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Undertone Networks, Teambuilding, Roosevelt Hotel, NYC
March 15, 2011
Right from the outset, the Undertone Network staff went crazy, with members jumping on stage and dancing with the band when they first walked in the room! The group of 140 were divided into teams of twenty and paired with a Song Division musician each, whose credits included John Lennon, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Norah Jones, Moby, George, Henry Rollins Band, Trans Siberian Orchestra and the Broadway show ‘Rock of Ages’.
After an hour of songwriting, which included choosing musical styles, themes, chords and lyrics, the bands were ready to perform. The winning song, ‘Lots of late nights’, had everyone singing and waving their hands in the air:
Click on the image below to see the winning song:
Click here to read press coverage from Media Post.
Click here to see video footage of the 7 songs written by Undertone Networks.
Here are some photos from the event. See more at http://www.facebook.com/SongDivision in the ‘Undertone’ album.
PwC Canada’s National Tax Conference – Conference Energiser, Toronto
March 10, 2011
To the surprise and delight of the attendees, Song Division helped finish off PwC Canada’s National Tax Conference with some real rock n roll! The 650 delegates wrote and performed their very own song in just 30 minutes with the help of the Song Division band, whose members have played with Billy Joel, Helix, Staggered Crossing, K’OS and The Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Everybody then danced the night away as the band played hits from the last four decades, kicking things off with the very appropriate ‘Tax Man’ by The Beatles.
“The Song Division team were extremely professional throughout the whole planning process, from the initial RFP through to the end of the event. They offered great insight on how best to position the team building experience within the event and were able to operate on site under very tight rehearsal timelines. Everyone had an amazing experience and I highly recommend Song Division to anyone who is looking for an effective and exciting conference energiser.” Julie Calvert, CMP, CMM Manager, Event Management Services, PwC Canada
CMP Conclave – Conference Energizer, Baltimore
January 19, 2011
A big thanks to the Convention Industry Council (CIC) for inviting Song Division to energize the CMP Conclave this year in Baltimore, USA. Tapping into the many talents of the Certified Meeting Planners, the 450 conference attendees celebrated the 25th birthday of the CMP by writing a rocking song with the fabulous chorus “Certifiable for quarter of a century, we’re CMP’s!” in just 45 minutes. The Song Division band included Earl Slick (John Lennon, David Bowie), Dave Z (Joan Jett) and Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra).
Watch the video below to see footage from the event and what the CMP’s had to say about their experience! Scroll down for photos. Which you will also find on http://www.facebook.com/SongDivision where you can TAG your friends and become a fan of Song Division!
Thank you to www.scavonephoto.com for the photos!
Marie Claire Teambuilding in NYC
January 12, 2011
Marie Claire rocked it out with Song Division for their recent sales meeting in the iconic Hearst Tower in NYC. The groups were equipped with some of Song Division’s coolest (and hottest) musicians that have played with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Jewel, Billy Squier, Carole King and Bono. Racy and raunchy rock lyrics, slow and sexy sounds and an upbeat ‘hand jive’ were created by the group in just an hour and judged by a panel of their top advertisers. What a way to mix business with more business!
“The staff of Marie Claire recently experienced Song Division and we had the time of our lives!! I was pleasantly surprised by the hidden musical talent in our group, and had a great time writing original songs, performing, and team building with our fabulous staff!” Nancy Cardone, VP & Publisher, Marie Claire
Click below to see Song Division featured in the October issue of Marie Claire magazine and on MarieClariePromotions.com and RunwayRealway.com!
Click here to see a montage of the 4 songs created by Marie Claire:
Here are some photos from the day:
Berlin Conference Energiser
December 20, 2010
Medtronic (a world leader in medical technology and inventor of the pace maker) called on Song Division to energise their 3 day conference at the Kempinski Hotel, Berlin. Kicking off the conference at 8.30am, the 30 minute songwriting session involved 165 people from sales, marketing, finance and doctors from across Europe.
Backed by Song Division’s German band who have played with AIR, Seal, Chaka Khan, The Temptations & Wynton Marsalis the participants were either on stage or standing at their seats singing along to the very funky song they’d just written. The music came from a Medtronic volunteer, a finance manager who surprised his colleagues with his musical talent, and the lyrics came from the talented crowd! The band then played a rocking party set that evening at the amazing Puro Sky Lounge, in the penthouse of the Mercedes Tower overlooking Berlin.
