• Letter from the President
• Musings from the First International ISES President
• Strategic Partnership Announcement
• MeetingsQuest Educational Partnership
• September Program Highlights
• Minnesota Star Awards
• Student Membership Scholarship Awards
• Welcome to New Members and Membership Renewals
• New Member Profiles
• Meet A Board Member
• CSEP Fun Fact
• ISES Sound Off

One of the greatest benefits for me of belonging to a professional organization is the ability to interact and collaborate with fellow industry professionals. As an ISES member, I enjoy each opportunity I have to partner with my fellow local ISES members on the events I am involved with.

October offers two great example of what it means for ISES members to collaborate. On October 3rd, the ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter is sponsoring the educational speaker Dr. Joe Jeff Goldblatt, CSEP at the Minneapolis MeetingsQuest event. Dr. Goldblatt knows the concept of collaboration. It was he and a small group of event professionals who 20 years ago decided that the special events community needed to have more collaboration. It was out of their collaboration that the International Special Events Society was born. If you have not had an opportunity, or even if you have, I strongly encourage you to attend this program to learn from a real pioneer of the events industry.

In addition this month we are collaborating with the Minnesota chapter of Meeting Professionals International. On October 17th, ISES and MPI will come together to tackle the very timely topic of "Green". As we continue to hear about the impact we all have on the environment, it is important for us to do our part as an industry to reduce our impact. I am very excited to be able to collaborate with MPI on this program. It is one more benefit that we can bring to the Twin Cities meeting and events community.

I look forward to seeing many of you at these two exceptional programs. And I encourage you all to continue to partner with other event professionals. Just think how much more we all could accomplish with the right collaborations.

As we prepare to welcome the first International ISES President and pioneer for the special events industry, Dr. Joe Jeff Goldblatt, CSEP, for this month's Anniversary feature we thought it would be fun to ask Dr. Goldblatt how ISES began:

As the association turns 20, tell us how the organization began:

In 1986, at the second annual Special Event Conference in Palm Beach Florida, a leader in the rental industry, Bob Graves, turned to me and asked, "Why isn't there an association for special events professionals?" Working with the then editor of Special Events Magazine, Carol McKibben, we sent out a survey to readers to gauge interest and at the third annual conference in Dallas, Carol and I organized a meeting to formally launch the association. The meeting was held the last day of the conference and we only expected about 10 people. Nearly 30 people arrived!

I suggested we call the organization the "International Special Events Society" and articulated what we believed was our collective vision for the association, which included education, networking, promotion of the industry, ethical conduct and certification. Then I wrote the first check for $200 to launch the organization. Others joined me, and with approximately $6,000 ISES began.

90 days later we met in Atlanta Georgia to elect our officers and nine months later, in January 1988, nearly 200 founding ISES members met in Los Angeles to install the officers. At that meeting, our key note speaker, Dr. Jim Tunney, a referee for the National Football League and motivational speaker, referred to ISES as the next winning team in the global event industry because of our collective capacity to work together, spreading joy throughout the world.

Do you have any connections to the Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter you can fondly share?

There are two. Our first director of marketing, Janet Lee, who at the time lived in New York had spent many years in Minneapolis. Her expertise was necessary for the burst of inital membership both domestically and internationally.

And then there were Judy and Allen. The ISES International organization would never have been born without our Minneapolis Mother and Father team of Judy and Allan Elias (judye@caterrent.com and allane@caterrent.com). Allan travelled at his own expense all over the USA and Canada to help promote ISES for many years. Judy served as our unofficial hospitality ambassador by welcoming every new member and also advising us on strategy for growing the organization. Suffice to say, no Judy and Allan, no strong international ISES today. You are most fortunate to have them as members of your events family.


Correction: Last month, we referenced the Chapter History posted on the ISES website. Jayna Larrea was accidentally omitted from the list of people on the Perkins Team that worked to start the ISES Minneapolis-St Paul chapter. Sorry Jayna!

ISES would like to welcome our newest Strategic Partner, Mighty Dog Media, publisher of www.meetingpages.com. meetingpages is is a complete tool for planning Minnesota meetings + events, designed to get corporate meeting, event, conference, convention, party planners, and Minnesota meeting suppliers on the same page. For more information on meetingpages, contact ISES Member Casey Romano at casey@mightydogmedia.com.

