So Sunday June 21st, Father's Day & the first Day of Summer, one of my best friends and I went for an early morning walk around the Stanley Park Seawall. Upon our return to English Bay our stomachs started to growl... Hmm it's 10:45am and brunch time, my favourite meal of the day!

Pappa Bear: Being so close to Milestones it was our first choice. We decided to walk past and check out the patio. Since it was a bit overcast and not overly warm we were confident in getting a patio seat and my favourite brunch item the Prime Rib Hash. YUMMY!! Luck was on our side. we walked in choose the patio table of our choice and waited for our server to come and take our order. We waited, waited, waited.... at 7 minutes a busboy came by to clean the table beside us. I leaned over and asked him to find our server as we had been waiting and really needed a coffee. We waited for another 5 minutes and still no server in site. we had been there for over 10 minutes and not even an acknowledgment or a may I take your drink order. Needless to say we left. When we got up to leave the hostess actually thanked us & wished us a nice day.

Mama Bear: So on to the next place... The Red Umbrella a small dineresque restaurant at Davie & Bidwell. We popped inside and the waitress told us to grab any seat and she would be with us in a moment to take our order. So we grabbed a small table outside on the patio and waited & waited & waited. I watched through the glass patio doors while the two servers took an order from one table, helped 2 tables pay their bills and run some dishes to the back... 10 minutes later we still had not been acknowledged & offered a coffee. Getting very frustrated we again got up and left.

So what was left to us? We decided to walk up Davie and see what restaurants didn't have a line up and choose the first one available. We started our search at 10:45am and it was now 11:15. Walking up we discussed Lolita's had started to offer Brunch. Inside we go.

Baby Bear: We walked in and Becky (we later found out) invited us to two seats at the bar. She immediately warned us that the other server had called in sick and so she was on her own. Not a problem we sat down. Within 5 minutes we both had menus, coffee that had just been brewed and told the specials. Jacqui placed her order and I now so hungry I couldn't decide asked Becky to choose for me. Less than 15 minutes later we were served up a fabulous Brunch. I ended up with the Huevos Benedictos Veggie Hash with a side of Chorizo sausage. Absolutely delicious and presented beautifully. I would have taken a picture but I was soooo hungry and the lighting was too dark for my IPHONE to make a good picture. Jacqui and I devoured our Brunch and left sated and amazingly happy. Becky paid us lots of attention. Handled our every request and was very friendly and engaging. As a parting comment she welcomed us back any Sunday as she always worked Sundays and looked forward to seeing us again.

So after 2 attempts at restaurants that I have frequented often failed I've discovered a new Brunch Gem in the West End. Even more importantly I've discovered a server that understands her job and how important a service he/she provides. Becky If you read this, THANK YOU.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

What would you do if you found a $600+ camcorder on the street? I am guessing you’d look both ways and pocket it. I think that’s what most people would do in fact.

Not Josh Rimer and Craig Weckerle. They instead made a YouTube video hoping to find the owner and return the camera with it’s contents safe and sound.

Here’s the story and the time-line of how it all came to pass:

Feb 12th it’s the Opening Ceremonies and Josh and Craig decide to try to get into LiveCity Yaletown. As they are walking towards David Lam Park Craig spots a camcorder on the ground. They pick it up and wonder how they are going to find the owner.

Josh a YouTube star with over 100 + videos to his credit decide that a YouTube video reenacting the camcorder discovery+ highlighting some of the camcorders footage may be the solution to finding the owners.

Feb 20th Josh and Craig make the Video including a “dramatized” reenactment of the discovery. Here’s the video.

So now that the video has been made how can they get the word out? Both Josh and Craig have extensive Twitter and Facebook connections so they immediately start to post the video through both platforms asking for help to spread the word to find the owners.

Feb 27th Joseph Ruttle of The Province newspaper picks up the story and runs an article in the Provinces 2010 News Blog. As of today it’s had over 9000 views.

March 1st apparently someone at King TV in Seattle heard about the story and the search and a segment aired on King’s newscast which triggered the Motor Vehicle Dept to search for the owners via the shown WA license plate.

March 2nd Josh get an email from the OWNER! It turns out they are a family living in Seattle and they not only had lost their camcorder but also their tickets to the Opening Ceremonies. The tickets were replaceable but the camcorder had the start of their Olympic trip recorded along with the last images of the owners Father captured on film. He has since passed away and the footage had not yet been downloaded and saved. Josh and the owner are currently working out a way to get the camcorder back to it’s rightful owner.

