Somewhere Under the Rainbow — NuVinci®

I am just back from the 30th Annual Interbike International Bicycle Expo and Outdoor Demo in Las Vegas — working with NuVinci®, ZOIC Clothing and Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles. Interbike is the bicycle industry’s leading business-to-business events bringing together top manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of cycling. The Outdoor Demo in Boulder City, NV, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Lost Wages, gives brands the opportunity to have dealers and media demo their products on the road and the trails of the Boulder Canyon Trail system. We had some very strange weather roll into the Demo’s second day producing some torrential rains, lighting and thunder … for real! … unlike the fake explosions on Vegas strip. The posted photo is a spectacular rainbow over the NuVinci space, following one of the thunderstorms. After being Outdoors, we headed indoors at the Sands Convention Center for the Interbike Expo, North America’s biggest bike industry spectacle. Here I guided a number of media members through demonstrations and interviews at the NuVinci, Ellsworth and ZOIC Clothing booths.

Modesto's Signature Sign — Water Wealth Contentment Health

I recently received an invitation from an old high school friend from Modesto (my home town) to join a new Facebook group … “You Know You Grew Up in Modesto, When ?????” I logged in to Facebook and a visited the group last Saturday when its membership stood at around 200. I’ve had a great time visiting daily to read members stories and memories and even posting some of my favorite tales from growing up in the 60s and 70s in “Mo-Town”, at the time a sleepy Central Valley community surrounded by agriculture, and known for Gallo Winery, Foster Farms chicken (plant in Livingston, but I went to Fred C. Beyer high school with the two Foster daughters), and the inspiration for George Lucas’ American Graffiti (cruisin!). I have kept watching the membership of the Group go up and up and up … today it stands at over 3,400. Modesto has had it’s problems in recent years. It was recently rated the fourth most miserable places to live in the US … Stockton, located 30 miles north ranked Number one, and Merced, 40 miles south, and Sacramento, 70 miles north, were ranked in the Top 5 (four Central Valley communities, what the heck!). I forget who rounded out the the Top 5, maybe Yuma. What really has struck me about this Group is the love, respect and sheer joy people (residents and refugees like me) have in remembering the Golden Years of growing up in Modesto … mostly people talk about their experiences in the 1960s and 1970s … my time there. I have been accused of having an Elephant’s Memory, but these people are truly trotting out some wonderful gems … people, places, things and experiences that haven’t rattled around in my head for years. It’s been great to connect with people who share a common history. I am hopeful that a precious place that people have loved for all these years can turn it around and become one of the Top 5 most wonderful places to live — just like it used to be!

Deer Valley, Utah ... snow still in the mountains!

I had a wonderful time last week (June 20-24) with my client Fallbrook Technologies’ NuVinci® N360™ Continuously Variable Planetary (CVP) transmissions for bicycles. We were in Deer Valley/Park City for the third annual Bike Press Camp, which brings together many of the leading cycling brands with more than 30 of the top editors from the cycling, mainstream consumer and cool tech publications.

NuVinci N360 on the 2011 Breezer Uptown Infinity

NuVinci N360 hub and shifter combo in black

NuVinci innovative shifter ... hill = underdrive; flat = overdrive

We started out the week with a wonderful dinner and mingling at the exclusive Stein Ericksen Lodge in Deer Valley on Monday, June 20 where editors signed up for 45 minute slots for interviews and background sessions in our condos at the Black Bear Lodge over the course of the next three days. In addition, we received a warm welcome from Emily Summers, communications manager for the Deer Valley Resort area, and heard from Chris Zigmont and Lance Camisasca from Lifeboat Events, the superb organizers of the Press Camp and Dealer Camp (next month) events. We also were treated to a live demonstration (on big screen) by three local road riders using Wahoo Fitness’ cool application that enables an iPhone to track speed, cadence and heart rate.

