EVENT CHATTER

Question from a Reader

Hi fellow bloggers! Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I have been busy with in-office tasks...a little spring cleaning! Today I would like to post a question from one of my readers that is an amazing event producer and she would like to know how other event professionals are dealing with the current economic state. I would love to hear your responses on this and hear all of your viewpoints! Her question is:

"What are industry professionals doing to help them keep their businesses going through what some are experiencing to be a period when people do not want to spend on events and everyone is looking for a deal?"

So...What are YOU experiencing with your clients? How have your events, clients and projects changed with this current economy? I would love to hear your opinions, stories and thoughts...please share! Look forward to hearing from you and please let me know if you have any questions of your own!

Not Your Typical Lollipop

Brand new, funky and cool....chocolate lollipops! These outrageously fun lollipops are all chocolate and can be used as decor and a take-away favor for your guests.

Chocolate "Lollibrides" can be purchased from Naturally Gifted and are available in many designs and colors - customized to fit your event! Naturally Gifted is the exclusive distributor of these Lollibrides, they also specialize in many other chocolaty delicious favors!

I came across these chocolate lollipops this morning from reading weddingsites' tweet and all I can say is WOW! Brenda's Wedding Blog posted about these and I just had to share!

Crazy Cool or Crazy Silly?! What do YOU think?

American Entertainment Mag Nominates Total Entertainment

As part of the Total Entertainment family, I am very proud to announce that we have been nominated for "Best Production Company" for the Reader's Choice Awards by the American Entertainment Magazine which is the official publication of the International Association of Corporate Entertainment Producers(IACEP). It is such a great honor to be considered as one of the best in our industry and all of us at Total Entertainment feel truly blessed to do what we do!

GO ONLINE TO VOTE FOR TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT AS 'BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY'

The four other amazing nominees present quite the outstanding portfolios, check out their websites:

Barkley Kalpak Associates

ASI Production Services

Imagination Entertainment

Spotlight Entertainment

If you don't receive the American Entertainment Magazine you can check out this current issue online at http://issuu.com/cameo_publishing/docs/jan_feb_aem09/11?mode=embed&layout=http%3A//cam.doweb.com/issuu/themes/basicGrey/layout.xml

GO ONLINE TO VOTE FOR TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT AS 'BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY'

Thank you for your support and your vote! Congrats to all of the other nominees in the other categories and good luck to everyone! :-)

Be my Next Guest!

Are YOU my next guest blogger?!!

Starting next week I am going to be highlighting a special guest blogger each week! This person will get to speak about a topic of their choice as it relates to the Special Events Industry! I will post one article per guest blogger each week in hopes to give you some new and interesting view points from different event professionals!

If you would like to be one of the guest bloggers please email me, tell me a little bit about yourself and what you would like to talk about! I am gathering responses right now and organizing a schedule of guest bloggers! I think this will be a fun way to hear from all of those creative and unique professionals in our industry...so...be my next guest!

Also - If there is a particular subject you would like to hear about or have questions on please email me and I would love to respond and research what interests YOU! Thanks for your support!

New Fav Blog!

Today I came across a really cute blog that I enjoyed reading -  Heather Crabtree, Co-Owner and Event Producer of Outstanding Occasions in Arizona and her business partner and friend, Jennifer Thinnes have put together this great blog: "In the Know with OO." I found this great little blog while updating my Twitter status! How cool is that?! I have found Twitter to be very useful! (Follow me on Twitter!) 

"In the Know with OO"gives insightful overviews of their events and industry news, I always enjoying reading up on what other planners are currently involved in! They also have some beautiful photographs of their productions!  I look forward to watching them grow and reading up on all of their Outstanding endeavors!

Check out their site http://www.outstanding-occasions.net/ and enjoy!