The story of these two honest Vancouverites is starting to make the international news as well.

Josh was also contacted by two Seattle based news organizations today that want to do a story on the video, Josh and Craig and the return of the camera. Could a story have a better ending than this? Stay tuned I’ll update this post with any footage of the interviews I can get.

The Olympics may be over but the best part of Canada is still alive and proud. Our honesty and our neighbourly ways. Way to go Josh and Craig.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

It’s been a couple of days since the Olympic flame was extinguished here in Vancouver and the city is quietly getting back to normalcy.

I’m exhausted! I was out every single day enjoying the energy and excitement that was so evident throughout our city. I’m so proud that Vancouver and Canada represented in a way that no one saw coming. Here are a couple of cool links to stories from some international press that I think sums up how the world felt we did.

Brian Williams (NBC) Leaving behind a thank you note

Bill Plaschke (LA TImes) Canada is a Winter Games Wonderland

So to wrap up my 17 day experience here’s a short video.

I promise to be just as excited and proudly Canadian for the Paralympics and I look forward to watching those athletes excel and reach for Gold.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

With the influx of tourists and locals alike into the DT core many long established restaurants made the decision to increase their prices along with adding auto-tipping onto the bill. Reason's for these practices have included increased staff and food costs and a tourist crowd not used to North American style tipping. Many traditional journalists have covered this story and you can click here to read one of them.

This post is not about the validity of the restaurant claims or even if it was right or wrong. What this post is about in essence is the power of social media and it's near immediate impact on a business or organization. How a business responds to it's customers and their feedback  says a lot about them and the people using Social Media aren’t shy about making their views known.

One such chain is Earls. Locally grown here in BC, Earls has come under some major fire for it's pricing and auto-tipping policies. An example is a gentleman who had an unpleasant reaction to the price and tip increases immediately went onto Twitter to voice his thoughts. Within 10 minutes over 20 responses and conversational engagements occurred creating a slew of online heat for Earls. Click here to see some of the conversations if you use the search terms Earls and Tip. What some businesses don't understand is that each person engaged in a Twitter conversation potentially has at least 300 followers and upwards of 10,000 +. That is a very large reach.

Earls Restaurants gets it and has a person dedicated to following the conversation online and is responsible for taking the pulse of its customers good bad or indifferent. After much criticism here is the response from Earls about the price increases and tipping policies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Earls Yaletown will be hosting a special locals-only event on Sunday, February 28th. On Sunday morning, Earls Yaletown will be opening one hour early, at 9 am for a complimentary brunch for local patrons only.

From 9 am to 11 am, Earls Yaletown will only be open to locals with a BC Drivers License or other form of BC Identification. All locals will receive a free brunch, they will get a chance to ‘take their seat back’ and amidst all of the madness, they will be able to secure a table for the Olympic gold medal hockey game at 12:15 pm.

We would also like to share with you that as 9 am this Sunday, February 28th, all menu prices will have officially returned to normal, and automatic gratuities will be removed from ALL BILLS.

Earls Yaletown will not be taking reservations for the locals-only event on Sunday morning. The event will be on a first-come-first-serve basis, so get there early, get your free brunch and enjoy the last day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games at Earls.

So you decide. Is this effort by Earls enough to win the locals back? Only time will tell. I’ve talked here about Earls but trust me they are not alone in creating a backlash of anger and disappointment from their local customers.

I would really love to hear your thoughts and trust me I will be sure to pass them on the the management team at Earls.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

by @bsainsbury

Marc Smith is one of the first bloggers to sign onto the Metro Blenz News Squad project. I had the opportunity to chat with him earlier today. What he doesn't mention is Marc was interviewed by CBC about his blogging experience. My favorite blog post of Marc's is How 4.5 Hours = the Best 10 Seconds of my Life.

How did you get involved with the Metro Blenz News Squad?

Good friends Bonnie Sainsbury and Marilyn Anderson approached me in late November with a proposition. They knew I had started to blog under my business and suggested I could bring a fresh and unique perspective while also having a great time and gain further exposure. As an event planner and an openly Gay businessman I have two unique view points not present in the blog team mix. How could I say no!

Which of you blog posts did you enjoy writing the most?

It would definitely be my tour of the Canadian Mint Pavilion. Not only because it was a great experience but as a relatively new blogger I feel that my writing has only getter better with each and every blog I do. SO the most recent post is almost my best and most favourite

What’s your Olympic memory so far?

