The week ahead: After an incredibly successful Christmas Parade, we are now focusing our attention on the upcoming late night shopping promotion on 22 December. This is a great opportunity for shoppers to support our participating local retailers who will all be in the festive spirit! We will also be arranging a shopping bus for R&V and BW visitors so they’re able to take advantage of some shopping time during their stay.

Christmas Parade success: After months of hard work, not only by Ken and Jade at the Heart of Gisborne, but also the many groups and organisations that entered floats, the Annual Heart of Gisborne Christmas Parade was a huge success. Thank you to all the businesses in the CBD, especially along the parade route, for accommodating this fun-filled family event.

Christmas parade float winners: Winners for the best floats in the parade were selected by judges Manu Caddie, Jolene Douglas and Kerry Taggart from their viewing balcony at Paul Nache Gallery. The results are as follows:

Best Not for Profit: St Johns Youth

Best Sport: Bin City Brutalion Roller Derby

Best School: Te Wharau School

Best Effort: Gisborne BMX

Best Business and Best Overall: Rhythm and Vines

The judges had a difficult time choosing from some great entries, with special mentions to Sticky Fingers Childcare Centre, Makauri Rural Kindergarten, Gisborne Motorcycle Club and Midway Surf Life Saving Club for their efforts.  “I’m glad I didn’t have to choose a winner because absolutely everyone involved contributed to the fun and festive atmosphere of the parade,” said Jade Baty, Heart of Gisborne Events Manager.

Santa ride winners: The two lucky winners who got to ride with Santa on his sleigh in the Christmas Parade were eight-year-olds Alyssa Herbert of Mangapapa School and Morgan Devlyn of Te Wharau School. Not surprisingly, Alyssa and Morgan were very excited and had smiles from ear to ear during the parade.

Late night shopping:  This night is now just around the corner on Thursday 22 December. On top of the 4 x $500 media packs you could win from The Radio Network, Heart of Gisborne is offering advertising slots at no charge in the lead up to 22 December to any business that agrees to participate in the late night shopping. This will be a valuable tool to help you drive sales during the busy Christmas period. Advertising slots are strictly limited, so register now by emailing Jade at jade@heartofgisborne.org.nz . We will be emailing and dropping off more information this week.

Office Star of the Week: This week’s Office Star is Melanie Walker of the Gisborne District Council. Melanie was nominated for being “an amazing work colleague who is always so pleasant and willing to help everybody who interrupts her in the office.” Congratulations Melanie! You can nominate someone to be our next Office Star of the week here.

Parting thought: “Awesome parade!” - Anonomous spectator at this year’s Christmas Parade

On the Street – your news and views=========================

Vodafone’s exciting new store: Vodafone Gisborne has moved into its exciting new store! Now located at 2 Peel Street (on the corner of Peel Street and Reads Quay), Andrew and the team are looking forward to seeing you in this spacious new retail space. The new store offers greater customer comfort with its seating area and kids room, making it the perfect place to browse for Christmas gifts (for yourself or someone else). We offer great product knowledge, friendly service and a wide range of mobile phones and accessories (including an exciting range of the latest i-Phone accessories), fixed line and broadband plans and lots more. So come and see us in-store – we’re looking forward to seeing you!

Juve newsdesk: Jane Iredale’s Pure Pressed base has been nominated for Best Powder in the 2011 Beauty Awards. Come in see our gorgeous new summer range including Just Kissed lip and cheek stain in forever pink, which is a multipurpose stain that uses all natural ingredients to enhance your natural colouring. Contact Juve on 867 1234 or visit our website www.juve.co.nz

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR consultant: Not on Twitter yet? Don’t know what it’s all about? If that sounds like you, jump onto my Facebook page and watch the short video I’ve just posted about why Twitter rocks! Also, make sure you ‘like’ my page while you’re there if you want to be kept in the loop about all the latest PR, marketing and entrepreneurial news. Click here to visit my Facebook page.

The week ahead: Now that the election is over, we can get back to focusing on all the exciting things that are happening locally in the lead up to Christmas. Our city’s Christmas tree is now up on Sun City’s roof with over 1000 new LED lights in red and white to kick off the festive season. Flags will go up from Thursday ahead of the much-anticipated Christmas Parade on Saturday, which will be a fun afternoon out for all. With summer just days from offficialy being underway, it’s time to enjoy Gisborne at its best – so make sure you get out and about as often as you can!

Christmas Parade: We have 30 confirmed entries for our annual Christmas Parade this Saturday 3 December at 4pm. The parade promises to be a fabulous family event, so make sure come along and join in on all the fun! Also, please be aware of road closures during this time.

Santa in the City: The crew from Mediaworks have six locations where Santa will be in the city. There are now only four places left, so if you have a retail shop that has a bit of space and you would like some extra foot traffic, emailjmackintosh@mediaworks.co.nz for more information and associated costs.

Late night shopping:  Our late night shopping promotion is on Thursday 22 December. We’re thrilled to hear that several businesses are gearing up for this day/night event with specials, market type stalls, and balloons to get into the festive spirit. This week we will be dropping off more details of what is planned and explain how you can win one of 4 x $500 media packs to spend with The Radio Network!

Win a ride with Santa: This will be judged later today and winners notified – I’m sure they’ll be very excited to ride with Santa this weekend!

Office Star of the Week: This week’s Office Star is Pat Janes of Roberts and Harper Accountants – congratulations Pat!You can nominate someone to be our next Office Star of the week here.

Parting thought: “The only thing we learn from new elections is we learned nothing from the old.” - Proverb

On the Street – your news and views=========================

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR consultant: With now more than 800 million active users on Facebook who, on average, check their account at least once a day, it’s clear that the world’s largest social networking site cannot be ignored. But to use Facebook effectively in business, there are a few simple rules of etiquette that you need to be aware of. In this week’s newsletter, I’ll be talking about Facebook etiquette and how you can make your online presence more engaging. If you’re not already on the mailing list, make sure you sign up here for FREE marketing, PR and social media updates specifically for small businesses just like yours – you don’t want to miss out on all these juicy tips!

