This week’s Friday 5:

1. Donna Vandiver returned from London after a meeting with the Pinnacle Worldwide network, where she serves as president.  The group of more than 50 privately-owned public relations agencies met to share best practices and initiatives for 2010.
2. The Olympics start tonight in Vancouver, Canada. Sponsors are using it as a way to continue growth in social media, while Procter and Gamble are thanking Olympians’ moms. What sports are you excited to watch this year?
3. Google launched a new social sharing tool, Google Buzz, as a part of their Gmail service.  Have you received and started to try out Google Buzz?  Do you think it is a valuable addition to the social media world, or just a repetitive program to manage?
4. TVG is participating in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge.  The Green Business Challenge is designed to help companies improve the sustainability of their business operations, share best practices and work together to help St. Louis become a greener region.
5. Some final food for thought before you head out on your weekend.  An in depth article by Brian Solis on Mashable, “Why Brands are Becoming Media.” Brian discusses the way brands engage in social media and the challenges around creating content.

Until next week folks…