“Before we started filming “Clark & Claire,” most of our team members had never even met, let alone worked together,” said Childs. “It was amazing how quickly we gelled and a true testament to the Project’s mission to bring filmmakers together in new and unique ways.”

Armed with the “Western and/or musical” genre, Carry On Productions convened a variety of actors, singers, writers, and others to begin laying out the details for “Clark & Claire.” Samantha Hoy, Calypso Communications’ media relations associate originally recruited to support the production team behind the scenes makes her on screen debut as Claire. Hoy also provided the ranch, horse, and costumes essential to the film’s story line.

Twenty-six teams participated in the N.H. edition of this year’s 48HFP. Minutes before the start of competition, teams selected a genre and were given three required elements: each four-to-seven minute film had to incorporate Dr. Clark or Claire Larson, a plastic surgeon, the phrase, “I need to tell you something,” and a box. These and a 48-hour timeframe were the only guidelines, giving teams the creative freedom that produced a diverse selection of films. For more information on the 48 Hour Film Project, established in 2001 to emphasize creativity and teamwork among filmmakers, please visit www.48hourfilm.com.

“We’ve enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Calypso,” said Mary Horigan, Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving for The Music Hall. “The firm’s expertise in business to business communications and public relations helps us to build our base of corporate partners that we rely on to sustain operations and provides these businesses with increased community presence, visibility, and leadership opportunities through positive brand association.”

Widely recognized for its breadth of knowledge and experience with organizations at all levels of development across numerous industries, Calypso’s tailored approach and boutique focus have made it the agency of choice for a wide range of non profit organizations around the globe.

The Music Hall is a longstanding New England landmark, enriching the community with diverse and relevant programs that entertain more than 100,000 patrons annually. The theater has hosted appearances by acclaimed authors Stephen King, Dan Brown, Jodi Picoult, and Greg Mortenson as well as the Met @ The Music Hall series, broadcasting live, high-definition performances from the world-renowned New York City opera house. The theater also hosts fundraisers and other events to benefit more than 40 local nonprofit organizations.

“We’re thrilled to continue working with The Music Hall,” said Angela Carter, Chief Financial Officer for Calypso. “The theater not only enriches the Seacoast but also offers the region the diverse cultural experiences of a large urban area with the comfort of a small coastal community.”

Pecha Kucha’s distinct presentation style allows speakers 20 PowerPoint slides and 20 seconds of commentary per slide, encouraging a concise approach to sharing the topic of his or her choice that effectively engages the audience. Speakers at the upcoming event include writer and photographer Stephanie Cornell, Sheesley Production & Talent founder Bob Sheesley, illustrator and graphic designer Abbie Halpin, Lightfin Studios founder DJ Haskins, and Heartwood Media president and creative director Chris Conroy, among others.

The brainchild of Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture in Tokyo, Pecha Kucha originated in 2003 as a platform for young designers to meet, network, and display their work to the public. It has since evolved, emerging as an intersection of creative and business mindshare popular worldwide: nearly 300 cities across the globe host more than 60 PK Nights every month.

Portsmouth’s PK Night is free and open to the public. Event organizers will be collecting donations on behalf of Architecture for Humanity, a group that supports construction development in Haiti. For more information please visit the Facebook event page here. Those interested in presenting at this or future events should contact Mike Teixeira at 603-431-0816 or visit www.calypsocom.com.

Calypso will create, design, and implement an integrated brand revitalization campaign for NEFCO as the company significantly expands its strategic business objectives. This campaign includes strategic development and design of a new logo, messaging, website, trade show booth, and collateral materials.

“As we approach two decades of operation, we are confident that the marketing expertise of Calypso Communications will help solidify our brand persona and introduce new areas of focus, thus helping us differentiate ourselves from the competition,” said NEFCO general manager Jim Sullivan.

NEFCO currently operates one of the world’s premier biosolids dewatering, drying, and granulation facilities in Quincy, Massachusetts, and has served Boston and 43 surrounding communities for the past 18 years. NEFCO also operates facilities in North Andover, Massachusetts; Shakopee, Minnesota; and West Palm Beach, Florida and is developing a new facility in Cumberland, Maryland.

“NEFCO is poised to become an industry leader in the next several years,” said Kevin Stickney, founder of Calypso Communications. “We are delighted to be working with such an innovative pioneer in the biosolids industry that is rapidly reshaping the way communities manage and renew their water and wastewater resources. NEFCO adds further depth to Calypso’s comprehensive, focused portfolio of alternative energy and technology clients.”

“Calypso has an impressive track record crafting successful communications strategies for leaders in the energy and utilities field,” said Carol Valianti, Unitil’s vice president of communication and public affairs. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with such extensive experience and expertise as we continue to grow.”

