Holmes Ink.

The Final Post for the HCC Blogspot...

2011-11-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

If you've wondered why we have been lacking new content on the blog, it is because we have started a new blog at www.HCCink.Wordpress.com!

Thanks for your patience, and we hope that you will join us on the new blog for all the recent information!

2011-07-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

Following a tremendous turn out for the Toronto Media Day, HCC is gearing up for another great run at the West Jet RBC MasterCard Putting Challenge – this time in Vancouver, BC (July 16-24).

More than a dozen media teams came out in Toronto to putt with pro players Matt Hill and Chris Baryla, in hopes of winning a chance at a quarter million dollars. Not to mention the day started at sunrise with some yoga for golfers on CP24 Breakfast, followed by a heated finals round of tournament play between Globe and Mail, Global Television and Rogers. Ultimately, Team Rogers Your World This Week came out on top and took home the bragging rights – Congrats to Peter & Kevin!

Let’s see if Vancouver’s got some game – we’re definitely off to a great start already with a number of media teams eager to putt off with 2010 Masters champ Louis Oosthuizen…can’t wait!

Anticipation Is Building For This Year’s Fan Expo Canada!

2011-05-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone at Holmes is excited to be a part of Fan Expo Canada, the country’s largest gaming, horror, comic, anime and science fiction event, taking place this August 25-28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

This month, HCC has been announcing celebrity headliners for the jam-packed four-day event! Roll out the red carpet because these iconic industry leaders and stars will thrill fans of all ages!

The creative masterminds behind such historic brands as Batman, Fantastic Four, Captain America will be participating in the Comic book Expo! Heads-up all comic book gurus: Adam, Andy and Joe Kubert and Cartoonist Jeff Smith will be ready for autograph sessions and meet and greets!

If comics aren’t your thing, perhaps the Science Fiction headliners will ignite your imagination! The Science Fiction Expo spotlights a plethora of television and film idols; Lee Majors from Six Million Dollar Man will accompany Larry Hagman, I Dream of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden and Kevin Sorbo from Hercules. Before your time? Not to worry -- the event also caters to the younger crowds with today’s hottest fantasy stars such as True Blood’s Sam Trammell, Harry Potter’s Tom Felton and Sci-Fi ‘it girls’ Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff!

A Horror fan myself, I was most excited to see the headliners for the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear Horror Expo (insert horror scream here). Some of film and television’s most fear-provoking characters of all time are attending the Expo this year including: Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), Hellraiser’s Pinhead (Doug Bradley), The Adams Family patriarch “Gomez” played by John Astin. The lineup will be joined by legendary director John Waters.

Whether a self-professed geek or not, this year’s Fan Expo Canada will be entertaining for all with public workshops, celebrity Q&As, more than 600 commercial exhibitors, tons of costumed characters, and exclusive show merchandise! Holmes continues to announce headliners and we look forward to sporting our geek-chic gear this August!

Ignite the Spark Fundraiser

2011-05-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, one of the most moving, inspirational and heart-warming events I’ve experienced in a long time took place at the Liberty Grand. It was the first-ever Ignite the Spark celebrity tribute and fashion show in support of the Children’s Aid Foundation.

HCC was honoured to jump on board to help secure media sponsorship and awareness of this very worthy cause at the early planning stages. It was the vision of founding chair Andrea Weissman-Daniels that created a much-needed Fund supporting recreational programs for at-risk children across Canada. Astonishingly, only 2% of children served by child welfare services currently have access to any such opportunities.

On May 1st, hundreds of guests packed the Liberty Grand for an elegant brunch and fundraiser hosted by Global Toronto’s Leslie Roberts and Anne Mroczkowski. This was followed by a spectacular runway production (masterminded by Hala Inc.) featuring inspirational messages from Tre Armstrong, Arlene Dickinson, Colin Mochrie, Deb McGrath, Andrea Martin and Nick Ugoalah who shared personal stories of people who “ignited their spark.” Add in a splash of couture fashion, a bevy of gorgeous models and riveting musical and dance performances... and you get a standing ovation during the finale that had guests, including yours truly, moved to tears (of happiness).

Congratulations to the Children’s Aid Foundation and the Ignite the Spark Fund! www.ignitethespark.ca.

Experience the Magic Of Disney…right here in Canada!

2011-04-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

HCC recently had the pleasure of being enchanted by the world of Disney right here on our own turf. On Wednesday, April 6 HCC helped re-launch Disney Store in Canada, one opening in Burnaby, BC at Metropolis in Metrotown (the biggest mall in BC) and one re-launching at Square One in Mississauga.

The all-new store delivers an interactive and immersive experience that any kid of any age (including me!) can enjoy. Some of the new features include the kid-sized Disney Princess Castle with Magic Mirror (allowing guests to interact with Disney Princesses), the Disney-Pixar custom car building experience, and the 360-degree Disney Store Theatre where guests choose their own entertainment from music videos to film clips to classic animation. Essentially, the magic of Disney has been injected directly into the Disney Store, and we couldn’t be happier.

The Disney Princess Castle was hands-down my favourite part of the new store. All the kids attending the launch got so excited as each Disney princess appeared. Also, the castle was surrounded by the most gorgeous princess dresses, tiaras and shoes. Unfortunately, they didn’t come in my size.

Huge crowds gathered as the new stores opened simultaneously (Burnaby at 9, Square One at 12) resulting in a sea of Mickey ears. An additional opening day treat featured a visit from Disney characters, Rapunzel and Flynn from Tangled in Burnaby while Mississauga guests had the pleasure of meeting Mickey and Minnie!

The most exciting event of the day was the unique opening ceremony where one lucky child was chosen to officially open the store to the public with an oversized lock and key. Photos are included below and as you can see, the excitement on the child’s face is unbelievable! Great store, great media turnout, great fun!

JUNO Week Through an Intern’s Eyes

2011-03-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe it, but the 40^th Anniversary JUNO Awards have officially come to a close. The HCC staff has been working around the clock for months to make everything come together, and our efforts definitely paid off. This year’s JUNO Awards had the highest ratings ever, peaking at just over 3 million viewers!

Being an intern for HCC during this crazy, hectic time was certainly a whirlwind learning experience, and I loved every second of it! Whether it was working at the media office or braving -20 degree weather alongside thousands of die-hard fans at the JUNO Block Party, every day was a new adventure!

JUNO Weekend was the most exciting time of all. The JUNO Gala Awards and Dinner on Saturday night went off without a hitch and Neil Young even surprised everyone by heading to the Q & A room, which was thrilling for us all! Vocal Jazz Album of the Year winner Kellylee Evans sang her acceptance speech that night, and Best New Group winners, Said The Whale were literally bouncing off the walls after their win!

Then came the Broadcast of the 2011 JUNO Awards! With over 225 media accredited, a bank of over 50 photographers and well over 175 media filing stories backstage, the media room was abuzz with activity. I was in charge of the Blogosphere, which meant I was stationed in the press box and got to see some of the incredible performances, my favorite being Arcade Fire! It really was an amazing show, and though I was dealing with bloggers and loud performances I could hear our team on my headset working together to make sure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes.

Sadly, with the closing of the JUNO Awards comes the closing of my term here at HCC. I want to give a big KUDOS to everyone on the HCC team for making me feel so welcome and for making this year’s JUNO Awards the most successful one yet!

Hilary

First-Ever Juno Cup “Training Camp” A Huge Success!!

2011-02-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

HCC pulled off yet another enormously successful event on February 8 at the Ricoh Coliseum to kick off the ticket on-sale for the 10^th annual Juno Cup celebrity hockey game slated for March 25^th. The frigid weather in Toronto wasn’t enough to keep the players or media away.

Stars from both teams -- ‘The Rockers’ and ‘The NHL Greats’ -- hit the ice for drills and exercises in keeping with “training camp.” Not only did the players get to show off their skills, the media were also invited to lace up their skates and join in. (We weren’t liable for any damage to their equipment…!)

MTV’s Paul the Intern did his thing and managed to score a goal assisted by NHL Hall of Famer Paul Coffey.

Besides promoting Juno Cup ticket sales, Training Camp was a great chance for the teams to get a feel for one another. Jim Cuddy, Captain of ‘Team Rockers’, was pretty intimidated by the NHL stars and said it was like trying to outrace a thoroughbred—it just doesn’t happen. He also added “being so outmatched is part of the fun of the game, and after all, ticket proceeds benefit Musicounts.”

What We’ve All Been Waiting For: The 2011 JUNO Awards Announce This Year’s Nominees!!!

2011-02-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Kicking off February 1^stwith a bang, The JUNO Awards announced the 2011 nominees at the annual press conference at the Fairmont Royal York. HCC once again exceeded expectations in this, our 10^th JUNO Awards, securing not only the attendance of over a hundred members of the media, but managing every aspect of the event that attracted almost 400 guests in total.

Hosted by eTalk’s Tanya Kim, the morning started off with a warm welcome from Melanie Berry, President and CEO of The Academy of Recording Arts and Science. As the conference moved forward, four nominated Canadian artists - Johnny Reid, Keisha Chante, Karkwa and members of Broken Social Scene - also graced the stage to help announce some of this year’s JUNO Award hopefuls. A plethora of nominated talent, from deadmau5 to Emilie-Claire Barlow to Silver, were also in attendance along with other fellow nominees, all walking the media line and sharing a few words of excitement post-conference.

