Wednesday, August 27, 2008

10 Things I Learned at the BlogIndiana Conference 2008

I was able to attend the BlogIndiana Conference a few weekends ago! Had a great time meeting and greeting with local Indiana bloggers both big and small. Also learned A LOT from the many great speakers. The conference was the weekend of August 15th, but we just went over so much content in those 2 days that it has taken me this long to let it all sink in (if that tells you at all how great it truly was!).

Here is a rundown of the things that I will be ruminating over now that I've had time to let it sink in:

What Makes a Great Corporate Blog by Douglas Karr
Doug writes a great Marketing Technology blog that focuses on marketing, social media, development, and wordpress. He talked about so many great key points when it comes to blogging. Here are just a few:

  1. Being transparent
  2. Being consistent
  3. Having and maintaining momentum
  4. Coordinating your blog with existing email communications, etc
  5. Having a purpose for your blog

I am very excited to start looking at how to implement these tips into our new blog.

He also talked briefly about the future of the web (very exciting!)- Web 3.0 which involves micro networks. I can definitely see the web evolving in that direction - especially with the emergence of micro networks such as Smaller Indiana and FohBoh (both of which you should check out if you a.) live and work in Indiana and b.) if you work in the restaurant and hospitality industry.) Micro networks are a great way for industries and communities to connect with each other - sharing news and resources.

Corporate Blogging 101 by Krista Neher
Krista talked about how blogging is a relationship and not a one night stand. What a way to put it! However, that concept is exactly what we are trying to accomplish with this blog. We want to create a relationship with our members beyond our website, newsletters, and events - to get to know us here at the Indiana Restaurant Association and what all we do. We shouldn't just post about upcoming events, we want to create a conversation. We hope to learn how we can grow and better our association so that we can become an even greater resource and benefit to our members. We want to know what is on the minds of our members, not just what we already hear about in the news and at meetings, because that just scratches the surface.

So here are a few key items I gleaned from the great information Krista gave us that day:


  1. Writing content that matters
  2. Building a PLAN
  3. Understanding expectations of a blog
  4. Aligning objectives upfront
  5. Being purposeful with posts

Wow! And that was just two of the sessions! Lots of great information was given out that weekend - kudos to Shawn Plew and Noah Coffey for putting together such a great conference (the first of it's kind in Indiana!).

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Members In the News August 2008

What makes our association great is our members! Not only are our members leaders in their industry, they also take a forefront role in their community. Check out just a few of our amazing members who are making the news and a difference!

Ray Kavanaugh Honored
At the annual Salute to Excellence Awards Gala in Chicago, Ray Kavanaugh, IRA Board Member and Chair of the Purdue University HTM Department was recognized for his service to the industry. The 2008 Michael E. Hurst Lifetime of Achievement in Education Award was presented to Raphael R. Kavanaugh, Ed.D., FMP, professor and department head, Purdue University. One of the highest honors in hospitality education, this award is presented to a current or retired post secondary and/or graduate professor or administrator who has dedicated his or her career to academic instruction in the field of hospitality, culinary or foodservice management.

IRA Members at Cooking for Cause Competition
Congratulations to chef Greg Hardesty, recently of Elements, winner of the first annual Cooking for a Cause competition to benefit Lungs for Life at The Chef's Academy downtown. Hardesty's straightforward but pristine preparations of the secret ingredient, Viking lamb-such as a silky lamb carpaccio with heirloom tomato salad, a lamb pho, and lamb on a bed of spring vegetables-nosed out the celebrity competition. That included Ryan T. Nelson of The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Neal Brown of L'Explorateur, Jason Alexander of The Chef's Academy, and last-minute substitute competitors Tommy Thompson of Fireside Brewhouse and Brandon Hamilton of Traders Point Cafe, filling in for Eli Anderson of H20 Restaurant and Sushi and Dave Tallent of Bloomington's Restaurant Tallent, who were unable to attend because of recent flooding.

D'vine Goes Green
Locally owned D'vine, A Wine Bar is going green with its newly established ECO-VINO Thursdays, a weekly event that focuses on organic, bio-dynamic and sustainable agriculture wines paired with organic food and live entertainment.The wine bar is also trying to lessen its environmental and carbon footprint: menus are printed on recycled enviro-copy paper (with the previous week's menu on the back), bottled water is no longer served, and all bottles are recycled.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room Receives DiRoNA Recognition
The Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) recognized The Oceanaire Seafood Room as a distinguished DiRoNA fine dining restaurant. The DiRoNA certification is one of the highest honors to be achieved in the dining and hospitality communities.
Read more...

