• Letter from the President
• September Program Highlights
• Member Benefit: Event Previews and Learning Labs
• The Eventworld Experience, pt. 1: A World of Education
• SAVE THE DATE - 2011 Minnesota Star Awards
• ISES Minnesota Star Awards - A Winning Event
• Student Member Scholarships up for grabs!
• Featured Member Benefit
• Thank you to our Sponsors!
• Member News
• New Member Profiles
• Meet a Board Member
• Follow Us

Change is in the air. At least that is what we agreed on when I was fortunate enough to spend an evening dinner discussing events with our September Program speaker, Lara McCulloch-Carter. There is a change in the way we communicate. There is a change in the way we connect with colleagues, family and friends. And for those of you who were able to attend Event Camp, we are also changing the way we meet, celebrate, commemorate and gather. Yes, indeed the world of Special Events is changing, and I fully believe for the better.

And ISES members are leading that change. As I am sure you have seen and heard, this year the ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul board of directors is looking to change the way we offer the education our members need to have to manage, navigate and lead the changes in our industry. We are intent and have made it our goal this year to extend monthly program education to include offerings that are hands on and interactive. You can read more about what we are doing in the Event Preview article below.

Speaking of goals, in addition to offering our members event previews and learning labs, here is what your ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter is looking to do this year...

1. Create a three-year strategic plan to build on the direction of the Chapter's previous strategic plan
2. Create a new member welcome program
3. Enroll 4 ISES members in the CSEP pipeline (submission of binder to HQ)
4. Expand our Eventworld Scholarship Program to include student members
5. Raise awareness of ISES/ISES members locally
6. Raise awareness of local ISES members within the ISES organization/events community

...And we need your help to do it. The work of our ISES chapter is the work of volunteers and we would love to have you involved. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact info@ises-msp.org to learn more about what opportunities are available. Better yet - do you have an idea of something you can offer the Chapter and your fellow members? Email-Tweet-Text-Fax-Facebook us. Tell us - we would love the suggestion!

Finally, we in Minneapolis-St. Paul have the distinct honor of welcoming our fellow regional chapter leaders at the Fall ISES Midwest Regional Retreat October 24/25. We need some help to create welcome packs and host our guests. If you are willing to assist with the festivities, please contact me at ryan@ises-msp.org.

By Lindsay Prowizor, ISES Student Member, University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management, prowi004@umn.edu

Many companies recognize the growing importance of online social media, however not everyone understands how to harness its power. At the September 2010 meeting, attendees learned how to get smart about social media with expert Lara McCulloch-Carter. The program was held in McNamara Alumni Center's recently opened, very classy Presidents Club Lounge and Maroon & Gold Room. The building's characteristic copper and wood interior provided the perfect setting for a delicious three course meal served by D'Amico Catering. Complimenting the ambience were stylish fall centerpieces provided by Richfield Flowers and Events.

Lara McCulloch-Carter started her presentation by setting the record straight about social media. She commented, "Social media doesn't solve your business issues, it amplifies them." From there, she presented a process for building a thought-out social media strategy. Lara's approach has four steps. First, companies must do an internal assessment to determine if they are ready for social media. This includes examining the company culture and intended target market. Next, businesses must look beyond their borders and do so some external research. Lara suggests spending at least one month "listening", using tools such as Social Mention and Twitter advanced search. Third, firms need to create a social media blue print with tactics, tools, measurable objectives, and goals. Most importantly, this plan should also include methods to mitigate potential problems. The final step in the process is to maintain and measure. However, companies cannot stop there. To remain relevant they must constantly monitor their strategy and review the steps continuously.

Mingling before the presentation.

The gorgeous McNamara Alumni Center!

Lara McCulloch-Carter discusses creating a social media strategy.

To wrap up the afternoon, Lara presented an interesting and engaging case study about the revitalization of the Old Spice brand thanks to social media. For those of you who missed the event or are just interested in viewing the informative video again, visit http://vimeo.com/14029410.