In short, the nominee press conference was once again a huge success with positive local, regional and national news coverage resulting. HCC looks forward to facilitating all JUNO Awards PR and communications up until the night of the CTV broadcast on March 27, 2011.

The Toronto International Boat Show is Fun for Everyone -- Even Animals!

2011-01-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

HCC was given the opportunity to put some summer in our winter again this year and manage PR and communications for the Toronto International Boat Show.

Over the course of the nine-day show, there were a ton of exciting events including an appearance by Duma, a five-year-old waterskiing and boat-driving Jack Russell Terrier.

On the world’s largest indoor lake at Ricoh Coliseum, Duma is a pro and one of the highlights of the show. During a morning waterskiing media preview, she was steady and in control, even as she bounced over waves created by the boat.

Duma, dressed up in her dog-sized lifejacket and goggles, finished off the demonstration by doing what she loves best: driving the motorboat. No kidding! She was nothing short of adorable as she moved her front paws along the wheel to help steer around The Lake.

Duma will no doubt be back next year to please her fans, so make sure to keep checking in at www.torontoboatshow.ca for more details on her and the show’s return next year.

Three Student Chefs Face the Ultimate Holiday Culinary Challenge: Create a Delicious Dessert in 60 minutes - with Organic Meadow eggnog !!!

2011-01-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love eggnog? It's creamy, rich, and gives us yet another reason to prolong our holiday sugar high. But who really enjoys more than a cup or two (sans rum?) and what to do with the leftover? Three brave Niagara College students were determined to find a solution in the Toronto Star test kitchen!

Scenario: Three student chefs from Niagara College meet in the Toronto Star kitchen (game face on and tools in tow) to create a mouth-watering dessert in 60 minutes.

The Catch: Each dessert must incorporate Organic Meadow eggnog in some significant way.

The Judges: Toronto Star food editor, Jennifer Bain; The Chair of the Canadian Food & Wine Institute at Niagara College, Craig Youdale; and the product manager of Organic Meadow, Jennifer Whiting.

The Participants: Shannon Brubacher, Laura Ramik and Bob Hendle.

The Prize: Bragging rights - and isn't spending the day in the Star kitchen a prize in and of itself?

The Result:

Four hours, a series of visitors who smelled the aroma down the hall, and countless cartons of Organic Meadow eggnog later - not to mention a progressive tightening of attendee belts - the judges declared a winner: Shannon Brubacher and her delicious Breadnog Pudding with Eggnog & Pecan Rum Sauce (See below for link to recipe).

While Shannon ultimately received the culinary crown, there's no denying that everyone gained a lot from the experience, including our three contestants’ names and recipes eternalized in the Toronto Star (and this blog. woot woot).

For the Toronto Star article and full recipes, check out: http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/910529--3-student-chefs-take-the-star-s-eggnog-challenge

To learn more about Organic Meadow, a Canadian farmers' cooperative that produces delicious dairy products and vegetables, check out their website: www.organicmeadow.com

Cheers!

JUNO Decades Brings The House Down at the Horseshoe Tavern

2010-12-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

There was rock and roll all night this past Saturday at the Horseshoe Tavern where bands hit the stage as part of the JUNO Decades, a showcase running as part of the JUNO Awards 40^thAnniversary concert series.

Saturday was all about celebrating Canadian music of the 1970s, the first decade in the four-part concert series that will also be bringing back tunes from the 80s, 90s and the first decade of the new millennium, all at the iconic Horseshoe Tavern.

The venue was wall-to-wall packed with fans there to see artists including The Beauties, Andy Kim, The Good Brothers, and Bidiniband.

HCC was there to enjoy every minute of it, managing media on-site while singing along to all the classics.

With proceeds going to MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS, it was great to see so many people there to support the cause and enjoy the celebration of the JUNO Awards 40^th anniversary and their Toronto appearance from March 21-27.

The bands brought the house down and set the bar high for next month’s 1980s showcase on January 8^th. Mark your calendar because I know it won’t disappoint.

Check it out at:www.junoawards.ca.

Meet the New JUNO Award

2010-11-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

SIMPLY GORGEOUS – That’s how I’d describe the new 2011 JUNO Awards statuette that was unveiled recently at a fabulous shindig fittingly held at the historic St. Lawrence Hall – site of the very first JUNO Awards ceremony.

Hundreds of music luminaries, influencers and artists such as Jim Cuddy, Maestro Fresh Wes, Lighthouse and Billy Talent came out to kick off a landmark year for the JUNO Awards. A 40th anniversary. A return to Toronto. And to celebrate Canadian music in the GTA, a number of fantastic JUNO events in partnership with some of the city’s cultural hotspots.

I must say I got chills watching four decades of incredible JUNO moments play out during a video montage... a disco-glam Patsy Gallant, k.d. lang accepting her Award in a wedding gown, Pamela Anderson poking fun at her assets and Alanis Morissette hosting the 2004 JUNO Awards in nude body suit. Lol.

Special shout out to Shirley Elford (that's her in the picture with Billy Talent), who after more than a decade of personally handcrafting 2,200 JUNO Awards statuettes, was beaming with excitement when she revealed JUNO’s newest work of art. It was an incredible evening of both new and nostalgia, a fantastic launch, and a spectacular indication of what’s sure to be JUNO’s biggest party ever!!!

Get an up-close look at the NEW 2011 JUNO Award by visiting: http://junoawards.ca/juno-40th/juno-awards-statuette/

2010-09-27T13:33:00.001-07:00

CELEBRITIES, MEGAPHONES AND PINK LEMONaid

Plan Canada and HCC team up to promote the Because I Am A Girl campaign

Plan Canada quenched thousands of thirsty mouths on Wednesday (including mine), with the launch of its inaugural Pink LEMONaid event in support of the Because I Am A Girl campaign. A movement that strives to draw attention to the dire condition of girls’ rights on a global scale. Pink LEMONAid was not only loads of fun, it was a huge success in all three of its locations!

We began the day setting up in the very early hours at Yonge and Eglinton with celebrity guests, Greta Hodgkinson (principal dancer, National Ballet of Canada), Amanda Martinez (Latin/Jazz artist), and three-time Olypmic gold medalist, Marnie McBean. We didn’t let the ugly weather dampen our spirits. In fact, the six talented finalists of YTV’s The Next Star brightened everyone’s day when they broke into song as the rain pelted down.

The celebrity fun didn’t stop there. Plan Canada and the HCC team headed to Yorkville where Erin Davis (CHFI) and Rod Black (TSN) used the megaphones to get the word out, while acclaimed model and actress Lisa Ray promoted the cause along with Peggy Kotsopolus of the Steven and Chris Show, and Martine Gaillard from Rogers Sportsnet.

Last but not least we headed over to the MuchMusic parking lot where dozens lined up along the pink carpet to see some of their favourite celebrities serve lemonade including Tyler Kyte and Owen Carrier (Sweet Thing), Daniel Johnson (Stereos), Dean Richards (The Artist Life), Melinda Shankar (Degrassi: the Next Generation), Paula Brancati (Degrassi: the Next Generation and Being Erica); and Sarah Taylor (MuchMusic).

All in all, another successful event and for a great cause!

2010-09-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for summer to end. It’s too soon to start missing the sunshine, swimming, picnics in the park and the lemonade stand on the corner where I can quench my thirst from the hot summer sun.

Lucky for me, Plan Canada feels the same way. We have partnered with them to launch the inaugural Celebrity Pink LemonAID sale on behalf of the Beacause I Am A Girl Campaign. The event was announced yesterday and will take place on Wednesday, September 22nd at three locations around Toronto throughout the day. It all starts at 7:00 am at Yonge and Eglinton, moves along to Cumberland Street in Yorkville from 12:00 – 2:00, and ends at the MuchMusic parking lot from 4:00 – 6:00

We’ve called on a few friends to help us out: Lisa Ray, The Top Six finalists from YTV’s The Next Star, Erin Davis, Daniel Johnson from Stereos, Dean Richards of The Artist Life, Sarah Taylor and members of Sweet Thing!

We’re counting down the days here at HCC. Be sure to come out and support a great cause!

For more details visit www.plancanada.ca

Just For Laughs and HCC Team up for the Upcoming 10th Anniversary Tour!

2010-08-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Just For Laughs Festival couldn’t have been more fun and everyone at HCC was a little down when it ended. In fact, I didn’t think I could wait a whole year to laugh that hard again. So when we heard that we’d be on board for the upcoming 10th anniversary Capital One Just For Laughs Comedy Tour we were all ecstatic and ready to get the show on the road.

The tour, which will hit all major cities across Canada, will feature five incredibly hot comics that we will be announcing next month. Just For Laughs has brought some of North America’s great comics to the stage in the past, including Mike Wilmot, Mike Birbiglia and Jim Breuer, so you can be sure the 10th anniversary line-up will definitely not disappoint.

Stay tuned. September 8th will be the big unveiling of both the tour dates and line-up.

Mmm...Organic Milk

2010-08-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mmmm…this past Wednesday, I experienced my first spoonful of Organic Meadow old-fashioned vanilla ice cream with a slice of homemade apple pie (also organic, of course) – and it was pure bliss. Yup, I get to eat ice cream and pie on the job…it’s tough, but someone has to take one for the team. David and I headed out to Guelph for the official launch of the new Steen’s Dairy in partnership with Organic Meadow Inc. Aside from the delicious lunch, we got the opportunity to break bread with local farmers (members of the OM co-op) and hear their stories, feel their passion and commitment to what they do – providing communities with wholesome organic products by means of sustainable farming. Our hard-working farmers deserve to be celebrated and that’s exactly what we did.

