“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” - Rumi

People often use Memorial Day weekend as an excuse to get away from everything and have a good time! There are plenty of celebrations all across the United States that offer something special for this three day weekend! “Be it a unique patriotic tribute, a celeb-worthy pool party, an epic blues festival, or a vineyard tour,” there is something for everyone! Check out some of the top destinations for Memorial Day weekend!

Washington, DC

As you could have guessed, DC is one of the most patriotic places to visit during this time of the year. There are a ton of events that will take place in order to honor those who died while serving our country. For example:

• The Thursday before Memorial Day, soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery put flags before each gravestone.
• A wreath-laying ceremony will happen on Memorial Day at the Tomb of the Unknowns accompanied by performances from the U.S. Army Band.
• Men in uniform will march in the National Memorial Day Parade along the National Mall at 2 p.m.
• Don’t miss the National Memorial Day Concert Sunday on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Washington Monument rises above the city’s famous cherry trees.

See this article for other upcoming Memorial Day events in Washington, DC: “Memorial Day 2013 in Washington, DC.”

New York

New York is also a great place to visit for Memorial Day weekend! While in the Big Apple during this time, you can:

• Catch a free musical performance by the New York Philharmonic at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are free and available on a first-come first-served basis starting at 6 p.m. on May 27.
• Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery also offers a free Memorial Day concert at 2:30 p.m. highlighting the works of some of its most famous residents like Leonard Bernstein among others.
• The Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum will kick off its free summer movie series by showing Top Gun Friday night, while Memorial Day festivities continue all weekend long with demonstrations by the U.S. Coast Guard, performances by the Liberty Belles USO Show Troupe, and a Commemoration Ceremony at 11 a.m. on May 27.
• Families will want to catch the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade, a tradition in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn since 1867. All Veterans, regardless of age or war, are invited to participate. The parade starts at 11 A.M., runs along 3rd Avenue towards Marine Avenue, and continues to 4th Ave. before making its way to John Paul Jones Park for a ceremony in honor of those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Enjoy free holiday concerts, films, and parades throughout the five boroughs.

For other NYC Memorial Day weekend events, see this article: “Memorial Day Weekend in New York, NY.”

Las Vegas

Memorial Day in Vegas is one of the busiest times of the year! See what all goes on in Las Vegas during this time:

• Parties are held around the resorts’ elaborate pools and become daylight nightclubs with DJs, drink carts, bottle service, cabanas, and more.
• To get in on the action, grab a chaise at the Venus Pool Club at Caesars Palace—ladies always get in free, while admission is free for men Monday thru Thursday, with reduced rates before 2 p.m. Friday thru Sunday.
• The Tropicana Las Vegas opened its Bagatelle Beach & Nightclub last Memorial Day weekend, featuring Mediterranean food and comfy daybeds to lounge in by day, with poolside dining and a new nightclub by night—admission is $30 for men, $20 for women, and Nevada residents get in free with a valid ID.
• The XS Nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas & Encore Resort will host DJ Afrojack Saturday night and David Guetta on Sunday night among other electronica superstars over the weekend—tickets can be purchased ahead of time starting at $55 for men and $25 for the ladies. 

Grab a chair at the posh Venus Pool Club at Caesars Palace.

See this article for more information on what’s going on in Las Vegas during Memorial Day weekend: “Party at Las Vegas nightclubs for Memorial Day weekend.”

As you prepare for this weekend, check out these tips on How to Plan a Last-Minute Memorial Day Weekend Getaway:

Also, take a look at the article “12 Great Memorial Day Getaways,” for more inspiration on where to travel!

I hope everyone enjoys the relaxation time this weekend!

-Melissa Woodring

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” –E.E. Cummings

It’s the end of the school year and college graduation ceremonies are taking place all over! It’s really interesting to see how people celebrate this moment in their lives and it’s also fun to check out the different events that schools organize for the graduates and their friends/family. I can’t believe it’s already been almost a year since my own college graduation! Walk with me down memory lane and also see what is going on at a few select universities in the USA!

