Michael Bruce Weed and Nziza Rurangirwa, the www.cqscene.com webmasters have accepted to present themselves, their business and activities
"Made in Chongqing" @ Made in Kitchen
Maxxelli-blog: Name, Sex, Age, Position
Michael Bruce Weed, Male, 27, Director.
Nziza Rurangirwa, Male, 26, Promotions Manager.
Maxxelli-blog: What do you do in Chongqing?
Mike: run/operate Fresh World Promotions(FWP)/ CQscene, assist with Fresh World ltd., study Chinese Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts(SFAI), and freelance video production work.
Nziza: run operate FWP/CQSCENE/Fresh World ltd., study toward a masters in photography @ SFAI, teaches business courses at Sichuan International Studies University.
Maxxelli-blog: What did you do before?
Mike: Studied Visual/Media Arts at Emerson College in Boston, MA. While in school worked as Director of Marketing/Promotions for b.good. After school interned for SiriusXM radio’s SHADE45 in New York City.
Nziza: fine art major dickinson state university, work 4 years for dorian studios as lead photographer, founded Student organization for unity and liberation(soul) while in university, promotions manager for SiriusXM radio’s SHADE45 in Los Angeles California
"Fresh World Thirsty Thursdays @ Nuts Club in Shapingba."
Maxxelli-blog: Why did you come to Chonqging?
Mike: I came to Chongqing two years ago because I wanted to live outside of the U.S., and a friend suggested that I come check out Chongqing telling me about the future potential for the city, and the opportunities available.
Maxxelli-blog: How and Why did you start your business?
Mike: As most people do nowadays when they arrive at, or are planning to visit a new city, I went online. It didn’t take me long to find two articles that stick in my head to this day. One by TIME Magazine, and the other in The Economist, both about the growth of CQ since it was given municipality status in 1997, as well as the plans for the city’s future. Reading these articles made me realize what my friend Nziza already knew, that I was at the right place at the right time. It did however, take a bit longer to realize how to take advantage of the situation. Nziza and I, like many foreigners where working as teachers, but its safe to say that teaching was not our reason for being here. We wanted something more. Months went by and ideas popped in and out of our heads, all the while we were becoming fed up with the lack of entertainment options presented to us. As far as we knew, the only place for socializing was the bar area in Jeifengbei, offering little in the realms of variety and originality, prompting us to seek out something new. More months went by until through a friend of a friend’s girlfriend, we were taken to a rock show in a small dank room with nothing but a stage and sound system, and the rest, as they say, is history. Weekend after weekend we’d return to that dark, dank room, and were repeatedly impressed by the talent and energy that it had to offer. Thinking that other foreigners were going through the same cultural withdrawals as we had gone through,and wishing to spare them of the tireless search, we began promoting the shows on facebook, thus giving birth to Fresh World Promotions(FWP).
Maxxelli-blog: When did you start your business?
Mike: FWP began in the winter of 2007, and CQscene was created in March of 2009
Maxxelli-blog:What kind of customers do you have?
Mike: Customers are foreigners of all ages/backgrounds, as well as Chinese ages 18-35 depending on the event/promotion.
Hard job but somebody has to do it... we try for you Chonqging's restaurants
Maxxelli-blog: What kind of services do you propose?
Mike: With the goal of promoting music and the arts in Chongqing and China while bridging the gap between foreigners and locals, FWP began with the planning and promoting of local events as well as events of our own, notably, our annual “Liquid Christmas” parties and “Made in Chongqing,” a night of contemporary and traditional Chinese culture, in conjunction with Maxxelli Real estate, as well as Fresh World “Thirsty Thursdays,” a weekly party at the Nuts Club in Shapingba, with inexpensive drinks, and music you most likely will never hear during a night out any where else.
We have also created the website www.CQSCENE.com, an English language website with goals near identical to those of FWP, but in addition to the promotion of music and the arts, our hope is to make living in CQ more comfortable for foreigners by giving them insight as to whats happening in Chongqing, as well as, for instance, where to get a good, cheap cup of coffee(Holiland), or a quality hamburger(Floweriness Cafe). Along with cqscene.com and event planning and promotion, Fresh World Promotions offers brand/product promotion, marketing, and consulting services, with the belief that we have the unequivocal ability to target not only foreigners, but today’s trendsetters in China’s youth/creative culture.
Maxxelli-blog: What about the future?
Mike: Though we are in the business of entertainment, our experience as a whole has been nothing like a party. Working with a limited knowledge of Chinese language is an undoubted struggle, as is working on a shoe string budget, but all in all, the experience has been a good one and things seem to be looking up as our business slowly, but surely continues to grow
Contact
Michael Bruce Weed 杂草
Nziza Rurangirwa 里扎
Phone: 13452155130
www.freshWpromo.com
www.cqscene.com