Links to Deutsche Welle press coverage:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5715141,00.html
Audio version: Click ‘listen to the report’
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5705323,00.html
ING Mentoring Program For Kids With Cerebral Palsy, Sydney
November 24, 2010
For the fifth year in a row, Song Division teamed up with the Spastic Centre and employees from ING/ANZ, supporting them with their hugely successful and important mentoring program. The program, called Ignition, matches an ING/ANZ employee with a young person with cerebral palsy for a full year so both parties develop a lasting friendship which can also help with self-esteem development, reduced isolation, career development and much more.
Close to graduation, Song Division is brought in to help everyone write a completely original song as a way to express what they’ve learned and gained from the program. As Peter Horsley from the Spastic Centre says, “The Song Division song recording night is one of the highlights of the year where the young people get the special privilege of writing and recording their own song with their mentors in a professional studio with a professional band”.
The fact that the recording was in the studio that made AC/DC famous certainly added to the excitement, but it was the sheer talent of the group that made the song simply awesome! The experience was a great ‘connector’ and lots of fun and the song will act as a brilliant memento of this important time in both the mentors and mentees lives. Song Division feels very privileged to have shared in the power of the Ignition program.
Following the graduation, Peter Horsley said, “Graduation was last night and it was sensational! There were some amazing stories shared – Natalie had everyone in tears last night. She said she had 2 lifelong dreams – one to go skiing and the other was to record a song in a recording studio. She said, ‘You have helped me achieve both of them and I’m only 16!!’. Really great night. You really helped make for a great year. So thanks again Song Division.”
Conference Energiser For Global Confectionary Brand, Sydney
September 24, 2010
Song Division recently provided the conference energiser at a global confectionary brand’s annual conference in Sydney. Yum!
In 1.5 hours, Song Division had 250 employees thinking about ice-cream in a completely different light! Using both large and small group work, everyone mixed sweetness with creativity to produce a seriously more-ish song.
The CEO loved the song so much that he asked for a rough mix immediately after the session to weave into his presentation pitched at his global colleagues.
Like turning water into wine, Song Division helped this leading brand make ice-cream even sexier to the ears, eyes and taste buds of it’s most important resource – it’s employees!
Song Division & The Salvation Army Help The Homeless
August 3, 2010
Thanks to your generosity at the Song Division BBQ in Sydney last March, we partnered with the Salvation Army in Melbourne to help 30 very talented, young homeless people write and record 2 fantastic songs!
Based out of a double-decker bus, The Salvos have an amazing program that visits about 80 homeless young people each night. Many of them have two things in common – a love for music and some real talent. But they haven’t had the opportunity to write and record their music with the help of professionals. This is where Song Division was able to help. We spent an awesome, hugely moving evening with them, helping put pen to paper and voices to mics to record the two, very different songs. It was exhilarating to be able to record their incredible stories of life on the street, giving these young people the voice they deserve.
We’re currently developing a CSR program for our corporate clients where they can ‘sponsor’ a disadvantaged young person or group of young people to record their music professionally. It’s a very immediate, powerful and personal initiative, recognising the positive impact and affect music has on young people. We only have to remind ourselves of a song that has soundtracked a time in our own life, such as a love or a loss, to know how music can change and influence our lives. Massive thanks again to everyone who attended the Song Division BBQ and made this happen. Keep January 16th free for next year’s BBQ!!!!
“Thank you Song Division for supporting the young homeless people we work with at the Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614. Thank you for providing the opportunity to write and record some amazing original songs. Some of them had been waiting and writing all day in anticipation of the session. Their expectations were only exceeded by the results. It was great to see the young people realise their talents and actually record some fantastic work. It was an inspiring and hugely successful night. Everyone wants you to come back soon!“ Major Brendan Nottle, Commanding Officer, The Salvation Army, Melbourne CBD, Australia
Click on the links below to hear the two songs, written and recorded by all involved in just a few hours!