Everyone from rookie bloggers to veteran Facebookers hopefully learned a new way to utilize social media from the program. As a kick-off to the year for the ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter, this event sets the stage for an exciting year of programming.

Photos provided by Noah Wolf Photography. Visit the Photo Gallery to see more photos of the September Program.

Would you like to do a program re-cap for the ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul Newsletter? Contact communications@ises-msp.org.

This year, ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul is diversifying our learning opportunities for members as an additional benefit to them. In hopes of supporting the mission of ISES: to increase education in the Special Events Field and promote the CSEP, which requires a robust, well-rounded knowledge of the special events industry as a whole, we wanted to shake things up!

Our new Event Previews offer members the opportunity to see what others in our community are doing. We produce great events in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but often don't hear about each other's work. The intention is not to "show off" but to invite members to attend an event "before the doors open" - to tour what is being done and ask questions about "why" and "how" we make events successful.

Our second Event Preview of the year was held on Wednesday, September 22nd at Allianz Life Insurance Company, where ISES member Lisa Marie Borchert (Lisa.Borchert@allianzlife.com) gave us insight into the planning and production of their annual SOAR (Supportive, Ongoing Achievement and Recognition) Celebration the company hosts for their employees. Because the company's building doesn't have a space large enough, a large clearspan tent is built in the company's parking lot. Lisa Marie gave us insight into her event vision as well as sharing with us how she works with fellow ISES members Apres Party and Tent Rental, Biffs, Inc. and Event Lab to execute the event.

In addition to the Event Previews we also hope to offer 4 Learning Labs this year. While we offer 8 great programs, not everyone learns lecture style. Learning Labs are about giving folks the opportunity to be hands on, in the kitchen, in the warehouse, in the floral shop or the freezer!

We look forward to offering more exciting opportunities this year, but we need your help. If you would like to host an Event Preview or Learning Lab please contact, Matthew Trettel, President Elect, at matthew@ises-msp.org.

This month, Ruth Wikoff-Jones, CSEP (rwikoff@carlsonmarketing.com) shares her insights on the educational offerings at this year's Eventworld Conference in Baltimore. Ruth was one of our chapter's three recipients for hte 2010 ISES Eventworld Scholarship which helps chapter members attend the annual conference each August. Click to learn more about the Eventworld Scholarship.

This year Eventworld offered 23 different educational sessions and a new Event Bootcamp for Emerging Professionals. As an experienced planner, my question going into any conference is 'what content will challenge my way of thinking and help me to provide services to my clients in a new or innovative way'. I also look to see if I'm tracking alongside my peers in the way I go at solutions to client challenges. Finally, I want to know that I've covered myself, and my clients, with industry standard best practices.

What I can share is that Eventworld offers something for event professionals of every level and interest. While I did not participate in the Event Bootcamp for Emerging Professionals, I watched and spoke with several of the program participants who were getting hands-on experience in putting on the conference. The group of 'emerging' planners worked under the mentorship of the amazing group of Eventworld Planning teams. They were delivered specialized course content, which they immediately put into action, culminating with being miked into the calling of the ISES Esprit Awards. Several participants commented how much they valued the opportunity to learn from many of our industry professionals with such a breadth of experience.

For me, the conference took a slightly different direction starting with the Opening General Session where Mike Rayburn entertained and educated the audience on the concept of 'What if and Why Not?' He challenged us all to ask these two simple questions and in doing so we might be surprised by the results. The session hit home for me personally as I was struggling with my own professional 'I can't do that' dilemma. In the end, I found a way to solve the problem when I returned to the office, reinforcing that sometimes you need to ask 'What if?' to find a solution.

Following Mike's session we met in roundtable discussion groups (more than 15 were offered) based on subjects culled from the 2009 Eventworld survey feedback. I spent time with industry colleagues talking about challenges and successes we've faced in negotiations, contracts and time management. It was reaffirming to know others face the same issues and that ideas and solutions abound right in our membership.

