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Varvid Heaven: NAB Show 2012

Posted Apr 21 2012 by with 0 Comments

Aaron, Mike Pearce and myself snuck away from the office for a few days to attend the NAB Show® (National Association of Broadcasters) in Vegas. Shot and edited this on my iPhone as more of an afterthought – was hoping to take a trip without actually shooting something, but the creative demon inside couldn’t help but capture some footage of all the shiny things on display. Some shaky camera work, but still fun to edit and produce right on my iPhone. Hopefully this will inspire some of you get that camera out and start shooting :) As for the show itself – amazing and overwhelming! This was a great chance for us to check out new innovations in the world of digital production, as well as meet and hang out with friends and peers from the many like-minded companies we work with everyday. NAB is the mecca for all digital media – content creation, consumption, distribution and management. Oh, and it’s big: 90,000+ media and entertainment professionals from over 150 countries – betta’ recognize!

 

www.nabshow.com

 

 

Transformative technology comes together in one place for small business.

Posted Apr 5 2012 by with 0 Comments

The Small Business Tour

  • April 12, 2012
  • Meydenbauer Center – Bellevue, WA

Learn about new concepts around Small Business 3.0 including money, growth, customers and people productivity with the latest technologies. The Time to Thrive Small Business Tour 2012 is where to be! Varvid will be webcasting live discussion panels with Microsoft, Intuit, Concur, Constant Contact, Corelytics, Rocketship, the SBA and more. The 12-city tour kicks off in Seattle on April 12. Check it out: www.TheSmallBusinessTour.com

Drew Graham with Michael Prebezac at Northwest Festivals and Events Convention & Expo at the Semiahoo Resort in Blaine, WA

Posted Mar 26 2012 by in Northwest Festivals and Events Convention Expo, Varvid Team, Washington Festivals and Events Association with 0 Comments
 


Drew Graham from Varvid caught up with Michael Prebezac, President of Washington Festivals and Events Association, at the Northwest Festivals and Events Convention & Expo at the Semiahoo Resort in Blaine, WA to talk about the event, what it offers members, and it's impact on the community. Attendees of the event can expect to come away with a vast amount of insider information (thanks to the great speakers and presenters), networking opportunities, an awesome trade show, and many more opportunities.

 

 

Windows 8 Beta (Consumer Preview) Step by Step Install

Posted Mar 2 2012 by in Aaron Booker, Cloud Services, Microsoft, Microsoft BING, SBS, Small Business, SMB Nation, Social Media, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Win7 with 0 Comments
 


Step by Step tutorial showing an install of Windows 8 Beta (Consumer Preview - In real time)

This installation was done on a HP Elitebook 8560w with 16GB RAM and a Crucial M4 256GB SSD Drive. Quadcore Intel i7 15" portable workstation with 4 memory slots for low cost upgrade to 16GB RAM.


DOWNLOADS & IMPORTANT LINKS
  • To see reviews and prices at Amazon (best prices I've found) on Crucial SSD's (we're in the process of putting them in every computer in our company: http://amzn.to/crucialssds

To see more video from Tech Events and coverage of the IT Industry: http://www.varvid.tv
To learn more about Varvid's video services - http://www.varvid.com

 

Varvid has a new team member! Megan Martini has joined Varvid as Project Manager.

Posted Feb 17 2012 by in Varvid Team with 0 Comments


As Varvid continues to burgeon, still in the early months of 2012, we’re becoming quite familiar with change and metamorphosis. Our latest development has been the addition of a Project Manager, a role filled by the incomparable Megan Martini.

Megan is well versed in all levels of production. She’s studied Post Production extensively at the Colorado Film School, and has worked as a Production Coordinator and Manager for the last several years. As Project Manager, she looks forward to working closely with both Varvid clients and employees. Megan has lived in Bellingham most of her life and is thrilled to be joining the Varvid team.  Welcome aboard, Megan!!

 

About Varvid

Varvid is a video production company aimed at helping clients leverage their existing online presence by way of video case studies, live event webcasting, social media integration, and emerging online video portals. For more information, you can visit their website at www.varvid.com. Also, don’t forget to “like” them on Facebook http://facebook.com/varvid and “follow” them on Twitter http://twitter.com/varvidvideo. There are always new and exciting things happening at Varvid!

HTG Leadership Retreat in Dallas with Mike Simmons and Drew Graham

Posted Jan 30 2012 by in Arlin Sorenesen, Drew Thoughts, Heartland Technology Solutions, Varvid Partners, Varvid Team with 0 Comments

As we all gave our final farewells to 2011, 2012 made a grand entrance for our team at Varvid as we received a capital investment from our new partners Brad and Arlin Sorensen. Before Varvid set sail into the open seas of 2012, Arlin Sorensen and Brad Schow traveled to our hometown Bellingham, Washington to take our staff through what’s called a “SWOT” which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This three day program unraveled our entire company by exploring all the systems and structures by which we operate, and through constructive discussion we produced numerous goals which we’re set on meeting within the next three months to prepare our company for significant long term growth.

