From now until Dec. 31 Los Angeles-area music fans will have a chance to peruse pop-culture music label Rhino Entertainment’s extensive online collection of music and merchandise in a live record store. The Rhino pop-up store opened Dec. 1 at an 1 100-square-foot retail storefront on West Third Street about one block from The Grove shopping complex and has featured a full calendar of events including in-store record signings live dj sets and presentations by industry icons artists and photographers.

HBO holiday helpers hit New York City’s most touristy spots to create buzz for its store on 42nd Street – and spread some holiday cheer.

The company tapped Broadway singers and actors to execute the grassroots effort. The tune?  An HBO-centric take on a Christmas classic created by changing the lyrics to include some of the channel’s standards.

A sample of the lyrics: “On the Sixth day of Christmas my Big Love gave to me Six Feet Under playing five Sopranos tees (Bada Bing) four Entourage caps three Wire books two Rome CDs and Sex and the City DVDs.”

Even with all that real estate Intel managed to make everything tie together thematically. Each and every element was cherry-picked and engineered to bring the brand to life and show just “how Intel makes a difference in their daily lives ” says Victor Torregroza events program manager for Intel.

When picking and choosing professional events to attend people want to get the most bang for their buck especially since with b-to-b events it’s usually the company’s buck and those aren’t exactly flowing freely nowadays. One way to stir up interest in your event is to give attendees an online sneak peek of what they can expect on site as well as a conversation extender that goes well beyond event day. With a nudge from technology companies are doing just that by adding an online social networking component to events and conferences.

As the countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games begins many brands are waiting with nervous anticipation to find out if the athletes they sponsored will make the cut. Will they get to be associated with legends in the making like Michael Phelps? Will their alternative sports star become the next Shaun White? Or will the ultimate gamble the underdogs become the next feel-good press sensation like the Jamaican bobsled team?