Calypso’s insight and breadth of knowledge in the power and energy arenas have earned the agency national acclaim as an innovative industry leader. Highly sought after for its boutique focus and creative insight, it serves both national and international companies representing a full range of alternative and renewable energy, independent power, electric utility, energy venture capital, and environmental technology services. Calypso offers both start-ups and well established industry leaders top tier marketing, communications, and creative services including media relations strategies, business development support, and comprehensive employee, investor, and crisis communications programs for legislative, labor, and regulatory matters; technology and manufacturing sectors; and service sector businesses.

Unitil is dedicated to ensuring safe, reliable service to its customers and communities. The company’s trustworthy, hardworking employees combine leading innovation and practical technology that, when coupled with commitments to superior standards of business practice and the safe, reliable delivery of natural gas and electricity, create a sustainable, world class operation.

“Unitil is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves,” said Kevin Stickney, founder of Calypso Communications. “We’re honored to support these core values and support Unitil’s ongoing development as the company grows.”

“The energy industry is ripe for crises that are not always limited to traditional fossil fuel power generation,” said Kevin Stickney, Calypso founder. “While many mistakenly avoid or deflect these situations, a crisis can be an unplanned opportunity to communicate key messages, strategic strengths, and corporate values.”

To ease communication efforts while handling a crisis, Stickney recommends establishing a management plan well ahead of a potential situation. Some basic tips include:

1. Prepare in advance. A crisis is like a heart attack; the way you live beforehand is better protection than the way you respond afterwards. Do your homework, have a plan, designate a team… don’t wait for the tingling left arm.
2. Respect perception. While a local labor issue, pollution infraction, or pricing change may strike you as insignificant, your customers, employees, and investors may think otherwise. A crisis is often based on a perception… and it’s seldom yours.
3. Be early. Be honest. Be open. Designate someone to say something. Not always easy or intuitive for plant operators, it’s critical to be concerned, engaged, and responsive. That doesn’t mean you to need to have – or provide – any answers. Leave the disappearing act to pro golfers and politicians.
4. Deliver your messages. For every question about what went wrong, there’s a corollary to what went right; without diminishing the importance of the event, get to these points quickly. Express concern and commitment – then move to the technologies, track record, policies, and people that define your firm’s usual standards and its typical success.
5. Communicate in arrears. Break down what went wrong, who was impacted, why certain questions were asked, how issues were handled, and where improvements can be made. And make them. In advance. Most important, establish a culture of communicating, in the good times, with those who will need or want answers during any type of crisis.

Kevin Stickney has 30 years’ executive-level experience in managing complex public affairs issues involving waste-to-energy, environmental technology, and a range of other industries. He is an expert in national and international media relations strategies and comprehensive employee, investor, and marketing communications programs for legislative, labor, and regulatory matters; technology and manufacturing sectors; service sector businesses, and capital project business development. Stickney has provided consulting and crisis communications and media training services worldwide, from Europe, Asia, and Australia to North America including Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

“There are no real secrets to effective, efficient, and responsible crisis management, just a few truths,” said Stickney. “Crises will occur in your business, your stakeholders will be affected, and your company’s reputation will change as a result. Those who take the initiative to prepare are often those who emerge from a crisis unscathed.”

New Hampshire-based Calypso Communications and Washington, D.C.-based Strategic Carbon Initiative, LLC (SCI), which teamed last year to meet international demand for integrated carbon-based management and exploration, are rapidly expanding awareness of the unique carbon science and strategy firm. The new enterprise will target carbon sequestration, methane hydrate energy exploration, and the assessment of natural ecosystem attenuation potential and protocol for global oil and gas majors, private industries, and governments.

Calypso (www.calypsocom.com) was selected by SCI in August 2009 for the agency’s broad experience with energy and environmental industries and its proven record in successfully developing fundable business plans for technology startup companies. Since, Calypso has completed a strategic plan and successfully engaged multiple private equity organizations in reviewing SCI’s advanced technologies, business model, and operational strategy.

Working with SCI as both an equity and integrated marketing partner while leading the startup’s effort to acquire operational funding, Calypso representatives and one of the founding principals of SCI will attend the RETECH 2010 conference in Washington, D.C., Feb. 3 – 5. Calypso will host an exhibit at RETECH, the nation’s premier event for the renewable energy industry.

SCI will help clients address large national and international carbon credit programs utilizing strong experience with strategies for deep ocean sediment sequestration. SCI/Calypso also will be marketing methane hydrate exploration know-how to global energy majors. Methane hydrate is widely recognized as an energy source that is two to three times larger than the U.S. petroleum reserve. Finally, SCI will provide expert evaluation and assessments of the natural degradation time required to remediate contamination for commercial and residential real estate development.

