UniverCity at SFU celebrated the Grand Opening of this much-anticipated and acclaimed building on Thursday. All the hype for “just another building,” you say? Not likely. The UniverCity Childcare Centre on Burnaby Mountain is one of the greenest buildings in the world, and it aims to be the first facility of its kind to be certified under the Living Building Challenge. This essentially means that the building  “is designed to collect more water than it flushes and generate enough energy to sustain itself and have some left over for its neighbours,” as noted in this Vancouver Sun article and video.

The Childcare Centre itself focuses on the Reggio Emilia Approach to childhood education. This creative learning technique champions the idea of self-directed learning, creativity and exploration of one’s environment. And what better environment to explore, discover and be inspired than this living, breathing, ground-breaking new facility?

Instagram has gained major popularity as a fun way to share photos – and – create a unique look.  However, facebook just gave this social media platform the ultimate nod today when it bought the site for one million dollars?  Steep pricetag or worthy steal?  We’re curious what facebook is going to use it for and how it’s going to make photo sharing even better.

Mashable covers the story here.

Every two years, the world’s foremost environmental business experts descend on Vancouver for GLOBE, the biennial conference and trade fair on business and the environment. LBMG has worked with The GLOBE Foundation for many years including helping to manage the  media centre that attracts an array of international media.

This year, GLOBE 2012 took place March 14-16 at the Vancouver Convention Centre East, and by the end of the conference it was estimated that the City of Vancouver stood to benefit from more than $20 million in economic spin-off. With 200 international leaders speaking on the business of the environment, over 10,000 delegates representing more than 50 countries, and over 400 leading environmental and clean energy technology firms GLOBE 2012 was a conference with a truly global scope, attended by media from all over the world.

While there were hundreds of stories published internationally about the three day conference, a success story close to home was featured in the Vancouver Sun this weekend.

Some members of the LBMG team had the opportunity this morning to attend a session on social media in the realm of PR/marketing and advertising, hosted by Astral Radio Vancouver. It was a remarkably valuable and engaging session that served as a reminder just how quickly the scope of communicating via social networks can change, but also drove home that not every social network is a fit for you or your clients. (And there are plenty: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest…and the list gets longer every week!)

The most important things to remember when using social media to communicate your brand are:

- The most important, and valuable, thing you can do before expanding your own or your client’s social networks is formulate a strategy. (As in, this should be the very first thing you do.) Whether built into an overall communications plan or done on its own, a digital communications strategy is the best way to plan and target your content, get everyone working on one project on the same page as far as messaging is concerned, and it’s also the easiest way to ensure you measure the results your client is looking for.

- Know your audience, and know where they ‘live’ on the Internet. Engage these people, especially those who are considered ‘influencers’ – people trusted by the average consumer, with a high number of followers or subscribers to their own social content.

- Keep your activity, across any social networks that you use, consistent. There are natural ebbs and flows to the level of content you might post (especially in events-based communications), but it’s a waste of your resources to spend your energy collecting ‘Likes’ on a Facebook page or followers to your Twitter feed, and not continuing to engage them after you’ve met some or all of the goals set out in your original digital communications strategy.

Finally, remember that the most interesting and exciting feature of social media is a shared experience. If you’re using social media purely to support your advertising initiatives or for self-promotion, you’ll never get the traction social networking is capable of. Social media and social networking is not about “me,” it’s about “us.”

The Vancouver International Auto Show is returning this April 3 – 8, 2012 to its original venue at BC Place Stadium. For the first time ever, the Dream Car Lottery will be giving away two cars!

One lucky winner will walk away with two luxury vehicles, the BMW X5 Diesel and BMW Z4 Roadster, with a combined value of over $145,000.

Zack Spencer once again acts as the spokesperson for the lottery, lending his skilled knowledge of automobiles and credibility in this community to the campaign. His detailed reviews of each car are available through these following links.   Z4 X5

The New Car Dealers Foundation of BC will use part of the lottery proceeds to support integral local community initiatives and organizations throughout the province. One of those organizations to benefit, is Special Olympics BC. The lottery’s involvement will help further the organization’s work to provide individuals with intellectual disabilities opportunities to enhance their life and celebrate personal achievement through positive sport experiences.

Tickets are now available on-line at vancouverinternationalautoshow.com through until Monday, April 2nd. During the show, tickets can be bought on location at BC Place.The winner will be drawn on Global on Tuesday, April 10th.

You can find further information on the website and read more about the Dream Car Lottery in this Province article.

Infinyte i4 electric boat

For 50 years, the Vancouver International Boat Show has been showcasing the latest and greatest in marine equipment and technology. In her recent Digital Life blog post, Vancouver Sun tech reporter Gillian Shaw highlights some of the most advanced ‘tech toys’ that are being shown off at this year’s Boat Show. There is an electric boat; there are sailboats with flat screen TV’s; there are satellite communications systems that make navigation way more reliable. They’re also handy, as Shaw writes, “In case you find yourself in the middle of the Bering Sea with a pressing need to send an email.”