Directly after the SWOT, Varvid’s President Mike Simmons and Business Development Director Drew Graham traveled to Dallas, Texas to attend a leadership meeting lead by Dan Weston of the Weston Group, who works as a coach for Gazelles Inc. which is a company that provides executive education, coaching and technology services to help mid-market companies around the world build and execute a strategic plan.

Two books were handed out at the event, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish, and Execution Without Drama by Patrick Thean. Overall, Mike and Drew noticed an strong affinity between the business resources and tactics Gazelle had to offer and the strategies laid out by Arlin and Brad from HTG. This affirmation of our current goals and focus was just another positive reinforcement to Varvid’s new path and has been very encouraging as our steps into the future are developing into leaps and bounds.

Varvid Growth Plans Accelerated through Capital Investment from Sorensen Brothers

Posted Jan 16 2012 by with 3 Comments

 

Video production company’s executive leadership also expanded to enable twin focus on day-to-day execution and advanced services opportunities

 

HARLAN, Iowa / BELLINGHAM, Wa. – Jan. 16, 2012 – In a move typical of Heartland Technologies CEO and Founder Arlin Sorensen, the industry veteran is once again betting on the future of the IT channel. What’s perhaps unusual this go-around is that he and his brother Brad are doing it with their own cash. The pair is making a sizeable financial commitment to Varvid, a digital media services company, as part of a strategic alliance aimed at expanding business-changing educational content via an online video platform.

“Our interest in Varvid enables us to offer a wide array of digital media services to HTG Peer Group members either through real-time, interactive sessions or on-demand programming that’s not only available when they want to receive it, but how they want to receive it,” said Arlin. “I’m a big believer that digital communication is going to be the separator between those that do well in the marketplace and those that don’t.”

Industry research firm IDC, which recently reported that the online video platform market is estimated to grow from $306 million in 2010 to over $1 billion by 2015, validates Arlin’s view of the situation. And with the convergence of social media and TV services still in its infancy, further integration is expected to create ongoing opportunities.

The investment from the Sorensen brothers allows Varvid to hasten its growth in size and services by utilizing assets and personnel from both Heartland Technology Consulting (HTC) and Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS).  Most notably, the company plans to broaden its support of event services including turnkey solutions related to staging, lighting, sound and multi-camera coverage for both live and on-demand viewership.

Varvid will also continue to build its existing video production services, while increasing its business offerings to provide all-inclusive social media strategies and digital media marketing solutions.  These services will include online video production via remote editing, video hosting, live webcasting, online marketing campaigns, email newsletters, website integration, content generation for social media sites and professional on-site video production.

“Everyone thought the Internet was great in 1999, and it was, but they really didn’t have any idea where it could and would go at that time,” said Aaron Booker, Varvid CEO and co-founder.

“We’re at a stage now with digital media services that parallels those early days of the Internet and it’s thrilling to be at the forefront of that next technology wave.”

Varvid began as a production company helping businesses leverage their online presence through video testimonials, case studies and “live” event coverage. The company also pioneered “Video-as-a-Service” by allowing organizations of all sizes access to the power of online digital media through a number of custom hybrid solutions, integrating both a professional and do-it-yourself approach. In addition to these services, Varvid offers a range of social media solutions aimed at helping businesses expand their online presence through emerging digital platforms and social media outlets.

 

Focused on the Future

To ensure the company addresses the needs of its customers today and into the future, Varvid has realigned its leadership team. Aaron Booker, formerly president and co-founder, will now lead the company as its chief executive officer with responsibility for developing strategic relationships and driving corporate innovation. Mike Simmons, former Varvid creative director and co-founder, replaces Booker as president, and will oversee the company’s day-to-day business operations. Both Arlin and Brad Sorensen will also join Varvid’s board of directors.

 

About Varvid

Varvid is an Internet Delivered Video production, distribution and management company that builds IT brands by creating superior timely, powerful, and affordable online video solutions for clients. 
Products & services include case studies, business testimonials, video-enabled email, live webcasting, event coverage, and the newly released “VENUE” video packages – an affordable subscription-based service that features everything clients need to get started in

producing quality online videos for their business. The company also provides all-inclusive social media strategies and digital media marketing solutions as well as viewership metrics for popular social networks including YouTube, Facebook, other platforms and client websites.