Want to know more about becoming a strategic partner with ISES? Contact partnership@ises-msp.org.

ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul is excited to partner and provide this year's education content for MeetingsQuest Minnesota, a day long educational tradeshow.

This year we welcome Dr. Joe Jeff Goldblatt, CSEP who will present a seminar, "Special Events: The Root and Wings of Celebration." Dr. Goldblatt will be available for a meet and greet with guests and autograph copies of his book, Special Events, the educational resource for the special events industry and CSEP certification.

MeetingsQuest will take place all day, Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. Attendance is free to all planners. For details and to RSVP, please visit the MeetingsQuest Website.

by Ruth Wikoff-Jones, (ruthw@a-s-i.com)

For the first 2007-2008 program of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of ISES, attendees gathered in the venerable Orchestra Hall. The lobby, set with the latest in sleek, contemporary lounge furniture provided by Design Group, provided plenty of seating without crowding the space. Violets provided simple, elegant floral arrangements of orchids in the season's hot color of lime green added a splash throughout.

Members and guests alike enjoyed a sampling of lunch specialties from Creative Corporate Catering, served buffet style on china and flatware provided by Apres Party and Tent. Plenty of time was allowed for the 110 attendees to mix and mingle. Chapter President Jim Leighton, began the program with a champagne toast honoring the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter selection as 2006-2007 Chapter of the Year.

2007 Eventworld Merit Award recipients Matthew Trettel (matthew@twincitybridal.com), Craig Oliver (craigoliver@aarcee.com) and Sheree Bochenek (sbochenek@apresparty.com) shared how their experiences at the conference have impacted the way they view their work. Trettel noted the breadth of educational opportunities that he received through the award. The growth and change in the industry was noted by Oliver. And leading into the day presentation, Bochenek shared how her view had been changed to include the way she refers to her work, not as party planning, but, rather as experience enhancement.

ISES September Program attendees network in the the lobby of Orchestra Hall		2007 Eventworld Merit Award recipients Matthew Trettel, Sheree Bochenek, and Craig Oliver

Speaker Kile Ozier, (www.kileozier.com), Creative Director / Communications Strategist, has created inspiring and moving entertainment, events and communications plans for a wide variety of clients. An effective emotive communicator, he noted the importance of understanding the audience - what engages as well as distracts them. By listening, and then looking for ways to create "comfortable disorientation" in a familiar environment, planners can draw attendees into an experience intellectually. Sharing his highly effective campaign for Stanford University, as one of many examples, Kile highlighted how reorienting a video presentation from the front of the campus - which every alumni expected - to entering the campus from the hillsides behind, pulled on emotion in a new way. At the end of the video the beloved entry to the school is finally revealed. A powerful alteration to expectation, that left "weeping millionaires" in the room. With eyes open to new possibility attendees left inspired and energized.

Lunch provided by Creative Corporate Catering, china and flatware provided by Apres Party and Tent		Kile Ozier presents at September Program.

Click here to see more photos of the September Program.

Interested in seeing your name published? Willing to do a Program Re-cap for the ISES Monthly Newsletter? Contact communications@ises-msp.org.

Planning for the Fourth Annual ISES Minnesota Star Awards is underway and it is looking to be another amazing event for event professionals in our area. Be sure and save the date on your calendars now - you don't want to miss this event!

Event Date: Friday, March 14, 2008

The Call for Entries will be distributed in the November Newsletter, so be sure to start thinking about and collecting information for your best events of 2007 now!

Entry Deadline: Thursday, January 24, 2008

Interested in getting involved?
There are a number of ways in which members of the ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter can get involved. Committees for the event are being formed now and include opportunities in Design/Décor, Food & Beverage, Sponsorship, Marketing & Public Relations, Entries & Awards and Finance.

If you're interested in sponsoring products or services, please let us know now so that we can get you included in upcoming meetings and planning sessions.

If you'd like further information about getting involved, please contact Jodi Collen, CSEP, Director of the Minnesota Star Awards, at 612.330.1107 or jodi@ises-msp.org.

