Raleigh | SocialWayne.com by Wayne Sutton

Posts Tagged ‘raleigh’

Posted on September 14, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Six examples of downtown Raleigh businesses using QR Codes

The QR Code marketing movement is underway across the USA and Raleigh is right there joining other major cities such as New York and Boston with various businesses using QR Codes. Especially downtown Raleigh, were there are two startups with QR Code reader iPhone apps, one printing company, a community event and other businesses with window QR code window clings. In the upcoming months everyone will be adding QR Readers to their existing mobile apps along with various marketing agencies looking to see how they stay ahead of the other and add QR Codes with their clients marketing efforts… good luck. Regardless here are six examples of companies using QR codes downtown Raleigh, NC.

1. SPARKCon Posters

2. Design Box Window Clings

3. Exhibit booths (Used at the Museum of Life and Science last weekend for the Heroes, Villains and Special Effects Exhibit)

4. Internation Minute Press Window Poster

5. iPhone apps made from Raleigh/Triangle, NC:
Neogence’s Mirascape (based in Raleigh, NC )

SPARKcon App dev. by ACME, Inc. Sal Conigliaro (Triangle NC)

TriOut version two iPhone app (private beta)

6. Google Maps QR Codes

Have you seen other QR Codes used downtown Raleigh or in the Triangle, NC area?

Update

Looking for a fast QR Code Reader / Scanner? Try my new iPhone app: CLICK HERE

Posted on September 7, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Announcing Design Box partnership to launch coworking/incubator space downtown Raleigh

Today I’m pleased to announce that I’ve partnered with Aly Khalifa of Gamil to launch BetaBox at Design Box downtown Raleigh. BetaBox is the coworking services hosted at Design Box and will feature daily, weekly, and monthly desk rentals along with conference room and meeting spaces. Coworking downtown Raleigh has been long desired from the community in Raleigh, NC and we’re both excited to launch it at Design Box. Some of the office amenities include 6,000 square feet open creative environment, 25 available workstations (4 Desk, 2 private offices, 2 conference areas, 1 quiet phone room, free coffee, projector, hight speed internet and 3 couches. Membership and a one time fee of $20 that includes your first day of working from Design Box is required and can be filled out online via the form here.

Future plans at Design Box includes workshops, community mixers and various networking events. We’re excited about the future and looking forward to working with entrepreneurs, creatives, freelancers, startups, and other mobile professionals at Design Box. Design Box is located in Raleigh’s downtown warehouse district at 323 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC‎, 27601.

Design Box Press Announcement:

Designbox has searched its own soul on how to take its innovative community-oriented approach to the next level. Designbox 2.0 is the result, with an increased dedication to openness, creative process, inclusively and mentorship. Launching the day after Labor Day, Designbox welcomes the community into its creative atmosphere to work on their own projects.

BetaBox is set up to have an easy way to share workspaces, conference areas and ideas within the Designbox, located in Raleigh’s Warehouse District. The intent is to provide easy ways to get out of the home office, beta-test new business ideas, support visiting professionals and hold collaborative meetings. Pricing starts at $10 for a half day rental of an open space.

Options include weekly or monthly terms and private offices or collaborative spaces. Look for more community projects like SPARKcon and technology Meet-ups to come through the doors as well.

For pricing and more information visit: http://www.designbox.us/work-here/

Posted on June 24, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Apple iPhone 4 @ Crabtree Valley Mall. Hello, iPhone. Good-bye, day.

Guest post by: @PennyMoxie

I told the guy who would be buying my old phone that I would call him when I was out of the Apple store. ”What time do you think that will be”, he asked. I wanted to be CONSERVATIVE, so I replied, “about 9:00am. I’m getting there at 6:45, so i can’t imagine it will take that long.” I’m a first-class fool.

6:30am I put my 5-year-old in the car and told her she was going with me to “pick-up my new iPhone” at the mall. I figured she would get fidgety in the store, but we wouldn’t be there that long. At one point, while driving to Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, NC, my daughter asked, “Mommy, what is wrong?” I told her I was anxious and had a lot to do today. ”I just want to get in, get out, and get you to the pool with your aunt,” I said. A few minutes later, we pulled into the mall parking lot and I looked at all the cars. I think I said out loud, “Elin, these cars must be mall employees and the people who walk the mall when it’s too hot outside. Surely, they can’t all be here for the new iPhone.” Again, first-class fool.

We park and head in. I can’t begin to articulate how I felt the first time I got a look at the crowd. The line. The masses. I’ve been at Crabtree Valley Mall on Black Friday and I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people on one floor. I’ve been to Disney World and I’ve never seen a line that long. I took and deep breath, tried to remain cool, and walked around the people with sleeping bags and lawn chairs. I kept walking. I walked some more, turned 4 corners, went down a hallway and into the food court. I saw the end of the line and like a first-class fool, I decided to stand in it.

But then things really started looking up. I was NOT a fool. I had reserved my iPhone and I was in the correct line. Clearly, there were only 200 people in this line. Whew! My goal of 9:00am was totally do-able. Smile on face, cocky swagger kicking in.