Great Favors & Place Cards for Any Event

So I just wanted to share one of my favorite sites for Favors...they have the cutest little trinkets to give to your guests and special little decor items that will add an adorable element to any special event! Kate Aspenprovides "unforgettable favors" at wholesale prices. Some of my favorite items they offer are their table place card holders:

These are so cute and make a fun statement to a traditional table setting! They also have some great favors to add to your gift bags or are great to add all on their own! Be sure to check out their site and shop around! http://www.kateaspen.com/

They also have no minimums for ordering..so if you just want to order a sample to show a client, you can! How convenient is that?! Thanks, Kate Aspen for all your fun, cute, and unique ideas!!!

Networking with the Luxury Marketing Council

ISES NY Metro chapter had their annual monthly meeting this past Tuesday the 24th at the W Hotel in Midtown at Lexington and 49th. This meeting was particularly entertaining because of the topic at hand, Luxury goods! ISES teamed up with The Luxury Marketing Council to put on this useful event! The event consisted of some structured networking time over cocktails, then an hour discussion with a panel of experts and a follow-up 2nd hour of more networking. Monitored by Greg Furman, Founder/Chairman - The Luxury Marketing Council, Howard Givner, CEO North America - Global Events Group and Liz Glover Wilson, iStar Financial, the panel consisted of Mr. Joe Ashworth, Bentley Motors Inc. - Head of Marketing, Ms. Whitley Bouma Herbert, Moët Hennessy USA – Director, National Events, Mr. Doug Gollan, Elite Traveler Magazine – President and Editor in Chief, and Mr. Ricky Sitomer, Blue Star Jet - CEO and Co-founder. All of whom are very versed in the fabulous lives of the rich and famous and those that are private money-makers who invest in their products. Ms. Whitley  Bouma Herbert had actually just flown back from California where she had walked the red carpet along side the infamous Brangelia couple!

Obviously the main topic of conversation was the current economy which was on the tips of every ones tongues and this group did a great job reviewing the subject. The panel members gave great insight in how they target specific clients and reach out to potential buyers. Many of them said that they hold small intimate gatherings and events where they cater to the specific person, sometimes even holding this events in their homes and people are wanting to remain private with their money and spending habits. They mentioned that the big out-land-ish events are not occurring as often and that it may be useful to us as event professionals to team up with companies that host these intimate events and partner together to target the "best" clients (aka - the clients with the largest budgets). I thought this was a very interesting idea and it was great to hear how a group of professionals handle their special events and marketing when they do not belong directly to our special events industry but are a luxury product based industry.

Topics of relationships with clients and knowing their very needs is the best way to reach people now days, that and showing the exact value of their dollar. People are watching every penny they spend, even if they have more pennies then they can count! It is times like these that we, as event professionals, must fully explain and show to our clients how much our services are worth - that they are receiving the best value for their dollar. That and we need to focus on our relationships, showing clients that we are with them through thick and thin and that we can be creative in hard times. Speaking with some of these panel members after the discussion gave me a lot of motivation to seek out new ways to reach these potential clients that still have their money. Maybe we should start thinking of ourselves as part of the Luxury industry...we provide a luxury of services that are customized for the individual and whatever their special event needs are!

This was a great networking event that really got me thinking! Be sure to check out the Luxury Marketing Council's website!

ISES Northeast REC Conference!

It is just about that time of year for the annual ISES (International Special Events Society) REC Conference  (Northeast Regional Education Conference)! The conference is being held in the fabulous city of NEW YORK on March 7th - 9th! This year also celebrates the 10th anniversary of this regional conference and brings together special event professionals from all over. Last year this exciting event was successfully held in Providence, RI. and I am interested to see who is drawn to the conference this year.

"Leading the 2009 ISES Northeast REC organizing committee are REC Co-Chairs Liz Glover Wilson CSEP of  iStar Financial and Jennifer Claire Scott of Empire Force Events; both are past presidents of the ISES NY Metro Chapter." - REC Website. The schedule includes multiple educational sessions, social events and a keynote address that I am personally looking forward to, "State of the Industry."