As an organization committed to educate and promote professionals within the event industry, ISES is also invested in the next wave of event professionals through the offering of student memberships in ISES. This membership allows students the opportunity to get their feet "wet" and "in the door." Student members have the opportunity to attend ISES events, network with highly regarded event professionals and gain a head start in exploring the field as they consider taking this path for their career. In return, the student will commit to offer 10 hours of volunteer time to assist the chapter with its needs. The student member yearly fee is $35. By submitting a student membership application signed by a professor, a student can become a member of ISES. It's that easy.

Locally, to promote student membership, ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul again offered three student scholarship awards which cover the yearly fee. This year we received ten applications from students at the College of St. Catherines, St. Cloud, Concordia, Mankato State and Bethel. Based on their scholarship applications, this year's recipients are:

Jamie Lowinske, College of St. Catherines
Jamie Plantenberg, College of St. Catherines
Sarah Shindley, College of St. Catherines

These scholarship recipients will be honored at our November program. If you would like more information on joining ISES as a student, please contact our Membership team.


Welcome to New Members and Membership Renewals
ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul was awarded the 2006-2007 Spirit of Excellence Award for Membership Growth. 2007 continues to be a great year for our chapter as we proudly welcome the following new members who have joined since May 2007:

Andrea Bach, abach@apresparty.com
Apres Party and Tent Rental, www.apresparty.com

Brooke Beise, brooke.beise@hilton.com
The Marquette Hotel, www.marquettehotel.com

Catherine Bergstrom, events@trocaderos.com
Trocaderos Nightclub and Restautant, www.trocaderos.com

Kathryn Blake, katie.blake@triadconferences.com
TRIAD Conferences, www.triadconferences.com

Rachel Brooks, rbrooks1@smdc.org
SMDC Health System, www.smdc.org

Juli Dixon, jdixon@gvccclub.com
Golden Valley Golf and Country Club, www.gvccclub.com

Tiffany Gaudette, tiffany@umn.edu
University of Minnesota Foundation, www.giving.umn.edu

Susan Gordon, susan.gordon@crestlinehotels.com
Hilton Garden Inn

Jennifer Gray, jeni.gray@triadconferences.com
TRIAD Conferences, www.triadconferences.com

Laurie Hollinger, lhollinger@mosquito-inc.com
MOSQUITO, www.mosquito-inc.com

Natalie Hunter, natalie.hunter@frauenshuh.com
Frauenshuh, Inc., www.thegreathall.com

Terry Iverson, movies@tzcinema.com
Twilight Zone Outdoor Cinema, www.tzcinema.com

Robert Jones, robert@dakotacooks.com
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, www.dakotacooks.com

Andrea Jost, ajost@grandhotelminneapolis.com
Grand Hotel Minneapolis, www.grandhotelminneapolis.com

Jen Klosner, jen.klosner@thrivent.com
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, www.thrivent.com

Erika La Dousa, erika_ladousa@hilton.com
Embassy Suites

Andrew Larson, larsonmapl@aol.com
The Late Bloomer Floral Design Studio, Inc., www.thelatebloomer.com

Daniel Marousek, dmarousek@mossinc.com
Moss Inc.

Lindsey Mergenthal, lmerge@umn.edu
University of Minnesota Foundation, www.giving.umn.edu

Lynn Rivera, lynnr@twincitycatering.com
Twin City Celebrations, www.twincitycatering.com

Joel Schettler, jschettler@greenspring.com
Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal, www.mn-meetings.com

Nancy Vitoff, nvitoff@umn.edu
University of Minnesota Foundation, www.giving.umn.edu

Emily Youngman, eyoungman@bbjlinen.com
BBJ Linen, www.bbjlinen.com


Membership Renewals
ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul would also like to continue to recognize the members who renewed their ISES memberships for 2007-2008 (since June 30, 2007):

Kate Blessing, kblessing@chsfs.org
Children's Home Society & Family Services, www.chsfs.org

Elly Carlson, schatzen23@hotmail.com
Wildside Caterers, www.wildsidecaterers.com

Mark Eggert, marke@alphavideo.com
Alpha Video and Audio, Inc., www.alphavideo.com

Michael Foster, michaelfoster@radisson.com
Radisson Plaza Hotel - Minneapolis, www.radisson.com/minneapolismn_plaza

Missy Francisco Carlson, mcarlson1@smdc.org
SMDC Health System, www.smdc.org

Meghan Greeley, mgreeley@smdc.org
SMDC Health System, www.smdc.org

Kevin Hall, kevin@hallsofmagic.com
Halls of Entertainment, www.hallsofmagic.com

Nancy Jacobs, nancy.jacobs@thedesigngroup.com
Design Group, www.thedesigngroup.com

Connie Johnson, kurtjohnsonauctioneering@att.net
Kurt Johnson Auctioneering, Inc.