8:40 am After a visit from my husband with Starbucks in one hand and muffin the other, I was feeling pretty refreshed. My daughter was chill and I spotted two other moms who had brought their kids. I wasn’t the worst mom on the planet…just 3rd or 4th. It was going a little slower than I thought, but I knew there were only 150 people in front of me MAX and the line seemed to be moving.

9:30am I turned the corner and saw the store! I was in! Maybe 75 people in front of me. I was golden.

9:31am A lovely mall security officer came over and said, “we are going to move this line. We need to get the food court cleared for lunch.” There were 400 people behind me at this point, so this made sense. We were herded like techy-nerd cattle and put into a line down the hallway. This is when my day was officially over. I realized the line I was in, which had put me close to the entrance of the store, actually wrapped around the perimeter of the mall. There were 700 people IN FRONT of me. Good-bye, day.

10:00am My 5-year-old was a little antsy, so I called Aunt Bonnie to give her some relief. ” PLEASE come and pick her up and take her to the pool!”

10:30am Aunt Bonnie arrives and my daughter informs me she would like to stay. She wants to see what’s behind those glass doors. No way is she missing out. This is actually the most compelling part of the day. The excitement in the mall was energizing. These 2000 people were all pumped. We were surrounded by strangers but we all had something in common. The converstation for the last 3 hours was high def camera, retina screens, mult-tasking and apps. It was a mall full of people, some who had been since 10pm the night before, some who were just hanging with friends. But we were wired from the thrill of the hunt because we were all early-adapters. My daughter had picked up on this energy, and she wasn’t leaving.

11:00am Did I mention energy? I introduced my daughter to suicide drills, which she executed beautifully in front of Bath and Body Works.

11:30am Food! Apple paid for a truck load of subs.

12:30pm My iPhone 3GS is dead. This is the worse possible thing that could have happened. No more tweeting. No more facebook. This day was going downhill fast.

12:30pm – 1:59pm This was not pretty. It was still exciting and the energy was great, but I was starting to smell and my neighbors were realizing I skipped my usual hygiene routine this morning (remember, I was going to be home by 9…I would bathe then). We were all hungry and thirsty. We weren’t talking as much. The guys at the Brookstone store were laughing at us. Actually, everyone not involved in this insanity were laughing. They walked by the nerds behind the rope lines and pointed. ”No way” and “idiots” was overheard many times. I was starting to agree.

2:00pm I’m the next in line to enter the store. I’m feeling good. The lighted apple icon above me was almost a symbol of success. The finish line. At this point, it’s not about the phone, it’s about finishing this marathon.

2:05pm I’m in the store. I can’t believe it. My sister (Aunt Bonnie) is documenting on her iPhone. The employees were calm, the store was comfortable, the police officers out front didn’t arrest my sister for photographing an Apple store. But most importantly, I had my new iPhone. I did not have a shower, and that was the next thing on my list. I know my line mates were thinking the same thing (about me, not them).

2:45pm Home. Synced. My daughter starving. My voicemail going nuts. I don’t care. I stood in line for 7 hours to get a phone I could have ordered and had shipped to my house by mid-July. But I’m a first-class fool. A first-class fool with a sweet iPhone.

Posted on May 27, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Presentation: Using WordPress to build your brand & telling your start-up story from @WordCampRaleigh #wcraleigh

This past weekend I had the chance to attend and speak at WordCamp Raleigh @WordCampRaleigh. I think this was my fourth or fifth time attending a WordCamp event and my third time speaking at one. I must say by far that WordCamp Raleigh was the best one yet. The event was organized by Steve Mortiboy @wpsmort, Michael Torbet @michaeltorbert and Craig Tuller @craigtuller, along with a great team of volunteers. During the 2 day camp I met some awesome WordPress developers and speakers such as Syed @wpbeginner, Lisa Sabin-Wilson @LisaSabinWIlson, Dave Moyer @DaveMoyer and more. Also I had a chance to catch up with a few friends who I normally don’t see unless we’re at SXSW or BlogWorld such as Patrick O’Keefe @ifroggy, Brandon Eley @Eley, Stephan Segraves @ssegraves and Aaron Brazell @technosailor. It was great seeing everyone!

One of the highlights of WordCamp Raleigh was watching and participating in the SitePoint Podcast hosted by @iFroggy and team. The podcast was live video streamed and you can watch it here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7124319

My topic for WordCamp Raleigh was “Using WordPress to build your brand and telling your start-up story” in which Lawrence Ingraham @LawPower, TriOut founder joined me discussing how we used WordPress and blogged the launch of TriOut. Below is the presentation and you can see the notes on SlideShare.

Using word press to build your brand and telling your start up story

View more presentations from Wayne Sutton.

Here are a few more blog post about WordCamp Raleigh:
WordCamp Raleigh 2010 Pictures – Part 1
WordCamp Raleigh 2010 (Overview)
WordCamp Raleigh 2010

Thanks to WordCamp Raleigh @WordCampRaleigh for having me and planning a great event. See you next year!

Posted on April 10, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Video: Goals, highlights, crashes & falls from NC's first Segway Polo Game. via @TriSegway

Today history was made when Triangle Segway held North Carolina’s first Segway Polo game at the City Plaza downtown Raleigh. I was fortune enough to take part and record some video footage. Take a look below and if you want take part in the next game contact Todd at Triangle Segway or come out and watch on April 24.