Ben Risinger

My first March blog

Life happens. I was doing really good at blogging and then March came and off I went…

DoItIndy lost some of our best event videos which really hit us hard as a group. We are trying to get them back and hope that a good resolution comes from that soon. We will continue to keep it urban and give you the best that Indianapolis has to offer. THEN…

I took my first real vacation in a few years a couple of weeks ago which I had been planning for over six months. I went to see the band 311 play at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and it was AWESOME! Fantastic music and a great time with my buddy Jason as we met new and cool 311 fans from across the country.

We have a Facebook page and Twitter handle @excitableones for all you social media fans in cyberspace. Las Vegas was fun, how can you not have fun in Vegas right?. I made a few bucks playing blackjack and then gave them back which was ok with me. I had my small limit to gamble with and I stayed right within that limit.

What a great seven days out West and then it was back to reality…and reality hit. My sister-in-law Tami (Steve’s wife) was diagnosed with colon cancer and she has now been through surgery to remove the tumor. The tumor is removed, she is home resting and will have to go through some chemo therapy. I’m very grateful she is better now.

My other sister-in-law Meghan had a baby with my little brother Nick which is WONDERFUL! But, when little Ivan came out he had to be rushed to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital from Anderson because he needed some extra help. The boy is much better now which is good – I’m a very proud uncle for sure. Finally we had another big event happen which I can’t say much about…but that is getting better too. Life happens.

My first real personal blog on http://www.benrisinger.com and I guess it is cool. I have been a little more out there with my personal life lately on social media than what I normally share. Sometimes life hands you those times when you need to share a little bit more. I have something else that is in the works – something really cool and big. Coming soon.

Go March!

p.s. I FINALLY purchased my first iPhone. I’m learning. It’s awesome.

Video Stop the movie

A new movie has hit the Indianapolis area – Video Stop. Local Adam Newell finished his second full-length feature film and debuted it last weekend among much fanfare! The movie was show at the IMAX movie theatre in downtown Indianapolis to a sold out crowd. Lots of laughs, decent acting (Lonnie Dean is my favorite character by far), and if you don’t know what NUVO is, you will after this movie.

My interviews of the writer/director Adam Newell and Andy Maraldo (Lonnie Dean) at www.doitindy.com‘s blog!

CLICK HERE to view my Video Stop blog from DoItIndy

Video Stop the movie — Great laughs, good story, and lots of Indianapolis in the movie "Video Stop"

The Last Good Year rocks!

Yes…I am a fan of the band The Last Good Year. I was introduced to them from my DoItIndy co-host Tolin about a year and a half ago – they are now on my iPod. For sure. The band has been in the studio recording a new album which will be out soon. Rad.

Please click on this link to check out my blog over on www.doitindy.com

www.thelastgoodyear.com

Enjoy our video from their LIVE recording show

My secret job during Super Bowl 46

As anyone who is from the Indianapolis area knows, the city just hosted Super Bowl XLVI to much fanfare. The event went off without any major incidents and was a fantastic success. Way to go Indianapolis!

One of my professors at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) called me a few weeks before the big game and asked if I would be interested in volunteering for a special assignment during the Super Bowl. Heck yeah I was up for whatever?! My mind raced as to what it was and I finally found it would be assisting local civil service with the media in case of an emergency. I was given the opportunity to volunteer at the Joint Information Command Center for several days alongside members of police, fire, homeland security & more.

It was amazing to see how well organized the different entities were and how they all came together to help the city for a common cause. I cannot get into any details as to where the JICC was located or what it looked like unfortunately due to security. BUT…it was very impressive. In the case that an emergency would have happened, all information that would go out to the world would have been coordinated through the JICC by members of civil service. The operation was really amazing and efficient.

I learned some new skills and it was interesting to talk with other people when I was working to see how they were connected and dealt with the media. I am glad in the end that nothing happened to the city and game. Way to go Super Bowl 46! Working the JICC alongside my duties with DoItIndy (www.doitindy.com) made for a very interesting and no-sleep week. I will never forget how cool it was to be a part of history in Indianapolis.

I’m already looking forward to the next time we get to host a Super Bowl.

Jimmy Fallon – Super Bowl XLVI – Indianapolis

I got to see the Jimmy Fallon show at the Hilbert Circle Theatre on Monument Circle on Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012. SO GOOD! My friend Becca got tickets to the show and I was privileged enough to go along. I was excited to see the show, but it was AMAZING. The live taping absolutely surpassed all my expectations.

Jimmy Fallon has been seen around town the last few days and he delivered in his first show at the theatre – he commented on how his usual audience is very small compared to the size of the Hilbert Circle. That made the crowd go wild!

