September Bi-Monthly Educational Program

Images compliments of Ivey Photography

ISES Dallas put together another stunning Bi-Monthly Education Program on September 21, 2009. Frontiers of Flight was our gracious host of the evening. Guests were treated to a cocktail hour on the balcony. While taking in the view of the planes and exhibits, guests nibbled on hors d’oeuvres from the Rosewood Mansion at Turtle Creek while sipping wine, mint juleps and pomegranate martinis being served from a high tech bar provided by Magic Moments Parties and Events. Nick DeGennaro Music provided great background music to set the mood for the evening. Shag Carpet provided beautiful centerpieces of orchids for the cocktail tables.

As guests descended to the Main Gallery, they were welcomed by a beautiful draped entryway provided by Quest Drape. Lighting by Lite Dallas highlighted the impressive exhibits of planes and space capsules. InLight Gobos provided two ISES Dallas custom gobos which were displayed on walls. The tables were set with custom linens and gorgeous china and glassware which were provided by Posh Couture Rentals who provided all of the rentals for the evening. Garden Gate Floral finished off the tables with arrangements of lilies, hydrangea, roses, calla lilies, orchids and more. The intoxicating scent of the arrangements added further to the rich glamorous feel to the evening. The menu featured a wonderful salad of heirloom tomatoes and pressed watermelon, a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin and a delicious dessert of hazelnut marjolane with banana caramel ice cream that proved yet again that The Mansion can serve an amazing meal in the restaurant or off premise. J Hooker Productions provided the audio for the evening and Quest Drape did a beautiful screen surround.

Our speaker for the evening, Kevin Mellot of Erase, Inc. gave a presentation on how important security is to any event. He brought up situations that most of us rarely think about in which a planner would benefit from having a trained security/safety team. He not only touched on personal security but also property and intelligence security, such as securing laptops, and private conversations or meetings.

At the end of the evening Jonathan Goldwater of GladTower Live Productions, the program chair of the evening, recognized our amazing sponsors. As guests left each was given a custom labeled bottle of water compliments of Designer Water.

Value Received

Flight Museum

Main Gallery $2500/event

Balcony $1500/event

Rosewood Mansion

Dinner $107.50/each guest

Alcohol $45/ each guest

Quest Drape

Main Gallery & Balcony $2700.00/event

Posh Couture

Linens/Tableware $5285.00/event

Lite Dallas

Event Lighting $4710.00/event

InLight Gobos

Custom Gobos $200/2 gobos

Nick DeGennaro Music

Jazz Trio (Balcony) $800/event

Designer Water

Custom Bottles $19.95/case

Garden Gate Floral

Table Centerpiece $125/each

Hanging Arrangments $450/each

Shag Carpet

Centerpieces for Balcony $300/6

J Hooker Productions

DJ John Stem & Audio $1150/event

Magic Moments

High Tech bar $900/event

Total Event Cost $37,099.55

Value Received Per Guest $391.00

Call for speakers for EventWorld 2010!

In an effort to continue to provide education that enhances and improves ISES Eventworldﾮ attendee experiences, ISES continuously searches for presenters from a broad range of backgrounds.

If you are interested in presenting at ISES Eventworldﾮ 2010 please submit your presentation proposal on http://www.ises.com/ on or before October 19, 2009.

CLICK HERE to begin!

Topics must be relevant to one of the following special events industry professional segments:

Seasoned Professionals - This group is comprised of business owners, partners, or those who hold an upper-level management position within their company. They seek advanced industry education as well as non-event training related to their business.

Skilled Professionals - This group is comprised of event professionals with more than 5 years of experience who manage the day to day events operations. They seek technical and experiential training.

Novice Professionals - This group is made of individuals new to the events industry who are looking for a well-rounded education in the foundation of the industry, events experience, and to create a personal network.

Original presentations preferred; Presentations not given within the last six months may also be considered.

Proposals may be submitted by individuals or by groups of up to three presenters.
Questions? If you have questions about this Call for Presentations, please email eventworldspeakers@ises.com.

We appreciate your support and encourage you to submit an abstract for ISES Eventworldﾮ 2010!

Congratulations to Onstage Systems!

The votes were tallied, and some were close, some not so much … but the readers of FOH have chosen the best regional pro audio companies in North America. There are new faces and repeat “offenders.” One has been at it a little more then three years, another is celebrating a 30th anniversary. All have a passion for audio, an inimitable story, and a dedication to their clients so powerful that their peers — including competitors — were compelled to take time to nominate them and vote for them as best in their region.