Christmas Function at the Grill Room: Enjoy our Traditional Christmas Buffet by Chef Stephan Kellermann with all the trimmings including roast turkey, roast beef, leg of lamb, fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, fresh fish as well as our famous desserts and much more every Friday and Saturday night starting on 11 November. For groups of 40 or more our events centre is available. For more information, visit www.emeraldhotel.co.nz or contact our events manager on 868 8055 or functions@emeraldhotel.co.nz

The week ahead: We have moved! Due to strengthening work needed on our current building, Heart of Gisborne (and Architects 44) have moved next door to 50 Childers Rd. Our office is on the first floor and will be our home for the next 8 months until the work is completed. This week we’ll be holding a Heart of Gisborne Committee meeting, as well as keeping up-to-date with events at the council and Camera Trust. We’re also putting the finishing touches on the city’s six-metre tall Christmas tree, which will go up on Sunday morning if the weather is fine. The tree will feature new lights and an updated look, so we hope you like it! Finally, don’t forget to vote this Saturday.

Christmas Parade: Entries have been flowing in for this year’s Christmas Parade on Saturday 3 December at 4pm. The quality of entries is looking superb with some really fun and creative interpretations of the “Christmas at the Beach” theme, so this parade is not to be missed! Please be aware that surrounding roads will be closed and you have been advised of this. If you have any questions or require further information, please email Jade atJade@heartofgisborne.org.nz.

Late night shopping:  With Christmas just around the corner, our late night shopping promotion on Thursday 22 December will help businesses make the most of the Christmas rush. By now you should have started planning what you want to do on this day, such as specials, market type stalls, and getting into the festive spirit with balloons and other Christmas decorations. Heart of Gisborne has an extensive marketing campaign to entice shoppers out, which includes Santa roaming the CBD, the opportunity for shoppers to win some spending money, and best of all, the chance for participating stores to win one of 4 x $500 media packs to spend with The Radio Network! More information to follow.

Win a ride with Santa: Thanks to Raey Wheeler, we have a window full of entries on display in the shop between SunCity Pharmacy and the Odeon. Judging will take place shortly and the winners will be riding beside Santa in the Christmas Parade – what a great prize!

Office Star of the Week: This week’s Office Star of the week is Sandra Matthews, business administration manager at Eastwoodhill Arboretum. She was nominated for all her hard work and dedication to the job – congratulations Sandra! You can nominate someone to be our next Office Star of the week here.

Office Stars correction: When it was suggested that the camera volunteers receive thanks for all the work they do tomake our city safe, I thought this was a great idea and nominated them as our Office Stars in last week’s Monday Memo. However, what I didn’t do was check their name and used “Gisborne Crime Prevention Camera Trust” when it should have been “Gisborne Police Volunteer Community Patrol” – my mistake. The group not only supplies monitors to watch what happens in the CBD, they are also responsible for city patrols. They have worked over 4000 hours in the past year and this is all voluntary – so it’s easy to see why they were nominated. Funding for the great work they do is always an issue, so perhaps the community needs to look ways to support this work. You can read chairmanDavid Hall’s letter to the editor here.

Parting thought: You can have anything you want – if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.” – Abraham Lincoln

On the Street – your news and views=========================

Juve Newsdesk: With only a few weeks left until Christmas, are you stuck for gift ideas? Spoil your loved ones with gorgeous gifts and stocking fillers from Juve starting at just $8.95. We also have beautifully wrapped gift vouchers available. Contact us on 867 1234 or visit our website www.juve.co.nz.

Pre Christmas jewellery party: Mad Madge Jewellery is having its big pre-Christmas jewellery party on Thursday 24 November 7pm-9pm. This is a fun girls’ night out and the perfect opportunity to get some gorgeous gifts for others or yourself. Free bubbly and nibbles. All welcome – email store@madmadgejewellery.co.nz for an invite.

The Gentleman’s Hour: See Bill Riley – The Gentleman’s Hour at  PAULNACHE from 25 November – 30 December 2011. Opening on Friday 25 November at 5:30pm. PAULNACHE, upstairs at 89 Grey Street, open Wednesday to Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-2pm (or by appointment). For more information visit www.paulnache.com or phone 867 9721.

Stocktake sale: The Gisborne Education Resource Centre (opposite Plumbing World in Bright Street) is running a stocktake sale for ONE week only. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get some great Christmas gifts at sale prices.

Make a stand against violence towards women: Show your support for White Ribbon and join the Walk Away From Violence on Friday 25 November from 5pm at Marina Park. Together we will make our way around Gisborne’s famous three bridges to symbolise our community’s decision to ‘walk away from violence’. Picnic and entertainment to follow. More details at www.whiteribbon.org.nz.

Authentic Pilates xmas party and open evening: You’re invited to attend the Authentic Pilates xmas party and open evening on Friday 2 December, 5.30pm – 7.30pm. Enjoy complimentary wine and nibbles, and a live pilates demonstration at the advanced level. Everyone is welcome so come and see pilates in action for yourself!

The week ahead: Congratulations to everyone who took on the challenge of The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run yesterday! It was another cracker weekend here in Gisborne thanks to this fantastic annual event, as well as the many other activities on offer such as sampling local wine, listening to jazz music, and even attending a fashion show. In the week ahead, we’re focusing our efforts on the upcoming Christmas Parade, which is sure to liven up the city and get us all into the Christmas spirit in less than three weeks’ time. This is a wonderful family event to get involved in, so make sure you check out all the details below.

Christmas Parade: We now have over 15 confirmed entries for our annual Christmas Parade with another 25+ still due in. The parade will take place on Saturday 3December at 4pm with the theme “Christmas at the Beach”. The roads will be closed and you should all have been advised of this. If you haven’t been contacted and would like to put in an entry, please contact Jade ASAP. Entry forms and rules are on our website www.heartofgisborne.org.nz or email Jade@heartofgisborne.org.nz for more details.

