Friday

♥ I took my other half to a new(ish) restaurant in the Union Plaza called Cafe Italia. I had “The Fernando” which is a sandwich filled with goat cheese, prosciutto and other noms along with a glass of Bombshell Blonde Ale – a personal favorite. Unfortunately, the price was a little ghastly – I ended up spending $55 on what was supposed to be a simple lunch for two. It was absolutely delicious, though!

♥ The late afternoon was spent working at Alfresco Friday’s. If you aren’t local or aren’t familiar with Alfresco Friday’s, it’s a really cool, free concert series put on by the El Paso Convention & Visitors Bureau, my awesome employer. I took some pictures that night, handed out gifts to the first 50 bicyclists and headed home.

♥ After this, my beau, his mom, brother & I took a little scenic drive to Canutillo, TX & enjoyed “The Best Exotic Hotel Marigold” on a projector screen at Zin Valle Vineyards. I bought dinner – a plate filled with assorted Indian cuisines – and puchased two bottles of Sangue di Guida wine.

Saturday

♥ This was a special day for all of us! The beau’s family and I helped him move some of his things from Las Cruces, NM to El Paso. I’m exceedingly proud of him; he’s just graduated from NMSU with 3 degrees (!!!) and now he’s moving back home to be with his family.

♥ Before we started with the heavy lifting, we stopped for a few pints at High Desert Brewing Company, a place I whole heartedly recommend for anyone with a penchant for craft beer.

Sunday 

♥ The day started a little lazily. We started the day with a few episodes of Game of Thrones. Then we got our asses up and headed to the Fox Plaza Flea market on our bikes. There, we bought some lunch from a random BBQ stand, walked around & did a whole lot of people watching.

♥ After we got home, we got ready once again and this time went to Feast in the Middle East and watched a bunch of folks get down with Arabic dancing.

♥ Of personal importance, after Feast in the Middle East, we drove to a neighborhood here in El Paso called “Sunset Heights” and just walked around, explored & had some really amazing conversation…including making up stories of the people who might live there.

Alright now your turn: What adventures will you have this week?

Check out my previous Weekend Adventures:

• Weekend In The Life…
• Weekend In The Life …[2]
• Weekend In Ruidoso 

So I felt I should write – not because of the nomination itself but because I’ve realized that I’ve become so incredibly one-track-minded that I haven’t even had time to continue to cultivate what began my career to begin with.

I suppose I shall announce at this point that I’ve landed the best job in the entire known Universe: I’m THE social media coordinator for the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau, otherwise known as Visit El Paso. The job landed on my lap as a sheer coincidence in a moment of pure desperation. The story goes like this:

I had bought a car – a shitty one, mind you – from a well known street here known for selling shitty cars. I had it coming to me; the engine blew a gasket, the fuel pump probably melted into Hell and it’s currently growing mold in my boyfriend’s father’s mechanic shop.

It goes without saying that I had (and still don’t have) a vehicle, yet I worked all the way in Santa Teresa, NM. For several months, I relied on the kindheartedness of my fellow work mates and commuted to work this way. Of course at some point you start feeling like a mooch even though I did compensate them for gas money. I started looking for jobs Downtown (where I live) and I ran across several – one of them being the Social Media Coordinator for Visit El Paso.

I knew this was the job for me. I applied, followed up, showed up, got interviewed and landed the job. Since that point, I stopped my podcast, I stopped writing, I stopped my religious practice and worse yet, I stopped painting.

I get paid well for what I do but I can clearly see that my work has completely overtaken my life.

Is that okay? I mean, it’s truly a job I enjoy. Some days it feels like “work” but other days – when I’m video taping a bike ride, editing photos on Photoshop, Tweeting people, making connections – it’s all VERY fun. I love this job so incredibly much!

Art & Thelema will become a part of my life again. They’re always going to me major elements in my life; I buy art & attend art shows regularly and my life ideologies have been formed around the tenets of Thelema. However, there comes a time when you’ve got to push on the brakes, take a look at your life and see if there’s anything you’ve  left out or anyone you’ve forgotten.

I won’t win the Best of the Best thing. Shit, I didn’t even know I was a nominee. If I get nominated next year, I sure as hell hope my blog isn’t as sparse as it is now.

This is my commitment to myself: I will paint a magnificent piece, unlike anything you’ve seen me do before, perhaps by the time June has come. I intend for it to be a gift to my boyfriend in celebration of our first complete year together. Hold me to it.

Now it’s YOUR turn: Take some time to reflect. Are you missing out on anything in your life right now? What can you do to re-establish that connection again? 

Related articles

• Social Media Game ‘El Paso. It’s All Good’ Unveiled (hispanicbusiness.com)

So, we decided to take a trip up to Ruidoso for Valentine’s weekend! I had most of the trip planned out but we mainly just left off the spur off the moment!

The road from El Paso, TX to Ruidoso, NM is US-54 and that runs up from Northeast El Paso through Orogrande, NM, Alamogordo, Tularosa and Mescalero. There’s a really great little pistachio farm right between Alamogordo and Tularosa, so we took a little pit stop and bought a few bottles of their award winning Arena Blanca Winery ‘Rogue Red’ and sampled some of their flavored pistachios.

