This past weekend, I decided it was time to stop talking about enjoying all of the amazing things you “can” do in Vancouver and instead….make it happen!  After all, this is an amazing city with all kinds of outdoor activities available right at our doorstep.  Just check out a local’s perspective on the Tourism Vancouver website to see what I mean. (Just for the record…..I want to try all of these within the next year!)

So, with that in mind, I decided there is no better way to test one’s physical condition than to go ahead an climb a mountain…right!?!?  When you look North from downtown Vancouver, there are many amazing mountains that fill the skyline.  The biggest of these mountains is Grouse Mountain.

Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain is just 15 minutes North of downtown Vancouver and is a major tourist attraction around here.  Some of the highlights include a large chalet at the top complete with amazing views of the city, a lumberjack show (that was surprisingly good….considering how “touristy” it sounds), a Wildlife Refuge that houses two Grizzly bears and a massive wind turbine that includes a “viewPOD” that really gives you a bird’s eye view of Vancouver.

Now, there are two ways to the top of Grouse Mountain.

1. Take the Skyride – very quick, painless and amazing views
2. Battle the Grouse Grind Trail – very long, painful and amazing views (of the forest)

The Grouse Grind Trail is an extremely steep and mountainous trail that climbs 853 m (2,799 ft) over a distance of 2.9 km (2 mi), with an average grade of 30 degrees. The trail, nicknamed “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster”, is notoriously gruelling due to its steepness and mountainous terrain. Hikers, who often time themselves on the trail, reach the top in approximately 90 minutes on average although some who are very fit can finish in under 30 minutes.

Let’s just say…..it took me 90 minutes to get to the top.  But, the experience was amazing and the reward at the top was worth every step!  Check out this 8:00 minute video I put together that summarizes the whole experience.

Whether you are looking for something physically challenging or just a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon, Grouse Mountain has something for everyone.  There are many things to explore in Vancouver, but after battling the Grouse Grind Trail, I will be back for more and will be looking to improve my time!!

If you are from Vancouver or have visited Vancouver in the past, let me know what else I should try out?  I’ve seen kite-boarders down by English Bay….might have to give that a shot.  Also, I’d love to hear any advice people have on the best places to kayak around here. This is an amazing place and I want to take it ALL in!!

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Trevor Turnbull interviews Steve Dangle (YouTube star) and Laura West (Nike – Digital Brand Manager) at the 2010 World Jr Championships regarding the NikeTraining.ca campaign and social media. To see the complete article visit: http://sportfanconnect.com/nike-steve-dangle-social-media-interview-at-2010-world-jr-championships

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Trevor Turnbull sat down with Mike Yasieniuk (President – http://yastech.ca) to talk about their recent project: Juniors2010.ca. They discuss the site concept, sponsorship, how they used social media to drive traffic to the site and future plans for the site.

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While putting in a few hours the other day to research new technologies I may want to incorporate into social media future projects, my colleague, Mike Olaski, came across a the new Ustream iPhone app.  Of course, we had to test this out, but didn’t have high expectations as most new high-tech apps always have a few bugs that make you quit using them after a few minutes.  And, of course, both of us are still sporting the iPhone 3G which, of course, does not have a video recorder built in.

For those of you that are not familiar with the service, Ustream allows anyone with a Webcam to broadcast live video to a private or public audience. In this case, the iPhone acts as the Webcam; all you need is a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. (If there’s no connection available, you can record your video and upload it to the service later.)

uStream Broadcaster

So, the two of us downloaded all three of the new Ustream iPhone apps (Broadcaster, Viewer, Recorder).  The Broadcaster app was the most intriguing as it was claiming to be able to stream live video as well as a number of other cool features.

To our amazement, the app worked seamlessly and soon we were watching each others live streams on our personal Ustream channels.  Obviously, the quality of the video was not exceptional, but considering that we were recording video and audio on a iPhone 3G, the two of us had all kinds of ideas in our heads on how we could leverage this new tool!

Here’s a peak at some of our live video recordings over the past few days (again, keep in mind that we were just testing, so there is no real theme here.  But, it will give you an idea of how the new app works!)

