Monday, November 2, 2009

Are you ready for some basketball? The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship returns to the Spokane Arena in March 2011! Selected as a Regional site host, this will mark the third time Washington State has hosted the Women’s Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight at the Spokane Arena. Dayton, OH; Philadelphia, PA; and Dallas, TX were also selected as regional host cities. Additionally exciting for Spokane basketball fans is the announcement that McCarthey Athletic Center at Gonzaga University will host the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball First and Second Rounds. Kevin Twohig, General Manager of the Spokane Arena, couldn’t be happier with the announcement. "We have a great working relationship with Washington State University and hosting the NCAA is always a fantastic experience. This is going to be one great weekend of basketball in 2011." What an honor for Spokane! Hooray for our talented, dedicated and effective Public Facilities District staff!

The entertainment business is booming in Spokane with scores of concerts, plays, shows, art and sports events, musicals, and live performances every week throughout dozens of venues. Go to entertainmentspokane.com and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter that tells you what’s going on. It’s free, fun and full of great local entertainment ideas. Don’t miss out, go to entertainmentspokane.com.

Nationally known sales guru, Jeffrey Gitomer is coming to town this Friday, November 6th for a presentation from 8 to 11:30am at the Mirabeau Park Hotel. Following, in the afternoon, ActionCOACH will expand on Gitomer’s sales and marketing strategies so you can implement into your business right away. You’ve read his column in the Journal of Business, now go hear him live. You will be inspired. Seating for Jeffrey Gitomer is limited so register today at www.actioncoachspokane.com.

GSI’s Business to Business Trade Show, with 67 exhibitors, will take place at Northern Quest Resort & Casino on Tuesday, November 10 from 3 -7pm, with a business after hours from 5 – 7pm. The annual event is free and open to the public. RSVP’s can be made by visiting www.greaterspokane.org and clicking on "events."

Spokane’s Valley Honda and Valley Acura auto dealerships have been sold to AutoNation, Inc. and will be renamed Appleway Honda and Appleway Acura after the first of the year. The two dealerships had about $38 million in sales last year. AutoNation also operates eight other automotive franchises in Spokane under the Appleway name. Ray Kish and Rick Reilly, the current owners of the Honda and Acura dealerships, will not stay with the stores after the deal closes.

Dennis Kelly knows more about Papa Joes and Big Zippers than just about anyone, because he has been behind the grill of a burger establishment (The Daisy) since he was 11 years old. But he didn’t own his own Zip’s until the ripe old age of 26. Since then Kelly has gone on to own and oversee the Zips’s located at Monroe & Northwest Blvd., Five Mile Shopping, Center, Third & Lincoln and Trent & Fancher. On October 1, 2009 he acquired his fifth store near the Broadway Truck Stop at 6525 E. Broadway. One immediate change that customers will notice is a more visible sign from I-90. Kelly also plans a dining room revamp in the near future, but until then they are focusing on other upgrades, including drive-up intercoms, menu boards, vertical bun grills and new french fry lights. The restaurant employs 15 people.

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Holy Names Music Center is launching a Jazz Guitar program with classes taught by renowned local guitarist Nick Schauer giving private instruction on a one-on-one basis. Beginners to jazz improvisation students are all welcome. There are half hour and full hour openings available Monday thru Friday 10am until 2pm and evenings after 5pm. The fee is tuition based. Holy Names Music Center offers full and partial scholarships so that anyone with sincere interest can participate. For more information contact Nick Schauer at nicholasschauer@earthlink.net or 509-868-2613.

Chipman Moving and Storage received the United Van Lines "Performance Excellence Award" for July 2008 through June 2009. The award is based on customer satisfaction with their service. Congratulations!

Study predicts 15% online holiday sales growth this year. According to results of Shop.org’s eHoliday Study conducted by BIGresearch, shoppers will see changes in retail marketing and promotions this holiday season in response to economic uncertainty. With an understanding that many of today’s shoppers use Facebook and Twitter regularly, and because these tools are more cost-effective than traditional advertising, 47.1 % of retailers surveyed will be increasing their use of social media this holiday season. More than half of retailers said they have added or improved their Facebook page and Twitter pages this year, while two-thirds have added or enhanced blogs and RSS feeds.