It has been nothing but positive. I am normally behind the scenes creating great experiences for others and this time I am enjoying all the hard work of the sponsors, athletes, organizers and volunteers. There have and are some challenges and issues that hosting an Olympics raises but it’s here and I have fully embraced the once in a lifetime opportunity I have been given. GO CANADA GO.

What’s your take-away from the Olympic experience?

I have always been a very proud Canadian. I’ve travelled and assisted companies in the US with major store openings and have always been the first to say no I’m from Canada. What I’ve enjoyed most about the Vancouver 2010 Games is that we as Canadians seem to have collectively puffed out our chests and said “we are proud of our country and what we stand for” “We are Canadian” All I can hope for is that the feeling lives on long past the Olympics while still maintaining our uniquely friendly and welcoming attitude as well.

Marc owns Amuse Consulting Inc. a full service boutique event planning company in Vancouver. They specialize in creating events for Businesses and Not-for-Profits that integrate seamlessly with the brand and identity of their clients. A strategic project management style approach infused with sustainability and community-minded initiatives ensure your event is on track for all of the triple bottom lines. Financial, Environmental and Social Impact. Going beyond the venue and catering is what Amuse is all about. Results oriented and focused on client satisfaction is what we strive to produce at each and every event they produce.

by Marc Smith

One of the biggest attractions at the Olympics this year has been the Zip Line over Robson Square. As part of the Province of BC's Olympic entertainment site Zip Trek EcoTours has  offered up a truly once in a lifetime experience for locals and tourists alike.

A friend and Twitter colleague Stephanie  Cameron and I decided that we needed to experience it and bring some other Twitter folks along with us. Actually we thought that misery loves company and if we have to line up better to make it a party.

So at 7am Friday morning I was joined by J Holtslander, PurpleLara and co-conspirator Smuttysteff. We all arrived with coffees in hand and Smuttysteff treated us to some good old Tim Horton's. We hoped a 7am line up time would guarantee us  prime placement in the first few runs of the Zip Line. Wrong! The first crazies in line had arrived at 6am with thermal blankets and a thermos of coffee.

Lara Jay Steff and Marc

So there we were 7am and approx 50+ ppl in front of us. Over the next couple of hours we made a few trips to the Blenz at Burrard and Robson to refill coffee supplies + bathroom breaks. As well we started to get to know some of our neighbors all were local Vancouverites that had been enjoying the Games  and the excitement but had yet to Zip across Robson Square. Just behind us was a father and daughter that had tried twice before but unfortunately had tried to line up later in the day.

After 4+ hours in line we are now at the front and are up next. Smuttysteff gets interviewed by the CBC on what' it is like to wait in the lineup both for radio and for their web platform. Way to go Steff! With only minutes to go before we proceed up to sign releases and get into our harnesses we get a message from a Twitter colleague Mat Wilcox that she is at Robson Square and wants to photograph us as we continue our journey.

It was at this time that Steff decided to tell us that she was deathly afraid of heights. EEK! Here's Steff's personal recount of the journey about overcoming her fear http://www.smutandsteff.com/2010/02/did-it.html

So as they say a picture tells a thousand words so here is the remaining story of our Zip Line experience. All pics are courtesy of Mat Wilcox. See you on the other side

Was the lineup worth it? YES! I’ve heard thanks to the Province of BC that they are seriously considering extending the Zip Line during the March 12th to 21st Paralympic Games as well. Go BC!

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

A once in a lifetime experience occurred today. I held in my hands all 6 of the Olympic and Paralympic medals! A first in modern Olympic history the IOC allowed the host nation to exhibit and make available to the general public actual Olympic medals. Here’s the story of my Gold Medal experience.

7am I arrived at the SFU Segal Graduate School for Business at Granville & Pender. Actually during Feb 12th to 28th it’s been transformed into the Canadian Mint Pavilion. In front of me were about 100 dedicated people mostly local Vancouverites.

In front and behind me were 2 people soon to become my Canadian Mint tour buddies Arjuna and Vena. We spent the next two hours sharing our Olympic experiences, passing on tips of what to see and what wasn’t worth the wait.

Vena, Arjuna and Marc - the start of our golden experience

8:20am A good buddy Gus, who works in a building overlooking the Pavilion came by with an order of coffee and some fresh conversation. Always a nice treat

The Pavilion Staff came out and started to arrange the line ups, which by now was easily 300+ people long, into the classic zig zag formation with the help of stanchions. A wee bit of confusion ensued as to where to go when to go etc… after 12 days I would have thought this would be a piece of cake.