Once we made it into Ruidoso, I’m certain I had a face full of wonder and amazement. Sure, I had been to Ruidoso countless times before, but never for leisure. We were pretty famished at this point, so we stopped by ‘Cant Stop Smokin’, a really picturesque old style BBQ joint housed inside a magnificent looking cabin-style building. What captured me was the giant wall next to the restaurant bearing messages from passerby’s.

After we filled our bellies with some of the most delicious meat I’ve ever had (stahp!) we left on our long-ass journey to the summit of Ski Apache deep within the Alto Mountains. It felt as if the road just went on and on but damn it…so beautiful.

The beau is a much more experienced snowboarder than I could ever be, so while he was off enjoying the slopes, I took a beginners course and proceeded to fall on my arse a million times while laughing and getting hit on by the instructor. He eventually gave me his number; the beau saw this as a compliment.

Snowboarding is kind of a big deal for me. I tore my ACL getting off a lift when I was 14 and since then, it sort of ruined my ability to be as physical as I would like to be. I’ve had 2 ACL surgeries and I’m pretty much missing a meniscus, so getting on that lift was a little nerve-wracking.

When the day was done and we headed down to our cabin at High Country Lodge, we stopped off at a scenic point and took a ton of photos. General mushiness abounds:

It was a great and memorable trip! Can’t wait for our next big outing!

El Paso has been going through an interesting boom in culture and arts, most likely set in motion through various initiatives sponsored and encouraged by city organizations. Either way, these artists have found their niche and have devoted a large part of their lives to their craft.

Unfortunately, art doesn’t always pay the bills. Despite that, art, music and creativity are mandatory elements in the growth of a city and it’s culture, so as a community, we need to find a way to help encourage these artists to keep creating.

Here is a set of tweets that I broadcast during the meeting. They started out by explaining what the proposed spaces might look like:

Exhibit space, freedom for creativity and modifications are encouraged. Artist families are expected. 10 ft tall ceilings, large windows.—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

New urbanism encourages walking and bike riding, therefore parking will not be a major feature, instead green space encouraged. #ElPaso—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

#Artspace will also feature retail space, a community room for parties and events, very open floorplans. #ElPaso—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

Then, after having gotten everyone interested in the spaces, the presenter then went into details regarding eligibility. An ‘artist’ is defined by being a creative of some sort; photography, painting, drawing, music etc.

How is an artist defined? In the next year a peer review community will be put together to determine eligibility. #artspace—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

#Artspace is about supporting YOU as a creative. You must have a body of work, not necessarily deriving a majority of your $ from your art.—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

Income is determined by the area median. For an individual, you must make under $21k. For a family of 3, less than $26k. #Artspace #ElPaso—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

You do not have to be from #ElPaso to be considered. Leasing will be on a 'first come, first serve basis'. Sign up to be notified. #Artspace—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

Most exciting of all, at least to me, is how nicely this will fit into the 2015 Downtown Redevelopment plan, which is already well under way.

This #artspace will play into the new transit plans, AAA baseball stadium, 2015 plan and will completely transform DWNTWN #ElPaso.—
Crysti Couture (@CrystiCouture) January 17, 2013

If you’re interested in learning more about the upcoming Artspace community in El Paso sign up for their newsletter and show some support. Every little bit counts!

Featured artist this week is RaHeem Bos who has started a Kickstarter campaign to get to SXSW! 

Related articles

• Episode 20, Week of 1/28/2013 (crystiology.com)
• Episode 19 – Week of 1/21/2013 (crystiology.com)
• Episode 18 – Weekend Edition for 1/18/2013 (crystiology.com)

Episode 20 of The 915 Voice for the week of January 28th is uploaded! Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, PodOmatic, Mixcloud or SoundCloud! Lots of interesting events to do this week including movies and performances at the Museum of Art, UTEP Dinner Theater, the Downtown Artist Market, Toro Y Moi, the El Paso Exploreum and MORE!

Featured local artists are Lavell Jones & Derrell Peoples of RARE Individuals!

Episode 19 of The 915 Voice, is up for you to listen to! Featuring events from Martket, the re-opening of La Adelita Gift Shop, the Parnas Duo at Plaza Theatre, the Perma Culture Community Garden Seed Share and SO MUCH MORE!

Featured artist this week is Diluted Thought with his track ‘Break the Walls Down’

Related articles

• Episode 18 – Weekend Edition for 1/18/2013 (crystiology.com)

Featured artist is Quetzal Blasfema and DJ Pervee!

Related articles

• Episode 17 – Week of 1/7/2013 (crystiology.com)

This is an unofficial case study that I’m posting on my personal blog for a variety of reasons, however as the readership knows I love my city and I love social media!

Although social media is integral to any marketing plan, it can be difficult to find the right coordinator because social media is a new form of marketing that simply isn’t being taught in the Universities and it takes more than just a background in marketing to understand the playing field.

What’s important to understand is that social media isn’t just about creating an account and updating it once in a while; it’s also about presence and staying connected with the people as well.

