CPR Creative Partners Roundtable

CPR 2011 Wrap-up

2011-05-26T12:06:00.016-04:00

View the video from the event below.

Creative Partners Roundtable Event from Richard Cardona on Vimeo.

CPR Resources

Please Visit Our Sponsors!

Burlington Press

328 High Street, Burlington, NJ 08016

609-387-0030

Creative Spark Consulting

856-427-6891

Hypno Design

60 E. Main Street, Moorestown, NJ

856-802-9004

New Media Design

856-780-5086

The Nonprofit Center at

La Salle University's School of Business

1900 W. Olney Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19141-1199

215-951-1701

Red Attic Design Studio
610-521-0409

Typestries Sign & Design

594 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ 08050

609-597-3399

Raffle Winners

2011-05-24T11:44:00.002-04:00

We are pleased to announce the winners of Saturday's raffle! Below we have listed the prize and the organization that was randomly selected. Congratulations to our winners.

Prize : Logo design courtesy of Hypno Design

Winner : Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger

Prize : Printing of one stationery package, to include 1000 pieces each of letterhead, one business card and one #10 envelope courtesy of Rich Lewis and Burlington Press

Winner : Kids' Smiles

Prize : One year of web hosting courtesy of John Contarino and New Media Design

Winner : Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge

Prize : 3' x 7' Retractable Banner stand and graphic courtesy of Typestries Sign and Design

Winner : Perkins Center for the Arts

Prize : 5 hours of design service or consultation (brochure, logo, illustration, etc.) courtesy of Joe Breevort and Red Attic Design Studios

Winner : Pompeston Creek Watershed

Prize : Design of one print advertisement courtesy of Bill Cresenzo

Winner : International Opera Theater

Prize :Logo design courtesy of Kevin Blue

Winner : Community Learning Center

Prize : Postcard design and postcard printing courtesy of Hypno Design and Burlington Press

Winner : Creative Arts and Aging

Creative Partners Roundtable Event a Big Hit with Nonprofits

2011-05-23T15:19:00.002-04:00

Hypno Design and a group of some of the area’s most talented marketing, branding and creative minds held their first annual Creative Partners Roundtable event Saturday, May 21st in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. The half-day event was held to help nonprofits improve their overall marketing, branding and communications efforts. 31 Local nonprofit organizations attended the free event meeting with 24 creative professionals from the region.

During this “speed dating”-type event, representatives from area nonprofits met with experts in a variety of creative disciplines, including graphic designers, copy writers, website designers, strategic marketing pros, public relation experts and social media gurus, and they received free advice, instruction and information to help take their branding and marketing to the next level.

The creation of CPR was inspired by Hypno Design’s eight years of hosting CreateAthon, a 24-hour creative marathon where a group of local nonprofits are selected to receive free marketing assistance. President of Hypno, Alison Judah said of the new event "This was such a great first-year effort by all. All the positive energy and incredible ideas in the room really made the day amazing. All the nonprofits went away recharged, well-informed, and inspired I think from the smart ideas our volunteers were generating. We were very lucky to have that talented group of creative people helping out. The nonprofit organizations really appreciated their help."

"This was an extremely helpful day. We were able to see things through a different lens so we know what parts are going in the right direction and what needs to change," said Mary Catherine Dabrowski from Creative Arts and Aging Network after the event.

In addition to the face-to-face consultations with the diverse creative teams, the Nonprofit Organizations' representatives also attended free educational seminars about Direct Mail, Internet Marketing on a Dime, and Nonprofit Board Governance. Raffle prizes of design, printing and other services were also given out during the event with prizes being donated by Hypno Design, Burlington Press, Typestries, New Media Design and Red Attic Studios.

A good feeling. CPR 2011

2011-05-21T17:41:00.001-04:00

Team Blue!

2011-05-21T17:40:00.001-04:00

Kozy Kaps for Kids

2011-05-21T16:36:00.001-04:00

Mike Rocks!

2011-05-21T16:18:00.001-04:00

Zoe and Adrian thank you!

2011-05-21T16:17:00.001-04:00

My hero. Alison.

2011-05-21T16:16:00.001-04:00

Team D rocks!

2011-05-21T16:14:00.001-04:00

Team A rocks!

2011-05-21T16:12:00.001-04:00

Shak! Way to go!

2011-05-21T16:09:00.001-04:00

The team. Great work everyone!

2011-05-21T16:08:00.001-04:00

Rich Lewis rocks! Thanks for everything! Great forum!