9am the doors open and wait expect to be allowed in. Wrong, similar to the Zip Line it’s a managed flow of approx 10 people let in at a time.

9:20am We are inside! Oops now we are in another lineup, at least we are warm dry and have easy access to washrooms . Within 10 minutes we are moving again, greeted by Pavilion Staff and offered one white glove. Ok I have to admit at this point Arjuna, Vena and I looked at each other and exclaimed “I feel like Michael Jackson”

Our Michael jackson moment

9:30am Gloves on hand we proceed to the 2nd floor to enter our 3rd line up. This one is the one we have been waiting for. To touch Gold. Along the way a kiosk has been set up to allow visitors to exchange quarters for the Olympic Quarters produced by the Canadian Mint.

Over the next 30 minutes we are met by Pavilion Staff making sure everyone in the lineup has a white glove on.

10am Pavilion Security gives us a quick run down of what to expect inside the medal room (only 10 allowed in at a time) and what we can’t do. No photos would be allowed that in any way represented or suggested a victory sign, medal above head or medal held close to the body. These images are restricted and are only allowed for the privilege of Olympic athletes that have earned their medals. Absolutely fair enough!

10:20am We are allowed in!!!! Daniel Mallett, Olympic and Paralympic Medals Project Manager, gives us a brief explanation of the medals and then invites us in to see and touch the 6 medals.

Here’s Daniel’s presentation to us. Sorry for the poor lighting but the screen behind offset the exposure.

10:40am We’re through. Elated excited and feeling privileged to experience the glory of our medals up close. Arjuna Vena and I exchange contact details and promise to share photos. Another connection is made. GO CANADA.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

On My way to a client meeting today I decided to skip the crowds on Granville and and instead walked along Howe St. Now I walk this street all the time so I'm pretty familiar with all the businesses and what their windows usually display.  When I came by the Urban Barn I noticed the store looked remarkably bare compared to normal and yet a lot of people were inside lounging and talking. I had to check it out.

Home On Howe Window Display

When I walked in I discovered the store had been converted to a "Right at Home on Howe"  a 3,600 sq ft retail space transformed into a 17 day temporary home for Urban Barn employee Robbie Romu. Robbie was handpicked by Urban Barn President Rick Bohonis to live in the store 24/7 for the during of the 2010 Olympic Games. Knowing that the store would not be a destination during the Games they decided instead to create a respite from the chaos for both locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

Urban Barn invites the public to stop by anytime during the extended Olympic hours to hang with Robbie. You can watch TV with friends, sit and relax, play Wii, check email, you name it! In keeping with the spirit of the Games Urban Barn has used this opportunity to raise funds in support of the Canadian Paralympic Foundation (CPF), a registered Canadian charity dedicated to raising funds to support the development of sport for the benefit of Canadians with physical disabilities. The Goal is to raise $20,010.00 by March 21st. Please click here to donate or to learn more.

Here's my exclusive chat with Robbie Romu himself. Hear in his words what the experience has been like.

Here are just some of the fun events planned to keep Robbie and his guests occupied for the rest of the Games.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. “Are You Smarter than Robbie?” Game Show

Thursday, February 25, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Rock Band Challenge Night

Friday, February 26, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Comedy Night: Christopher Molineux hosts a night of laughs with
some of Vancouver’s top comedy acts. (Limited space; visit
www.homeonhowe.com to RSVP.)

Saturday, February 27, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
8:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. Closed Event (Urban Barn Staff Slumber Party)

Sunday, February 28, 2010 Store Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wii 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Winter Games Daily Challenge
Right at Home on Howe Wrap/Closing Party

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Guacira Naves

On Thursday, an anxious crowd gathered at Caprice Nightclub, here in downtown Vancouver. Most of the people in attendance had two things in common: their devotion to the Canadian hockey team in the Olympics, and their enthusiasm about Twitter as a social network, for both business and social purposes. Shane Gibson has written a great post about that evening.

You see, here in Canada, winning in hockey is a question of national pride. I remember attending a World Cup of Hockey final in Montreal (my old hometown), and one sign summed it all-so-well: "we breed them, they buy them". No need to explain whom that sign was referring to! We Canadians may have a reputation of being polite and understated, but get us talking about hockey, and you're hitting the national ego. Tread lightly!

After the game itself, Twitter celebrity Guy Kawasaki arrived at the venue to meet some Vancouver tweeps in person. If you are active on Twitter, your number of followers expresses the number of other individuals who find your microblogging updates interesting enough to, well, follow what you have to say. At the time of this writing, Guy Kawasaki had an astounding 215,990 followers. Trust me when I say that this is a lot.

