Honored by the Portland Business Journal

The Portland Business Journal released their annual list of the Top 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies, and we were thrilled to see Cascade Web Development included in this prestigious group. We are extremely humbled by our inclusion in this list and proud that we are able to keep are heads above water in this difficult economy.

We sincerely thank you for supporting us and for your commitment to Cascade.

We thoroughly enjoy our relationships with our great clients and partners (well, at least 90% of the time). It is amazing to be able to say that we genuinely love what we do.

We also want to congratulate several of our clients who were included on the list as well:

• AKT Services, LLP,
• Papa Murphy's International,
• InfoGroup Northwest,
• and Lewis and Clark Bank

The ranking of the companies is currently "Top Secret" but will be announced at the reception on June 24 from 5:30-8:30 at the Portland Art Museum. Please visit the Portland Business Journal to register for the event.

WebVisions 2010 Hits PDX

The circus is in town, and I'm not referring to Cirque du Soleil. Webvisions is back in Portland for its 10th year as the mecca for future web trends, designs, innovations and strategies.

Webvisions breaks the mold giving you more than just all the bells and whistles associated with the other 80% of conferences you'll attend this year. The event also hosts several parties (including a 10th anniversary bash), concerts, and their own awards show w/ karaoke (which will probably get awkward).

WebVisions explores the future of design, content creation, user experience and business strategy to uncover the trends and agents of change that will shatter your assumptions about the Web. Be ready to network, share ideas and be inspired by an all-star lineup of speakers.

The conference begins tomorrow at the Oregon Convention Center and runs until Friday (May 19-21). Keynote speakers such as Agnieszka Gasparska, Merlin Mann, and Luke Williams as well as numerous local faces will be on hand to wow you during sessions, panels and web design workshops.

Online registration is closed however passes are still available at the conference center.

Also, if you see Cam from Cascade be sure to say hello!

Cascade is Proud to Introduce: The Hello Foundation

At first visit, the new Hello Foundation website evokes feelings of childhood, construction paper and big crayons (or maybe thats just me?). This wasn't done by accident.

The design is driven by storytelling, imagination, and artistic expression and genuinely portrays the ideology behind The Hello Foundation:

Everyone has a story to tell, but it's how you tell it that sets you apart. It's more than combining words and sentences. It's being connected to a language and articulating ideas. It's feeling empowered enough to say hello.

The Hello Foundation (formerly SLP Services) is a industry leader in SLP, OT and School Psychologist Services across the country. They embrace innovation with open arms and are looked to as a thought leader with their progressive approach.

Don't believe me?!? Check it out for yourself:

• Art of Hello - encourages verbally challenged students to express their story through art
• Ask a Specialist - integrates Cascade's brandlive into their site providing students, parents, etc. with a personal resource to call upon for help and answers to sensitive questions

If you can't tell, all of us at Cascade are very proud of how this site turned out. Kudos must go out to Frank Creative for working closely with the Hello Foundation team and for creating such an amazing website design and brand strategy.

We thoroughly enjoyed working on this project and hope you enjoy the site as well.

www.thehellofoundation.com

Serotta Switches Management Gears

Serotta has taken huge strides in the beginning of 2010 with no signs of slowing down.

Aside from launching a brand spanking new, custom website with Cascade, (see my previous post: Cascade Invades the Serotta HQ) Serotta Competition Bicycles has undergone changes in its organizational hierarchy and company name.

The cycling giant recently introduced Stan Mavis as President of the newly formed Serotta Sport. Stan and his wife Bonnie, current VP of sales at Serotta Sport, join Ben Serotta and his wife Marcie as owners of the company.

I couldn't pass up this incredible opportunity to help lead a brand with a storied history and tremendous potential for the future, Mavis commented.

Stan is not a stranger to the industry as he co-founded Pearl Izumi and is an avid cyclist himself. Ben Serotta and Stan first forged a relationship 20 years ago as major sponsors of the Coors Light Cycling Team.

There are a range of things I can do, but I cannot do everything well. I've needed someone to work with me at the level of an owner, with an intensity for the business, and Stan brings that," Ben said about bringing in Stan.

For the full article, please read the May edition of the Bicycle Retailer or check out bicycleretailer.com

SoMe Awards: One Tweet Too Many

Clear off a space on the trophy shelf...the SoMe's are back. The SoMe Awards are back for a second go-around honoring the Pacific Northwest's best social media projects and campaigns.

Cascade was recently announced as one of 19 finalists for our social media work. There are around 10 categories ranging from Best Brand Awareness, to Best ROI, to Best in Show. Although we don't know which one we're up for yet, we hope to bring home some hardware.

The award show is this Thursday, May 6, from 7-10 at the classy Multnomah Athletic Club. Everyone is welcome, and we'd love to have you join us on the red carpet. Tickets are very reasonable and it should be a great night out. Plus, we'll need you in the crowd cheering us on and heckling other nominees. (jk...be nice)

If you can't make it, I'll be sure to post a follow-up article on the night's events.

Keep your fingers crossed.