PAN Communications prSPEAK

Regardless of what the economy is doing, we at PAN enjoy being active members in our community. Our employees participate in a number of volunteer ventures from non-profit events, to professional development and networking groups on a regular basis. We want to shed some light on what some of our employees have been doing in the community, as the last month especially has been very busy!

For those familiar with Community Servings, you probably saw some great media around their annual fundraiser event, LifeSavor, which raised money for the customized meals they deliver to hundreds of critically ill individuals and families in Massachusetts. Held at the Boston Langham Hotel, this event included support from a number of the city’s best dining destinations and brands. Guests indulged in a beautiful cocktail reception at the Langham before being “trollied” over to restaurants around the city for intimate dinners, and then capped off the night back at the Langham for their legendary Chocolate Bar. Yum!

Barely a week later, national non-profit for battling child hunger, Share Our Strength’s Boston chapter hosted the annual Taste of the Nation Boston at the Hynes Convention Center. Almost a thousand guests poured in to sample more than 70 of the best restaurants and food & beverage vendors in the city, with live music by the Cassavettes and a swanky VIP lounge sponsored by Bombay Sapphire. Jody Adams of Rialto and Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro offered their services as celebrity chef spokespersons to attending media who covered the event in detail. Check out a nice round-up of the event here.

Last, but not least, some of the ladies from PAN were on site at the official launch of the Boston Chapter of GirlsInTech – a social network for female professionals in the technology industry. PAN clients were also in attendance at the event and contributed some fantastic thoughts and suggestions for future events and seminars. With GirlsInTech’s first education seminar on Social Media coming up next week, we will have much more to report back on! In the meantime, you can check out pics from the event at Lir in Boston.

As you can see, we have a pretty involved group here at PAN and look forward to sharing more of our community involvement with you. We look forward to seeing you about town! 

Becki Parkhurst interviews Director Jason Ouellette about the RSA Show and security trends from a PAN perspective.

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PAN chats with Airwide Director of Communications, Brenda Suarez, about the team’s creative approach to PR

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Looks like Jay Leno may get spurned in his hometown market.

With Boston’s WHDH-TV Channel 7 refusing to air Leno’s new talk show this fall in the 10 p.m. slot, a battle is brewing between 7 and NBC Television Network. On the one hand, you’ve got 7’s Owner Ed Ansin complaining that Leno’s show won’t be effective in prime time. He’s also worried he’s going to lose a ton of money, and points out that his Miami Fox affiliate does great at the 10 p.m. slot. On the other hand, you’ve got NBC threatening to strip Channel 7 of its NBC affiliation.

The battle is far from over. And no doubt the lawyers are about to enter the fray, which will result in a protracted legal battle. While this is clearly an economic issue for Channel 7,  it also points out a larger truth:  There’s nothing like a pitched battle with big names to draw ratings for your own station. Picture this– Breathless Channel 7 hound dog Dan Hausle, live in the newsroom, reporting how his own station is thumbing its nose at the network. There would be report upon report stating how 7’s very existence is being threatened. Ratings, anyone?

We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out in the coming days and weeks.  But there’s another pressing question I’d ask Jay Leno himself. So, Jay, how does it feel to be dissed in your hometown?