Guy Kawasaki, Mitch Baldwin and yours truly. Photo credit: Kemp Edmonds

If you missed the opportunity to meet some of Vancouver's finest social media participants on Thursday, fret not. Another gathering, smaller and more intimate, is taking place on February 25th. View the details and RSVP here.

Come and join us while you're in the 604 area code. Guy Kawasaki won't be there, but we promise to make you feel at home.

Guacira Naves is the founder of The Online Strategy House. She's an online marketing pioneer with 19 years of professional history with the Internet and 13 years of experience as an online marketing strategist.  She serves on the board of the Social Media Club Vancouver. Follow her on Twitter (@OnlineStrategy) or find her at OnlineStrategy.ca

By Marc Smith

Taking a walk with a friend enjoying the beautiful Vancouver sunshine we stopped at the local UPS Store on Nelson & Cambie to mail off a package. We walked in to a sea of video cameras from two local TV stations and a large group of regular folk with cameras. What did we walk into? A scandal maybe at the UPS Store?

Even better, we walked into what turned out to be an impromptu media scrum for star Indian Olympic Athlete Shiva Keshavan. Upon asking and following up with further research when I got home it turns out that  Mr. Keshavan was the worlds youngest Luge entrant ever to participate in a Winter Olympics (Nagano 1998).

The Manager of the UPS Store # 209 Mr. Paramjit Teja, who is known to the Keshavan family as “Uncle”, was instrumental in arranging all the hospitality needs for the friends and family that travelled with India’s Winter Olympic Star. Part of the entourage was 6 “super fans” from Italy that have followed and supported Shiva in his Olympic Dream since his performance in Torino’s Games in 2006. the energy in the store was quite a buzz.

I was lucky enough to capture almost 6.5 minutes of the interview between Shiva and the reporter from Shaw TV. I apologize for the sound quality but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. So please watch and enjoy. I was 5 feet away from an Olympic athlete days after his competition. What a great experience!

After the interview Shiva was asked what his plans for the rest of his stay in Vancouver consisted of. He said " I have two other colleagues/friends from India that are here to compete and I will be at their side and in the stands cheering for them and giving them all the support and wisdom I can share from my 4 Olympic experiences". An answer was truly worthy of an Olympian.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

Marilyn Anderson, Duet Media

You have to see this from my perspective, a Prairie kid who grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada at my Dad's knee.  It was a regular occurrance - part national sport, part social occaision with friends, and part necessity too, I suppose - what else do you do when it's 40-degrees-below-zero and you are miles from town?

And here I am today, in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, in the Caprice Lounge on Granville Street to watch another kind of  "Hockey Night in Canada" game.  This is a much bigger party....with a couple of hundred other people, many creatively dressed in 'fan attire' and lots of Canadian flags and clothing in red.....watching the Canada-Swiss game on a very big screen!  What a difference a generation makes, eh?

It was a great evening, even for the non-hockey fans in the crowd (you're a good sport, Bonnie!) who were there waiting for Guy Kawasaki's appearance later on - check out Twitter, it will all make sense then.  From "scoreless tie" to "Canada leads!"...to OVERTIME NERVES......the tension built, the crowd enthusiasm grew, the flag-waving exploded....until overtime ended and the score was still tied 2-2!

What do we do?  Well, I didn't know the answer to that until it happened: after one scoreless 5-minute overtime period, the ruled dictate a Shoot-Out! Not quite the O.K. Corral, but exciting none-the-less, the Canadian and Swiss stars took their turns.....1 -2 -3.....the goalies win, the score stays tied........so the goalies are changed and Canada's Sidney Crosby gets a second chance.  As the famous commercial says "He shoots - he scores!" and the room went wild! Cheering, smiling faces, much hugging and slapping of backs, toasts were raised and flags were waved!

Marc Smith, of Amuse Consulting, took the mic and we all stood and sang a rousing chorus of 'Oh, Canada', and it all seemed 'right', and a bit surreal.  Outside, the party on the street was wild; every possible patio location on the strip was full of people celebrating something - and even those not hockey fans were caught up in it all. 

Wasn't that a party?! and the night was still young......

Marilyn Anderson is a Communications Specialist and Co-Founder of Duet Media.

By Marc Smith

I love Vancouver. I love the weather, the people and all the opportunities it has provided me with. I also love that we are the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics. I missed Expo ‘86 and have heard so many people talk about how electric our city was I wanted to experience it myself during the Olympics.

