The rise of exertainment

Quick, name a gym. Any gym. Was Les Mills the first name that came to mind? If so, we wouldn’t be surprised; Phillip Mills’ business is less a fitness chain, more an empire. It offers cafes, health shops and body therapy clinics, and licenses its exercise classes to thousands of gyms around the world. But while countless wannabe gym bunnies sign up for memberships as part of their New Year resolutions, few manage to keep up the momentum. How, then, to retain paying customers? According to Mills, gyms need to be more interactive, more entertaining, more fun. He believes they can be a place to socialise, not just exercise. He explained his rock ‘n’ roll vision to Anya Kussler.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Fresh stock

The news just keeps getting better and better as Webstock’s speaker list expands. You may have heard of Amanda Palmer? Or Jason Webley? As well as performers in their own right, they’re of Evelyn Evelyn notoriety and they’ll be speaking at the conference in February about using the web for recording, publicity and promotion. Even better, they’ll both perform exclusively for the Webstock crowd at Friday night’s closing party. (It’s rumoured Evelyn Evelyn could be making an appearance, too; but there’s only one way to find out.)

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Feeling festive? Spread the joy

Nothing really beats a magazine subscription for a gift and Tangible Media, luckily, has a title to suit everyone on your shopping list. Even better: not only will you be remembered all year for your thoughtfulness and generosity, you can get 40% off the retail cover price when you subscribe to one (or several) of our mags by Saturday December 4—tomorrow. And as if that deal wasn’t already syrupy sweet enough, you’ll be automatically entered to win one of ten 12-packs of Monteith’s new Single Source lager.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Believe the hype

Road trip, anyone? How about a coast-to-coast, ten-day journey across the US to visit digital marketing’s creme de la creme? That’s what’s the Hyperfactory Handley Future Marketing Scholarship is touting, not just for 2011 but for the nine years following that. Thank founders Derek and Geoff Handley, who hope to “create a powerful alumni of leading lights in the future of marketing, and give them unprecedented access to the conversations of the smartest marketers at the world’s largest brands, in a global setting”. Derek reckons it’s unique in that it recognises what an individual can potentially achieve, rather than what he or she has done to date. To be eligible, you’ll need to be a brand marketer and under the age of 35. Interested visionaries will be able to visit www.thehyperfactory.com from January for details on how to apply.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

In good hands

Some guy called Walter C May has created the ultimate romantic gesture: a song and music video he made with his mates, California band The Daylights. The thing is, his long-distance girlfriend doesn’t even know yet. It’s called ‘I Hope This Gets To You’. He’s hoping the power of the viral internet will see it make its way to her, organically. So do we, although the clip is a tad creepy.

Filling the gaps

Young creatives eh? The things they come up with. Like staging events on empty chunks of land, in response to the impact of recent earthquakes in Christchurch. They’re working with local artists to organise performances, outdoor screenings, and have even set up a temporary garden cafe on Colombo St. More events are being posted constantly, but this weekend, for example, there’s a petanque tournament, several live bands and a handful of film screenings lined up.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

No (hu)man is an island

“What is a month in public isolation like? There is no place to hide except the bathroom or under the covers. It’s a place where your brain is in constant motion and you can’t seem to stop it long enough to focus on one thing. It’s where the notifications of text messages and emails are continually pouring in.” So writes Cristin Norine, a freelance production manager who just spent 30 days in a gallery communicating solely through social media platforms. Along with the help of photographer Jay Elliot, she documented the experience at the Public Isolation Project and picked up plenty of media interest, including a CNN story.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Win with WWF

New Zealand is nothing if not an island nation, and to celebrate our connection to the ocean, WWF has launched a competition calling for creative works in music, creative writing, short film, and visual art (including, but not limited to, photography, illustration, graphic design and multimedia). The grand prize? A trip for two to the Pacific Islands to see ocean wildlife up close, from whales to seabirds and turtles on their epic migrations. Winners will be announced at a special event on World Oceans Day (June 8), and exhibited throughout the country.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Friendly giants

What a spectacle: Ten-metre dynamic marionettes, including the Mexican Giant, the dog Xolo and the Little Indian Girl, which take dozens of people to erect and to play puppeteer. It was all part of week-long celebrations to mark Mexico’s Independence bicentenary—produced by Frenchman Jean Luc Courcoult and his street theatre company Royal de Luxe—plus footage from previous years’ shows.

Quote of the week

Done well, the health club might become something like the corner pub of the 21st century.

- Phillip Mills on his vision for the gym of the future