Robert Kasbohm, bob.kasbohm@crestlinehotels.com
Crowne Plaza Hotel St. Paul-Riverfront

Martha Kvanbeck, mkvanbeck@aarcee.com
AARCEE Party & Tent Rental, www.aarcee.com

Daniel LaFond, dan.lafond@comcast.net
Special Events Midwest

Leslie Larson, larsonl4@augsburg.edu
Augsburg College, www.augsburg.edu

Doug Lattin, dougl@midwaypartyrental.com
Midway Party Rental, Inc., www.midwaypartyrental.com

Annette Lee, amlee@mintahoe.com
Mintahoe Hospitality Group, www.mintahoe.com

Amy Leyden, aleyden@umn.edu
McNamara Alumni Center, www.alumnicenter.umn.edu

David McGarry, dave@millenniumpromo.net
Millennium Corporate Promotions & Awards, www.millenniumpromo.net

Christa Miehe, christa.miehe@vgm.com
The VGM Group, www.vgm.com

Michael Minford, mminford@morganmyers.com
Morgan & Myers, www.morganmyers.com

Renee Nybakke, renee@embassystpaul.com
Embassy Suites Saint Paul, www.embassystpaul.com

Alice-Lynne Olson, latebloomr@yahoo.com
The Late Bloomer Floral Design Studio, Inc., www.thelatebloomer.com

Katy Riddle Tepley, katy.tepley@wolfgangpuck.com
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events, www.wolfgangpuck.com

Matthew Rush, mrush@midwestsound.com
Midwest Sound and Light, www.midwestsound.com

Caribe Scheiber, caribe@auctionharmony.com
Auction Harmony, www.auctionharmony.com

Laurence Shiller, daytours@comcast.net
DayTours & CreativEvents, Inc., www.daytoursmn.com

Chris Swarbrick, mn_ice@msn.com
Ice Occasions, www.iceoccasions.org

Cindy Thurmes, cthurmes@life-source.org
LifeSource, www.life-source.org

Jennifer Thurston, jthurston@chsfs.org
Children's Home Society & Family Services, www.chsfs.org

Abby Weinandt, aweinandt@metroconnections.com
metroConnections, www.metroconnections.com

Daniel Zunker, dan@heroic-productions.com
Heroic Productions, www.heroic-productions.com


Thank you to all our members for making our chapter great!
Meghan & Craig

Meghan Greeley VP of Membership meghan@ises-msp.org		Craig Oliver Director of Membership craig@ises-msp.org

Part of applying to sit for the CSEP certification is demonstrating your industry experience. To do so, the CSEP requires that applicants earn a minimum of 35 points. Which of the following are ways you can earn points towards your CSEP certification:

• A - Attend an ISES Monthly Program
• B - Win a Minnesota Star Award
• C - Write an Article for the ISES newsletter
• D - Being an ISES member
• E - All of the above

(See the answer.)

Hear what fellow event professionals are saying about ISES, our monthly programs and events, and learn the great things local ISES members are doing.

September's Program:
"Kile's information inspired me to think about events, not just as a social occasion but rather a vehicle to transport guests to another world where their left brain is alive with emotions and possibilities. I especially appreciated the way he grounded his presentation in theory - to become a better practitioner I want to learn as much as I can, and now I have names I can research. The highlight was the Stanford DVD - which illustrated perfectly how we should be clear about the end result and organizational culture and how important it is to not get in the way of the message."
- Program Guest Dawn Brown White
Molar Express MN


"This program was absolutely the best one I have attended since the chapter inception! Kyle's message clearly demonstrated WHY events are done - to communicate a message! His impactful layering of HIS message should have resonated with every level of expertise in the audience - and for the first time in a long time, I took away from a chapter meeting, more than networking and seeing good friends when I left Orchestra Hall. So Kudos to the Team that brought this together. Special Events have a purpose; they are not just a party and although I love all that tabletop stuff, great lighting and fabric, those are only the tools we use to provide payback to our clients. Kyle did that well."
- ISES Member Cheryl Kranz, ckranz@equinoxcreative.com
Equinox Creative, www.equinoxcreative.com


Do you have a response to a monthly program or ISES event? Do you have exciting news to share with fellow ISES members? Email your news and thoughts to communications@ises-msp.org.

