Thank you to all who joined us at our Lunch and Learn on Oct. 29th

Welcome to our new blog—created in direct response to lessons learned at our event. We hope this blog will give us an opportunity to share insights, provide a forum for discussion, and let you know what The Byne Group is up to. We will soon be launching our new website so stay tuned.

For those of you who missed it, our speaker, Howard Greenstein, a social media evangelist, introduced us to the new world of online social networks, and took us gently through a maze of terms at our first Lunch and Learn program. He touched on powerful ways for us all to harness the power of the online community and answered ethical concerns we all share.

Its obvious that new media such as social networking can pack a powerful punch and you should put these new tools to productive use in telling your story. These days, strategic branding across all media is essential and must include the right mix to meet your goals. We all know the obvious ones: Print the brochure, but make sure to get a pdf of it on your site. Send out the invites to your event but don’t forget the e-mail blast, Get that video you produced for an event onto your site. Just remember to make sure all the pieces all carefully branded! If you haven't done it yet consider an e-newsletter, there are many companies, Constant Contact.com and Ask Emma.com to name a few that inexpensively allow you to track who opens it and when as well as, who clicks through to check out your website.

I thought the event was a great success. Over 25 clients/friends joined us. Lots of networking, and even reconnecting for some old friends (you know who you are)...and the chocolate chip cookies were outrageous!

I hope to hear back from many of you with any comments and thoughts about what you took away from the seminar and how you might use the information, as well as other topics you'd like to explore in future lunch and learns.


~Ann
Please see our links section for some interesting books and resources on the subject of social media and using it to your advantage.
Photos of the event
Howard Greenstein's Website
We Are Smarter than Me (book)
photos courtesy Howard Greenstein

We "Indulged Our Health And Our Spirits" at Nyack Hospital

"Indulge Our Health and Our Spirits", the 10 Best Ways to Save your Life--an evening of interesting conversation and indulgent chocolate with Dr. Michele Blackwood was a huge success!

It was truly a delight to be part of such an exciting and engaging evening at Nyack Hospital, where over 100 women from the community were in attendance. Of course, it was Dr. Blackwood herself the new Director of Breast and Women's Health Prevention Services at Nyack Hospital, who made it an amazing, insightful, informative and memorable evening.

This was the Byne Group's first official event planning project, although two members of our team have experience as event coordinator for the Black Bear Golf Club, event coordinator for Chase Bank, and travel event coordinator for Maxwell House for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

We would like to thank everyone on the project team for their hard work and creativity as well as Nyack Hospital for giving us the opportunity to plan this fun and important event for them.

Thank you also to Chef Paul of Cook For You Gourmet in Sloatsburg, NY who generously donated and served an array of amazing chocolate delights-from fondue to gelatto, and mostlychocolate.com for donating the fabulous Lily O'Brien chocolates.


For more information on Dr. Blackwood visit
Nyack Hospital's Website

Ann Byne to Speak at the 9th Annual WeDC Networking Roundtable

Friday, November 9, 2007, Ann will be speaking on "Making the Most of your Marketing Dollars". This event is designed as an opportunity for women business owners to develop new skills and be inspired by other successful women entrepreneurs. For more information go to the WeDC website.

Ann Attends the County-Wide Symposium on Autism

As part of a strategic analysis assignment for Camp Venture, Ann Byne attended the 2nd Annual County-Wide Symposium on Autism. With standing room only, it was attended by over 500 parents, educators, lawmakers, and related service providers. The featured speakers included Fred Volkmar of Yale University's Autism Program and a nationally recognized professional in the study and treatment of autism, Raul Silva of New York University's Child Psychiatry Program and executive director of Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center.

The Byne Group's goal is to provide a strategic basis for Camp Venture's future marketing initiatives through market research, interviews, and an understanding of the local and political climate surrounding these issues. Interacting at events such as this is an important part of The Byne Group's strategic analysis process.

Camp Venture is a Nanuet-based nonprofit that offers services to people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. In addition to John Murphy, the symposium was planned by Janet Wheeler of OMRDD's Hudson Valley office; Dan Lukens, chairman of the Rockland County Community Service Board; and Mary Ann Tozer, the county's commissioner for mental health. Opening remarks were given by Senator Thomas P. Morahan.



Camp Venture