Alright before I get into all the fun I bet a bunch of you are asking yourselves, ‘What in God’s name is regional promotions, I thought SCVNGR was a mobile gaming company?’

Part of what we do at SCVNGR is leverage our mobile platform and work with regional retailers like jewelers, auto dealerships or real estate groups to put on a huge city-wide mobile phone games that ultimately generate a huge amount of publicity for the client and drive sales. The city-wide mobile phone game has teams of two running around a city to various locations, completing challenges and earning points. The team that accumulates the most points will win something like a $15,000 diamond engagement ring, a brand new car or even a $10,000 down-payment on a house (yeah it’s awesome!).

So this campaign was all about building a game in St. Louis and ultimately giving away a brand new car. You can hear Michael talk about what we were doing in St. Louis (This was just after we all ate an incredible breakfast at our hotel so Michael was in an exceptionally good mood).

Part of our preparation requires walking through the entire game to make sure the game we originally designed months before is still going to work flawlessly. So that morning Debra and I woke up at 5:45 am and took a two hour run to every clue and challenge location in the city. You are probably thinking we are insane for waking up that early and aside from being absolutely correct we wanted to be sure we’d have enough time to get through all of the day’s tasks and still have time to get to the top of the Gateway Arch by the end of the day.

Once we run through the game we like to set up our kickoff and after party locations. We work on all the logistics from line dynamics (how we want people to line up when registering), to where the ‘money shot’ is going to be (money shot located on the right).

The after party for an auto event is a lot of fun because we bring everyone back to the dealership. Listen to Debra talk about how we went about setting up the after party location at Jay Wolfe.

Once we have the kickoff logistics, game runthrough and after party logistics set all we can do is wait for Race Day.

What better way to get amped up for Race Day than heading to the top of the Arch at sunset, get a bird’s eye view of St. Louis and learn a little bit about our country’s history.

A day is never complete without a decompression session over dinner and a beer. Naturally we headed to the hippest bar in St. Louis (at least we thought it was) and enjoyed ‘Fat Beats’ DJ skillz accompanied by a full set of conga drums and a drum set. Sorry no video, only Debra sharing the love…

Race Day is always a lot of fun but can be stressful at times too. It takes an incredible amount of coordination and effort. Debra deserves a ton of credit as she, as always, takes care of business and makes sure, Nicolas, Michael and I are on our games.

What I love about regional promotions is how every city gets behind these events. In St. Louis we had Rams Cheerleaders, Fred Bird (Cardinal’s Mascot), 105.7 The Point, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and tons of local businesses. Check us out with Fred Bird and Gerry from Jay Wolfe Toyota.

Michael emceed the event and below you can see how he kicks off the event and gets Gerry from Jay Wolfe involved…

When the mobile game ends we send everyone to the after party location which in this case was Jay Wolfe Toyota’s lot. At the after party we’ll get everyone food, drinks, giftbags filled with good stuff like free oil changes, deals on cars and so much more. We’ll also invite out local government officials and city celebrities to join in the fun. In this case we had County Executive Charlie Dooley who was the sharpest man dressed on the lot and I have no idea how he wasn’t dying of heat because my clothing was so soaked I felt like I fell in a pool. Check out Charlie talk about the event with Gerry Hogan from Jay Wolfe…

Once the crowd gets situated and relaxes in their chairs, Michael ‘the show’ Hagan takes over. This guy can emcee an event like no one I’ve ever met. Aside from the fact that we have to write his jokes, the guy knows how to get a crowd excited!

The amazing weekend and promotion comes to an end with the giveaway of a brand new car. The crowd is excited beyond belief as everyone waits in anticipation for the winner’s phone to ring. You can check out how we announce the winner in the clip below. When watching the video let me know if you too think Michael drew inspiration from Bob Barker. I think the only thing he was missing from the set of The Price is Right was a skinny mic!