It was cool to see Neon Deon Sanders, Tracy Morgan was wild, and Tim Tebow is really a class act guy. I was impressed with the way he handled himself and jabbed back with Jimmy. THEN…Tim signed a jersey that he shot into the crowd with a t-shirt gun. The JERSEY WAS FIVE FEET FROM ME!!!! I couldn’t go crazy and fly over people to get the jersey – I thought about it for a second. But, it was really cool to be see if fly by my eyes. I really wish I had that jersey now. 🙂

Great interview from The Boston Globe with Jimmy after he finished taping some bits at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Thanks for the experience. I know that the city of Indianapolis was very happy to have you with us in the city. I can’t wait for the Super Bowl to come back to the city?! 🙂

Super Bowl XLVI Mobile App Review – Super Bowl 46 – DoItIndy

Today is Media Day for Super Bowl 46 and the buzz is LOUD and clear for the city of Indianapolis. You are doing a great job hosting the Super Bowl XLVI festivities.

One of the goals for this year’s Super Bowl and the Indianapolis host committee was to be connected. And…connected they are with tweets, FB, videos, the #Social46 group and more! Kudos on getting the word out, keeping people informed and running a smooth sailing ship.

The host committee developed a mobile apps that is one of the best I have ever seen! The app features a daily schedule, 3D map of the downtown Indianapolis area, traffic routes and suggestion on where to dine and shop in urban Indianapolis! Fantastic. The App is available for iPhone, Android and iPad. I have the app on my iPad and play with it every day. It helps me see the schedule and plan where I will go and what I will do. PLUS…If you are an AT&T customer, they are giving out FREE wifi to people who use their service. Too bad I’m on Sprint and I have a BlackBerry. Not easy to do social media with…I can’t wait to upgrade!!:?!.*$

CLICK HERE – to view my two minute video on how to use the Super Bowl XLVI App

Proud member of the Indianapolis Super Bowl host committee’s Social 46 team!

Circle City Pedicabs are perfect for Super Bowl 46!

Yesterday I noticed that Circle City Pedicabs was out on the street, I had to do a quick video. AJ was kind enough to take myself and Tiffany Benedict Berkson from Historic Indianapolis on a ride (Monument Circle to The Huddle in Super Bowl Village). We had a great time! The Pedicab had a blanket and it helped to take a load off my feet for a few minutes. Definitely worth a $15 for a neat experience and some relaxation. If you are local or in town for the Super Bowl…these guys are the real deal.

If you need help, call AJ at 317-236-9957. | http://www.circlecitypedicabs.com

First three days in Super Bowl Village – Super Bowl 46

Wow. Three days ago I walked into Super Bowl Village and was just awestruck. Georgia Street, the Indiana Convention Center, The Huddle, Monument Circle were all amazing. Completely fantastic.

The city, Super Bowl Host Committee, Volunteers, workers, law enforcement and more welcomed the world to the doorsteps of Indianapolis. You did a fantastic job. For the last couple of days, I took a series of short, uncut, raw videos from my FLIPcam that the cool dudes at Candidio gave me. Some of the coolest things I found along the way. Enjoy Indianapolis. Enjoy world.

Let us know how you will DoItIndy at Super Bowl 46!

1. Great fireworks/pyrotechnics show every night in the Village – 9:15pm

2. I got to talk to the Colts SuperFan! This guy is amazing and he truly does love our hometown heroes – the Indianapolis Colts!

3. The magicians from IndyFringe that entertain people in Super Bowl Village.

4. The NFL shop is the BEST store ever for a football fan. Enjoy!

5. Monument Circle – Every night the XLVI boards give you a Super Bowl show!

6. Warmth along Super Bowl Village

Don’t forget to follow DoItIndy and our Super Bowl 46 coverage at www.doitindy.com/superbowl46

The Social 46 and 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl XLVI

DoItIndy (www.doitindy.com) was recently recognized as one of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee’s Social 46 group. What is the Social 46? It is a group of communications & social media minded people that were selected to represent the city and state of Indiana. The members were chosen via their Klout score (www.klout.com) which measures social media influence across the web. The group consists of social media professionals, PR professionals, Blue 2 from Butler, Indiana radio and television personalities, bloggers and more! What an incredible group of people to be associated with…and to work on such a cool project together!

It is amazing after only two days to see how the group of #Social46 has come together. We are already having open dialogue on how/when/what outlet to promote, what to cover now and who will be doing what during Super Bowl week to coordinate our efforts. These individuals truly love our city, social media and understand the impact that we have on the world leading up to Super Bowl XLVI! Again…I can’t wait to work more hand-in-hand with others in the Social 46 group from Super Bowl Village. Did I mention that I’m kinda excited for the Super Bowl?!

Top Social Media Leaders Meet To Talk Super Bowl – Liz Thomas (93.1 WIBC)

DoItIndy will bring you daily updates from Super Bowl Village, The Huddle, The NFL Experience and more in downtown Indianapolis. If you live in the city, we can tell you what you need to know! It is gonna be a wild ride, but I know that the people of Indianapolis will do the world proud. Let’s have a great Super Bowl!
DoItIndy Super Bowl XLVI page (Updates from Super Bowl village)

Borrow Tomorrow rocks Indy…

The Indianapolis based rock group, Borrow Tomorrow has a new full-length album out for the public. Too Far to Feel. We recently featured them in our DoItIndy Top 5 Urban Events of the Week!

Click Here to read Big Ben’s DoItIndy blog