2011-05-21T16:05:00.001-04:00

Team C rocks!

2011-05-21T16:04:00.001-04:00

B team rocks!

2011-05-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

Live from event

2011-05-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

Lee from Perkins Center for the Arts

2011-05-21T14:07:00.001-04:00

Joe Is a Rockstar!

2011-05-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

Volunteers cheese!

2011-05-21T12:53:00.001-04:00

live from event!

2011-05-21T12:07:00.002-04:00

Live from event

2011-05-21T12:05:00.001-04:00

Live from the event!

2011-05-21T12:04:00.002-04:00

Live from the event

2011-05-21T11:59:00.001-04:00

Things are going greatI Karen from International Opera Theater!

Schedule For CPR

2011-05-20T12:19:00.003-04:00

The day has finally arrived! After months of planning, meetings, and hard work, CPR is on the horizon. We are all thrilled with how everything has come together, and can't wait to see the faces of our wonderful and creative volunteers, as well as the curious and passionate faces of those individuals representing their non-profit organizations tomorrow morning. The schedule for CPR is to the right as well as down below. So rest up and get excited, CPR is right around the corner.

SCHEDULE

Jeff Scott - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-20T11:35:00.003-04:00

Jeff drives creative strategy and execution at Vox. He has more than 27 years of advertising experience in a vast array of industries and mediums, ranging from TV to Web/Interactive to print, and encompassing consumer as well as ethical pharmaceutical and OTC sales and promotion, and B to B in a variety of fields. The result of his experience is a unique ability to bring the best principles from consumer advertising to pharmaceutical brands and to solve problems and create opportunities for clients in many different spaces. Since joining Vox in 2003, he has won multiple awards, including RX, Mobius, and Addys. His work has been featured in the Graphis Advertising Annual, as well as the prestigious OneShow award.

Jeff has had the opportunity to work with diverse range of clients including: Pfizer, Wyeth pharmaceuticals, McNeil, Siemens, Panasonic, Fleet Bank, Zurich Insurance, Unisource, Cingular Wireless, Nabisco, Johnson & Johnson, The Salvation Army, Mannington Mills Flooring, and the Faber Castell corporation.

Bill Crescenzo - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-19T14:47:00.003-04:00

Bill has 40 years experience working for many major National, Philadelphia and New Jersey ad agencies. Most notable are McCann Erickson WorldGroup Company and Earle Palmer Brown. Some of the advertising accounts he has worked on are Comcast, Fidelity Investments, Westinghouse, United States Army, Omni Hotels, Wawa Food Markets, The State of Pennsylvania Tourism, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Turner Broadcasting Company. As a Senior Art Director, Creative Supervisor, William has been recognized for his creative work with numerous national and regional awards including three “Best of Show’s” for both print and TV. Four AAF District Two Addy’s for a print campaign, poster, TV and radio.

William is now Creative Director of William Crescenzo Creative Consultant. WCCC offers a true alternative to in house creative resources offering a very high level of experience and expertise.

Ryan DeVito - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-19T13:39:00.006-04:00

Ryan brings a blend of right and left brain to Creative Partners Roundtable. Graduating from Drexel University with a B.S. in Graphic Design, Ryan spent several years during college as a design intern at Hypno Design under the tutelage of Richard and Alison. From there she joined Canon Business Solutions and spent two years as a Graphic Designer, providing branding, collateral and event design internally and for clients such as Philadelphia Orchestra and Campbell’s Soup.

For the last 6 years, Ryan has found her right and left brain equilibrium at Canon through various experiences in account and project management. Her creative side is fulfilled by providing creative direction, collaboration and copy writing for change management, sustainability and marketing campaigns. And her analytical side is fulfilled through project management, program planning and workflow optimization.

Ryan is thrilled to be joining the CPR team and is looking forward to collaborating with such a talented group in support of some pretty amazing non-profits!

Greg Bender - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-19T10:46:00.002-04:00

Greg has been in the graphic design and print industry for over 25 years. He’s been the creative director at Camden County College for almost 11 years. Before that he owned his own graphic design firm and has also worked in medical publishing.

Greg loves working on all sorts of projects. He prides himself on sweating the details when it comes to jobs he works on, making sure everything comes back from the printer exactly how his client wants. Especially fond of the art of typefaces, Greg likes everything that has to do with fonts. Well, everything that is except Comic Sans.

Greg looks forward every year to Hypno Design’s CreateAthon event

and collaborating with other creative types. He loves movies, sports,

poker and small doses of landscaping.