We have way too much fun at SCVNGR and love the fact that we get to see so many of America’s fantastic cities and work with so many great people. Let us know if you’ve participate in one of our Race for the Ride or Diamon Dashe events as we’d love to hear what you thought!

If you are like me you’re hustling to meet with those who can teach you how to be a better entrepreneur. There’s nothing better than developing a relationship with an experienced, well connected person within the startup community who takes an interest in what you’re doing. Not only do you get an advocate for your project but more importantly you get someone who will give you their undivided attention and provide you with guidance.

Read more at Greenhorn Connect…

A few quick notes before we get to the work hot spots.  I judge every place based on a few things… WiFi access, energy level and tolerance.

WiFi - There had better be a connection and it had better be free

Energy Level - I go to these locations because I want to be surrounded by other motivated people

Tolerance - How many hours can I park myself at a table, only having purchased a small coffee, before I’m given the boot?

So here are my Favorite 4 (yes, I love alliteration).   Now because I’ve lived in the Back Bay/South End for the past year they are pretty much located within a 10 minute walking distance of my house.  I would love to hear where everyone else goes… Brighton? Cambridge?

Starbucks Boylston
Now many people might be saying, ‘Cort, there’s no free WiFi at Starbucks, how could you possibly even put this on the list?’  Because I usually buy a coffee to get my caffeine high on before hammering the keys, there is a way to get ‘free’ WiFi for a month by buying a small coffee.  Just grab a gift card at the counter, throw 5 bucks on it and use it to buy a coffee.  Once you use the card you can activate an account through AT&T’s network to get a month’s worth of WiFi access.

So now that we have that out of the way, the Starbucks on Boylston offers a ton of space, tons of people constantly pouring through the doors and lots of friendly conversation.  There are always students hanging out getting work done and even better, I’ve met several people working on their start-ups at their antique dinning room table.  Plus let’s face it, you can park yourself at Starbucks all day without buying anything.

Trident Cafe
If you have never been to Trident you need to get over there.  I think it’s a fantastic night owl location to hammer out work.  Aside from great diner style food (for the times when you need to eat something during your 6 hour work stint) and awesome wait staff, the bar offers the perfect work location.  There are mounted power strips under the bar to plug your computer into, there’s free WiFi for as many hours as you can stay focused and I’ve gone there many times only spending a couple dollars (yes I leave a good tip) and have never gotten the evil eyes.

Cafe 939
This is possibly my favorite spot.  Cafe 939 is owned by Berklee so the food is super cheap, the setup is conducive to getting work done and students are always in there rocking out on their instruments (these kids have talent!).  Make sure though if you do go to sit in the front of the room so you can access the Hynes WiFi, otherwise you might be in trouble.  The only downside to this place are the hours.  It’s usually closed on the weekends and when school isn’t in session.  But when it is open I recommend getting in there.

Boston Public Library
There is nothing better than sitting in the reading room at the BPL.  It could be one of the most beautiful settings in Boston and it’s free for all of us to use.  There are always a ton of people in there studying, working and reading which is motivation enough for me to get myself in gear.  Naturally the WiFi is free and you can stay there for as long as you want.

So there are the spots where you will find me working.  Where does everyone else go to be productive?

As many of you know, Alan is a ‘dark horse’ candidate running for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat here in Massachusetts.  According to the Boston Globe, Khazei is polling in 4th place with only 6% of the likely Democratic Primary voters.  So when we pitched Alan to come and participate for an hour on Rule53 we figured he would be less interested in talking about social entrepreneurship and more interested in stumping.

When Alan rolled into Northeastern last night he introduced himself to each person individually.  A standard political move as all candidates do it and what I thought an indicator for how the show would have a political theme.  How wrong I was (and grateful that I was wrong)!

Alan is an all star social entrepreneur and he stayed on that topic for the entire 30 minutes.  He had fantastic advice for Ashli as well as everyone in the room.  Some of his points  including thoughts I had never considered… i.e. start-ups need at least a team of 5 people to be successful.