Is your Program a GEM? (Green Event or Meeting)
Joint Program with MPI


Simran Sethi

WHEN:
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2:30 - 7:00 PM

WHERE:
Minneapolis Marriott West
9960 Wayzata Boulevard
Saint Louis Park, Minnesota 55426
952-544-4400
Directions & Parking

COST:
Before 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 12, 2007:
Members: $45.00
Guests: $55.00
Students: $15.00

After 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 12, 2007:
Members: $60.00
Guests: $70.00
Students: $30.00

Register Online

Program Details:
ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Minnesota Chapter are teaming up to present one of the hottest topics in meetings and events. On Wednesday, October 17, 2007, the "Going Green" session will show you how to implement green within your meeting logistics, food and beverage, event venues and in your home.
Read More

Schedule
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Registration/Networking
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Speaker, Simran Sethi
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Networking/Local trade show/
Hors d'oeuvres
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Local panel

ISES Member

ISES Member

Peace Coffee

Eclipse Transportation

Terry Iverson
Owner
Twilight Zone Outdoor Cinema

www.TZcinema.com
movies@tzcinema.com

How many years have you been in the event industry? 7

What does your company do? We provide giant outdoor inflatable movies screens, digital video projection, theater quality audio systems and the nostalgia of a drive-in movie. Our company travels throughout the Midwest bringing the outdoor movie experience to the next generation.

How did you enter the events industry? Before I dove into the audio/visual industry, I worked in the promotional product market. My background included positions with ASI suppliers, ASI distributors and even embroidery production. Instead of supplying promotional products or customized apparel for an event, I wanted my business to BE the event.

Why did you join ISES? Most of our current clients are municipalities such as Park and Recreation Departments and community celebrations. My goal is to network with the top corporate meeting professionals to explore additional ways our systems can be used. In addition to Hollywood movies our systems can be used for Power Point presentations, large scale video games or road-side advertising.

Do you have a career or industry tip that you would like to share? The best career advice I have heard is... Find out what you like doing the most and then figure out a way to make a living at it. Our staff loves producing outdoor movie events. Sometimes we will get together and set up the whole system and watch a movie ourselves. There is nothing better than "Cinema Under the Stars" on a perfect summer evening.

Paula Wright
Account Supervisor

Tunheim Partners
www.gcitunheim.com
pwright@tunheim.com

How many years have you been in the event industry? Approx. 15

What does your company do? Our company is a strategic communications and events firm. We provide a wide range of public relations, public affairs, branding, marketing and event planning services to our clients to help them capitalize on big opportunities. From an event standpoint we create and execute a wide range of corporate events from media stunts to tradeshows to receptions and galas.

What is an average day in your life like? I attend client meetings, conference calls, spend a lot of time on emails and general event, marketing, and public relations planning. I travel for events as needed.

How did you enter the events industry? I fell into the event industry somewhat by accident. My first "real" job was at Rollerblade, where I was the international marketing coordinator. In that role I began planning the international portion of the national sales meeting, coordinated international tradeshow efforts, etc. After a couple of years of doing that I moved into an official events and promotions position at Rollerblade. After 6.5 years at Rollerblade I took an events marketing position at Target, where I remained for more than 9 years.

Why did you join ISES? I really wanted to get out and meet other people in the industry, understand what others are doing, and of course grow our own events business.

What do you want to know about the events industry? Everything - there's always something to be learned at every event - whether you are planning it or you are attending it.

Is there a book, person, or story that comes to mind which has had a strong impact on your career? I think the people I've met over the years, and the wonderful experiences I've had have impacted me the most. I get excited to meet new people, see new places, and experience new things.

Do you have a career or industry tip that you would like to share? Never assume anything and always expect the unexpected. Always remain calm.