Rich Wenzke - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-19T09:34:00.001-04:00

Rich Wenzke has created interactive and print media for over 10 years, with a focus on creating work that looks good and communicates the intended message, delivering the right response. Over the last 4 years, Rich has built his web arsenal as the interactive designer at Idea Lab where he specialized in HTML, CSS, jQuery and web design. Currently he is the new media specialist at The Media & Marketing Group where he heads the interactive department.

Zoe Spiliotis - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-18T11:38:00.007-04:00

Zoe Spiliotis received her BFA from Moore College of Art & Design and an MFA from New Mexico State University. Her artwork has exhibited internationally in Austria, Italy and Japan, as well as nationally at galleries in Philadelphia, New Mexico, Texas and Florida.

As a graphic designer she has worked for millwork companies, designing themed interior graphics, displays and other printed material and also in digital and quick printing environments. She currently manages an in-house printing facility at a local pharmaceutical company.

Together, Zoe Spiliotis and Adrian Aguirre have partnered on creative works including murals in New Mexico, Texas and Pennsylvania. Since returning to Philadelphia they started Projects Graphic, which provides creative services including printing and web design to artists and non-profits.

Richard Cardona - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-18T11:28:00.006-04:00

As Hypno’s Creative Director, Richard is responsible along with his partner Alison Judah for bringing CreateAthon (and now Creative Partners Roundtable) to the Philadelphia - Southern New Jersey region. Trained as a fine artist, with a Master’s degree in painting from Temple’s Tyler School of Art, Richard brings his unique vision and understanding to the work he produces.

Richard founded Hypno Design with Alison in 1994, and set out to create unique and effective marketing for clients and since then has created award winning work for companies like Herrs, Samuel Adams Beer, The Philadelphia Eagles, Sports Illustrated, Nike, 20th Century Fox, and many pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, but the

biggest kick he gets (aside from surfing gnarly overhead hurricane swells) is helping nonprofits with CreateAThon and with Creative Partners Roundtable.

Kris Blake - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-18T11:24:00.004-04:00

Kris Blake is a Philadelphia-based creative who handles the copywriting duties for Sb1 Federal Credit Union. Prior to writing about savings accounts and loans for Sb1, he got his start in marketing at Lancaster Brewing Company. In his time with the brewery, Kris was part of the team which re-launched Lancaster's bottled product line, helping LBC become Pennsylvania's fastest growing micro-brewery.

In addition to earning his M.B.A. from Drexel University's LeBow College of Business , Kris also studies copywriting at Adhouse, a portfolio school in New York City, where he's had the opportunity to learn the craft of creative advertising from some of the industry's top Creative Directors.

Kevin Blue - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-18T11:02:00.005-04:00

With an education in graphic design and an unending quest to learn even more and perfect his skills as a self-taught web developer, Kevin brings great enthusiasm and experience to his creative work. Kevin has worked in all aspects of graphic design from logos and identity systems, to print adds, and websites.

Always keeping himself involved with new projects, Kevin enjoys the constant changing field of design and all of the challenges it offers. When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually on the water, kayaking, fly fishing, or sailing.

Shakeil Greeley - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-18T09:38:00.001-04:00

Shakeil Greeley is currently a senior at Moorestown Friends School, and will be attending the University of Pennsylvania this coming Fall to participate in the Visual Studies major. He is doing his senior internship with Hypno Design for the month of May, assisting Alison and Richard with their day to day needs, all the while learning more each day about the business of media design. Shakeil’s career interests are focused primarily on advertising and marketing. He also has a strong interest in graphic design, typography, and the visual arts, all of which contribute to his aptness for design.

Mike Stanziano - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-17T13:23:00.005-04:00

Mike Stanziano is a young, energetic, outgoing web developer from New Jersey. Mike is a recent college graduate with a B.A. in Digital Arts and Multimedia Design and a minor in Information Technology. Mike currently helps out in an idea firm in Philadelphia creating websites for small business. He also has done a lot of freelance work for small businesses near his hometown, and volunteers his time to help start-up businesses get their websites off the ground. He enjoys telling those new to the website work all the different ways they can accomplish what they need or want.

