And even though we’re sad that we have to wait another year to celebrate 4sqDay again (as some of the Portsmouth 4sqDay party people are below), we ARE happy to announce that we will see you all again soon for #4sqFriday starting 5/10! We’ll be playing the game of four square on Friday evenings while the weather stays warm. So, stay tuned for more details at the hashtag and in the meantime, happy 4sqDay everyone!

Join us and check in for charity in support of Movember at Mozcation Portsmouth 2012, taking place at the Music Hall on Wednesday, November 7 at 5:00pm. To participate, check-in on foursquare at The Music Hall during the event and for every person that checks in (up to a swarm badge – 50 people), a donation will be made to the Movember Foundation. Get everyone with you to check in on foursquare so we can raise the most money for Movember AND get a swarm badge!

Special thanks to our awesome donors, who so far have helped us secure $32 per check-in!

• Alpha Loft – $2/checkin.
• Paragon Digital Marketing – $1/checkin.
• Raka – $5/checkin.
• MicroArts – $5/checkin.
• Walter Elly – $1/checkin.
• Sandra Rand – $.50/checkin.
• Brown & Company Design – $1/checkin.
• Genius Switch Studio – $1/checkin.
• Vital Design – $4/checkin.
• PixelMEDIA – $5/checkin.
• Evolution ID Badges – $1/checkin.
• Allison Potter – $.50/checkin.
• The Duffy Agency – $5/checkin.

$32 per check in is killer but we’d LOVE to see more individuals, companies and organizations up the ante! Can we get to $33 or even $35? If you’d like to pledge any amount money per check in for up to 50 check ins, let us know by filling out our Mozcation Movember Fundraiser Pledge Form. We’re limiting this to the first 50 check-ins (which unlocks foursquare’s swarm badge for those in attendance), so if you pledge $1 per check in, the maximum donation you would make would be $50 if we got 50 check ins.

If you would like to join a Movember team and grow an awesome stache, please join the Swarthy Moustachios. If you are already on a team in NH, please join the state-wide NH Movember Network here: http://us.movember.com/mospace/network/NH. This will help you organize with other New Hampshire Mo Bros and Mo Sistas taking part!

Don’t forget to RSVP to the event: Mozcation Portsmouth 2012.

To pledge, visit our Movember Fundraiser Pledge Form.

Want to know more about Movember?

The Movember Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that runs the global men’s health initiative, Movember.

Each year, Movember, the month formerly known as November, is responsible for the sprouting of thousands of Mo’s (Australian slang for moustache, where the movement began) on men’s faces around the world, raising vital awareness and funds for men’s health, specifically for cancer affecting men.

Men who grow moustaches for the month of Movember, called Mo Bros, become walking, talking billboards for the cause, raising awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by getting friends and family to donate to their Mo-growing efforts. The rules are simple: register online at Movember.com and start the month of Movember clean-shaven, then grow a moustache for 30 days. Last year, 255,722 men and women across the globe raised $40 million (USD) – all through the power of the Mo.

The money raised as a result of Movember is channeled by our beneficiary partners into a number of world class and innovative research, support, education, and awareness initiatives. Movember funds raised in the US benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.pcf.org) and LIVESTRONG (http://www.livestrong.org)

We’re super stoked for Foursquare Day this Monday, and we’ve got some awesome specials being offered up by local businesses. More importantly we have one, yes one, limited edition Foursquare Day T-Shirt to give away. We are going to raffle it off at the end of the night at The Music Hall Meetup.

Entering The Drawing Is Easy!

1. To enter your name into the drawing tweet and fill in the blank – “To celebrate Portsmouth Foursquare Day, I’m gonna ___________ on 4/16! #ports4sq”

2. That’s it! It’s that easy. Starting today, you can enter up to three times a day!

We’ll pick a winner at The Music Hall on Monday!

