While recent news broadcasts have left people feeling like 2010 is likely to be a flat year, we're entering it with a bang!  We've been working hard over the past few months and are excited to let you know about some of the new services and products we are prepared to deliver.

Announcing a Partnership between PushinPixels, LLC and AdventureSmith, Inc.

We are very excited to annouce the a partnership between AdventureSmith, Inc. and PushinPixels, an Auburn Hills-based design firm specializing in animation and graphic design.  The world of the web has become far too complex to be attended to by a jack of all trades and crew of code mongers.  We've been looking long and hard for a firm that we believed could produce the quality of design our customers deserved.  We are certain we have found a match in PushinPixels, LLC.

Expect to see an updated portfolio soon showing off many of our latest projects and the design work of PushinPixels.

Zip Line Enthusiasts Beware!  There's a new home for you on the web.

After 5 months of development and research, Zipline Nirvana is finally ready to go...  we will be officially launching the zipline resource at the 2010 Association for Challenge Course Technology Conference, February 3-7, in Atlanta, Georgia.  To celebrate, we will be holding a drawing and handing out tons of great Zipline Nirvana Gear including T-shirts and Hats.

Widgets and Gadgets for Canopy Tour and Adventure Tour Operators

We have been working hard on several new widgets, gadgets, and components for adventure tour operators.  Included in those are:

Rate My Tour Widget:
Design for Canopy Tour operators, the Rate My Tour Widget allows operators with PHP-based sites to include a Rating Widget on their site.  Comments and reviews from customers on their site are automatically saved on Zipline Nirvana boosting the operators search positioning on the site.

Adventure Tour Photo Gallery:
Over 90% of photo sales at Adventure Tour companies are spontanreous and occur immediately after the tour while emotions are still high and pocketbooks are present.  But what about the other 10%.  Until now, aftermarket photo sales have been cumbersome and laborious.  Our new photo gallery solution for Joomla sites aims to solve that problem.  In addition to online purchases, the gallery features:

• Batch upload images
• Create galleries on the fly based on Year > Month > Day > Time > Tour Type
• Batch add generic descriptions and rename files for improved search engine optimization on upload
• Brand images with your logo or logo bar
• Allow guests to download branded, low-resolution images
• Allow guests to share branded images using Add This, a powerful application that allows users to share images and content through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Flickr, and more than 200 other social networking sites
• Allow guests to rate photos and add comments
• Sell photos and photo CDs through Paypal Pro
• Quickly locate tours using our custom search module

To demo either of the Rate My Tour Widget or Adventure Tour Photo Gallery, please contact us at (248) 481-2568 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Keep checking back, there's more to come.

Join us at the ACCT  Conference in Atlanta, GA February 3-7, 2010 to celebrate the launch of Zipline Nirvana, learn about our new partnerships and services, or just to chat.  We'll have a booth in the Main Exhibit Hall.

What is Zipline Nirvana?  Better yet, What are you launcing it into?

Zipline Nirvana is the product of 5 months of coding and lots of research.  Disappointed by the lack of quality information on the web regarding zip lines and canopy tours, I decided it was time to invest a little money and create a resource to promote the community.  While we're still in the process of writing and adding content, the core of the site is up and more than 200 tours are listed.  More than a directory of zip lines and canopy tours, the site offers something for everyone in the zip line field.

Zipline Enthusiasts

• Research, rate, and review zip line and canopy tours around the world
• Post and share stories about your zip-line experiences
• Post pictures and videos of your zip line adventures
• Connect with other site members and zip-line enthusiasts
• Build and maintain your user profile
• Create and join specialty groups
• Subscribe to activity streams from new groups
• Connect your profile to Facebook with Facebook Connect
• Search and apply for jobs in the zip line and canopy tour industry

Tour Operators

• Maintain and control your directory listing
• Create groups and invite users - perfect for creating fan clubs
• Connect your user profile to Facebook and Twitter to create buzz
• Post up to one news release per month
• Post promotional videos
• Post jobs and search resumes
• Advertise on the site
• Exchange links to increase searchability

Vendors and Consultants

• Submit articles, whitepapers and press releases
• Create groups and invite users - perfect for creating fan clubs
• Connect your user profile to Facebook and Twitter to create buzz
• Post promotional videos
• Post jobs and search resumes
• Advertise on the site
• Exchange links to increase searchability

Attention Prospective Canopy Tour Operators, Entrepreneurs, and Investors!

We are heading to Portland for the 2008 Annual Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) Conference (January 31 to February 3) and we hope to see you there. In addition to the opportunity to meet and explore course options, the conference is always packed full of excellent workshops on challenge course construction standards and adventure education programming.

Click here to learn more about the 2008 ACCT Conference in Portlant and register online.

