The Media Club

2009 events/meetings

Dear all, here is the programme as agreed last evening at the Tobie. Please note that I need numbers urgently for the following events…

[1] 25 Feb Craobh Rua Irish Folk Band at Stamford Arts Centre – 8.00pm start, tickets are £12.50 each

[2] 30 April Louisiana Red at Castor Village Hall – 7.30pm start, tickets are £15.00 each

[3] 27 July Oliver Twist at Tolethorpe – 8.00pm start, tickets are £11.00 each [There is no concessions for children in the evenings but we could save £1.00 per ticket if we have a group booking of more than 20]

 

Thank you

Nick Pettingale

Download Stamford Media Club-events

Our Next Gathering

Dear all,

We are fast approaching our next gathering at the Tobie Norris - Monday 26th January @ 8.00pm

I hope you can all make it, it seems like a while since we last met, though I have caught sight of one or two members sweating in the gym...and that only while filling their water bottles! I plan to discuss our meetings through 2009 and will come with a few ideas of activties for the year ahead. Maybe you would do likewise.

See you on Monday, Nick

The optimist creed

I thought this was great from an American chap called Bud Bilanich. I am going to try to practice this more. Its difficult in these challenging times but its a good reminder that we need to stay positive.

The Optimist Creed

Promise yourself:

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Internet marketing and Search Engine Optimisation

This is a great article about SEO and internet marketing. A very worthwhile read for anyone that manages their own website.

Paul

Download 5tips_to_turn_your_website_into_a_marketing_machine_hubspot

Next Meeting - 1st Dec 08

Dear Media type people

Due to the fact that most restaurants and decent pubs do not seem to want to feed us on a Monday evening, I have booked Finnans Brassiere on St Paul’s Street for Monday 1st December. I suggest we meet in the Tobie at 7.00pm, for a pre supper drink and drift into Finnans around 7.30pm to eat and then maybe drift back to the Tobie for a night cap?

Can you let me have definite numbers ASAP please – your partner/wife/husband/spouse *delete as appropriate is also invited, I have told Nigel 10 to 14 of us but need to confirm numbers for him. Thanks

Nick Pettingale

Fostering Tribalism or Community development

We all live as part of tribe whether it is the mini tribe called the Media Club or a bigger tribe encompassing all those people who care about Stamford and its surrounds. The thing that creates a tribe is a common purpose or passion and a leader or leaders that want to effect change or create value through cooperative action. When you think about it, this is what business is about. If you replace the word 'Customers' with 'my tribe or community' then it makes Seth Godin's view very applicable. If we think of customers as 'my tribe or my community' then we straight away bestow a different level of respect on them. After all, unless you are a bank,  you would not deliberately cr*p on your own community.

Anyway have a look at the attached pdf book. It answers a lot of questions about the development of tribes and their leadership.

Download TribesQA.pdf

Entering the world of blog

At last, and following Paul's demystifying lesson last night, I have made it into the world of blogging!

Many thanks Paul and Viv for a lovely evening - delicious "quiche" and fab chocolate dessert although apparently I missed a treat by not choosing a muffin - good to catch up with everyone. Here's looking forward to hearing what Boris has to say ...

The Media Club Meeting 29th Sept

Thought you would all like to see a picture of last nights Media Club meeting - not quite sure what Mark is doing in the back with Angie but it suspiciously looks like he is trying to steal a piece of our crockery. We will be doing a stock check!

Thanks to all who came and to Viv who did all the hard work.

Paul

Boris and Tobie

For those of you who managed to acquire a ticket for the Boris Johnson lecture at Stamford School on Friday 17 October, or even if you did not but would like to join us anyway, a gathering of the Media Club will take place after the lecture in Finnans Restaurant [St Paul's Street] for a late supper.

Let Nicholas know if you would like to join us so that we can book our Media Club table.

We will still be meeting for our usual end of the month tipple on Monday 27 October at 7.30pm, if you would like to eat, or anytime thereafter for a glass on fine wine.

A huge 'thank you' to Paul and Viv who hosted our gathering last night at their wonderful home in Ryhall, great food and decent wine and even a couple of jokes that were actually funny!

Media Club meeting 29th Sept at DUO

Some discussion has been going on about the purpose of the Media Club and the opportunity to market it slightly better so that we can attract some more bright and interesting people.

The questions were supplied by me but you can see some answers below from Nick Pettingale. Any thoughts pls post as comments here or join the discussion at the meeting at our place on Monday 29th Sept at 7.30pm -  8pm. Our address is:

DUO: DESIGN AND MARKETING
THE OLD FORGE
FOUNDRY ROAD
RYHALL
STAMFORD
LINCS
PE9 4JA

T: +44 (0) 1780 757244
E: PAUL@DU-O.CO.UK
M: +44 (0) 7815 142035
W: http://www.du-o.co.uk

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Some thoughts, I assume these questions will be on the table at our meeting, alongside the wine of course…

Questions (questions kindly supplied by Paul):

1.      What do we see as the purpose of the Media Club?

Shared knowledge and experience, friendship, stimulation and shared ideas, to widen my own contacts and network, eat and drink together, fun

Could we create a mission statement that communicates this to all the members? Here is a first go.

Tried to streamline it a little…

Stamford [in Lincolnshire] is a community that encourages [the expression of] creativity. [though the arts and media.] The Media Club is an informal social network that [aims to] brings together people in the arts, design and the media - to play, work, [and] make new friends and build new contacts.

Or “stretching your mind, body and senses beyond the everyday”

2.      How can we promote the Club to widen Membership to all in the arts and media? Could you help push it in Stamford Living?

Steady growth is probably better than a huge influx of new people however we are cunningly disguised at present as a ‘bunch of mates out for a drink’ – therefore a measured approach to our promotion and this only after discussions on our purpose etc…

If we can’t promote this in an appropriate and effective way then what change those not in the media and marketing?

3. How can we promote greater involvement and participation? How can we encourage people to use the blog effectively? (Maybe I can give a demo and talk on this at the next meeting?) Yes please Paul. Maybe the website should be our only means of communication thereby forcing the issue? A bit drastic but it would sort the men from the boys as they say.

4. What about your idea of inviting a speaker (any ideas as to who?) along each time? Does the Tobie Norris/Crown or somewhere else have a suitable room for such an event? It would need to still allow us to have a drink after of course. We could certainly secure a fairly private area at the Tobie that would enable that to happen, an occasional speaker would be great but we don’t want to end up a the rotary club by default, and speakers who would provoke and stimulate rather than confirm what we already know or believe?

Any experiences of other media/arts clubs would be interesting. None