The President's Letter

Lori Hill, President, lori hill event productions, inc.

It truly has been an honor to serve as your president this program year. Greater Washington is a very talented and strong chapter comprised of world-class professionals who produce dazzling events. Many of these events were highlighted at our 9th Annual Capital Awards Gala held at the Mandarin Oriental on April 18th.

The gala was truly a spectacular affair that would not have been possible without the hard work and contributions of countless ISES members. Nancy Shaffer and Karen Bridges, of Bravo! Events by Design, led a committee who donated thousands of hours to make this one of our most memorable ever. Our sponsors, contributors and event staff also deserve huge thanks for their generous donations of time, money, services and products. The gala is our largest event of the year and each year, a huge team of members pull together to produce a memorable gathering that is the talk of ISES the world over. The best way you can thank these members is by giving them your business. Remember the ISES label!

I hope to see you at our final events of the program year. On May 5th, join us for lunch at the Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center. Cher Przelomski, CSEP of the Planning Factor International in Wilmington will speak on the topic "HOW Does the Money Go?" (yes, HOW!). On June 2nd, our 4th Annual Greater Washington, DC Picnic will be held at Turkey Run Pavilion  in McLean. And we'll close out the year on July 14th, where we'll board the Cherry Blossom for an ISES Breaker full of networking and picturesque views along the Potomac.

If you've thought about getting involved with ISES, then join a committee! I have been a member since 1996 and have been involved since the beginning by first serving on a committee and then, by sitting on the board for the past 5 years. It has been an incredibly enriching, rewarding and beneficial experience. The friendships and business contacts I have made are innumerable and my knowledge as an event professional continues to grow and grow. I'm sure you will experience the same benefits, too.

Thank you for a fabulous year. I wish you continued prosperity and success.

Sincerely,

Lori L. Hill

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East Meets West at Ninth Annual Capital Awards Gala

DC ISES celebrated an evening honoring their own at Washington's newest address. On Sunday, April 18, contemporary event decor and entertainment 'met' Asian-inspired culinary and gracious hospitality at the Ninth Annual Capital Awards Gala at the Mandarin Oriental Washington. The East Meets West ‘union’ was dynamic.

Attended by nearly 400 guests, including numerous award nominees, 30+ contributors and 5 sponsors, the highly anticipated annual awards gala was a spectacular evening to celebrate our industry and its talented members, and showcase new trends. Perfect examples were the use of intelligent lighting to enhance a ballroom without expensive and cumbersome props and the use of different seating and table configurations, such as square tables and high tables, in addition to the standard rounds, throughout the room. Refreshingly simple floral arrangements looked divine surrounded by colorful linens and modern stemware, flatware and china. Other notable elements included exciting stage design and decor, an impressive ice sculpture, yummy chocolate fountains, outstanding entertainment, and complimentary and creative Save the Date/Invitations that started it all! Thank you to all of our generous contributors who truly made our evening wonderful and special!

Another new element of this year's awards gala was the inclusion of Charity Partners - the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship [NFTE] and the ISES DC Foster Kids Fund. ISES DC made a donation of $5000 to each organization from a portion of the ticket sales proceeds. For more information on NFTE and the ISES DC Fund, please visit http://www.dcises.org/teamises.shtml.

And lastly, our award recipients! The awards ceremony was the highlight of the evening. Over 20 ISES members were judged the ‘Best’ of their category … Technical Production, Cuisine and Corporate Events, to name a few. Congratulations to all you, thank you for sharing your projects and inspiring us to achieve more. The list of award recipients can be found by clicking here.

Uncertain economic times and the decrease of revenue for small businesses should not affect ISES members in good standing.

Wrap It Up was established in 1985, unknown, unheard of, and struggling every day. Like a storybook tale, in 1995 I met a nice man named Ray Bialek of Bialek's Music, a member of the DC Chapter, and a board member at that time. He was determined that I should join the chapter. Month after month I would receive invitations until one day I decided it was time to attend my first meeting.

My friend Kevin Olivera of Olivera Music Entertainment drove me to my first meeting in 1998 just to make sure I was really going to attend. I was very impressed with the almost 300 attendees and with meeting so many special events people. Shortly after that meeting, I was asked by Patty Collette of Pattycakes to design a birthday invitation for her daughter. That invitation was submitted for a DC ISES Capital Award and won! Thanks to Patty, business doubled and contacts increased.