Late Night Shopping:  This is now gaining momentum with more local retailers seeing the potential benefits of a late night shopping night on Thursday 22 December. Just last week we saw one store have a late night sale and it dragged hundreds of shoppers out. When people venture out to shop they’re in spending mode, so get some specials together and start planning! Heart of Gisborne will also be supporting this with some exciting initiatives, so watch this space.

Win a ride with Santa: The Heart of Gisborne and Classic Hits’ ‘Win a Ride with Santa’ colouring competition is on now. We have already received over 20 entries so far, so if your children want to be in to win it’s time for them to get colouring! Entry forms can be picked up from Classic Hits, Paper Plus, Dollar Dream Store, Smith City and the Odeon Theatre, or you can download an entry form here.

Office Stars of the week: This week’s Office Stars are the Gisborne Crime Prevention Camera Trust’s volunteers who operate out of the police station and work tirelessly during busy times to keep our city safe. There are over 40 volunteers who work at night and early in the morning over the weekend, as well as public and school holidays. We would like to extend our sincere thanks and congratulations to all involved in this valuable community initiative. You can nominate someone to be our next Office Star of the week here.

Heart of Gisborne in the news: Find out more about what we’re up to by reading chairman Scott McSloy’s column from Saturday’s edition of The Gisborne Herald here.

Parting thought: With the 2011 General Election just around the corner, I thought this quote was fitting:

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.” – Rosalynn Carter

On the Street – your news and views=========================

An evening with Peta Mathias: Celebrity chef Peta Mathias will be celebrating the release of her new book Beat Till Stiff in the Dome Room at the Poverty Bay Club on Tuesday 15 November at 6pm. Tickets are $15 from Muirs Bookshop (tickets are limited).

Paper Plus end-of-year deals: Now is the time to get organised for 2012 – 30% off all calendars and diaries, and 25% off all soft toys (the perfect present for Christmas!). These deals are for a limited time only, so get into Paper Plus Gisborne today!

Walk Away From Violence: Show your support for White Ribbon and join the Walk Away From Violence on Friday 25 November from 5pm at Marina Park. Together we will make our way around Gisborne’s famous three bridges to symbolise our community’s decision to ‘walk away from violence’. Picnic and entertainment to follow.

Authentic Pilates xmas party and open evening: You’re invited to attend the Authentic Pilates xmas party and open evening on Friday 2 December at 5.30pm. Enjoy complimentary wine and nibbles, and a live pilates demonstration at the advanced level. Everyone is welcome so come and see pilates in action for yourself!

Are You a Gizzy Guru?Are You a Gizzy Guru? Gisborne i-Site is recruiting a couple of Gizzy Gurus to help them out over the hectic summer months. You’ll need to be fascinated by all things Gisborne, have an eye for detail, a sense of humour, and a smile a mile wide – even under pressure. If this sounds like you, then drop your CV into the Gisborne i-Site or click here for more details. —Read more about this event on our website —

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR and marketing expert: Have you ever thought about creating a blog to help promote your business? In this week’s newsletter, I’ll be revealing five reasons why a blog can be good for business, how you can overcome the ‘lack of time’ hurdle, and what you should be doing right now so you can hit the ground running in 2012! Make sure you’re on the list by signing up to my weekly newsletter today (it’s FREE!).

Michael Cooper celebrates his new wine guide:  Wine writer, Michael Cooper, will be celebrating the release of his 20th Edition of Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines at the Gisborne Wine Centre on Monday 14 November from 5.30 pm. Tickets are $25 available from Muirs Bookshop. Tickets are strictly limited so be quick!

Christmas Function at the Grill Room: Enjoy our Traditional Christmas Buffet by Chef Stephan Kellermann with all the trimmings including roast turkey, roast beef, leg of lamb, fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, fresh fish as well as our famous desserts and much more every Friday and Saturday night starting on 11 November. For groups of 40 or more our events centre is available. For more information, visit www.emeraldhotel.co.nz or contact our events manager on 868 8055 or functions@emeraldhotel.co.nz.

The week ahead: I hope you all enjoyed another wonderful weekend in Gisborne with races to bet on, beautiful gardens to walk through, music to listen to, and wine to sample! The countdown to Christmas is officially on with Christmas decorations already starting to brighten up shops throughout the city. We are in the process of putting the finishing touches on the big Christmas tree that will go up on the veranda above SunCity Pharmacy at the end of the month. This week we have delegates arriving for the NZ Grassland Association Conference at Quality Hotel Emerald, so please extend them a warm Gisborne welcome.

Camera Trust update:  I have been busy working with the Camera Trust to upgrade/replace the current system and take advantage of the latest technology. Hardworking volunteers monitor security cameras in the CBD during peak periods and do a great job of helping the police to keep our city streets safe.

Christmas Parade: As mentioned last week, the parade is planned for Saturday 3 December at 4pm with the theme “Christmas at the Beach”. Jade has been contacting people and organisations interested in entering a float. If you haven’t been contacted and would like to put in an entry, please contact Jade ASAP. Entry forms and rules are on our website www.heartofgisborne.org.nz or email Jade@heartofgisborne.org.nz for more details.

Road Closed: Roads in the CBD will be closed on Saturday 3 December for the Christmas Parade. Jade has dropped off advice notices to all affected businesses. The parade is at 4pm so closures will start from 3pm until the parade has finished, which should be no later than 5pm. If you would like details emailed to you, please contact Jade at  Jade@heartofgisborne.org.nz

Office Star of the week: This week’s Office Star is Jacqui White of Gisborne Financial Services. Jacqui was nominated for all her hard work and being a valuable member of the team – congratulations Jacqui! You can nominate someone for our Office Star of the week here.

Parting thought: “Mud thrown is ground lost.”  — Anon

On the Street – your news and views=========================

An evening with Peta Mathias: Celebrity chef Peta Mathias will be celebrating the release of her new book Beat Till Stiffin the Dome Room at the Poverty Bay Club on Tuesday 15 November at 6pm. Tickets are $15 from Muirs Bookshop (tickets are limited).

Games, books and puzzles for Christmas: The Gisborne Education Resource Centre opposite Plumbing World in Bright Street has a large range of educational games, books and puzzles that are perfect for Christmas gifts. Friendly staff with knowledge of the education sector are on hand to provide assistance.

Glaucoma check: Specsavers would like to advise all readers of the Monday Memo and their friends and families that Glaucoma NZ is giving a FREE information presentation about Glaucoma on Saturday 12 November from 10am-11.30am at the Quality Hotel Emerald (Taruheru Room) on Gladstone Road. If you would like to understand more about glaucoma or have friends or family members who are affected by glaucoma, then come along to this free presentation by eye specialist, Dr Mike O’Rourke. All are welcome!

Juve newsdesk: Your safety is very important to us so the team at Juve has all updated their first-aid skills. Come and visit your local experts in skin and body – we look forward to seeing you! For more information, phone 867 1234 or visitwww.juve.co.nz

Michael Cooper celebrates his new wine guide:  Wine writer, Michael Cooper, will be celebrating the release of his 20th Edition of Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines at the Gisborne Wine Centre on Monday 14 November from 5.30 pm. Tickets are $25 available from Muirs Bookshop. Tickets are strictly limited so be quick!

Christmas Function at the Grill Room: Enjoy our Traditional Christmas Buffet by Chef Stephan Kellermann with all the trimmings including roast turkey, roast beef, leg of lamb, fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, fresh fish as well as our famous desserts and much more every Friday and Saturday night starting on 11 November. For groups of 40 or more our events centre is available. For more information, visit www.emeraldhotel.co.nz or contact our events manager on 868 8055 orfunctions@emeraldhotel.co.nz.

The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run 2011: This annual event will kick off at Marina Park on 13 November at 8:30am and Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti would like this to be the most colourful and vibrant community event ever! So we are encouraging everyone to round up friends, family and workmates and make it a challenge – it’s a scenic 5km or 10.5km course in the city and along our beautiful riverside walkways. There are entry specials for groups – individuals 16 years and over $20; groups of 10 people $180.  More information can be found atwww.sportgisborne.org.nz or by contacting Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, 74 Grey Street, First Floor – Post Office Building, 868 9943.

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR expert: If you want to start using web-savvy PR and marketing to build your profile, attract more customers and grow your business, then sign up to my weekly newsletter (it’s FREE!).

The week ahead: Today is the last day of October, which means it’s just 33 days until the Christmas Parade and only 54 days until Christmas! With temperatures rising and sun hours increasing, summer is well and truly on its way. This is a gentle reminder that we need to get our CBD ready for the influx of visitors. I have already seen some businesses advertising “summer hours” which is great. The feeling from locals I talked to after the Wine and Food Festival weekend was that many visitors would love to come back – so send out an invitation to your friends to enjoy some more Gisborne hospitality and maybe a wine or two.

Changes in the CBD: It’s great to see buildings such as the Bain & Sheppard building finally completed. This heritage building now stands tall and proud in the CBD, so congratulations to all concerned. There is a lot more activity due in the CBD soon – I will bring you more details next week.

Christmas Parade: The parade is planned for Saturday 3 December at 4pm with the theme “Christmas at the Beach”. You can have a lot of fun with this, so get your team, business or group together and start planning now. Entry forms and rules are on our website www.heartofgisborne.org.nz or email Jade@heartofgisborne.org.nz for more details. We already have a lot of interest so don’t leave it until the last minute. We will also be delivering road closure notices to all affected businesses this week. This closure has been advertised in The Gisborne Herald and is the same route as last year.

Office Stars of the week: This week’s Office Star of the week is Mary Toroa of Addictions Services – Community Mental Health at Tairawhiti District Health. Mary was nominated for always being a calming influence in her extremely busy work office, dealing with clients queries and staff interruptions with ease, and being a pleasure to work with. Congratulations Mary! You can nominate someone for our Office Star of the week here.

Parting thought: “People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent.”  — Bob Dylan,

START PLANNING FOR:

*** Heart of Gisborne Annual Children’s Christmas Parade – Saturday 3 December 2011 – 4pm

*** Late-night Christmas shopping – Thursday 22 December 2011 – until 8pm

On the Street – your news and views=========================

Glaucoma check: Specsavers would like to advise all readers of the Monday Memo and their friends and families that Glaucoma NZ is giving a FREE information presentation about Glaucoma on Saturday 12 November from 10am-11.30am at the Quality Hotel Emerald (Taruheru Room) on Gladstone Road. If you would like to understand more about glaucoma or have friends or family members who are affected by glaucoma, then come along to this free presentation by eye specialist, Dr Mike O’Rourke. All are welcome!

Christmas Function at the Grill Room: Enjoy our Traditional Christmas Buffet by Chef Stephan Kellermann with all the trimmings including roast turkey, roast beef, leg of lamb, fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, fresh fish as well as our famous desserts and much more every Friday and Saturday night starting on 11 November. For groups of 40 or more our events centre is available. For more information, visit www.emeraldhotel.co.nz or contact our events manager on 868 8055 orfunctions@emeraldhotel.co.nz.

Jo Seagar visits Gisborne THIS WEEK: See celebrity chef Jo Seagar at the Lawson Field Theatre, Saturday 5 November at 7pm. Tickets are just $20 from Paper Plus with all proceeds going to Gisborne Palliative Care. You’ll enjoy complimentary drinks and food samples from Jo’s latest book, Italia. Seats for this entertaining evening are strictly limited so get your ticket today!

Photographer Stephen Robinson at The Bookshop Café: Stephen Robinson, photographer for books such as Rural Delivery and New Zealand Artists @ Work, will be talking about his photography and books on Thursday 10 November at The Bookshop Café from 5.30pm. $5 cover charge for wine and nibbles.

Michael Cooper celebrates his new wine guide:  Wine writer, Michael Cooper, will be celebrating the release of his 20th Edition of Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines.  This will be held at the Gisborne Wine Centre on Monday 14 November from 5.30 pm. Tickets are $25 available from Muirs Bookshop. Tickets are strictly limited so be quick!

The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run 2011: This event is on November 13, 8:30am at the Marina Park and Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti would like this to be the most colourful and vibrant community event ever! So we are encouraging everyone to round up friends, family and workmates and make it a challenge – it’s a scenic 5km or 10.5km course in the city and along our beautiful riverside walkways. There are entry specials for groups – individuals 16 years and over $20; groups of 10 people $180.  More information can be found at www.sportgisborne.org.nz or by contacting Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, 74 Grey Street, First Floor – Post Office Building, 06 868 9943.

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR expert: If you want to start using web-savvy PR and marketing to build your profile, attract more customers and grow your business, then sign up to my weekly newsletter (it’s FREE!).

The week ahead: What a weekend! I set up a fan zone in my street, invited the neighbours and watched for 80 very nervous minutes until that moment when we knew the Cup was ours. Well done ABs! People watched the game at locations all over Gisborne, including Waiohika Estate after the very successful Gisborne Wine and Food Festival. The event attracted 1000s of visitors to the city who supported our CBD by shopping, having a coffee and dining out during their stay. I feel that we may all need help next weekend as we sit in front of the TV with no rugby… maybe it’s time to crank up the BBQ and enjoy what Gisborne does best – summer!

City Manager: This role has not yet been filled. The committee received many applications and is still working on a final appointment. As I have several projects on the go including the Christmas Parade, the Heart of Gisborne committee has appointed an assistant, Jade Lister-Baty, to cover this period. Please welcome Jade to the Heart of Gisborne office – her email address is jade@heartofgisborne.org.nz.

Late night promotion: This is now gaining some momentum. Over the next few weeks, we will be in touch with retailers in the CBD to discuss the options with you. This is planned for Thursday 22 December until 8pm.

Office Stars of the week: A big congratulations goes to our first Office Star Team of the week – the entire team at HB Williams Memorial Library! You can nominate someone for our Office Star of the week here.

Parting thought: I would normally put some words of wisdom in this slot but how can you put the smile from Graham Henry in words? Well done boys.

START THINKING ABOUT:

*** Heart of Gisborne Annual Children’s Christmas Parade – Saturday 3 December 2011 – 4pm

We will be starting work on this in the next week. More information next week.

*** Late-night Christmas shopping – Thursday 22 December 2011 – until 8pm SEE ABOVE

On the Street – your news and views=========================

Juve news desk: Are you wearing the same makeup as you were 10-20 years ago? Do you need inspiration? Well help is at hand when Natalie, our fantastic makeup artist from Jane Iredale, arrives from Auckland on 7 November. Natalie will colour match your makeup and teach you easy tips and tricks to create a flawless look. This fun and interactive workshop includes a fab door prize and is just $25. Spaces are limited so book now to avoid disappointment on 867 1234 or by visiting www.juve.co.nz.

Glaucoma check: Specsavers would like to advise all the readers of the Tuesday Triumph and their friends and families that Glaucoma NZ is giving a FREE information presentation about Glaucoma on Saturday 12 November from 10am-11.30am at the Quality Hotel Emerald (Taruheru Room) on Gladstone Road. If you would like to understand more about glaucoma or have friends or family members who are affected by glaucoma, then come along to this free presentation by eye specialist, Dr Mike O’Rourke. All are welcome!

Christmas Function at the Grill Room: Enjoy our Traditional Christmas Buffet by Chef Stephan Kellermann with all the trimmings including roast turkey, roast beef, leg of lamb, fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, fresh fish as well as our famous desserts and much more every Friday and Saturday night starting on 11 November. For groups of 40 or more our events centre is available. For more information, visit www.emeraldhotel.co.nz or contact our events manager on 868 8055 orfunctions@emeraldhotel.co.nz.

Jo Seagar visits Gisborne: See celebrity chef Jo Seagar at the Lawson Field Theatre, Saturday 5 November at 7pm. Tickets are just $20 from Paper Plus with all proceeds going to Gisborne Palliative Care. You’ll enjoy complimentary drinks and food samples from Jo’s latest book, Italia. Seats for this entertaining evening are strictly limited so get your ticket today!

Book Lovers evening at the Bookshop Café: Anna Aplin from Allen & Unwin and Stacey Kirk from Random House will be discussing upcoming books for Christmas and their favourites available now at Muirs Bookshop, Tuesday 25 October, 5.30pm-7pm. You’ll also receive discounts on any purchases on the night.

An evening of photography: Stephen Robinson, photographer for books such as Rural Delivery and New Zealand Artists @ Work, will be talking about his photography and books on Thursday 10 November at The Bookshop Café from 5.30pm. $5 cover charge for wine and nibbles.

The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run 2011: This event is on November 13, 8:30am at the Marina Park and Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti would like this to be the most colourful and vibrant community event ever! So we are encouraging everyone to round up friends, family and workmates and make it a challenge – it’s a scenic 5km or 10.5km course in the city and along our beautiful riverside walkways. There are entry specials for groups – individuals 16 years and over $20; groups of 10 people $180.  More information can be found at www.sportgisborne.org.nz or by contacting Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, 74 Grey Street, First Floor – Post Office Building, 06 868 9943.

Lazyboy fundraiser: Tairawhiti District Health nurses Sue, Kirsty, Wendy and Jessie plan to run/cycle around 100km in the Coast Duathalon on 5 November to raise money for new LazyBoys for the Planet Sunshine children’s ward. The LazyBoys are used on Planet Sunshine every night by parents staying over with sick kids in hospital. If you are interested in sponsoring the nurses, email your pledge to sue.cranston@tdh.org.nz.

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR consultant: With the buzz of World Cup glory still in the air, it seems only fitting to focus this week’s newsletter on success, turning your own successes into free publicity for your business, and how to leverage your PR efforts so that you make hay while the sun shines! Sign up here (it’s free!)

The week ahead: Last night’s outstanding semi-final performance by the All Blacks has the entire country in high spirits and this is set to continue as the long weekend approaches. Not only do we have all the excitement of the Rugby World Cup final to look forward to, the Gisborne Wine and Food Festival is sure to bring an influx of visitors into our city for what promises to be a wonderful event at Waiohika Estate on Sunday.

Police now on the beat: It was great to see the article in The Gisborne Herald regarding Senior Constable Russell Holmes’ new role as cop on the beat. This initiative from Area Commander, inspector Sam Aberahama, is a great show of support for the CBD and, along with City Watch, is going to make a big difference to our city. Heart to Gisborne is working closely with both initiatives to make Gisborne CBD safe. Please welcome Russell as you see him around the city.

Blue View (a new column from our cop on the beat, Russell Holmes): The object of Operation Hardline is to reduce the incidence of burglary, vehicle offences and disorder committed by juveniles during the school holiday periods. Hence, additional staff from both the Community Services and Youth Services side of the police will maintain a high visual presence in the CBD over this period. The close circuit cameras monitoring the CBD will be viewed during business hours by police volunteers, in addition to peak periods when they are normally monitored.  Due to the vigilance of the City Watch members, this has already led to the arrest of an adult female offender on the 13 October in relation to a series of thefts from retail shops within the heart of the CBD.

Late night promotion: Thanks for all your feedback about the proposed late night shopping night on Thursday 22December when you will all be asked to stay open until 8pm. It appears that many retailers are already planning for this busy period, which is great to see. However, some are leaving their planning a little late – time is marching on so my suggestion is to look at your hours and maximise this busy seasonal opportunity.

Pacific Dawn cruise call: Despite the poor weather, the visit by Pacific Dawn last Tuesday was a success with around 800 passengers coming ashore. Heart of Gisborne put on a bus to take these people into town and while many walked, we transported over 500 people to and from the city. They were very appreciative of this bus service and many were seen with local shopping bags. I talked with several retailers who detected an increase in business. While not every shop was going to benefit from the visit, I saw some shops make an extra effort and I am sure they were rewarded.

Santa’s coming to town: Several proactive retailers have taken up the opportunity to have Santa in their shop for a photo opportunity with the kids in the lead up to Christmas. If you have a retail shop on the main street that has a bit of space and you would like some extra foot traffic, email jmackintosh@mediaworks.co.nz for more information and associated costs. Get in early as there are limited spots.

What’s Open Eating Guide: This guide will show locals and visitors what days you are open and when. Make sure your place is listed by emailing Joe Hutley joehutley@radionetwork.co.nz.

Welcome to Bed, Bath & Beyond: As we head into the busy Christmas period, it is great to see empty shops filling up. Bed Bath and Beyond is now open at 241 Gladstone. Welcome to the Heart of Gisborne!

Shopping and Dining Guides are out: These guides are out in shops and proving very popular with locals and visitors alike. If you are an advertiser in the guide and need more copies, contact Glenda Stokes, advertising manager at The Gisborne Herald, on 869 0617.

Office Star of the week: This week’s Office Star is Louisa Chapman of the Emerald Beauty Spa. Louisa was nominated for being organized, professional and going the extra mile for staff and clients. Congratulations Louisa! You can nominate someone for our Office Star of the week here.

Parting thought: “I thought today was an outstanding performance. I thought the boys were very heroic out there. I’m very proud of them.” – Graham Henry

START THINKING ABOUT:

*** Heart of Gisborne Annual Children’s Christmas Parade – Saturday 3 December 2011 – 4pm

We will be starting work on this in the next week. More information next week.

*** Late-night Christmas shopping – Thursday 22 December 2011 – until 8pm SEE ABOVE

On the Street – your news and views=========================

Juve news desk: Top makeup artists recommend having a makeover/lesson once a year with an expert, as they will interpret your face differently. For only $25 for two hours you can have this experience. Come and update your look for a radiant new you with our Jane Iredale makeup artist. Bookings are essential and spaces are limited. Call 867 1234 or visit www.juve.co.nz.

The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run 2011: This fantastic event kicks off at 8.30am on 13 November at Marina Park and Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti would like this to be the most colourful and vibrant community event ever! So we are encouraging everyone to round up friends, family and workmates and take up the challenge of this scenic 5km or 10.5km course through the city and along our beautiful riverside walkways. There are Earlybird entry specials if your entry is completed by 14 October.  More information can be found atwww.sportgisborne.org.nz or by contacting Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, 74 Grey Street, First Floor – Post Office Building, 868 9943.

Emerald Beauty Spa marathon offer: Emerald Beauty Spa is offering a 20% discount on any services for those participating in The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run 2011. All you need to do is to bring your registration number or form in to get the discount. We will also be there on the day. Contact Louise Britz on 868 9179 or visit www.ebspa.co.nz.

Jo Seagar visits Gisborne: See celebrity chef Jo Seagar at the Lawson Field Theatre, Saturday 5 November at 7pm. Tickets are just $20 from Paper Plus with all proceeds going to Gisborne Palliative Care. You’ll enjoy complimentary drinks and food samples from Jo’s latest book, Italia. Seats for this entertaining evening are strictly limited so get your ticket today!

Gisborne Wine & Food Festival 2011: Just a reminder that this festival is being held at Waiohika Estate this Sunday from 12.30pm-11.30pm. The Rugby World Cup final will be shown live on the big screen, so make sure you get your ticket before this popular event sells out! Click here for more information.

Book Lovers evening at the Bookshop Café: Anna Aplin from Allen & Unwin and Stacey Kirk from Random House will be discussing upcoming books for Christmas and their favourites available now at Muirs Bookshop, Tuesday 25 October, 5.30pm-7pm. You’ll also receive discounts on any purchases on the night.

From Emma Lawrence, Web-Savvy PR Consultant: Every business has a story to tell about its products or services – the trick is to create a story that resonates with your customers and makes a lasting impact. In this week’s newsletter, you’ll learn how to use compelling storytelling to promote your business, build long-term customer relationships and stand out from the crowd. Sign up here (it’s free!)

Emerald Conference Centre Special: We have a great special for October only! If you book and host an event with catering at the Emerald Conference Centre, we will give you the room hire FREE OF CHARGE. This is a saving of between $200 and $950. Don’t miss out – this offer is for October only and spaces are limited! Contact Holly,functions@emeraldhotel.co.nz or 869 1290

The week ahead: Many of the food, liquor and hospitality outlets had a flurry of activity prior to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals over the weekend, and with the France/Wales and All Blacks/Wallabies semifinal showdowns to look forward to, it’s only going to get better! Hopefully this week will also be a busy one for city retailers with the arrival of the Pacific Dawn Cruise ship – see below for more details about this visit.

Late night promotion: Last week I asked if retailers supported the late night shopping night on Thursday 22 December when you will all be asked to stay open until 8pm. I have had just 8 replies from 350 business contacts, and 6 of those are open anyway. It’s a bit hard to gauge support on this low response. Do I assume that you all want to be open until 8pm?  Please email me yes or no and the reason behind your decision to ken@heartofgisborne.org.nz by Friday 14October.

Pacific Dawn cruise call: The P&O cruise ship, Pacific Dawn, will be here this Tuesday carrying 2000 international and domestic passengers. Whether these visitors are able to come ashore is dependent on the weather and the captain will make his decision on Tuesday morning. It is still possible some visitors will still come into the city even if the weather isn’t all that nice, just not as many as expected. The long range forecast  for Tuesday is: MAX 24°C, MIN 13°C. Occasional rain. Gusty north easterlies.

Shuttle Bus for cruise ship visitors: Heart of Gisborne is putting on a special 25 seater bus to take Pacific Dawn visitors to and from town so they can enjoy our city and spend a little while they look. It will take them to the Bright Street bus stop in a circuit back to the wharf.

Santa’s coming to town: A reminder that Christmas is not far away so to have a wonderful Christmassy feel to our city this year, we will have our own Santa. Heart of Gisborne has arranged a two-week campaign with Mediaworks when Santa will be in various stores for a photo opportunity with the kids. If you have a retail shop on the main street that has a bit of space and you would like some extra foot traffic, email jmackintosh@mediaworks.co.nz for more information and associated costs. Get in early as there are limited spots.

What’s Open Eating Guide: Another reminder about the What’s Open Eating Guide. Heart of Gisborne in conjunction with The Radio Network will be putting together the What’s Open Eating Guide with some interesting twists such as QRS codes that will drive visitors to your door. If you’re in the hospitality business, this guide will show locals and visitors what days you are open and when. To be part of this, email Joe Hutley joehutley@radionetwork.co.nz. Make sure your place is listed.

On the move: The rumour mill has been working overtime as we see many old shops getting a facelift. All will be revealed when these retailers move into their newer, brighter premises. I can’t say much, other than this will bring a sparkle to a few eyes! These moves are great for our city as it smartens up some tired stores with exciting shop fronts.

Office Stars of the week: This week’s Office Stars are Luan Rose and Sue Walker of  Midlands Health Network. They were nominated for “their bright smiley faces at reception, great phone answering skills, and help throughout the day”. Congratulations Luan and Sue! You can nominate someone for our Office Star of the week here.

Shopping and Dining Guides are out: The latest Shopping & Dining Guides are now available from The Gisborne Herald and the i-site. Copies will be distributed to those who have advertised – if you would like to have a few copies at your business please come into The Gisborne Herald and we can supply you with some. For more information, contact Glenda Stokes, advertising manager at The Gisborne Herald, on 869 0617.

Parting thought: My parting thought last week was unusually timely as Steve Jobs passed away that same week. The reason behind my timing was the same as Tui’s “Job’s Done” billboard – a complete coincidence. I am not even an Apple person, but as I read a little more about the creativity of this man, it was also pointed out that with all his successes that we know about, there is a bin full of projects that have quietly been forgotten about. You can Google this for yourself, but my point is that unless you are pushing boundaries and leading from the front, you are only copying others.

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” – Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

START THINKING ABOUT:

*** Heart of Gisborne Annual Children’s Christmas Parade – Saturday 3 December 2011 – 4pm

*** Late-night Christmas shopping – Thursday 22 December 2011 – until 8pm SEE ABOVE

On the Street – your news and views=========================

The Gisborne Herald Quarter Marathon and 5km Fun Run 2011: This fantastic event kicks off at 8.30am on 13 November at Marina Park and Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti would like this to be the most colourful and vibrant community event ever! So we are encouraging everyone to round up friends, family and workmates and take up the challenge of this scenic 5km or 10.5km course through the city and along our beautiful riverside walkways. There are Earlybird entry specials if your entry is completed by 14 October.  More information can be found atwww.sportgisborne.org.nz or by contacting Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, 74 Grey Street, First Floor – Post Office Building, 868 9943.

Gisborne Wine & Food Festival 2011: Congratulations to Juve at 24 Lowe Street for being the lucky winner of the $1000 Cash Prize Draw in the Gisborne Wine & Food Festival 2011 Poster Display Promotion! Gisborne Wine would like to extend a huge thank you to all 110 Gisborne CBD retail stores who participated in this promo and in doing so directly supported our local Gisborne Wine & Food Festival. With only 750 tickets remaining please remind your friends and family to get in quick before this event sells out!

Fashion for your fingers: Nail Glamour is offering two free OPI Gel Nails so you can test them out before you buy.  OPI French Polish and Shape for $55 or an OPI Colour Polish and Shape for $45 (both treatments include fingers and toes).  For more information, view Nail Glamour’s nail art at www.facebook.com/NailGlamourGisborne or contact us on 868 3456 or 021 627 233. Nail Glamour is located at 12 Kahutia Street in the Taha Fitness building.

Geoff Tune Exhibition: PAULNACHE, in association with Gisborne’s Tairawhiti Museum & Art Gallery, presents Geoff Tune – Tracing the Seasons 1967-2011 Retrospective. Exhibition opening and book launch is at 5.30pm on Friday 14 October beginning at Tairawhiti Museum & Art Gallery, Kelvin Rise, 10 Stout Street, Gisborne before concluding to PAULNACHE Upstairs 89 Grey Street Gisborne. Free transport will be provided from the Museum from 6:45pm. Floortalk with Geoff Tune and art historian, Professor Michael Dunn on 11am Saturday 15 October at Tairawhiti Museum & Art Gallery.

New menu at 1874 Café: James at 1874 Café has a delicious new breakfast, lunch and pizza menu starting Tuesday. The new menu features fresh local produce and is the perfect summer dining experience, so make sure you try it out and say Heart of Gisborne sent you!

Juve news desk: As a proud community supporter of the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, Juve has a fantastic “Think Pink” facial for only $85 (usually $111) with $5 going towards the fight against breast cancer. The “Think Pink” facial includes a classic facial, a FREE lash tint and brow shape, a FREE hand or scalp massage and also a take home FREE 15ml Gentle Facial Exfoliant. Make an appointment today by visiting Juve at 24 Lowe Street or contacting the team on 867 1234 or rejuvenate@juve.co.nz.

From Emma Lawrence, Web-Savvy PR Consultant: LinkedIn is the only major social network devoted entirely to business, yet many of us aren’t making the most of this powerful tool to drive traffic to our websites and generate leads. In this week’s newsletter, I’ll be showing you how you can ramp up your LinkedIn profile – starting with a few basic tips that will instantly optimize your search ranking. Sign up here (it’s free!).

The week ahead: After an action-packed weekend of sport, it’s time to get back to work and focus on having a positive and prosperous week! Heart of Gisborne’s committee is in the process of conducting more interviews for our city manager position. We’ve had a great response and hope to make our final decision over the next couple of weeks, so watch this space.

Late night promotion: Heart of Gisborne is planning one late night shopping event on Thursday 22 December when you will all be asked to stay open until 8pm. A late night shopping event is a fantastic opportunity for you to all capitalise on the busiest shopping month of the year – all the large retailers will be open dragging customers into town as they do every year, so it’s important for you to be part of this action. Based on your feedback from last year, we’ve opted for just one late night shopping event instead of several. However, it’s important that I find out the level of support for this event as we don’t want to run a campaign to get people into town, only to have many stores closed. Please email me yes or no and the reason behind your decision to ken@heartofgisborne.org.nz by Friday 7 October. We need to have support from at least 70% of our members to go ahead with this campaign.

Pacific Dawn cruise call: Just a reminder that the P&O cruise ship, Pacific Dawn, is in Gisborne on Tuesday 11 October. Two thousand international and domestic visitors will be exploring our city, so let’s give them a warm welcome. If you are in the hospitality industry or have a shop that is popular with visitors, then please consider your staffing levels so that you are well prepared and make the most of this sudden influx of tourists.

Santa’s coming to town: We want our town to have a wonderful Christmassy feel to it this year and what better way to do that than by having our own Santa? Heart of Gisborne has arranged a two-week campaign with Mediaworks when Santa will be in various stores for a photo opportunity with the kids. If you have a retail shop on the main street that has a bit of space and you would like some extra foot traffic, email jmackintosh@mediaworks.co.nz for more information and associated costs.

What’s Open Eating Guide: Based on the success of last year’s guide, Heart of Gisborne in conjunction with The Radio Network will be putting together the What’s Open Eating Guide with some interesting twists such as QRS codes that will drive visitors to your door. If you’re in the hospitality business, this guide will show locals and visitors what days you are open and when. To be part of this, email Joe Hutley joehutley@radionetwork.co.nz.

Office Star of the week: This week’s Office Star is Gabrielle Fox of Juve. Gabrielle has been named Finalist – Best Therapist New Zealand, which reflects the high caliber of skincare and treatments she provides. Congratulations Gabrielle! You can nominate someone for our Office Star of the week here.

Survey says economic confidence is lifting:  The latest Westpac McDermott Miller regional economic confidence survey has shown that economic confidence among Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay households has grown over the past three months and is now sitting just above the national average. According to the survey, 23 percent of households in these areas are expecting good economic times over the year ahead, which is great to see! Source: The Gisborne Herald

Parting thought: “The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” – Steve Jobs

START THINKING ABOUT:

*** Heart of Gisborne Annual Children’s Christmas Parade – Saturday 3 December 2011 – 4pm

*** Late-night Christmas shopping – Thursday 22 December 2011 – until 8pm SEE ABOVE

On the Street – your news and views=========================

New menu at 1874 Café: James at 1874 Café has a delicious new breakfast, lunch and pizza menu starting Tuesday. The new menu features fresh local produce and is the perfect summer dining experience, so make sure you try it out and say Heart of Gisborne sent you!

Affordable website design: Computerz and More Limited is offering a simple website design service at affordable prices and a special package for Heart of Gisborne members that includes a simple website of up to five pages for just $250! We can also host your site and obtain a domain name for an additional cost. So if you need to tell the world about your business, or just want a personal website for family and friends, come in and see us at Computerz and More Limited or phone 867 2667.

Puzzles and games: New educational games and puzzles are available now at the Gisborne Education Resource Centre. We have so many great Christmas gifts, so come in at see us opposite Plumbing World on Bright Street today.

From Emma Lawrence, web-savvy PR consultant: Facebook has undergone a lot of new changes over the past couple of weeks and there are more to come. Find out what they mean for you and your business with a short training video in this week’s newsletter. If you’re not already on the mailing list, you can sign up here (it’s free!).

Juve news desk: Now you can flutter and flirt by enhancing and curling your eyelashes thanks to Juve’s fantastic eyelash perm and tint. You’ll also receive a FREE eyebrow measure and shape valued at $20 and a cute purse-sized Black Ice Longest Lash Mascara. This treatment is great value at only $71, so call us now on 867 1234 or visit our website www.juve.co.nz.