Song 1: “Put Down Your Weapons” (double click to listen)
Song 2: “Gotta Fight To Survive” (double click to listen)
Procter & Gamble Teambuilding, Morocco
July 30, 2010
Procter & Gamble engaged Song Division in Casablanca, Morocco, to liven up their product information day. The team of forty P&G staff were split into two groups to write original songs that captured the key themes of the meeting. They were extremely impressed by Song Division’s local Moroccan band, the house band for the country’s biggest TV show (their version of American Idol). The groups couldn’t write their lyrics down fast enough and the rocking songs were performed with great gusto. Everyone contributed, with two of the team showcasing their musical talent by playing guitar with the band. The groups danced and cheered each other along during the performance, then following their internal sales awards ceremony and dinner, the band played a party set. The P&G teams then demanded they get to perform their songs again! Song Division’s first African event was an unforgettable experience for all involved. Go P&G!
The Aria Awards, Australia
July 15, 2010
Song Division is a proud partner of Desert Pea Media, a pioneering provider of sustainable multimedia mentoring programs for marginalized Aboriginal communities.
Their most recent initiative resulted in a performance in the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House at the 2010 ARIA Awards. The clip below was created as part of an ongoing ‘hip hop literacy’ mentoring program with Toby Finlayson and Matthew Priestley from Desert Pea Media, and young people from the remote Aboriginal community of Collarenebri NSW.
‘Close That Gap’ was created as an entry into the Generation One ‘Hands Across Australia’ Schools Competition, and won the ‘Highly Commended’ Award. It was also entered in the People’s Choice Awards and received over 50,000 votes!!! As a result, the Generation One staff offered the 2010 Aria Awards a sponsorship package, which included bring Toby and seven young people from Collarenebri to Sydney to rehearse for seven days and perform at the 2010 ARIA Awards in the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.
Please vote for them and rate the song on the Triple J Unearthed website, in the next few days if possible! The song is pending approval on the website. AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS. It is everybody’s responsibility to close that gap…
Teambuilding with Conde Nast in NYC’s uber cool ‘Boom Boom Room’!
May 26, 2010
Fairchild Fashion’s ‘Womens Wear Daily’ (WWD), is the fashion industry’s leading daily news and part of the Conde Nast group. They recently celebrated their 100th birthday. Their new VP Will Schenk (formerly Mens Journal & Rolling Stone) called in Song Division to help with the celebrations and bond his new team. Song Division brought in its coolest (and hottest) musicians that have played with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Jewel, Billy Squier, Carole King and Bono.
The session started at the Conde Nast building in Times Square where four groups were formed to write songs around the theme ‘We Mean Business’ and highlight WWD’s 100th birthday. The final performances were then revealed at the Boom Boom Room in NYC’s newest and hottest hotel ‘The Standard’. The songs ranged from rock n roll, pop and rap with fantastic dance moves!
Click on the image below to see highlights of the four songs (the file may take a minute or two to load):
Click here to see PDF of press coverage in “Media Industry Newsletter”
Angus Clark (Song Division Director), Winston Roye (Lauren Hill, Jewel), Marc Copely (Carole King, Billy Squier), Will Schenck (VP, Chief Revenue Officer
Fairchild Fashion Group), Clancy (Bono and The Edge), MiG Ayesa (RockStar INXS)
Strategic Team Building for Cuscal, Sydney
May 23, 2010
With a new strategic direction in place, Cuscal’s end-of-year all-staff event took on a nautical theme to help employees understand the journey the organisation is embarking on. Song Division was called in to help tie together the key messages shared during the day. So, how did we do it? We supported the 280-strong crowd to write and record their own company song in just 90 minutes.
Aptly named ‘What Floats Our Boat’, the song blended inspirations from the Managing Director’s presentation as well clever ideas brainstormed during group work.
The Cuscal song is a favourite now amongst Song Division Australia. The oh-so-catchy lyrics and the added bonus of uncovering hidden talent in the audience in the form of a gospel singer and rock guitarist made the day a memorable one.
