ISES January Meeting

January 23, 2008
Weddings with Wow!
Joint Meeting with Association of Bridal Consultants


Sasha Souza Events was first established in 1995 and is a consulted expert wedding coordinator and event planner in several magazines including Modern Bride, InStyle Weddings, Elegant Bride, Martha Stewart Weddings, and wedding style, Sasha Souza's celebrity wedding clients include amy Acker, Dayna Devon, and James Carpinello.

In 2004, Sasha Souza was honored by Modern Bride Magazine as one of the top 25 trendsetters in the wedding industry. She was also asked by Antonia van der Meer, the editor of Modern Bride Magazine, to take on a role in the prestigous Modern Bridge Advisory Panel. Being considered among the top event designers and wedding coordination companies in the nation is a great honor as Sasha Souza is recognized for creating unique, fun and amazing event experiences whether they be extrordinary destination weddings or exclusive celebrity events.

Sasha has also won the Gala Award for Best Dining Tabletop, the Event Solutions Designer of the Year Award and 3 ISES westies.

Sasha Souza Events goes far beyond your typical bridal consultant or event designer when designing weddings and special events. Owner Sasha Souza creates experiences that are filled with emotion and a lingering sense of awe. Clients are encouraged to take inspiration from dreams, movies, novels, or far away lands. Every detail and desire is brought to life.

Visit Sasha's website: www.sashasouzaevents.com

Register Now!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Topic:	Weddings with Wow!
Where:	Scottish Rite Ballroom 650 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
Cost:	Early Bird Rates: $40 ISES and ABC Members $60 Non-Member $50 Corporate Associates $30 Students Note: On Monday, January 21, the cost for each registration increased $10.
Time:	Registration, Networking and Tablescape Gallery 11:00-12:00 p.m. Lunch & Program: 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Register Now!
Sponsored by:
Valet parking offered by Elite Parking Services

SAVE THE DATES! 2008 MEETING SCHEDULE

Other Meetings of Interest
MidAmerica Educational Conference 2008
Join the Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio Chapters of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) on March 16-18, 2008 for the 8th Annual MidAmerica Education Conference in Canton, Ohio. This year’s MidAmerica Educational Conference will be filled with great speakers, unlimited networking opportunities and loads of education. You will have a hard time choosing which breakout sessions to go to when you see what sessions will be available. You might choose the session “Contracts,” to learn more of the ins and outs of contracting, or you might choose “How to Use MPI to Grow Your Business,” to find out ways to help your business excel through MPI, or you might choose “Budget Management” for those of you who would like to touch up your skills on this topic in a team environment. We have thought of everything to make your experience worthwhile.

Join your colleagues for this spectacular conference. There is a lot to look forward to including an opening reception on the hotel grounds, an evening reception at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and plenty of other exciting things to see and do.

To register for this program, visit www.mpimidamerica.com
The annual MPI MidAmerica Conference is the premier regional event for the Meeting Professionals International organization (MPI; www.mpiweb.org) encompassing four of its chapters in the Midwest (Indiana, Ohio & Kentucky).

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PACE Awards Call for Entries!!
It’s that time of year again to start getting those PACE Entries together! Events held January 1 – December 31, 2007 are eligible. Deadline for submissions is Friday, March 21, 2008. Please follow the link below to view each category and criteria. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t enter!

Click here to read entry instructions or Click here to view categories

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Welcome New Members
ISES Indiana welcomes the following new members:

Katina K. Kaisher, Factory 12 Event Loft
Keith Daryle, Keith Marketing Group
Nancy J. McCarthy, Adaggio's Banquet Hall & Reception Centre
Leah McFarland, Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel
Jill W. Sowder, Elite Casino Productions, Inc.
Valarie V. Bains, Student

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The Scoop

• Detail + Design has hired their intern Meghan Lyons as their associate event planner. Lyons received her B.A. from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, with an emphasis in event management.
  
