SIAST in Vietnam

I have been really honoured to attend the 2011 graduation ceremony for SIAST Business Administration students in Vietnam. I have no doubt that the many friends I've made here will go on to great success in life. Here I am the day of the ceremony with (from left) SIAST Provost and Vice President, Academic David Walls; Business Diploma Program Head Rick Wagman; First Year Program Head, Business Division Graham Chute; HUI Manager of International Education Bui Dinh Tien; and, Project Coordinator Miles Fahlman. 

Konichiwa!

Today was a long day. A really long day. 

I awoke at 3:00am Friday morning (Central Time), my mind racing. Too excited to slumber, too stressed that I was forgetting something. I'm now writing this almost two days later and haven't gotten a lick of sleep, despite being in a predominanty stationary position on an airplane for 15 hours. And it probably won't change anytime soon ... for my stopover enroute to Vietnam just happens to be the most exciting city in the world: TOKYO! While I'm not here for long, just letting my soles touch the ground is enough to feel re-energized creatively and spiritually. 

My last visit here was two years ago, just prior to joining the SIAST Marketing and Communications team. The trip gave me an insight into the future of design and marketing that no western frame of reference could possibly match and has since inspired much of the work I produce for the institute. Japan, and many other parts of Asia, are much more technologically advanced than North America. As the world continues to shrink, it's important to stay current with what is happening in other markets as it will no doubt influence you locally one day whether you are employed in the arts, business, health care or trades. A good website for research is japantrends.com 

It's easy to get lost here - lost in thought, lost in wonder. You become one of 35 million+ individuals lost in the crowd in the greater Tokyo area. Good thing I won't have to ride the subway this time. In fact, I'm off to get some sushi and cucumber-flavored Pepsi. 

When in Tokyo...

To read more on my trip to Vietnam, please visit goSIAST.com/Vietnam  

Coming Soon: A Bad Robin Williams Impersonation

I haven't been posting lately because I've been very busy with work and an upcoming assignment that I'm very excited about. This November, I will be traveling to Vietnam with other SIAST staff to document a graduation ceremony held at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (HUI) that the Govenor General of Canada, the Right Honourable David Johnston, will be attending. SIAST has a unique partnership with HUI offering our Business Administrative diploma to students in the country. 

Watch this space for more details. 

For more information on SIAST, click here.

The Labour Day Classic Tailgate Party

On Sunday I made the 2.5 hour drive to Regina, not for the legendary football game itself, but rather the legendary tailgate party. It was a cultural mosaic of Labatt's drinkers vs. Pilsner chuggers, a sea of emerald green awash with some of the best costumes I've seen this side of Halloween. My father, a devout Bombers fan, joined me becoming the target of more than a few good-natured taunts and Monty in his wee Rider jersey could be a popular mascot should something happen to Gainer during hunting season. No matter what side your allegiance stood, in the end a good time was had by all...except those losers from "Swaggerville".  

Bring on the Banjo Bowl!

Crowds enroute to Labour Day Classic: 

Monty and I in front of Mosaic Stadium: 

Winnipeg's Golden Boy has really let himself go: 

This dude has swagger:

The Joker makes an appearance: 

One of two Gumby™ costumes I saw: 

Rider fans cross paths with similarly dressed Bomber fans: 

Police watch over "Swaggerville" residents: 

HOW CONFERENCE NOTES: Days 2, 3 & 4

So I meant to have a liveblog going throughout the duration of the HOW Conference in Chicago...however, I got carried away in the windy city and could only get around to it now. My bad. This was such an enjoyable event; not only did the conference provide a much needed jolt of inspiration, but the city itself - and its colourful inhabitants - were a living, breathing piece of art. The architecture was unlike anything I have ever seen before. As a co-worker commented, it was like the backdrop for a movie set. In our case it would be an indie flick starring picas, printers and Pantone chips, and here is the synopsis:

• My favourite session was "What the Future Wants From a Designer" for its honesty. This profession is not what it once was, and will likely morph into something altogether different in the future. Designers need to bring more to the table, rather than layout skills and the ability to use Photoshop. Everyone from our grandparents to the kid selling lemonade down the block has access to tools that can lead them to believe they are "designers" (or alternately, access to websites that offer $5 logos). We need to be actively involved in understanding sociological & scientific trends, strategy and developing "big picture ideas" that can influence human behavior. The session also included seven key trends for the future: 1) Simplistic Slowdown (people will not be buying as much); 2) Rentalism (sharing of goods); 3) "Maker Culture" (people become their own designers/marketers); 4) Desktop Fabrication (this was the bizarre/awesome example); 5) Embrace of the Imperfect; 6) Technology Will Become the Designer; 7) Science will redefine what it means to be human and will influence marketing more than focus groups. 

• The HOW Conference introduced me to artist Theo Jansen. His kinetic sculptures blow my mind. 

• Interesting that the Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) at Best Buy has seen an increase of productivity by 41% and a reduction of turnover by 45%. This is definitely how I've been accustomed to operating over the past few years and hopefully more businesses take note. 

I will write more about Chi-town over the weekend.