Social Media Week Toronto

Last week was Social Media Week in a bunch of different cities throughout the world and I happily took part in a couple of events here in Toronto. The main SMW hub was located in the gorgeous Windsor Arms Hotel in Yorkville and was organized by Entrinsic, a digital culture & communications agency.

The panels I attended were:

Toronto: A Social City
Moderated by Liem Vu of Global News
Speakers-
Ed Keenan, Senior Editor, The Grid
Casie Stewart, Director of Social Media at Community Agency and Blogger
Michael Bolen, News Editor, Huffington Post Canada
Hamutal Dotan, Editor, Torontoist
Rebecca Brown, Founder, Bunch Family

Rob Ford and the Ikea monkey were hot topics at this panel haha.






The Digital Future Is People-Powered
Moderated by Erin Klassen, Seller Growth Specialist, Etsy
Speakers-
Michelle Reaney, Etsy Seller, Thunderpeep Designs
Lindsay Munro, Digital Comunications Strategist (KANETIX)
Laurie Taniguchi, Communications Coordinator (Boys and Girls Club Toronto)

We even got cute handmade cards, courtesy of Thunderpeep Designs!

The Crowdfunding Success Pattern
Speaker- Brian Meece, CEO of RocketHub

I actually featured Brian in a blog post for CreativeInterns.com this past summer, so it was nice to finally get to chat with him in person! [Check out the article HERE]

I had planned to go to way more, but other commitments sadly got in the way.

Earlier this year, back in February, I covered SMW in New York, and I had such an amazing time. (Did I mention, it led to an internship in NYC over the summer??) I just love being surrounded by so many people who are so passionate of the ever-changing and rapidly-growing digital society.

For more info on Social Media Week, check out www.socialmediaweek.org

- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28

Canada's Walk of Fame 2013

Two years ago, I landed my first gig as a seat filler at the Canada's Walk of Fame Awards Show in Toronto. Since then, it's always an event I look forward to. Not only does it celebrate the achievements of awesome Canadians and recognize their impact they've had on our country, it also is so inspirational for me as an audience member. I always walk out of the theatre so proud and motivated to do something great. I'll admit, the thought "how can I get inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame someday?!" always crosses my mind. (Check out my 2011 & 2012 experiences)

My first year was definitely the most exciting...I mean, I sat between Sandra Oh's dad and Drake's mom and was mentioned as the Asian in Russell Peters' acceptance speech, doesn't get much better than that haha. Definitely a life highlight for sure. Just for kicks, check out my claim to fame below (start at 6:50) -

Anyways, this year's show was cool too, hosted by Martin Short and the inductees including Bob Ezrin, Terry Fox, Craig & Marc Kielburger and Christine Sinclair (woot woot, reppin BC!). And this year's Allen Slaight Award went to Carly Rae Jepsen. I love how it celebrates people from all fields, whether it may be film, music or sports.

I won't reveal too much, since it hasn't aired yet...so be sure to watch the 2013 Canada's Walk of Fame broadcast on Global on Sunday, October 27th at 8pm!

PS, for anyone wondering what a seat filler is, we basically replace the celebrities when they go up to accept their awards, etc. Since TV loves having full audiences, it's always necessary to make sure all the seats are filled and there are no awkward gaps. That's where seat fillers come in. For this event in particular, sometimes you move around a lot, but sometimes there are empty seats throughout the theatre and you may just get to sit there and enjoy the entire show!

 - Christina

Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28

We Day 2013

Photo via Facebook

It's been a hectic couple weeks, so I'm a little behind on blogging, but I'm on it! Last Friday, I got to cover We Day again for Faze Magazine and I had a great time. It's always so nice to see so many young people who are so passionate about changing the world. I got to chat with some of the performers, plus the show's host and Glee star, Darren Criss. This year's list of performers included the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Serena Ryder, Imagine Dragons and Austin Mahone. There were also tons of awesome guest speakers, from Martin Luther King III and Spencer West to 11-year old Hannah Alper. And of course, Free The Children's Craig and Marc Kielburger.

