CES 2012 Roundup: Irene’s Top Picks & Worst In Show
15 Feb 12
Chix Creative went to Las Vegas again this year for the world’s largest trade show, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Affiliate Summit West. Word on the street was that this year’s CES was going to make history and be the “best ever” with attendance of around 140,000 people. Continue reading
Tags: Best in Show, CES 2012, Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Worst in Show
GlobalGiving: Raising Awareness For Charities Worldwide
20 Dec 11
At Chix Creative, we believe that as we continue to grow our business, the more we will give back. Throughout the year we donated to causes that are meaningful to us. Normally, we would promote those causes and raise awareness, but we thought that this year we would recognize the company that helps us to contribute. That company is GlobalGiving.
Since 2002, this DC-based non-profit has provided online tools for social entrepreneurs and other non-profits looking to raise the money they need to improve their communities. So far, they have raised over $55 million from over 250,000 donors, supporting at least 5,000 projects. By embracing social media tools such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, they offer various ways to donate. Once GlobalGiving receives your donation, you will receive project updates letting you know how your contribution is being put to use. They also have charity days where they will match donated funds by 30%.
We appreciate how quickly they respond to bring relief during natural disasters. Their incredible efforts to bring otherwise unknown non-profits attention and awareness makes them a vital part of our philanthropic goals.
We encourage you to learn more on Global Giving’s website, and you can also follow them on twitter (@globalgiving) for up-to-the-minute news on their activities.
-Kia
Tags: charity, GlobalGiving, non-profit
Palm Springs: A Desert Oasis
21 Nov 11
I grew up near the sunny SoCal surf of Huntington Beach. During the summers we always stayed home. Why travel when you have such amazing beaches nearby? But during spring break, a week when we could enjoy our beaches, we were usually faced with gloomy weather. So we went inland — two hours inland, to Palm Springs.
There, the weather was 80°F plus and the sun was out. For one week, the city accommodated massive youth congestion and the elderly went into hiding. Over the years I have found some great desert gems and wanted to share them, in case you were thinking about attending any upcoming trade shows in the Palm Springs area, such as AdMonsters Publisher Forum coming in March 2012. Continue reading
Tags: Ace Hotel, Al Capone, Al Wertheimer, Albert Einstein, Albert Frey, Amigo Room, architecture, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Citron, Colony Palms Hotel, Copley's, Desert Hot Springs, Donald Wexler, Escena Golf, Frank Sinatra, Frey House II, Gene Autry, Hot Springs, Hotel De Marco, Hotel Zozo, Ingleside Inn, Jack Nicklaus, Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler, Kings Highway, Melvyn's, Merv Griffin, Mevyn, mid-century design, Mister Parkers, Modernism Week, modernist, Movie Colony, Movie Colony Inn, Normas, Orbit In, Palm Springs, Palm Springs Air Museum, Parker Palm Springs, Robson Chambers, Sherman's Deli, Spas, Spencers, Steve McQueen, Stumptown Coffee, The Living Desert, The Spring, Two Bunch Palms, Viceroy Hotel, Wlliam F. Cody, Zin Bistro
Whirlwind Tradeshow Trip Recap: Dmexco & Ad:Tech London 2011
29 Sep 11
This month we attended Dmexco (Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference) in Cologne, Germany and Ad:Tech London – two of the digital marketing/advertising industry’s top shows for the European and global markets.
We also attended two pre-Dmexco events in Cologne – UBERCLOUD, an international creative summit meeting, and OpsEurope, an AdMonsters conference on the future of advertising. Continue reading
Tags: Ad:Tech, Cologne, Dmexco, Germany, London, Tradeshow, UK
Review: Mondrian SoHo and Imperial No. Nine
2 May 11
As a Morgans Hotel Group regular, I was excited to check out the Mondrian SoHo which opened in February 2011. Located in the heart of SoHo on 9 Crosby Street, the Mondrian SoHo is a modern glass tower with 25 stories of fritted glass – a vision realized by architects H. Thomas O’Hara and Barry Rice. The 270-room hotel includes four sprawling suites and one grand penthouse, each with a terrace.
