Not sure how to plan a romantic Valentine’s Day for that special someone? HMG is here to help! We’ve put together the perfect schedule to spend the day of love with your significant other in the unique city of Austin.
Our enthusiasm for SXSW 2016 is inevitable, as are the lines for Austin’s famous food spots. While it may be tough to avoid the large SXSW crowds completely, here are our best alternatives to the places that are already anticipating a mass of people coming to try these local hot spots.
Just three weeks before the big day, nonprofits from around the city are preparing for Amplify Austin– a 24-hour online event that allows for the Austin community to come together over the act of donating to local nonprofits. This year, over 600 nonprofits will be participating in Amplify Austin. While it may be very overwhelming to pick and choose which one of these amazing nonprofits to donate to, we’ve narrowed down our picks for each category of your choosing.
October is here, and you know what that means: ACL fest is back! For the next two weekends, Zilker Park will be transformed into a live music haven. With a lineup featuring headliners like Drake, Foo Fighters, The Weeknd, and The Strokes, it is surely one you do not want to miss. First things first, get a plan together: The last thing you want to do is miss a band you wanted to see, or lose someone in your group. Rather than trying to decide on the fly, take a few minutes before you get to the show and get in a huddle and make a “game plan.” The day-by-day schedule is available, so get together, make a plan, and stick to it. This will take away a lot of the stress that can come from arguing at the park about who to go see, for how long, etc. PRO TIP: Don’t try to see half of one show and half of another. Instead, pick one show (yes, this is not an easy decision) and stay for the whole time. This will allow you to have one epic hour of music, with a nice view, rather than two twenty minute shows, with a ten minute sprint in between landing you in the back of both shows. Be smart with your packing: Before leaving for the festival, be sure to review all the restrictions that ACL has on items being brought into the park.
HMG must haves:
We are proud to announce that HMG recently won a FAVE award for, “FAVE Small Business!” Thank you so much to everyone who supported us in our quest to “three peat!” We are thrilled to have received this honor, and we are unbelievably thankful for everyone’s support and votes – we truly couldn’t have done it without you!
Ahh, December… The month that is filled with blankets, good food, smiles and love. If you’re like most people, you are already setting up the house for Christmas time! We are here to help you get things rolling with some of our favorite ways to get into the Christmas spirit! (these are in no particular order)
1. Play christmas tunes
This one is by far the best way to jump-start your holiday spirit. Just tune into Christmas stations, and let the Christmas spirit fill your house (or car) with carols and classics. Nothing beats a little Jingle Bell Rock! Continue…
Hi! I’m Jenna Meltzer, the 2016 Social Media and Marketing intern, and I am so excited to kick off the new year as the newest member of the HMG Creative team. I am currently a junior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in public relations and pursuing a business certificate from the McCombs School of Business. Born and raised in a small suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I knew I wanted to get out of the tiny bubble in which I had lived my entire life, and experience a new culture during my college years. After visiting Austin for the first time, I immediately fell in love with the young vibe of the city, the amazing food, and of course, that southern hospitality that you don’t see as much in Philadelphia. Even though I had to adjust my ears to not cringe when I hear the word “y’all” instead of “youz guys,” I can wholeheartedly say that attending the University of Texas at Austin was one of the best decisions I have ever made. You must be crazy to not love the Live Music Capital of the World — am I right?
Hello! My name is Tanner Hertzog and I am the new intern here at HMG Creative. I am about to begin my senior year at The University of Texas at Austin where I am studying Public Relations and Business. I have a huge passion for digital branding, and specifically interested in learning how to handle a crisis via social media. I am so excited to be here at HMG Creative. I think this will be a wonderful opportunity for me to learn even more skills on how to manage a brand online and how to connect with potential new clients. Aside from social media work, this is a great opportunity for me to learn the ins and outs of the marketing/business side of operations in the “real world.” I have learned so much in the classroom, but it’s a completely different situation when you are actually using what you have learned in the workplace.
Prior to beginning this internship, I was running all of the Moody College of Communication’s social media channels. I was responsible for overseeing all the distribution of content, as well as the promotion of our account to current and prospective students as well as alumni. This internship provided me with my first opportunity to manage a brand’s social media network, and I learned a great deal about how to effectively grow a brand online.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending my free time exploring all that Austin has to offer. I am a self-taught guitar player, and was a competitive swimmer for 17 years. I have the competitive attitude in everything that I do, especially in the classroom. I am also an avid fitness guru. I spend a great deal of time working out in the gym, and focusing on a healthy diet.
I am looking forward to providing you guys with some great insight into this industry, and hopefully we both grow together over the next 5-6 months. Please follow me on Twitter @tannerhertzog, and if you have any questions for me please feel free to reach out!
It’s hard to put into words the excitement we had about being apart of Please Be Kind to Cyclists’ new project, DriveKind RideKind. If you don’t already know, DriveKind RideKind is an initiative of Please Be Kind to Cyclists that works with bicyclists, motorists, policy-makers, and community members to educate, raise awareness, and promote mutual respect between drivers and cyclists on the road. Their hopes are to create a global social change in the behaviors of motorists and cyclists so both may use the roads safely.
In order to spread all of the wonderful things this initiative had to offer, Please Be Kind to Cyclists partnered with numerous local agencies. One of the most important things they felt they needed was a user friendly website to provide up to date information for all of their audience about sharing the road. That’s where we came in. We collaborated closely with Please Be Kind to Cyclists as well as TX-DOT to create a new and user friendly responsive website to tell their story. From start to finish, we have been inspired by this mission and are very excited to share it with the world.
If you have ever been in Austin in the summer, you know it is a lot more than just a hot southern town in Texas. It is chalk full of activities everyday, ranging from relaxing by the water to listening to live music with your friends. So, whether you are here for the whole summer or just dropping in for a visit, there will always be something going on for you to do. To make things easy for you, we have highlighted some of our own “must do’s” for the 2015 summer for all of you who will be in Austin at some point!
Must Do #1 – Barton Springs
This has been an Austin classic for a very long time. Nothing beats spending a long day out at Zilker Park and then cooling off in the 68 degree natural springs pool. The hot summer days combined with refreshing cold spring water make for the ultimate refresher. Follow it up with some relaxing on the large grassy hill in the sun to warm back up!
Must Do #2 – Blues on the Green
This one goes great when pared with Barton Springs. Blues on the Green is a FREE event that is held out at Zilker Park on select Wednesdays throughout the summer. Hosted by KGSR, bands like Bob Schneider and Shakey Graves will preform for families and friends out for a fun night of live music and fun. Check the schedule to see when the next date is!
