get out and face the market!

As the business climate gets tougher so we must get smarter. We at The Presidents' Club know this is not the time to put your head in the sand, to do nothing, or to delete marketing budgets....albeit significant savings can be made and effort reallocated.

It is a time to get out and sell, to move and shake, and to innovate.

I recall from University of Ulster days, a long time ago, that despite my undertaking a vocational 'business facing' degree, we were not taught how to sell. Since that era, I know that most of our excellent colleges now provide modules in entrepreneurship.

Now some think you can't teach sales and sales ability is a natural God given talent. Some even question God's role! It is true that most don't have the talent of young Rory McIlroy in golf....but one thing is for sure, few will practice as much as he does.

Whatever the discipline, sport, art, public speaking, or business, practice will raise your game.

I turn to 'moving & shaking' - in other words networking - and 'innovation'.
Much has been written about the social networking revolution and its positive impact on President Obama's election victory. Clearly social networking platforms like facebook played a vital part in his campaign.

Now business people need to examine the opportunities. It is not just about sharing mindless drivel and arranging which pub to meet in after work. The next few years are going to be exciting and new innovative collaborations are going to spring-up. One such initiative sees salesforce.com and facebook come together.


Launch: Force.com for Facebook from Dave Morin on Vimeo.

Also thanks to our great friend from Vancouver Matt Synder of ADO for his 'heads-up' on a new book The Facebook Era

Now exciting news - The Presidents' Club has some great upcoming events to help our members focus their fire.

Firstly Fegus Gloster SVP EMEA of salesforce.com is going to talk to us about Customer Relationship Management and web based technicques to yield the maximum from existing customers and new clients too.

Secondly Matt Johnston of Momemtum NI and Digital Circle is going to conduct a masterclass on social networking entitled Can you face facebook? Are you LinkedIn?

Matt is just a amasing....at our Inauguration Reception last week he was in constant Twitter conversation about the day, the new President and America's hopes! In another instantaneous initiative, I viewed the flickr images of the reception posted by another great 'creative' Davy Simms.

The Making of Obama

First we got the picture

Now Keith Drury has given us this video footage entitled 'the Making of Obama'

http://www.sidewaysart.com/Site/Movie.html

What a man....Keith that is!

the real facebook

My wife got an iphone for Christmas….amongst its useful applications it has an Obama Countdown on it!

As I type it is 18 hours : 54 mins : 33 seconds….27…15…

To commemorate what is clearly an historic occasion we at Belfast’s premier business networking venue will unveil a specially commissioned portrait of Barack Obama at The Presidents’ Club’s own Inauguration Reception tomorrow afternoon.

I attach a sneak preview!



The reception for business and civic leaders will have live-TV coverage of the ceremony in Washington as a backdrop on the Plasma screens throughout the Presidents’ Club’s stylish business facility in the Cathedral Quarter.

To mark the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, the Presidents’ Club’s Trustees commissioned acclaimed local artist and Presbyterian Minister, Rev Keith Drury, to design and paint the portrait.

We already have eight wonderful, but traditional, Presidential portraits on our wall. I guess we thought it most appropriate to commission a contemporary portrait of the new President, who we believe is going to bring a new style, inspire new conversations and usher in a new era.

If you have visited the Eakin Gallery on the Lisburn Road or the Merchant Hotel recently you will know that Keith’s work is truly creative and reflects our vision. I have no doubt it will be a great conversation piece amongst our members from across the island and the many groups we have scheduled to visit shortly from Boston, New York, Silicon Valley, Colorado and Washington.

Keith’s art piece incorporates mixed media and is finished in oils. He refers to his style as ‘the real facebook’ as it involves a collage of newspaper articles underlying the subject of the painting. The words form a narrative which captures the events, speeches and activities of the campaign and election. The bigger the word on the canvas, the greater the frequency that Obama used it during his campaign!

Keith is a great innovator and even offers his work for hire through his web platform www.sidewaysart.com which was recently featured in the Observer Newspaper.

Inauguration - ‘ushering in’ a new song

It is hard not to consider the inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday to be one of the most significant acts of modern history. It ‘augurs’ well that the occasion affords the world an opportunity to move on and to begin again to address peace and justice and economic stability and opportunity.

It was explained to me that Psalm 2 of the bible was read as every King of the Old Testament times was enthroned. The Psalm (which, albeit Greek, has a suitably Irish meaning of ‘song sung to the harp’) encourages the new ruler to rely on God and to ask him for assistance in ruling.

In the Gospel (which means Good News) of Mark the language of that song is again evoked in the account of John the Baptist preparing Jesus to commence his revolutionary Ministry.

In two weeks three of The Presidents’ Club’s Trustees will have the pleasure of leading the Irish delegation attending the 57th Annual National [President’s] Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC, hosted by Member of Congress from both Houses and from across the aisle. Every President since ‘Ike’ Eisenhower in 1953 has attend and offered a keynote address/prayer.

President Ronald Reagan addressed the Breakfast with these memorable words:
“America was founded by people who believed that God was their rock of safety. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it’s all right to keep asking if we’re on His side.”

Whilst some may prefer I didn’t, I pray to God that Tuesday goes well, I pray protection over the new First Family, I pray the occasion is seized by men and women of goodwill around the globe as a new opportunity to deliver peace, justice and prosperity and, above all I pray that President Obama will keep asking God for wisdom and guidance.

ABout this Blog.

A Chara Máirtín, thanks to you and your colleagues at Belfast Media Group and the Irish Echo for facilitating this new blog.

Hello unsuspecting world!

Some may know, The Presidents' Club is for people interested in business; in promoting the 'island-economy'; in forming collaborative networks; and in forging links between the United States of America, Ireland and Europe.

The club, based in Cathedral Quarter, was launched during the US:NI Investment conference but was inspired over dinner in Palm Beach.

We believe through created wealth, practical initiative and rich networks, society is greatly impacted. Our vision is of an Ireland whose people are reconciled and enjoy a unity of purpose – to see the island recognized for its young, well educated, creative and determined people; and a society known to value all and to care for its neighbor.

The Presidents' Club is a private sector initiative, born out of relationships north and south and across the Atlantic. We have Trustees from across the island and the United States.

The Presidents' Club was established to promote economic activity and we seek to encourage our members who are actively involved in social and charitable projects.