Reminiscing 

Around this same time last year, I was getting ready to graduate college with my undergrad degree. I walked across that stage on May, 19th, 2012 with my Bachelor of Arts in Emerging Media and Communications from the University of Texas at Dallas. I can’t explain how exciting that was for me! I came into college at the age of 18, with 36 hours already completed from doing dual credit in high school, and I managed to finish my undergrad in just three years! After graduation, I worked as an intern for one company and I had a part time job at another. Basically, I spent the whole summer after graduation, working two jobs from 9:00am – 9:00pm. As exhausting as this was, it was well worth it! I was able to save up some money and I eventually secured a full time position at the company where I was doing my internship. Hard work and dedication do pay off in the end! I just want to wish good luck to all of my friends and everyone else who is graduating/will graduate this year!! Take a look at my graduation experience!

Graduation Events

If you are familiar with my Back to School blog post, then you’ll know that the University of Southern California, Howard University, and the University of Miami all had spectacular events going on at the beginning of the year! Well, now that the school year is ending, it’s time to do so on a good note! Check out the Commencement Ceremonies that these schools held or still have planned:

• University of Southern California:  Check out the Ceremony Speakers and Special Celebrations. (This event is still to come!)

• Howard University: Bill Clinton was the speaker and there were several Alumni events and luncheons, Hooding Ceremonies, Council Meetings, Awards Ceremonies and more! See Commencement 2013 and the article “Congrats to Howard University’s Graduating Class of 2013” for more info! (This event has passed!)

• University of Miami: Commencement Ceremonies Honor Academic Achievement, Distinguished Service (This event has passed!)

For tips on how to get a job after graduation, check out this article: “College Graduation 2013: 5 Ways to Ace Your Post-Grad Job Interview.”

Now, as the article says, “Go forth and get your Big Girl or Boy jobs!”

Good luck with your future endeavors!

-Melissa Woodring

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” – Tenneva Jordan

Mother’s Day is this weekend and there are plenty of families out there who are trying to plan something special for their loved ones! Check out some awesome events and specials that are planned for Mother’s Day 2013 (Sunday, May 12) in various cities!

Mother’s Day Deals

Treat your mom to something special this weekend! Check out the deals at a few local restaurants in these cities and some fun events too!

• Washington, DC
• Dallas – Fort Worth
• New York City
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Boston
• Hawaii
• Las Vegas
• Miami
• Sacramento
• San Francisco
• Orlando

There are a couple of other special events going on for Mother’s Day this weekend too, such as the Bojangles’ Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Darlington Raceway and The Player’s Championship golf tournament in Florida. Apparently the Bojangles’ race is a Mother’s Day weekend tradition and the golf tournament finishes on this special day as well. When using a Hertz NeverLost device to navigate to these events, type in download code DSOU for the NASCAR race and PLAY for the golf tournament and you will be updated with content that is relative to those activities!

When thinking about taking your mom out or buying gifts for her this weekend, keep in mind what not to get her! Watch this video for some tips:

Now that you have an idea of what not to get, remember that most women always enjoy flowers on a nice occasion!

I hope everyone has a good weekend and a successful Mother’s Day!!

-Melissa Woodring

The 5th of May marks the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). Although this holiday isn’t huge in Mexico, it has evolved in the United States as a day to honor Mexican culture and heritage. In order to celebrate, there are often parades, street festivals, and much more held in various cities around America, especially ones that have large Mexican-American populations. See what a couple of these cities have to offer as far as Cinco de Mayo celebrations go and also learn how to celebrate at home!

Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas, Texas will be hosting the their 23rd Annual Cinco de Mayo Parade & Festival. This event will be held on Saturday, May 4th, 2013 and it will consist of a variety of activities. Some of the fun festivities will include:

• Big Parade/Desfile (11:00am)
• Festival at Casa Guanajuato (12:00pm – 8:00pm)
• Tailgate Party (10:00am – 2:00pm)

Check out the parade in Dallas from last year!

Have fun celebrating in Dallas!

San Diego

From May 3rd to May 5th, San Diego will host their 2013 Old Town Cinco de Mayo. This event has been a tradition since 1983! Live entertainment will be provided between three different stages, there will be music and of course there will be a lot of food! This year marks the 30th Annual Festival and it is free to participate in!

Take a look at some of the random but amazing festivities that take place at this festival!

Enjoy the Fiesta!

