On April 16^th, ice-skating and music legends performed in front of a packed house at the William G. Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown.This star-studded night, known as Skate for Love, was held to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization “dedicated to education and research about the causes, treatment, and the search for the cure” for breast cancer.

Of over the 70 skaters who participated, many were Olympic and world champions, such as 2006 World Champion Kimmi Meissner, 1995 World Champion Nicole Bobek, and Emily Hughes. Holdcom’s own voice talent, Susan Lovell, performed three choreographed numbers with her longtime beau, Eddie Brigati, founding member of The Rascals and member of the Rock and Roll / Songwriter Hall of Fame.

Over 1200 people attended Skate for Love.

Holdcom is honored to join our community in the fight against cancer; join us on May 21st-22nd for the annual 2011 Relay For Life of Highlands in New Milford, NJ. For more information on how you can contribute, visit their website.

Check out the Skate for Love performance of Olympic Skater Nicole Bobek.

Great Strides: Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest national fundraising event. Tens of thousands of co-workers, friends and families come together each year as one community for one cause…to help find a cure. In 2010, the organization raised $35.5 million to support vital CF programs. Learn more.

Glen Rock Inn Support local Great Strides Walk Team:

The Glen Rock Inn restaurant, a long time HOLDCOM client, is hosting a fund raiser for Cystic Fibrosis.  Support CF by coming out to the Glen Rock Inn on Wednesday, May 11th for lunch or dinner and mention the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) – a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Team Belly’s World in support of their Great Strides walk team.  Team Belly’s World will be participating in the Great Strides walk on Sunday, May 22nd at Van Saun Park in Paramus to raise funds for the CFF.

The Glen Rock Inn is located at 222 Rock Rd in Glen Rock, NJ

Holdcom announced its participation as sponsor of the 2010 West Milford Relay for Life May 21st – 22nd. Stacey Caropreso, HOLDCOM’S Director of Quality Control, has been involved in Relay For Life walks for 20 years at the West Milford walk with her team, The Night Crawlers. “Relay For Life is close to our hearts,” explains Stacey, who has had various loved ones battle cancer for over 24 years.

The battle against cancer has touched the lives of so many at HOLDCOM in a variety of ways. This overnight event celebrates cancer survivors and commemorates those who have lost the battle to the dreaded disease.

All donations go to research and support, as well as assistance for families and caregivers. Thanks to the efforts by the American Cancer Society and donations from Relay for Life, there are more then 10 million cancer survivors in America.

For more information or to make a donation please visit their website.

Holdcom is pleased to announce the unveiling of its new VOICE GRADER, a tool designed to evaluate and improve how your business utilizes audio marketing. Whether you wish to improve brand visibility, enhance your company’s “first impression,” or increase customer engagement on the phone and on the web, incorporating audio into your marketing efforts is the first step to communicating with your client base.

To learn more or take advantage of this free service, fill out the simple form and let us evaluate your voice. Click here to get your VOICE GRADE. Once you fill out the form, you will receive a comprehensive report that will “measure how effectively you are using ‘voice’ to reinforce your brand/message.” Areas examined include message on hold, auto attendants, website audio, social media and more.

Holdcom often fulfills audio projects designed to make website navigation, instruction manuals, or pamphlets more accessible to the visually impaired.  This month, Holdcom features one of our voice talents, Gisèle Aubut, who volunteers her recordings for the Montreal Association for the Blind.

Gisèle Aubut is fluent in French and Spanish, and provides translation services as well as recordings for IVR systems, educational videos, radio spots, and more.  For the past eight years she has volunteered for the Montreal Association for the Blind (MAB), recording their newsletter, yearly report, and requested textbooks/novels, such as: Real Estate Finance, The Total Cat, and a book that required her to learn basic Haitian Creole!

“I had wanted to do recordings for the blind since even before I got into radio or the voiceover business,” Aubut said, “and I’m enjoying it very much.”

The MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre “continuously strives for excellence in providing services to its clientele.”  The Centre uses cutting edge technology, from mechanical tools to computer software, as well as “respect, compassion, and competence” to help clients discover their potential.  For more information, call 518-488-5552.

For further insight into how audio can be used to make your website friendly to the visually impaired, feel free to contact Holdcom at info@holdcom.com or call 800-666-6465.  If interested in hearing a voice sample from Gisèle Aubut, visit our voice samples page on our website.

Holdcom is pleased to provide ongoing complimentary Message On Hold services to worthy organizations.  Recently, Holdcom provided a free Message On Hold program update to Meals On Wheels of Rockland County for the system Holdcom donated to the facility in 2003.

In his acknowledgement letter to Holdcom, Jim Burton, Assistant Executive Director, said, “We feel greatly indebted to you (Holdcom) for your generosity… Holdcom (is) a true partner in our mission and we appreciate your kindness and consideration.”

Jim understands the importance of keeping information current on their Message On-Hold program so callers can learn about their additional programs in addition to their signature Homebound Meal Delivery program.  Meals on Wheels meets the daily needs of homebound individuals and senior citizens by providing a wide array of support services including meal delivery, social model adult day care, a senior center program, and a computer learning center.  They’re constantly striving to reach out to identify frail, isolated, vulnerable, and economically or emotionally disadvantaged seniors in order to provide them with the services they need.

Meals On Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, Inc. has been serving the seniors of Rockland County for 37 years.  This not-for-profit agency funded by individual donations, grants, government subsidies, and the United Way, has delivered eight million meals to date!

The MOH Secret That IT Is Keeping From Marketing

*NOTE: The Following is Confidential – do not reveal to your IT and marketing teams unless you want increased visibility and customer engagement*

When IT departments are tasked with acquiring a Message-On-Hold program or IVR system for their telephone lines, they treat the process from a strictly basic needs/equipment-based perspective. They want a reliable digital announcer that will deliver Message-On-Hold with easy installation – and that’s that. Their plan is to find a solution that will simply implement “something” on hold. ”Check!” And once silence on hold is taken care of, they don’t go any further; they move on to the next task on their list.

What these IT folks don’t realize is that the potential of the on-hold space is left untapped.  On the other side of the office, the Marcom team is tasked with getting the word out to the customer. Once marketing is made aware of the Message-On-Hold solution that’s been hiding in the recesses of their office or switch room, Holdcom usually receives calls from the Marcom team stating, “I can’t believe we never knew that our company already had a message-on-hold system in place…”

To read more, visit here, and don’t forget to check out more of our audio marketing insights at soundcommunication.holdcom.com!