The Round Table - March 2010

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infoTech Niagara 2010 BETA Awards

For the past 10 years, infoTech Niagara has honored the best and brightest in WNY's Information Technology sector through the Buffalo/Niagara Emerging Technology Awards. This year, Algonquin Studios is proud to be a finalist in the "Excellence in Giving" category for our work with the local community through the Buffalo Soccer Club and the Algonquin Sports for Kids program. We are also excited to announce that one of our interns, Ryan McNamee, is a finalist in the "Student Award" category. The 2010 BETA awards will be held at the Buffalo Convention Center on March 24th. You can learn more about the event at www.thebetas.com.

Re-Designed Hodgson Russ LLP Web Site Launched

We recently launched a newly re-designed web site for our client Hodgson Russ LLP.

Check out the new site here www.hodgsonruss.com and read our interview with Hodgson's Marketing Manager, Emily Pawlikowski, below.

QuantumCMS 4.1 Updates

QuantumCMS users will be happy to learn that Version 4.1 has an updated report generator with naming conventions that are in line with the rest of the software.  Even more excitingly, the latest version has a Custom Form Builder that allows users to build feedback forms, generate surveys, design simple RSVP options, and more. Our QuantumCMS online community has all the details.

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Tradeshow Time

We will be exhibiting at the 2010 Legal Marketing Association Conference in Denver, Colorado this week.  Attended by senior legal marketing and business development professionals from some of the largest and best known law firms in the country, the conference attracts industry leaders and key decision makers from the legal community.  Algonquin Studios is the conference's Cyber Cafe sponsor, offering attendees free internet access on the tradeshow floor, and will be running a contest giving participants a chance to win a brand new mini-netbook. For more information, see the press release here.

Representing at the ADDYs

This year, three of Algonquin's employees became members of the Advertising Club of Buffalo and they'll be attending the local ADDY awards show held at Kleinhan's on March 19th. The annual show recognizes Buffalo's top adversting talent and gives awards for excellence in communication, creativity, service to the club, and potential in the marketing and advertising fields. If you'll be at the show, remember to check the showbook for the Algonquin Studios ad!

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Interview With Emily Pawlikowski - Marketing Manager, Hodgson Russ LLP

This month we got the chance to catch up with Emily Pawlikowski, Marketing Manager at Hodgson Russ LLP, a full-service, U.S. law firm. Hodgson Russ has a big team, with approximately 200 attorneys who provide business-focused legal counsel to clients in the U.S., Canada, and across the world. The firm has multidisciplinary work teams that serve public and private businesses as well as governmental entities, non-profits, and individuals.

AS: What exciting projects are you working on currently?

EP: We've been working on the launch of our newly re-branded and re-designed web site. The new site was designed to create a more user-friendly experience for clients. It has a simplified home page with less clutter and increased readability. We are also very happy to say that we upgraded to the latest version of QuantumCMS.

AS: Hodgson Russ has many different locations and practice areas. Do you feel your intranet helps your team collaborate better?

EP: With offices in the U.S. and Canada, it definitely helps our attorneys and staff communicate and share information. It also assists in our integration efforts.

AS: What is the biggest goal for your new web site this year?

EP: We'll be looking into SEO to drive traffic to the new site.

AS: How big a role does QuantumCMS play in your day-to-day activities?

EP: We use QuantumCMS on a daily basis. Our attorneys regularly write articles, speak publicly, and issue client alerts on hot topics and new developments in the law. QuantumCMS gives us the tools to maintain our site on a constant basis and keep clients up to date on how these issues may affect their business.

AS: What is the most important message you're trying to communicate to your clients this year?

EP: We've just launched our new slogan "Where value is law." Especially since the economic downturn, companies are looking for value. Not just monetary value, but also value in services, innovative ideas, problem solving, and customer service. Companies are looking for lawyers who understand their business and who are looking out for legal pitfalls that might occur in the future.

AS: What do you feel the biggest trends in legal marketing are right now?

EP: The industry has changed; there's no doubt about that. Thirty years ago law firms didn't advertise at all. Right now social media is the new trend. Currently, there are only a handful of firms taking full advantage of social media. Many of our attorneys have had a lot of success using LinkedIn, but we're still navigating the opportunities. 

 
AS: We've identified the Legal Marketing Association's Annual Conference as an exiciting and integral way to reach new legal clients.  Will you be attending the conference in Denver, Colorado this month?

EP: Yes, Jay Pawlowski, one of our Communications Coordinators, will be attending this year. 

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Interview with Algonquin Intern Ryan McNamee

AS: How long have you been interning at Algonquin Studios? 

RM: A little over a year and a half.

AS: Tell us about your educational background. Where do you go to school and what's your major?  Have you had other internship or related work experiences in college?

RM: When I lived in Toronto, I attended Trebas Institute for audio engineering. After that I worked/interned at several recording studios.  One of which, called Light of Dae, was a community-based studio where the equipment was donated by corporate sponsors and the bands got studio time by doing community service. I helped design the Light of Dae website and that's when I got into programming.

When I moved back to Buffalo I started at Buffalo State College as a Computer Information Systems major. I finished almost all of the courses for my major within my first two years, so rather than spend my junior and senior years not taking any computer-related classes, I decided it was time to jump into the field while I was still "fresh."

AS: What project are you currently working on at Algonquin Studios? Have you worked on anything else while you've been here?

RM: Most of my work is on SWRemote. It's a pocket pc application for field service technicians of all sorts (electricians, plumbers, etc.). I've worked on several other projects for Algonquin since I started such as BearTrax, ABC-Amega, Olmsted Center, and I have done some COBSirfin'.

AS: Tell us about your life when you're not at work or school. Do you have any unique hobbies, special talents, or unusual interests that your co-workers and our clients might not know about?

RM: I like to fish a lot but I think it's more of a hobby than a talent based on my success rate. I DJ on the weekends, something I've been doing since I was 12. I also play on an ice hockey team in a league at Holiday Rinks.

AS: What's your favorite aspect of working at Algonquin and the project you're currently involved in?

RM: I personally enjoy coding new features into an application; I see it as a kind of puzzle solving. I also like the activities we do as a company such as our department meetings, "Meet and Eats," and "Food Fridays."  These give us a chance to not only talk about the current statuses of projects, but also review the nifty techniques used in developing them. So, even though different people work on different projects, all of our knowledge is shared and we develop as a group. And then we eat food.

AS: What's the most important real life lesson you've learned from the time you've been at Algonquin and the projects you've worked on here? How will you apply this knowledge once you've graduated and you enter the business world full time?

RM: I've learned a lot but, I'd have to say, the biggest thing has been recognizing that our customers' happiness is what's most important. In my time working on SWRemote I've interacted closely with our customers and have realized that the success of any business is hugely impacted by the satisfaction of its customers.  I plan to do my best, wherever I go in the future, to make sure that every customer is happy with the work I do for them.

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Trivia Question

Each month a trivia question will be included in our newsletter. Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to swiatek@algonquinstudios.com and you will receive a spiffy

new Algonquin Studios t-shirt.

Q. What was the original "Algonquin Round Table" from which Algonquin Studios takes its name?

Last month's winner was John Sardina. The answer was 2005.

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About Us

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200 Brisbane Building
Buffalo, New York 14203
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716-842-1439