Hey Victoria,

only 1 week left until the 2010 edition of Twestival.  if you haven’t got your tickets yet, make sure you get the TwagBag option for only $15 more, and you will find some outstanding swag, er - twag!

What’s in the bag?

Gift certificates to the Spa at the Empress

Tasty spices from the folks at Epicure

Smelly goodies from Rocky Mountain Soap Company

Delicious Truffles (feel free to feed these to your friendly neighborhood blogger!) lovingly made by Janis Lacouvee

Gift Certificate to the Studio for Athletes

lapelsticks from www.lapelstick.com

and more - over $100 value, for only $15!!!

if you already have your ticket but you didn’t upgrade to the TwagBag, we can still hook you up.  Let us know ASAP, so we can make sure that you get one.

See you next Thursday night for excellent entertainment, terrific tweeple, and a worthy cause.

Warning - you will have fun!

See you there

@brandscaping

One of the great things about being on the organizing team for an event like Twestival is the access to information that the rest of #YYJ won’t get to know about until the night of the event.

At the last event there were amazing prizes provided by some of the most generous people in Victoria.  This year is looking just as good.

And I know exactly what’s going to be on the raffle table.  There’s just something about having a secret that makes life that much sweeter.  And I’ve got a HUGE secret…

But, if you promise to get your Twestival ticket right now, and you swear you won’t share this information with anyone else, I will let you in on the raffle secret.

If you take a look here, you can see some of the awesome goodies that lucky Twestivalers will be going home with on March 25.

Hopefully you can keep a secret better than I can.  Don’t tell anyone about this link, but make sure you check it often, as new prizes are being added daily.

Now - go and get your Twestival ticket, and then check out the raffle prizes.  Hopefully you’ll get lucky at this years Twestival. 

If you have a prize that you would like to donate to this years Twestival - DM me and I will give you the top secret info of the raffle prize coordinators - people that are just like  @TheresaScholes @AsmaaMethqal or @JenniMaley

@brandscaping

Thanks to the amazingly talented Margaret Hanson, of Margaret Hanson Design, Twestival 2010 has a new logo!

We are proud to see this new logo that captures the link between Twitter and #YYJ- come out and show your support on March 25 at the Bard & Banker.

Get your tickets today from Amiando -

Some people are wondering how Concern Worldwide was selected as the charity for twestival 2010 - Global edition.

Well - their focus, since 1968, has been to help those living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives, and they do this in a caring and personalized manner.  Twestival is a bit newer than that, but the values are the same.

Twestival 2010 wants to share this opportunity to help with you.  You can be a part of the global effort to raise funds to help those that need it most, but we need to decide on where the funds raised should go.

We have a choice, Victoria.  The money that we raise on March 25 can help any part of the Concern network, but we would like you to help us decide on the one area to focus our energies.

Our choices are:

• Building Schools - The Average cost of building/renovating one school: $14,500.

• Training Teachers - Average cost of training one teacher: $300.

• Furnishing Classrooms  - Average cost of furnishing one classroom: $800.
• School Meal Program  - Average cost of providing one meal a day for a classroom of 30 children for a full year: $6,000.
• Water for Schools - Average cost of providing clean water for schools: $700 for a well or $2,000 for a borehole.
• Reaching the Vulnerable - Average cost of providing learning for one out-of-school child for one year: $75.
• Health Education - Average cost of providing health education for 1,000 children: $1,500.
• Education for Girl - Average cost of providing education to one out-of-school girl for a year: $75.

Check the Twestival site to get more info - if you aren’t reaching for your wallet at the end of the webpage, someone needs to check your pulse.

So - we need you to do a few things

1. RT this to as many people as possible
2. In the comments section, let us know which of the choices above are the right message from #YYJ
3. Buy your ticket, and one for a friend!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Bard & Banker on March 25.

Be ready to have fun, and accidentally give back to the global community!

@brandscaping

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Oh yeah, that’s right.  Victoria Twestival 2010 has an official venue.  A little place downtown where the beer is cold and the conversation is hot!

Thanks to Mike Doyle and the team at The Bard & Banker for volunteering to host Twestival 2010 on March 25.  We are looking forward to sharing the B&B experience with everyone coming out to the Twestival.

