ISES Greater Philadelphia Chapter

Hello everyone and thank you for opening the February newsletter!

This month we bring you a big 'Thank You' from The Breathing Room, a look inside The Special Event by Joanne, a reminder that Fresh! 2009 is just around the corner, and lots of pictures from recent meetings.

I've also included some pictures of our board members as well as the folks who won awards at the December NACE meeting.

This month's meeting is not one to miss because it's time again to hear from and interact with your peers. We'll discuss tips and tricks to help us all navigate through a new landscape of challenges. I hope to see you all there!

Thanks again for reading.

The Breathing Room Says Thank You!!!

The ISES Family gave families of cancer victims "Room to Breathe" this holiday season by providing holiday gifts and meals. Our chapter has assisted this wonderful organization for several years and this year our chapter took care of 16 of the 143 families. As always ISES Philly came through in great style. I wish all of you could deliver to just one family so that you could experience the true measure of your care. The faces go from surprised, to shocked, to excited, to humbled to tears! Our families are so grateful for everything that you do for them and their wish is that, someday, they can repay the kindness. They send messages of thanks, of gratitude and many prayers because that is what they have to offer back to you! ISES PHILLY-YOU ROCK!!

On behalf of Sharon Dachino, VP of Programs/Education and Eric Allen, Director Programs/Education, we would personally like to invite you to join us on Wednesday, February 25th for Open Mic "Lite" Lunch
Our 1st Lunch Meeting for 2009

Topic: Open Mic: Learning Tips in the Event Industry

Speaker: Open Mic discussion and topics
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009, 11:00am at the World Cafe Live
Come join us for Lunch and Networking

For More Information or to REGISTER, click on the above Open Mic logo

Seamless Events, Inc. would like to announce the newest member of their expanding team:

Event Apprentice, Erica Hendry.

Erica is a senior student at Philadelphia University and is predicated to have a promising future in the events industry.

Seamless Events, Inc.| 484-443-8065 | PO Box 1155, Havertown, PA 19083

Don't forget to sign up for the Regional Educational Conference!

(Adam Reiner, NACE Philadelphia President; Nancy Bauman, ISES Greater Philadelphia Chapter President; Dave Buckley, CSEP; Phyllis Jablonowski, CSEP; Brian Toner and Hillary Werner, NACE Philadelphia Immediate Past President)

ISES members presented with NACE award in December 2008

Come See What's FRESH at the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal

Who: The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of International Special Events Society (ISES)
invites members of the industry and public to attend this one day only special event!

What: Join us as we seek to out do ourselves for the 4th Annual ISES Fresh! event. The Fresh! 2009 committee has the awesome task of transforming the Philadelphia Cruise Ship Terminal into this year's hottest, stylish and freshest "FRESH!" event ever! With Sue Werb, CSEP and Dave Dickson, Immediate Past President, as Co-Chairs at the helm of Fresh! 2009, they have brought together a talented team of event planners, decorators, caterers, entertainers, audio and visual providers and more from around the Greater Philadelphia area to organize and produce this event.

In the past, this event has been over the top with this year shaping up to be just as spectacular! Attendees will have a variety of themes, styles and tasty treats to explore within eight (8) "Pods". Each pod will feature the special talents of a caterer, decorator, and exhibitors along with the technical assistance of a lighting and/or audio visual production company to showcase a mini-event. Adding to the excitement, for the first time Fresh! 2009 will focus on the bridal market from 5:00-6:00 pm. Be sure you visit the entertainers and exhibitors to find out what new and exciting things they have to offer for 2009!

When: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 5:00 – 9:00 pm

Where: The Philadelphia Cruise Ship Terminal
FREE Attendee Parking

Why: The International Special Events Society (ISES) was founded in 1987 and works to join professionals to focus on the "event as a whole" rather than its individual parts. The Mission of the group is to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals along with related industries. The solid peer network ISES provides helps special events professionals produce outstanding results for clients while establishing positive working relationships with other event colleagues.

