A Charmer: In & Out Of The Office.

The M&a headquarters can tend to get a bit wild, but we have it all under control with our salesforce.com specialist on the Lexus account: Mike; whom is a real life snake charmer. It takes more than a few uneasy reptiles to frighten Mike. He has even had an article written about him in the “Highland Originals” magazine, quoted as aptly explaining that his volunteer work at WIRES is rewarded when “ordinary people learn extraordinary things.” Way to go Mike! Akin to rescuing reptiles, Mike often puts his problem solving skills to work in the agency. Whether setting free an animal or deciphering computer malfunctions, Mike sure loves what he does.

And The Beat Goes On.

Another roaring hit. More than expected arrived for the two Trend Micro luncheons, held in Melbourne and Sydney last week.

Attendees were dazzled by the juggling circus performers who greeted guests as they entered. The giveaway bags, equipped with lollies, mini CD’s packed with informative info and 3 colorful Trend Micro juggling balls, proved to be an enormous hit as the Key note speaker, Steve Quane, revealed himself as quite an expert juggler.

The luncheon was closed with guests attempting to juggle their complementary gifts. Thus creating a visual parallel to the theme of an instant cloud environment.

Smashing job Pat and the M&a team for delivering exceptional event for our happy client Vannessa McCamley, Channel Marketing Manager, at Trend Micro!

Wait, with baited breath, for our filmed clips of the Melbourne event, coming soon.

Hydration.

It was the year 2000, in New York City, a humble traveler named J Darius Bikoff was on his way to yoga class. He washed down a vitamin-C tablet with a swig of water, the simple mouthful inspired him to transform it into a beverage that changed the beverage industry forever.

After a decade, this amazingly delicious drink has filtered its way through to many different lands. From the United States to Britain, Canada, Portugal, South Africa, Australia, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China (just to name a few….). Now Vitamin water has trickled through to Singapore.

Vitamin Water was launched on 26th November at ION Sky, the secret observation platform standing at 218m above ground. The night of great celebration was flooded by excitement in that; finally the people of Singapore now too had a taste of the drink that has rocked the world. There was no drought of celebrities or fashionistas at the event. Everyone was impressed and delighted by the splash of color Vitamin Water drenched the scene with.

M&a Singapore’s own stars; Pat & Phil, attended the event as part of the internal team for Vitamin Water. Like vitamins and water, M&a and FMCG seem to also be a perfect pairing.

Chameleons in The Ivy.

Novell guests stepped out of the Ivy Penthouse elevator’s and were engulfed, for the evening, by the jungle paradise created by the M&a team. Novell’s tenth birthday celebration transported all who attended to another world. Attendees marveled at the terrarium in the shower, complete with two frill neck lizards, and the shark fish that inhabited the marble bath.

The lavish surroundings were further complemented by the assortment of canapés on offer. A live oyster bar was opulently presented, (oyster shucker equipped) along with platters of beef carpaccio, roast lamb cutlets, semolina gnocchi and more. No hunting to keep hydrated around the ivy jungle was necessary; with the Green Apple Tom Collins and Pisco Pomme cocktails, and a selection of wine and beer, flowing like the central waterfall.

The highlight of the night was a beautiful meter long custom made chameleon cake that was so life like one would have been forgiven for confusing it with one of the real reptiles present in the room.

The Tarzan of the event was definitely Helen; who, despite sporting torn ligaments and pulled muscles, continued to be the king, or should we say queen, of the jungle. Along with Helen, the M&a crew (consisting of Cilla, Mel and James) carried the event off with cougar like precision.

Hip Hip Hooray!

All eyes were on Trend as the Ring Master of Security at VForum.

Roll Up, Roll Up!

Most Appealing Booth Award; say what! That’s right folks! When our powers combine we create an organised extravaganza!

M&a creative team, comprised of Glenn, Carl and Greg (the ringleader), paired with Helen’s and Cilla’s amazing management skills, resulted in the Trend Micro booth being the most entertaining and popular at this year’s VForum in Sydney. No mean feat!

The highly accredited VMware vExpert sang high praises of the Trend Micro booth and awarded it with the ‘Most Appealing Booth Award’. In reference to the Trend Micro Virtual Carnival theme; “This award recognises the booth that stands out and draws you to it, with so many booths it becomes a blur. Something different must greet the eye.

