ISES Indiana April Meeting

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

About Robert Sivek:
Robert Sivek is an Executive Producer with The Meetinghouse Companies, Inc., a Chicago-based special event production company whose in-house services include production coordination, theme and holiday décor, A/V services, entertainment booking and floral design.

His company is a nine-time Esprit Award winner as well as a two-time Gala award winner for excellence in special event production. He has also been personally honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago NACE and ISES chapters.

Sivek is extremely active in several organizations but volunteers much of his time to the International Special Events Society (ISES), where he serves as a Past International President. In 1994, Sivek received the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) designation from ISES. He is also a member of the American Rental Association (ARA) and has been actively involved with many ARA committees throughout the years. In 2002, Sivek became one of the first 15 people to earn the Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) designation from the ARA.

SAVE THE DATES! 2009 MEETING SCHEDULE

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Business Brilliance 2009 - FLAUNT

Join us for a Special Event Trendshow that will showcase the best and brightest of Indianapolis’ special event community. Mix and mingle at the after party and meet those people who make Indiana the place for food, fun and fantastic events. You will find the latest trends in special events, new products and make valuable industry connections, all while having fun...

May 6th, 2009 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202. www.isesindiana.com/flaunt.htm

Booth spaces are limited, reserve yours today before they're all gone!

Click Here to Download an Information Packet

To reserve your booth or if you have questions contact Mike King atmike@detailanddesign.com or call (317) 423-3590

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Event Highlights

“PACE Awards”

The Special Event Community celebrated its own Friday night, and did it in high style. The International Special Event Society (ISES) Indiana chapter, presented the annual PACE (Professional Achievement in Creative Events)awards. The PACE is an award program which celebrates the best events of 2008 being planned, produced and supported by members of ISES.

“The PACE awards is always a highlight of the year for our chapter. We take time to honor the fantastic events of the previous year and celebrate our achievements.” said ISES Indiana President Dee Haddad (Thomas Caterers of Distinction) “Plus it’s great when people who spend their lives putting on great events actually get a chance to enjoy a party in their honor.”

“We entered PACE this year to be recognized for some of our greatest creative events.” said Mary Beth Poe, owner of MBP Distinctive Catering. “It’s great for us and gives us some clout to be a PACE winner.”

The event, which was held at the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, entertained more than one hundred guests and presented twenty nine awards. Guests were presented with awards and a rose from JP Parker Flowers. After the awards ceremony, guests were ushered into the Scottish Rite Ballroom. Once inside, their senses were indulged. The room was beautifully designed by Detail + Design’s Gene Huddleson, who was a winner in several categories as well as a sponsor of the event, with event rentals being provided by Party Time Rental. “As a past president of ISES Indiana I was proud to sponsor a program that puts our event industry in the spotlight. The PACE Awards celebrates an industry filled with creative and motivated individuals who work hard at making their clients look great as well as keeping their clients on the cutting edge of the event industry.” said Huddleson.

Exciting lighting and big sound were provided by BMG Event Productions, also a winner in the nights awards. Lounge areas were provided by CORT Event Furnishings to allow guests a chance to rest and still stay a part of the action.

“We enjoy PACE more each year.” said Patrick Sechrist, who’s company won an award for Best Entertainment Production for it’s work with the Lucas Oil Stadium Opening. “Being able to sponsor an event for event planners is a great honor.”

Guests were treated to quite a spread from Thomas Caterers of Distinction, who were also winners in a Best Catering Category. They noshed on open faced lobster ravioli and a “pasta-tini” bar, among other things. They were able to quench their thirst with a variety of fun drinks provided by Thomas and The Bridgewater Country Club.

Everyone hit the dance floor to twist and shout under the direction of Jim Cerone, who kept people moving throughout the night. The evening’s activities were documented by Troy Hill Photography. However, guests were also invited to take a whack at their own candids with Indy Photo Booth’s retro photo booth.

“It was a great night for PACE.” said PACE chairperson, Kate Hursh. “This year we awarded many awards to first time winners, as well as honor those who’s work has been consistently excellent over the years. Our program and organization continues to grow and include more of the Special Event professionals who make the industry so fantastic.”

“As a winner of eight awards this year I was very proud of our team at Detail + Design for being recognized as a leader in the event industry. Our attention to Detail and our creative Design techniques are proven winners. “said Huddleson. Detail + Design won awards in several categories, including Best Wedding and Best Event Design Décor. Michael King, from Detail + Design was awarded the Carson Ray “Spirit of ISES” Award, which honors an ISES member who has given generously of their time and talent to benefit the industry. Michael was honored for his work in fundraising for ISES.

First time winner Cocktail Sax Jazz Band’s leader Paul Thomas said, “Winning this award has been a great achievement for our business. This accomplishment and honor recognizes our efforts toward excellence as a part of a team that plans and executes important events. This award illustrates our quality and service toward making a client's event unique, special and perfect.” Thomas’s band won a PACE for Best Entertainment production as a result of it’s work at a New Years Event.