So on the day Canada won its second gold medal courtesy of Blenz sponsored Maelle Ricker I walked the streets of Robson and Granville to experience some of the colours of our city. What I encountered was some of the most fun and colourful people showcasing their Olympic talent for locals and tourists alike to enjoy.

Here are some of the colourful people I encountered:

The first and the reason this post came to mind is Spandy Andy. This dude is so popular he won $10,000.00 as Canada's Freshest Dancer contest held in Toronto in 2009. With numerous appearances on Canadian TV this may be the most colourful of the bunch. Check out all of Spandy Andy's details.

Spandy Andy poses for the Camera

Spandy Andy, are those Norweigan Curling Pants

Abomidable Snowman lost due to warm weather.

Vive Le Suiss!

Vancouver or Gotham City, you decide.

Abomidable Snowman lost due to warm weather.

A truly Medal winning stance

Welcome to "A Tale of Two Icebergs". This is where the adventure begins. Along the way, as you drift through Canada’s Arctic waters, you’ll be joined by Mother and Daughter icebergs, who are desperately trying to keep from melting in an ocean dangerously overheated by global warming. That's an excerpt from their website. Please check it out as it's cool and well Canadian!

Two icebergs set free in the city thanks to global warming

Not the real athletes put a great pic opportunity

cross between a scarecrow and a horror show character

Need I say anything? Global warming means no pants

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

I live in Yaletown and I have to say living in one of the Olympic hot spots has been so exciting. It's electric every waking moment of the day.

The excitement for me really started on Thursday when with friends I watched the Olympic flame being carried right in front of the building I live in on Mainland St. Here's a brief clip of the torch passing in front of my friends condo. What you didn't see was the mimosas and the fantastic buffet of food our hostess had arranged. We celebrated in true Yaletown fashion!

Friday a bunch of us tried to get into to see the opening ceremony at Live City Yaletown but as we feared the crowd was overwhelming and we were sure we wouldn't get in. So instead we headed to the Mill Bistro as guests of the owner Daniel Frankel. An outdoor beer garden covered by tents plus large plasma screens meant the usually intimate bistro handled over 200+ people that night. Check out some of the photos from our time there courtesy of Daniel Frankel.

Saturday & Sunday had me out in the streets both in the DT core as well as in my own hood of Yaletown. Buskers, street vendors and all the bars and restaurants were absolutely hopping! I was curious about how the crowds were effecting businesses other than those that in the F&B category so I asked a few local business owners about how it's effected their business.

Val Litwin, a partner in Blo, said that business is as they expected. Right on schedule with their regular clients not scared away by the crowds. While Chris Breikss owner of 6S Marketing expected a slow down and adjusted his staffing accordingly. Here's what he had to say:

So all in all I think Yaletown has benefitted from the past couple of days and as more people flock to this local hub the businesses can only prosper.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Marc Smith

Yesterday, Feb 11th, saw yet another first in Olympic history occur in Vancouver. The first ever Pride House was opened in the heart of Downtown Vancouver at Qmunity, BC's Queer Resource Centre. While to those of you who are not a member of the LGBT community this may seem small and insignificant it is in fact a major accomplishment and milestone. One I felt proud to be apart of and thrilled to be able to show the world that Canada is truly a country where diversity is celebrated.

Professional and Olympic caliber sports are one of the last remaining hold outs where people in the LGBT community feel they need to hide their authentic selves for fear of rejection from their peers and of course the almighty $$$ support from business and associations.

Politics aside Pride House Vancouver means that LGBT friends and family in Vancouver + all those visitors from around the world have a safe space to come hang out and celebrate the Olympic Spirit with others from their community.

I attended the official opening ceremonies and here is a video of the brief opening remarks from Qmunity Executive Director Jennifer Breakspear.

Right after the official ceremonies were over I was lucky enough to get an on camera chat with inspirational Marian Lay a 2 time Olympian (1964 & 1968), bronze medalist in 1968 and an openly gay woman. Hear what she had to say about Pride House and what it means to her.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Pride House Vancouver. Please feel free to comment here, or send me a tweet.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

I want to share some Olympic related news. I was asked to join the Metro Blenz News Squad. A group of citizen journalists documenting the Olympic experience. So watch for me in a Blenz near you. Come up say hi and share your experiences with me. You never know we may see one of my blogs in the Metro newspaper. Check out the video below to see some of what I’m planning on doing.