Calypso’s environmental clients include industry leaders in clean coal power generation, independent power, waste-to-energy, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, tidal power, thin-film solar, and geothermal energy.

Calypso Communications, a full-service strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy firm, today announces its participation in Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition 2010 (www.retech2010.com) in Washington DC on February 3  5. Calypso, the only marketing agency scheduled to attend, will join more than 300 leading renewable energy and environmental technology innovators to demonstrate its extensive experience and expertise creating successful communications strategies for leaders in the industry.

Calypso is nationally recognized for its work in energy and environmental technology, serving both start-ups and well established clients in national and international markets. The agency’s client roster for strategic marketing, investor relations, crisis management, and graphic design services represents a full range of alternate and renewable energy, independent power, electric utility, energy venture capital, and environmental technology demands worldwide. These clients include companies active in municipal waste-to-energy, clean coal, natural gas, nuclear, biodiesel, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, ethanol, and cellulosic ethanol technologies and services; a diverse portfolio with several clients on-hand at this year’s convention.

“RETECH 2010 attendees represent the core community for our client communications work,” said Kevin Stickney, founder of Calypso. “Our expertise has proven critical to the steady growth of stakeholder support for renewable energy, successfully developing new business and expanding the bottom line for our clients. This success has earned Calypso recognition as a highly sought-after resource and the energy and environmental technology industry’s premier, full-service marketing consultancy.”

The Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition is a co-production of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and TradeFair Group, an Access Intelligence company. RETECH 2010 brings together technology, business, finance, and policy committees across every sector of renewable energy, allowing industry leaders to discuss the finance, policy, and market challenges facing the industry in the year ahead. For more information please visit the conference website at www.retech2010.com.

Calypso Communications, a full-service marketing, public relations, and graphic design firm, recently collaborated with Sexual Assault Support Services, a program committed to the prevention of child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and stalking, on two fundraisers, the Porch Light Award Brunch and a special return presentation of Beatles cover band Beatle Juice. Calypso raised media awareness and promoted public and donor interest for the events. More than $20,000 was raised for SASS and its partner, A Safe Place, an organization that aims to eliminate domestic violence.

“We have a responsibility to support our state’s non-profit organizations which are such an important part of our community fabric,” said Angela Carter, Calypso vice president. “Calypso has long supported SASS and the annual Porch Light Award presentation and we hope our efforts will ensure the event’s continued success.”

The 2009 Porch Light Award Brunch was recently held at the York Harbor Inn in York, Maine. Five individuals, Judy Wilbur-Albertson, Kristyn Bernier, Cindy Cole, Bill Faulkner, and Mike Pomp, were recognized for their significant contribution to improving lives through building a safer, healthier community. The Porch Light Award is presented annually and is named after the Porch Light Program, a grassroots movement originating in the 1980s that established a network of safe houses branded by a green porch light to identify the homes as a safe haven for women and children in need of emergency refuge.

Following the brunch, New England-based Beatles cover band Beatle Juice performed at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The band, which once featured the late Brad Delp, former front-man of Boston, performed various Beatles classics for an audience of all ages.

All fundraiser proceeds went to SASS and A Safe Place to support vital organization funding, children’s education, and prevention programs. Businesses and patrons interested in supporting SASS by donating money, time, or talent should visit www.sassnh.org or call the agency at 603-436-4107.

Each speaker will be given 20 PowerPoint slides with 20 seconds of commentary per slide, just 6 minutes and 40 seconds, to discuss the topic of his or her choice as long as it incorporates the evening’s theme. Pecha Kucha’s innovative approach to presentation formatting encourages speakers to communicate in a way that will capture their listeners effectively. To stay within the time constraints, they must stick to the basics, delivering a simple, concise message, eliminating drawn out discussions that lose audience interest almost immediately.

“I’m excited to bring Pecha Kucha back to the Seacoast community once again,” said Mike Teixeira, creative director for Calypso and coordinator of the event. “The presentations are always diverse, but this time they’ll be united by one underlying theme. It’s going to make for a dynamic event.”

Pecha Kucha originated in Japan in 2003. Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, both of Klein Dytham Architecture in Tokyo, created the event as a platform for young designers to meet, network, and display their work publicly. Since, Pecha Kucha has grown by leaps and bounds, establishing itself as the intersection between the business and creative worlds. To date, Pecha Kucha events have been hosted in 255 cities worldwide.

The event is open and free to the public. For more information please visit the Pecha Kucha Night – Portsmouth Facebook page. Those interested in presenting at this or future events should contact Mike Teixeira at Calypso Communications at 603-431-0816 or visit www.calypsocom.com.