Vancouver’s favourite outdoor Shakespeare experience, Bard on the Beach, will be back again this summer with a fully-packed performance schedule.

My Bard on the Beach contests last year were my most popular of 2009 so I’m pleased to announce ad help promote the productions that will take place June 3rd – September 25th, 2010.

Main Stage Tent

Studio Stage Tent

Special Events

Tickets are $35.50 (evenings) and $18.75 to $29.50 (previews & matinees). Shows July 1st to September 25 are $38.00 (evenings) and $20.00 to $31.50 (previews & matinees). Tickets go on sale this coming Monday, March 15th and it would be best to plan your summer events now as shows often sell out.

The Gastown Business Improvement Association founded the Gastown Blog in the summer of 2009 to breathe some new life into this historic community. With daily features, history lessons and business profiles, it’s a one-stop source for Gastown information.

Over the last few weeks the Gastown Blog launched an initiative to put QR codes on old buildings where passers-by can scan the code and call up a post from the blog about that building. Ray Kanani, who worked on the project, explains in this video:

Your smartphone’s camera acts as a scanner while processing the symbol, which looks like a scrambled bar code. The QR code contains information that can be accessed with an iPhone or Blackberry application, instantly calling up a webpage with Vancouver Archive photos and historical facts about the building.

You can find these QR code stickers on over 20 buildings in Gastown and they’re hoping to expand. If you happen to walk by a building with the QR code sticker in the window, give it a try and learn more about the neighbourhood. The QR code technology is still pretty new to Vancouver (although it was developed in 1994) and it’s currently widely used in Asia.

Links:
Gastown BIA
The Gastown Blog
QR Code Generator
QR Code Application – ScanLife (Free on iTunes)
QR Code Application – QuickMark ($0.99 on iTunes)

I was at Simon Fraser University last September for the launch of the Spread the Net challenge and it was a pleasure to be back to hear the announcement that they were the winning school.

The challenge was to see which school across Canada could raise the most in support of Spread the Net’s mosquito net campaign with UNICEF. On Monday I sat down for a chat with campaign co-founder, Rick Mercer who is the host of CBC’s The Mercer Report. We chatted about SFU’s victory and how social media played a role.

You can listen to our conversation by clicking on the player below:

Kudos to SFU’s UNICEF Club and all SFU students for a job well done raising $16,000 this school year. The Spread the Net Challenge will kick off again next fall however you can still learn more, donate or participate anytime, online.

Links:
Spread the Net
UNICEF Canada
The Mercer Report
2009 Spread the Net Launch at SFU
Trish’s blog post about the event

Background music on the audio recording is by Spoon.

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay will arrive in Vancouver March 11th and make a 24-hour loop around downtown until the Opening Ceremony March 12th.

Location
Robson Square, with the relay looping around Howe, Georgia, Granville, Smithe, Bute and Robson

Time
2:00pm March 11th until 2:00pm March 12th, 2010

Events
Robson Square will host live entertainment as well as sponsor activities, sport demos and cultural craft displays. You will be able to skate for free on the ice rink and the free zipline will open up again March 12th at 10:00am.

Y.E.S! Vancouver (Young Executives for Success) is hosting a workshop March 23rd featuring panelists that will discuss how philanthropy fits into their lives.

Stand Up! Leveraging Business Knowledge & Personal Passions
Panelists include Chris Breikss of 6S Marketing Inc., Heather White of 2020 Communications, Judy Brooks of Blo, and philanthropic leader Matt Hill of Run for One Planet. The moderator will be Katrina Carroll-Foster, Co-Founder of Y.E.S! Vancouver and owner of WiseWinston.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak at a Y.E.S! event before so I can say that this networking group is inspiring, motivated, and probably some of the friendliest local executives (and small business owners) you’re likely to meet in one place. They also have a longstanding partnership with the non-profit, Dress for Success.

Dress for Success (DFS) Vancouver is a registered Canadian Charity that provides low income women with professional attire, career development tools and a network of support to help women thrive in work and in life.

Tickets for this event, taking place at the OPUS Hotel, may be purchased online for $20 (Y.E.S! member price), $40 (non-members), or $120 (membership sign-up & admission).

You can find out more about Y.E.S! Vancouver on Facebook or Twitter.