Mike is passionate about talking to his clients, and listening to what

they want in a website, and making their ideas come to life. Mike

keeps up-to-date with the changes, developments and ideas that

come about in the ever-changing web design world. Mike makes

understanding web design a little easier for those not familiar with the

medium. He takes great pride and satisfaction in his work, and is

always pleased when the client is satisfied with the results

Alison Judah - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-17T11:26:00.002-04:00

For over 20 years, Alison has worked in the field of graphic design and marketing making her clients very happy. She worked in music package design and healthcare before starting her own company Hypno Design, Inc. with her partner Richard Cardona in 1994. As president of Hypno Design, Alison has helped a variety of clients ranging from healthcare, radio, private schools, food service, and nonprofits to name a few. Alison wears many hats from art director, artist, designer, to account manager, and CEO.

Alison and her partner Richard also established CreateAThon for the Philadelphia/Southern NJ region, which has served over 65 nonprofits in the past 8 years with free creative marketing and advertising. CPR - Creative Partners Roundtable, is a new event Alison and Hypno have started this spring as a way of extending the good will of Cre- ateAThon to other worthy nonprofits.

Besides running Hypno, CreateAThon and CPR, Alison also enjoys teaching Yoga two nights a week, making art, knitting, gardening, and spending time at the beach.

Laura Otten, Ph.D. - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-17T11:20:00.004-04:00

Laura Otten, Ph.D. has been Executive Director of The Nonprofit Center at LaSalle University’s School of Business, a management support organization that enhances the management, operations and governance capacity of nonprofit organizations throughout the Delaware Valley, since 2001.

Laura also continues to work directly with clients, primarily in the areas of board development, executive and board coaching and general facilitation.

In addition, Laura is an Associate Professor in LaSalle’s Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice, teaches in the MBA program of La Salle’s School of Business and is the author of Women’s Rights and the Law (Praeger, 1993).

editor's note: Laura will be giving a presentation at 12pm titled: Best Practices in Board Governance, free for all nonprofits to attend.

Cornelia Bradwell - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-16T09:58:00.002-04:00

I started out as a freelance designer after I graduated from Moore College of Art in 2001. With 10 years of experience ranging from package design to magazine layout, I have a plethora of skills and knowledge, but I am always eager to learn more. I am currently an art director with a focus on print design. Print design for me is where a love affair became an obsession. I love a challenge that can break the best of them. It is what keeps me going and looking for more.

In the office, I have to say, I have a stigma of being the girl with the big personality that can and will make anyone laugh. I always say “if you ain’t laughing you ain’t living!” And besides, it makes the days go by so much easier.

When I am not designing, I love to spend time with my husband Michael, and our furry children Nero and Simon. We recently just bought a new condo in what I think to be the coolest neighborhood in Philadelphia. When I am not trotting around my hood scoping out the new boutiques, eateries and galleries, you’ll probably find me watching HDTV and DIY shows. This is where I currently get all my ideas to style my new digs. And if I am not doing that, I am enjoying the company of great friends and relaxing.

I am really excited about meeting everyone at CPR and helping out when and where ever I can.

John Contarino - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-15T12:00:00.004-04:00

John Contarino has developed interactive media for nearly 20 years, with a focus on creating powerful, yet easy-to-use websites, including dynamic content-rich sites, custom web applications, and eCommerce systems. Thanks to his direct experience in media, including over 10 years as a newspaper writer and editor, John is able to combine technical savvy with a focus on creating the optimal intuitive user experience. He primarily develops in the PHP programming language and works with a diverse range of national clients through his Moorestown, NJ-based company, New Media Design. With the current explosive growth of mobile devices, John has expanded his expertise to include the creation of apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

editor's note: John has worked with us nonstop on CreateAthon, sometimes creating entire websites for nonprofits in only one night - as he likes to call them "website in a day", and while he doesn't advocate doing that all of the time, they look and function just as well as the websites that take often weeks or months to create.

Howard Yermish - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-15T11:52:00.005-04:00

Howard Yermish brings a level of enthusiasm and understanding to the geeky world of technology, presenting topics in a way that engages the audience by making it relevant, rather than just "gee wiz isn't this cool." Professionally, Howard works with small and medium enterprises on their Internet strategy, online marketing, user experience design, website usability, information architecture, application specification, application design.

Editors note: Howard is presenting one of our seminars, open to any nonprofit to attend at 11am: Internet Marketing on a Dime

Nonprofits still can REGISTER TO ATTEND free Seminars.

Joe Castro Brevoort - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-14T08:41:00.004-04:00

Joe Castro Brevoort is a Philadelphia-based graphic designer, artist and musician. Following a 9 year stint as Art Director for Please Touch Museum, he founded Red Attic Studios in 2007, building up a diverse client base of non-profits, renegade start-ups, pharmaceutical companies and concert promoters. He has won numerous awards for his design and illustration work, which has been featured in Graphic Design USA and Color Magazine. As an artist, his paintings and collages have been shown in galleries and art spaces across the United States and Canada.