It was a milestone event for the industry to see the first organic dairy facility launched in Eastern Ontario in more than 20 years. The Honourable Carol Mitchell, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Farm and Rural Affairs, officiated the ribbon-cutting ceremony joined by the Steen family and Organic Meadow staff and farmers, as well as the Mayor of Guelph. Also in attendance: CTV News, Rogers Television, Guelph Mercury, regional print media and national trade magazines all came out to the event. Let’s raise a glass of milk to the new Steen’s/Organic Meadow Dairy and to our Ontario farmers!!

Ribbon-cutting ceremony launching the new Steen’s Dairy in Guelph

(from left to right)* Tom Steen, Steen’s Dairy* Ken Steen, Steen’s Dairy

* Honourable Carol Mitchell, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Farm and Rural Affairs * Paul Campbell, Organic Meadow Inc. Chairman, Board of Directors * Ted Zettel, Co-Founder of Organic Meadow Co-op

Inside the new 20,000 state-of-the-art facility. Check out the stainless steel walls - the first of its kind in Canada!

A Big Week for Golf in Canada...and HCC!

2010-07-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

As you may know, last week was a big week for golf in Canada because of the staging of the101st RBC Canadian Open….and Holmes Creative Communications was right in the thick of it.

One of our first big tasks was to get as many media take part in the WestJet RBC Mastercard Media Putting Challenge on Monday, July 12. More than 22 journalists, camera people and producers joined us on the putting green in front of Royal Bank Plaza at Bay Wellington for a shot at winning $250,000. In the end, the team from 680News and another from Citytv qualified for the semis…and we had five media outlets cover the event.

Next up: The 2nd Annual Mike Weir Charity Classic at St. George’s Golf and Country Club on Monday July 19. What a day that was. After signing in a ton of media, we took care of some interviews with Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin “Johnny Drama” Dillon with eTalk and CBC TV. Then we managed a photo opportunity with 25 media outlets while pros and celebs took a few practice swings. Then we escorted all media over to the first tee to conduct brief interviews as each celeb or pro played through.

The very next day, we got an early, early start with a visit to St. George’s by Jennifer Valentyne and the Breakfast Television crew. She interviewed Canadian pro Stephen Ames, chatted with Executive Chef James Saunders and met two of the cutest kids from Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, one of the beneficiaries of the Mike Weir Charity Classic.

And finally, we returned to the WestJet RBC Mastercard Putting Challenge on July 21st as Stephen Ames, Anthony Kim and Hunter Mahan teamed up with RBC executives for a couple of fun rounds of putting. All involved had a great time with the team of Anthony Kim and Jim Little (Chief Brand and Communications Officer, RBC) coming out on top with the lowest score. More importantly, we had five different TV outlets and one radio outlet cover the event.

Quite the two weeks!

A Wacky Turnout at the Wipeout Canada Callback Audition Tour

2010-07-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

If you’re not already familiar, Wipeout Canada is a game show where contestants run the world’s largest obstacle course. The terrain includes challenges like the "Sucker Punch" (a wall of boxing gloves that randomly punch contestants as they try to run past) and their trademark challenge "Big Red Balls,” which are 6-foot-high balls made of galvanized rubber that contestants have to climb while trying not to slide off into the water. Along the way, spectacular wipeouts occur and hilarity ensues.

This week, Wipeout Canada conducted interviews in three cities across the country, Toronto Calgary and Vancouver, in order to find contestants who are vying to be “Wipeout Canada Champion” and claim the grand prize of $50,000 in October when the show begins filming in Argentina. Our job at HCC is to publicize the tour, facilitate interviews with media, assist with the audition process and enjoy the wackiness that is Wipeout Canada. This is all part of a longer campaign leading up to when the show airs in Spring 2011.

Shortlisted from nearly 45,000 national entries, the candidates selected for audition had the chance to show their true personality (many of them arriving in costume), demonstrate unusual skills and do their best ‘victory dance’ for the panel of guest judges, the shows producers, and hosts Jessica Phillips and Enis Esmer.

All kinds of different people from across the country applied including a walrus trainer, a professional bull rider, roller derby girls, beauty pageant participants, CFL/NHL players and Olympic medallists.

When we arrived at the Toronto auditions at 7:15am there were already hundreds of people lined-up to register- and registration didn’t even start until 8:00am.

The costumes were incredible. There were unitards, capes, lassos, paper mache creations, and men in very little clothing.

Only 260 people will be chosen in total, but we saw a ton of people we would love to see Wipeout!

Look out for the crazy bunch below when the show airs on TV Tropolis in Spring 2011.

The World Cup of Comedy Arrives at the Just For Laughs Festival in Toronto

2010-07-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Just For Laughs Festival came back in Toronto for it’s fourth year running with a vast selection of comics handpicked from around the globe, including the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, China and of course, Canada! With a stunning line-up sure to please fans of all comedic genres, the festival was a sure laugh.

For the duration of the Festival, HCC was in command of the Media Room located in the Pantages Hotel, directly across from Massey Hall where the Galas were held. Our Media Room was hopping with ringing phones, rapid-fire keyboard tapping, and the voices of different comedians or media popping in-and-out. Luckily one of the festivals sponsors, Tonino Lamborghini, brought in 35 cases of their new energy drink, which made our work go as quickly as their sports cars.

At the end of the first day of the Festival we went with Sugar Sammy & Victor the JFL Mascot to the Jays vs. Twins game where Sammy threw the ceremonial pitch. He threw from the mound (which is 60 feet to the plate!) with Ace the Jays mascot as back catcher, and Victor as comic relief (his specialty!). After the pitch we sat with Sammy and Victor (out of costume) twenty-three rows from the field, which was an amazing view for the game. Sadly we lost to the twins, but a crewmember from the Skydome said Sammy threw one of the best celebrity pitches they have seen.

By midweek it was really buzzing, with both media and comedians popping by and hanging out around our Media Room, on top of everyone from the JFL production crew. Many of the comedians were staying at the hotel so it wasn’t surprising to see Tom Papa, Demetri Martin and Harland Williams outside, or Tim Minchin at the bar. Just for Laughs had also set up a fleet of vehicles to shuttle the comedians, which helped us make sure the comics were able to get around to shows, the airport, and everything else they needed.

One of the most impressive parts of our work at the festival was our media coverage. We arranged over 110 interviews over the week of the festival with outlets ranging from the Toronto Star, to the Jewish Tribune. We also had a large corkboard where we displayed the all the interviews and coverage we had gained from the Festival. By Friday the board was completely full of articles with no space left on the board and some even hanging off!

The whole festival was a blast, but I feel the most memorable part was when I was asked to step into the Victor costume for a MuchMusic interview with Andy Kindler. It was a point of view I have never seen before in an interview… that view point being a large sphere with minimal vision and no circulating air. It was fun sitting in on the interview, and when it was over I was told I gave the "Real Victor" a run for his money!

Holmes Hits the Red Carpet at The BLOCK!

2010-06-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

The BLOCK was an experience like no other! Beginning at the Umbra Concept Store on John St., this multi-venue, star-studded party celebrated the best in music videos with some serious style.

The night began on the red carpet - like any exclusive, invite-only party should – where there was never a dull moment. The carpet was flooded with celebrities from Faber Drive to Mariana’s Trench to Fefe Dobson to Down with Webster and SO many more. Media and fans gave warm welcomes to all as they made their way inside to what was the beginning of an unforgettable night.

Everyone from Holmes was kept busy meeting and greeting media and talent, and escorting celebrities down the red carpet for various photo ops and interviews. All of us from Holmes were excited to be there and to be a part of the tastemaker event of the summer!

Once inside, guests enjoyed the unconventional and modern party setting with a fully stocked bar, celebrity DJ, and cool lounge atmosphere… not to mention the two Calvin Klein underwear models who were also there for guests’ visual enjoyment.

And if that wasn’t enough, there were still two more venues to come! At each venue, a Blackberry PIN was posted. A guest would enter the pin into their Blackberry to have the next venue revealed.

Guests then made their way to the second and third venues at their leisure. The second was at the St. Patrick Market, where the Ravenettes gave a stellar performance, and the third was at the New Era store on Queen St. West. And if that STILL wasn’t enough PARTAY, organizers had another fourth venue hidden up their sleeves for VVIPs only, which was kept secret until much later on in the night.

All in all, The Block was a HUGE success, and everyone from Holmes had an amazing time!

Fred Sherratt and students light up MuchMusic

2010-06-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

June 14, 0930 hours.

Where? MuchonDemand, Queen Street.

Today was a pretty cool day if you’re into music. CARAS and CTVglobemedia announced the 2010 recipients of the Fred Sherratt Award. This scholarship honours the achievements of graduates of post-secondary music programs across the country.

Mr. Fred Sherratt mingled with the throng ahead of the impending ceremony. He’s funny, endearing and attentive -- an innovative pioneer who made CHUM Limited a household name and one of Canada’s leading media companies.

Lady Gaga thumped in the background as studio doors opened and closed, reporters filing into the sound stage. Guests entered and took their seats. The crowd went silent. Devon Soltendieck, VJ at MuchMusic, hits the set and kicked off today’s festivities honouring 12 recent graduates from prestigious music and recording arts programs across the country.