When my cab pulled up to the hotel, I wasn’t sure that I had actually arrived. The garden topiary façade at the entryway was deceiving. The dreamy and romantic enchanted garden entryway evoked an Alice In Wonderland-like feel. The interiors — including much of the furniture of the restaurant bar, hotel rooms and evening lounge — were designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, who revamped both the Scottsdale and LA Mondrians. The powder blue hue-themed interiors throughout feature large vintage mirrors, rose vine carpet and Astroturf terraces. The overall design of the hotel design was inspired by Jean Coucteau’s 1946 French fantasy film “La Belle et la Bête” (“The Beauty and The Beast”). Continue reading
Tags: "La Belle et la Bete", Balthazar, Barry Rice, Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, Beth Lipman, Chef Sam Talbot, H Thomas O'Hara, Imperial No 9, Imperial No. Nine, Jean Cocteau, John Lermayer, Mister H, Mondrian Soho, Morgans Hotel Group, Soho
South By Startup Whirlwind Or Get Your Social Media Freak On SXSW Way…
6 Apr 11
I decided to attend the SXSW Interactive trade show this year. I used to attend the music portion back in my music biz heyday, but it has been over eight years since I checked this show out.
Not to be confused with the film or music portion of the event, SXSW Interactive connects fresh startups offering what is new and what is next to geek consumers hungry for the next big interactive thing. Taking place in Austin, Texas, SXSW Interactive combines track sessions, startup showcases for investors and evening parties with contests for consumers. Continue reading
Tags: Austin, Beluga, Bizspark/Microsoft Accelerator, Foo Fighters, Foursquare, Geolocation, Groupme, Hipmunk, Localmind, NeighborGoods, Popvox, SCVNGER, Social Media, SXSW, SXSW Interactive, Texas, Tradeshow, Tweetsii
South Beach Food & Wine Fest 2011
7 Mar 11
In February, Chix Creative hit the town in Miami for the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival and Kia’s birthday. Last year, we tested our resolve at the Whole Foods Grand Tasting Village — the giant three-tent smorgasbord featuring all manners of booze and food — but this year we opted for a couple of events more low-key and less chaotic. Continue reading
Tags: birthday, Cake, Let Them Eat Cake, Miami, Shine & Swine, SOBE, South Beach Food & Wine
The Greenwich Hotel: A Haven In Manhattan
22 Feb 11
Tribeca and Greenwich… When I think of Tribeca, I think of De Niro. I think of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Deer Hunter, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, and all of the other cool Bobby D films I fondly remember watching with my late father.
Back in the Nineties, when I worked for Sony, I spent most of my time at or near 550 Madison in the heart of Midtown. When I was not there, I was either home in the Upper East Side (63rd and 1st) or watching a gig at one of the Lower East Side venues like Brownies, Mercury Lounge, Under Acme, or Fez. Continue reading
Tags: Ira Druker, Locande Verde, Mikio Shinagawa, NY Travel, Red Flower, Richard Born, Robert DeNiro, Samantha Craysco, Shibui Spa, Thuyen Nguyen, Travel, Tribeca Hotels
Hotel Review: The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
10 Feb 11
Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, how much do we love thee? Let’s count the ways.
The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas opened December 15, 2010 with a lot of fanfare and hype. The $3.9 billion hotel has 2,995 rooms, many of which were supposed to be condos. We stayed here in early January while attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Affiliate Summit West, coming a little too late for the $25 million New Year’s Eve party at Marquee. Continue reading
Tags: Affiliate Summit West, Blue Ribbon Sushi, CES, Comme Ça, Consumer Electronics Show, Cosmopolitan Hotel, David Rockwell Design, Las Vegas, Marquee night club, Sahra Spa, Scarpetta
Why I Hate my Nexus One, or How I Ditched My iPhone and Began a Smart Phone Odyssey
8 Jan 11
I initially started writing this blog post last June, when I first replaced my iPhone 2G with a Verizon HTC Incredible, then a Google Nexus One. Back then I was full of optimism about smart phone technology, and was excited to see what each new device had to offer.
In 2010, all that optimism was eroded by every new Apple iPhone announcement, an unsuitable lack of replacement options for the iPhone, and my new phone’s complete unwillingness to cooperate.
Now it’s a brand new year, the mobile space competition is heating up and things are getting exciting. We’ll be attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to see what’s new and notable. Continue reading
Tags: HTC Incredible, iPhone, Nexus One, phone review, smartphone