Geoff and Kim with Aaron Gulley, Outside Magazine (center)

Kim and Geoff with Wired's John Bradley and James Merithew with the 2012 Novara Gotham

Bike Radar US Editor Matt Pacocha demos the Bodhi Sport eBike

Geoff with Jennifer Olson, Women's Adventure and the Dahon Mu-N360 Folding Bike

Avelino with David Bernstein, The FredCast Bike Podcast, and the 2012 Jamis Commuter 4

Geoff with BikeRadar's Matt Pacocha and the Bike Friday Tikit folding bike

Over the course of the next three days we had morning interviews and background sessions with the likes of Wired, Bicycle Retainer and Industry News, Los Angeles Times, Mountain Bike Action, Outside, Canadian Cycling, Mountain Magazine, Road Bike Review, Bike Biz, Popular Science, Women’s Adventure, Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times, Bicycling Magazine, Bike Radar, Bike Rumor, Bike World News, The FredCast Cycling Podcast, and many of others who visited our NuVinci booth at the afternoon outdoor demo. NuVinci was at Press Camp to highlight the expansion and further acceptance of its smooth and seamless N360 drivetrain (hub and shifter system) in North America by more bike brands for the 2012 season. With a simple twist of the wrist, the NuVinci N360 makes shifting any bike a breeze (check out the Breezer Uptown Infinity, Bicycling Magazine’s 2011 Commuter Bike of the Year!). Cyclists have an infinite choice between the highest & lowest “gears” — a 360 percent range — with the new N360 drivetrain. The NuVinci N360 makes riding even more enjoyable with seamless, continuous shifting (even under high pedal torque), without power interruptions, missed gears or dropped chains. The intuitive shifting dial’s feather touch is fun to use, easily increasing or decreasing pedaling exertion. And even better, the NuVinci N360 hub is maintenance free and requires no adjustments!

MBA's Jimmy Mac with the Ellsworth Enlightenment NuVinci

Tyler Benedict of Bike Rumor, and Geoff, with the Buddy Bike

Peter Stefaniak of REI Salt Lake City came up to pick up the 2012 Novara Gotham

We brought a number of 2012 models for the editors to have a first-look preview, including the Novara Gotham, Jamis Commuter 4, Bike Friday’s New World Tourist and Tikit folding bikes, Dahon Mu-N360 folding bike, Bodhi Sport eBike, Breezer Uptown Infinity, and the Buddy Bike Family Bike. Additionally, for our mountain bike editor friends we brought along the Ellsworth Enlightenment 26 NuVinci, a carbon hard tail cross over bike … Jimmy Mac from MBA loved it!

And interspersed with meetings and demos, I did a little riding … testing the Turner Sultan 29er, GT Bikes 2012 Zaskar, and the 2012 Niner Jet, on the fabulous Deer Crest Trail, a rocking and rolling singletrack trail that features views of Deer Valley, lakes and Park City. Unfortunately, due to the record snow this year (including the Sunday night prior to arrival), the Deer Valley Mountain Bike Park could only open 12 of the 60 miles of trails. So I did not get to ride the world-famous Mid Mountain Trail … a 23 mile epic singletrack (from the Silver Lake Lodge to the Canyons Resort down in Park City) that everyone here was talking about … maybe in August if I come back with the family!

Beautiful Lake view on the Deer Crest Trail

Great mountain views from the Deer Crest Trail

Riding the Deer Crest singletrack trail

Above the colorful brand tents at the Bike Press Camp Outdoor Demo

Press Camp was also highlighted by fantastic breakfast offerings each morning at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, incredible buffet lunch and dinner on the patio at the Silver Lake Lodge overlooking the mountains, and there was an very memorable lunch on Wednesday hosted by the Royal Street Cafe … ice cream sandwiches to die for! We had one night free, I spent walking around Historic Park City with a dinner on the patio overlooking street at the 501 On Main Restaurant (for their famous Gingered Meat Loaf … Yummy!)