Mike’s Ustream channel – http://ustre.am/98fL

Trevor’s Ustream channel - http://ustre.am/698u

Features

The fact that this app allows you to stream live video to the internet with an iPhone 3G is cool enough, but there are a number of other features that really make this my favorite new iPhone app.

1. Broadcasting – You can choose to broadcast the video “Live” where the feed is sent instantly to your personal uStream channel.  Or, you can choose to record “Local” where your video is recorded and saved on your phones harddrive
2. Geo-location allows you to record where the broadcast originated and then gets included in your description when you are done recording
3. Polling - this feature allows you to ask viewers a question and get an instant “Yes” or “No” response (Although I haven’t used this feature, I think it could be quite useful if you have a large audience and want to put out a quick poll.  However, the simple Yes/No options are quite limiting
4. Live Tweet – There is a Twitter “share” feature included that allows you to sync your personal Twitter account to the app.  By simply pressing this button, an automatic tweet is generated that looks something like this. “I’m broadcasting, from my iPhone, live on Ustream. Come watch! http://ustre.am/698u”
5. Saving – Once you are finished broadcasting, the app asks you if you’d like to save the video (By clicking “Yes”, it takes you to a screen that allows you to give the video a Title and description.  The time, location and date are automatically included in the description)
6. Sharing – Once the video is saved, you have the option to then “Share” the video with your social network through Ustream, Twitter, Facebook, AIM, MySpace and YouTube (Each one of these accounts can be linked to your Ustream account by logging into your Ustream profile online)

I recorded a short video to test out the SHARING feature.  If you check out my social accounts listed in the sentence above, you’ll see that this video was automatically posted to all of my personal social accounts as well.

Conclusion

There have been a ton of amazing advancements in technology this past year, but this app could be one that changes the way organizations, businesses, brands, sports teams, athletes, etc use social media.  One of the biggest challenges of social media is the time commitment. Many people fear, and are hesitant to engage in social media because they feel they are busy enough with their own daily lives to get involved. The idea of managing multiple accounts and making sure that you are not neglecting one vs another is challenging to say the least (if not impossible).

I research and use social media tools in my everyday life as a social media consultant, so when I come across an app like this, it gets me very excited!!  The fact that you can stream live video to the internet with a phone that does not include a video recorder is amazing enough.  But, what makes it even better is that you can link all of your social accounts to the app and with one push of a button, send your video out to your entire social network.

Since downloading and testing the app, my head is spinning with ideas on how to incorporate this into my future projects. I look forward to sharing those ideas with everyone very soon!  In the meantime, once you’ve had a chance to try the app yourself, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment!

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While researching the latest news surround Social Media in Sports, I came across this video produced by Hockey Night in Canada (Inside Hockey). In the video, Elliotte Friedman (HNIC Reporter) talks about the impact social media is having on sports and the NHL in particular.

Some key points from the video include:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning become first team in any sport to announce a trade via Twitter (before releasing thru any other media)
2. Ted Leonsis (Washington Capitals owner) discussed how he predicted that traditional media (TV, newspaper) would be in deep financial trouble.  Also acknowledged that the fan base would become big contributors of content. He is quoted as saying: “It’s not a matter of should you acknowledge bloggers, its imperative that you embrace bloggers and use social networks to your advantage”
3. NHL players were shown videos warning them of the impact social media can have on their reputation as “high-profile athletes”
4. Ted Leonsis discusses the fake Twitter account setup under Washington Capitals defenseman – Jeff Schultz.  He says his reaction was not to try to shut it down, but rather, to encourage Jeff Schultz to establish his own official Twitter account.
5. NHL star, Keith Tkachuk, was the victim of identity fraud
6. Sports Agent, Allen Walsh, announced via Twitter that his client, Scott Hartnell, would not be suspended for his butt-end on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.
7. Ted Leonsis states ” There is a lot more positive that will come out of being authentic, reaching out and being interactive with your fan base than being stand-offish.  This is not going away, it is only going to get more personal, it’s only going to get more interactive. Prices are coming down, technology is getting better…..this is like oxygen…..get used to it!”
8. NHL is considering implementing rules on when it’s players can and can’t use social media.