For more information, please visit redatticstudios.com

editor's note: Joe was the art director at Please Touch Museum when we had them as a CreateAThon client over 5 years ago, and has since joined us every year on the creative side for our annual CreateAthon event. The work he's created over the years for nonprofits is top of the line, and we always look forward to seeing what he will create.

Scheduling is done!

2011-05-14T08:30:00.003-04:00

Marci and Richard worked on scheduling the meetings on Friday and the schedules will be posted here and go out by email to the nonprofits and volunteers on Tuesday. We're still anticipating a few last-minute RSVPs from nonprofits and are holding a few spaces available for them until the last minute. We're super-excited about the lineup of talented pros and worthy organizations they will be working with, and also the cool seminars that will be taking place. It's going to be a great day! So psyched!

Joe Fisher - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-14T08:23:00.003-04:00

Due to what he describes as an unusual genetic sequencing, Joe is somewhat of an oddity with talents that span both the business and creative sides. He began his career working in some of Philadelphia’s largest ad agencies, including spending 7 years as President of Domus Advertising. His clients at one time or another have included ARAMARK, Butterball, Okidata, ALPO, Mannington Floors, Invisible Fence and Campbell’s Soup. For the last 7 years he has worked as an independent marketing consultant helping a number of customers, both large and small, hone their marketing programs and new business presentations.

What is he best at? His answer is “positioning” – meaning finding the best way for a company to present itself to its target audience. While he does not have a lot of back ground with non-profits, he does hope his talents will translate perfectly to the CPR Program. We will see.

extra special editor's note: Joe came up with the idea of having a team of creative pros meet with the nonprofits instead of one-on-one specialists, and we think that idea is brilliant, and will allow greater flexibility and better results from a wider pool of experts. Good thinking Joe!

3 Seminars for CPR lined up!

2011-05-12T07:43:00.005-04:00

We are very excited about the 3 seminars that nonprofits can attend as part of Creative Partners Roundtable taking place on May 21st.

10 am and 2 pm: (presented at two times)

Direct Mail Projects - Getting Results.

by Rich Lewis, Burlington Press.

Direct Mail campaigns are proven to be one of the most effective tools for nonprofit's when fundraising, promoting volunteering, and increasing awareness. Learn how to get the most out of your direct mail. Some of the topics to be discussed will be

· Who are you talking to? No one if your mailing list isn’t any good.

· Is your message compelling enough to make them read it?

· How personalization can yield big results or create terrible failures

· Production tricks you should know about.

· Little tricks that save big on postage costs.

Learn from this seasoned printing and mail-house pro about the pitfalls of direct mail to avoid, and some smart ways to stretch your direct mail campaign dollars for increasing your return on investment.

. . . . .

11 am

Internet Marketing on a Dime*

by Howard Yermish

It is 2011 and the promise of Social Media has infected the business world. What used to require a web developer and piles of cash can now be done in minutes by anyone with a web browser. Learn how Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr and Foursquare can be used to promote your business online.

*Dime not required. Guaranteed to upset most Internet development companies. Some assembly required.

. . . . .

12 pm

Best Practices in Board Governance

by Laura Otten, Ph.D., director of The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University’s School of Business.

Dr. Otten will discuss what nonprofit professionals need to know about meaningful board membership –from the perspective of working well with your board as well as how board participation can be used as a training ground for future nonprofit leadership.

Any local area NONPROFIT can register to attend these free seminars - click here now

Hala Al-Shawaf - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-12T07:10:00.000-04:00

Hala Al-Shawaf holds a B.F.A. in Art History and Studio Art (Metalsmithing and Textiles) from Moore College of Art and Design. She maintains an active studio practice in Moorestown, NJ, and shows her work through Philadelphia-area galleries and the Moorestown ArtWalk—a monthly event that connects local businesses, artists, and non-profits. Hala channels her passion for finding creative ways to bring business and finance together with the creative and non-profit worlds by focusing on Business and Community Development in her role as Assistant Branch Manager at a regional bank. To that end, she serves on several boards and committees, including Moorestown Improvement Association, Moorestown Business Association, and one of her bank’s Corporate Philanthropy committees. Additionally, she recently co-chaired her fifth major annual fundraiser for the regional chapter of a national youth mentoring organization. Hala is particularly interested in Social Media and its impact on fundraising, marketing, and donor communication in the non-profit world.

editor's note: We're looking forward to the energy and positive vibe Hala will bring to the event!