Following Melanie Barry, Fred Sherratt joins Devon on stage to honour the 2010 F red Sherratt Awards Winners:

Kristjan Bergey: Humber College, Toronto, ON

Jocelyn Bruno: Musitechnic, Montréal, QC

Nicole Byblow: Selkirk College, Nelson, BC

Nathan Chandler: The Banff Centre, Banff, AB

Jessica George: Harris Institute for the Arts, Toronto, ON

Nathan Hay: Grant MacEwan College, Edmonton, AB

Francis Hooper: Art Institute of Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Matt Howell: Red Deer College, Red Deer, AB

Ron Hynes: St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS

Michael Kennedy: Capilano University, Vancouver, BC

Shannon Penner: Fanshawe College, London, ON

Christopher Wares: Trebas Institute, Montréal, QC

These graduates from every corner of Canada all have exceptional talent, academic excellence and leadership skills in common and will most certainly make their mark on Canada’s entertainment landscape. They’ve been selected to receive the $3,500 scholarship and have come to Toronto on an all-expenses-paid trip for an inside look at the workings of MuchMusic and CHUM Radio. After an hour or so managing media at the event, we wrap and head back to the office as the students begin their tour.

Canada’s Walk of Fame 2010 Inductee Announcement

2010-06-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

The day began well before the guests and media arrived to take in the announcement. Peter Soumalias, Founder, President and CEO of the Canada’s Walk of Fame, had promised Gloria Martin of 680 News an exclusive, live, in-studio opportunity to announce the names of this year’s inductees for the 2010 Canada Honours. It was all a ruse. Instead, Gloria was the recipient of a special plaque from Canada’s Walk of Fame in recognition of her faithful and excellent coverage of every induction ceremony since Canada’s Walk of Fame began in 1998. After an emotional moment with Gloria and the rest of the 680News room, it was back to work for Peter.

Later that same morning, the sun shone down through the bay windows illuminating the historic and stunning Windsor Arms Hotel. The last of the water glasses were placed, tables set and the guests began to arrive.

Thus began the Inductee Announcement for the 2010 Canada Honours.

Guests and cameras quickly filled out the main room. Cheryl Hickey took to the podium and began with her trademark flair and undeniable enthusiasm.

The announcement included speeches by Karen Leggett, SVP, RBC Cards & Payment Solutions; Randy Lennox, Chair of Canada’s Walk of Fame Board of Directors; Barb Williams, Executive VP Content, Canwest Broadcasting; and a very special musical performance by 2007 inductee Jill Hennessy. Jill entertained everyone with two songs from her son-to-be-released new CD.

Following Jill’s performance, Peter Soumalias, shared the story of the time he met Fay Wray. The epitome of true Hollywood glamour, even in her 90’s, Peter recounted that Fay was a lovely host and entertained him with stories. Following that encounter, Peter was compelled to induct Fay to the 2005 CWOF. She never had the chance to be present as she passed away earlier in that year.

And then it was time to announce the names of this year’s inductees,

They are:

David Clayton-Thomas
Nelly Furtado
Doug Henning
Clara Hughes
Eric McCormack
Farley Mowat
Sarah Polley

All seven will be officially inducted October 16 at Toronto’s Canon Theatre, and broadcast on Global Television and Slice™.

All in all, another spectacular day at Holmes Creative Communications!

Holmes heads to the farm!

2010-05-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

The owners of Birchwind Farm, gracious hosts and Organic Meadow Co-op members Deb and Ron Vice, welcomed Global Television for a day to experience the operation of an organic dairy farm.

Global Televison’s crew (Andrew and his intrepid cameraman Don) arrived on the scene and not a moment too soon. Ron called out for “Tav” the cow to lead the herd. Sure enough, grunting and mooing, she came to the front to get up close and personal with Don.

As Ron Vice called to each of them, they knew their names and responded with a shake or increased step. We could hear another cow still in the barn mooing for attention. Global reporter Andrew, with the help of Ron, moved in quickly to milk “Val” who then pranced out to join her friends in the back forty.

Later, our dynamic Global TV reporter discovered he could drive a tractor. Andrew “harrowed” the cornfield - dragging nine-inch spikes across the surface to kill weeds (sans chemicals). By then, the sun was high over our heads and we could use a cool treat. Back at the farm, we were greeted with a feast courtesy of Organic Meadow.

We had the best Organic Meadow cheeses, ice cream, milk and chocolate milk (all in grocery and specialty food stores across Canada!) courtesy of Katy from OM Head Office in Guelph. A big thank you to GlobalTV’s Andrew and Don, as well as to Deb and Ron Vice of Birchwind Farm. Couldn’t have asked for a better, more delicious (and successful media…) day!

The Next Star thus far...

2010-05-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Canada’s under-15 talent search is enormous, exciting and on fire! The Next Stais on a cross-country tour to find the best talent there is and push them to stardom. Our first night was in St. John’s Newfoundland. When I said it’s on fire, I meant it! After a full day on set, we retired for dinner and the restaurant we were in caught fire!

On to Montréal! Well, it was awesome to understate it. Not only was the turnout a smashing success, but in the midst of the NHL playoffs, we shared a hotel with the Pittsburgh Penguins! Needless to say, we were way more popular than the Penguins.

By the time we wrapped the Toronto auditions a few days later, more people had auditioned than all of last year put together. Toronto saw over 2000 Next Star hopefuls turn out to audition!

With just enough time to unpack and repack my luggage, it was time to take off for Saskatoon. Take a look at the photo of the line-up for Saskatoon! No wonder we’re smashing records. Also did you know that Saskatchewan isn’t just wheat? It also has 100,000 lakes! A little something I discovered in between auditions.

We then went on a five-hour bus trip cruising the Prairies to Edmonton. To ensure no one got left behind at Tim’s, we all got numbers and did sound-offs camp style (this trend continued throughout the trip.) After an amazing few days in Edmonton (the team saw over 500 kids!) we landed in beautiful (and wet) Vancouver. This morning, I accompanied the stellar singer and Next Star judge, Suzie McNeil and our incredible host, Adamo Ruggiero, to BT Vancouver to promote the auditions. I have to say, waking up at the crack of dawn hasn’t gotten any easier but the team at BT made it incredibly fun and it didn’t hurt that Suzie serenaded us with her latest single, “I Will.”

Each day has been an adventure and I feel incredibly privileged to work with such a stellar team while having the opportunity to see Canada (wow - do we have talent!) For updates from the road, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @TheNextStar10.

Laughing it up with Mayor Miller at Just For Laughs Press Conference

2010-05-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

You can’t ask for a better Monday than the Just for Laughs Press Conference featuring Mayor David Miller and a handful of recognizable mascots from around Toronto. The Toronto Just For Laughs Festival presented by WestJet is back for a fourth year and if the announcement of performers is any indicator, it should be sidesplitting.

The press conference opened with Victor (the green…um…mascot for Just for Laughs) arriving with his legion of supporters. In tow were Duke the Dog, The Blue Jay’s Ace, CNE’s Alex the Beaver, and Jason of The Toronto Argonauts. We went live on CP24 as the Mayor spoke about the success of Canada’s ever-growing largest multicultural comedy festival. Following his remarks, Bruce Hills (C.O.O. Just for Laughs) announced the line up of all-star comedians.

The massive July 6-11 event will showcase incredible talent like Wayne Brady, Patton Oswalt, Aziz Ansari, Dimitri Martin, Jim Bruer, Harland Williams and tons more! With such an all-star packed lineup, Just for Laughs Toronto has come into its own, becoming a summer institution.

After the speeches finished, the Mayor and Bruce Hills spoke with the assembled media throng. In the background, Victor, his followers, and other mascots aped for the cameras.

It seems Victor also unveiled his campaign to run for the Mayor’s seat in the upcoming Toronto election. Everyone had their biggest grins and campaign faces on for the cameras. Even a few chants could be heard outside the press conference before it began.

What a wild and fun way to start the week! Holmes Creative Communications extends our greatest appreciation to our mascot friends, and the legion of Victor supporters! A special thanks to the Just For Laughs Board Members and the media who attended.

MEDIA ROOM AT the 2010 JUNO AWARDS

2010-04-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

JUNO Awards offered viewers some great TV “moments.” From the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on Saturday night to the etalk/MuchMusic Red Carpet arrivals and the actual Sunday night broadcast itself, these moments were poignant, hilarious, provocative and totally awesome....and I haven’t even started talking about the performances.

Drake and his JUNO awards

But what happens after a nominee wins their award? Where did Billy Talent go after they won their award? Where did Michael Bublé go when he walked off the stage with his JUNO Statuettes? Answer: they came backstage to the JUNO Awards Media Centre.

Michael Bublé and his JUNO awards

The media centre is divided into three sections:

Q & A—anywhere from 50 to 100 media representing media outlets across the country and around the world can be on hand to ask them every possible question and believe me, they do.

Metric at Q & A

Photography—up to 30-40 photographers take picture after picture of our winners.
One-On-One—outlets like Much Music, Musique Plus, ET Canada, MSN, CH can be on hand to conduct intimate, in-depth interviews.

Simple Plan with their JUNOs

Winners usually come in one door, escorted by a wrangler, and make their way from one section to another. When more than one winner comes in—and with 32 awards given out at the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on Saturday night, it can happen—we have to be very nimble, juggle a little bit, and keep things moving smoothly so winners can enjoy the experience.

Of course, winners were also escorted to the eTalk Lounge, a very posh suite with all kinds of goodies for our winners, followed by a visit to the Canada AM lounge.

