Pelago, Inc.

And the winner of our post-BlogHer10 contest is…

Jennifer Desrochers, better know as MommaD of MommaDandDaBoyz!

Jennifer created the “Kids Gone Country Society,” which is such a super cute idea – she gathered great places to take the kids in the country, instead of the city, in New York. Some of her recommendations include taking kids to Apple Pond Farm for hands-on activities like gathering eggs and milking cows, rafting and kayaking at Kittatinny Canoes, and ordering warm, homemade cinnamon rolls from Floyd & Bobos Bakery and Snack Palace.

Jennifer did a great job of recruiting members into her Society and encouraging them to add their own recommendations like this one:

Great job, Momma D! You have a Kindle on the way to you now!

You can follow Jennifer’s recommendations from your phone, using Whrrl, and add your own recommendations of things to do “in the country” where you’re from!

A big thank you to all who entered our contest!

Whrrl, Jive Records & Eve Nightclub invite you to check in for a chance to win VIP with the hot new artist, Miguel

If you’re a fan of hip hop, funk and electronica, chances are you’ve heard the hot new track from Bystorm/Jive recording artist Miguel called “All I Want is You” featuring J Cole. Miguel has a sexy, sleek and smooth vibe and is being called out as a captivating singer, songwriter, producer and performer. If you haven’t heard the track, you can listen here.

Miguel is kicking off Labor Day weekend by performing on September 1st at Eva Longoria Parker’s glamorous Eve Nightclub in Las Vegas. If you want to be seen on the strip with celebs like Kim Kardashian, Prince, will.i.am and Eva herself, then Eve Nightclub is the place. And by checking in on Whrrl, you can be seen with Miguel!

That’s right – Miguel is giving four lucky pairs of winners VIP access to watch his performance at Eve Nightclub and meet him afterwards! All you have to do is check in on Whrrl at Eve Nightclub on September 1st for a chance to win. Imagine partying the night away VIP style with Miguel – you know what they say about what happens in Vegas…

When you check in, you’ll also become a member of Miguel’s exclusive “All I Want is You” Society on Whrrl. Miguel has added recommendations about the hottest, sexiest places to go in Sin City. You can add your own recs, too, and show Miguel (and your jealous friends at home) that you’re a Vegas insider.

And don’t forget to check in on Whrrl for a chance to win free food, drinks, bottle service, show tickets and more from Vegas’ world-class hotels, restaurants and brands. To learn more, click here.

Are you in?

Reaction to Facebook’s Place announcements from Jeff Holden & John Kim

All the Internet is buzzing with Facebook’s Places announcement and launch yesterday. Curious how Whrrl plays into the mix? You can listen to a Cinch interview Robert Scoble recorded last night, with Jeff Holden and John Kim’s thoughts on the news:

Click image to listen

Vegas, baby! Whrrl takes over Sin City with free prizes when you check in!

… and now your business can participate in Society Rewards, too!

If you’re anything like me, then you know getting off that plane in Las Vegas means you’re already taking a gamble. Between the world-class  hotels & resorts, entertainment, fine dining  and nightlife, you know it’s going to be an adventure. I always struggle with where to go and what to do because it’s simply overwhelming!

What if I said you could check in on Whrrl and not only find the hottest recommendations things to do in Vegas delivered right to your phone – but also that you could win *before* you hit the casino floor?

It’s true! Whrrl expanded its Society Rewards Program and partnered with the top hotels, resorts, restaurant, entertainment and nightlife in Vegas to offer you super cool, free stuff when you check in. It’s that simple. What will I win, you ask?

  • Cirque du Soleil: Free tickets to Mystère or tickets starting at $50 for six of their popular Las Vegas productions.
  • The Mirage Hotel and Casino: Complimentary Red Bull and vodka cocktails at the Race and Sports Book Bar or Onda Wine Lounge for 250 lucky winners.
  • Luxor: Complimentary appetizer with the purchase of an entrée at Tacos & Tequila (T&T), a flavorful Mexican restaurant.
  • PURE Management Group: Free drinks, meals and bottle service at their popular Vegas restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
  • N9NE Group: Free VIP tickets to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Palms Pool on August 14, 2010.
  • Sierra Gold: Free cocktails including beer, wine and well drinks.