Honoring the memory of the late ad professional, Toni Robideaux, the American Advertising Federation Spokane will host their 6th Annual Red Shoe Event on Friday, November 13th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Center, 1316 North Lincoln Street. The Red Shoe Event benefits the Toni M. Robideaux Scholarship Fund, which was established to encourage local college students to continue studying the arts. Over the last five years, the American Advertising Federation Spokane has awarded $25,000 in scholarship funds from the event. This years’ event includes a live auction, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to socialize with some of the region’s finest local artists, while viewing their remarkable pieces from 6:00 – 7:00pm. The live auction will start at 7:00pm. The auction will feature both contemporary and modern art, along with unfinished furniture embellished by local design professionals. Over the years, this one-of-a-kind event has been very successful for the patrons, as well as the local artists who will receive 75 percent of the sale of their pieces. The Toni M. Robideaux Scholarship Fund recognizes and rewards student achievement and excellence in advertising arts. All funds generated go directly to students currently enrolled in visual and performing arts, advertising, graphic design, photography, music or marketing communication programs at accredited local and regional colleges and universities. Tickets are available for $30 per person in advance, $40 at the door. For more information and reservations, visit www.aafspokane.com or contact Ginger at 509-328-5855.

Range announces the addition of Levi Dean to the Coeur d’Alene team as a client partner. A graduate of the Pacific Lutheran University with a degree in psychology, Dean began his marketing career more than 10 years ago. He has worked on the client management side of the business with multiple agencies throughout the inland northwest.

Travel Leaders, (formerly Carlson Wagonlit) the largest travel management company between Seattle and Minneapolis, announces it has merged with Red Carpet Travel, previously located in Manito Center on Spokane’s South Hill. Red Carpet owner Judi Rowand, and travel specialists Mona Elton and Michelle Henrich have relocated to Travel Leaders main office located at 27 East Augusta Avenue in downtown Spokane. Travel Leaders has also opened a retail branch in Spokane Valley. Travel consultants Donna White and Gail Kretz have moved to Travel Leaders’ Government Travel Office located at 300 North Argonne Road, Suite 101, to open a new retail outlet in Spokane Valley for the travel agency’s corporate and leisure clients. The main office is located at the 27 East Augusta Avenue, the phone number is 509-327-9585, and the website is www.travelleaders.com/spokanewa.

The benefit auction for Sean Stanelun, the owner of Manito Video Productions, who is battling Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria) and kidney failure, is this Friday, November 6, at the Masonic Temple. Dinner and silent and live auctions are 5:00pm to 8:00pm (Pasta Dinner provided by Luigi's), dancing 8 to 11pm. Kids Entertainment provided by Bubbillusions. All proceeds go to the family (Sean, his wife Dawn Picken and their two small daughters) to help with medical and household expenses. Tickets can be purchased at any Tuxedo Gallery location or at the door. $10.00 adults, $5.00 kids (5 -12), under 5, free. Family tickets $30.00. The Sean Stanelun Fund has been set up at Numerica Credit Union. Please make a donation if you are unable to attend. Go to www.helpseanrecover.com for more details.

Kid Sports, Spokane’s newest indoor sports and activity center for kids ages 18 months to 12 years old, opened its doors right after Labor Day at Madelia and Trent about five blocks east of Gonzaga University. The facility has an indoor turf field that measures 45’x 60’, with boards on 3 sides and glass boards at the parents viewing end. The field was designed with SoccerTots® and Lil Sluggers baseball classes in mind, but is also ideal for the inflatable play houses and obstacle course that are brought out during Open Bounce and birthday parties. Kid Sports offers a variety of parties. Patrons choose between a bounce party, a sports party, a PartyTots® party or a combination of those. Kid Sports specializes in active parties that create a shared experience for the partygoers. Kids do fun, group activities as well as some freestyle play. The Kid Sports Party Hosts do all the set up and clean up so parents can just enjoy the experience without all the work. Kid Sports will also serve as SoccerTots Incorporated national headquarters for its international franchising operation. Go to www.kidsportsspokane.com for more information.

Northwest MedStar Director Eveline Bisson has been selected as the 2009 Program Director of the Year by the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS), the international association which serves providers of air and surface medical transport systems. Nominated by Northwest MedStar employees and partner critical care transport programs in the region, Bisson is known for her collaborative approach. Congratulations!

Greater Spokane Incorporated, TechNet and LaunchPad INW announce the winners in six categories for the Catalyst Awards, recognizing contributions by individuals, organizations and businesses that demonstrate the utilization of technology and innovation to bring economic development to the region. This year's awards also included additional categories for those organizations and businesses using clean or green technologies to make a difference. The winners are: Absolute Aviation, company of the year; Organization of the Year, Institute for Systems Medicine; Clean Green Company of the Year, Avista Corporation; Clean Green Organization of the Year, City of Spokane; Mentor of the Year, Steve Salvatori founder of Salvatori-Scott, Inc. and veteran entrepreneur; and the Ken Grunzweig Innovators of the Year, Dr. Bassem Bejjani and Dr. Lisa Schaffer, founders of Spokane's Signature Genomics.

Our business thought of the week is from Jeffrey Gitomer: "Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you."

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