...and before you know it, the night is over and we start working on the next JUNO Awards—the 40th anniversary of Canada’s music celebration in Toronto. Go to www.junoawards.ca for updates.

K'naan with his JUNO hardware

Special thanks to CARAS and iPhoto for the images today!

Getting to the JUNO Awards is a lot of hard work!

2010-04-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

As I’m sure all of our readers know, HCC has an intrinsic link to the JUNO Awards. Or more specifically, to The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the home of the JUNO Awards. For the past 9 years we have worked diligently to ensure the media coverage of Canada’s biggest music awards show continues to grow making viewership numbers climb at a steady pace.

Of course, in order for us to do this, we have to create a strong team in the office; a team of people who have not yet lost their minds when it comes to managing a million things at once. A team with incredibly strong ties to the media since a national campaign like this one definitely requires skill. Thankfully, we have an office full of such types so putting an A Team together is always the least of our problems.

We also need to arrive on location. Yes, this is quite possibly, the most important part of our 10-month stint with the JUNO Awards. Don’t get me wrong, the lead up is challenging work. From media accreditation and getting pictures on passes to press conferences and the logistics of building a media office, the work leading up to JUNO Week is extremely important. But, no question, all of these efforts come to a head when staff touch down on location. That is where the real work starts. The running, managing and the behind the scenes stuff that no one ever thinks about begins.

This year’s Awards definitely tried to challenge us. Or correction, the weather in St. John’s, NL definitely tried to challenge us. From fog to volcanic ash, we had staff members stuck in transit for days. One even had to land in Gander and bus her way into the city.

Needless to say there was adventure on the way to the JUNO Awards this year. But even adventures of overnight layovers and bus trips couldn’t beat the excitement of the weekend. You could feel the anticipation everywhere you went:

“When is Justin Beiber FINALLY going to get here?!?!”

“How can I sneak myself into the Drake party????”

“Are the Black Eyed Peas really coming??????”

Overall, the weekend got off to a gentle start. But as you’ll quickly learn in our next blog post, there was nothing slow about the rest of it. From a completely insane Alexisonfire show where Ben from Billy Talent surprised fans with an appearance, to the one show everyone is talking about ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwig3gbtPI ). St. John’s, NL was alive way before even one award was handed out. That is why I love to travel with this show. It brings people together in a way that nothing else can. I thank the music.

The JUNO Awards Roll Into St. John's!

2010-04-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Local St. John's, NL media got a taste of the size and scope of The JUNO Awards on Monday, April 12 when they were invited to see the massive trucks roll into Mile One Centre.

Interviews were arranged with key staff from Insight Productions including the Producer, Set Designer, Stage Manager and Lighting Director. Melanie Berry, President and CEO of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), was also on hand to provide details on the week's

activities.

This was just the first of many special opportunities for the media to learn more about JUNO Week and the exciting things to come.

More JUNO Awards fun!

2010-04-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Holmes Creative Communications is in full-blown JUNO Awards action! With a little more than a week until the Sunday, April 18 broadcast, the excitement is building. Today Chris McDowall tagged along with New Group of the Year and POP Album of the Year nominees Stereos as they got Red Carpet ready with CTV’s eTalk.

Pat and Miles

The band spent the afternoon with Melissa of gotstyle on King Street Toronto. She guided the guys through the fine art of trying on cool suits, outrageous jackets and slick threads. But what what did they say? What might they be wearing to the JUNO Awards? And who will look the coolest?

Robby, Dan, Miles, Pat and Aaron

You’ll have to tune into CTV’s eTalk the week of April 12, or tune in the night of Sunday April 18 on CTV to watch the JUNO Awards to see the lads live from St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador! A big special thanks Melissa at gotstyle for providing the outfits , and our friends at eTalk!

Rockin' Monday

2010-03-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

The downtown Toronto school buzzes with electricity. Gazing around the empty gym, chairs arranged and instruments on stage, you can tell something cool is about to happen. The roadies are doing a sound check. A scruffy musician in a toque and sunglasses enters through an old creaky door.

MusiCounts is about to make a formal cheque presentation, followed by an exclusive acoustic concert from Barenaked Ladies (BNL).

One of our clients is MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Their mission is to enlighten, empower and elevate students through music. More than $3.5 million has been donated since MusiCounts began in 1997.

The celebration opened with a performance by the school’s Orff program, a surreal and mesmerizing piece. Every student at this school is enrolled in music, regardless of age or ability.

After an energizing speech by MusiCounts / CARAS President Melanie Berry, the main act takes the gym floor in a burst of energy and applause. Watching BNL belt out some of their most recognized tunes had the entire school, and media, beaming from ear to ear. Such uproarious applause and enthusiasm. BNL made an impression on these students and left lasting memories for everyone. Music matters.

Tough start for a Monday…you can’t help but love this job. Special thanks to CBC Toronto, Global News, OMNI News, the Toronto Sun and City TV for coming out!!!

- Greg Junop

Next stop, Katherine and Chris head to Newfoundland for a JUNOS press conference this afternoon!

57 Artists. One Song.

2010-03-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve often been asked what my favourite project has been so far, here at HCC. It is hard to pick just one as every project and every client offers a unique experience, which is what I love about being in this business.

Yet there are a few that do stand out and left me inspired and proud to have had the opportunity to experience. Of course, I’ll talk about them at my retirement party one day (that’s not for a while, BTW!).

First there was LIVE 8, the worldwide African famine relief concert spearheaded by Bob Geldof that took place in Barrie the summer of 2005. Following that there was Art Gives Hope, a charitable project that I worked on in the spring of 2006 with famed music photographer, Andrew MacNaughtan. And most recently, there was Young Artists for Haiti, a charitable anthem that featured 57 artists lending their voice to a rendition of K’naan’s Wavin’ Flag with proceeds from the sale of the song supporting the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

What’s most rewarding about these projects is the feeling of unity. People giving up their time and effort for a greater cause, coming together to help someone in need. We hear about it all the time – people helping others - but for me, until I was a part of it myself, I didn’t realize how much love and compassion exists…and how truly rewarding my work can be. It’s quite a beautiful experience.

~Adrienne

Behind the Scenes Photos from Toronto International Boat Show...indoor lake, sail boats, yachts, wakeboards and so much more...

2010-01-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

2009-11-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

*blows dust off the blog*

Well I don’t really know how to start one of these blogs, let alone step in where Anne and Nicole left off. We are McKenna, Sari and Greg, Holmes’ three latest interns. The last blog was left by Anne - who we now answer to (har har).

We can’t gush enough about the level of work and challenges we’ve faced, and dare we say, more than any interns before. This fall has been a continuation of existing clients, new clients and last minute clients.

When we’ve talked to our friends at other placements, or intern positions, they don’t have a taste of what we get to do. On our second day here, we were calling media outlets and pitching stories, working with clients directly, and were involved in all aspects of Holmes’ operations.

We think the only real intern work involved updating a media list, which was still immensely fun. It’s hard to be in a sour mood when you get to call every corner of the country and meet all sorts of people, if even over the phone.

We can’t emphasize enough what a rush it is to type in a client, the title of something your project, or even Holmes Creative Communications into Google and see all the results online. From Reuters to Perez Hilton, we’re managing to cover a lot of ground as interns this fall.

We opened with dust. The only place where dust may have settled was on this blog! More than seven television shows, one big name movie and more have kept us hoping!

In addition to these programs, our clients are everywhere and involved in everything. As an intern, we were working alongside the Government of Ireland one day, a television show the next, and then over to an international award gala on the third day. The work is fresh, fast and furious, but oh so rewarding.

That's it for now, we're off to tackle more press releases, photographs, stories and more!

It's CNE time!

2009-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It’s Anne and Nicole, two of HCC’s newest interns. We are blogging from the CNE’s media headquarters and thinking ‘Did we luck out or what!?’ As part of our internship, we get to spend the summer at the CNE. Yes, we’re sure some of you are thinking this sounds too good to be true – Anne and Nicole spending everyday on the scrambler, going to amazing concerts at the bandshell and trying to balance cotton candy and corn dogs in both hands. So we have to be honest. While we'll certainly try our best to get in all of the aforementioned CNE fun (as much as possible), that’s not the real reason why we are here. The real reason is that we are part of the CNE’s media team! We’ll be pitching media, booking interviews, giving media tours and writing advisories and press releases. And, driving a golf cart.

We are having a tonne of fun and our surroundings have already started to take effect. For example, two non-baseball fans or players (Anne and Nicole), are joining the CNE’s baseball team. Neither of us have ever played baseball so between the two of us, we have not a single glove, bat or ball. Yet, something about the CNE makes us want to play! Practices start next week and we are getting excited.

While we could go on and on about all that’s to come, we’d rather cap off our CNE love-filled blog, and give you some tips on getting the most out of your CNE experience –

Anne’s Top 3 CNE Rules:

1. Stuff your face – It’s Tiny Tom Donuts’ 50th anniversary!!
2. Work off said donut belly by dancing at one of the amazing concerts happening at the Bandshell!
3. Live your ‘OC’ fantasy and surf like you were in California at the FLOWRIDER Mobile Wave

Nicole’s Top 3 CNE Must-Sees:

1.Daily CNE Mardi Gras Parades – Get showered in beads, dance in the streets and enjoy the summer heat Mardi Gras style.
2.Wheel of Thrills – You don’t want to miss Swiss daredevil Joseph D Bauer running on a huge metal wheel many stories above the ground! And, he does this blindfolded. I'm impressed!
3.The President’s Choice SuperDogs show – Dogs alone are super cute, but these dogs will impress you with their extra cuteness and loads of special tricks. The best part - they will meet and mingle with you after the show.