Richard Lewis - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-06T10:14:00.005-04:00

Rich and his wife own Burlington Press, a full service printing and direct mail company. He brings to printing a lot of marketing experience that can help clients increase results and succeed with direct mail and other forms of marketing. He also built a company that provides professional, friendly services and makes sure every client gets a lot of value for the dollars spent. Everyone at Burlington Press is most proud of working with the good folks at Hypno Design and CreateAthon.

Rich is a big believer in giving back to the community. He is currently the marketing chair of the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties and serves on the Board of the Burlington County Boy Scouts and the Rotary Club of Burlington.

Rich and his wife, Vivian, have three grown children and enjoy cycling, kayaking, hiking and just about anything outdoors.

Please visit burlingtonpress.com

Editor's note: Rich will be presenting a seminar at CPR about how a nonprofit can get the best results from their direct mail campaigns. Stay tuned for seminar schedule and synopsis. Rich and Vivian have been very generous with their time and in providing printing for our CreateAthon event for the past 5 years. They're good people.

Editors note: Howard is presenting one of our seminars, open to any nonprofit to attend at 11am: Internet Marketing on a Dime

Nonprofits still can REGISTER TO ATTEND free Seminars.

Adrian Aguirre - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-05T17:26:00.007-04:00

Adrian Aguirre is an artist and designer who was born and raised in Juarez, Mexico. He has an MFA in painting from the College of Visual Arts, University of North Texas and a BFA in graphic design from New Mexico State University. He has taught studio arts at the University of North Texas, and worked as a graphic designer for New Mexico State University’s Media Productions Department.

As a graphic designer for the media productions department at New Mexico State University, he helped to create award winning educational websites and games. He worked on primarily on grant-funded projects for non-profits to develop television motion graphics, DVD menu interfaces, DVD and CD-ROM packages, print material, bilingual websites, and animated music videos for children.

Recently, he partnered with Projects Gallery in Philadelphia to provide web and print design services to creative professionals and small businesses.

For more information go to
www.projectsgraphic.com
www.adrianaguirre.com (fine art)

Editor's Note: Please leave a comment for Adrian below.

Sarah Teichert - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-04T08:50:00.003-04:00

As an art director with a background in fine art, graphic and 3D design, I have over 10 years experience wearing a few different hats. Ask anyone I’ve worked with and they’ll tell you I love a challenge. I pride myself in striving to make the impossible a reality and rallying the support of others along the way, especially when it involves a good cause. Recently married to a radio personality from the shore, I'm learning to love all things New Jersey including jug handles, constant questions about Snooki from anyone outside of the community, and hearing Bruce Springsteen everywhere. Looking forward to meeting and collaborating with everyone at CPR!

Editor's Note: Please leave a comment for Sarah below.

Zave Smith - Creative Partner Highlight

2011-05-02T11:17:00.005-04:00

Exuberant and poignant, philosophical and passionate, Zave Smith’s photographs capture the tangible pleasures and tactile experiences of life in close-up. Raised and trained in the Midwest, working out of Philadelphia and New York, Zave has a special feeling for personality that suffuses his work.

Visit Zave's Portfolio Website

Editor's Note: Please leave a comment for Zave below.

Marci Foster - Creative Partner highlight

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

For nearly 20 years, Marci has worked with clients in a variety of industries to help build comprehensive, focused marketing programs. After working for several of the area’s largest advertising agencies, ten years ago Marci decided to start her own business and Creative Spark was born. A writer, project manager and self-described research geek, Marci helps companies formulate marketing strategies that build and support their brand while meeting business and sales goals.

Marci loves helping nonprofit organizations and is the Chair of the Marketing Committee for the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties as well as one of the organizers for Hypno Design’s annual CreateAthon event. She is a part-time athlete and often-exhausted mother of twin boys.

Editor's note - Marci's combination of talent, drive, and genuine warmth and caring spirit make her so highly in demand, and once you've her met you'll never forget that you did, and you'll wonder how you've lived without her.

Please leave a comment for Marci below!

20 Creative Volunteers so far

2011-04-30T09:43:00.005-04:00

We have 20 creative professionals, and 3 seminar presenters lined up for our event so far. This is great. We have figured out the timing and the math and that means we can meet with as many as 100 non-profits throughout the day on May 21st. We already have 29 nonprofit organizations signed up so far. And there are exactly 3 weeks to go until CPR on May 21st.