A short time later, I had the pleasure of meeting charter members Alice Conway, CSEP; Rita Bloom, CSEP; and Dr. Joe Jeff Goldblatt, CSEP. Alice was instrumental in including me as a first time guest speaker, along with now International president of ISES Steve Kemble, for the Conference for Professional Development (CPD) held here in Washington. Bill Knight, CSEP, kindly walked me through the protocol of CPD, explained the attendee process and became a friend for life.

I met a savvy events planner, Jodi Moraru, now past president of the DC chapter, who asked me to serve on a committee for a prominent magazine's advertiser appreciation party. I designed the invitation, received many compliments and once again became a Capital Awards nominee. Once again, business increased.

The Special Event in New Orleans was when I met other ISES members from Australia, New Zealand, Philadelphia and Houston. Thanks to my new planner friends, Wrap It Up was asked to design invitations for their events.

I served on the DC Board of Directors for two years as secretary and then vice president of membership. While active on the board, I had the pleasure of working with Lori Hill, our current DC chapter president, Laura Weatherly, Nancy Schaffer, Andre Wells and Wendy Raab (past Gala Chairs) who have been instrumental in promoting Wrap It Up. Serving on the board gave me and Wrap It Up exposure that surpassed paid advertising. The excitement of being on the board was a learning experience that exceeded my expectations.

It is my true belief that if I didn't attend ISES board and general meetings, Wrap It Up would not have been? listed in Washingtonian Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Grace Ormande's Wedding Style, and The Washington Post, among others.

The point of all of the above is proof that ISES opens doors for all of us. The trick is to become active and to get involved.

"Star" Treatment for Dogs

By Rebecca Bouck, CMP, Newsletter Committee Member

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has created a new program that welcomes dogs at its Sheraton, Westin and 'W' Hotels in the United States and Canada. The Starwood LTD ("Love That Dog") program pampers dogs by providing items such as custom-designed dog beds that are similar to the look of the guest room design. This concept plays off their highly successful "Heavenly Bed" program that includes super-premium mattresses and bedding in all guest quarters at participating hotels. The LTD Westin dog bed is in fact made with a miniature Heavenly Bed duvet.

In addition to beds, Starwood will offer its dog-loving guests doggie amenities such as food and water bowls, plush doggie robes, leashes and collars, toys, and a special turn down treat on the dog bed. In the New York City 'W' Hotels, dogs can receive an in-room massage by a licensed dog massage therapist (good for dogs that have traveled by plane in small crates). Starwood also partnered with The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to create a tip card given at check-in to guests traveling with their dogs. The tip card provides suggestions for making the hotel experience enjoyable for the dog, and includes canine travel and safety advice.

Initial reaction from customers is positive. With 62 million dog owners in the United States, one has to believe that this program will go a long way at enticing those consumers to consider a Starwood property for their next trip.

"We intend to become the most dog-friendly hotel company in the land, and not just allow dogs to stay, but actually pamper and spoil them," said Barry S. Sternlicht, Starwood's Chairman and CEO. "We believe that like dogs, dog owners tend to be very loyal, and will reward a company that loves dogs, too."

The 2004 Northeast's Regional Education Conference was recently held in Syracuse, NY, and for this first-time attendee, the impression was terrific. Through my years of activity with our local Washington, DC, chapter, my energies were spent on our local chapter and larger conferences. In fact, the REC held little enticement for me to attend because it seemed to be just another conference to attend to build rah-rah. But, I was recently asked to be a co-presenter for an educational session at this year's REC, I accepted, and off to Syracuse I went.

The first night is always tentative at a conference as one makes new acquaintances, and this held true for me. However, the next morning I decided to attend the REC Leadership Meeting and Roundtable (on Programs) since I was there, and it was simply the best way for me to get an overview of how ISES is bringing together other event professionals in our region, especially in the new chapters of Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads, VA, area and in Newport, RI. I heard others, just like us, being embraced in this relatively new profession and working to create meaningful programs while struggling with the same issues we do (such as sponsorship charges and benefits for repeat contributors and first-time member organizations). Camaraderie was born!

Of course, we know that we are a creative bunch of people, eccentric at times, and love a good laugh. (I call us the "wild child" of the meetings industry.) This was evident throughout the weekend through the session speakers, the teambuilding exercise (ever try to build the tallest tower from spaghetti, marshmallows, and ju-jus?), the enjoyable social events, and the wacky closing video with captions that had us laughing at ourselves.

I truly encourage everyone - veterans and newbies alike - to consider attending the 2005 REC. It is possible it will be held in Newport, RI (hotdog!), with fewer yet longer educational sessions (so we can really come away with worked-through info to apply), and a FAM trip outing. So, please consider it. It's one of the best bangs for our buck and really rewards one's attendance effort with lasting value.