Here’s what the client had to say:
“When 280 of our employees walked into the conference room after a break and saw the band in full swing, there were many skeptical looks and some people even tried to edge their way back out of the room. But an hour later those same people stood shoulder-to-shoulder with huge grins on their faces as they belted out their very own hit song. The feeling in the air was electric. Not only did our employees have fun, but they learned that if they all work together towards the same goal, they can produce brilliant results in a very short amount of time. The energy, professionalism and authenticity (and damn good humour) of the band, Ben and Monica, made our session a huge success. I would happily recommend Song Division.”
– Tanja Van Heerden, Head of People and Culture, Cuscal
Sales Kick-offs for Fortune 500
April 22, 2010
Song Division provided the team building and entertainment at four sales kick-off’s across the USA for Fortune 500 company Pitney Bowes. Groups sizes ranged from 150 to 350. The Song Division musician’s credits included David Bowie, James Brown, Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz.
Read what the organizers had to say in two industry publications: “Event Solutions Magazine – For Successful Events, Meetings and Incentives”, and “Successful Meetings Magazine”.
MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC)
April 18, 2010
Song Division provided the conference energizer and closing party entertainment at the European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) this year in Malaga, Spain. Attendees included Europe’s leading meeting planners and suppliers. After lunch on the first day, attendees had 30 minutes to write and perform a completely original song about their experience in Malaga and the future of the events industry with the help of the Song Division band, consisting of musicians that have played with the likes of Queen, The Who and Lionel Richie.
The amazing Song Division band also doubles as one of the world’s premier party bands, The FABBA Girls. They are so good Rod Stewart had them play his wedding! Donned with white sparkling ABBA outfits they took the stage at the gala dinner closing party in Malaga’s historic bullring, where the dance floor was rushed by 400 people before the first words of the song were sung. Thanks EMEC and all the attendees!
“I would like to thank the entire Song Division crew for an awesome job done!
The conference has been a big success and you have played an important part in this. I would like to thank you all for your help, enthusiasm and support. It was a sheer joy to see you guys perform on stage. You truly master this.
You guys are really able to connect with an audience instantly and I was impressed by what could be done in such short amount of time. And did you see how quick the dance floor was filled on final night? I don’t think it even took 7 seconds to get everyone out of their seats and on to the dance floor dancing the night away on Abba tunes!
We have some preliminary scores in for the conference energizer on Monday March 1st and they are really good. So far the satisfaction with this session is 5.3 out of 6. I will make sure to send you the final results, but the scores so far are great.”
Miranda van Brück
Knowledge Manager
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
Here are some industry blogs and press on the event:
1) M&IT Magazine UK:
2) Paul Bridle – the leadership methodologist:
Click here to read Paul’s blog on the Song Division’s conference energizer at EMEC
3) Tweets
” max schreuder created basic chord progression onstage w/ songdivision for emec” “16 Mpi singers on stage cocreating a song – make it and they will come” “…song now being recorded live onstage!” Ruud W Janseen“Thanks to the guys at Song Division” Paul Bridle
4) Photos from the songwriting
Uploaded by Rudd W Janseen to Twitter
5) Photos from the evening entertainment with the Song Division band
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- M&IT Magazine UK blog about Song Division’s conference energizer at the 2010 European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) in Spain
Switzerland Tourism
April 17, 2010
Switzerland Tourism called on Song Division to educate some of their top clients in the UK on the various regions of Switzerland through a ‘rocking’ event. Forty clients along with industry journalists entered Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London where Queen, The Verve and Amy Winehouse have recorded (and yes, where Kate Moss got busted!)
Armed with the Song Division band, featuring musicians that have played with Rihanna, Joe Cocker and Christina Aguilera, the participants formed four groups of ten and each wrote a fabulous song about key destinations within Switzerland. The winning song was given the full recording treatment and the winning team won a trip to ‘The Blue Balls Music Festival’ in Lucerne!
Click on the video below to see highlights from the four songs:
“Our guests and Swiss partners were somewhat sceptical when introduced to the concept and faced the challenge of composing and singing a song. However, as the evening and the session progressed, all guests and partners involved, threw themselves into it and by the end of it were singing away with no care in the world and all agreed it was an unforgettable experience.
