FreeThink Blog

Public speaking can strike fear in even the most talented communicators. While many offer a valuable perspective, sometimes the pressure of the audience prevents them from articulating that insight into a clear message. Other times, speakers are bitten by the “Mr. Wonderful” bug and try to be too perfect.

The average American checks their phone every 6 minutes. Yep, that’s me at a conference. Don’t get me wrong. I also network and exchange business cards with my fellow professionals, but when I’m not shaking hands and meeting new people, I’m scanning the conference hashtag stream for the latest observations. 

Last week I had the opportunity to hear several brilliant people speak at the PRSA Communicators Conference at the Governor Hotel in Portland. With the likes of Shel Holtz, Lee Odden and even Maxwell’s own Jen Maxwell-Muir speaking, there was a lot to take in. However, one presenter’s message in particular seemed to really stick with me, former Sports Broadcaster Ann Schatz.

The Answer is Yes. I wish the creative services industry would call a truce already. Instead the debate still rages: who should own social media? PR or advertising? If ever there was a case for the “Yes, and” approach, this is it.

Okay, maybe I wouldn’t go that far, but festival-goers at the Northwest Cherry Festival in The Dalles couldn’t get enough of the sweet, bite-sized fruit on April 27. At Maxwell, we work with a variety of clients, but Oregon Cherry Growers (OCG) is definitely one of the sweetest!

It's "crush" time here at Maxwell. Months of vigorous planning and promotion all culminates next week with the first annual Portland Bubbles Week, a city-wide celebration of sparkling wine with Argyle Winery.

Earlier this month, a few of us at Maxwell were fortunate enough to attend the Food + Agriculture Media Project at Ecotrust here in Portland. The event included presentations from journalists and writers, as well as opportunities for group discussions and small workshops. 

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Annual Conference is the Holy Grail for those of us in the food and beverage industry. Where else can one be surrounded by authors of the hottest cookbooks on the market, editors of the top food & beverage magazines, chefs from around the world, photographers and stylists, and fellow food marketers – all sharing experiences and learning together?

Do you have a nose for news, a passion for helping organizations tell their stories and college degree in communications, journalism or PR? If so, consider applying for our summer internship position. Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask are musts.

Last week, Oregon’s tourism professionals – from Tourism Commissioners to B&B owners, tour operators to crabbers – gathered together at the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism to share insights and ideas towards the ongoing goal of making the Oregon experience unforgettable.

My colleagues and I visted Salem last week for the Oregon Governor's Conference on Tourism. This highly collaborative annual gathering of the tourism and hospitality industry members focuses on ways to help hotels, destinations and attractions attract more visitors and grow their businesses. 

As Albert Einstein put it so succinctly, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” When it comes to measuring PR results, we couldn’t agree more. It’s critical to include qualitative elements to measure communications effectiveness. Just as a tailored approach enables us to generate outstanding media coverage, each situation requires a customized evaluation system to ensure you’re tracking what really matters. 

Well hello there. Matthew Domingo is my name, and I am the newest of the new members of the Maxwell PR team. To say my road to Maxwell has been an interesting one would be an understatement.

Oh, hey there! I’m Haley, Maxwell’s newest intern. I’m one of Portland’s newest residents too – fresh off the I-5 from Northern California two weeks ago! The climate is pretty similar to my hometown, but everything else is quite a change. I’m looking forward to all of the eating I’ll be doing at some pretty fantastic restaurants.

International tourism in Oregon is booming, and yet it seems not all local companies understand how to take full advantage. That’s where our clients, Travel Oregon, come in. They’ve just launched a beautiful new tourism industry website which connects interested businesspeople with information and the opportunity to collaborate on programs that boost regional travel.