I had to be at the ACC pretty early in the morning so I headed over rocking my Me To We Style 'Be The Change' T-shirt. Once I got there, I got to watch the beginning of the show for a bit and then had to set up at the red carpet for interviews.

The Faze team got to chat with Austin Mahone, Darren Criss, Jacob Artist, and Demi Lovato

Darren Criss: "It’s cool when you see this very concrete example of youth empowerment and people doing things that you hear about, but you see it in real life and you can’t help but be invigorated by this idea that we really can make a difference."

Demi Lovato: "When I went to Kenya with Free The Children, I did a lot of work with them and it changed my entire perspective on life and what I want out of it. I’m here today not only to thank Free The Children for everything that they’ve done, but also, We Day in particular is such an incredible event because everyone in the audience has done good for their community and that’s inspiring."

Later, I watched the show in the stadium and the positive and motivational energy was just so contagious. Check out some of my pics:

Keep an eye out for the article on faze.ca - for more info on We Day, check out www.weday.com

- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28

My #GGC Debut on The Mike Chalut Show

So I recently got to check out the PROUD FM downtown studio to be on The Mike Chalut Show as their new entertainment reporter! Now you can hear my voice in addition to reading my blog :)

So each week, you can catch my segment around 5pm on 103.9 (you can also listen online HERE) where I'll share all the juicy details of what's going on in the entertainment world. Follow me on Twitter @christinaaa28 and use the hashtag #GGC (Gossip Girl Christina) to join in on the fun!

Thanks for your support everyone!

- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28

Faze Magazine Issue #52 ft. ALLI SIMPSON

I've been fortunate enough to be a part of the Faze team for a while now and I have been loving every minute of it! The newest issue was just published and it features the lovely Alli Simpson as our Back-To-School cover star. Her older brother Cody has also graced the cover of Faze. Aren't they the cutest?!

Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from the cover shoot:

And the finished product!

You can find me a couple times while flipping through the issue:

Including a fun 'Outfit Of The Day' style feature!

Be sure to pick up a copy at your local Chapters Indigo store or order online at www.faze.ca

- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28

Survivor is BACK!

I'm not sure if you guys knew this about me already, but I am a huge Survivor fan. Yes, I'm one of those. (Not sure how many of us there are left, but I still tune in to watch every episode and grow attached to the castaways...) I'm so happy to get to see my fave host Jeff Probst every Wednesday again - now he's someone I'd LOVE to meet someday haha. I do have a dream of someday being in the audience of the season finale (somebody PLEASE make this happen?!)

Anyways, I just thought I'd share my love for the show that has been running for 27 seasons now... And in each one, they throw in a bunch of twists and turns. This season is Survivor: Blood vs water and the big casting twist was that the tribes are made up of a returning player plus their loved one. However, they aren't playing together, rather they're playing against each other. I know, I know, this is not interesting whatsoever for all you non-Survivor fans, but humour me.

Image Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

The season premiere was just this week, so I'm a happy camper. And they already threw in some drama right off the bat. Ah, I love this show. ALSO, former Survivor player Malcolm Freberg is my favourite person on Twitter during the show. His tweets are hilarious and I love him (you can find him at @MalcolmWHW).

I could go on forever, but I'll leave it at that. If I have any fellow Survivor fans reading my blog, feel free to give me a shout! :)

- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28

CollegeFashionista x Huffington Post #2

Last semester, I got to write an article for a series of posts in a partnership with CollegeFashionista and The Huffington Post. My task was to put a spotlight on a stylish Ryerson student and showcase the fashion here on campus. I featured Dani Reynolds and the piece turned out really well!

This semester, I was asked to do the same, so I had to find another awesome candidate. And Kate O'Reilly came along. This fourth-year fashion communications student and aspiring stylist was the perfect choice and I'm so happy with how it turned out. Ps, you should defs check out her styling portfolio, she's super talented - she works with a styling agency based in Austria called Making Of.

Here's a glimpse of the article, plus the photos I took:

 Read the full article HERE

Be sure to check out CollegeFashionista for all the latest trends spotted on campus!

- Christina

Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28