ISES PORTLAND SUMMER SOIREE

The June ISES event was great, now wait ‘til you see August! Our first annual “ISES Portland Summer Soiree” will take place on the rooftop at the Hotel DeLuxe in downtown Portland! Mark your calendars now for Thursday, August 25th, from 5:30pm until 8:30pm. We’ll have music, casino gaming courtesy of Team Casino,delicious free Hawaiian smoothies and espressos from Maui Wowi, as well as free heavy appetizers and a no-host bar featuring beer, wine, and great cocktails, from Gracie’s Catering at the DeLuxe.

The vistas from DeLuxe’s rooftop venue ALONE are worth the price of admission, but check this out: For the August ISES event only, you may bring a guest absolutely FREE! Nope, that’s not a typo. Bring a colleague or event industry associate, a friend, spouse, or partner to enjoy the evening with. That’s TWO for the price of ONE! We just ask that you REGISTER both yourself and your guest so that we have an accurate attendance count in advance.

Join us and our sponsors––Gracies Catering at Hotel DeLuxe, Maui Wowi, Team Casino, Paparazzi Tonight, Hollywood Lighting Services, Royce’s Prop Shop, Convention Foliage, and MORE––on August 25th as we light up the night with the ISES Portand Summer Soiree!

Click HERE to register.

ISES Portland plays at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum

If you didn’t make it to the June event at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, you really missed out....the event was a blast! There was much mingling and networking in the Aviation Museum and on the Raz Transportation coach on the way out, for those folks that chose to ride out to McMinnville in style. Everyone took some time to tour the many historical aircraft and especially the magnificent (and enormous!) Spruce Goose. A few lucky attendees won the drawing to tour the cockpit, while the rest of us walked across the property to tour the brand new Aerospace museum. We enjoyed a delicious meal, a narrated wine tasting, and dessert overlooking the many spacecraft and related exhibits in this great new venue. Afterwards, everyone went to the events building for an Omnimax presentation to round out the evening.

Integrity in the Middle of A Downturn

The stress of finding a job or generating new business and dealing with financial ups and downs has a lot of us in the events industry (and nearly everywhere else) scrambling these days. It's also created a side effect of Survival of the Fittest with people doing anything they can to outsmart, outlast, and outdo the competition. While healthy competition never hurt anyone and is basically The American Way, when you compete, do it with integrity. The mark of a true professional is not only how one performs but also how they handle themselves ethically in their business and personal dealings. Just a little food for thought.

Think you’re all caught up with social networking? I’ll bet you aren’t!

By now, most of you have probably heard of the three most talked-about online networking tools; Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If you aren’t on at least TWO of these sites (and your intention is to get your brand in front of as many new connections as possible), then you’ll probably want to drop this blog immediately and get caught up. But, for us Event Professionals, there are even more specialized sites to consider. Virtually all of these are free these days, and while we could argue all day about the effectiveness of one site over another, the time that it takes to get “connected” makes doing so a no-brainer. Many of these sites also let you upload your logo, photos, client lists, videos, and etc….again, for FREE.

Please post a comment if you know of others, there are bound to be loads of them!

Check these out (in no particular order):

http://community.ises.com/ISES/
This of course is our very own international collection of industry pros, open to ISES members only.

http://bravoevent.com/VIPlanners/
Your friendly local events industry publication has a free social site.

http://www.greenyourtheme.com/
For “sustainable” minded events businesses, this new and upcoming site is a great way to get connected.

http://www.projectwedding.com/
A robust wedding site that is very end-user savvy, this one brings your customers directly to you and gives you a broad palette of tools to display your wares.

http://www.merchantcircle.com/
This is more general, but has similarly rich advertising tools that are free for you to use, and has a connections function as well.

http://www.yelp.com/portland
If you have a physical location (such as a storefront), it’s a good idea to go hear to see how people are reviewing you! Once there, you can commandeer the data this site presents about you, upload photos, and lots more. Very cool.

https://app.cvent.com/Subscribers/Login.aspx
Cvent’s free listing network is easy and quick to use. From this launching page, you’ll have to click for your free “supplier” or “planner” profile.

ISES May Monthly Meeting Recap

The ISES Early Show with our host, Mathew Weber was a great success and a lot of fun. Here's to the stars of Sustainable Catering:

Grace Pae, Artemis Foods

Max Popejoy, Celebrate Catering

Mark Lopez, Crave Catering

Rob Leon, Phresh Organic Catering

A special thanks for making this event happen Mathew with A Swank Affair, Hollywood Lighting Services, Think AV, Alesia Zorn Calligraphy, First Unitarian Church, Peter Corvallis Productions.