Honest men and bonnie lassies,

We have a date - March 25

we have a charity - Concern Worldwide

And now we have a location - The Bard & Banker

Tickets should be available this Friday.  I highly recommend that you go down to the Bard & Banker before March 25 so you can sample the great service, and scope out the best spots to enjoy Twestival.

If you aren’t following The Bard & Banker yet - you can find them at http://twitter.com/BardandBanker - catch their regular tweets, and you might even get some good deals.

Please- share this with your friends and your family.  We did great last year, but we can do so much more in 2010.

Looking forward to seeing you all there

@brandscaping

Hey Victoria,

The planning machine for Twestival 2010 is starting up, but we need a bit of help from the #YYJ community.

We have a venue, we have a charity, and we have a committee.  What we’re missing is you!

We are planning an evening of fun, food, and festivities on Thursday, March 25.

The last Twestival focused on a local charity (Power to Be), and the next event is designed to have a global impact.  The communities involved in Twestival 2010 will work together to raise funds for Concern Worldwide -  an international humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty.

The venue will be announced once the details have been finalized.

So what do we need from you right now?

What is a reasonable cost for you to come out for a great cause and a great time?

Not only will you get to meet some of your favorite #YYJ tweeters, but you will have the chance to win some fabulous prizes donated by our very generous sponsors.

So - given that there will be some great food, outstanding entertainment, good conversation, an amazing cause AND the chance to win some stellar prizes - what is this worth to you?

We’ve got a pair of suggestions that we would like your opinion on:

1. Keep the ticket price low, around $20, and this gets you admission only
2. Have the ticket price a bit higher, around $35, and each person gets a fantastic #TwagBag, full of great loot from our generous sponsors.

The last Twestival raised the second highest amount of donations in all of Canada - we were only beat by Toronto.  They raised a little over a $1000 more than we did - but they had almost 4 times the turnout than #YYJ.  This year - we want to show them that the West is the Best.

So - what do you think.  Admission only or fully loaded #TwagBag?

Please - tweet, facebook, MySpace, or LinkIn this post. There’s only 7 weeks left until the gala evening - and we want to make a difference.

March 25th - See you there!

@brandscaping

yup - that’s right, you spoke, and they listened.

Thursday 25 March 2010 is one day around the twitterverse that will focus on one charity.  Everyone, everywhere, working together to support the Concern Worldwide team.

What can you do to help?

Plan on being at the Twestival on March 25, 2010.  Be ready to have a great time, help raise funds for a great charity, and meet some fellow tweep’s in real life!

Until then, help us spread the word about the 2010 Twestival.

Follow us, and retweet to your followers.  Add comments to the blog to share your thoughts

Make 2010 the year you did something, instead of the year you thought about doing something.

Looking forward to seeing your there

@brandscaping

Only 15 weeks to go until the next exciting episode of Twestival!!!

This year, we are looking for your comments about these 4 charities - and we need it ASAP.

The comments section will be closed after 5:00pm (PST) December 10 - so add your thoughts right away!

SHORTLISTED TWESTIVAL RECIPIENTS 2010

Concern Worldwide - (Comprehensive)  http://www.concern.net/

Room To Read - (Literacy)  http://www.roomtoread.org/

Architecture for Humanity - (Building Schools / Environmental) http://architectureforhumanity.org/

UN World Food Program - (Hunger / School Meals) http://www.wfp.org/

The 2009 Twestival was a huge success, but we know that we can make this next one even better.

Tweet this post, add your comments, and get ready to support a great cause!

Comment now - help make a difference!

Well - usually what happens at Twestival stays at Twestival - unless someone pulls out a video camera and documents the entire night!

Luckily for us - nothing innapropriate was done (well - not in front of @Toots11’s camera!)

Janice Mansfield (@toots11) created a series of Qik videos of the evening.

take a look here, and see if you catch any gossip-worthy footage!

or check youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbxWfJcvFQA&feature=autoshare_twitter

warning - you will see people  tweeting - meeting - giving.

 Podcast September 12 2009: The Twestival edition

Brought to you by CFAX Online - learn more stuff about fun stuff

Listen to us on your way to work, while walking the dog, or while working in the garden. 

Share this with your friends that have no idea what Twitter is!