If Disney is just too far or too expensive to go now in this down economy, why not try Great Wolf? There are dozens of Great Wolf Lodges all across the country, but the one that I went to was in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, about two and a half hours away.

I knew it was big but I didn’t realize the magnitude of the place. In addition to a huge indoor water park that was practically as big as Central Park, they have quite a few restaurants, a game room that looked like Dave & Busters, play rooms for the kids, camp for the kids and a Magic Quest, where the kids are given a magic wand and have to find a number of clues in order to get through the game. Magic Quest includes magical paintings, treasure chests and crystals that sparkled when the magic wand waves over them.

Once you are in Great Wolf, you literally don’t have to go outside. You can stay here for three days and never step foot in the light of day.

We came here for the weekend to celebrate my son’s 12th birthday. He didn’t want a party this year and we wanted to do something special for him so we brought him here.

“Mommy/Daddy, this was the best birthday I ever had,” he said to my husband and me. “And it’s not even a special birthday!”

“Twelve is special,” my husband told him. “It’s your last year as a kid so enjoy!” And he did!

(P.S. We did too! )

Related articles by Zemanta

• Escape to the Pocono Mountains (telegraph.co.uk)

Image via Wikipedia

It’s amazing how many people say to me…

“Why Rochester? Why would HJMT possibly have an office in Rochester?”

Then they turn around and say, “You know, I know Jim Smith or Carl Jones or Bill Wrath from XYZ company in Rochester. Do you want to meet him?”

Last week, I was talking with Matthew Weiss, President of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) NYC Chapter and owner of Weiss & Associates, PC, a traffic ticket fighting law firm. He told me that there is an EO group in Rochester and since we recently opened an office there, I should contact them. So I did. And I’m glad about it!

Last night, Lisa Gordon and I met three amazing people from EO Western NY chapter. We had dinner and drinks at Black & Blue in Pittsford. (I actually reached out to all 30 members but only three were available. So hopefully, I’ll be able to meet up with the rest the next time I come into town.)

The people I met were Amy Castronova, President of Novatek Communications, Inc., Mike Gastin, President of Bob Wright Creative and Gerry Ward, President of Brewer & Newell Printing. We had such a great conversation and I really think there are ways that we can help each other, so I’m looking forward to continuing our friendship!

Before I came into town, I was on the phone with Lisa. She told me that she was reaching out with the Business Editor of the Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester’s daily newspaper with a circulation of close to 200,000.

“The Business Editor,” I said. “I know him. He used to be the Business Editor at Newsday on Long Island. His name is Steve Sink and he’s an old friend!”

Lisa wrote to Steve and he agreed to meet us this morning. After battling the foot of snow with very little plowing, Lisa and I made it to the Democrat & Chronicle building in downtown Rochester.

It was so nice to catch up with Steve. The last time I spoke with him was when I was still working out of our Long Beach, LI office. That was nearly five years ago. We’ve tripled since then! He was happy that we opened an office in Rochester and I told him we would stay in touch!

So the next time someone asks me “why Rochester?” I’m going to say “everyone has a connection!”

There is so much talk that the economy is just as bad as it was during the Great Depression and yet, when you go to popular restaurants, you would never know that to be true.

Last night I went to the new “Smokin’ Al’s” in Massapequa, Long Island. This was my first visit. I go to the “Smokin’ Als” in Bayshore quite often but had never been to this new location, which is much closer to my home.

We got there at 7 pm. I put my name on the list and the woman told me it would be an hour and a half wait. Typically, I would leave. But, everyone in my party was in the mood for ribs, so we stuck around.

The new restaurant is really nice. It’s much bigger than the one in Bayshore and has a bigger waiting area with tables. It has the same look as the Bayshore restaurant with great paintings of pigs with a 1940′s style.

My client, Painted Pieces in Huntington, did all the art work. Sally Barrish, who is the owner of Painted Pieces, is one of the most talented people I know. She does beautiful work on windows, in shops and in nursing homes. She even paints murals in playrooms and children’s bedrooms.

As we sat there, an hour went by pretty quickly. After that, every five minutes felt like five years! We were finally seated after two hours.

My party ordered ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Everything was just as good as their other restaurant. It was certainly worth the wait. However, next time, I’ll either come very early or very late to miss the crowds!

Image by jmtimages via FlickrPresident Obama had a brilliant marketing and public relations strategy when he was running for President of the United States. He utilized the Internet and social media to cause viral marketing which in turn created a massive amount of people who voted for him on November 4. President Obama’s marketing and PR knew the power of the Internet would win him his election!

Major corporations are also using social media to get their message out. Do an online search for Dunkin’ Donuts, Dell Computer, Burger King, Starbucks and Nike. They certainly know that social media is where the action is and the place to put your resources.

The Public Relations (PR) business has changed. Years ago, PR people like myself would write releases and distribute to a media list via U.S. Mail. Thereafter, we spammed reporters with email news releases. Today, we talk with reporters and editors and producers online. We post press releases on the HJMT Newsroom and microblog to reporters to pique their interest. We talk with media via social networking sites and we meet new business potentials along the way.

I feel it is important to educate small business, school and non-profit organizations to get in on the action and promote their products and services via social media. It’s important for everyone in business to learn about this so that they could promote their products and services in a cost effective way!

Within the next few weeks, HJMT COMMUNICATIONS, LLC will offer a seminar on Long Island and in New York City on how to use social media and networking to develop business. Keep a lookout for the email….

A little inspiration goes a long way…I’m not going to lie, heading up the newest branch is not an easy feat. It’s a lot of meetings, a lot of introductions, a lot of pitching, a lot of hard work and determination to garner new business, build relationships with local media and introduce HJMT and myself to competitors, key players and Rochester business leaders. At the end of the week, I’m pretty exhausted and certainly talked out!

Today, the economy reared its ugly head again and a few potential clients, who we thought would be retaining our services within the first month of the new year, are proceeding with extra caution and holding back on taking the PR/marketing plunge until springtime. Now, don’t get me wrong, I completely understand where they’re coming from and respect them for trying to cushion and protect their businesses. But, what they don’t understand is that it’s more important to marketing and publicize your business now in a bad economy. We at HJMT always tell potential clients that public relations is a long-term investment, one that needs to start at the right moment for all parties involved.

After hearing the news although not entirely negative, I needed something to boost my spirits so, I attended the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Rochester Chapter’s luncheon. The guest speaker who was there, talked about how she started her own business in 1987 with $22.11 in her bank account. Now, she boasts that her company is a $130 million company with 146 clients, 75 employees and named the #1 Best Small Company to Work for in America. Talk about success!

What really made me think, “Wow!” was that two out of the first three clients she worked with are still with her firm today. It makes me think of HJMT’s future in Rochester and I hope 20 years from now, we will be able to say the same thing about our Rochester clients. And so, as I was walking back to my car to head back to the office, one thought came to mind…If this woman can make it work with a mere $22.11 in her bank account, Hilary and I can definitely persevere in this down economy and more importantly make a name for ourselves in the greater Rochester region. So for now, I’ll remember to be patient and to keep plugging. Great things are around the corner. See, a little inspiration does go a long way!

——————————–

Lisa Gordon is a Supervisor and project manager at HJMT COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. She publicizes the clients and creates interesting marketing ideas for the clients. She is currently heading up the Rochester division of the firm.