Good cop; bad cop

2009-05-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Good morning HCC blog followers (how many of you are there anyway?).

The last time I attempted a blog post - my first ever blog post, may I remind you - it took me nearly the entire day to write it. This time, I am self imposing a deadline of 20 min so that I can get back to work.

Speaking of work, you're probably wondering what the title of my blog means. Well, lucky for you, I'm going to tell you! My latest project here at Holmes is a television series for CTV/CBS called, The Bridge. The series offers a glimpse of police work that takes place behind-the-scenes. It's all about police, power and politics. The Bridge stars Aaron Douglas of Battlestar Galactica as Frank Leo, police union head and it is shot in and around Toronto.

In other news, since the last time I blogged, I bought at dog. That's him in the picture. His name is Charlie.

oh...there it goes...the timer is going off...my 20 minutes are up!

Till the next time...

Having your cake and being able to eat it too!

2009-04-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Blogging and eating right now…sorry! I’ve been waiting all day to dip into my second…ok, third piece of chocolate cake left in our office fridge courtesy of our client, Guardian Angel Foods. Beth, my enabler, introduced me to the peanut/almond/egg/and dairy-free cake – and don’t you dare jump to conclusions, this cake is out-of-this-world delicious!

I personally have no food allergies (not that I’m aware of); but I do have friends and family who have had severe reactions to foods like shellfish ie. my husband. One day after wolfing down a plate of seafood pasta at Kelsey’s, he started grabbing his chest and complained that he couldn’t breathe. I of course, laughed it off and told him to stop joking around -- that is until he insisted I call 911.

Anyone who has ever witnessed or experienced an anaphylactic reaction in progress, knows that it’s not something to take lightly…which is why there is such a firestorm over the recent the debate of whether or not allergies actually exist, or if it’s just an over-hyped ‘epidemic hysteria.’ I’m sorry, but no Harvard sociologist can convince me that my husband’s reaction to shellfish was fabricated. There’s a real interesting article about the food allergy debate in the spring issue of Allergic Living Magazine…go pick up a copy.

PS. The “icing on the cake” today: The Canadian Tenors stopping by our office for a meeting. As if seeing four hot men who can sing wasn’t enough to make my day, sometime during their meeting they busted out in an incredible a cappella performance of “Happy Birthday” to some woman named Laura – lucky for her…so happy b-day Laura, who ever you are!

Back to eating my cake…mmmmm...Baby likey! (oh, I may have forgot to mention -- but assumed Tiffany blogged about it -- but yes I'm pregnant! )

Baby Update: 28 weeks today.

Belly Update: was once the size of a basketball, now more like a beach ball.

Mommy Update: hot flashes and "kankles" -- real sexy (not!).

2009-04-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Spoke too soon.

Twitter just crashed one of my profiles and redirects it to "Uncle Squeaky."

Love affair over.

Blog on.

Sam

Blogging

2009-04-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hate to say it - I'm over Blogs. They are so 2007.

This is, of course, my personal opinion and is prompted by my new found love of Twitter. No, I don't love it so I can follow Oprah, or Ashton (ok, maybe Ellen), but so I can build awareness of cool news. I don't personally tweet (bc only my mother really cares to hear that much about my daily life) but I tweet or setup tweets for clients.

When a client wins an award, or has a new TV show, or just has interesting news - I tweet it. I tweet the junk out of it. I follow others who may be keen and get a buzz off seeing how many new followers I collect. It's my thing.

If I'm of the Sesame Street Generation and grew up with info in short 2 minute spurts and quick edits, then we are currently in the No-More-Than-140-Characters Generation. If it means I have to scroll on my Blackberry, I likely won't read it. If it's delivered in a cute quick package and has a fun name like Twitter, and verbs and adjectives to accompany it - I'm in.

Tweets to follow:

@marblemedia

@TheJUNOAwards

@TheNextStar09

@SurviveThisTV

Sam.

...and the Award Goes To...

2009-04-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hello...Chris on the keyboard right now.

The past few weeks have been jammed packed with Red Carpets, gold lamay gowns and poignant acceptance speeches. What am I talking about? The JUNO Awards and the Genie Awards. The Holmes crew works on both of them and they took place within one week of each other (JUNO Awards in Vancouver and the Genie Awards in the nation's capital, Ottawa).

We LOVE these kind of gigs...sure, we are big supporters of Canadian culture but let's be honest, where else can you witness once-in-a-lifetime events like an impromptu rap by the Bare Naked Ladies or an acapella version of Aidia for an audience of 75. Shivers man: shivers running up and down your spine. Those are just a couple of the highlights from the 2009 JUNO Awards.

At the Genie Awards, my personal favourite winner of the night was Kristin Booth (pictured above)from YPF (I'll let you figure out what that stands for). When she came back to the Media Room to do interviews and pose for photographs, she set the room on fire with her quick wit and love of the F-bomb.

Dave Foley came back to say hi to the press and give them a sample of what the audience saw live on stage. As he walked through the Media Room, it was more like a cocktail party with Dave than a Media Room.

Afterwards, there was a kick ass party at the War Museum, which upon first thought struck me as a little odd for a party (imagine antique tanks pointing at you while you bust a rhyme on the dance floor) but actually, it added a very unique quality to the party.

In spite of working an 18 hour day and enjoying a few well deserved beverages at the War Museum, none of us were ready to call it quits for the night. So naturally, we went to the after-after party back at the ARC Hotel in downtown Ottawa. Arguments over who wore the prettiest outfit, who had the best acceptance speech (Kristin Booth, hands down) and what happened to the Senators and the Leafs this year were settled in a loud, if not slightly slurred manner.

A personal highlight for me at the Genie Awards was the fact that they were held in the Canada Aviation Museum, which is home to the Robert James McDowall MonoPlane—my great grandfather (see picture of me messing with the MonoPlane). I was treated like royalty by the staff, which was pretty cool.

All in all, a great two weeks. Both shows benefited from spectacular coverage, the numbers were up and a ton of fun was had by all.

Now...it's time for me to get ready the next set of awards: Canada's Walk of Fame and the Canada Honours. Stay tuned for an announcement of this year's inductees in early June.

Keeping Cool: Publicist Tip Number Four

2009-04-02T08:31:00.001-07:00

Make a video. People love being on TV.

(ok, or in a classroom at Humber College).

Welcome to our lives.

movie shot and edited by the very talented karen lam.

(thanks karen, you are AWESOME!)

2009-03-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Laura here, at long last.

First of all, let me apologize to all of our faithful readers. I've been tardy with this entry. I won't make excuses, but it is a busy time of year for everyone at HCC.

There's been quite a buzz around the office - this weekend is The 2009 JUNO Awards - and now that the final staff member needed in Vancouver has "left the building" I now have time to make a very quick entry. Yes, the bags are all packed, media kits shipped, staff on site, and from the various phone calls that I'm fielding, everything is in full swing. Personally, I can't wait to see the awards show on Sunday. It's my chance to sit back and appreciate the end result of months of hard work.

But here's the thing - as soon as all the folks are back, the next crew will be heading off to Ottawa for the year's Genie Awards on April 4th. Some will just have enough time to get their laundry done. Good thing that there's always a core staff on the home front to keep everything running smoothly.

Not everyone is jet-setting around the country. Those of us planted in Toronto still get to experience the buzz of local activities, like the great event we held for Travel Alberta at the Pantages Hotel - where we helped people get in touch with their 6 senses. Technically, their 5 senses, but we added in some psychic readings - the 6th sense - to give everyone something extra to talk about. Great location. Great food. Great entertainment. Between the psychic readings, hand massages, oxygen bar, food and drinks, everyone was well entertained and nicely relaxed for the presentations given by Travel Alberta and all the partners. And the goodie bags were spectacular too!

Oops, the phone is ringing again and there's more work to be done. Stay tuned for an "after The JUNO Awards" update. I'm sure that there will be one posted very soon!

Chris Noth, Whirly Ball and Lazer Tag: All In a Day's Work!

2009-02-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Tiffany here, the girl always mistaken for the receptionist.

Laura has tried to solve this problem with her homemade "Couriers please go to reception behind you!" but this does not seem to help. I don't mind though, I like meeting new people. And Larry the postman is perhaps one of the funniest people I know.

I have to be honest, last week was my week to blog. Right now I'm imposing myself onto Laura's week (so I'm lucky that she's friendly, too!!! ;) as last week was one of those weeks that doesn't leave a minute to breath, nevermind blog. But I'm here now, to tell you all about it. Rose, we will never let you wait so long for another entry.

On Wednesday our office celebrated with a HUGE announcement for One Night Live, a gala event in support of the Sunnybrook Hospital's Women & Babies program. The announcement, delivered by the evening's host - Mr. Chris Noth himself, was that the gala, taking place in Toronto on May 21, will feature performances by The Canadian Tenors, Sheryl Crow and Sting. Yup, that's right -- STING! Tickets are on sale now at www.onenightlive.ca and ticketmaster. I strongly suggest you grab some before they are all gone!!!

Thursday saw us all jump into cars and head up to eZone for one of the most fun nights in the history of my four years here at Holmes. Team building can't even start to explain this adventure that included two rounds of lazer tag and three of whirly ball. All you need to know is that Team "The Others" kicked some serious intern butt (sorry, kids!) and that Tran finally told us she's having a baby! (For the record, no one won the bet ...) A very exciting end to a very exciting week.

