Overture Presents First Annual Puppet Festival

For immediate release: Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Contact: Sarah Knab, Overture Center, 608.258.4438 / sknab@overture.org

Here is a video about the festival.

Overture Presents First Annual Puppet Festival

Three Days of the Festival Feature Performances and Interactive Workshops; Special Gallery Exhibition Open Now Through April 9

Madison, Wis. – From March 31 to April 2, 2017, Overture Center welcomes local and touring artists and puppeteers to celebrate one of the oldest art forms – puppetry. The inaugural festival features gallery displays, professional performances, interactive workshops and Kids in the Rotunda performances.

Puppet Festival Schedule

• Art Gallery: Puppets! Puppets! Puppets! | Saturday, March 4-Sunday, April 9 | Playhouse Gallery

o   Features marionettes, paintings of puppets, a table puppet and shadow puppet videos by many local artists as well as an artist from Virginia and one from New York

o   Free

• Festival Kick Off! | Friday, March 31 at 5 p.m. | Rotunda Stage and Playhouse Gallery

o   Puppet play-station and an interactive Shadow Puppet Theater presented by First Act

o   Family-friendly refreshments available

o   Free

• Manual Cinema’s Lula Del Ray | Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. | Capitol Theater

o   With overhead projections, shadow puppets, actors in silhouette, live music and virtually no dialogue, the Chicago puppet troupe mythically reinvents the classic coming-of-age story.

o   Tickets start at $25 (Puppet Festival Package includes 7 p.m. performance)

o   This presentation is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Wisconsin Arts Board and the Crane Group.

• Family Toy Theater Workshop | Saturday, April 1 at 9 a.m.-Noon at MMoCA | Sunday, April 2 at 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at Overture in Promenade Hall

o   Led by local artist, Felice Amato, familial groups will create small toy theater sets and puppets to tell a fun family story in a culminating sharing session puppet show.

o   Tickets are $15/family and include materials

o   Families are encouraged to bring photos or other items to personalize their project

• Puppet Play Theater | Saturday, April 1 at 9 a.m.-3 p.m. & Sunday, April 2 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | Rotunda Lobby

o   Child-sized puppet tents and a variety of puppets will be available for children and families to experience with open-ended and creative play during the weekend.

o   Free

• Kids in the Rotunda: Taiwan Puppets | Saturday, April 1 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. | Rotunda Stage

o   Taiwan Puppet Troupe of University of Wisconsin – Madison presents the 200-year old folk art of “Glove Puppet,” created by the Taiwanese Puppetry Theater

o   Free

• The Man Who Planted Trees | Saturday, April 1 at 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. | Promenade Hall

o   In this ecologically inspired tale performed by the famed Puppet State Theatre Company, a French shepherd sets out with Dog to plant a forest, transform a barren wasteland acorn by acorn and remind us that one man can make a difference.

o   Tickets are $26 (Puppet Festival Package includes 3 p.m. performance)

• Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live | Sunday, April 2 at 1 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. | Capitol Theater

o   Designed by professional paleontologists, life-like dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures are brought to life in this entertaining and educational show.

o   Tickets start at $25 (Puppet Festival Package includes 4:30 p.m. performance)

The Puppet Festival Package offers tickets to all three shows starting at $76. Single tickets starting at $25 and are available in person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street), online at overture.org or by phone at 608.258.4141.

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies, and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly seven hundred thousand educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org

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Tingalls Graphic Design Announces Two New Staff Members

Tingalls Graphic Design is excited to announce the addition of two new staff members:
 
Stacy Bruner – Videographer: Born and bred in Madison, Stacy’s enthusiasm for storytelling and marketing helps him create powerful online videos of all kinds. A true Badger fan and former Bucky Badger, he also loves spending time on the golf course, seeing live music, and sampling new restaurant venues.
 
Rebecca Waraczynski – Account Manager: A true free spirit, Rebecca can be found exploring undiscovered places and day dreaming about far away lands. When she’s not doing Account Management for Tingalls’ clients, you can find her sipping a cold drink on a warm patio or camping with her family. 