The award goes to Trend Micro for their appealing Carnival theme, from a distance you could see it wasn’t your ordinary booth. With the space limitations and sundry restrictions placed by event organisers it takes effort to stand out.”

Over 4000 attendees corralled around the Trend Micro spectacle!

Congratulations to Stani from Trend Micro for truly celebrating ‘Security In The Cloud’ with style and creating a fantastical spectacular!

For extended information on the event follow these links;

http://www.demitasse.co.nz/wordpress2/

http://rodos.haywood.org/2010/10/vforum-sydney-solution-exchange-booth.html

Give me a ‘P’. Give me an ‘A’. Give me a ‘T’. What does it spell? – PROMOTION!!

After several client acquisitions in the IT&T sector, the FMCG, and the FSI, M&a team member, Patricia Lim is cart-wheeling up the ranks. Pat has spring-boarded and landed the New Account Director Role for M&a Singapore!

Patricia will be the key Account contact , overseeing all new and existing accounts. For all client services contact Patricia Lim on +6563230287. A constant cheerleader for M&a. Congratulations Pat.

GO TEAM!

The Ringleader!

Enter, enter, step right up folks and witness what amazing fun it is to work at M&a. Scott gives a literal interpretation to his role of ringleader as he adorns the costume, fit with top hat and whip. It is a carnival of delights everyday in this office- and don’t worry- no employees were whipped during the making of this blog.

Safety With Style At M&a.

Hot to trot! Renny (Official Fire warden), Pru and Ian are rocking their fire crash-helmets around the office, whilst updating themselves with the latest fire and safety procedures. Armed with flame retardant head gear and an able extinguisher, it shall take a fair bit more than a fire to hold up the M&a team!

Want to know a Secret?

Which fantastic/amazing/incredible/fun marketing organisation has just been signed to be the supplier of marketing/event/advertising/data/creative & communication services to 5 new clients in Singapore? Can't guess - it's M&a! That’s right we can't share the brands just yet but they are diverse including a major Drink Company, a Networking Company, a Utility Company, A Bank and even a Telecommunication Company. What a selection of global and regional companies that see incredible benefit in dealing with a complete service provider that delivers across Asia Pacific and has the Business to Business skills that will allow them to grow! Stay tuned for the update where we will announce the clients and their campaigns!

Shoes Of The Week.

With Mel rocking the Kazbah in these stunning heels- stuff is getting done! Loving what we do and loving these shoes!

FUN TIMES- STAFF PARTAY!

M&a has organising an event down to a fine art and last Thursday the staff reaped the benefits! The gang warmed up for the staff party with a long jump competition in the office; and the night only escalated in leaps and bounds from there. With French Martini’s, party gags and regal thrones, the M&a team had a hooter of a night. Each getting assigned with a personalised Mr Men persona we wore our character lanyards with pride through the night. There were even miniature gold trophies handed out to the 6 winners of categories voted for on the night including; best shoes and loudest laugh (the latter going to Scott of course). A huge thank you must go to Scott, Karen, Pat and Mel for making the night possible! Cheers.

Grow A Keen, Green, Tree-Renewal Machine!

M&a are offering you and your company a greener alternative for paper consumption. In association with ‘10ThousandTrees’ we are making available the option of being involved in a green legacy. The number of trees consumed through the printing process will be matched with new ones planted. If you go with this pathway, by paying a little extra for your printing service, you will ensure a sustainable future. If you feel like planting a seed for your business in this wholehearted idea then contact us at info@mccorkell for further information.

But Wait, There's More:

"Scott knows IT and telecommunications back to front and combines this with a broad range of marketing services to get bankable results."

Ashley Woodcroft - Channel Marketing Manager at Cisco

Service Category: Marketing Agency
Year first hired: 2003 (hired more than once)
Top Qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert.

Scott Loves What He Does.

It is difficult to get a grasp of how a company really runs. What do the clients experience? How do the staff communicate? And what impression does the business leave on those who have dealings with it? Well, when your boss is Scott McCorkell it’s easy!