The reason why I was impressed with Alan is that he took an hour of prime time (7pm-8pm) two weeks before the Democratic Primary to speak about social entrepreneurship rather than his campaign.

We were recently approached by the Pagliuca campaign to host an event with Stephen.  I said we would love to do an event and have him participate but the program in which it would need to be done is through a Rule53.  They said that they would prefer to have him speak to our community in more of a lecture format where he would talk about his entrepreneurial experience and running for Senate.  After his talk he would answer some questions from the community which could be less about politics and more about his entrepreneurial experience.

I was told over and over that having Stephen speak would be a great opportunity for the Dart community.  I would agree that this would be a great opportunity but would be even more beneficial for all parties if Stephen followed Alan’s lead to speak to our community through a format in which we know our community responds well to.  By doing a Rule53 he could create a connection on a personal level with everyone in the room as well as those watching online, rather than political one.

Alan spoke about his passion for social entrepreneurship, why he got into it, why he left City Year to pursue another social venture.  While we do care about health care, student loans, the economy on a macro level, right now we are all super passionate about creating something.  If these candidates want to connect with the social influencers that are the Dart community, give us insight into the puzzle that is launching a venture.  Take your very important time to help us unlock how we can take an idea and successfully bring it to market.  Do that and you will earn our respect and of course tons of positive online chatter!

Because Alan did take the time to talk to us about his experience as a social entrepreneur we wanted to ask him why the transition from social entrepreneur to Senator.  Here is what he had to say after the Rule53 episode…

I love meeting new people especially those that are doing things they are passionate about.  Many people I try to schedule meetings with are a lot higher on the foodchain than I am, so being able to quickly and succinctly articulate  that I want to meet with them is super important.  Let’s face it, the guys who are way up the food chain are busy and don’t have time for a threaded e-mail chat over gmail.

So here are my 3 keys to getting the job done quick and easy…

Key 1: 3 Sentences Max

We live in the world of Blackberries, iPhones and SMS, don’t forget that!  If your e-mail is more than three sentences that means you aren’t getting your point across fast enough.  There is no need for fluff in e-mails, everyone is busy and everyone means business so let’s get to the point.

Sentence one - Who are you and what are you doing.

Sentence two - Why you want to meet this person.  (If you have a warm lead, use the person’s name who told you to get in touch)

Sentence three - Reference key #2.

Key 2: Date, Time and Location

This is the biggest mistake I see most people make and this is the part that kills me the most.  If you want to meet with someone make sure you take the lead in picking a date, time and location.

I understand that one might think leaving the opportunity for the other person to choose a date and time that is convenient for them would be the courteous thing to do.  Wrong!  By asking the other person to select a date, time and location you are making them do more work which is taking up their precious time.

I personally will throw out two dates, two times and two locations.  That gives the other person options and you are more likely to land a meeting in one e-mail, saving you time and a headache.  Plus if you choose the location make it close to where you live or work so it’s convenient for you!

Key 3: Keep the Ball in Your Court

As soon as you ask the other person to choose a date, time and location of their convenience you lose control of the conversation.   You have just allowed the other person to get back to you at their leisure.  If you’re anything like me and are really looking forward to meeting someone, you want to know as soon as possible when to expect that meeting.

By providing a date, time and location option, it’s really easy to follow up if you don’t get a response within a couple of days.  For example if I don’t hear back within 2 or 3 days I shoot another e-mail with two lines one of which being, ‘just wanted to check in to see if you are still up for meeting at location on date at time.‘

Sample

Here is an example of what I’ve whittled my e-mails down to.

Hello Steve,

My name is Cort Johnson and I’m from DartBoston, a community for Boston’s most passionate under 30 entrepreneurs, students and professionals.  I was told I had to get in touch with you by John Doe.  If you are available on December 15 or 16 at 7pm to meet at Starbucks on Boylston St. I would love the opportunity to learn more about what you are working on as well as tell you more about DartBoston.

