Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Brand Consultancy with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825.

What: 5 Year Anniversary Networking Mixer + Art Show

Cost: FREE

Where: Bar Basic, Gaslamp San Diego
410 10th Ave, CA 92101 (619) 531-8869

When: Tuesday, August 23rd from 7-10pm

RSVP with number of Guests Here, or email us at info@skyboxcreative.com

Call for Sponsors! Interested in getting exposure to hundreds of people in a fun filled environment? Sponsorship opportunities include company logo or mention in one or more of the following: eBlast announcement, video projection on large wall at Bar Basic, table top space, raffle mention, etc. For cash or raffle sponsorship or to learn more, click here!

Check out our photos from past event below!

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Brand Consultancy with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

“Power Lunch: 5 Ways to Massively Increase Your Income” was the topic of today’s luncheon. Karie Kaufmann, Certified Business Coach with ActionCoach, presented the group with a variety of practical ideas to help grow your business. Prior to meeting Karie, we learned that we shared a mutual client, David Dent of CodeB San Diego, small world! By eliciting responses from the group, we were able to create a list of ways to; create more leads, increase your conversion rate, increase the number of transactions per customer, increase value therefore increase the average sale (DON’T DISCOUNT was a strong message she wrote out in large type) and increasing your profit margins by looking at ways you can cut costs.

One of the strongest messages I was left with was the importance of forming strategic alliances – creating and nurturing relationships with people who share your target market but don’t compete. One method to find out who the right strategic partners are is to draw a circle on a piece of paper with your target market/potential client in the middle, from there draw lines outward and think of all the possible people they come in contact with. Once you have your list of potential people/industries, find some local companies and introduce yourself. As long as it is a mutually beneficial relationship, they will most likely agree to meet with you and discuss the possibilities.

Prior to listening to the speaker, we played a game of Networking Tic-Tac-Toe, a first for me! We got to find out more about each other’s businesses and target markets by filling in squares on a tic-tac-toe board. Then as the luncheon coordinator, Doug Means, drew business cards out of his pocket, we put x in that square, the first person to get 3 in a row won a gift certificate for a free lunch at Seau’s Restaurant (where the event was held). It was a fun way to make sure you met at least 9 people at the event and really sparked conversation throughout the room.

Skybox Creative and Skybox Ink ♥ networking! We immerse ourselves in networking and learning all we can about business growth and development. The lunch drew a diverse range of business owners/professionals including, Stasia Shimkus of Arbonne International, Kirk Nigel of KNG Construction, Dave Brodwolf of Domination Marketing, Adrienne Moch – Copywriter and President of NAWBO San Diego, Carol Galloway of PartyLite, Ashley Sellers of National Life Insurance, Jan Naylor-Smith of JuicePlus, and of course Karie Kaufmann and Doug Means who put the event together! We would definitely recommend attending one of their events if you haven’t yet!

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK – Free Quarterly Networking Event in San Diego

Thursday, December 17, 2009
7pm-9pm + beyond at Sîren Uber Lounge inside Sé Hotel
1047 5th Avenue, San Diego, 92101

Skybox Creative + Skybox Ink (Green Printing) are excited to announce the launch of our new quarterly FREE Green Networking Mixers in San Diego! We have partnered with Sîren Uber Lounge, inside Sé Hotel (Located just above The House of Blues), to offer a luxurious setting for the events, with a relaxing indoor lounge and heated patio/bar area. Due to the success + demand of our annual networking events, bringing hundreds of people together, we have decided to host quarterly mixers.

ALL entrepreneurs and business professionals are welcome, our Green Mixers simply provide a setting for eco-friendly businesses to connect + collaborate. It also provides the perfect opportunity for companies to learn how they can become more Green. This is an opportunity to grow your business and do something positive!

Thursday, December 17th will mark the first in our mixer series. We are currently seeking sponsors, preferably Green-related for our raffle. We are also seeking cash sponsors ($100 and up) for event food + beverage. In return, you will get up to 5 minutes to promote your business/give out prizes & certificates as well as two months of free advertising on our event website! For more information, contact us at info@skyboxcreative.com

RSVP info@skyboxcreative.com

We ♥ our earth!

Last night – Thursday, November 19th – I attended the Wilmington Young Professionals November Business After Hours at The River Room in Wilmington, North Carolina. As many of our clients and business associates know, Skybox Creative + Skybox Ink are expanding our offices to North Carolina in August 2010. We are extremely excited to get involved with the local Wilmington businesses. So far, I have received a warm welcome from each person I have met! Everyone in Wilmington seems to love it here, there is a strong sense of camaraderie and community that is felt immediately.

