The Ambassablog

Today the results of the Authority’s Got Talent open casting call for three additional Ambassabloggers were announced. The three employees listed above are joining the ranks of San Diego International Airport’s Ambassabloggers. Stay tuned for posts and some background information from these three, as well as posts from all the Ambassabloggers. And to Suzanne, Sarah and Ann: WELCOME ABOARD!

[NOTE: This post applies only to employees of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.]

The Authority’s got talent – blogging talent, that is. Currently, five brave bloggers (pictured above, from left, Ryan Hall, Mary Woitkoski, Dennise Acosta, Ed Gowens and Sjohnna Knack) keep SDIA’s award-winning employee blog – The Ambassablog – going strong. But, see that shadowy figure in the middle with a question mark over its head? That’s right … we’re looking for some fresh blogging talent to join them in the blogosphere!

The Airport Authority is holding an Authority’s Got Talent open casting call to add up to three new employee bloggers to the Ambassablog’s current star-studded roster.

If you’re an avid blogger at home, have an interest in blogging, like to write, or just have ideas for interesting stories about SDIA – you may have what it takes to be an Ambassablogger! And it’s easy to try out for a spot:

1. REVIEW a few Ambassablog posts, which have covered everything from Least Terns to Laverne & Shirley, from Fitness Focus to flying the inaugural Virgin America flight, from summer interns to Seat Guru, and from valet parking to vanpooling employees.
2. WRITE a brief, sample post (approximately 100-200 words) about an SDIA- or Airport Authority-related topic. Your topic needs to be of interest to both employees and the general public.
3. INCLUDE ideas or concepts to make your post come alive. For example, mention if you’d include pictures, video, a trivia question, an interview, or some other enhancement.
4. SUBMIT your entry via email to sshultz@san.org by Friday July 30, 2010.
5. WIN a chance at taking home a brand-new Sansa MP3 player just for submitting an entry. Names of all employees who submit a sample post, per the above guidelines, will be placed in a hat. One lucky employee’s name will be drawn to win this cool MP3 player, which holds up to 240 songs, lasts 19 hours on one AAA battery and even has an FM tuner and voice recorder with built-in microphone.
6. WAIT to see if your entry made the cut. All posts will be reviewed by a panel of judges made up of current Ambassabloggers and staff from the Marketing & Communications Division. The judges will select up to three new Ambassabloggers, and the new bloggers will be announced in August.

If selected as a new Ambassablogger, you’ll be part of a proud tradition at the Airport Authority. The Ambassablog is the first internal/external employee blog of any major airport in the country. It is a recipient of an Excellence in Marketing & Communications Award from Airports Council International – North America.  And since its launch in January, 2007, it has attracted over 27,000 views.

The time commitment from Ambassabloggers is minimal, with only one post every couple of weeks expected from each blogger. Once selected, you’ll have the freedom to write about what you want (within a few guidelines) … and you can accept occasional assigned topics. You’ll have high-tech equipment at your disposal, including a digital camera, digital camcorder and voice recorder. You can be an employee blogger for as long as you like, but a minimum one-year commitment is required.

If you have questions about being a blogger or about the Authority’s Got Talent casting call, contact any of the existing Ambassabloggers or the Ambassablogmaster, Steven Shultz, at sshultz@san.org or extension 2881.

We look forward to seeing your blogging talent … good luck!

[Special thanks to Sharon in the Marketing Department for creating the magical Authority's Got Talent image at the top of this post and to Howard in the Internet Technology Department for originating the concept.]