented writer, speaker and artist, Johnathan Burns who has created Cubicons and is one of the funiest people I have ever met and many others. The full list can be seen at the Ignite South Dakota website. Below is a video from John Meyer with a Welcome to Ignite SD.

Welcome to Ignite SD from 9 Clouds on Vimeo.

Blogs I Follow: The Displaced Plainsman

In the second installment of blogs that I wanted to highlight (the first one can be found here), I have a non-communication focused blog for you - The Displaced Plainsman. 

The Displaced Plainsman is an educator who has some great insight on a lot of things: Books, movies, education, philosophy, religion, etc. I am usually forced to think while reading his blog - which is a good thing! 

His latest post is a great example:

Using Christianity as an example, religion seems to illustrate that agreement on large goals produces unity or accord.  Christians believe that a Jewish man who lived and was crucified a little over 2000 years ago rose from the dead and provides salvation for the whole human race.   It's unclear, however, if a Russian Orthodox bishop and a pentecostal snake handling clergyman can agree on any implications of that statement.  They certainly don't agree on what constitutes proper practices to illustrate their shared belief.  I won't even bother to try to go through the history of great and small religious wars that illustrate that these differences can have disastrous consequences.

In the same manner, educators, politicians, business leaders, parents, and students all agree on a large goal: students need to be prepared to succeed in an ever changing and increasingly complex world.  No one, however, agrees how to achieve that goal.  Although no one may be going to war over NCLB or a liberal arts curriculum, the debate's vitriol rivals that of the arguments over proper communion or baptism practices.

I couldn't agree with him more on this aspect of education. We all seem to want the same goal - how we get there is another matter. This post and others are reasons for me to keep coming back. The only thing he needs is some style on his blog - its a little plain - but then again, I don't go there for the design, I go there for the writing. Besides, he reminded me of how funny Monty Python's Flying Circus can be when it comes to communication and debate

Selling Magic - now that's a brand

 Last week, I finished my first ever visit to Disney World in Florida. During my time there, I made a few observations and what I've noticed is that Disney takes it brand very seriously - at least at Disney World. 

Over the years, Disney has made some of the most memorable movies of all time. As a child, you've probably seen a good portion of the Disney movies out there: Bambi, Pinnochio, Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White, etc. Even if you haven't seen them (or its been a long time) you at least know the stories, because they have been around that much. Lately, Pixar - in working with Disney - has re-energized the Disney brand with magic of their own. With such classic movies as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibiles and Wall-E. Even adults enjoy these movies as much as children do.

What I've noticed while being there is that the amount of work and time that goes into keeping this "magic" alive. It truly is amazing. The number of people and the planning and organizing that goes into making sure that people enjoy their visits is baffling to me. 

Disney takes its brand seriously when it comes to things like Disney World. During our time there, our kids couldn't have enjoyed themselves more and neither could I. Everyone involved - from those picking up trash to the person playing Cinderella - works hard to keep that brand how they want it. It has the potential for disaster. That many workers, dealing with that many people day after day after day, I am sure that quite a few people have not had great experiences at Disney World and I am sure more than a couple of workers have left their not pleased with their experience. However, when looking at the big picture, Disney does a hell of a job with how they run Disney World.

Oh - and some of the rides were fantastic! Especially Toy Story Midway Mania!