The Missions and Purposes of a CAVB or Destination Marketing Organization

• To fuel the local business climate and broaden the local tax base by attracting visitors as a means of bringing money into the community, generating personal income, jobs, and tax revenue by marketing and ensuring the city as a destination.
• Generating positive awareness of the city as a pleasurable destination and also providing opportunities for community support and participation.
• To be a liaison between visitors and facilities, services, events, activities, agencies and organizations.
• Develop and promote programs and campaigns to enrich tourism, attractions and events.
• Provide accurate and up-to-date information to visitors to provide everyone a unique, memorable and satisfying experience when visiting the city.

The City

El Paso unique in a multitude of ways; it’s unique in terms of geography, commerce, culture and tourism. Not only does El Paso enjoy a rich cultural history of its own but the city is situated between two other cultural giants: the state of New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Other cities such as Melbourne and New York have created successful city brands that are recognizable around the world and reflect their individual spirit and style. El Paso’s unique appeal and status can easily be capitalized upon – it’s just going to take some careful social media strategies and proper demographic targeting.

Demographics

In 1990, the population of El Paso was 519,480 people and as of the 2011 Census, that number has risen to approximately 665,568 with a heavy concentration in children and those spanning between the ages of 35 and 44. These metrics suggest high birthrates, falling or stable death rates and the potential for rapid population growth.

In regards to income, El Paso’s average sits between $5 and $24k right now – not a whole lot but with the upcoming opportunities presented by the El Paso Redevelopment Plan, I personally feel that this will all change.

The Future of the City

El Paso has an extremely bright future and is at the genesis of an upward  trend. The Downtown 2015 Plan by the Paso del Norte Group is guaranteed to reinvigorate the city and inspire a catalyst for change.

This, along with the aforementioned Redevelopment Plan, the new AAA Baseball Stadium, new museums and the upcoming change in political climate are worthy of marketing and are sure to spark interest in community involvement and tourist attractions.

The Brand Now

The El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau is managed by SMG and uses ‘Visit El Paso’ as its main identifier and ‘Real Adventure is Still Alive in El Paso’. This marketing campaign has won several awards from various regional entities. Their existing social media lies in the following links:

• Website: Visit El Paso
• Twitter - 1999 Followers
• Pinterest - 274 Followers
• Facebook - 7703 Likes
• Flickr
• YouTube - 105 Subsribers
• Newsletter
• Mobile Application available on Android and iOS

The CAVB has had success in bringing events to the city such as:

• Social Media Tourism Symposium
• Conference US Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament
• United States Bowling Conference Open Championship

The CAVB also promotes the Performing Arts Centers:

• Abraham Chavez Theater
• The Plaza Theater
• Arts Festival Plaza
• Oasis Bistro & Lounge
• McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater

And is partnered / associated with the following events and organizations:

• El Paso Film Commision
• Amigo Airsho
• Chalk the Block
• Downtown KidsPalooza
• Downtown Street Festival
• Hyundai Sun Bowl
• Neon Desert Music Festval
• Plaza Classic Film Festival
• VIVA! El Paso
• El Paso Museum of Art
• El Paso Zoo
• La Vina Winery
• Lynx Exhibits
• …dozens more.

Suggested Social Media Presences and Changes

• Instagram is quickly becoming the photo sharing network of choice for Facebook and Twitter. It’s also much easier to run a marketing campaign on the platform as well, through the use of hashtags and daily photo prompts.
• The existing Pinterest presence is robust but lacks followers. Might want to consider a Pinterest campaign that could spark interest and increase engagement.
• Location based marketing such as LivingSocial or Foursquare. The various locations and events that the CAVB is partnered with provide an excellent opportunity to unlock ‘badges’, create coupons, promotions or live broadcasting of events.
• Revamping the mobile application significantly.
• Cross-promotion is lacking and social media accounts are not interlinked to each other. Double posting is a big no-no in the social media world but cross promotion is easy to implement with the proper tools.
• An events calendar exists on the website and is somewhat user friendly in that the default view is in list ‘agenda’ format. This calendar needs to be integrated into the mobile application and could benefit from being embeddable through the use of Google Calendar.
• The Flickr account needs regular updating – the last upload was in June of 2012. If updates are not going to occur it would be best to delete the channel.
• El Paso is unique in that it’s facing a very prominent arts and music renaissance. Noted achievements in the city include the Neon Desert Music Festival and Chalk the Block. Based on this, perhaps engaging the creative community through consistent contests, exhibits and promotion through social channels can build a larger loyalty base within the 15-35 year old demographic.
• Promoting and engaging with locally owned publications through social media channels, which in turn would also empower those publications to promote the CAVB.

That’s all I can say for now. I could get much father in depth with strategies for each social media channel and I very well might post those tips and how-to’s in the future, so stay tuned.

Here’s a few other posts of mine that you might enjoy:

Is Your Picture Worth 1000 Clicks?

How to Plan an Expo and Not Go Insane

Featured local band is Dub Cartel with their track ‘Down Low’!

Related articles

• Episode 16 – Week of 12/24/2012 (crystiology.com)