At Home

Many people also decide to celebrate this day in the comfort of their own home. Granted, normally that means other people are also in their home because of course they’re throwing a party!! Follow these simple steps to see how to celebrate Cinco de Mayo by throwing a party:

• Learn about the significance of Cinco de Mayo.
  
• Indulge in Mexican cuisine.
• Put up Mexican-style decorations.
• Put on some Mexican music and dance. There’s more to Mexican music than mariachi bands.

See the article, “How to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo” for more details!

You can also check out this video for tips on how to throw a great party, even if it’s last minute!

I hope everyone enjoyed this information on Cinco de Mayo and I hope y’all have a blast celebrating! I know I will…Oh and remember to respect the rights of others this weekend while you’re out and about!

-Melissa Woodring

“Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.” – Gaylord Nelson

History of Earth Day

After witnessing a massive oil spill in 1969, Gaylord Nelson (then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin), was inspired to create Earth Day. He announced his idea, and as a result, on the 22nd of April in 1970, “20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.” The first Earth Day was pretty successful and led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. Gaylord Nelson said that “It was a gamble, but it worked.” Earth Day is now celebrating its 43rd anniversary and over one billion people in almost 200 countries are participating! See what the first Earth Day was like by watching this video: First Earth Day: April 20, 1970.

People participating in the 1st Earth Day in 1970.

Find out more details on the history of Earth Day by reading the article, “Earth Day: The History of A Movement.”

Earth Day, Today

People all over the world celebrated Earth Day today! See how people chose to celebrate in these various cities:

• Washington, DC
• Dallas
• New York City
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Boston
• Hawaii
• Las Vegas
• Miami
• Sacramento
• San Francisco
• Orlando

*Look closely because some of the events have yet to come!

You should also check out this article, “Cute baby animals, Earth Day edition.”

The Future of Earth Day

Every year, you can do something different to get involved in Earth Day. However, let these quotes about nature inspire you to view the world differently every day so that you can begin making a difference now. (Courtesy of the article, “Earth Day: 10 Wonderful and Powerful Quotes in Honor of Nature.“)

Hope everyone had a good Earth Day and has a great week!

-Melissa Woodring

“You see, it’s never the environment; it’s never the events of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events – how we interpret them – that shapes who we are today and who we’ll become tomorrow.” –  Tony Robbins 

The month of April is full of events! Starting out, my birthday is this week (yay me)!! Now, onto the events that the rest of the world will find more exciting…The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival also begins this week, along with the Toyota Grand Prix. Following those events, Earth Day is next Monday so keep an eye out for those celebrations.

Tribeca Film Festival

The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival is from April 17th to April 28th. “The Festival’s mission is to to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center.” The first festival was in 2002 and since then, it has become well known for being diverse and helping to support both emerging and established directors. Since the festival was founded, it has also “attracted an international audience of more than 3.7 million attendees and has generated an estimated $725 million in economic activity for New York City.” According to an article by Matt Barone on Complex-Pop Culture, The 15 Most Anticipated Movies at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival are:

1. Big Bad Wolves
2. Oxyana
3. A Single Shot
4. Teenage
5. Six Acts
6. Frankenstein’s Army
7. Almost Christmas
8. The Kill Team
9. The Machine
10. Harmony Lessons
11. Flex is Kings
12. A Birder’s Guide to Everything
13. The Pretty One
14. Raze
15. Adult World

For a teaser of the festival, check out this video:

You can also watch trailers for some of the upcoming movies by visiting their YouTube Page.

Toyota Grand Prix

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, California is single largest event in the city of Long Beach. The attendance normally reaches or exceeds 200,000 people. The event is an open-wheel race held that is held on a street circuit in the city. There are seven events that “highlight a weekend of fun and thrills for the whole family.” These events are known as:

1. The IZOD IndyCar® Series
   
2. Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series
3. Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
4. Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge
5. Pirelli World Challenge
6. Firestone Indy Lights
7. Robby Gordon OFF-ROAD Stadium SUPER Trucks

For more information on these events, see: The Racing Experience.