I am personally happy and honored to announce that I was awarded with the ISES NY Metro REC Scholarship this year! I will receive a free pass to attend the REC Conference  - I am looking forward to attending the classes and the social events to see what our Northeast region has to offer! During a brainstorming activity for ISES REC I also came up with the tag line for this year's conference "A Map to Success!" so that was kind of fun to be involved with as well!

So don't forget to check out the REC Website and sign up to attend! I would suggest looking over the speakers and those industry experts that will be present and creating a game plan to connect with them - it's all about who you know and the relationships you have! Now is the time to network, brush up on your education and get creative! :-)

Education Sessions Present at REC:

GOT ISES? Now What?? Mark Zettler, President, Life O'The Party

Catering Trends 2009: A Caterers View of Memorable Events - Presented by NACE
Panel discussion with Joseph Cozza, VP Sales and Marketing, Cipriani; Charles Barrett, Director of Catering Sales, Marriott Marquis; Meredith Barsky, Director of Catering, Pier Sixty and the Lighthouse; James Dale, Director of Catering, Grand Hyatt NY; Bebhinn Gallen, Director of Catering, Ritz Carlton Battery Park

Working with DJs – Its More Than Just a Playlist Matt Bonavita, President, Rhythm In Motion, Inc.

Event Opportunities within the Faith Based Community Vicky Johnson, Principal, holy matrimony; Joi Thomas, New York Psalmist Baptist Church

How You Can Gain A Competitive Edge By Partnering With A Destination Management Company - Presente ADME Rachael Dworsky DMCP, Briggs INC; Karl Heitz DMCP, The Arrangers; Kara Pigeon DMCP, Signature Destination Management; Stuart Weiser DMCP, Empire Force Events

Ordinary to Extraordinary David Stark, President & Creative Director, David Stark Design and Production

Flourishing in a Tough Economy:  Strategies for Advancing Your Event Business Now Kelley Gillespie, President, GEM Events; Lori Hill, President, lori hill event productions

Start Your Engines! Events with Cars James Gingell, Senior Program Manager, Event Solutions International

London 2012 - The Greatest Event on Earth, Robert Wright, Managing Director, Davies Tanner

The Facts of Light: An Event Professionals Guide to Understanding Lighting
Steven Way, President, ALPS /Advanced Lighting & Production Services

Production Modes for Creative, Efficient Events in the New Economy Guy Smith, Partner, Design One Corp; Christien Methot, Founder, Design One Corp

Show Me The Money! - Realistic budgets to basic Contracting Phyl Monroe CMP, Senior Events Manager, Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services

An Introduction to the CSEP Process Kevin White, Director of Production, Empire Force Events

The SPECTRUM of Success Mark Wells, Vice President of Creative Services, Hello Florida

General Session Keynote - Lunch - Saving the World at Work: What Companies and Individuals can to do to go Beyond Making a Profit to Making a Difference Tim Sanders

Business Basics… Starting and Running your own event or wedding planning business Jill Moran CSEP, Owner/President, jsmoran Special Event Planning and Management

Automate Your Life for Success Carmen Tomassetti, CEO, CTO Worldwide

How to Green Your Business Operations While Helping Others  Lori Hill, President, lori hill event productions, inc.

Entertainment 2009: An Insider’s View to trends, tips and solutions - Presented by IACEP Panel Discussion with Jeff Kalpak, Barkley Kalpak Associates; Sally Allen, The Water Coolers; Danny Bergold, Empire Force Events

General Session Keynote - State of the Industry David DeLoach, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, President of the International Special Events Society; David Carey, Group President, Conde Nast; Margaret Pederson, Amirex, Chairman of the International Association of Exhibits and Events; Joel Dolci, Dolci Management and More

 

Fashion Week Recap: Part Two

My second day at Mercedes Benz Fashion week was AWESOME - completely amazing! I had the privilege of working at the Barbie 50th Anniversary Fashion Show. This was the big show of the week and celebrated the fabulous styles of Barbie over the years. 50 American designers were chosen to create a dress that embodied Barbie as they saw her. This show was so fantastic, possibly one of the best thing I have ever been a part of.