If you would like to see even more pictures of PACE, click the link below. A big Thank you to Troy Hill from Troy Hill Photography for taking all of the great pictures for all to see! http://troyhill.powweb.com/2009/ISES/2009PACE/index.html

Also, Bob Ridge with Indy Visual has provided a video link below to recap the e event. http://www.indyvisual.com/2009/03/setting-pace.html Thanks to both for capturing the feel of the evening!

The PACE Committee wishes to congratulate the 2009 PACE winners.
Accent on Indianapolis
A-Classic Event Rental
Angela Talley Photography
BMG Event Productions
Cocktail Sax Jazz Band
Detail + Design
Elite Parking Management
Hoaglin Fine Catering
IndyVisual Videography
KB Designs, Inc
Knox-Array Event Production
MBP Distinctive Catering
Mon Amie Events
Nathaniel Edmunds Photography
Thomas Caterers of Distinction

“Event Branding”
In February, ISES members had a "Fat Wednesday" with the members of the American Marketing Association. Guests were greeted by servers in masks and festive Mardi Gras decor. The Adams Mark Airport treated us to lunch with traditional 'nawlins faire. The speakers, George Sechrist from BMG Event Productions and Christa Tharp, from Tharp and Associates, spoke about the trends in branding their events and they are seeing from a marketing perspective. They spoke about using logos and branding in non traditional formats and helping clients use event branding to further promote brand identity in corporate events.

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Welcome New Members
Please welcome our newest members of ISES Indiana:

Nicole Athey, Student
nathey@indiana.edu

April Foster, Student
aestegem@umail.iu.edu

Gretchen Herrmann, Producer, BMG Event Productions
gherrmann@bmgep.com

Leslie Jones, President, Leslie Jones Weddings and HereComestheBride.com
leslie@lesliejonesweddings.com

Taylor Karandos, Student
tjkarandos@bsu.edu

Robert Ridge, President, Indy Visual, Inc.
bob@indyvisual.com

Mike West, Manager, Fastimes Indoor Karting
mike@ftik.com

Please feel free to send an email to our new members to introduce yourself and welcome them to ISES!

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Email Surveys
Please be sure to take time to fill out the ISES surveys that are emailed to you after each lunch or event. These surveys help plan our future programs, lunches, networking events, and fundraising opportunities. Your feedback is very important in deciding upcoming events---all comments and suggestions are welcome!

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Member Spotlight

Melissa Perry - Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Airport

What does your company do? How is it different than others like it?
The Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Airport is a newly renovated, upscale full service hotel with 271 overnight rooms. The hotel can accommodate up to five small meetings in our executive style boardroom’s and has numerous banquet rooms for meetings and/or receptions plus a large ballroom for dinners and more extensive events. We offer complimentary on-site parking and complimentary airport shuttle service 24/7.

How many years have you been in the industry?
2.5 exciting years

What led you into the event industry?
I was looking for a career change, took my current position just as a temporary stop until I decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. As it turns out I fell in love with the Hospitality Industry and found my new career!

What was your very first job?
My current position is my first position in the Hospitality Industry. But I look forward to pursuing other possible career avenues with in the hospitality industry.

Is there a specific person who guided you to your career path or has inspired you to work as you do today?
Not really, it all happened quite by accident. I took a job just to have a job. When I started helping out in various departments due to staff shortage, I then new I found my new career.

Why did you decide to join ISES? What do you hope to get out of it?
Because my previous profession, I know the value of professional associations. They are instrumental in educating members, staying abreast of current topics that affect the industry and provide networking and community involvement opportunities. I feel that ISES is a great place to find these attributes in the hospitality industry.

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The Scoop

• Bruce Livingstone has joined the Hilton North as the Director of Catering
  
  
• Conner Prairie is looking for an Interim Food and Beverage Manager; Click Here to read the job description and apply for the position.
  
  
• L. Gene Huddleson, of Detail + Design, is reentering the wedding business following a hiatus. After a year of focusing on the growth of the company, Huddleson has decided to return to planning weddings, offering brides both full service wedding planning and event design. Click Here to read the full press release.

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Help Us Help Others - The SEARCH Foundation

The SEARCH Foundation needs you to HELP US HELP OTHERS in times of crisis! The SEARCH Foundation aids persons in the special event industry confronted with a catastrophic occurrence, by providing financial assistance and support services. This is done through fundraising, volunteer services and donations made through industry-wide alliances.

We are enlisting YOU to help spread the word and encourage people to donate now or, when necessary, apply for SEARCH funds. In the recent past, we have provided assistance to people recovery from floods, fire and critical illness. Click Here to Download a Pledge Donation Form

How to donate or apply for funds: It’s easy! Just log on to the SEARCH website www.searchfoundation.org and fill out a donation form or an application for funds. You can also call the SEARCH office at 877-777-9340 to request an application. All requests for assistance are treated with complete confidentiality and are reviewed by only one committee on the Board of Directors. Their mandate is to allocate financial aid and resources to event professionals in times of crisis.

SEARCH stands ready to help through the generous support of our industry peers. We thank you for your ongoing support!

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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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