August 20th 2010.

Scene: Costa Mesa based EuroCar opened grandly with a summer soiree to showcase their new facility. Granted, it doesn’t take much to bring Orange County folks out to look at incredible fast cars, but to up the speed of the evening,  hosts Tila and Paula Steurer partnered with Riviera Magazine to turn the evening into a high end fundraise for a local homeless charity. It was a quick ten minute auction, but between International Wine Ventures tasting, Ditzy Cakesampling, and staring at baubles from Winston’s, a shiney red Bentley was sold adding $100,000 to coffers designed to help the homeless.

As they say: “and that ain’t a bad thing!”

Scene: The August general meeting of the Orange County ASID took a turn to the informative as Irvine based Fashion Interiors hosted “Make it Legal”, a session designed to address legal questions in the design industry.

Now, while the topic may have been a bit fact based, that didn’t make for a stale room at all! Aside from showcasing the post baby return of Chapter President Brooke Ziccardi (of Ziccardi Designs), the room was stocked with representatives fromB&C Hardware, Cambia, Ferguson and host of others.

So, let’s take stock shall we: Networking with peers? Check. Getting valuable information to help you be a better business? Check. Gossiping about people not in the room? Check.

To see photos from this event, click HERE.

Thus, without further ado, here is a “Before” portion of a case study. This rebranding/positioning project for a local ‘to the trade’ design center,  just happens to start with a web redo. Eventually encompassing a full range of media (web, print, event marketing, targeted outreach, etc) we are also putting in place a tracking matrix to monitor results and really… THAT is what is the most important facet of any project. Right?

Stay tuned (translation: check back often) for more updates and images on this project!!

This incredibly popular and well received format provides an incredible networking opportunity that bridges the generational gap providing valuable knowledge to all. All attendees will have the opportunity to join two different roundtable discussions led by experienced moderators, including The Cypress Group’s own Joseph Aldrich! The program will commence with introductory speakers providing insight on the overall retail market and keying in on our three roundtable discussion topics.

Of course, a bayside cocktail reception at the beautiful Balboa Bay Club will follow.

To learn more about this event,  click HERE.

Scene: Riviera Magazine took over the Sports Club Los Angeles in Irvine to showcase their “Sexy” issue with a host of glittering Orange County business owners and a runway show from Saks 5th Avenue. Given that it was a lovely summer evening, there was quite a lot of black being sported, but the groove and the music worked to offset any sense of dour whatsoever!

And lest one forget, the space was filled with some of Orange County’s preeminent businesses and brands (case in point, Custom Comfort Mattress, Eurocar, Christopher Tracey Interiors) – which indicates what really is sexy; Orange County under the  spell of Modern Luxury.

To see photos from this event, click HERE.

Case in point:

Scene: The Laguna Design Center hosted the 4th Annual ASID OC “Designer Runway” in conjunction with Luxe Magazine. Premised on the notion that creative people can make anything look good, the event presented 15 groups with opportunity to create a themed ‘look’ from textiles (provided by leading manufacturers)… sans sewing! (yes… NO sewing!). After parading down the runway, the creations were reviewed by a panel of judges (including supermodel Cheryl Tiegs). Truth be told, some would say the judging was more nerve-racking than the creating!

Now, while this sounds like quite the challenge, the groups really did turn up the volume. LOUD.

To see photos from this event click HERE.

If you don’t, you should and if you do, you could be using it for more than just a tool to reconnect with old classmates and co-workers. Find out how to use these resources to build brand awareness and brand loyalty as well as utilizing the Chamber’s connections through Facebook and LinkedIn to get you started.

Please join The Cypress Group as we partner with the Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce – and a great panel of local businesses – on July 13th to offer insight into how all this “social media stuff” can do more than just confuse you!

To learn more about this event, please click HERE.

On June 6th,  The Cypress Group’s own Joseph Aldrich hit the streets as part of AIDS LifeCycle 9. Starting in San Francisco, this 545 mile bike ride crossed the finish line in Los Angeles on June 12th. To provide you a glimpse of what this magnificent cause is like, take a gander at the video below. In addition to providing a physical and mental challenge, “Team Joseph” raised over $5,000 earmarked for AIDS programs in California. The Ride itself raised $10,000,000 through the work of about 2,500 riders and volunteers.

Of course, if you still wish to contribute, you may still make your contribution HERE, because while ALC9 is over, the pressing need for the work it provides for goes on.

Scene: it’s hard to resist the lure of Dana Point at any time, but toss in the ability to “Do Good”, and it’s down right next to impossible to stay away! Such was the case when the wonderful Nichole Chambers held her “Cocktails for the Cure” soiree at theOcean Institute. In addition to helming the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Chambers has stepped into the running as candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man & Woman of the Year campaign. If you are not familiar with the organization, they are worth a gander. Better yet, you can help their mission with a visit to Nicole’s page.

Aside from serving as a funding event for an excellent cause, the evening was a great venue to meet some of the local – and quite colorful – gentry! That having been said, it really is hard to compete with the beauty of Dana Point on a spectacular Spring evening. Which means a lovely evening with lovely people benefiting a lovely cause?

Lovely.

To see photos from this event, click HERE.