This event will be held from April 19th to April 21st. Watch this promo video to see what the Toyota Grand Prix has to offer:

Earth Day

Earth Day 2013 will take place on April 22nd. Every year more than one billion people across the globe (individuals, communities, organizations, and governments), take part in Earth Day in order to “acknowledge the amazing planet we call home and take action to protect it.” Monday, April 22nd, will mark the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day. Many people consider each year of Earth Day, the “anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement,” which began in 1970 and was founded by Gaylord Nelson. This year the focus is on The Face of Climate Change.

“Climate change has very real effects on people, animals, and the ecosystems and natural resources on which we all depend. Left unchecked, they’ll spread like wildfire. Luckily…Every person who does his or her part to fix the problem is also a Face of Climate Change: the entrepreneurs who see opportunity in creating the new green economy, the activists who organize community action and awareness campaigns, the engineers who design the clean technology of the future, the public servants who fight for climate change laws and for mitigation efforts, the ordinary people who commit to living sustainably…”

Images of “people, animals, and places directly affected or threatened by climate change – as well as images of people stepping up to do something about it” will be collected until Earth Day for an interactive display that will help tell the world about solutions and to show the power of individuals taking action for a cause that they believe in.

Watch this video to see more about The Face of Climate Change:

Find out more information, here: Earth Day 2013 – About. Celebrate Earth Day!

I hope everyone enjoys the events that are coming up!

-Melissa Woodring

“I said, just an old sweet song Keeps Georgia on my mind.” – Ray Charles

Georgia, sometimes referred to as “The Peach State” or “The Empire State of the South,” is a popular tourist location, and it’s easy to see why that is! Especially around this time of the year! There are a ton of events taking place all around Georgia and people seem to be very excited about them!

2013 Masters Tournament

According to an article by Mark Sandritter on SB Nation, “The first major championship of the year has arrived as the best of the PGA Tour head to Augusta National to begin preparing for the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament.” The competitive round begins on Thursday, but there will be plenty going on all week. The schedule for the 2013 Masters Tournament will go as follows:

• Monday, April 8th: Practice Round
• Tuesday, April 9th: Practice Round
• Wednesday, April 10th: Practice Round and Par 3 Contest
• Thursday, April 11th: First Round
• Friday,  April 12th: Second Round
• Saturday, April 13th: Third Round
• Sunday, April 14th: Final Round

For more information, see: Masters 2013 schedule: Golf’s biggest names head to Augusta.

You can also check out this 2013 ESPN Masters Promo:

Georgia Renaissance Festival

The Georgia Renaissance Festival will be celebrating it’s 28th Anniversary this year! “Immerse yourself in an olde world adventure” from April 13 through June 2, 2013, Saturdays and Sundays plus Memorial Day, 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Some of the entertainment at the festival will include:

• The Joust – The Original Extreme Sport
• A Fire-Whip Show by Adam Crack (who holds 7 Guinness World Records)
• Larksalot The Bald (who displays cheeky banter and incredible feats of balance and also juggles and performs magic tricks)
• Mud Show – Splatter Time Players
• Marc Gunn (an acoustic Celt folk musician with a unique sense of humor)
• Barely Balanced Acrobatic Show
• Rick Stratton (a hypnotist and comedian)
• The Tortuga Twins
• The Parrots of the Carribean
• Gyspy Folktales

See here for a complete list of the festival entertainment: 2013 Entertainment.

Take a look at this video of the Barely Balance Acrobatic Show to get a feel for how fun some of the events will be:

Final Four Championship

The NCAA Tournament and the college basketball season will come to an end tonight as the Louisville Cardinals and Michigan Wolverines go head to head for the National Championship. Tip off will be at tip off at 9:23 p.m. ET tonight at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. According to an article by Michael Dulka on Bleacher Report, “Louisville is viewed as the favorite, but Michigan is certainly capable of finishing the night cutting down the nets.” His article also states that in order to come away victorious, each team needs to be at its best and follow certain steps to take the win. Here are his keys for each team to win the game.

Keys for Michigan

• 1. Take Care of the Basketball
• 2. Knock Down Shots

Keys for Louisville

• 1. Disrupt Michigan’s Offense
• 2. Exploit Size Mismatch

For more information on these tips, see: NCAA Championship Game 2013: Keys to Victory for Louisville and Michigan

As you prepare for the college basketball season to end, take a look at this highlight video:

Who do you think will win the game tonight? Good luck on your predictions!