Indy Chipotles turn to Hoosier chicken
Chipotle Mexican Grill says it will serve Indiana-raised chicken in its restaurants in Indianapolis. The Colorado-based restaurant chain has contracted with Miller Amish Country Poultry in Goshen to supply naturally raised chicken to Chipotle. Miller Amish hatches chickens in Goshen that are raised on Amish farms in the area.

IRA Member Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine
Who's Counting? Full of ideas? Create multiple businesses while still in school. Here's how.
By Nichole L. Torres Entrepreneur Magazine - June 2008
If you're young and full of the energy it takes to start a business while still in college, why not start two--or even three? That's exactly what 21-year-old Jeremy Clarke did. He started his first business, a website design company called Vortex Web Solutions, while still in high school. After starting college at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2006, he launched SharperResults.com, a web resource used as an assessment tool in classrooms and in homes. And last year, he launched IndyDining.com, a directory of Indianapolis restaurants that includes menus, coupons and reviews.
Read more...

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Play Golf AND Support Your Industry



GOLDEN DOME GOLF CLASSIC
A Benefit for the NRA PAC & SAFE FUND

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, Noon Shotgun Start
WHERE: Warren Golf Course, University of Notre Dame View Map
Click here to download a registration form!

Schedule & Details:
Registration - 10 a.m.
Dinner and prizes immediately after play
4-person scramble format

Cost per golfer is $150*(includes green fees, cart, gift bag, lunch, dinner and drinks)

(*Registration discounted to $125 if you pay with a personal check or credit card made out to the NRA PAC)

Contributions to NRA-PAC are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to NRA-PAC are for political purposes. All contributions to NRA-PAC are voluntary. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. The proposed contribution amounts are merely suggestions; you may choose to contribute more or less or not at all. The NRA will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount contributed or the decision not to contribute. Federal law requires political committees to report the name, address, occupation, and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year. Federal law prohibits corporate contributions.Contributions to the SAFE Fund are not deductible as charitable contributions. However, they may be deductible under other provisions of the tax code. Please check with your tax counsel.

Advance Purchase Raffle Contest/Package
Buy a Raffle/Contest Package before the event and save $40

Package includes:

  • 2 mulligans for each member of your team

  • An armstretch of raffle tickets for each member of your team

  • 1 string for the "string game"

  • $100 advance purchase

  • $140 day of event
  • Limit: One per team


Become A Sponsor!
Call Stephanie Higgins at 317.673.4211 or email for sponsorship opportunities!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Take the Bartender's Challenge!


(Image from ServSafe Alcohol)

Check out ServSafe Alcohol's newest training tool - The Bartending Challenge and see how you measure up!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

A Must See NRA Video!



Inspirational 6-minute video put together by the National Restaurant Association tributing what restaurants do for our country — their impact on their employees, on careers, on communities and on the nation's economy. Great to show to staff teams, business colleagues, community groups and others.

We watched this at our recent IRA Annual Meeting - it is very good!

Download the QuickTime movie here (approximately 100 MB).

Or order your copy on DVD today.

Friday, August 8, 2008

NRA Emergency Preparedness Webinar: August 12th at 2PM

The NRA is hosting an 1 hour webinar Tuesday of next week. The webinar's focus is on: Bringing Emergency Preparedness to Communities. Here is a brief description from their website.

An emergency can occur any time. It could be an auto accident, fire, disease outbreak or a major natural disaster. Restaurants must prepare for potential emergencies, especially since their communities often rely on them as a food source in times of crisis. Discover what you need to do with resources from the American Dietetic Association. The association recently completed a year-long initiative that resulted in the creation of an Emergency Preparedness Task Force. The task force addresses ADA members’ needs and provides resources. Find out how the ADA and the National Restaurant Association Quality Assurance Study Group are working together to help restaurants and their communities prepare for disasters.

Date & time: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:00 pm

Speaker:
Laura A. McNally, team leader, state and local initiatives, U.S. Public Health Service

TO REGISTER: Go to the NRA website at http://restaurant.org/events/webinars