The next day I took time to benchmark my skills against my peers and check out the latest suggestions in technology use by participating in the You Hate Insurance, Your Customer Hates Insurance, I Hate Insurance (presented by Larry Cossio) and Moving From Social Media to Business Media for Event Professionals (presented by Corbin Ball, CMP, MS) sessions. What I learned is that I have a pretty good understanding of the insurance requirements necessary to be in business in our industry. And yes, I still hate insurance.

It was also fascinating to know that for the most part, the social media technologies that many folks have been employing to market and grow their businesses haven't changed all that much in the last year or two. What has changed is how we use them. The focus has shifted to a much more strategic approach. Business owners are reaching out to their customers in a targeted way through the media the customer is most likely to use. For each business that's different. And no one strategy is the 'right one'.

Our afternoon concluded with an interactive session by Haydn Shaw discussing the complexities of communicating with our peers, clients and vendors across a multi-generational group. It was interesting to learn that for the first time in history our work environment includes four (4) generations in the workplace and five (5), yes five generations of consumers in the marketplace. Our experience alone across that span of generations sets challenges when you think about a generation in the workplace that has only known computers and cell phones communicating with one that remembers mimeographs, facsimiles and rotary dial phones. The fast paced side by side with time-honored traditions. What I took away is that every generation has the need to be heard and has contributions of value. We need to be open to them all.

On the final day, I again took time to check and make sure I'm not missing anything in my approach to the variety of business writing I do every day with Rebecca Coons in her session on Creative Writing for Proposals and More. The largest take-away was that we all need to cut out half of what we write. You can still get your point across in fewer words.

In reflecting back on the education provided by Eventworld, I know that I took away ideas, big and small, which will continue to improve the work I do and my interactions with suppliers so that we are all successful.

The 2011 ISES Star Awards are in full planning mode. If you are interested in being involved, please contact Leslie Larson (leslie@ises-msp.org), Director of the Minnesota Star Awards. While we hope you are already getting your award winning entry binders ready, all of the juicy details of this highly anticipated annual event will be revealed in the coming months. To wet your appetite in the meantime, we will profile some of the winning events from previous galas.

These excerpts are taken from profiles written by ISES Member publication Twin City Business. Click here to view this month's featured 2010 winner in ISES Member publication, Twin City Business:

Best Social Event, Budget Under $25,000
Jennifer Warner and Scott DeLage, Event Lab, for Wonderland Wedding

Other nominees:
* Joy Devous-Baker, Mintahoe Catering & Events; Christina Anderson, Christina Marie Events

* Austene Van, Oui Do; Jim Bach, Apres Party & Tent Rental; Aaron McCallum, Three Son's Signature Cuisine

Calling all ISES Student Members. We are offering two student scholarships for the remainder of the 2010-2011 calendar year. Recipients will receive the following:

• Entry to six (6) monthly chapter meetings ($90 value)
• Entry to the prestigious ISES Minnesota Star Awards ($75 value)
• Winners are eligible to participate in our Mentorship Program.
• You will be invited to attend one of our monthly Board of Directors Meetings
• Outstanding career networking
• Industry affiliation & education

The deadline for applications is Friday, October 15th, 2010.

Download the Student Scholarship Application

Please see the application for rules and stipulations.

Contact Erika LaDousa, Vice President of Membership at erika@ises-msp.org with questions.

Each month, ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul will highlight one of our many member benefits in an effort to provide you with details and information on how you can take advantage of them. This month's featured benefit is:

Member Spotlight
One of the best parts about being an ISES member is the opportunity to network and share what your company does, how it can help other members' organizations, and offer a platform for letting folks know when you're in need of specific goods and services to make your events more successful. At each monthly program throughout the 2010-2011 ISES year we welcome our members to drop off their business card at the registration table anytime during the program. We will draw 1-3 cards, depending on interest, that will then have the opportunity to provide one piece of collateral, a small favor, or similar, highlighting their company. Members will be notified of their opportunity at least two weeks before their feature program date.