With all of these events taking place, I’m sure Georgia will be on everyone’s minds for a while! Enjoy the fun that Georgia can bring into your life!

-Melissa Woodring

Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ― Leo Tolstoy

Springtime can be very inspirational for many people around the world. During this time, new projects are often put into gear, people get to enjoy beautiful scenery, and everyone enjoys the abundance of events that take place when warmer weather begins.

Spring Cleaning

Do you ever feel like the clutter in your house is becoming too much to deal with? Spring can often be the perfect time to cleanse your home, which in turn can cleanse your mind. According to the article “Spring Cleaning Your Home and Mind!,” Possessions are nice to have, but can practically take over your life if they aren’t being used functionally. “Less is more; renewal in the home rejuvenates the mind and brings a new, clearer visualization into view.” Here are few tips to consider if you decide to do some spring cleaning:

• Declare that you’re not only cleaning your home, but also clearing your mind.
  
• Pack up items you’d like to keep but aren’t using. If you haven’t used them in 6 months, get rid of them. When thinking about throwing things away, first consider giving them away to people you know, The Salvation Army, Goodwill, or even Freecycle.
• The home isn’t the only thing that could use a good spring cleaning. Plenty of thoughts take up precious real estate in the thriving metropolis of your mind. Think about how you can create that laser sharp focus to achieve your dreams.

Watch this video for some organizing tips that you can use while spring cleaning:

Flower Shows

According to an article on NYCGO, ”For two weeks, the clothing and accessories at Macy’s won’t be the only colorful items on display by the iconic department store. Outside in Broadway Plaza, beautifully bright floral arrangements will channel South Asia for this year’s Macy’s Flower Show, The Painted Garden.“ This show began on March 24th and will go until April, 7th. The Macy’s Flower Show is in it’s 39th year and goes on in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

Watch this video for a sneak peek of the Macy’s Flower Show:

You can also check out these other flower shows:

• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
• Dallas Blooms
• 88th Annual Coronado Flower Show

Dallas International Film Festival

The 2013 Dallas International Film Festival is from April 4th through April 14th. This will be the 7th annual DIFF and is presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers and a production of the Dallas Film Society. As stated by the Welcome to DIFF 2013 section on the festival’s website, “In the world today, filmmaking is a powerful and egalitarian expression of this human desire to create, and in this spirit our Festival’s mission is to not only bring to Dallas quality independent films, but also to recognize, promote and support the imaginative minds behind this universal art form.” This festival is an 11-day celebration that consists of over 150 films and several in-depth panels.

Check out the How to Fest section of the festival’s website or watch this video for tips on how to enjoy the festival:

Hope everyone has a chance to complete their plans and projects! Let the springtime inspire you!

-Melissa Woodring

“[SXSW Interactive] is arguably the most important interactive conference in the world.” – CNET

This year, I had the opportunity to attend the 2013 South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. While I have attended a social media conference before (Dallas Digital Summit 2012), South by Southwest was by far the biggest, and most compelling. South by Southwest (also referred to as SXSW) featured five days of presentations, networking events, and demonstrations of new and innovative technology. Below, you will find fun facts about the festival, as well as a recap of the most creative and inspiring things that I came across while at SXSW.

Arriving to SXSW

Fun Facts

South by Southwest started in 1987 as a music festival with a purpose of reaching out to the rest of the world, and bringing them to Austin to do business. As the festival gained immediate national interest, soon followed by international interest, the music event had a growth in registrants from 700 in 1987 to 16,000. As the city of Austin also grew and diversified, the music industry was accompanied by film and high-tech companies, which all played a major role in Austin and Texas economies. Because of this, in 1994, SXSW added a film and interactive component, which together bring about 32,000 registrants to Austin every month.

Now that you know a little history about SXSW, learn more about what went on this year! By attending a session called “Hype vs. Reality: Takeaways from SXSWi 2013,” I was able to get the “lowdown” on some of the most important, and buzz worthy events that took place at the festival as well as find out what/who was talked about most.

