DC ISES Newsletter

"ISES is so cliquish." Those of us on the Board have heard that phrase so many times that we resolved at our Summer Retreat to do something about it.

Let me say from the start, that my personal experience with ISES has been quite the opposite. I have always felt welcome and found no barriers to meeting people and getting involved. I also realize that not everyone is as outgoing (did I hear someone say "pushy"?) as I am.

If we give the impression of cliquishness, it is probably because many of us have known each other for a long time and have developed real friendships. Believe me, anyone can join this "clique!" We want and need the participation of every willing member.

In the year ahead, the Board plans to take steps to make sure all of you feel connected, whether that means mentoring new members, reaching out to old members, or simply sitting at different tables at meetings (rather than clumping together). We also need to hear from you. What can we do to make your ISES membership more valuable to you? If you feel shut out, what are we doing or not doing that makes you feel that way?

With three awards from International for ‘03-04, including Chapter of the Year, it is clear that outsiders think we’re a pretty terrific organization. We want to make sure that everyone on the inside feels that way, too.

ISES DC: Chapter of the Year!

by Ashleigh Dorfman, CSEP
ISES DC VP Marketing Communications

The Greater Washington DC Chapter of the International Special Events Society [ISES DC] was recently recognized as the 2003-2004 Chapter of the Year by the International Special Event Society [ISES] at its annual conference in Chicago. This prestigious award is given each year to the chapter that furthers the mission of ISES, enhances the member's ISES experience, and provides leadership to other chapters.

" There are more than 36 ISES chapters internationally, so it is an incredible honor to be recognized for our hard work. The Chapter of the Year Award is always highly competitive, and this year was very tight," said Lori Hill, 2003-2004 President.

The largest chapter in ISES, ISES DC made significant strides this past year. It improved its monthly programs by selecting unique venues, varying locations and time of day, and focusing on top-notch education; held its Annual EXPO and Capital Awards Gala to promote and recognize its members, respectively; enhanced communications by improving the http://www.dcises.org Web site and distributing weekly email announcements and quarterly e-newsletters; raised funds for it's charity partners, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurism [NFTE] and DC Foster Kids, as well as provided Christmas toys for 100 'adopted' DC Foster Kids while streamlining expenses and generating a profit; and engaged in regional and international leadership forums.

Additionally, ISES DC received awards for Excellence in Programming and Education and Excellence in Membership Recruitment.

The ISES DC Chapter was proud to sponsor 4 scholarship recipients at this year's Eventworld in Chicago held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel in August. As part of their award, the scholarship recipients were required to write about their experiences for the chapter newsletter. Their articles appear below.

I’m All Out of Free and Learning How to Grow Your Business Despite the Economy

By Karen J. Bridges, BRAVO! Events by Design

I have always heard how informative and powerful the Conference for Professional Development, now Eventworld, was for attendees. This year, I had the opportunity to experience the conference for the first time and it truly lived up to its reputation! The wonderful city of Chicago provided a wonderful backdrop to this first-class event industry conference.

One of the most exciting aspects of Eventworld 2004 was the variety of quality educational sessions offered. Two of my favorite sessions were "I'm All Out of Free" by Jan Rocco of Party Props and “How to Grow your Business in Any Economic Climate” by Scott Vogel of Vogel Learning.

In Jan’s session, she concentrated on making smart, informed decisions in distributing your company’s time and resources. You should never be afraid to say no! Jan recommended sponsoring events rather than giving in-kind donations because there is a return on your investment through sponsorship benefits such as tickets to the event. You can use the tickets for the event to invite clients as your guests and further expand the marketing opportunity of your sponsorship. Doing events for free simply advertises that you do events for free!

In his session, Scott Vogel focused on outlining an eight-step process for growing your business in any economic climate by creating a powerful marketing message that gets results. One of the tips he gave was to communicate with each of your clients every single month. This communication will help you to proactively identify needs and provide solutions to problems. Scott also advised seminar attendees to always ask clients or potential clients what else you can do for them and be willing to guarantee the goals and objectives of an event. Marketing tools such as money-back guarantees and free consultations help to reduce the risk of the client and increase their confidence. The key is to determine your company’s point of difference and be able to articulate what makes you different and better than all the rest.

I truly enjoyed my Eventworld 2004 experience and strongly recommend it for all ISES members -it is definitely worth the investment of time and resources.

Enhancing Client Communications with Improvisations

by Maricar R. Donato, MTA, Washington Tours & Events

I am honored to have received an ISES DC scholarship to Eventworld 2004 held from August 13-15 at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago.

One of my favorite sessions was given by Second City Communications: "Enhancing Client Communications with Improvisations". There were over 40 attendees who were brought into an experiential environment. We learned to find new ways to look at communication, how to be a good listener, and how to think on our feet using the improvisation technique.

To best illustrate the technique we did several different exercises. First, we learned that saying "thank you" before every sentence gives you an equal platform, tends to keep you from interrupting, and validates what the person is saying. Next we had a conversation with a partner where we would use the last word spoken as the first word of our sentence. By doing this, we learned to listen to everything that was being said. The audience picks up on everything, so wait until the person finishes talking before you begin.

Another exercise had us switching from English to gibberish. We learned that when we spoke in English, we were more restrained. Yet, when we spoke in gibberish, it felt more freeing and gestures and emotions were uncontrollable.

Finally, we explored using "should" and "could" in a conversation. We learned that "could" is open and "should" is closed. Therefore, by using "could", we learned that you are there and acknowledge what is being said. Lastly, we tried using "Yes, and" in a conversation followed by "Yes, but ". We learned that "Yes, and" is positive, "Yes, but" is negative.

I learn best by doing. This workshop was indeed a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.