Madison Business Coach Receives Executive Coach of the Year Award

CONTACT:
Susan Thomson, CEO, ActionCOACH of Madison
susanthomson@actioncoach.com, 608-441-5374

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Madison Business Coach Receives Executive Coach of the Year Award

Mike McKay, partner in ActionCOACH of Madison, named Executive Coach of the Year for the Americas at the 2017 Business Excellence Forum and Awards

MADISON, WI and HOUSTON, TX– Mike McKay, partner in ActionCOACH of Madison, was named winner for the Executive Coach of the Year for the Americas at the 2017 Business Excellence Awards, which was held at The Westin in Houston, Texas on February 20, 2017.

“I’ve been blessed to work with great clients for the past 4+ years as a business and executive coach,” McKay said. “Our team at ActionCOACH of Madison now includes experts in marketing, hiring, profitability, sales and general management, and we continue to grow thanks to our clients’ support and exceeding their expectations.”

McKay and his company, ActionCOACH of Madison, have carved out a niche in business and executive coaching focused on profit growth for business owners and executives. With far-reaching expertise in operations and corporate management, McKay is driven by the pursuit of decisive results for his clients.

The Business Excellence Awards – which are hosted by ActionCOACH, the top international business coaching firm – honor the “best of the best” in small and medium sized businesses from around the globe. In addition to honoring the top business coaches in the world, the awards also showcase exceptional results for ActionCOACH client companies.

“One of our clients was awarded Marketing Program of the Year, and we couldn’t be prouder of Kati Whitledge, founder of Be Inspired Salon,” McKay said. “While it’s an honor to receive recognition as Coach of the Year, it’s fantastic to have clients celebrated for their excellence!”

The 2017 Business Excellence Forums and Awards are part of ActionCOACH’s ongoing commitment to innovation, excellence and business re-education for owners and teams who operate and work in small and medium-sized businesses. In addition to the awards ceremony, the Business Excellence Forum featured seminars with top speakers in the world of business, including Keith Cunningham, Ivan Misner, Tim Brown, Richard Maloney, Paul Dunn and ActionCOACH Founder and Chairman Brad Sugars.

About ActionCOACH of Madison

ActionCOACH is the world’s number one business and executive coaching firm (Entrepreneur Magazine, 2005-2010), with more than 1,000 offices in 32 countries. ActionCOACH has been recognized locally as a finalist by InBusiness Magazine’s Executive Choice participants three consecutive years (2009-2011), and is a Global Top 100 performing firm.

Three Madison Businesses Recognized at 2017 Business Excellence Forum

CONTACT:
Susan Thomson, CEO
ActionCOACH of Madison
susanthomson@actioncoach.com
608-441-5374

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three Madison Businesses Recognized at 2017 Business Excellence Forum

Be Inspired Salon Inc, wins Best Overall Marketing Program Award

MADISON, WI and HOUSTON, TX – Kati Whitledge, founder of Be Inspired Salon Inc. (www.beinspiredsalon.com), was named the winner for the Best Overall Marketing Program – Americas at the 2017 Business Excellence Awards, which was held at The Westin in Houston, Texas on February 20, 2017.

The Business Excellence Awards – which was hosted by ActionCOACH, the top international business coaching firm – honor the “best of the best” in small and medium sized businesses from around the world, and uses the event to showcase exceptional results achieved by business owners, entrepreneurs, their teams and their companies.

Whitledge and her company received the highest honor in the Best Overall Marketing Program category. Be Inspired Salon Inc. has carved out a niche in marketing for salon owners in all of the US.

“Since joining Mike McKay at ActionCOACH of Madison in 2012, I’ve expanded my salon and doubled our revenue. It’s allowed me the flexibility and freedom to simultaneously start three unique businesses while maintaining a standard of excellence within our salon,” Whiledge said. “This event gave me the opportunity to meet the best leaders in business from across the globe. When you sign up to work with ActionCOACH, you’re tapping into the success of your coach as well as the success of everyone they’re associated with. I’m grateful for every lesson, resource, and opportunity Mike has given me.”

