360PR Blog

I recently attended the Virtual Worlds Conference & Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  If you had to read that sentence twice or do a double take (the what conference?) then you probably aren’t one of the millions involved in the virtual world phenomenon. 

Virtual worlds (VWs) have become so big that there is a dedicated conference complete with panels, keynote speakers and a trade-show style expo.  Currently in its second year – but in LA for the first time – the conference attracted such big names as Academy Award-winning writer and producer, Jon Landau, and one of our clients, Steve Parkis, Senior Vice President of Disney Online.  You can check out a video of Steve’s keynote here.

The research presented represented the diverse offerings already out there with virtual worlds divided into 8 sectors – education/development; TV/films/books; sports; casual gaming; socializing/chat; toys/real world games; roleplay/fantasy/quests; and mirrorworld.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Events and Conferences, Uncategorized by Admin - 1 Comment →

We started a book club at 360PR a couple of years ago.  This summer’s selection was Peter Shankman’s Can We Do That?!.   The subtitle on the jacket calls this a book about PR stunts.  But it’s more than that.  I found the most interesting chapters focused on how to find your creative streak, too often lost among the myriad of emails and meetings we come into every day and can’t seem to get out from under.  Shankman’s team went skydiving to jumpstart their creativity.  I’m not jumping out of any planes for clients or staff (sorry guys).  But the point about getting out of the office is a good one.

My best ideas never come from the confines of my desk or our conference room.  I find the office is a great place to do the research that can lead to big ideas, or to refine the big idea and put meat on the bone.  But the big ideas inevitably come at odd hours and in odd places.  The produce aisle.  The hair salon.  Walking the dog.  “Ideas come to you when you least expect them: be ready. Not only ready to write down the idea, but ready to act on it immediately,” says Shankman. [Read more →]

Filed under: Books by LauraTomasetti - No Comments →

Last weekend, the Emerald City was the place to be if you’re a gamer (or a member of the gaming press). The annual Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) was held over the course of three days at the Seattle Convention Center. A couple of 360′s clients (Turbine, Inc. and GamerDNA, Inc.) were there, along with a boat-load of other electronic and non-electronic gaming companies, to showcase their newest game content, meet with press and, of course, to throw sweet after-parties.

Even before it started, I had a hunch that the 2008 show (now it its 5^th year) was going to be BIG. Just looking at the amount of press on the pre-registered attendee list prior to the show was a good indicator that PAX was stepping it up another notch this year.

And, as it turns out, the 2008 event smashed previous records with about 58,500 attendees! According to Gamasutra, this is over 21,000 more gamers compared to the 2007 turn-out. Next year, PAX is expected to take place in Seattle again and hopefully will do just as well as it did this year.

Are you ready for the best part? The organizers plan to launch a PAX East Coast event in 360′s hometown of Boston in 2010 – consider it officially marked on my calendar!

Filed under: Events and Conferences, Video Games by EliciaBasoli - No Comments →

The Miami Herald ran an article over the weekend posing an interesting question: Does the next president have to be tech-savvy?

While the thought of the president “poking” on Facebook from the Oval Office incites fears of a Mark Foley scandal repeat (or worse, a breach in national security), the fact remains that computers have become a cultural litmus test in politics and in the real world. As the New York Times eloquently put it, “Proficiency with them suggests a basic familiarity with the day-to-day experience of most Americans – just as ignorance to them can suggest someone is “out of touch,” or “old.”

[Read more →]

Filed under: Digital PR, Internet, Social Media by Admin - 1 Comment →