So far - 30 Non Profits have signed up for CPR

2011-04-14T07:49:00.002-04:00

Achieving Independence Center/Valley Youth House

ADHD Aware

Calcutta House

Cathedral Community Development Corporation

Community Learning Center

Creative Arts and Aging Network

Delaware County SPCA

Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger

Haddonfield Child Care

International Opera Theater

Jobs for Pennsylvania's Graduates, Inc.

Kids Smiles

Lincoln Day Educational Center

Mary Anne Mazanec Ovarian Cancer Foundation

Moorestown School of Music

New Leash on Life

North Philadelphia Arts and Culture Alliance

Northwest Victim Services

Parkside Business & Community In Partnership Inc.

Perkins Center for the Arts

Plymouth Whitemarsh Band Boosters, Inc.

Pompeston Creek Watershed Association

Resources for Children's Health

Salt Shaker Foundation

South Jersey Land & Water Trust

Spiral Q Puppet Theater

Team CF

Tioga United

Women's Law Project

Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge

Here's where more Non Profits can sign up:
CPR RSVP Form

CPR planning party. Good peeps!

2011-04-01T05:58:00.001-04:00

Planning for CPR at pizza party

2011-04-01T05:57:00.001-04:00

RSVP Form for Non-Profits to attend

2011-03-28T08:57:00.003-04:00

Creative Volunteers Wanted - CPR 2011, needs Your Help.

2011-03-28T07:22:00.006-04:00

Calling all advertising and marketing pros in the Philly/SJ region!

If you are a creative professional, like a graphic designer, art director, creative director, brand manager, advertising account executive, web designer, social media expert, adwords guru, photographer, illustrator, marketing strategist, or even an intern working your way through an ad agency, or design shop, and you want to take one saturday in May to give something back to the world please use the link below, and contact us to volunteer now:

Watch Video:

Watch the Recruiting Video and fill out the form to Contact Us to Volunteer

Thank you! We hope to hear from you.

Video shoot today to Get More Creative volunteers involved

2011-03-25T17:07:00.000-04:00

Photo from space scouting Mar 21

2011-03-22T07:28:00.001-04:00

The space for our event has been scouted, and it's great!

2011-03-22T06:43:00.001-04:00

I went yesterday to meet with the (really swell) person donating the space for our CPR event and to get a lay of the land for the space that they are thinking of giving us and it's going to be perfect. it's an A rated office space with plenty of room, electricity and lights, (and heat and AC). It's also the best location I think we could have ever hoped for, convenient to Rt. 295 and Rt. 38.

I will post a few photos, but there will be ample room; chairs and desks are already available, and there are even extra conference rooms for seminars and group sessions. Exciting!

Progress so far...Where's this bus going?

2011-03-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Well, the idea for CPR began about 2 years ago, during CreateAthon - our annual pro-bono marathon event for non-profit organizations. What's a CreateAthon? For 24 hours (non-stop) we work through the night to supply Non-profits with whatever they need (once a year) to help them with marketing and advertising for their missions. Marketing ideas, logos, websites, brochures, ads, storyboards for TV spots, radio scripts, and more. We've helped over 65 organizations in the past 8 years producing somewhere near $1.2 million worth of creative services and work. This is all good work. But something was missing.

Over 2 years ago we started thinking about all the worthy organizations who don't get accepted each year, and how we would like to help them as well. We always tell them to "apply again next year", and there are examples of non-profit orgs who did not get in for 3 years in a row, but did get accepted the 4th time they applied. We simply can't serve everyone's needs in one 24 hour period. No matter how hard we want to help them all.

So the idea of hosting an open seminar for all non-profits bubbled up, based on a concept of speed dating, tag-team wrestling, and useful resources wrangling. We could invite all the non-profits who have applied in the past, and have a 15 minute face-to-face review with round-robin sessions where Creative professionals of all kinds (writers, marketers, art directors and designers, web gurus, social media experts) review the non-profits' needs and give them some open, honest, and easy to implement (i.e. affordable) suggestions that will help them with their missions. Many of the ideas can come out of things we know have helped our other CreateAthon clients in the past, and many will be fresh, on the spot thinking, but the end goal is to help many more non-profits, and have some fun while doing it.

So here we are. And here's what's happened so far, and what still needs to happen.

March 11. Invited all past CreateAThon creative volunteers to contribute ideas and join our cause. We received a ton of great feedback and ideas.