This offer is open to any ISES member in good standing and excludes the joint October 2010 program with NACE and the Minnesota STAR Awards. Cards collected at the September and October 2010 programs have the chance to be featured at the November 2010 program, cards collected at the November program have the chance to be featured at the December Jingle Mingle and so on. Cards from the February program will be featured at the April 2011 program.

Please contact membership@ises-msp.org for more information or questions.

Follow ISES-MSP on Social Networks
Become a fan of our chapter's Facebook page or sign up to follow us on Twitter. And be sure to check out the ISES Community Page!

ISES and NACE Joint Event at the Warehouse Winery!

ISES and NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) are joining forces for an exciting joint October program focused on wine!

Join us at a working winery and newly available event space for an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a local winery while sampling fabulous food from five local caterers and one purveyor paired with wine sampling and the opportunity to socialize with fellow ISES and NACE members and guests!

Click here for more information.

When:
Thursday, October 14th, 2010
4:00PM - 4:30PM: Registration and Networking
4:30PM - 7:00PM: Networking, Interactive and Tours

Where:
Warehouse Winery
6415 Cambridge St
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
p 612-940-WINE



Click here for directions

Cost:
ISES Members: $35.00
ISES Associates: $40.00*
Guests: $50.00
Student Members: $15.00**

*Associates are co-workers of an ISES Member.
**Students who are NOT ISES Members must pay the Guest rate.
Please RSVP by Monday, October 11, 2010.

There will be a $10.00 surcharge for anyone who registers after this deadline. Cancellations after Monday, October 11, 2010, and no-shows will be billed.

Christie M. Bohm
Catering Manager
Christie.Bohm@
cafebonappetit.com

How many years have you been in the event industry? 6 years

What company do you work for? Bon Appetit at the Minnesota History Center

What does your company do? Bon Appetit manages food service and catering at countless corporations, colleges and specialty venues throughout the United States. Our goal is to sustainably present food that is alive with color and flavor while executing a seamless event from start to finish.

What is an average day in your life like? Just your standard combination of planner, therapist, cocktail waitress, prep cook, chauffeur, PR girl, tour guide and business woman. If it needs to get done that day, that just happens to be the hat I wear.

How did you enter the events industry? I come from a very social family, so venturing from planning personal events to planning professional events wasn't a huge departure. My first job in the events industry was at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, driving the bev cart during corporate events and working countless golf tournaments.

Why did you join ISES? I joined ISES in order to allow myself the time to enjoy the best thing about the hospitality industry - the people.

What do you want to know about the events industry? I'd like to know why, when we hear aspiring professionals express their excitement at entering the industry, we immediately say "Get out now!". At the end of the day, there is nowhere else we'd rather be and I find what inspires each individual to keep coming back each weekend fascinating.

Amy Rabe
Director of Sponsorship
612-548-3194 office
amy@ises-msp.org

Company: Account Executive, Minnesota Meetings and Events
Years in event industry: 7

Other Positions Held in ISES:
* Director of Membership 2008-2009, 2009-2010

As Director of Strategic Partnerships for the upcoming term on the ISES Board of Directors, I hope to provide our partners with the best opportunity to showcase their company, gain the benefits of marketing through our Organization and informing members of your services for events. Monthly programs are a huge part of this organizations success so making sure we bridge that relationship between members and suppliers is a goal of not only Strategic partnership but also ISES as a whole. I look forward to working with anyone who may be interested in becoming more involved on a partner level and having a conversation about what that looks like for them.

I have been a member of ISES of 5 years now and feel that it is one of the strongest associations around not only a local level but international level. It has helped me gain new knowledge to make me better at my job and also helped to gain strong new relationships and friendships. It is so much fun to be a part of.

The ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter recognized its 2009-2010 sponsors, partners and contributors for the year at the August member social event. These companies are a valuable part of what makes our organization successful and our programs successful. Thank you again to all of you for making it an amazing year!