Sincerely,

Cort

I would love to know what everyone thinks…

Photo by Qfamily

I have this theory that by exuding energy and optimism in a situation one will always leave a memorable impression. Whether you are looking to connect with an exec or simply trying to interact with someone at the bar, E&O is the key to creating that memorable conversation.

Recently I was out Vlora (check it out if have never been) with Jake (DartBoston), Thomas (Professional Wingman) and Laurie (eFlirt Expert) and naturally the conversation turned to relationships.  Jake was looking for perspective from the dating experts about an experience where he struck up a conversation with someone he found interesting at the gym.  Somehow the conversation turned to all the reasons why he shouldn’t have approached this poor damsel.

While the arguments being made by the dating expert duo may be true, why harp on the reasons one shouldn’t do something?   Thankfully someone chimed in, “why are we talking about the problems of the situation?  Let’s give the man some solutions!”  The conversation quickly made more of an impact as everyone had to think hard about how to turn the situation into a positive one.

Now when it comes to energy, it’s all about getting excited and passionate.  For example, take a look at Jason Calacanis on his show, This Week in Startups (great show to watch for all those young entrepreneurs out there!).  The guy is super passionate about helping entrepreneurs with their start-ups.  You can see this genuine passion pour out of him as he talks to those who call into his show or when he’s interviewing his guests.  This energy makes the show more fun and engaging and I’m hooked because of it!

If you end up in a conversation where it feels like small talk and you can’t hold your focus try asking the other person what they do when the 5pm workday ends.  I think you will find that the other person will open up as they describe things that they actually care about.  To make sure the conversation stays enjoyable, bring the energy as well, be excited for the other person.  Find an aspect of what they do that you care about and exploit that commonality.  The energy will be high, the conversation will be fun and you will have created a positive memorable connection with the other person.

I would challenge everyone to be conscious of their conversations today and beware of the tone.  If the conversation turns to small talk, how can you add in your passion to create the energy?  If the conversation becomes negative how can you play devil’s advocate and throw in an optimistic spin?

Bring the E&O and I bet you will see that your conversations will not only be more enjoyable but you will leave a more memorable impression on others too!

Photo by: easyflow

Participation in THE QUEST is free but companies and people can make pledges and 100% of those pledges will be donated to non-profits in the Boston area which support advancing entrepreneurship in Boston.

I am loving this event as it’s a creative way for the start-up community in Boston to develop quality relationships.  For example, the idea of Pokin’ Holes at Dart is less about the show and more about the opportunity of giving everyone in the room a shared experience that makes it easier to start in depth conversations with others.  Otherwise, let’s face it, we would probably revert to the whole ‘great weather we’re having’ spiel which happens at most networking events.  THE QUEST too offers a shared experience for all of Boston’s start-up community which in turn is going to lead to great conversation starters!

Be sure to follow our progress throughout the day as I’ll be shooting many a Qik video!

If you are interested in getting involved to develop solid relationships within this community follow THE QUEST on twitter, facebook, linked in and read on below…
THE QUEST is a high-tech scavenger hunt that will bring together leaders of the New England innovation economy to celebrate a heritage of entrepreneurship and innovation in Boston on October 9th.  Proceeds generated from THE QUEST will be used to help assist not-for-profit organizations and local university programs focused on advancing entrepreneurship in the region. Complete information and application details can be found at www.questforinnovation.com.

As a quick background, THE QUEST is a high-tech scavenger hunt that will bring together leaders of the New England innovation economy to celebrate a heritage of entrepreneurship and innovation in Boston on October 9th. Proceeds generated from THE QUEST will be used to help assist not-for-profit organizations and local university programs focused on advancing entrepreneurship in the region. Complete details can be found at www.questforinnovation.com.