One of the gentleman I met, Brian McArtan is co-owner of The River Room as well as VP of DJ Professionals & Video. Awesome guy. He is a man on the move with big plans for the future, I am looking forward to hearing all about them! The River Room is a venue with 2,500 sq ft of meeting and event space available for all types of meeting, rehearsal dinners, corporate events or simply a cool place to hang out. They can seat 80 with a dance floor and cocktail style parties, they can accommodate up to 140. It must have been close to that last night, WYP brought a diverse and entertaining crowd of over 100 to fill the colonial style, yet contemporary venue.

Jackie Willse, was the host of the event. Jackie is one busy woman, organizing events for WYP, Owner/Candlemaster of Port City Candles and more! Chris Davis and I had a chance to chat about his photography work, which is amazing by the way! His focus is on Conceptual Ad Photography as well as Portrait work, check out his work here.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Courtney Shaver of The Bride’s Book (A bridal magazine), Monica Tockman – Wedding & Event Coordinator of Something Blue Productions, Steven Capo of Intelligent Placement Solutions (A physician job placement agency), among many others!

I am pictured above with Shannon Bowen Social Media and Breaking News Journalist for StarNews Media, David Merrill who manages the local Wilmington Networking Events Calendar, along with Todd Bishton, Johnathan Williams and Nicholas Karnazes.

Greg Tumolo and Bill are partners for a local company ClickCheckSave.com. This company will be national in no time, with a rebranded company name + image on the brink of a massive launch, they will be releasing an entirely new concept to the world. I would blog about it, but want to make sure I don’t spoil the secret.

Beautiful photographs were showcased all over the venue from the photo collage in the entry way to the walls in the bathroom. Most well known for their Wedding and Portrait Photography, Baca Photography has a ton of amazing work to show off.

It was a great night overall, within less than 2 hours, I met a ton of friendly people and learned a lot about the various businesses in Wilmington, NC. I’m looking forward to my next mixer when I return in December/January and even more so for the transition out here in August!

- Angelina, Skybox Creative

In between the presentations, there was an Expo with several Exhibitors including but not limited to BBB, City of San Diego, Franchise Tax Board, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Board of Equalization, Accion San Diego and many more. We gathered a ton of useful information including “How to do Business with California State Government”, “Taking Care of Business Checklist”, Information on 401(k), Simple IRA Plans & SEP Retirement Plans (for Small Businesses), FAQ’s Booklets, Brochures and more! As all business owners know, time is our most precious asset, so it was extremely helpful that all of this information was available in one place. Now the trick is finding the time to read through it all?!

We did get some important questions answered from the staff members manning the booths. One friendly man from the IRS said something to me that stuck: “Pension means required. Go with a retirement plan that is based on profit, if there is not profit, you don’t have to make any payments.” Wise words…and although it is such a simple concept, it was never so clearly laid out for me.

We stopped by the NAWBO desk and spoke to a savvy business owner by the name of Jere Batten, Treasurer of NAWBO San Diego and president of Batten Accountancy, Inc. She gave us her undivided attention and advice on growing a business. We dropped a couple cards in for the raffle to win a free NAWBO lunch and I won!

I never win ANYTHING, but I guess I was due The monthly luncheon event typically draws around 65 women business owners for a speaker presentation, lunch and mixer. Non-members are welcome but there is a fee to attend the events. For more information on NAWBO events in San Diego: http://www.nawbo-sd.org/component/option,com_jevents/Itemid,92/task,month.calendar/

During the Expo, we also had a chance to mingle with a few business owners that were browsing around. Among these, Antonio de la Cerda of VNet Professionals Inc., Justin R. French of Social Networking San Diego, Gabriel I. Collignon of AKB Solutions, Jenn Vela of 5byseven, Maria Montano of Accion San Diego and others.

It was one of those busy days at the office and we weren’t sure if we should leave, but it turned out to be an eventful and educational experience. I would highly recommend attending an event in the future if you have the opportunity.

For more information on this event and others like it, visit: http://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/tpsched.htm

To growth + prosperity!

Close to 200 guests attended the award-winning web design firm’s milestone mixer and enjoyed a balmy summer evening on the luxurious pool deck. Newly made acquaintances toasted upcoming and exciting business ideas during the networking themed event.

An expansive raffle included an array of products and services, including a logo giveaway from Skybox and printing services from their latest venture – Skybox Ink – a full-service green printing website offering wholesale prices to the public. Guest Patty Mallory already shared her good fortune and experience at the event on her blog: click here!

Check back soon for event photos and contact info@skyboxcreative.com for all of your web design and branding needs!

Please RSVP: info@skyboxcreative.com

We are currently seeking sponsors for our raffle giveaway. For more info and benefits: info@skyboxcreative.com

More details coming soon!