• SXSW Panelists had on average about 3,000 Twitter followers and about 1,000 Facebook followers.
• Eli Musk (Former owner of PayPal and also the CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and CEO / CTO of SpaceX), gave a keynote speech on the 2nd day about innovation, and got 10,000 mentions in social media.
• Hot topics were: Entrepreneurship, design and development, culture and entertainment, space, work and career building.
• SXSW is like a time capsule. The panel picking is done about 9-10 months in advance, so people constantly have to think about whether or not topics will still be relevant/figure out how to make them relevant.
• A common thought at SXSW was that  ”People are encouraged to think big, we can achieve a lot when we work together.”
• South by Southwest was named as a play on Hitchcock’s film “North by Northwest.”

See this info-graphic for more fun facts: SXSW BY THE NUMBERS.

SXSW BY THE NUMBERS

New Technology

One of the biggest trends at the SXSW Interactive Festival this year, was the idea of bringing things from the physical and digital world and connecting them together. Two examples of this, are:

• MakerBot Digitzer - A 3d scanner and printer. “We are super excited to announce at SXSW Interactive that we are developing the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner,” said Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot.  “It’s a natural progression for us to create a product that makes 3D printing even easier.  With the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, now everyone will be able to scan a physical item, digitize it, and print it in 3D – with little or no design experience.”

See this article for more information: “MakerBot Wants to Know: What Will You Digitize?“

You can also watch this video (1st 30 seconds who the digitzer) for a brief overview of the prototype:

• Leap Motion Controller - A motion interface for your computer ($79). “Imagine if you could do things on your computer just like you do them in real life. If natural movements replaced all those clicks and taps and drags and drops. Imagine if technology finally figured out people, instead of the other way around. That’s the Leap Motion Controller.”

See this article for more information: “SXSW: Leap Motion lets you control PC with a gesture.”

You can also watch this video for a demonstration of how Leap Motion works:

SXSW Recap

The South by Southwest Interactive Festival has so much going on, that it is hard to catch it all while you’re there. Some of the sessions are too full to get into, some overlap with other ones that you would like to attend, and some are too far away from your most recent location. However, the ones that you do get to go to, are amazing! I feel like I learned so much while I was there and was introduced to a variety of new things. Some of the sessions that I had the privilege to attend, include but are not limited to:

• Contagious: Why Things Catch On – Jonah Berger, a marketing professor and author, gathered people together to explain “the 6 elements at the core of word of mouth sensations.”

Watch this video to preview his discussions on why some things get talked about more then others and why social influence works:

• UK Demo Day  - The UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) geared up to provide the premier opportunity for UK technology companies to demo their products at SXSWi. Five of the products that stood out to me, were:

1. CarHoots - A social car review
2. Present.Me - Think Slideshare meets YouTube
3. nthWire - Mobile Testing Platform
4. Swarmly - Crowd Traffic
5. Shareflow - Cloud-based collaboration network

Watch this video (I actually have a couple of cameo appearances) to see how the event went:

• How to Measure Social Media - Respected expert in social media, Nichole Kelly, provides insight on how to build measurable social media strategies that are designed to deliver on your company’s business objectives. One of the things that could benefit Navigation Solutions, is to translate what we say about social media, into language that the whole company understands. For example:

1. Instead of referring to “Twitter Followers,” we could say “people who are interested in travel stories from Hertz NeverLost.”
2. Instead of referring to “Pinterest Followers,” we could say “people who love to share content related to traveling.”
3. Instead of referring to “Facebook Likes,” we could say “people who think of our Hertz NeverLost fan page as a great source for travel information.”

Watch this video to view some of her tips:

As you can see, South by Southwest is a very popular social media conference that showcases some truly amazing content and new technology!

See these articles for more SXSW Interactive Creativity:

• 7 Apps from SXSW You Don’t Want to Miss - Check out updates to popular apps and discover new apps too!
• StartupBus Winners Revealed - Seven teams created startups in just 72 hours, while on a bus to San Antonio. See what they came up with!
• 10 Android Apps at SXSW - Learn about some heavily promoted or newly launched Android apps!
• Current Trends at SXSW Interactive - See what people said on social media about the trends at SXSW!

For the ultimate SXSW Interactive 2013 Wrap-Up, check out this video!

Hope you enjoyed this South by Southwest summary!