But that’s not all. Checking into each of these places will immediately grant you membership to their Society. Why does this matter? Because you’ll be able to view and swap recommendations about the hottest things to do in Vegas with other people that have similar interests to you.

For instance, if you recommend to other Cirque du Soleil Society members that Mystere is a show they should not miss, you’ll earn points for that rec. Additionally, you’ll earn points when someone both wants to do your rec, and then actually does it. The more points, the higher you level up in Societies. And the higher you level up in Societies, the better chance you have to WIN!

Does Society Rewards sound like the perfect program to reward your loyal customers? Now you can join the program online at: http://rewards.whrrl.com It’s free to sign up, and Whrrl Society Rewards offers:

  • Measureable results: See who is checking into your business and what they have to say.
  • Virality: Recommendations are shared to networks including Facebook and Twitter.
  • Community: Extend your brand into mobile and build a strong community of loyal customers helping each other.

So, I know don’t know about you, but these odds sound pretty darn good! :)

We have more news in the coming days and weeks about Society Rewards, including a special VIP event at Eva Longoria Parker’s Eve Nightclub. Stay tuned!

Read the official press release on the Vegas Society Rewards here.

… and now your business can participate in Society Rewards, too!

Post-BlogHer Contest – Create Your Own Whrrl Society; Win A Kindle!

This past weekend was BlogHer ‘10 in New York City – and l was there on behalf of Whrrl to meet and hang out with all the fabulous bloggers who attended. The weekend literally flew by, filled with super fun parties, conversations, new friendships and sightseeing in The Big Apple. I’ll have the post recap up tomorrow with pics and details, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, we’re holding a Post-BlogHer Contest for the bloggers who attended our Sex and the City Walking Tour and BlogHer ‘10! You can win a Kindle from Amazon.com with free 3G! I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted one of the wireless reading devices for beaching, flying, bussing and more. The Kindle is Amazon.com’s  #1 bestselling item for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon! And it can be yours…

How can you win? Simple: just create your own Whrrl Society!

What are you passionate about? You can create a Whrrl Society around that passion, whether it’s shopping, sushi, yoga, wine, your favorite band – whatever! Societies enable you to bring your online community offline, creating your own location-based network and rallying together to share recommendations around a common passion. Everyone can add their own recs of fun, cool things to do and share them with each other. Now, you and your Society members will have relevant real-world places to go and activities to do in the palm of your hand, from a community of like-minded people. Pretty neat, huh!

You’ll find a tutorial on how to create Whrrl Societies on Whrrl.com here, and on the iPhone here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send an email to jeanna [at] pelago [dot] com!

We’ll choose our favorite Society based on the following:

  1. Quality of your Society, ie: your idea, Society image and description, and the recommendations you fill your Society with.
  2. How many members you’re able to recruit to add their own recommendations, plus bonus points if you have members of your community use Whrrl to check in to these real-world places.
  3. A blog post and Tweet about your Society (minimum needed to qualify for entry).

You can even create your own contest on your blog to inspire your blog community to add their own recommendations and check in to real-world places with Whrrl. We’ll give you two weeks, Friday, August 13th through Friday, August 27th to create and promote your Society. I’ll select the winner and announce who won on Tuesday, August 31st on the blog!  You can read full contest details here.

For inspiration, check out some cool Societies the community has already created:

Sex and the City Society
Cupcakery Society
Professional Day Drinkers Society
Rooftop Pools Society
San Francisco Sights Society
HelpAMotherOut (HAMO) Society
The Local Tourist Society
Gluten-Free Austin Society
Life in Temecula Society
Houston Steak Lovers Society

Good luck!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Void where prohibited.  Void in Rhode Island.  Open to residents of the United States age 18+ who are registered members of Whrrl.  Contest begins August 13, 2010 and ends August 21, 2010  Enter by checking in to a participating location on Whrrl or by mailing a legible handwritten request to Post BlogHer Contest, c/o Pelago, Inc., 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98101.  Entry by check-in requires your actual presence at the location.  Prize is Kindle from Amazon.com, approximately worth $189  Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.  Sponsored by Pelago, Inc., 1201 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.  Promotion is subject to Official Rules.  See Official Rules at [link].