Congeniality filters down through each tier of his business. A staff member from the next door offices said to me in the elevator “gosh your office sounds fun! We can always hear your boss laughing through the walls.” I am proud to say it is not just our team at M&a that thinks this either.

The following collation of statements speak volumes. Scott Probably wouldn’t even want me to put these comments up, however, I feel they need to be shared. They are not only lovely personal references but they are spot on descriptions of the workings of M&a.

Recommendations:

Owner/CEO
McCorkell & Associates
“I have known Scott over the last two decades where he has provided services to the organisations that I represented. I recommend him and his team to anyone who wants to ensure that the dollar they spend will impact the target audiences in a meaningful way. From the moment you meet with him, you are assured of his experience, breadth of knowledge and scope of the services that he excels in. Money well spent, but also the added value of a business partner dedicated to going beyond the brief and delighting customers with outcomes that are lasting..He also has a keen sense of humour that brings a fresh aspect to the initiatives that he and his team create.”
Top qualities: Great Results , Personable
Don Cooper-Williams
Director, marketing and Alliances Asia pacific at SAS Institute

“Sybase has used Scott and his Team at McCorkell and Associates for the past two years to organise and run the Sybase Summit in Sydney for our customers, partners and prospects. These events had over 200 delegates attend and the events ran like clockwork. Scott and his Team provided very creative themes and ensured each event was a great success.”
Top qualities: Great Results , Personable , Creative
Dereck Daymond
Managing Director, Sybase

“Scott proved to be a great sounding board for a variety of business development strategies over a number of years and roles. His comprehensive industry contacts and experience provided a wealth of resource and reference along the way. I would recommend Scott to anyone needing an honest and knowledgeable partner in marketing and business development.”
David Spencer , Director , Wacom Australia Pty Ltd

“I worked with Scott for several years and learnt many skills during my time at McCorkell & Associates. Scott has a real passion for technology and marketing. As my mentor (and manager) Scott always provided relevant guidance, support and knowledge to further my career and development.”
Bede Clifton , Business Development Manager , McCorkell & Associates

“Scott is passionate about his work and trying to deliver results to his clients. It’s not about winning awards - it’s about getting the desired results from the campaign, and he has succeeded on many occasions”
Top qualities: Expert , Good Value , Creative
Norman Krieke
Director at Samsung Electronics

“Having worked with Scott on several occasions in different roles, I have seen various sides of the man and his way of working. I count myself a friend and respect his way of doing business, caring for staff and colleagues alike, while offering and seeking accountability. He has a strong and authentic work ethic as well as enabling initiative and encouraging ownership of tasks and achievements. As he often says: any fitter and I'd rust, meaning his attitude to life is a positive affirmation.”
Paul Payten , Operations Manager , McCorkell & Associates

“Scott McCorkell is an interesting mix of all the things that make Australia a great place to do business. He is generous and gregarious by nature. He is an enthusiastic and passionate business leader and he is savvy enough to know how to show the young pups that the old dog still knows a trick or two to get things done. He surrounds himself with talented people who he gives plenty of room to show what they can do.”
Martin Conboy , Director , FooBoo

“Scott runs a very creative, reliable and results driven agency that is a pleasure to work with. Over many years I have engaged the services of M&A for numerous projects at various companies and they have always delivered over and above expectation.”
Top qualities: Great Results , Personable , Creative
John Biviano
Director, APAC Subscription at Autodesk

“Scott is a professional with great vision for what can be achieved. He is easy to work with because he makes you feel like your business is truly valued and he personally invests himself into projects to ensure objectives are achieved.

Perhaps most importantly, Scott is an all round nice guy!”
Top qualities: Great Results , Personable , Creative
Aaron Crowther
PR and Communications Manager at EMC

“Scott anticipated what is required and interpreted those requirements into creative output that went well beyond expectation. The result was the Ablaze logo which - even after five years - still stands the test of time. If anyone is looking for creative assistance, I strongly recommend they talk to Scott”
Top qualities: Great Results , Good Value , Creative
Rhonda Chandler
hired Scott as a Branding Expert

“I've worked with Scott on a number of occasions and always found him to be an astute and professional operator. He runs a great team at M&A, they are original thinkers and are results focused. We also had a lot of fun along the way.”
Glen Fraser , CEO , Euro RSCG Australia

“Mr McCorkell is one of the best bosses i have worked for... A huge charisma at personal level and at a business level, clear headed and decision leader who has a very strong business acumen.”
Ianton Tan , Campaign Manager, APAC , McCorkell & Associates

“It was certainly a pleasure to work for Scott over 4 years.
Scott's no-nonsense approached demonstrated that successful campaigns can deliver results - Registrations, Sales, Phone Calls, Brand Recall, Appointments - yet, maintain a high level of creativity.

