New Local Business Network
October 17, 2009
LoCo BC launched this month at an event in downtown Vancouver called Harnessing the Power of Local: Positioning Your Business to Thrive in a Shaky Economy.
Amy Robinson presented an overview of LoCo BC, a new business network working to create a diverse, vibrant local economy by strengthening small and mid-sized businesses, connecting and having fun in the process.
As well as Amy’s presentation, Kierstin De West of Conscientious Innovation (Ci) presented info on her company’s latest research intelligence in the area of local and sustainability, and just why it’s such a hot-button right now. And I was there to talk about digital media and how best to use it as part of business plan. Kierstin’s presentation is here, and I’ll post my presentations in a couple of days.
Since I was there as a guest speaker, I’ve put together a screen-cast of Amy’s presentation here.
Further down the page you can just grab the audio version, or the PDF (or all three !)
Here’s the screencast of Amy’s presentation, which will give you a good picture of what LoCo BC is all about, and you should email her after you’ve watched/listened to it because I’m sure you’ll want to get involved…
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Podcast: If you’d rather just listen to the podcast, it’s here:
click to play
Runs: 15:45
ISBN: 978-1-926758-04-6
If you’d rather get it on iTunes, here’s the direct link.
PDF: And here’s a copy of Amy’s presentation in PDF format.
Podcast and video licensed under Creative Commons license: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada
biovia Web Site launch
May 13, 2009
It’s been great working with the gang at biovia this spring.
Today we (Bigsnit Media) launched their new website…
biovia is a Vancouver-based wholesale distributor specializing in local + organic produce including fruit, vegetables, herbs, micro and leafy field greens and eggs. We deliver to the foodservice industry throughout the Vancouver, sea to sky corridor and Whistler regions. We place the highest priority on purchasing locally.
The idea is for the biovia team to manage the site themselves, so the site is built using WordPress as the CMS, with Slide Show Pro handling the flash banners on the home page.
This is the first phase of an on-going online project with biovia and I’m looking forward to seeing how things unfold. They’re the nicest people.
With any luck they’ll let me ride in the truck one day.
cross posted at blog.bigsnit.com
Feb 28 | Seedy Saturday at VanDusen Gardens
January 11, 2009
A celebration of heritage varieties and organic gardening featuring more than 30 growers, seed companies and exhibitors. Heritage Seed Swap. Great Bean Count. Admission by donation. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vandusen Botanical Garden. 5251 Oak Street (at West 37th Ave.), Vancouver.
until FEB 1 | Dine Out Vancouver
January 11, 2009
Dine Out is Vancouver’s delicious celebration of BC food and wine. Enjoy a three-course dinner at over 180 of Vancouver’s hottest restaurants for $18, $28 or $38* per person.
Reservations highly recommended. Don’t forget you can book online for many participating restaurants:
Link to Tourism Vancouver listings of participating restaurants.
- confirm if your restaurant is part of the green table network.
Until Jan 3 | Bright Nights in Stanley Park
December 14, 2008
The Vancouver Park Board and the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund have together created nights of magic and illumination in the middle of wondrous Stanley Park.
More than a million twinkling lights transform the forest, train and Children’s Farmyard. Explore the woodland paths leading to enchanting, animated displays and holiday sounds. A Christmas family tradition for over 20 years, the train wends its way through the forest past Santa’s workshop, an international village and the much loved Moose in the middle of the glistening waterway.
3:00 to 10:00 pm Daily until Jan 3rd. (closed Christmas Day)
See the Parks Board website for ticket details
Clean and Green – Podcast
November 11, 2008
Finding environmentally friendly cleaning products is a big challenge around our house.
Vancouver entrepreneur Munu Hicken-Gaberria is hoping to solve this challenge with his new eco-friendly line of products called Live For Tomorrow.
They include laundry detergent and fabric softer for home and commercial use.
His approach goes even further than finding eco-friendly chemical mixtures – the household use products are sold in re-usable glass containers.
Munu’s also grounding his products on local production model – so while he does have to source some of his base ingredients outside of BC, the final product is created here, to reduce shipping.
LFT products are now carried in a variety of stores in Vancouver and Fort Langley.
I spoke with Munu in June, just as he was taking his idea to local retailers…
click to play
Resources:
Live for Tomorrow web site
Munu Hicken-Gaberria’s bio (pdf)
Quick facts about LFT products:
- are manufactured and distributed locally
- incorporate ‘recycleability’ in as many components of the product design
- factor in ‘re-usability’ into the maximum number of product components
- bio-degradable
- follow sustainable best practice in the sourcing and manufacturing of products
- are available in unscented formulations, and are sensitive and safe for use by individuals with sensitive skin conditions
- are free of animal testing
Podcast details:
Runs: 10:09
Munu Hicken-Gaberria, president and CEO of LFT Group Brands Ltd.
Interviewed by Robert Ouimet, June 2008, Pt. Moody BC
ISBN: 978-0-9809054-8-9
Copyright 2008, Bigsnit Media Consulting Inc.
Rebroadcast with permission only. Contact info@bigsnit.com
Nov 20 | WE Sustainable Sushi Challenge: Sushi Bento Express
November 4, 2008
It’s certainly a better habit than McDonalds, but the vast majority of your neighborhood’s sushi restaurants need a sustainable overhaul. Styrofoam take out containers, endangered seafood (look no further than the giant prawns in your dynamite roll), and that is just what you see in the front of the house.
The Sustainable Restaurant Green Guide
February 13, 2008
The Green Table network recently put together a Green Guide aimed at the restaurant business. The Guide was part of their booth at the recent BC Foodservice Expo – the idea is to help restaurants find out about, and source, greener products and equipment for their establishments.