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

• Warren’s Lobster House - $10 off $30 or more. Appetizers, entrees, desserts or any combination of the three (Max discount: $30 for $90 of purchased food)
• Seaport Fish - $5 off a purchase of $25 or more with every check in (excludes alcohol)
• Agave Mexican Bistro – Get a free order of nachos when you check-in on Foursquare Day!

SERVICES

• Seacoast Science Center - One free admission with one paid admission of equal or lesser value.

RETAIL

• The Flower Kiosk - 1 Free rose when you check in
• Paradiza Boutique - 10% off a purchase of $20 or more with check-in. Trollbeads excluded from offer.
• Celtic Crossing - On Four Square Day, check-in and receive a FREE candy bar of your choice. We carry Cadbury, Butlers Irish Chocolate and more!
• Fa La Lo - Join our email list and be entered to win monthly drawing for $20 Gift Certificate.
• Tugboat Alley - Check in and receive 10% off the sweatshirt of your choice!

If you’re interested in getting your business listed, let us know what kind of specials you want to offer to folks that check in by telling us here!

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mooitw/

Not sure how to create a special? It’s easy! Here are step-by-step instructions. Leave any questions in the comments below, and we’ll make sure to answer them.

1. Login to your account that manages your venue.
2. Click on “Manager Tools” in the upper right.
3. Click the “Start a Campaign at this Venue” button and then “Add a Special” button.
4. Foursquare will now walk you through four questions to setup your special.
5. Click the “Create Special” button to move to the final step.
6. You’ll now see a preview of your special. Before starting your campaign, you’ll want to use the “Advanced Options” to schedule it for April 16.
7. When you’re ready click the “Start Campaign Now” button.

We also have downloadable instructions as well - How To Create A Foursquare Special.

How can your business get involved in Portsmouth Foursquare Day? There are a number of things you can offer to customers when they check into your venue on April 16th (and beyond!). These include:

• Discounts (e.g. “Get 15% off your entire purchase when you check in!”)
• Specials (e.g. “Buy one get one free appetizers when you check in!”)
• Entries into giveaways
• Freebies (e.g. “Get a free tour and tasting glass when you visit our brewery & check in!”)
• Deals for future purchases
• Offers specifically for new customers

We’ll be pulling together a list of all the cool businesses that will be offering specials on Foursquare Day. Want your business on the list? Let us know how you’ll reward Foursquare users by telling us here.

This year, we’ll be rocking checkin-for-charity at Digital Portsmouth: The Art of Video, taking place at the Music Hall on Tuesday, December 6 at 5:30pm. To participate, check-in on foursquare at The Music Hall during the event and for every person that checks in (up to a swarm badge – 50 people), a donation will be made to the Movember Foundation. Movember counts donations through December 9th so this will be a great opportunity to make a big push on final fundraising totals. Get everyone with you to check in on foursquare so we can raise the most money for Movember AND aim for a swarm badge!

Special thanks to our awesome donors, who so far have helped us secure $2 $3 $4 $4.50 $6.50 $7 $7.50 (update!) $8 per check-in:

According to the New York Times, it works like this: Check in at clothes store H&M and spend $75 and get a $10 credit to your AmEx account. Similar promos are being offered at places such as the Union Square Cafe and Sports Authority.

Foursquare beta-tested the program at SXSW this year. Henry Blodgett reported in Business Insider that according to Amex, cardholders who participated in the SXSW test spent 20% more than cardholders who didn’t. The test version of the Foursquare tie-up brought a “higher response rate than anything else we’re doing,” AmEx vice chairman Edward P. Gilligan told the NY Times.

From where we sit, it seems a logical next step would be introducing this to chain retailers or fast food establishments that could roll it out quickly and who are always looking for an incentive to spur impulse patrons. An exciting prospect for foursquare users. What do you think? Will this influence where and when you check in?

Read more:
Business Insider: Foursquare Signs Big Deal With American Express
New York Times: American Express Teams With Foursquare