Only one soundco, however, will leave the stage on Nov. 22 with the annual Parnelli Hometown Hero award. The full Parnelli awards ballot is now being prepared and will be online at www.parnelliawards.com soon. Here are the winners of the six regional Hometown Hero titles for 2009.

Southwest Region
Onstage Systems
Dallas, Texas

Onstage Systems is in its second generation, with brother-and-sister-partners Hyacinth and Chris Belcher literally growing up backstage as their parents, Charles and Vicki Belcher ran sound for area acts. “They founded the company in 1978, and they were very much ‘the show must go on’ people, so from age five, we grew up with that mentality,” Hyacinth explains. “If we were sick, then we were sick backstage. The event came first.”

Hyacinth studied lighting in college, and Chris got additional experience in the staging department of their high school. In 2006, they took over the family business, with Hyacinth as president and Chris as vice president. The full service technical productions company provides systems and equipment for audio, lighting, backline, video and staging. But it’s their work in audio that puts them in the spotlight.

Hyacinth admits that while the company was established and doing well, it took about a year for everyone to adjust to new leadership. Helping smooth the transition was the team that was already in place. “Most managers have been here over 10 years. We have a good group of people who are really passionate about what we do here.”

While she witnessed how hard her parents worked, she gained new appreciation for all that is involved in running a company like Onstage. “As we have taken over, we have so much more respect for them. There are daily struggles, but I’ve grown to love the business even more. We jumped in full force, and we live, eat and breathe the business.”

The year 1982 was the beginning of many good things for the company: That’s the year they got a George Strait tour and signed up the Dallas Symphony Orchestra — two clients that are still with them today. For years, they’ve been doing the Dallas Cowboy Thanksgiving show in addition to other events at that stadium. Other events of note include the Oklahoma University Graduation Ceremony and the Texas State Fair Laser Light Show. Last year they did Ozzfest. “That was a lot of planning, a lot of fun and a lot of speakers.” Rounding out their project list are corporate events as far away as Seattle.

Today they have 24 full-time employees, plus freelancers and do around 300 shows a year. “Diversification equals success, and having a crew that can do rock ‘n’ roll, corporate, churches and the symphony projects works for us. It also keeps us on our toes!”

When it’s noted there are few women in this business, she laughs. “My parents used to tell me that there’s no way a woman could a run a company like this in such a male-dominated industry, but that just made me want to do it more — I mean, I grew up playing in drum corps!”

Belcher cites two reasons for the company’s success: The first is customer service. “We’re surrounded by people who care. Each person at the company puts their own name on a project in addition to the company’s name, and that’s how we keep clients long-term.” Secondly, and of equal importance, is their equipment, including gear from Clair Bros., Yamaha, Digidesign and more. “We always want the best, the highest end. We literally work on it on a daily business. This has been a good business model for us.”

As to the honor of being named best in the Southwest region: “I think it’s a pretty cool thing! It’s good to see hard work pays off … though it makes me want to work harder.”

Congratulations to the 2009 Texas Meetings + Events Reader's Choice Award Winners

More than 200 meetings and events service professionals applauded the industry's finest at Texas Meetings + Events's second annual Best of 2009 awards celebration.The awards honor the dedication and creativity of local event professionals who have earned the respect and admiration of their clients and peers. Congratulations the Dallas/Ft. Worth (Northern Region) Winners!

Best Caterer - Creative Cuisine
Best Conference/Convention/Exhibition Center - Plano Centre
Best Entertainment - Lone Start Murder Mysteries by Lagniappe Productions
Best Florist - Macaux Floral
Best Destination Management Organization - Plano Convention & Visitors Bureau
Best Golf Resort/Country Club - Cowboys Golf Club
Best Holiday Event/Party Venue - City Club of Fort Worth
Best Hotel with Meeting Space - Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center
Best Green Meetings/Event Venue - Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center
Best Unique Venue - Circle R Ranch
Best Rental Service (tents, tables, linens) - Ducky-Bob's Event Specialists
Best Teambuilding Facility/Organizer - Rockin' C Ranch
Best Transportation - Premier Transportation Services
Best Photography - Carpe Vita Photography
Best New Venue - Union Station

Remember to register for the September BMEP!

Click on the link below to register!

http://www.blogger.com/www.regonline.com/september_2009_bi_monthly_educational_program

Images from the ISES Eventworld 2009 are now available for you to view and download at no cost!

Doorstep Photography has partnered with Zenfolio.com to provide you with easy access to your images. Please feel free to download as many as you like and please credit Doorstep Photography if images are used for any promotional or advertising purposes.

