We love when the accomplishments of clients are recognized by the media, and the Highlandtown Healthy Living Center is certainly deserving of the attention for its good work, as WBAL’s Jennifer Franciotti explained last night.

More than 650 cool cats jumped, jived and wailed this past Saturday night at the Maryland Science Center’s annual Solstice gala. The festive fete featured fabulous music by the Beantown String Orchestra with American Idol finalist John Stevens, non-stop buffets, swing-era décor (including a gleaming 1941 Packard) and inspiring remarks by Dr. Ben Carson. Some of the greatest praise, though, was for the evening’s signature cocktail – a carefully-crafted concoction resulting from thorough research, intense scientific development and on-going testing in appropriate climatic conditions by the noted mixologists at the Maryland Science Center.

You can try this experiment at home:
3 parts Bulleit Bourbon
1 part sweet vermouth
Grenadine to taste
A few shakes of Angostura bitters
Served over crushed ice and topped with a cherry

We avoid clichés like the plague (as the cliché goes) so we would prefer not to begin a sentence with “we are honored…” But we truly ARE honored to have been presented with two Best in Maryland awards this afternoon from the Maryland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.  Thanks to the PRSA chapter and the judges for the awards, but equally important, thanks to Sugarloaf Craft Festivals and the Contemporary Museum’s Mobtown Modern music series. It’s easy to win awards when you have clients who trust you, value your opinion, and appreciate your expertise; we are honored that they allow us to produce good, thoughtful (and now award-winning) work on their behalf.

This week the Maryland Science Center is a big hit both nationally (about as “national as you can get) and locally. National Geographic recommends the museum as a must-attend place to play for families and other visitors to the Inner Harbor, while the Carroll County Times calls the Wonder Warehouse—the Science Center’s newest exhibit—a “best-bet”!

Being PR people, we’re pretty sure on any other weekend we would be able to make a connection between all three (with maybe a little stretching and some creative liberties), but this weekend, the connection is obvious, courtesy of The Baltimore Sun.

The NCAA men’s lacrosse championship is being held at M&T Bank Stadium this weekend, drawing thousands to the city and selling out downtown hotels. The Contemporary Museum is highlighting its newest exhibition, Bearing Witness. And the very cool Wonder Warehouse exhibit just opened at the Maryland Science Center. What’s the connection? Us, thanks to the Sun. The two museums (both Himmelrich clients) were two of the only six attractions events listed by the paper this morning as “Things To Do” for lacrosse fans.

Summer starts tomorrow at the Maryland Science Center with a bang, and a poof, and a little bit of fire – it’s the opening of the highly-anticipated exhibition “Wonder Warehouse.”  Don’t be alarmed…all the flames and explosions are not only expected but will be met with “oohs” and “ahhs” as visitors see how fast the Fryzooka makes potatoes into explosively tasty treats or are were dazzled by the dancing flames of the Flaming Acoustic Harmonophone while it blared everything from Elvis to Linkin Park.  The media is pretty amazed too, including the Baltimore Sun (here, here and here) and WBAL-TV.

The Highlandtown Healthy Living Center will be the first LEED-platinum community health center in the country, and will allow Baltimore Medical Systems to significantly increase the number of patients it serves to 22,000 a year – and we are excited to make sure that local and national media know about it.  BMS is Maryland’s largest federally qualified health center offering a full range of health services in a supportive, patient-centered environment. BMS is the largest provider of primary health care to the uninsured, Hispanics, refugees and hearing impaired patients in Central Maryland, and serves patients from more than 50 countries.

The Highlandtown Healthy Living Center, at 3700 Fleet Street, includes 52 examination rooms, a pharmacy, dedicated space for community health education, furniture made from recycled materials, and Baltimore’s largest rain garden.  The new center is a direct, 32,000 square-foot illustration to the community that there is a connection between a healthy environment and healthy living.

Himmelrich PR is excited to expand its scope of work in four new markets, having begun promotion for Bebe Paluzza’s upcoming Baby & Toddler Expos. And with Mother’s Day only a few days away, there seems a no more appropriate time to have babies and family on the brain.

The Chicago Baby & Toddler Expo will be the first show of the season for Bebe Paluzza and a brand new show for the company, which recently expanded to five markets throughout the country. We’re excited to be promoting Bebe Paluzza’s new partnerships, hundreds of exhibitors, nationally-known speakers, and successful events! (And we’re excited to now provide our services to 24 consumers shows in 13 markets.)

Sugarloaf Craft Festivals completed its Spring 2010 season with a flourish last weekend in Timonium.  Attendance at the three-day event beat last year’s attendance by a 20%. Happy visitors purchased more than $1.2 million in fine arts and contemporary crafts.

This exciting finish caps a very encouraging show season for Sugarloaf. Active marketing to the crafts community resulted in many more new exhibitors than in recent memory. Sugarloaf saw more first-time visitors, and the positive impact of its social media efforts (including more than 7,500 “People Who Like” it on Facebook) was confirmed by exhibitors, as well as constant conversations on Facebook.  Attendance results for the season beat the industry standard, and an impressive $5.7 million in sales was recorded in just 18 show days.

At the end of the day (or, the end of the show season), we think that these results not only speak well for the value of thoughtful and diligent public relations but for a change in consumer confidence. We are already looking forward to next season.

After 20 years in space, and some daring missions to repair and upgrade its technology, the Hubble telescope continues to provide us with breathtaking views of the universe.  It also continues to hold a very strong grasp on the imagination of space enthusiasts, as evidenced by the success of the recent IMAX film now playing at the Maryland Science Center, and three recent stories published by the Baltimore Sun.

Last night, the Maryland Science Center hosted veteran astronaut Dr. John Grunsfeld, who spoke to a crowd of over 400 Hubble fans before a screening of the film.  The event–and the film—were a reminder about the significance Hubble’s mission, the legacy that it will leave, and the vast potential of its work yet to come.

Lights, Camera, Cosmos

Cool 3-D IMAX Film Showcases Hubble Repairs

Hubble mission takes audiences on thrilling odyssey