Beyond this weekend’s Made in Hawaii Festival, 17 Hawaii companies are battling for space on shelves at Walmart in the retail chain’s annual "Get on the Shelf" contest.
For Kauai-based inventor John Teel, the contest marks his second go-round in this space.
In 2010 the Pop-up MicroLite was being marketed as a small, dice-size light for illuminating the remote control for your TV/DVR/TiVo, etc. "Now they are marketed for illuminating endless things," Teel said.
In addition to Teel’s MicroLites, products whose creators are hoping for your online vote include a vest that promises to relieve a dog’s anxiety and something called "Space Hotel 3," which is billed as a sustainable desktop ecosystem.
The Space Hotel from Oh My Opae LLC consists of three water-filled tubes with horizontal connecting tubes through which your seven tiny opae ula shrimp can traverse their environs.
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ON THE NET:
» getontheshelf.walmart.com/state/HI
HAWAII ICON GETS LIMELIGHT
Emme Tomimbang has long been a Hawaii television institution, from her youthful days appearing on "Filipino Fiesta," her time as TV news reporter and her days as an independent producer of "Emme’s Island Moments." Tomimbang spotlighted countless people who called Hawaii home, made it special or who often visited and loved the islands.
This fall she will be the one in the spotlight as the Filipino Community Center prepares to honor her at its 11th annual dinner gala and fundraiser Nov. 9.
Recently profiled in Star-Advertiser sister publication MidWeek following recovery from a brain aneurysm, Tomimbang will be honored for her "many contributions to the Filipino community," said Rose Cruz Churma, FilCom Center president.
Table sponsorships start at $3,000.
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ON THE NET:
>> filcom.org/filcom-fundraiser-2013
CERTIFIABLY AND STRATEGICALLY SOCIAL
National certification for social media strategists is in the offing for Honolulu.
Many people believe social media users are certifiable for posting pictures of their food, taking so-called "selfies" (self-portraits) wherever they go and for other behavior via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like.
There is a serious side to social media when it comes to branding, marketing and customer relationship management for businesses, and the new class is intended for the people who do that.
The Hawaii Social Media Training Institute is offering the class in conjunction with the National Institute for Social Media and is promoting it as Hawaii’s first and only nationally certified social media strategist and certification program.
Claims like that worry any reporter worth her salt.
Certifications are offered elsewhere in Hawaii, said Tara Coomans, past president and current board member of Social Media Club of Hawaii, owner of Akamai Marketing, and, as it happens, social media instructor at Pacific New Media.
PNM, or the UH Outreach College, offers certification in social media.
Costs for such programs vary, so research is in order before signing up, but Coomans notes, "You cannot expect great-quality stuff for free."
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ON THE NET:
» is.gd/ HSMI_CertClass