Varvid has produced hundreds of recorded and live streaming videos for clients at locations around the world, as well as dozens of testimonial video montages for technology firms, events and trade shows.  For more information, visit: www.Varvid.com and www.Varvid.TV

 

About HTG Peer Groups

Established in 2000 by Arlin Sorensen as a business and personal development community, today HTG Peer Groups is an international organization of leading IT solution providers. HTG has more than 250 member companies throughout North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia/New Zealand. Each peer group consists of 10-12 IT company executives who work together and share resources and information to formulate and meet business goals such as strategic planning, process improvement and tools, and life-work excellence. HTG offers CEO Forums, vendor peer groups and other educational events, quarterly meetings, and an annual summit that attracts hundreds of attendees, vendor exhibitors and strategic partners. Visit www.htgpeergroups.com or call 712-744-3619 for more information.

 

About Heartland Technologies Solutions (HTS)

For 25 years, the HTS team has served the IT needs of businesses throughout the Midwest and now has a diverse set of specializations, including Infrastructure Service & Support, Unified Communications, Document Management, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery, Precision Agriculture and K-12 Education. HTS is highly regarded in the vendor community and has strong partnerships with Microsoft, HP and SonicWALL. HTS has seven locations across the Midwest in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

For more information, please visit www.heartlandtechnologies.com.

# # #

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Lynette Bohanan, CommCentric Solutions

lbohanan@commcentric.com / 813-727-0196

Must Read Blogs – One of Our Favorites

Posted Dec 1 2011 by in B2B, B2C, Current Affairs, Local Business, Small Business, Smart and Simple Solutions Conference for Small Business, Social Media, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Weblogs with 0 Comments

Like most of you, I subscribe to a handful of blogs that I review as part of my morning rituals.  From IT gurus, entertaiment mogals and marketing leaders, each delivers something I find (or at one time found) worth my time. Without out a doubt, Jeremy Epstien and his Never Stop Marketing daily updates deliver something worth reading.  It’s more than just every now and then, it’s every single day. Sometimes he shares very personal stories and other times they are chunks of wisdom retold. Here’s a great example.

If you are serious about your business and have the desire to set in motion a few of the principals and knowledge Jeremy shares, it can make a difference in the level of success you and your organization will achieve.

How Are You Reaching Executives Online?

Posted Nov 29 2011 by in B2B, B2C, Internet Delivered Video, Mobile Video, Online Video, Small Business, Social Media, Testamonial, Video Delivery, Web/Tech, Webcasting, Weblogs, YouTube with 0 Comments

Here’s a great look at the when, where and how today’s executives view and digest online video. Of all the data collected, the one bit of information that surprised me most –  the length of a single video these decision makers are open to watching . While Varvid encourages our partners to keep videos under the 2 minute mark, this research tells us if the content offered is engaging and relevant, a large portion of viewers will watch for up to 5 minutes.  That’s solid information when you are creating an online video that generates results.

If you’d like to know more about how you can tell your story, share a case study, lend some professional expertise or simply get good video online, just ask us.  It’s what we do.

Heartland Technology Solutions Channel IT Summit 2011

Posted Sep 22 2011 by in Aaron Booker, Arlin Sorenesen, Channel IT Summit 2011, Heartland Technology Solutions, HTG Peer Groups with 0 Comments

 

Aaron Booker from Varvid joins Arlin Sorenesen of Heartland Technology Solutions in Harlan, Iowa to talk about HTS‘s Channel IT Summit. Arlin explains he’s seeking a way to deepen the relationship with the Vendors he partners with through the Heartland Technology Group by sharing the experience of what it’s like for VARS to be “in the trenches.” Arlin states “what better way than to invite them to come out here to rural Iowa to experience our business at HTS to share some of the things we’ve learned over the last 25 years.”

Arlin plans to talk about HTG, which has over 260 members that are part of his organization worldwide, and his goal for the summit is for Vendors to get a feel for what it’s like to serve SMB customers out in the real world. Arlin thinks that Vendors will be surprised at how complex the business really is for him and HTG, as they aim to serve a vast array of different kinds of clients. HTG services small micro businesses up to some of the mid-market customers, all of whom have very different needs and these different sized organizations expect very different things. As Arlin says himself “it’s not as simple as it seems on paper and we think we’re going to be able to show this to the Vendors who attend this week.”

The main points that Heartland Technology Solutions‘ Channel IT Summit 2011 promises attendees to come away with are:

• Understanding the roles in a typical VAR company
• Understanding how VAR’s grow and the barriers to growth
• Understanding things you should not do when working with VAR’s
• Understanding how to work effectively with SMB communities
• Understanding some of the frustrations VAR’s experience working with your tools and trying to procure your products and services
• Experience rural Iowa and hear from SMB partners and customers first hand

 

To find out more, visit:
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