Fabulous Marketing Opportunities at the REC
By Dave Edwards, CSEP, Dave Edwards Events! and Vice President of Membership

Want to showcase your business? Do it at the REC!

Want to expand your market? The REC is where you have to be!

While many ISES members attended the conference for the fine educational seminars and top-notch social events, I wanted to show off. I went to Syracuse to launch my new business line of event and job-hunting resources called Event Guy. Since I was actively involved in the DC chapter, I wanted to market to members from other areas of the Northeast and the REC was a great opportunity to showcase my product to 170 attendees from the Northeast Region's eight other chapters: Syracuse, Philadelphia, New England, Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Hampton Roads and Rhode Island.

For $150 I was able to show off my new products at the trade show. I appreciated the dedicated exhibit times and the fact that breaks and receptions were held in the exhibit areas to draw additional traffic. I also donated an item for the silent auction, which allowed me another opportunity to showcase.

To cap it all off, I took advantage of the opportunity to teach a session on how to start an event business with Cynthia McDowell of Albright Events, Inc. This gave me another chance to be in front of my peers.

For the past two years, the Northeast Region of ISES has been voted the International Region of the Year. We are very active and, because of our close geographic proximity, we are able to share many ideas and use each another as clients and vendors.

Education Can Be Social, Too!
By Stephanie Evans

This was my first attendance at the REC Conference. Not only was I eager to get a great education, but also I was very excited to take part in the social activities! However, it did not take me long to learn that the parties, lunches, and breakfasts were just as educational as the "Education Sessions" and Trade Show.

The weekend started off with an ice breaker/general session headed by Kevin White, CSEP, from the New York Chapter. All attendees were split up into teams, and asked to construct a model out of items such as marshmallow puffs, juju beans, Twizzlers, and straws. The team that could build the tallest structure in the allotted time won. In fact, the biggest challenge was not eating the supplies during the construction. This great team building exercise encouraged participants to "think outside the box" and really use their imaginations. Following this small ice breaker, many topics were openly discussed, such as event safety, educating clients, working with your competition instead of against it, and ethics. REC attendees were strongly encouraged to educate their clients about their involvement in ISES, to highlight the fact that they are committed to continually educate themselves and their employees.

After this long day of meetings, conference registration, and general sessions, REC attendees were ready to mingle and socialize! We headed over to Syracuse University's Alumni Center, where dinner included a pasta bar, fruit and cheese trays, and the best part - fried portabella mushrooms (these appetizers were certainly talked about during much of the weekend). A DJ played - We headed over to Syracuse University's Alumni Center, where a DJ played a variety of hits, and a few brave people hit the dance floor! Tattoo artists provided some added entertainment throughout the evening, and many attendees left that night with a four-leaf clover tattooed on their arm.

However, the best part for me was yet to come. The next morning, REC attendees rose early for a 9:30 brunch at the Marx Hotel. Not only was breakfast fantastic and filling, but also the speaker was excellent. Jonathan Kelch spoke of Dale Carnegie spoke about a very interesting and important subject: public speaking! I walked away from breakfast that morning with some great advice, and I hope to put my newfound knowledge to action one day soon in any future public speaking I may have to do. Like many people, public speaking is one of my greatest fears. However, Jonathon suggests taking the focus off of ourselves when we speak. This may sound hard to do, but he encouraged us to step outside our comfort zone for a short time. When things go wrong (as they sometimes do), we must allow ourselves to stay outside these comfort zones. Before making your next speech remember, "all you have to do is be a good person, skilled at public speaking."

The final social event of the weekend was the Fire & Ice Gala. What an exciting night for everyone in attendance! Entertainment was donated by Seagel Productions. This included LCD screens, dance enhancers, fire breathers, a DJ, and an Austin Powers impersonator. Going along with the Fire and Ice theme, the linens were red, with white chair covers. Tulips suspended in clear glass cubes were the centerpieces, and food included different styles of buffets, from New Orleans themed food to Thai food and a raw bar. REC attendees mixed and mingled in the ballroom and bid on Silent Auction Items donated by ISES chapters and individual members throughout the region.

The social events of this weekend served their purpose in breaking up the intensity of the educational sessions and trade show. However, education was threaded throughout each event, and I don't think I'm alone when I say that I learned a great deal from everyone. I truly enjoyed meeting and networking with fellow ISES members across the region, and appreciated the intimatel size of this conference.