Hyatt Regency
Twin Cities Business
The Affair
Event Lab
CORT Event Furnishings
FreeStyle Productions
AVEX
D'Amico Catering
Apres Party and Tent Rental
The Late Bloomer Floral Design Studio
Epic Event Center
Linen Effects
Ultimate Events
Coppersmith Photography
StoneArch Creative
AV For You
Wildside Catering
Instant Request DJ Entertainment
Noah Wolf Photography
Showcore, Inc.
Table Salt Productions
Bon Appetit Management Company
Salsa Del Soul
Celebration Generation Cakes
BMS Computer & AV Rentals
Bungalow 6 Design
Sterling State Bank
Mag Design Co.
Mick Sterling Presents
Midway Party Rental
Minneapolis Downtown Council
Interlachen Country Club
Spalon Montage
Target Field
Lancer Catering
EMI Audio
Sign-A-Rama
Vine Park Brewing Company
Kieran's Irish Pub
Studio 6 Specialty Linen & Decor
Delaware North
Bjorn Meisner Photography
Mintahoe Catering and Events
Solera
Martha's Gardens
Guthrie Catering
Aloft
JMP Photography
Main Point Media
Richfield Flowers & Events
Sadie's Fine Floral
Elite Espresso Catering
Minneapolis Marriott West
VerTerra
BeEvents
Forum
OM
Graves 601
Hermes Floral
Jessica's Cakes
Picosa at Riverplace
Probibition at W Minneapolis
The Armatage Room
The Hotel Minneapolis
Tarot by Annie
Crosby Lake Spirits
Handwriting Analysis by Pauline Boyd
Augsburg Suzuki Talent Education Program
The Dakota
Cold Side Printing
Lily Bloom's Kitchen
Muddy Paws Cheescake
At Your Service Event Planning
W Minneapolis - The Foshay
Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis
Ice Occasions
Ziegler Power Systems
Crave
The Marsh
Bon Vie Café


If you are interested in sponsoring a program for the 2010-2011 year, please contact Amy Rabe at amy@ises-msp.org or 612-548-3194.






SAVE THE DATE - 2011 Minnesota Star Awards

2011 Minnesota Star Awards

Friday, March 25, 2011

Call for Entries will hit your email soon.

For more information, email leslie@ises-msp.org.

Zunker joins metroConnections
MetroConnections has hired ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul member Dan Zunker (dzunker@metroconnections.com) as production manager. Zunker has produced shows for clients for more than 20 years in the meetings industry.

…for a Main Point Media update... afterward there will be a test :)
In early August Main Point Media, ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul Member, was part of a large, big-budget ad agency commercial shoot. Four days, four different locations, outside (hot & sticky) with probably a 20-person crew including 3 client representatives, two agencies, director, director of photography, lighting, audio, 18-foot jib & camera (that was us), multiple assistants, make-up and even an animal trainer.

Noah Wolf of Noah Wolf Photography Featured in Minnesota Meetings + Events Magazine
Co-owner of Noah Wolf Photography (www.noahwolf.com) and ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul member, Noah Wolf (info@noahwolf.com), discusses social media and his studio's portrait session: The Avatar: Social Media portraits, designed to give you the perfect profile picture.

Hotel Minneapolis Sold to New Owners
The 222-room Hotel Minneapolis (www.thehotelminneapolis.com), which opened in 2008, has new owners. HEI Hotels and Resorts, a national hotel owner and operator, has bought a majority interest in the Hotel Minneapolis and will be converting it to Marriott's new Autograph Collection brand.

Ryan Hanson, CSEP of BeEvents featured in Minnesota Meetings + Events Magazine
Creative Producer and ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter president, Ryan Hanson, CSEP (ryan@beeventsdesign.com, of BeEvents shares his insight on using social media to build pre-event communities that generate a great deal of buzz and excitement for upcoming events and also discusses the pros and cons of Tweetwalls.

Samuel J. Smith of Interactive Meeting Technology LLC featured in Minnesota Meetings + Events Magazine
Event technology consultant and managing director of Interactive Meeting Technology LLC and ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul member Samuel J. Smith (sam@samueljsmith.com), explains how even people who can't attend an event are now considered an essential part, thanks to social media.