ISES Greater Philadelphia Chapter: Liberty Awards 2007

Nancy - I am the owner of NKB Events, LLC (which also exclusively represents the specialty linen company Gala Cloths.) NKB Events is a dynamic, full-service, professional meeting and special event planning firm. We not only pride ourselves on top-notch design and exceptional event management skills, but also for working hand-in-hand with our clients to ensure their goals are met from concept through delivery. Our solutions are creatively engaging, professionally executed and cost-effective. We are an award winning event planning company which has been ranked one of the Top 25 Planners two years in a row by NJBiz Publications. We have also been recognized with a Liberty Award not only for Best ISES Team Effort but for Best Event Planner with a budget of $100,000 to 300,000 as well.

ISES Phila - What was the event that you won your Liberty Award (please describe your role)?

Nancy - "A Mexican Carnivale... Ole, Ole": The Liberty Award we won in 2007 was for Best ISES Team Effort which was produced by NKB Events and brought to life by Dave Buckley, CSEP from Select Event Rentals and Phyllis Jablonowski, CSEP of Eventricity among other ISES vendors. The event was held on a private five acre estate which hosted “A Mexican Carnivale... Ole, Ole!” for one hundred and fifty guests plus children.
The property was turned into a carnival of booths for games and food with signage designed by ISES member Sharon Dachino of Events by On Stage and Off.
The memorable day was a lively celebration with guests enjoying savory Mexican food creatively prepared (as 80% of guests were strict vegetarians of Indian ethnicity) by fellow NACE member Dominick Sorvino of Drexelbrook Catering, drinking delectable margarita’s while salsa dancing with ISES member Rick Goldenberg of DJC Entertainment or having their face painted, making arts and crafts and hitting a piñata with ISES member Joan Rothbard of Recreation Picnic Services.
The evening’s grand finale included a fire eating show and sparklers! It was a very successful event because of the team of ISES professionals who worked together and made the client very happy.

ISES Phila - How long have you been in the industry and a part of ISES Phila?

Nancy - I have been involved in the Special Events Industry since 2003 when I joined the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of ISES at a membership drive on the expo floor of the Special Event in Orlando, Florida. Fellow ISES member Barbara Jo Saler sold me on the value of an ISES membership and how it would make my business flourish overnight… and she was right!

ISES Phila - What is your role in ISES Phila and/or International Leadership?

Nancy - I started out as a member in 2003 and chaired the fund raising committee for the chapter’s annual gala and secured silent auction items with the help of ISES member Joanne Hulme’s rolodex. The items brought in over $6k in profit for the chapter and I was awarded my first Member of the Year! Over the years, I have also served on the membership committee, communications committee, and the programs and education committee which awarded me the chapter’s Superstar Award. I was director for allied organizations and then served as VP of Communications and was awarded my second Member of the Year. During that role, I implemented the vivid postcard invitations/eblasts supported by a sponsorship program I developed along with the new format of the newsletter which you are reading right now and the fine tuning of our website along with ISES member/Executive Director Michael Tannen, CSEP to become more user friendly. My right arm as VP of Communication was ISES member Lauren Sheehy who has taken over the wheel of Communications currently as I have moved on to President Elect. Lauren has expanded on my original ideas and implemented those of her own to make Communication between the board and the members even better than I could have initially dreamed them to be. In June of 2008, I will be sworn in as President of this fine chapter and I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue the growth of this chapter that I have witnessed first hand since becoming a member.

ISES Phila - What do you think is your favorite aspect of ISES?

Nancy - ISES has become a huge part of my professional life and has propelled my business faster into the green than anyone could ever dream it to be possible. I have met so many business associates, and friends locally in the tri-state area and from all around the world who have become like a second family to me. Networking at the local meetings or at neighboring chapter ISES meetings is essential for good business in today’s market. Your ability to call exactly the right vendor to help pull an event together is critical especially since the turn around time to plan an event has diminished greatly over the years. I have found that attending the ISES Regional Education Conference (REC), the ISES Eventworld Conference (formally the CPD), the Event Solutions Conference and the Special Event Conference hosted by the Special Event Magazine each year has broadened my network of associates across the country and as far away as Africa. I am continually amazed by the wealth of information presented through educational seminars held at these local, state and country wide conferences. It is nice to know that others have been where I have been and that I don’t have to recreate the wheel to find a solution to my business questions. I am a true believer that one should do things right the first time around and I have never had to look back and wonder what my event would have been if I had used my ISES network – because I use my ISES network on every event! The ISES membership contains the top A-list event professionals that you could ever hope to work with locally and across the country as well as internationally. You are only a phone call away from a successful event by utilizing your ISES network. So I encourage everyone reading this newsletter to make time to attend your chapter meetings and network with fellow associates… your business growth will flourish ten fold!!!