Really cool bike racks in Historic Park City

View up Park City's Historic Main Street from Deck of 501 on Main Restaurant

All in all, a wonderful and very productive trip for myself and NuVinci. Many thanks to the Lifeboat Events team, Emily Summers from Deer Valley Resort, Amy Kersey of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Geoff, Avelino, Damon, John and Katie from NuVinci, Jerry from Tifosi Optics (lovin’ the Logic & Mast in SD!) and the hospitality of ResortQuest and its staff for making life so pleasurable at the incredible Black Bear Lodge! Also, a huge THANKS to ZOIC Clothing for providing their best-selling mountain biking shorts (Ether and Posh) in our editor gift packs as well as KOOL N’ FIT Sport for their sports performance spray.

ZOIC Cycling's Ether shorts with NuVinci logo

You can check out NuVinci’s Press Camp Gallery on its Facebook page for more event coverage.

Black Bear Lodge in Deer Valley

Check out the link to the San Diego Union-Tribune story HERE

I had a great time in Washington, DC recently at the Urban PressCamp™ with my client Fallbrook Technologies and their fantastic NuVinci™ N360® drivetrain technology which is featured on the 2011 Breezer Uptown Infinity commuter bicycle. We had two days of private meetings with editors from such publications and blog sites as Bicycling Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Bike Radar, Bike Rumor, Momentum Magazine, Washington Post, Bike World News, Bicycle Times and Dirt Rag, to name a few! Lifeboat Events staged Urban PressCamp™ which was created in cooperation with the League of American Bicyclists, to produce a unique media event providing transportation cycling brands intimate access to critical media outlets. Urban PressCamp, staged March 6-8, brought together the leading asphalt and multi-modal bike and accessory brands together at the stunning House of Sweden in Washington DC on the eve of the National Bike Summit to meet with journalists.

The National Bike Summit, now in it’s 11th year, brought cycling’s collective voice to Capitol Hill in the industry’s effort to lobby on behalf of alternative transportation issues and other topics affecting cycling. Urban PressCamp is designed to expose the brands deeply invested in the transportation segment and highlight the issues surrounding the market segment.

USS Makin Island

USS Makin Island's Position

It was pouring rain in San Diego when I jumped into my truck to drive to rendezvous with the Leaders to Sea group, including Will Mayall, co-founder of All Top.com; Stu MacLennan, managing director of Apple’s US Commercial & Government Sales; Stu’s Father, Donald McLennan; Lesley Miller, director of PR for 3Fold Communications, Sacramento; and Cara Renee, a professional photographer and blogger out of Corpus Christi, TX; and Joanna Clark of AT&T San Diego. Due to bad traffic, I arrived 10 minutes late at the US Navy Amphibious Base in Coronado, where a briefing was underway by Commander Jason Salata and Lt. Alec Zirkenbach, public affairs officers for the US Navy. Salata gave an overview and update of the US Navy Surface Forces, including its mission around the World, the various classes of ships and how the US Navy is taking its roll of energy stewardship very seriously with a goal of reducing its energy demand by cutting oil consumption by 50 percent by 2015. We learned that the USS Makin Island is one of the Navy’s energy efficient “flag ships” — featuring a dual propulsion (hybrid) system (gas turbines at high speeds and diesel generators to power its auxiliary propulsion motors at low speeds) that will save millions of gallons of fuel consumption over the course of the ship’s 40 year life span.

Jason Salata, Commander, USN gives us the briefing

Leaders to Sea Group — (L) Donald MacLennan, Will Mayall, Joanna Clark, Stu MacLennan, Kim Merrill, Cara Renee, Lesley Miller

After the briefing, we headed via van piloted by Lt. Zirkenbach to North Island Naval Air Station, also on Coronado, to board at US Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter piloted by the HSC-23. After a short briefing on how to wear our protective equipment and deploy our life vests … (and paid particular attention to the crewman’s comment — “don’t worry, this is the safest helicopter in the Navy!”) We eagerly followed him out to the helicopter in single file, boarded, where strapped in securely to our seats, and where soon airborne … leaving the San Diego behind us. Let the adventure begin …

SH-60 Copter on the North Island tarmac

Location of the USS Makin Island

Lt. Zirkenbach gives us instruction prior to departing

That's me suited up

SH-60 controls

Stu MacLennan and Will Mayall

Crewman

The SH-60 Helicopter takes flight

Self-Shot in Flight

The Pacific Ocean

Captain Cedric Pringle, USS Makin Island EXO, Greets Us

Lunch With Captain James W. Landers

Cutting the Ceremonial Cake ... Notice the Sword Used!

