by Tyler Wright

If you haven't been downtown yet, please don't miss it.  Don't be one of the few who 'doesn't have time for crowds'.  It  is absolutely ridiculous down here.  It's 10:30pm and a couple thousand people are dancing in the streets of Yaletown.  Different techno DJs are blaring their music, with old people and little kids joining into dance circles for a few minutes or a lot longer.  No tension or negative vibes - everyone is just having fun.

We'll be talking about this city-wide bash for years, similar to the way that Expo 86 still comes up.  Be a part of it and JUMP IN to the biggest party in Canadian history.

And it's FREE!

by Tyler Wright

For you naysayers who still think the Olympics are a waste of money, put your marketing cap on for a minute.  Now check EVERY major news website,  search engine home page, prime time TV news show, and any top newspaper in any country.  If you find one that doesn't mention "Vancouver, Canada" let me know.

It's not just about the games. This is the biggest PR stunt on planet earth. It literally couldn't be a better marketing campaign for our city and country. Ever.

Companies can spend a lot of money to get 'impressions', and for 2 weeks we will bask in impression heaven.  The price we pay for billions of people to see our city comes at, believe it or not, a very heavy discount.  If Vancouver was ugly and a human rights nightmare it might not be effective.  But our hot city will reap the harvest from this exposure for years to come.

photo: Rudy Sulgan, bing home page 2.12.09

While the platoons of green-coat greeters show their teeth to incoming visitors at YVR, and the endless supply of ambassadors in Smurf-approved ski jackets don the downtown core with their volunteer-trained perma-smiles, we are still faced with the fact that thousands of encounters with locals will occur out of John Furlong's control.

So the question of the month is: Will local Vancouverites make friends?  I'm not talking, "Sure I can point in the direction of Robson" friendly, because we are.  But what about actually becoming buddies with tourists?  What about leaving a lasting impression as the city that's full of truly amazing people?

Though optimism lingers, my greatest concern is that people in the second most ethnically diverse city in Canada are so programmed by the sedentary language barrier that before the fortnight has passed, making random chums on the street won't have had a chance to blossom away from indifference.

Because that's what this whole gig is about right?  Making friends and building connections so we can continue to prosper from a great reputation for years to come? Yes. Yes it is.

I spent six weeks in Calgary, and was literally astounded at how outgoing strangers are. Married women at the bus stop would start conversations with me 'just because'.  It's easier in Calgary - most people's first language is English.  But according to infovancouver.com, 52% of Vancouverites have English as a second language, and most of us too often accept the weak excuse that the dude beside us won't be like us.

The natural beauty alone can only carry our great city so far.  Let's hope Vancouver locals put their social game face on, and dive into random conversations with visitors.  They're easy to spot: If you see someone standing at a corner, scratching their noggin and looking at a cartoon map, be a genuine pal.  And if you can, walk them to their destination.  It will only pay off - I promise.