Thanks to Song Division we were able to give clients a truly memorable and event and they managed to adapt their case to our needs, in this case having 4 different teams writing a song each, competing for the ‘best song’ prize and get their song recorded in the winning tune ‘Which land? Switzerland!!’ might not be going for the Swiss entry Eurovision, however that did not matter one bit, and together with a truly talented band it just rocked, and everyone went away humming the song and had Switzerland going around in their head for days! I can most certainly recommend the services of Song Division, a very professional team, who will deliver creative concepts no matter what surroundings or group size. Keep on Rocking!!” Urs Treuthardt, Manager Meetings & Incentives, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (UK Office)
Links to press & photos of the event
Aussie BBQ for “Disadvantaged Young People” Initiative
March 22, 2010
A massive thanks to everyone who came to Song Division’s inaugural “Aussie BBQ”!
The aim was to raise awareness and funds for our songwriting workshops for disadvantaged young people. 140 of you enjoyed the spectacular weather, with the amazing Song Division musicians providing the outdoor entertainment, a jumping castle for the kids, barefoot bowls and stunning views of Sydney from the Waverton Bowling Club.
It was such huge success we’re going to make it annual event! Looks like it will be in January. More information on the initiative for disadvantaged young people to follow shortly.
Experiential Marketing At Toronto’s Premier Recording Studio
February 10, 2010
Song Division had the pleasure of running it’s third event with the fabulous team from VisitBritain. This time it was in the legendary MetalWorks Studios in Toronto, where Prince recorded “Musicology”.
30 of the Canada’s top travel executives and journalists wrote and recorded a rocking track in just three hours about Britain as part of a national marketing campaign. They were helped along by the amazing Song Division band, consisting of Earl Slick (Bowie, Lennon), Sterling Campbell (Bowie, B52′s, Duran Duran, Iggy Pop) and our US Music Director Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra). Check out video from the event:
VisitBritain previously used Song Division in a similar campaign for the US market, along with an event at the US Travel Associations annual conference, held at the amazing Banff Springs Fairmont, where 400 people wrote a song for the industry charity “Tourism Cares” in just twenty minutes! Below are links to more details on both events, including video clips:
USA Marketing Campaign:http://www.songdivision.com/services/experiential-marketing/ Song for Charity:
http://www.songdivision.com/news/tourism-cares-charity-anthe/
Song Written For Charity
December 15, 2009
Date: December 9th 2009
Venue: The iconic Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies
Event: United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)
VisitBritain brought in Song Division to get their 600 guests at the USTOA conference to write a song about the industry charity “TOURISM CARES”, in just 20 minutes!
The Song Division band consisted of Earl Slick (Bowie, Lennon), Mark Hudson (Aerosmith, Ringo Starr), Gerry Leonard (Bowie, Rufus Wainwright) and Doug Yowell (Suzanne Vega).
Following the 20 minute interactive songwriting session, the band rocked the crowd with a set of classic British rock.
Check out the song (written in just 20 minutes by the conference guests) and footage from the event:
VisitBritain has also used Song Division for two highly successful experiental marketing campaigns in Canada and the US, resulting in over 35,000 hits to industry websites. See links below for more details, including video:
USA Marketing Campaign:http://www.songdivision.com/services/experiential-marketing/ Canadian Marketing Campaign:
http://www.songdivision.com/news/visitbritain-toronto/
Barnsey helps kids with cerebral palsy
September 29, 2009
Australian musical royalty joined in the fun at a Song Division session with kids from the Spastic Centre and their mentors from ING this week.
Jimmy Barnes and his daughter Elly-May surprised the kids when they turned up at the legendary Alberts Recording Studios in Sydney, to help record the song they had written with the help of the Song Division team.
The ING mentor program matches ING employees with young people with cerebral palsy. Over the course of a year, they help coach the kids personally and professionally and above all else, develop a friendship.
For the past 4 years, Song Division has run a songwriting and recording session to help celebrate and express the success of the program.
But the absolute highlight of the year it seems was having Jimmy sing their very own song! Jimmy and Elly-May (who also has cerebral palsy) were the perfect guests to celebrate the night and the song.
Two Awards
September 23, 2009
One award for VisitBritain’s Song Division-based experiential marketing campaign, and another for Song Division Australia.