More Information and Registration

Joshua's Café & Catering participates in the
Philadelphia Magazine-sponsored
PHILLY COOKS! CHEFS WEEK, February 23-37, 2009

Philadelphia Magazine is sponsoring the 9th Annual Philly Cooks! Chefs Week during the week of February 23 through 27, 2009.

Joshua's Café & Catering is one of over 40 restaurants from the Philadelphia area that has been selected to participate in the Philly Cooks! Chefs Week activities which include the Chefs Competition, Chefs Tastings and a Chefs Table.

-MORE-

($10 additional on-site fee applies after Monday, February 23rd. Full information below.)
PRE-REGISTRATION

View Full Invitation (PDF)

Check out these great photos that Chris Hensel took

at last months meeting at Triumph Brewery!

Click Here to view the entire collection.

Your ISES Philadelphia Chapter board members working hard for you at the Mid-Year Board Retreat at the Mendenhall Inn, Mendenhall, PA.

INSIDE The Special Event 2009
by Joanne Hulme - Master Event Designer

San Diego means sunny days and temperatures in the mid seventies. Unfortunately, I was inside the San Diego Convention Center for three days, not on a boat with my associates cruising around Coronado Island. In my third year of teaching design at The Special Event, I offered a class on "Story Boards" as well as one of "The Art Of Fabrication."

Almost all in attendance were in a tighter economic situation than ever before, so the class on fabrication was adjusted to reflect design as it applies to your individual budget. I showed an idea for custom theme fabric treatments by the roll, including stenciling, different types of vinyl treatments, all the way up to the custom stitched monogram. The looks were similar, but the prices varied by $25.00 per piece. Assisted by my lead artist, Jonathon Cutler, we went on to show ways that planners and designers could work with basic foamboard, insulation board, carvable foam, as well as making items light enough to suspend and creating the correct porportion to suspend the designs. Turning a one dimensional design into a three dimensional design was of particular interest, and I was honored to see top designers attend this class, and stay and ask numerous questions as well.

The story board class was designed to show attendees in catering, tenting, rentals, decor, or floral that creating a custom story board for each presentation can give you the competitive edge that may get you the job! When I walk into a second meeting with a client ( sometimes the FIRST meeting) I have a large storyboard under my arm. This will contain paint and fabric samples to set a clear picture of the proposed color environment, sketches of the more major design elements, bandstand, entrance, room decor, individual table designs, etc. Past photographs of similar designs may be included as well as magazine shoots, cut outs from books, a copy of the invitation or place card, as well as some three dimensional elements to give the boards some WOW! Frequently clients respond so quickly, I don't take the proposal out of my briefcase, as they are already ordering off the story boards for items they have not yet seen.

The Story boards were passed among everyone as they looked them over and over again to find little secrets they may have missed. Finally, a Designer's Challenge and Game Show had me competing among my peers, including David Halsey and Ira Mitchell Steinman. Attendees threw us bizarre and wacky theme ideas. Fun and education was achieved, and on my final night in San Diego, I finally got to enjoy some of that California weather, before I came home to 13 degrees, Philadelphia style.

Our third and final charity for our ISES calender of 08-09, is Malaria No More! starting at FRESH and ending at our monthly April meeting, the local chapter of ISES wall be requesting funds for the Malaria Initative to save as many as one half million children in Africian nations who are killed by Malaria every year. As little as $10.00 per donation can save the life of a helpless child. The Greater Philadelphia Chapter is making a donation of $500.00 to this effort, and hope you can match these funds so we can send a check for $1,000.00 to this great cause, Give up those 2 gourmet lattes for a week, your waistline will like it, and so will your ISES associates. Look for the tented table at FRESH and apply your name to a tent of your own as a concerned citizen of the world! We will finish this up at our April meeting and look forward to a great responce!

Feel free to contact me at joanne.creativityinc@gmail.com
or 215-265-4595/908-878-2244