Brand launch party in Spokane tonight

Everything is coming together for United Health Services CU’s brand launch party this evening! It’s being held at Dishman Hills in Spokane, a park that I discovered online and checked out virtually using Google Earth before checking it out in person. We’ve got our brand manuals and goodie bags for all the staff…. should be fun!

Scott, William, Trey, Brent, and Shari in SpokaVegas

Thursday in Spokane started off with a bang… I bumped into Shari Storm, VP of Marketing for Verity CU, and author of the first blog in CU land. I first met Shari in Suquamish in May. Also in the morning, Scott Bedbury, author of a New Brand World, gave the morning’s opening talk, followed by a great skit orchestrated by Trey Reeme and Brent Dixon. I also got to talk more with William Azaroff, creator of Vancity CU’s Change Everything program. And I was glad that Chuck, Cynthia, Mark, and Gail of United Health Services CU in Spokane had the opportunity to hear Scott Bedbury reinforce the brand principles that we’ve been working with them on since March of this year.

In the afternoon, I was delighted to learn about all of the great things that William’s Change Everything blog is doing in the Vancouver region. Having Vancity Credit Union be naked to the world is not without its challenges, and it was fascinating to learn how he’s dealing with that.

United Health Services CU brand coming together

I’m beyond pleased with the way in which everything is coming together to launch United Health Services CU‘s brand in September. We’ve got our launch party date set, and after two days of planning, we’ve developed our action plan so that our new products & services, our marketing, and our launch party, will all coincide. It’s been really great to work with President/CEO Chuck Zeller, VP Marketing Cynthia Pace, VP of Lending Mark Smith, VP of Operations Denise Bernard, VP Finance Gayle Furness, and Business Development Specialist Chad Heaton. They are such a positive and enthusiastic team! I’m so excited for United Health Services CU as an organization, their energetic staff, and most importantly their members, for even greater levels of success with the brand kick-off.

Spectacular Ahi Tartare

I’m in Spokane this week to help United Health Services CU bring their brand to life. Preparations for the brand launch party are underway, and we’re on track for a September launch. Yesterday, I scoped out a possible location for the brand celebration, a place called Dishman Hills. To the right is a cell phone photo I took at Eagle’s Peak.

On the recommendation of a friend back in Western Massachusetts, I checked out Luna in the South Hill section of Spokane. The small plate I ordered was the Ahi Tartare. Normally, I’m not much of a foodie, but this small plate was SPECTACULAR. It was a stunning culinary tour de force. Constructed with ahi tartare, avocado, tomato, onion, and fresh wasabi vinaigrette, it was presented in a layered, perfectly cylindrical tower. One of those works of art you almost hate to eat because it looks so pretty! But each bite was an adventure in new taste sensations. I forget what the rest of the meal was like because I was in such a trance over the appetizer. My waitress was recommending that I try the Coconut Cream Cake since it was featured in Bon Appetit magazine. I say, forget the Coconut Cream Cake, and go to Luna just for the Ahi Tartare. If you ever find yourself in Spokane, I can’t say enough about Luna! An amazing restaurant, where every bite is a delight!