Emerge Inc. Blog

When you think of children, smiling faces and sounds of laughter probably come to mind. Sadly, for thousands of youngsters with type 1 diabetes, life isn’t always as carefree as it should be.

Fortunately, there are plenty of people who are passionate about finding a cure for the disease that, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, affects about one in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents in the United States.

Leading the way to finding that cure is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). And on Saturday, April 21, with the support of Emerge, the Mid-Ohio Chapter of JDRF took another big stride toward a juvenile diabetes-free world during its Ninth Annual Fund A Cure Gala in Columbus, Ohio.

The gala’s fitting Dr. Seussian theme “Oh, the Places We’ll Go!” transported patrons to a magical night of fundraising and entertainment. More than 800 people attended the $200 per plate event, which raised more than $400,000 for juvenile diabetes research. The memorable night featured a delectable dinner, live entertainment and silent, super-silent and live auctions.

Teaming up with the JDRF to develop and host the gala’s official website, Emerge provided a sneak peek at the array of items being auctioned. Among the items up for bid were a Beat Michigan Party, Meet & Greet with Jack Hanna, The Ultimate Barbecue Party, Lunch with OSU gridiron legend Archie Griffin, Remax Balloon Ride, Key West Vacation, Private Soccer Clinic, and Disney World Package.

In addition, the website included a special administration section designed to enable volunteers to add information about the gala and its enticing live and silent auction items. The goal of the user-friendly site was to generate excitement about the event while encouraging attendance and plenty of bidding.

During the evening, the Mid-Ohio Chapter honored Columbus’ own Children’s Hospital for its significant efforts in improving the lives of children in the community. In addtion, Senator Sherrod Brown spoke about the importance of increasing funding for JD research.

Since its inception in 1970, the JDRF has been the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research worldwide. For more information, visit the JDRF website at www.jdrf.org or call 614-464-2873.

To find out how Emerge can help make your organization’s next special event a memorable one, visit us at www.EmergeInc.com or call (440) 284-4949.

LorainCounty.com, a community-based website founded and supported by Emerge, has added a number of exciting enhancements recently.

Community Directory – The site’s local search engine, business directory and nonprofit directory have been combined to create the LorainCounty.com Community Directory. The Community Directory provides profile information, including web address, mailing address, maps, photos and descriptions on over 2,500 local businesses and organizations.

MarketPlace – A Beta version of MarketPlace was launched in July. MarketPlace contains over 3,500 classified-style listings for autos, homes, merchandise and jobs. LorainCounty.com users can create listings free of charge. MarketPlace also includes listings from third-party sites to ensure the broadest selection to search through.

Digital Partnership – LorainCounty.com announced a new opportunity for local businesses, organizations and individuals to support the site by becoming a Digital Partner for just $8/month (or $80/year). Digital Partners declare their support for LorainCounty.com, help drive its future and receive high visibility throughout the site.

Media Kit – The growth of the Internet provides new opportunities for businesses to reach and engage customers. With a user base of 45,000 people, LorainCounty.com provides a number of options for businesses and organizations to reach and engage local customers. The LorainCounty.com advertising options were recently updated to reflect these emerging opportunities.

Marketing Campaign – In August, LorainCounty.com will kick off a county-wide marketing campaign that will incorporate billboards, radio, local newspapers and major search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo.

For more information about LorainCounty.com’s recent enhancements, contact Ed Skimin by telephone at (440) 284-3653 or email.

The Lorain County Visitors Bureau worked with Emerge to create a website to promote the new Back Roads and Beaches bike and multi-sport tour of Lorain County.

The Back Roads and Beaches route, denoted by bright green bike route signs, was formed to provide the most scenic and low-traffic roads and bike paths, leading riders through some of Ohio’s best landscape while highlighting some of the area’s most relevant history, culture and arts and cutting-edge environmental initiatives.

The BackRoadsandBeachesOhio.com website provides a wealth of local information designed to help multi-sport enthusiasts of all ages get the most out of their Lorain County recreational experiences. The comprehensive website features cycling routes, parks, wineries, historical landmarks and more.

An interactive Route Map in the site shows the primary Back Roads and Beaches route and provides details on points of interest. Site visitors can find news and announcements of local events and tours in the News & Blog section. Photos can be found in the Photos section and a Lorain County Bike Map can be downloaded in the Route Map section.

Back Roads and Beaches is a project of Lorain County Heritage and the Lorain County Visitors Bureau, with financial support from a number of local businesses and government agencies.

Since 1956, Mel-Ba Manufacturing has been making dependable precision-machined and turned-component products for a number of commercial and military clients across the United States.

Looking to increase awareness of its line of Plug Nuts fasteners and drive more traffic to its website, Mel-Ba Manufacturing turned to Emerge for help. Emerge worked with the longtime manufacturer on a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign, and now Mel-Ba Manufacturing is making its way up the results lists of search engines all over the Internet.

SE0 is the process of making a website attractive to search engines. SEO not only increases the volume, but also improves the quality of traffic to a website, thereby maximizing the site’s chances of being seen—and ultimately visited. Now, whenever keywords such as “self-clinching fasteners” or “threaded inserts” are typed into a search engine like Google or Yahoo, the Mel-Ba Manufacturing website will appear closer to the top of the search results list. As a result, the manufacturer will have a greater chance of being top of mind with potential customers every time these searches are conducted.

In addition, a “link-building” campaign—the result of an extensive website assessment—further enhanced the local manufacturer’s site. Recently launched, the campaign will increase the number of links to the site and consequently visitors seeking Mel-Ba’s products and services.

Contact Emerge today at (440) 284-4949 to find out how to maximize your business or organization’s web presence and optimize its marketability.

For more than 40 years, people from all over Ohio have enjoyed the natural treasures of Geauga Park District’s beautiful parks and other preserves. Now, future guests can explore—and reserve—their favorite campgrounds, fishing spots and gathering venues while parked in front of their computers. With the support of Emerge, Geauga Park District launched its new online camping reservations system in June.

Visitors to the District’s website can begin their search for the ideal outdoor adventure by clicking on the Facility Reservations & Boat Permits link on the homepage. From there, guests can select one of three category icons: Shelter Reservations, Boat Permits and Camping. A user-friendly search feature takes users to the perfect venue in seconds.

Every facility, campsite and boat-friendly location featured on the website includes availability information, photos and site maps plus details about wildlife, habitats, hiking trails and more. Once logged in, guests can book their selected site with a credit card and then download a printable permit and receipt.

And because everything featured is real-time data, every update park operators make to the site—from site descriptions to ranger reports—will be immediately available.

With the support of Emerge, Geauga Park District has made it easy for guests to explore its acres of natural assets. Additionally, Emerge’s ongoing partnership with the District has allowed it to blaze new trails in the areas of community volunteering and outdoor education.

Since its establishment in August of 1961, Geauga Park District has grown steadily, now encompassing more than 6,000 acres in 12 open parks, other preserves and future parks. From woodlands to wetlands, meadows and gently flowing streams, the District offers something for every nature lover.

For information about a customizable solution for your business or organization, contact Emerge at (440) 284-4949.