I am now passing the torch onto Laura, who will be much more diligent about keeping you posted on all things Holmes. She definitely has the best stories, and maybe you can all convince her to share with you!

2009-02-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Not Your Typical Day at The Office

My name is Emma and I am one of your intern bloggers this week.

I have heard over and over that there is no such thing as a typical day at the office when you work in PR. Interning at Holmes has helped me begin to appreciate the truth of this statement and I am glad to say that I have enjoyed many non-typical days at the office since starting here in January.

So, in an attempt to shed light on the issue of non-typical days at the office I am going to blog about one.

TOTO Auditions!

This Monday we organized Toto Auditions for an upcoming musical performance of “The Wizard of Oz”. We held them in the Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District and invited Toto wannabe’s and their owners to come down and try out for the coveted role of Toto.

Around 15 adorable dogs and their owners came out (including a few familiar faces from the office) and auditioned in front of our panel of prestigious judges. 15 may not sound like a large number but having 15 dogs and their owners in the same place at the same time was canine craziness and also tonnes of fun.

We got some fantastic media coverage, including ET Canada, CTV, City, Global and CBC, which was very exciting and everyone who came out had a lot of fun.

All in all it was a great non-typical day at the office and hopefully there will be lots more to come.

Everyone should check out the play, which is running from February 18 -22 at the Isabel Bader Theatre. You can buy tickets at uofttix.ca or call 416-978-8849. All the proceeds are being donated to the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO). Adorable dogs and charity – what’s not to love?

And now --PICTURES!!!

The JUNO Award press conference

2009-02-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

Blogger: Vanessa

This is my fifth week interning at Holmes Creative Communications and my time here so far has been incredibly eventful. My brain is thankful for what I have learned, and the Holmes crew has been extremely welcoming.

I thought I would take a moment to share my favourite day so far at Holmes. Tuesday was the JUNO Award press conference and I was lucky enough to be placed in the green room. For those of you that do not know, the green room is where the talent comes to get their hair and make-up done before the press conference. It is also a place for them to keep their jackets and instruments or grab a muffin and a beverage. Fortunately for me the green room at the Royal York Hotel is very cozy, so I was in arms length of Russell Peters, The Stills, Saint Alvia and Sarah Slean. I hope no one could tell that I was giddy. I successfully kept my cool but it was almost lost when Russell Peters shook my hand. This has made my entire family jealous, as we are all big fans.

After the press conference was over I was placed at the photo station with Sam. Here I took the names of the artists ready for photos and interviews with media. This is where I met Cancer Bats and Moneen, two bands I rock out to on my ipod regularly. I went through the entire morning without an embarrassing star-struck moment, and I have to say I am pretty proud of myself.

All in all I would have to say it was not bad for my first press conference. I am looking forward to more exciting moments here at Holmes, and I will keep you all in the loop.

-Vanessa

the pressures of blogging

2009-01-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

This is now nuts. Why did i say I would blog daily? I don't have time to blog daily. No one wants to read what I'm blogging about daily. Except maybe Rose.

Today I didn't eat poutine, discussed live video feeds and brainstormed for marblemedia - so that's a good day.

Here's a question: Can one call "shot gun" on space allotment in the business world. You can email me a response any time.

Samblog

Day 2 of Blogging Duties

2009-01-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

So now I have set myself up with this ridiculous task of blogging daily. So here it is.

Today:

Juno Nominee Press conference - still producing. Still awesome. Still Feb 3rd.

But there other projects, other clients, other good times. The cast from Taste Buds (shameless plug #1: www.tastebudstv.com) were at NATPE today doing a food demo. This wicked kids cooking show is produced by wonder-producer marblemedia (shameless plug #2: www.marblemedia.com) who also have me writing loads of press releases of their other equally wicked projects. Tomorrow I'll be issuing a release for Fresh TV Inc. (plug #3: www.freshtvinc.com) so watch out for that bad boy.

So today's blog, boys and girls, was really a lesson on how Sam can leverage the profile of her clients with her company blog. I think it worked.

Sam Bloggity

ps- hi Karina AND Rhiannon.

A week of Sam the blogger.

2009-01-26T10:43:00.000-08:00

I do lots of things in life like walk, work, eat... and now I blog.

Despite the fact that I am being forced to blog - I'm looking forward to it. The first thing Tiffany said to me when she arrived at work today was "it's your week to blog!!" I met this with forced enthusiasm (I'm not pleasant until 9:30am - it's a genetic fact). So I blog.

My blogs will be great. They will change lives. They will be like the Obama inauguration speech in blog form. Ok they will be none of this, but they will entertain. I also plan to blog daily because Samantha Blogger Taus doesn't do anything half-a**. But there are rules I'm told. They include:

no swearing (tough but fair)
work related
creative, spellbinding and insightful (this is more the pressure I feel than a rule)

Have I mentioned this is likely the most stressful week of my year? No doubt I was scheduled to blog this week as payback for making someone man the sign-in table at a press conference. Feb 3 is the Juno Nominee Press conference. It's a big one. It's a good one. It's what you're going to read about for the next 5 days. Like it or not. I'm your blogger.

Samantha Blogger Taus

ps- Hi Rose.

2009-01-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

Blogger: Beth

Hi there. At Holmes we have a culinary tradition to launch the new year and it involves Effie - a wonderful, hard-working woman who comes in every week and makes our office and desks sparkle.

Effie is the woman standing in the centre of the photo wearing the short-sleeved black shirt.

Effie in a former life was a caterer and loves to prepare all the delicious Greek speciality items - did I mention in quantity!! On the eagerly anticipated day, Effie wakes up at 4:00 in the morning and lovingly cooks a 4-course authentic feast that she delivers and serves to everyone in the office over the lunch hour. This year she raised the bar, preparing a sensational lunch complete with home-made red wine.

Se Efharristoome, Effie - what a great way to start the new year!

Keeping Cool: Publicist Tip Number Three

2009-01-15T13:01:00.001-08:00

donate blood.

i mean, it's in you to give.

and a great office lunch time activity.

(right kayla?)

Year-end...

2008-12-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

Dear readers:

Hi'ya. My name is Adrienne Kakoullis, and I am the last official HCC blogger of 2008.

This is my debut blog, and I feel as though I have so much to say. Where do I begin? What are the rules? After contemplating all this for nearly two hours (ok, two and a half!), I have concluded that I should probably keep it simple so that I don't lose you along the way.

As we are heading into a new year, it's only natural that I reflect on the year that's past. What's interesting to note is that 2008 marked the 20th anniversary for HCC as a news-making firm. This milestone has brought with it an adrenaline-fuelled mix of exciting projects and interesting clients that ensured no shortage of dull moments.

From fainting interns to flaunting celebrities, red carpet arrivals to roving reporters, our team of seasoned pros managed to navigate through '08 with ease and finesse and a couple of laughs for sure.

If you read Tran's post last Thursday, you'd know that we celebrated the holidays and another successful year with our annual end-of-the-year toast. Rather than heading to a posh restaurant for dinner and drinks, this year, we decided to go from one extreme to the next and trade our formal footwear for used skates.

To be completely honest, I thought that I would have preferred sipping a martini at a bar instead, because the truth is I hadn't been on skates since I was four and I was scared. There...I said it.

Nevertheless, I convinced myself to hurry up and get on the ice...the sooner I got on meant the sooner I got off. I figured at least I could say that I tried. To my surprise though, I managed to glide my way around at least 20 times. I couldn't believe it, and neither could my colleagues. Flanked by David and Matt, and I held on to both very tightly. Then it was a though I had sipped on liquid courage, because I simply just let go. I was on a roll. I did fall a couple of times, but that's what added to the fun. By the end, I didn't want to come off the ice, even though my ankles were throbbing.

From Nathan Phillips Square, we headed to Chinatown for a delicious, authentic Chinese dinner. A long-time friend of both Kathy and David recommended the restaurant, made the reservation and even ordered on our behalf. All we had to do was get there. We sat at a round table with a lazy Susan and the food just kept coming. It was fabulous.

In all, this was the best company gathering that I've been to. Very intimate, entertaining and fun. During dinner, I took a moment to just stop and try to separate myself from the table and observe the interactions and conversations. I realized that HCC is more than just a place of work - it's a home away from home.

On Wednesday the office will close at noon and we will resume the good times again on January 5, 2009.

To everyone reading this post, have a safe and happy holiday. Wishing you all a peaceful 2009.

Adrienne.

Duma Vs. Twiggy - Part 1

2008-12-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

Blogger: Tran

Hi'ya! It's mid-day Thursday, and I finally get a chance to post my blog...

I'm not one to instigate drama, but it makes for great publicity, so here it goes. To my amusement this morning, I woke up to see “Twiggy” the waterskiing squirrel on Breakfast Television. Yes, it was entertaining to see this tiny furball zipping around the water on skis, being pulled by a remote-controlled boat driven by hamsters (yes, hamsters) -- but I have to say, Twiggy has got nothing on Duma, the amazing waterskiing AND boat-driving Jack Russell who will be making her Canadian debut at the Toronto International Boat Show this January.

Move over Twiggy, there’s a new Sheriff in town! Unlike the one-trick squirrel, Duma’s resume boasts: ability to waterski, professional training in driving a boat (yes, a real boat), and hobbies that include skateboarding and riding motorcycle scooters in her spare time. Need I say more? I’m sure we’ll be getting plenty of media on-site at the Toronto Boat Show to see this wonder on water.