Please go to www.Zenfolio.com and type in: EW09 in the search criteria in the upper right corner. When you find a folder you want to look through, double click on it and then you can select photos you want to view and download. Right click on any image and you will have the option to download the original file to your desktop.
For more photographic services offered by Doorstep Photography, please visit their Web site at: www.doorstepdigital.com

2009 Southeast Regional Education Conference:
The Greater Triangle North Carolina ISES Chapter is honored to be hosting the 2009 Southeast Regional Education Conference (REC) from November 13 - 15, 2009 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Please click here or go to http://www.isesncrec.com/ for more information.

Check your ISES Membership Listing!
In order to keep your member record as accurate as possible, please take the time to look over your membership listing and make changes if necessary. To view your listing please visit the ISES Finder ServiceThe best way to find your listing is to search by "Last Name". To make changes to your listing, log onto www.ises.com using the "ISES Member Login" box. Once you are successfully logged in you will see a box with your name above the "My ISES" box. In this box, there will be a link "Update My Profile". Click on this link and update your member information. **Student members are not listed on the ISES website. If you have questions regarding your ISES membership, please contact Tom McCurrie, ISES Membership Services Associate.

Search Foundation Raises over $25,000 at EventWorld 2009

The SEARCH Foundation hosted its 2nd annual fundraiser at the ISES EventWorld. The SEARCH Foundation supports event professionals confronted with a catastrophic occurrence. An estimated 200 guests attended the event held at the San Francisco Design Center.

The event was hosted by the Napa-Sonoma and Northern California Chapters of ISES. Planner of the event and SEARCH Foundation Board member Sasha Souza said, "Over 60 sponsors lined up to help us help others. The event, themed "A Perfect Pairing," highlighted eleven of the Bay Area’s top wineries and caterers for an exquisite culinary experience. Each tasting area was beautifully decorated with local floral designers, and the multi-level Design Center gave everyone a bird’s eye view of the entire event."

The advance showing of the new SEARCH Foundation video was a highlight of the evening. After viewing the sneak preview of the video explaining the mission and featuring some of the recipients who tell their heartfelt stories, David Merrell of AOO Events, Los Angeles, CA said: "It is powerfully moving, and a great reminder of why we ALL need SEARCH."

Many silent auction items were generously donated by industry sponsors, and by using an exciting new electronic bidding technology developed by IML, an Audience Response system. Guests were delighted that they could enjoy the event while networking, dancing, and bid on the hand-held bidding machines from anywhere in the venue, while watching the accumulated bids on the large screen. "Seeing the visual representation of a champagne glass on the big screen, filling up as live pledging was done using this new technology was exhilarating," said SEARCH Foundation Chairman Larry Green. "It definitely helped us raise more funds."

During this incredible evening, the most important perfect pairing was the SEARCH Foundation and the many attendees who gave generously to the cause. Whether it was by pledging money, bidding on an auction item or even just attending the event, all guests helped make a difference in the lives of event professionals confronted with a catastrophic occurrence.

SEARCH would like to thank the following sponsors: Audio Art AV, 9 Catering Services, Alisha + Brook Photographers, Artesa Winery, Artisan Production Group, Associated Entertainment Consultants, Barbara Llewellyn Catering & Events, Barbara Vakassian Florals, Blueprint Studios, Blue Water Party Rentals, Chateau Felice Winery, Chateau St. Jean Winery, Chimney Rock Winery, CORT Event Furnishings. Denon & Doyle Entertainment, Donut du Jour, Dragonfly Floral, Everything Audio Visual, Feast Catering, Flaxx Floral Design, Fleur de Vie, Go West Events & Multimedia, Gary Jones Presents…, Got Light, Grapevine Catering. Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment, Gundlach Bundschu Winery, HopMonk Tavern, IML Audience Response, ISES Napa-Sonoma, ISES Northern California, Julie Stevens Design, Just Cake, La Bonne Cuisine, La Tavola Fine Linens, Landmark Vineyards, Living Room Events, Mandy Scott Flowers, Marshall Entertainment Group, Masterpiece, McCall’s Catering, McCall’s Floral, Method42, Michael Daigian Design, Miraglia Catering, MOSS Inc., Nancy Liu Chin Designs, Napa Valley StemTrends, Ornamento, Park Avenue Catering, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, Pure Luxury Transportation, Ravenswood Winery, Rutherford Hill Winery, San Francisco Design Center, Sasha Souza Events, Seghesio Family Vineyards, Signature Hospitality Group, Soulflower Floral Design, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Thomas John Events, and Violetta.
For more information, and to donate, go to www.searchfoundation.org.
SEARCH Foundation is a not-for-profit 501C3 charity that provides assistance to event professionals during times of crisis.

For more information visit www.searchfoundation.org 877-777-9340