Arriving a few hours early, I helped set the room with the chairs, seating assignments and placing the most adorable gift on each of the chairs - each guest received a special 50th Anniversary Barbie doll in the cutest packaging with a big pink ribbon that held together the Barbie box and a selection of customized chocolates by Dylan's Candy Bar. I desperately wanted one of these gifts for myself but unfortunately they went like hot cakes!

The lighting and staging team put together a beautiful display which included a hot pink sparkling cat-walk (of course!) and a huge LED Screen at the beginning of the cat-walk which split in two and opened up in the middle to show a gorgeous chandelier and created an opening for the models to step onto the runway! Pink lighting lit the way for the models!

Once the doors opened I was an usher for the front row at the first aisle, I saw everybody! Diane Von Furstenberg (I was so close it gave me chills!),  Kimora Lee Simons, Robert Verde, Real Housewives of New York, Julia Allison, Fern Mallis, Heidi Klum and so on! It was a great audience of A-listers - such a packed house that people were begging to get in (literally) and there was absolutely no standing room available. The amount of press was insane!

I enjoyed watching the PR team, HL Group, work their magic and pull this event together they worked with MAO Public Relations who focused on the production and casting for the show. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be in charge of the production end of such a spectacular show like this one. The amount of time, energy and money is so intense I can only imagine the amount of hours, days and months it took to pull this together. This show was so well branded and themed that everything went together. A creative video was shown throughout the show on the LED screens that was FANTASTIC! It displayed images of Barbie through the years and had some great iconic photos - all I can say is WOW!

After everyone was seated I was able to join the crowded standing room only area and watch the show! This time I was brave enough to sneak my camera in and take some photos! It was soo worth it!

To see more of my photos - check out my facebook page and see my Photo Album Labeled "NY Fashion Wk 09: Fall Preview."

Even though I didn't walk away with a Barbie doll I did receive a few Barbie t-shirts that are oh-so-adorable and a couple copies of the gorgeous programs as a keep-sake! I also got to meet the fabulous Julia Allison who is pictured with me above!  I applaud everyone involved in organizing this event, it was a true thrill to watch everything come together in this flawless show. So amazing! I hope to someday be on the production management end of something fabulous like this!

Fashion Week Recap: Part One

Hi fellow bloggers! Sorry for the delay with my posts but after 5 events since last Tuesday and a major event coming up this week I've been swamped between client, floor-plans and time-lines and NY Fashion I have been a busy little planner! My first day at Mercedes Benz Fashion Weekwas AWESOME! Just being around all the excitement, watching people from all over the world crowd together to get into the shows was great. I arrived on-site a few hours before the show and joined the group of Patty's volunteers. We started with arranging the chairs, attaching seat numbers, and placing programs. All simple tasks which we finished early and then had some free time to sit and watch the rest of the vendors work their magic! We were able to watch the models practice their cat-walks and do a show run-through which was very cool!

The lighting and staging team were amazing - the amount of electricity that must go into this production has to be astronomical. It was great to watch them lay the cat walk, adjust the lights and get the room just perfect.

Once everything was set into place we took our assigned spots as ushers and greeted guests as they arrived. Due to the lateness of the other shows in the tents, it took quite a while for the seats to fill up. The show started about 30 minutes late (it was hard to watch the time as we weren't supposed to have our cell phones and I wasn't wearing a watch).

The Academy of Art University show included multiple designers that joined together to put on this great show. Since this was my first day working the tents I was too nervous to sneak in my camera so I was unable to get many photos - BUT, don't worry....Part Two recap will include pictures from the Barbie 50th Anniversary Show!! All in all, I had a great time on first day - it was easy work and so much fun to be in the midst of so much talent - both in fashion and in event production!