• Adrienne Henn of Eventfull Planning is expecting her second child! Congratulations Adrienne!
  

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December Meeting Recap
The annual MPI/ISES joint meeting took gave members of both organizations access to a high profile event planner out of Chicago, Debbie Lilly. Lilly showed pictures and gave recaps of some of her favorite events. The topic was trends in event planning and Lilly showed her use of some of the forward thinking trends in the industry presently in use. Membership of both organizations benefiting from hearing about use of new ideas to make give events a fresh presentation.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
Valet parking offered by Elite Parking Services

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Jingle Mingle Membership Drive Recap

ISES Indiana's first "Jingle Mingle" December Membership Drive* was a tremendous success! Approximately 50 guests attended the festive soiree graciously hosted by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Attendees dined on fabulous themed food provided by Sodexho and enjoyed the beauty of cocktail centerpieces from Posh Petals Flowers & Gifts and linens from AClassic Party Rental . The hit activity of the night was becoming a dance star in your own music video. Tri-State Danceheads so kindly demonstrated their services to our chapter. Between staring in your own music video and racing down The Children's Museum's Yule Slide, the event was the place to be to celebrate ISES Indiana and enjoy loads of holiday cheer.

Special thanks to our sponsors listed above and also a HUGE thanks to photographer Danny Iskandar.

Click here to view a slide show of all the fun we had!

* The ISES Indiana December Membership Drive gained 7 new full paying members and 1 new student member for our chapter!!

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Member Spotlight - Leah McFarland
Leah McFarland
Catering & Sales Account Manager
Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel

1) How long have you been in the events industry?
Seven years (2 as non-profit event planner, 5 in catering sales/event mgmt with Marriott hotels)

2) What first interested you in being an event professional?
I love being able to be involved with an event from it’s initial creation through it’s completion, and critique. This is one of the few industries where you can truly see the fruits of your contribution first hand. I also love working with different clients – and helping them figure out what a truly successful event looks like in their eyes. This is a very demanding, yet very rewarding, industry.

3) What has your best event been?
I was involved in planning the Pink Tie Ball with the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Louisville, KY. This was one of my favorite events for a variety of reasons – great clients, a magnificent event, and a truly wonderful cause.

4) What has been your worst event and how did you overcome the challenges?
My worst event was a soccer luncheon I did quite a few years ago. The event more than doubled in size – and grew well beyond the capacity of the space they were in. I found myself feeding guests in very odd places – and using technology to the fullest by broadcasting the presentation in the main ballroom to various other areas to the hotel, so everyone could see the presentation. At the end of the event, the client was happy that we made it all work – and I was happy to have survived it all.

5) How did you first learn about ISES Indiana?
I was referred to ISES from other members in Indianapolis as a great way to get the Renaissance Hotel introduced – and network with other industry professionals in this market.

6) What do you feel the value is of being an ISES Member?
In just the short few months that I’ve been a member, I’m already seeing the benefits. I’ve taken away some great knowledge from monthly meetings (I loved Debbie Lilly!!!) and met some great vendors and planners to partner with to support each others businesses.

7) Words of Wisdom: please share a favorite quote or something that you would like to pass on to others.
This pertains to wedding specifically… “If the bride and groom have not invited you to a cookout by the wedding day – you haven’t done your job right.” The wedding industry in general is about making a real connection with the bride, groom and family. In most cases, they are buying “you” first, than your services or company.

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Tip of the Month
Take the reduced number of events during the winter months as an opportunity to get ahead of the rush for placing orders on auxiliary items such as linens, specialty plate ware, etc. This helps ensure that when its crunch time in May and June, your items are already waiting for you and you don't have to hold you breath and pray it's still available.

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Download your ISES Member Logo

To download your ISES Member logo and the official logo usage policy, please click here . You will need your member ID number and password to access this section of the web site. (http://www.ises.com/source/security/member-logon.cfm)

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