VisitBritain’s Magellan Award
We are very proud to announce our client VisitBritain has won a prestigious Magellan Award from Travel Weekly for their Song Division-based experiential marketing campaign in the USA.
Full details of the campaign are at www.songdivision.com/services/experiential-marketing/
And award details are at www.travelweeklyawards.com/winners/
Song Division Australia
Our amazing Austrlian team have just picked up runner-up in the “Event Entertainer Of The Year” category at the 2009 illustrious BT Publishing E-Awards! There will be a feature on the team in the next edition of MICE Magazine which we’ll be sure to post.
Red Door Family Shelter
September 21, 2009
Every November, some of Canada’s best musicians perform at The Open Door Festival Music Festival to raises funds for Toronto’s Red Door Family Shelter. What better way to raise awareness for the festival than helping particapants from the shelter write their very own song with the help of Song Division and wonderful singer-songwriter Sara Kamin!
Around thirty young children, teenagers, parents and shelter workers wrote all the music and lyrics to a beautiful song about what the Red Door Family Shelter means to them.
Click on the image below to see footage from the day:
See the amazing work the Red Door Family Shelter doeshttp www.reddoorshelter.ca
Check out the details for the Open Door Festival, November 18th at www.opendoorfestival.com
Hear the angelic voice and songs of Sara Kamin at www.myspace.com/sarakamin
800 Faculty Write A Hit
September 20, 2009
Sheridan College, Toronto
Who says rock n rollers don’t like getting up early? Our Canadian band were soundchecking at 6.30am at the Missassauga Convention Center – led by Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra) their credits included Nelly Furtado, Norah Jones, The Temptations, The Philosopher Kings, Snow and Lionel Ritchie. As Angus likes to say, “they can make anyone sound good”.
And they had a talented group to work with – the 800 faculty and staff from Sheridan College. The mission? To write and record a song based on the new marketing slogan “Shine Brighter” in just 50 minutes. Using Song Division’s globally proven process for involving everyone (yes, all 800 people) in writing the music and lyrics to a totally original song, Sheridan recorded their very own hit before the second coffee of the morning.
Small Business Promotion
August 26, 2009
Why pay for advertising? There’s too much out there already and marketing budgets are tight. Word-of-mouth is the obviously the best marketing, and I believe PR comes in second place for a small, growing business like Song Division. To generate both word-of-mouth and PR, you need a fantastic service or product, some very happy clients and a great story to tell.
Song Division has all three as a result of an amazing team and lots of hard work. On the PR front, it’s not easy getting the attention of journalists who are constantly bombarded with stories. Here’s a few tips that worked for us:
1) Read the appropriate industry publications, get familiar with them and the contributing journalists. Get to know them by replying to blogs or requests for information. Once you know who’s who, you’ll have a much better idea of who might be interested in your story.
2) Join the appropriate industry associations and go to the industry conferences you can afford to attend. That’s where you’ll find the journalists who cover your industry, introduce yourself.
3) Use resources like www.helpareporter.com and reply to any requests that you can contribute to. Don’t reply if it’s not really related to your business and story – the journalists are asking for specific help and if you can answer their question, they’ll include you.
The strategies above worked for Song Division – here are links to a few recent stories;
1) Bizbash – “Making a Corporate Group into a Rock Band”
2) Event Marketer Magazine – “Song Division”
3) Plannerwire – “Communication 101: Listen, Question, Rinse, Repeat”
Clip explaining how the Song Division experience works
August 14, 2009
It’s not easy to explain how the Song Division experience works, and the amazing effect it has on people. Saying “you’ll just have to experience it yourself” isn’t good enough. So we’ve put together a little three minute clip to try and capture the essence of a Song Division session.
Even though every session is different in terms of number of people, venue, purpose and length, it’s always about writing an original song. And it always has the same effect on people – at first they are in a slight state of shock, thinking “I’m not musical” or “this isn’t going to work”, followed by the realization they are actually writing a song with their own professional band and having way too much fun in the process. The final stage is to revel in their mutual achievement – “I can hear this on the radio” and “Honey, I’m going to be home late, I’m mixing the track” are typical refrains.
You’ll see in the clip just how much fun it is achieving something together you didn’t think was possible.