Go Green at the ISES May Meeting

What: A fun, interactive way to learn while you dine.

When: Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Where: First Unitarian Church

Address: 1226 SW Salmon St Portland, OR 97205

IMPORTANT: To accommodate for the Memorial Day weekend the May meeting will be held 1 week earlier than normal.

Today's planners are demanding greener choices in all aspects of their events.  This month, ISES brings you a compelling yet entertaining look at one of the most important pieces of the sustainable meetings and events puzzle:  The Menu!  Join us on May 19th as our "Stars of Sustainable Catering" guide you through a four-course luncheon that will put you on your way to making your next event as green as it can be! 

And if you are thinking that Sustainable Catering means "goodbye to meat" or "hello Tofu burgers," you're in for a big surprise:  This is hearty, fresh, and delicious cooking....done by some of Portlands finest chefs!  

This month ISES will fuse learning, entertainment, and magnificent organic foods:  You'll enjoy a sumptuous four-course lunch while learning the secrets of locally-sourced menu planning from the best of the best.

You'll learn not just what ingredients go into sustainable menus, but just as importantly, we'll show you the best practices that make your caterer a truly earth-friendly organization.  We'll also help you understand the ins and outs of selling sustainable catering to your end-users.

The First Unitarian Church will be our host, offering three different traditional auditorium spaces along with the gorgeous, LEED certified Buchan Reception Hall.

RSVP HERE 

ISES April Member Showcase

On April 28th, ISES Portland will be hosting a very special TWO PART event!

THE FIRST PART is the annual ISES Member Showcase, held from 10am - 12pm. This is FREE for all events industry professionals to attend! Come see and network with event suppliers and planners from a wide range of businesses, all under one roof.

And what a roof it is! We'll be hosted by the Scottish Rite Center, at 709 SW 15th Street. Situated in the heart of downtown Portland, the Scottish Rite Center is a unique Northwest landmark. For decades, the historic building was at the very core of Portland's social and business fabric. Now, it is a unique and very special location for events, entertainment, and gatherings of all types!

THE SECOND PART  of our April event will be our usual monthly luncheon, held from 12pm - 1:30pm. This will be a paid event, and as always, the $30 fee buys you a delicious lunch, great networking, and on-the-money education. We'll start the luncheon promptly at the close of the showcase, and it will be held right in the same building.

Lunch will be provided by Katering by Kurt. Founded in 1986 by Kurt and Jeanne Struben, they are honored to be among the Green Caterers listed in the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development. In 2007, they were recognized with a Blue Works Award for their continued efforts in environmentally responsible practices.

Our very special speaker for this luncheon will be Kathie Nelson. Here's what she will be teaching us:

Changing Rules: Doing Business in a New Economy

No more business as usual! With the shift in the economy, it is a whole new ball game these days. Things have to change. Figuring out where to start can be overwhelming. Statistics show that those who prepare for times of change are those who do more than just survive, they can thrive.

Prepare yourself to lead your customers and community. Entrepreneur and strategist, Kathie Nelson will inspire you with fresh insight and tools to sort through conventional business wisdom with critical new business strategies to guide you through the upcoming year.

At this powerful event you'll learn to:

• become the "Voice of Reason" in a turbulent business climate
• to better identify your ideal customers and grab their attention
• to get un-stuck when you find yourself stalled out
• successfully re-purpose, re-tool, or re-position yourself - and why you must do it
• create a business dashboard that keeps your finger on the pulse of the activities that make you money

Kathie's signature talks leave audiences motivated with tools in hand to more effectively serve customers and build sustainable businesses doing what they love.

WHO'S KATHIE?

Kathie Nelson, founder and CEO of Connectworks, is a serial entrepreneur and born powerhouse when it comes to connecting people to business growth. Kathie is a three time author, highly sought after speaker, top tier business strategist, and coach. Her contributions have impacted local organizations like Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon, Portland Business Alliance, and IKEA Portland as well as businesses across the US from boutique law firms to wineries to day spas. Find out more about Kathie and her latest e-book "Turn Passion to Profit", The Essential DIY Guide to Package your Talent, Leverage your Time, and Get the Clients you Want" at www.KathieNelson.com

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Register Now