Canopy Tour Pre-Conference Workshop

On January 31, the Canopy Tour Task Force will be presenting a Pre-Conference Workshop on the State of Canopy Tours. Builders, trainers, operators, and interested parties are welcome. The Pre-Conference will be a participatory workshop aimed at defining indsutry terminology, exploring current and future trends, and discussing program philosophies and tour approaches. With a variety of builders and operators from the US and abroad scheduled to share their views and experience, the workshop is certain to provide an excellent opportunity to network and share.

Competency-based Staffing Models for Adventure Challenge Programs

Mike Smith of AdventureSmith, Inc. and S.T.E.P.S., Inc. will be presenting a workshop for Challenge Course Managers and Adventure Program Directors on competency-based staffing models. Participants will be exposed to a training model that includes assessment and evaluation tools, competency-based development models, and an employee appraisal system. Participants will learn how the model helped to align training, reduce staffing costs, and improve program quality inside a growing challenge course programming organization.

Who is Coming

The following S.T.E.P.S. Bonsai representatives will be at this year's conference:

• John Walker - President of Bonsai Design and Builder of Canopy Tours, Ropes Courses, Climbing Towers and other cools stuff
• David Brassfield - President of S.T.E.P.S., Inc. Responsible for Program Operations and Management
• Mike Smith - Director of Special Projects for S.T.E.P.S., Inc. and President of AdventureSmith, Inc. Responsible for Canopy Tour Guide Training and Development, Marketing, and Program Development
• Rhonda Sandweiss - Director of Staff Development for S.T.E.P.S., Inc. Canopy Tour Guide/Trainer and Ropes Challenge Course Trainer
• Dave Grossman - Director of Sales and Marketing for Bonsai Design, Inc.
• Phill Kroll - Program Manager and Ropes Course Facilitator
• Hans Kraai - Ropes Course Facilitator
• Reid Burland - Canopy Tour and Challenge Course Builder
• Jason Fail - Canopy Tour and Challenge Course Builder
• Mark Craven - Canopy Tour and Challenge Course Builder
• Tyler Anderson - Canopy Tour and Challenge Course Builder
• And others..

To Schedule a Meeting in Portland

The conference is always packed full, so please call Mike Smith at (248) 481-2568 to schedule a time to meet.

AdvenutreSmith, Inc. is proud to announce the overhaul of www.joedumarsfieldhouse.com.  The Fieldhouse bears the name of local hero, Joe Dumars', former star guard for the Detroit Pistons basketball team and current General Manager.  The Joe Dumars' Fieldhouse is the Premier Sports and Family Entertainment Center in the Detroit area.  With multiple locations inside Detroit and the Northern suburbs, the Fieldhouse offers managed basketball, volleyball, and roller hockey leagues, events, and family entertainment.  In recent years, the Fieldhouse has increased its scope to add a ropes course, climbing wall, and team building program.  The adventure-based programs offered to corporations and local school, youth, and community organizations is led by S.T.E.P.S., Inc.

To meet their needs, the new website was developed around the Joomla Content Management System.  A custom template was designed to align the Fieldhouse's web marketing presence with current print marketing campaigns and branding.  The site offers a variety of customized scripts and common add-ons and allows for complete control by in-house staff.  To ensure quality management, AdventureSmith, provided an intensive training for staff.

Visit the new Joe Dumars' Fieldhouse website to learn what AdventureSmith can do for you.

AdvenutreSmith, Inc. is proud to announce the launch of http://www.centerforecojusticeeducation.org.  The founders of the EcoJustice Review (an international juried forum created to address the revitalization of the world’s diverse commons) were seeking a web platform that would draw new members, reduce the ammount of time and effort to post new articles and news, and develop a community.

To meet their needs and stay within budget, a website was developed around the Joomla Content Management System using a slightly altered template from www.rockettheme.com.  The site includes a variety of add-ons and upgrades, including Community Builder, forums, calendar, glossary, and more.

The site was turned over to the project management team with Joomla training.  Content will be added to the site over the course of the next few weeks and managed by the EcoJustice Review project staff.

For more information on EcoJustice Education, visit the site.

AdventureSmith is proud to announce the launch of http://www.canopy-tours.com for S.T.E.P.S., Inc. and Bonsai Design.  The site is part of a greater marketing plan to grow their canopy tour design, installation, and development services.

The goal of S.T.E.P.S. and Bonsai Design is the develop custom zip lines and canopy tours that foster an appreciation for environment.  Focusing primarily on arboreal tours, the companies have developed environmentally zip line and suspension bridge systems that allow access to the forest canopy with limited impact.  In addition to design and installation services, the companies off extensive support and training systems to ensure program quality and profitabiltiy.

The AdventureSmith, S.T.E.P.S., and Bonsai Design core team are headed to Boston for the Association for Challenge Course Technology Conference (ACCT) on February 1-4, 2007.  Mike Smith will be scheduling opportunities to meet on Saturday and Sunday regarding adventure challenge program development and marketing services.

If you would like to arrange a meeting, please  schedule in advance.