Through the magic of Facebook Patrick Tomas was contacted by Bryan Elliot, Chairman of the the So Cal Action Sports Network. Being the social media enthusiasts that we are - Patrick, Michelle and I quickly became members of their Facebook page, looked at their website, found them on Twitter and began following what this organization was doing. We saw the great opportunities that this network could provide for our members, but what we found was more than we expected!
Despite how much I dislike the rain and Monday mornings- I was very excited when Michelle and I made our way to Irvine last week and met with Bryan Elliot at a Starbucks. We came into the meeting not really knowing what to say or what to expect , we just knew that we wanted to connect with Bryan because both of our organizations could benefit from each other.
Everything went uphill from here...
Bryan explained to us that the So Cal Action Sports Network is an exciting group of professionals & students who are interested in top lifestyle brands and retailers in the action sports industry!! He took us through the history of So Cal Action Sports, and I was inspired by the story of starting a successful organization from the ground up and expanding in such a short amount of time.
If you are like me, you probably have no idea that action sports is a part of a HUGE $150 billion dollar youth market! Wow! I never thought that skateboarding, surfing, BMX, consumer electronics, music & entertainment, auto, food & beverage had this much influence!
For PBL'rs- You can join So Cal Action Sports University and add them on Facebook. Here, you will be able to meet like-minded students, network with professionals, and participate directly with companies and brands. It is a great opportunity to find an internship or job and collaborate with the brands and companies that you like!
But then it got better....
Bryan told us about the next So Cal Action Sports Network meet up that will take place on Thursday, March 26 in Foothill Ranch, CA at the Oakley Headquarters. At this point I thought, "wow, how can this get any cooler?" but IT DID! Chris Brogan, social media expert and President of New Marketing Labs will be the speaker at this event!
Wait... What? Chris Brogan?! His blog- chrisbrogan.com is one of my personal favorites!! I admire this guy! I read & comment on his blog! I follow him on Twitter! His blog is on Technorati's Top 100 blogs in the world!!
AND EVEN BETTER!!
If you are a student, Bryan is looking for volunteers to help him run this event! Registration for this event is $25 if you register before 3/12 and $40 if you register after. But, if you're a student that wants to volunteer, you can go for FREE! Contact me at Jackie@csufpbl.org before 3/21 if you're interested!
Bryan Elliot will also be a workshop presenter at SBLC 2009!!
If you would like more information about this event or So Cal Action Sports you can visit the socalactionsportsnetwork.com site , or email Bryan Elliot bryan@socalactionsportsnetwork.com. Make sure to mention PBL!
[images found at: socalactionsportsnetwork.com ]