Needless to say……the best part about this video is Ted Leonsis’s quote stating that there is way more upside to being authentic and participating in social media….rather than trying to stop it.  I recently wrote an article on the Washington Capitals approach to Twitter after visiting with Nate Ewell (Washington Capitals Director of Media Relations) at the Capitals exhibition game vs the Chicago Blackhawks.  See what Nate had to say about their approach to Twitter: http://sportfanconnect.com/day-3-capitals-vs-blackhawks-nhl-twitter. As you’ll notice, the leadership and vision of Ted Leonsis resonates throughout the whole Washington Capitals organization.

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On my travels during the Sport-Fan Connection Tour (http://sportfanconnect.com), I made my way down to Charlotte, NC to meet with Kathleen Hessert and all the great people at Sports Media Challenge. They are doing some exciting things there around social media training, strategy, audits and monitoring (BuzzManager).

Jackie Adkins (Media Analyst w/ SMC) asked me to summarize my travels and tell all their followers about Sport Fan Connect. Here’s a link to the article they posted on their BuzzManager blog and here’s the video posted on YouTube:

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We recently ran an online contest on Sport-Fan Connect called Capitals Fan Connect where we asked entrants to submit a video or written story explaining how they connect with Sports using social media.  Roberto, Judy and Sofia Coquis (otherwise known on Twitter as @30ballparksbaby) were our winners.

We met them the night before the Washington Capitals home opener at the Baltimore Orioles game after finding them using the “Nearby” feature on Tweetie (Twitter iPhone application).  Their story was the perfect example of how social media can connect fans with their favorite leagues, teams and other fans.

In this video, we show how we found them at the Orioles game using Twitter which eventually led to an interview at Camden Yards.  We then chatted the following day in front of Capital Hill in Washington, DC to award them the Washington Capitals tickets.  Finally, we put together a short piece that shows the excitement around the Washington Capitals home opener and wrap things up with a conversation at the game with our winners. Needless to say, the Washington Capitals and the NHL have inherited 3 new fans thanks to the power of social media!!

Stay tuned for another video where we talk about their amazing tour in more detail and they tell us a bit about their upcoming charity auction on October 28, 2009. You can check out their website for details on the items available for auction at http://30ballparksandababy.com

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South Carolina Stingrays – Facebook

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I am extremely excited to tell you all about SportFanConnect.com and the Sport-Fan Connection Tour!!

The Sport-Fan Connection Tour is a multi-city, multi-sport trip –a sports fans dream vacation– turned into a research opportunity.  We will tour the North-Eastern United States taking in games, observing broadcasts, interviewing fans, players, executives and staff of the area’s teams. We wish to gather information and data that might help us determine a Current Reality or “State of the Sports Industry” with regards to fan engagement, financial returns, identified needs, undiscovered opportunities, existing and potential service providers, promotions, the tracking of online reputations, and emerging trends as it relates to The Sport, The Fan, and The Connection between them.

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Social Media for Sports: Live Webcast

Monitor your brand | Engage your fans | Generate online revenue

Click here to view the webcast replay: Social Media for Sports Replay

Social media is a phenomenon today. More than just a hot topic, it is replacing traditional media at unexpected paces. The adoption rate is getting everyone’s attention and businesses are just beginning to learn and harness the power and potential social media offers.

In this exclusive webcast, zu social media consultant Trevor Turnbull will explain how the strategic use of social media tools in professional sports can boost your brand, expand your marketing reach, engage your fan base and create new sources of online revenue.

Mike Petrie, Director of Community and Media Relations for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, will reveal how the team bolstered sponsorship opportunities and garnered international brand recognition by implementing a social media strategy into its marketing mix.

Special guest speaker Kathleen Hessert, President of Sports Media Challenge, will join the panel to demonstrate why social media is critical for sports teams to embrace; how they can implement social media tools to build relationships and monitor conversations; and share her success stories as an international social media consultant who’s clients have included Shaquille O’Neal, Danica Patrick, The PGA of America, and others.

Learn about social media trends and statistics in the sports industry and how you can implement tools to control the conversation online, engage your fans and open new sources of online revenue.

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