On a totally separate topic, today is our annual Holmes holiday party. The festive mood started when all of us in the office mysteriously received Santa hats on our desks. No one has yet to claim responsibility for this random act of holiday cheer…

Speaking of holiday spirit, this year instead of doing ‘Secret Santas,’ we collectively decided to initiate a toy drive for the CP24/Chum Christmas Wish, and invited all the offices at 19 Duncan to participate. By the looks of the ever-growing pile of toys it’s a great success, and what I suspect will become an annual tradition.

And on the same note of giving back, Holmes has also found opportunities for our clients to help spread some good will. We’ve arranged for a few of our celebrity clients to be part of an online Globe and Mail Christmas initiative to support local charities. Clients such as the Canadian Tenors and later today, Louise Pitre, singer, actress and host of an upcoming BRAVO series Star Portraits, are happily taking the time to stop by the G&M offices to record a PSA to encourage everyone to help someone in need this season. Hear, Hear!

Well, back to work I go before we start the holiday festivities -- did I mention we’re going skating at Nathan Phillips Square? Eek!

I’m sure you’ll hear all about our party on the Holmes Ink blog tomorrow…

Keeping Cool: Publicist Tip Number Two

2008-12-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

have office dogs. (yes, it's that simple!)

Chillin' with my Holmies

2008-12-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

It's time for the resident intern to blog it up - Holmes style. I'm Matt, the intern du jour here at HCC. It's time to reflect on four months of insanity, excitement and red-carpet madness.

So what exactly do I do at Holmes? I'm happy to say exactly the same stuff as everyone else. From the second day, I was making media calls for the Gemini Awards and it hasn't stopped since. Well actually, that's not entirely true since the Gemini's are finished, but the calls keep going. My main account is the RBC Painting Competition, but I'm also working on the accounts for Soulpepper, Big Rock, Organic Meadow and The Toronto Boat Show.

So what are the highlights? First and foremost, the Gemini Awards. Red carpet madness baby. Yes, oh yes, the Gemini's ruled. Rick Campanelli called me dashing (see picture for dashingness), Carla Collins and I had a conversation about hotties and hot yoga (all while she was doing photography in the media room), and Dave Foley ranted to me about things I can't possibly write down on a family friendly blog.

Other highlights include the wii office party, officially e-mailing Jeanne Beker and simply having a fantastic experience. It was quite the learning curve and I get to join the ranks of Holmes interns worldwide. I've met about five former interns in the span of four months just out and about in the city. It's like a secret society. I think we should develop some sort of handshake we can use at PR events just to identify ourselves. Ok, maybe just a button or something.

Well it's time to wrap this puppy up before lunch, where countless holmies will eat Subway or poutine. I've resisted them both long enough to deserve some cheese, gravy and fries goodness today. Yeah, that's right - we at Holmes love to advocate the healthy food. Just not on Friday's.

Keeping Cool: Publicist Tip Number One

2008-12-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

keeping a cool head is something that's really important when you're working in the world of entertainment publicity. the question is, how can you make sure you do stay calm, cool and collected at all times?

there are many answers to this question that work wonders, and we like to call them our "publicist tips," which you'll find sprinkled throughout our blog every once and a while. think of it as us sharing our secrets, the ones that we think will make everyone happy. that's our gig, after all! :)

publicist tip number one: shop for engagement rings, even when you're no where close to being married (trust us, it makes you happy. if you don't believe us, just try it). as someone once said, "it can take two minutes or an hour and cost no money. this adventure is sure to make you feel better, hands down." whoever said that was a genius, because it's 100% true. (our favourite place to stop by is toronto antiques on king. ask for cynthia findley. she's lovely.)

And the Award goes to...

2008-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

This week's guest blogger: Chris

Ok. As Kayla mentioned last week, it's been pretty busy around the world headquarters of Holmes Creative Communications. In one day we can go from working on the Canadian New Media Awards to the JUNO Awards to the Gemini Awards to the Genie Awards and back again. It can make your head spin sometimes but it's what makes working at the HCC PR Ranch so much fun.

Take for example last Friday night at the Gemini Awards—over six months of hard work culminates in a glittering evening that celebrates the best of Canadian television. And what a night it was. We had close to 100 journalists on hand to cover every second; writers, photographers, TV cameras and reporters from every imaginable entertainment TV program. It's our job to keep them happy, keep them informed and keep them fed...and not necessarily in that order.

So where's the fun come in? Let's see..was it when I got to walk Natasha Henstridge down the Red Carpet? Or was it when I gave Mike Holmes a renovation tip? Perhaps it was when I had to break up a fight between the cast of This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Cock'd Gunns (kidding!).

I'm sure that Leah Miller (pictured) appreciated my dancing tip though! She was chosen Hottest Canadian Female TV Star this year.

All in all it was a great night. Canada's robust television industry enjoyed its moment in the spotlight and I got some really nice comments on my new suit. The only complaint of the night: I wore the wrong shoes. I definitely have go back to wearing black crocs. I know, I know...not much of a fashion statement but when you're on your feet for 15 hours straight, looks don't matter; comfort does.

So with the Gemini Awards behind me, what's next? The 2009 JUNO Awards and the 2009 Toronto International Boat Show—home of Duma, the Waterskiing Dog!

Never a dull moment

2008-11-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hi all, Kayla here this week. I am the newest addition to the Holmes team having worked here for only 6 months so far. I am going to try to update you on the craziness (in a good way) that has been going on here these past few weeks- and why our postings have not been as frequent as we would like them to be.

Last week was huge for some of our clients. The Canadian New Media Awards were given out on November 18, and one of our favourite clients, marblemedia, went home with two of the most prestigious awards of the night, Company of the Year and Producer of the Year for marblemedia partner Mark Bishop. They definitely deserve the awards and the CNMAs were a great night!

Then, two days later on November 20, we had our first press conference for the 2009 JUNO Awards in Vancouver. Loverboy (“Everybody’s working for the weekend…”) was in attendance as Melanie Berry, President of CARAS, announced their induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Our office has obviously already started our countdown to the 38th Annual JUNO Awards (March 29, 2009- Program your PVR)!

You would hope after a week like that it would slow down, but that does not happen at HCC!

HCC’ers have been volunteering their time with the Gilda’s Club of Toronto for the past month to help put together the annual fundraiser “It’s Always Something.” Everything came together last night with an amazing show hosted by Russell Peters (who is hosting the JUNO Awards again this year!) and featuring amazing comedy and musical acts. I have to congratulate everyone at Gilda’s- they certainly know how to throw a party!

Right now it is after 5pm on Tuesday, and we are all just gearing up for the week! We have a musicounts Teacher of the Year presentation on Thursday with the Tragically Hip (I am a little star-struck, I have to admit) and then the 23rd Annual Gemini Awards on Friday, November 28 (Jason Priestly is hosting and there are important awards up for grabs, I cannot wait).

As you can tell, life at Holmes never stops! (I guess that means I should probably be getting back to work right now…) It is going to be an insane, but fun, week. Hopefully you will be getting more updates from me- but for now it is back to my emails!

It's Friday already???

2008-11-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

OK, exactly how did it get to be Friday? I've been trying to make my blog entry since Tuesday.

Hi, I'm Laura, the office manager at Holmes. And yes, my day can go from "dead quiet" to "there's no time to breathe" in a matter of minutes. That's because there's always something on the go here. And as much as the people here are the behind-the-scenes, make it work people for our clients, that's what I do for them - the lubricating oil on a well-timed machine. Whether it's keeping track of who's on set for The Best Years or Being Erica, pulling together budgets for Travel Alberta or co-ordinating the logistics for next week's media drop for Organic Meadow (yes, there are some lucky people about to receive some yummy goodies next week), it's my job to make sure things get done and people get what they need. Needless to say, everyone here keeps me on my toes.

Thankfully, I've got one of the larger offices here. That's because it's often the hub of activity. We've made some amazing, creative media kits - like the "brown paper packages tied up with string" for How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria - or crazy and colourful media drops like the Spamalot bags. And just about everything passes through my office. Right now, I'm minding some of the gift bags for this year's Gemini Awards. They look so cool, it's all I can do to not go snooping and mess up the wonderful presentation. But once they're gone, I can always look forward to the gift bags for the Juno Awards and the Genies because, eventually, they'll be here too!

Life at Holmes is pretty good. I feel very lucky to be part of this team of such fun and creative people. And I never know what's coming up next! My only problem is that time seems to fly by - way too fast!

... and we blog !!! ...

2008-11-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, you're all right -- it's about time you had a backstage look into the world we like to call Holmes.

Sorry to keep you waiting so long, but you see, we like it back here.

Behind the curtains and the lights and the awards. This is where we take the time to sit back and come out with outlandish ideas that, somehow, we always find a way to make happen. It's where we charge our walkies before helping well-known celebrities get the media coverage they require, without having them feel over exposed. Most importantly, it's where we get to take a quick second and realize that we have one of the coolest jobs out there -- even if we forget from time to time. Yes, welcome backstage. we hope you like it here as much as we do.

This is my week to give you a sneak peak behind the curtain. My name is Tiffany and I'm the proud owner of one of the cutest dogs on the planet. I've held a Gemini, Genie and Juno award in my hand and taken a picture with each of them so my friends think I've won them all. I love working here. And hope you'll love reading about our adventures as much as I love living them.

Welcome Holmes.