ActionCOACH of Madison also had other clients who were recognized at the 2017 Business Excellence Forum and Awards as finalists in three additional categories:

–Peterson Technology Group (www.petersontechgroup.com), founded by Kevin Peterson, was a finalist in the Best Service Business with Less Than 10 People category.

–Kati Merical and Todd Hultman of Cabinet Masters (www.lifekitchens.com) were a finalist in the Fastest Growing Business category.

–In addition to winning the Best Overall Marketing Program award, Whitledge was a finalist in the Young CEO of the Year category

The 2017 Business Excellence Forums and Awards are part of ActionCOACH’s ongoing commitment to innovation, excellence and business re-education for owners and teams who operate and work in small-and-medium sized businesses. In addition to the awards ceremony, the Business Excellence Forum featured seminars with top speakers in the world of business, including Keith Cunningham, Ivan Misner, Tim Brown, Richard Maloney, Paul Dunn and ActionCOACH Founder and Chairman Brad Sugars.

About ActionCOACH of Madison
ActionCOACH is the world’s number one business and executive coaching firm (Entrepreneur Magazine, 2005-2010), with more than 1,000 offices in 32 countries. ActionCOACH has been recognized locally as a finalist by InBusiness Magazine’s Executive Choice participants three consecutive years (2009-2011), and is a Global Top 100 performing firm.

First Business’ Enterprising Nonprofits Event to Take Place in Madison June 2, 2017

MADISON, WI – March 14, 2017 – First Business is pleased to partner with United Way of Dane County to bring Enterprising NONPROFITS to Madison. Enterprising NONPROFITS is an annual all-day interactive conference that allows for-profit and nonprofit business leaders, executive directors, business development directors and volunteer coordinators to collaborate and share best practices. The concept of this event has been proven for the last three years in Appleton, Wisconsin, drawing over 1,000 attendees.

As popularity grew, an interest sparked for the event to be hosted in Madison to serve South Central Wisconsin nonprofits and trade associations. “We approached United Way of Dane County about the value of doing this conference. I was delighted to find they were 100% behind this idea. Our mutual goal is to help build a stronger community through providing education and opportunities for collaboration among the many Non-Profits and Trade Associations of South Central Wisconsin” stated Beth Korth, Senior Vice President at First Business Bank.

“We are thrilled to partner with First Business on this endeavor to facilitate a conversation about innovation and the future of nonprofits, and to create another intersection between local nonprofits and businesses.   This conference is an opportunity for all of us to be inspired, educated and connected and we appreciate that First Business recognizes United Way’s role as the intersection where the community meets to change lives.” commented Renee Moe, President and CEO at United Way of Dane County.

The event will take place June 2, 2017 at The Madison Concourse Hotel, located at 1 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53703. Local for-profit and nonprofit leaders can find out more about the event at www.enterprisingnonprofits.org.

About First Business
First Business Financial Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBIZ) is a Wisconsin-based bank holding company, focused on the unique needs of businesses, business executives, and high net worth individuals. First Business offers commercial banking, specialty finance, and private wealth management solutions, and because of its niche focus, is able to provide its clients with unmatched expertise, accessibility, and responsiveness.

Member FDIC, First Business’ corporate headquarters are at 401 Charmany Drive in Madison, WI. For additional information, visit www.firstbusiness.com or call 608-238-8008.

The First Business logo is available at http://www.firstbusiness.com/logo/.

United Way of Dane County fights for the education, financial stability, and health of everyone in Dane County.

Through strategic partnerships and collaborative work, United Way brings the many voices of Dane County together to find common ground, develop a strategic architecture for change, and make measurable progress, while engaging organizations and individuals with the opportunity to give, advocate and volunteer to change lives in Dane County.

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Contacts:
Angela Roidt
Communications Coordinator
First Business Financial Services, Inc.
Phone 608-238-8008
aroidt@firstbusiness.com  

Jocelyn Harmon
EVP of Community Engagement and Marketing
United Way of Dane County
(608) 246-4366
Jocelyn.harmon@uwdc.org