Rene Trim: A look behind the scenes at tv's Entre Nous

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arbarbara Laurenstin and Pierre-Antoine Rivard Paquet of Entre Nous[/caption]

More often than not, local art and craft shows lack the promotional budget to get the attention they deserve, leaving organizers to rely solely on social media to get word out. At the OVCC, we realized early on that, although useful, social media only works as ** _ part _ ** of a marketing campaign - not as a campaign in its own right. Starting with our inaugural show, we turned to local television - one of _ ** the ** _ most important sources of information in a community - to further help us get our message across.

It was in those early days that I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Laurenstin and Pierre-Antoine Rivard Paquet for the first time. Barbara and Pierre-Antoine are the co-hosts of TV Rogers Cable 23’s _ Entre Nous, _ a live daily lifestyle show/magazine that reaches out to the Francophone population of Ottawa. Although normally, they are the ones asking the questions, they recently agreed to answer some of mine - just this once!

Their backgrounds are different: Laurenstin transitioned to TV after a stint with CBC/Radio Canada and a “second education” (her first education produced a Bachelor in Human Resources) at Promédia, a Montreal based institute that specializes in preparing its students for radio and TV careers. She joined TV Rogers as a volunteer and worked for CHUO 89.1 FM as a host/producer, when - in 2012 - the opportunity to co-host _ Entre Nous _ presented itself.

Rivard Paquet joined CHUO 89.1 FM while studying communications at Ottawa U. After some time behind the mic, he became an assistant programming director and created a show entitled “Le Macaque Chaud”, which ran for five years. Two years after he and a friend made an (unpaid) appearance in a beer commercial, the friend - by then a producer at TV Rogers - invited Pierre-Antoine to audition for the co-host position at _ Entre Nous _ .

According to Laurenstin, the importance of a show such as _ Entre Nous _ lies in the fact that is provides television access to members of the community: " Every day, we cover a range of topics, be it education, health, science, arts or entertainment related. Our focus is to give an opportunity to aspiring local artists and artisans to introduce themselves to our viewers. It’s all about promoting local initiatives, people, and companies". Rivard Paquet adds: “It’s the people who make our city interesting and by introducing these people to our viewers, we shed a light on what is going on in our community. I have done over 600 shows with more than 3,000 guests and I feel blessed to be able to do what I love “.

If you are a French speaking artist, artisan, performer, or musician living in Ottawa, Barbara and Pierre-Antoine would love to have you on their show. You can email them: Barbara.Laurenstin@rci.rogers.com or PierreAntoine.Rivard@rci.rogers.com

** What NOT to say at a craft show ** This week’s faux pas is an all-time favourite with vendors: “I can get this cheaper at Walmart”

No, you can’t. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find anything handmade at the big box stores; the reason they can keep their prices low is that the products they sell are mass-produced (often in low wage countries) – the very opposite of craft produced.

** Upcoming events ** ‘Still looking for those perfect gifts? Santa recommends the following events:

The Metcalfe Farmers’ Market is celebrating “A Country Christmas” on Saturday from 9 am until 2 pm. Great gift ideas for the whole family are to be found at the Greely Legion, 8021 Mitch Owens Drive.

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Crisp’s easy-care, non-itch ponchos will be available at Craftilicous.[/caption]

Once again, the Knox Presbyterian Church (227 Elgin) hosts Craftilicious this weekend. Founded in 2008, this annual December event brings together 30 of the best local artisans for a wonderful crafter’s market. Saturday from 10 am to 4

Also on Elgin Street: the Shopify Makers Market . More than 30 local vendors will be welcoming you in the lobby of 150 Elgin on Friday from 11 am until 7 pm and on Saturday from 10 til 3. Don’t feel like wrapping your gifts? Don’t worry! A gift wrapping table collecting donations for the Parkdale Food Centre is on hand. Find the right gift, get it wrapped and ready, and help families in need over the Holiday Season! The Orleans Craft & Co. Holiday Sale is held at Sir Wilfrid Laurier High School in Orleans this Saturday from 10 to 4. The event is all about promoting and supporting small, independent local businesses with a unique, independent spirit!

On Sunday, the RA Centre will host “Crafts Galore / Gifts to Adore” with 40 local vendors . Admission is free and the hours are 10 am to 3 pm.

Meanwhile, in beautiful Arnprior, the weekend will be all about the Valley Christmas Crafter’s Show in support of the Free the Children’s Alternative Income project in Ghana. The event is held at the Arnprior District High School on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 til 4.

The Ottawa Farmers' Market is back for one more weekend in the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne. As parking is always an issue in the Glebe, I recommend you park the car at Brewer Park and hop on the free door-to-door shuttle instead.

“Attention Foodies - Flavours of Ottawa returns to Westboro this Saturday! Twenty local artisan food vendors, the Ottawa Street Gourmet food truck serving lunch….need I go on? All this wholesome goodness will be served up between 10 am and 3:30 pm at St. George’s Parish Hall on Piccadilly Ave.”

Lastly, the Originals Ottawa Christmas Craft Sale opens its doors on 11 December. For 10 days (with the exception of Monday 15 December, when a group of new exhibitors will come in), the Ernst & Young Centre will house 200 artisans from across Canada. Parking and admission are $7 each – see website for details.

That’s all for now - have a creative week, folks!