Fantastic Lunch and USS Makin Island by Ship Captain James W. Landers

The Lunch was great; Here's the menu!

Table Placards for Each Leaders to Sea Member

Captain Landers Presentation to the Leaders to Sea

Me and Captain Landers

Let the Ship Tour Begin — First Some Facts — The USS Makin Island is 847 feet long, Displacement at Full Load is 41,335 LT; Carries 45 CH-46 equivalent helicopters + 6 Marine Corps Harrier Jet Fighter/Bombers; Weapons Systems include 2 MK 57 Sea Sparrow Missile Systems, 2 MK31 Rolling Airframe Missile Systems, 2 Close-In Weapons Systems; 4 .50 Cal MK 26 Mod 17 guns; and 3 25mm MK38 Mod 2 Guns. The ship’s medical facilities include 6 operating rooms, a 17-bed ICU and a 47-bed ward; the Ship has a crew of 1,200 sailors and can transport up to 1,800 US Marines. The Ship’s top speed is 20+ knots.

Launching area for Marine landing crafts

Hanger Deck with Mock Helicopter for Training

Hanger Deck Looking out to the Pacific Ocean

Command and Control Room

Command and Control Room

Me Taking Photo of the C&C Room

The tour of the Engine Room

The USS Makin's engines are basically Jet Turbine engines

The actual gas turbine engine

One of the two propeller shafts

A Visit to the Galley and Kitchen

The USS Makin Island Galley

Cooking in the Kitchen

The USS Makin Island has one of the largest hospitals of any ship in the fleet

The USS Makin Island's ICU

Anchors Away — USS Makin Island’s Anchor Room

Getting the details on the two anchors that can be deployed to secure the USS Makin Island

Flight Operations

Departing — What a Great Day!

(Use a QR Reader and Your Smartphone Camera to Add MMC to your Contacts

SAN DIEGO, CA — Kim A. Merrill, a longtime marketing public relations professional, and Douglas H. Wheeler, an industry expert in the travel, meetings and events industries, have established Paradigm Mobile Marketing (PMM), which will develop mobile marketing programs for clients to capitalize on the seismic shift in marketing & communications. According to SinglePoint, 99% of all text messages are opened; 90% of which are opened within three minutes! Compared to less than 40 percent of all email solicitations!

PMM provides its clients with comprehensive programs that allow companies to integrate, deploy and track their mobile strategies across all marketing channels — reaching their mobile customers with highly successful campaigns, incorporating text messaging (SMS) and multimedia (MMS — such as coupon, contests and pictures). PMM complements and enhances mobile with a menu of turnkey “call to action” programs to ensure customers’ opt-in to mobile programs with tools such as marketing public relations, collateral packages, integration into all social media sites, mobile and traditional web site design, mobile apps, and complete printing services fulfillment. The PMM services team is dedicated to helping clients during strategy, setup, integration, and ongoing management. Once a mobile customer opts-in, PMM platform stores their information and helps customers build a relationship through on-going exchanges of mobile messages. The PMM platform comes complete with all the analytics needed to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile campaigns and make the smart decisions necessary for maximizing your ROI.

PMM’s Specialties will include:
• Mobile Marketing Text Messaging (SMS)
• Multimedia Mobile Marketing (MMS)
• Call to Action Marketing Programs (Opt-In)
• Mobile Program Analytics
• Mobile Marketing Public Relations
• Mobile Collateral Packages
• Social Media Marketing & Integration
• Mobile Websites

For more information on Paradigm Mobile Marketing, visit www.paradigmmobilemarketing.com, follow PMM on Twitter and LinkedIn. Email kim@paradigmmobilemarketing.com.

Check out this video on the Mobile Revolution