-Melissa Woodring

“Do what makes you happy, be with who makes you smile, laugh as much as you breathe, and love as long as you live.” – Rachel  Ann Nunes

Spring Break is over for some people and they have gone back to school or to work today. I’ve heard that some of my friends had some pretty amazing trips and I’m sure a lot of other people did too! Actually, my own trip to SXSW was fantastic as well! However, some people are still on their break or are still looking forward to their break! For those of you who still have some vacation time, make the best of it! Figure out where to go and what will be the most fun. For the people who had their spring break already, you can still have fun by focusing on come cool events that are going on!

Plan Ahead

In my opinion, it is never too early to plan a vacation! Luckily, with Hertz NeverLost, planning trips ahead of time is easy! “Discover places to make your trip complete, then have NeverLost effortlessly guide you to where you want to go.” Hertz NeverLost even has a Spring Break promotion, where you can build your trip around certain cities, use special download codes, or call them at 800-823-2547 and they will build the trip for you and then send you a USB thumb-drive that has the content on it! Also, according to the article, “New Spring Road Trip Options Save Money and Time,” by Chris Owen from Gadling.com, there are some unique features about the NeverLost systems that we don’t see in other auto-based GPS in-dash systems. For example, “Synced with their My Explore App for iPhone and android, NeverLost has an itinerary planner, suggested sights and events in the area and even (you guessed it) a social element (“hey you in the pickup, got your ears on?”).” Watch this video to see how NeverLost could help you with your next vacation!

Find Cool Events

“Every year in early spring, the 1,678 Japanese Yoshino cherry blossom trees ringing Washington’s Tidal Basin and surrounding area near the Jefferson Memorial and FDR Memorial burst into bloom with their white and pink flowers. They’re joined by another 2,000 or so elsewhere around the National Mall.” Washington DC’s two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival is an amazing event that tends to bring in a lot of tourists! Although this whole event is beautiful, timing is everything! The peak blooming only lasts a few days and varies slightly each year, depending on the weather. According to Have Camera Will Travel, “The color of the blossoms changes from pink, when young, to puffy white, when mature. So if you prefer pink blooms, come at the beginning. If you prefer white blooms, come towards the end.” On March 4th, the National Park Service issued a forecast that said the peak bloom would be between March 26th and March 30th. However, other forecasts have been made that say the peak might not come until April 5th. Only time…and the weather will tell. It is likely that the National Park Service will refine or change their forecast and be more confident in their prediction fairly soon. NPS says that “The Peak Bloom Date is defined as the day in which 70 percent of the blossoms of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) trees are open.” See the Bloom Schedule for more information. If you want to take part in the National Cherry Blossom Festival, there are a ton of events going on and a variety of tours that you can take as well! Last year marked the centennial anniversary of this ceremonious event. Watch this video for more history on the Cherry Blossoms!

Go Outside

The weather is starting to turn warmer and people are loving it! I’ve seen plenty of pictures of my friends out by the pool, at the beach, and barbecuing on their back porch. Take advantage of this weather! It’s not too hot and not too cold and it’s the perfect time for outdoor activities. You can spend this time however you want, whether it’s by playing miniature golf, competing in a sand volleyball tournament, or sitting outside and reading good book…it is up to you! I do have a suggestion though, especially for all of you dog lovers out there! The number one way (in my opinion) to enjoy nice weather, is by going to the dog park! However, I am slightly biased towards this option, because I became obsessed with my dog when I got her this past September. Regardless though, going to your local dog park is a fun, not to mention FREE way to enjoy your day. You get to see all of the dogs letting loose and having a good time and you meet so many wonderful people. This past weekend in Dallas, the weather was amazing! So, I decided to take my puppy, Sasha, to North Bark Dog Park and she really enjoyed it! We go fairly often, but this time was different. Wondering why? Well, I let her get in the lake for the first time and it was such an amazing experience, both for her and me! I could tell she had a blast and I was so proud of her! While Sasha ran around and went swimming for the first time, I got to catch up with a friend of mine who joined us at the park as well as have good conversation with other dog owners/park goers. We both leave happy and exhausted each time. Take a look at this video to see how much fun all of the dogs had at the lake and watch the slideshow below to see Sasha’s 1st time swimming!

As you can see, Spring time is bringing a lot of fun into people’s lives! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have a good time and try to make the best of every day. Also, don’t forget to just do what makes you happy! Have a good week!

-Melissa Woodring