Two Christmas Gifts…

December 23, 2008 by Chris Harrower, CTIS.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…even though, to be totally honest, I think I’m more excited about ABA in 16 days than I am about Christmas this year!  I guess the old saying is true…Christmas is for children.

But I have two gifts for you this year…one from me, and one from my friends at ABA.  Let’s start with that one first:

Disclaimer:  I’m a geek. I know that revelation will shock some of you, but it’s sadly true. I love gadgets, gizmos, and the latest electronica.  That’s why I’m so excited about ABA’s announcement yesterday about the MingleStick being available at Marketplace this year.  Even a non-techie can get behind this one (even if the name is kinda silly!).

What is it?  It’s a small device that will easily fit in your pocket, purse, or even in the pocket on the back of your namebadge.  If you meet someone that you’d like to keep in touch with, you point your device at theirs, and you both push your buttons.  When the little green light comes on, you have successfully “mingled”.

When the show is over, you return it to ABA, and they send you a link to a special web page.  On that page will be complete information on every person you have “mingled” with.  No more fumbling with business cards; no more giving out someone else’s card, since you put it in the same pocket with your cards; no more trying to remember who that was you talked to at dinner, after they gave out their last business card 5 minutes earlier.

ABA is going to give every Operator a MingleStick, and suppliers can get one for the week for around $20.00.  That’s a steal, and I’ve already reserved mine.  To be able to get information on everyone I talk to is amazing to me.  And don’t forget…you can “mingle” with other suppliers, too!  The technology will let you export contacts as a VCard, then import them into anything that supports that format (Outlook, ACT, etc).

There will be a limited quantity this year, as they’re trying to determine how successful this program will be.  But I fully expect this to become a standard at all the big shows over the next year.  Sure, it’s something else to remember and learn, but I think that, after one day, it will become second nature!

And the other Christmas gift? It’s a guilty pleasure I just found, and have already emailed it to every theatre person I know.  But I think even non-theatre people will enjoy it.  It’s an online TV Show called “High Drama: Against All Oz”.  It’s the story of an amazingly sophisticated production of “The Wizard Of Oz” at Barnstable High School in Massachusetts.  It starts with the auditions, and ends with the final production, following both the actors and the production people. Maybe I’m biased, but I found it fascinating, and I watched the entire series last night.  Of course, each episode is only about 5 minutes, so it’s easy to do that.

You can find it two places…it’s on iTunes ($1.99 for the entire set of shows), or you can watch it for free online at:

http://www.thewb.com/shows/high-drama

Enjoy…and to everyone who bothers to read my ramblings, my very best wishes for an absolutely delightful Christmas, and here’s to a blessed and prosperous New Year for us all!

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