Scott's love for the Marketing and Advertising industry is undeniable, his ability to forge long-term client relationships is real and his ability to continually evolve his business, both domestically and internally is inspiring.
Nick Smith
Marketing Strategy

“Scott has pioneered IT&T marketing in Australia, dragging brands with little to no profile into the spotlight time and again. Understanding the fundamentals of selling direct or channeling technology to market means Scott also appreciates how valuable it is to have one supplier that can manage everything, from simple leads generation to complex regional events management.”
Samantha Marks
was with another company when working with Scott

Shenanigans.

There is never a dull moment in our office. Carl has taken his title of 'Creative' to a new level. He has fashioned this glasses-suspension-device through attaching some lanyards from the ceiling. Charade!

Going The Distance.

On your marks. Get set. Oxfam!

As well as being a stayer in the office, Greg has proved he is one on foot also. On the weekend of 27-29 August, he participated in the Sydney Trailwalker. Navigating his way along the walking track in the bushland of Northern Sydney, Greg accomplished the 100km trek in 27 hours. Exhausted you say - not Greg! Sore muscles and dehydration couldn’t stop him from embracing the challenge, even loving it.

Greg's team raised over $7000 with the money going to aid Oxfam’s work in 26 countries. For more information (and any last minute donations) hop onto the website

http://www2.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/Sydney/team/305

That's How We Roll.

Continuing on with our shoe of the week blog-spots; today Alice's biker boots are featured. These ankle boots almost appear roadworthy and with Alice heading the Lexus account it seems fitting that her footwear echoes an automobile. As Alice zips around the office in these bad boys, work is being completed at a rapidly efficient rate.

M&a Have Unified With Unified Fabrics To Create:

Would you like this fellow on speed dial? Who wouldn’t! Well guess what, it is as easy as hopping onto www.cablebgone.com and thanks to Unified Fabric all of your data footprints can be minimised in one quick & easy step. As well as his knack for carrying reels of cable, Cable-B-Gone man will eliminate up to two parallel networks, give you a minimum of 15% reduction in the amount of cable you need and implement a single ubiquitous network service to support all connected devices - all you will be left with is a cable reduced data centre. Visit www.cablebegone.com now to find out more!

New Additions To Team M&a.

Introducing our three newest members of the M&a team. Arif, Mattious and Prudence joined the ranks in the past month and are each a welcome addition to the office. We have Holly training up Matti in the picture below. Arif chatting to Neil and a shot of Prudence being her docile self. A huge welcome to all!

RUCKUS: Helen "Loves What She Does!"

We are a determined type here at M&a. Helen just can’t be kept away from work. Despite Jacqui Tracey’s best efforts of assuring Helen that she has already gone above and beyond in her role Helen’s determination manages to permeate through closed doors! Moral of this story folks- M&a are the people for the job!

Mosman Under 7s on Channel 7 again! Winners are Grinners!

Another successful year for the Spain Red Mosman Under 7 Team. Harrison McCorkell and all of his team mates - Zac, Bligh, Teagan, Charlie, Tim & Declan - have had another clean sweep this year! Finishing the year off with a 6-1 win - Well done boys!

The SAS Forum Was A “Goodnight”.

With the keynote speaker, CEO of SAS; Dr Jim Goodnight, Leading the show, the SAS Forum was a hit! Filling all four floors of the Sydney Hilton function rooms, the crowd arrived on the morning of the 12th of August to soak up industry insight.
M&a’s implementation of a pre-event communications strategy for the paid event resulted in over one thousand guests in attendance.

The McCorkell team, headed by Jacqui, had everything running smoothly from start to finish. After being dazzled with a fire show that punctuated the arranged seminars and panels the guests left with an abundance of knowledge divulged by SAS speakers.