As you’ll see from the website, THE QUEST is building strong support across the entrepreneurial and business communities. Participation is 100% free for operating companies, although selected teams are encouraged to consider making a pledge for the entrepreneurial programs being supported.  You can apply online and preference will be given to companies that involve a founder or C-level exec on their participating team.  There are also opportunities for service firms active in the innovation economy to get involved as well (entry point is $1K to field or host a team – contact info is on the website).

THE QUEST is lining up to be an interactive, enlightening, competitive and fun opportunity to join other innovative companies, business and entrepreneurial leaders from across the Bay State.  If of interest, please take a minute to learn more by visiting www.questforinnovation.com.

We hope to see many of you out there supporting the start-up community here in Boston!

Thomas and I spent the morning hustling to get a WingmanTV show together at Lounge 47 in Long Island City.  Guests that cancel an hour before the shoot are never appreciated.  But per usual we made a few phone calls begging people to overcome their hangovers and enjoy another cocktail with us at 11am.

Here is a bit of Thomas’ show that will air in mid October.  I want to thank Allie (the sis always comes through to help) and Mickey for making the show happen.

After a few hours of sleep last night and the hustle of throwing a show together in 45 minutes, Thomas and I were naturally looking for a drink.  We strolled down to 47th and Lexington for a cocktail from the infamous bartender Paul at Lily’s. If you haven’t been to Lily’s before the mere experience of sitting at the bar, watching and listening to how Paul makes a drink is unforgettable.

But I have to say that technology yet again makes for an incredible experience.  After sending out a text to Alexa trying to get her out to the Roger Smith she had let a friend, Alan Webber, also staying at the Roger Smith know we were downstairs at the bar. Moments later Alan strolls through the bar and he, Thomas and I all became the captive audience for Paul’s Bespoke Cockail Mixology Show.  Check it out!

Tonight Emmi and I headed to H&M on Newbury St to go through phase three of my fashion makeover.  I tried on 6 outfits and for some reason only got 5 of them on video but take and look and let me know what you think!

Meet Emmi! Emmi explains a little bit about what she does and if you notice the wardrobe this is actually outfit #1… thoughts?

Without wasting too much time we jump to the v-neck sweater. I wasn’t a big fan of how the bottom of the sweater settled but Emmi showed me a trick to make it look presentable.

Outfit #3 is all about the military style thin knit sweater/shirt. I have no idea what to call it and I’m sure Emmi will be disappointed with my lack of knowledge. Maybe I should start taking notes.

For the next outfit Emmi suggested the purple dress shirt with the button down cardigan. While I thought the cardigan was nice the bottom of it wasn’t really laying well on the pants so I had to pull the plug on that article. The button down shirt did look nice and the integrity of the collar met my standards but I wasn’t really feeling it enough to make the purchase.

Emmi was all about the purples tonight (she said the colors in my closet are too boring) and I was a fan. I guess this would be more of a plum. Anyway, we went with a v-neck white t-shirt and a v-neck plumb colored pull over. We tried to make the button down cardigan work again but we still weren’t feeling it.

In between Emmi making fun of me and Pokin’ Holes, I tried on the same light-weight sweatshirt as in outfit #1 but this time in grey. I’m always game to wear the same style in various colors.

Finally, check out Emmi’s upcoming event which is the fashion makeover with the men of social media. Also if you want to have the experience that I just got and to just have fun with Emmi get in touch with her…

Twitter: @askemmi
Website: http://www.amansworldco.com

There was a solid group of people that headed out and we committed to a technology free 4 days.  From Saturday through Tuesday we shut off our phones and closed our computers (except for pandora of course).  While many of you might say ‘impossible’ well, you would be correct.  I certainly had to make a few phone calls and jump online to write a few e-mails.  But it’s the effort that counts right?

Regardless, we had a blast and ended up playing some golf early on Monday, which isn’t always easy after long nights.  Check out group two play number 18 in the below video.  Aaron O’Hearn manages to hit a tree trunk square and have his golf ball bounce directly back at him.  Priceless.  Also check out Wingman, Thomas Edwards teeing it up on Hole 1.