March 18 - met with core group of volunteers for brainstorming and planning

To Do:

1. Planning with a very nice space provider who is donating space for the event.

2. Creating a short video "call to arms" to get more creative people inspired to be part of what we're doing. We need new creative blood in addition to the tried and true CreateAthon hardcore crazies we know and love already. We really think this will bring a new and exciting dynamic to this that will result in an excellent experience for the non-profits, and for our volunteers. Positive energy will abound! The side benefit is some great networking.

3. Writing and setting up the RSVP form for Non-Profits to RSVP for the event online.

4. Organizing messages to the non-profits, and creating the email campaigns that will be sent to them to announce the event.

5. Reaching out to the non-profit grapevines to help spread the news.

5. Preparing press releases to help spread the word that the event is happening and that it's completely No-Strings-Attached Free.

6. A new logo design for CPR is needed for branding and awareness campaigns.

7. Setting up a blog or special Facebook page for daily updates and news on how it's all coming together. (DONE!)

8. Start spreading the news on Social Media and asking friends to help spread the word. (STARTED!)

9. Brainstorming session with CPR creative volunteers for March 31st at Hypno.

More to come. please stay tuned!

CPR Creative Partners Roundtable - Announcing a NEW idea for helping our world

2011-03-22T05:51:00.000-04:00

This is exciting stuff!

Happening May 21st, 2011

Hello Superstars of Creativity!

Can you tell I'm sucking up to you already? You probably are called a lot of things, but I bet you don't get called that at work every day!

We have an exciting new thing we're doing this spring and I need your immediate input PLEASE!

We have another chance to make a huge difference in the world.

The concept: Creative Partners Roundtable for non-profits

As you know, we can only serve about 5 to 7 non-profits each year via CreateAThon, and a lot of worthy groups don't get selected each year simply because we don't have the resources available for ALL of them at one time. For every one client we accept at least 6 or 7 other very worthy groups are rejected and told to "keep applying, and maybe next year you will be accepted." There's only so much life-blood we can pour into it, after all. It's disappointing for them and for us.

The Creative Partners Roundtable (a working title - feel free to suggest a better one) allows us to contact all the organizations that have applied in the past, and invite them to a free seminar where creative professionals will be available in a speed-dating type of atmosphere to look at their current marketing and branding materials, and offer pointers (suggestions) and give them direction on available inexpensive and free resources. Think of it as part portfolio review, and part speed-chess (yes, there will be timers!). Along the way, we will also offer tips for how to fill out the CreateAThon application better, and increase their chances for being picked for CreateAThon. We may even have small presentation seminars scheduled on things like Social Media, blogging, and other marketing ideas to round out the day. (Any ideas are welcome!)

It would go from 10am to 3pm (or so). So it's not a major life-blood commitment for you, our volunteers. And it would be held on a Saturday. Even if you could not put in 5 hours, one or two hours would be do-able, easily. We figure this is a good way for some of our volunteers to rejoin the effort, who have not been able to commit to doing CreateAThon with us (for understandable reasons!). Plus, it's a fun way to network and help save the world in a way that contributes to the success of the organizations, and to the ongoing success of CreateAThon.

Lunch and snacks will be supplied. All you need to bring is your creative minds. There will hopefully be internet access, so we can look at Non-profits existing websites, and show them online resources as well. We will also compile a resources flyer for them with all kinds of valuable free tips and pointers.

A designer can look at a startup's materials and explain the importance of a good logo and using it consistently, or how to fix a bad logo. A copywriter can examine the messaging they are currently using and help explain some basic rules about good communication, and what we've learned while helping other non-profits over the years.) A marketing expert can look at the gaps in a NP's program and suggest ways of getting more bang from their buck. Photographers can explain the power of a good photo (and since they are visual people their design input matters too). There's something to do for everyone of you, at this event. There will be a lot of brain power in the room, so it's sure to be exciting and rewarding, and buzzing!

So the NPs don't all show up at 10am and swamp us, we will have a first come-first serve RSVP schedule to spread out their arrivals. As you can guess this will take some good coordination of knowing who our volunteers will be and when they will be available. I'm hoping you all say "I'm in, and could do the full 4 or 5 hours" as it would mean we could line up even more NP's for arrival. The day will go quickly, I am positive about that. Think how quickly the first 5 hours of CreateAThon goes!

So the first step is selecting a date. We are thinking Saturday May 21st. The location will be in South Jersey, probably in a nice (wide open empty) office building in Delran, NJ. If that's a good day for you, and you feel like helping save the rest of the world that day with us, let me know!

- Richard Cardona