We’d love to get your feedback on this clip – does it give you a good understanding of what to expect in a Song Division session? What questions remain unanswered? What concerns do you have that might stop you from experiencing it first hand? All comments are welcomed and appreciated!
Postcards From Abroad
August 13, 2009
Monthly column for MPI New York’s ‘Metrolines’ magazine:
It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. My wife and I have just returned from a seven-night cruise as guests of one of the major cruise lines. With stops in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and the Bahamas, our journey was one luxurious loop around Cuba, like a shark circling its prey. If you haven’t already been to charming Cuba, get there ASAP before the floodgates open, the cruise ships pull in, and it becomes an extension of South Beach.
The cruise industry appears to be weathering the recession well. Our vessel was at capacity, as were other ships from other major lines that we met along the way. And it’s not hard to figure out why. These floating cities have all the modern amenities, from Broadway shows to specialty shopping, and you wake up each morning in a new, tropical paradise without having to pack a bag. These luxury liners also have state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and group packages are extremely reasonable. As far as unique meeting venues with an amazing built-in reward component go, the cruise industry would have to be one of the best international options at the moment.
Another overseas destination offering great value is Great Britain. I can hear you groan, “But, Britain is so expensive!” It’s actually 25% cheaper now than it was a year ago, as a result of a weakened pound. I should know after spending a day in one of NY’s finest recording studios helping twenty of the top US tour operators write and record ‘Gotta Go To Britain, I Wanna Go Now!’ What they lacked in vocal technique, they made up for in lyric writing and enthusiasm. They also had the help of David Bowie’s guitarist and Aerosmith’s producer. So, if you’ve always wanted an excuse to see Big Ben, Wimbledon and the Queen -now’s the time to go.
We think we’ve got it tough here in the US with all the financial doom and gloom. Spare a thought for Pakistan and Thailand! The head of Pakistan tourism recently declared tourists had nothing to fear from visiting Pakistan and highlighted the country’s many cultural and natural attractions. Shortly after his plea to the global travel industry, Paksitani militants killed 24 people and injured 300 in Lahore. Thailand is also having a hard time with recent political unrest, however they have an easier road to recovery. They’ve begun an aggressive advertising campaign to restore their normally thriving leisure and business travel industry by offering visitors limited travel insurance at no cost.
So cruising the Caribbean, Pimms on the Thames, or a tropical beach in Phuket are all providing great value overseas at the moment. Pakistan might just have to wait awhile yet.
Andy Sharpe is Director, Song Division in New York.
David Bowie & Sponge Bob Squarepants?
May 13, 2009
British Tourist Board (VisitBritain) called on Song Division to spread the word throughout North America that now is a great time to ‘Visit Britain’ as the dollar is strong. 20 of the top tour operators from around the US along with travel industry journalists headed into the famous Legacy Studios in Manhattan, whose projects were nominated for 19 Grammys in 2008 alone.
The Song Division band consisted of our US music director Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra), Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon), Mark Husdon (Aerosmith, Ringo Star) and Jason Gianni (Trans Siberian Orchestra and drummer on the Sponge Bob Squarepants theme – this credit received the most racaus reception of the day).
The participants wrote, performed and recorded a very rocking track called “Gotta Go To Britain” in just three hours. The event was filmed and is the centerpiece of a major PR campaign resulting in over 35,000 hits to the industry website in the first week of the campaign alone.
“Song Division enabled VisitBritain to extend our product marketing message to the vast travel industry community across the USA with a fabulously innovative approach. Professionally facilitated and executed, Song Division provided the perfect platform to deliver an energetic, creative and interactive campaign enabling me to bring industry leaders to the forefront and be the ‘voice’ of expertise within our B2B community.
This is a fresh and innovative approach to destination marketing and, in my opinion, an ideal solution for any B2B marketing. Thanks for expert guidance and creativity.” Carl Walsh, VisitBritain, Regional Director – Travel Trade, Business Visits & Events (Americas)
Click on the images below to see footage
2,700 people & an American Idol Star
May 13, 2009
Song Division helped 2,700 people write an original song in just 25 minutes in Miami as a conference energizer for a global pharmaceutical company. American Idol Star Michael Johns was guest vocalist. Take a look at the footage: