“The world is just awesome.” That’s the title of the Discovery Channel video that became an online hit a few years ago when the cable television network created a promotional piece for its shows. Using the tune of the campfire song “I Love the Mountains,” the one-minute video shows stars of its shows like “Deadliest Catch” and “Dirty Jobs” singing along, explaining why the world is awesome, with the chorus line “Boom De Ah Dah.” Discovery then encouraged others to create their own videos, and so we did.

“Rejuvenate Marketplace Is Just Awesome” is our version of the Discovery Channel video, shot in a day’s time during Marketplace. Like most video projects, it was a collaborative effort by videographer Victor Albright, his assistant, Jarrod Walker, songwriter Billy Kirsch, Rejuvenate Marketplace marketing manager Emma Pitts and Rejuvenate magazine associate editor Libby Hoppe. Prior to Marketplace, Pitts worked with Billy Kirsch, one of the speakers from Marketplace, to write the script to the video. Kirsch is president of Kidbilly Music, a team-building program aimed to help associations and groups work together to create a song, which in turn teaches them to work together as a team. Creating the “Rejuvenate Marketplace Is Just Awesome” video turned into one big team-building exercise, as Marketplace attendees, speakers and Collinson Media staff worked together to produce the video.

Albright shot his first movie on his parents’ Hi8 camcorder, a sequel to a parody of “The Blair Witch Project” that a friend made. After making that first video, he was hooked. “Editing made it feel as if I could control time itself,” he says. He upgraded camcorders, and upgraded again, and spent much of his freshman year of college in Chelyabinsk, Russia, shooting video, which got him hooked on something else: travel. He has since visited more than 24 countries shooting video for nonprofits and mission agencies, much of it for Nashville-based Free Will Baptist International Missions, where he met Brian Ellison. Albright shot the Marketplace video on a Canon 7d, which can be difficult to do alone. Someone has to constantly adjust focus, and audio has to be recorded to a separate device. He says he couldn’t have done the Marketplace video without Walker and Libby Hoppe, who organized the shots, cued the singing and worked in a video director role. It took 11 hours to edit, which Albright says is a “short time,” and the video was ready lunchtime of the final day of the conference.

There’s a lot about Rejuvenate Marketplace that our attendees say they love, and that’s what you see in this video. Share it with your friends, and check out Albright’s other work on his website.

Read more about conventions using service projects to engage attendees here.

The Corinth Area CVB did manage to rack up awards on other accounts at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the end of February. The CVB was named “Convention Bureau of the Year” in addition to receiving three other awards.

“As far as I know, this is the first time Corinth has won CVB of the year and we’re really excited about that one,” said CVB Director Kristy White. “In fact, this is the most we’ve ever won. This was a good year for us and what really makes it wonderful is that it’s judged by our peers.”

Blessed Earth from Blessed Earth on Vimeo.

The faith-based non-profit Blessed Earth presents “Hope for Creation: A Live Simulcast Event,” with Dr. Matthew Sleeth April 21, 2010, beginning at 7:30 pm (EST). The one-hour event includes live musical performances, interactive audience participation, and an exclusive preview of forthcoming Blessed Earth video series “Hope for Creation,” which explores the biblical vision for care of the planet. View the trailer and register for the event at blessedearth.org. The site also has resources and downloads to equip churches and individuals to become better stewards of the earth including tip sheets on food, entertainment and special events that you can use for your meetings and events.

For more information, visit the company’s Web site seymourpowell.com or a CNN.com article here.

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