An even sweeter touch than the delicious bite sized nibbles provided were the individual SAS bags filled with information and supplies to equip each guest for the event. The forum even got a mention in the financial review on the 13th August issue. All in all a great day!

A Message From Abroad.

Even the food, culture, sun and sand of Santorini can’t make M&A’s office members forget the team. We were all chuffed to receive a post card from Belle and Amy this morning describing their Grecian adventures complete with quad bikes and donkey rides. We hope you are lapping up the sun girls. Thanks for keeping us posted!

SAS Forum 2010 Sneak Peak!

SAS Forum is on today with a huge turnout this morning.

More news to come.

It is Luxury All the Way with Lexus!

Even the staff wear unbelievable stylish shoes at Lexus to complement their great range of cars! These stunning black & White numbers arrived for a Tuesday meeting and had all the girls in the office stopping in their tracks to take a look! These are the Shoes of the week!

Working hard at M&a this week!

M&a were lucky enough this week to have hard working Jessica Browne at our office. Jessica for her work experience assisted and learnt how production, researching and planning take place in an advertising agency.

We had her write a blurb about what it is really like behind the scenes of the M&a Sydney office:

“My time at M&a was amazing! With lovely people and interesting tasks, it was hard to not enjoy myself. A BIG thank you to Cilla, my supervisor for the week, Kate for pointing me in the right direction and Scott McCorkell for making space for me for a week in M&a. You’re all amazing.”

Jessica on the right assisting M&a staff member Kate.

The Shoe of the Week!

On this horrible rainy Wednesday you'd hope you own a pair of these! Jeremy from the M&a Contact Center is the lucky owner of these shoes built for adventure!

Banners- Just one of the things we love!

Have a look at our great deal on Banners we are running at the moment. Pull-up Banners can make an impression in a matter of minutes. Just grab them out of a bag, and raise them up to impress your audience - indoors and out. Made from durable materials and with single or double sided options, Pull Up Banners are the perfect solution for all your professional display needs.

Are you in need of some new banners? To find out more contact Kate at either kate@mccorkell.com.au or (02) 9957 3666 to organise.

Macquarie Bank - "Are you the next HOTSHOT"?

Macquarie Bank has appointed M&a Singapore to manage their account locally. Our first campaign for them is to promote their Warrant Hotshot competition- 'Are you the next HOTSHOT?'.

The campaign will be seen across Singapore media through newspapers, websites and flyers. The Singapore Newspaper "The Straits Times" published the first of the ads on 19th of July. The half page ad was featured on page 11 of the paper.

Every young Hotshot is trying to win the $30,000 that is up for grabs, read about it at: http://hotshot.dbpower.com.hk/en/home_e.cgi

Best wishes to our lovely Maz!

Marilyn Atra has been with M&a since September 2005 & little Matthew to be since December 2009. She has been a great asset to M&a- her compassion, hard work and love will be missed around our office. Maz has had many great achievements here at M&a managing our clients such as Avnet, Frontline, SAS, ABA, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Ethan Group plus many others. We wish her the best of luck with her first child Matthew arriving in August.

SAS Forum Australia & New Zealand 2010- With over 1000 tickets sold!

SAS Forum Australia & New Zealand 2010 was sold out 4 weeks before the event!

We are looking forward to the big day at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney on the 12th of August.

You better put up your hand now if you would like to attend the next SAS Forum!

EMC Inform 2010 - The Movie!

EMC Inform 2010 - Sydney

What an Event! With over 900 attendees and a buzz in the crowd on their Journey to the Private Cloud. Everyone was in high spirits and everything about EMC Inform 2010 at Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre was perfect! Well done Team EMC!

EMC Inform 2010 - Melbourne

Well that is the Melbourne leg of the Journey to the Private Cloud! And what a journey it was with everyone from EMC to Partners & Attendees having a very busy and interesting day! With over 750 attendees it certainly proved to be a great event for all.

Sydney is next and we have over double that number booked in! Darling Harbour at the Sydney Convention & Entertainment Centre on the 2nd of June will be the biggest yet for EMC in Australia.

See you in the Private Cloud!