Advanced technologies are definitely making boating more accessible and enjoyable, but for Lawrence Fronczek, who has been working at the Vancouver Boat Show since the ’70s (profiled by Gillian Shaw in Wednesday’s Vancouver Sun), the technology is not what makes the lifestyle. As the headline says, “Times have changed, but the dreams of sailing remain.”

The Vancouver International Boat Show is on until Sunday, February 12 at two venues: BC Place stadium and Granville Island. Come out and discover the new world of boating for yourself!

Punxsutawney Phil may be calling for six more weeks of winter, but lucky for us at LBMG it looks like clear skies ahead as we gear up for the 2012 Vancouver International Boat Show, taking place this February 8th -12th at two new locations: BC Place and Granville Island.

This year marks the Boat Show’s 50th anniversary as BC’s largest showcase for the recreational boating industry and will feature over 250 exhibitors, offering the latest and greatest luxury boats and boating accessories of the season. Veteran crabber, Russell Newberry from the Discovery Channel’s hit reality/documentary series Deadliest Catch, will be taking the stage throughout the 5 day show – as will Duma the Wakeboarding and Boat Driving Dog and Derek Hatfield, Canada’s premiere solo ocean racer and the only Canadian to sail around the world alone twice.

Check out this article in the Asian Pacific Post for more info on Russell’s Boat Show debut and visit http://www.vancouverboatshow.ca/ for discounted tickets, schedules and Show updates.

LBMG is excited to be part of the 2012 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour returning to BC Place February 4th and Rexall Place February 10th and 11th. With an all-star line-up including Canadian drivers Cam McQueen and Barry Parkin, this is one show that cannot be missed! Cam McQueen, the first person to ever complete a back flip in the Nitro Circus truck during a scored freestyle competition, will be driving the first ever Canadian-themed monster truck Northern Nightmare and Barry Parkin will be driving the world renowned Western Renegade. These drivers as well as everyone on the Monster Jam Tour are geared up and ready to perform! With a twelve truck lineup, you will not want to miss this ultimate event of intense speed, racing and destruction. The jaw-dropping stunts will leave you awestruck and wanting more!

This past weekend in Surrey, mayor Dianne Watts unveiled Sophie’s Place, a centre for physically, mentally, and sexually abused children up to age 12.  Sophie’s Place is set to open February 1st at Surrey’s Child Development Centre, which provides services for over 2,000 children with developmental disabilities each year. Watts made the announcement alongside Sophie Tweed-Simmons (as patron of the centre, it was named for her) and her father – KISS rocker Gene. The pair even brought along a camera crew from their hit reality show, Gene Simmons: Family Jewels.

When Sophie’s Place opens, it will make it easier for children to recount their abuse, without the need to repeat their stories over and over to multiple agencies. Organizers hope this will also lead to higher conviction rates for offenders.

The Simmons family is no stranger to the Lower Mainland – the rocker’s model wife, Shannon Tweed, is Canadian, and during the Canucks’ playoff run last spring the family was spotted often inside Rogers Arena to cheer on the home team!

Whether you enjoy sailing, that new car smell, travelling with the comfort of home or driving on two wheels – there’s a Show in Vancouver that LBMG helps organize.

2012 Vancouver Motorcycle Show

First up in January is the 2012 Vancouver Motorcycle Show – running Jan 19-22 at TRADEX in Abbotsford. Enjoy ‘4 Days of Non-Stop Action’, including stunt shows, Enduro-X, Mini Races, Scooter School and more! Information is online at www.VancouverMotorcycleShow.ca. Keep up to date by following @VanMotoShow.

2012 Earlybird RV Show

Also coming to TRADEX is the 2012 Earlybird RV Show & Sale – running from Feb 2-5. See the newest models of 2012 and enjoy hearing from seasoned travellers at the Seminar Stage. More information is online at www.RVShowsBC.com. Follow both the Snowbird and Earlybird RV Shows on @RVShowsBC.

2012 Vancouver International Boat Show

The week after is the 2012 Vancouver International Boat Show – the first tradeshow in the newly renovated BC Place Stadium. Both Granville Island and BC Place will be showing off the latest and greatest boats from all the big manufacturers. Information is online at www.VancouverBoatShow.ca and on Twitter @VanBoatShow2012.

2012 Vancouver International Auto Show

In April, the 2012 Vancouver International Auto Show returns to it’s home at the new BC Place Stadium from April 3-8. New features include CEV Nation, Truck City and  the Redline Stage. All the latest information on the Vancouver International Auto Show can be found online at www.VancouverInternationalAutoShow.ca and through Twitter @VanAutoShow.