1.  REGISTER TODAY. Bring a friend and check out Austin’s newest event space: Deep Eddy Hacienda.

Tuesday, September 21st 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saving Green – Going Green : Best Sustainable Practices for you RIGHT NOW

Deep Eddy Hacienda 700 Winsted Austin, TX 78703

2. The COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE will meet on Thursday, September 16th from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at St. Edwards University. Many of you have expressed interest in several open opportunities–there’s plenty of room for YOU. Have a great ongoing social media or communication idea you’d like to own/implement? Simply want visit and learn more? Join us. For more information please contact Kelley Burrus at kelley@clinkevents.com.

3. Member Benefit of the Month: Kinko’s! Sign-up here–the savings are amazing.

4. Benefiting CulinART: Amy Cook will be playing a private acoustic concert for Crave Catering (the winning bidders from CulinART 2010) on Sunday, September 12 at Deep Eddy Hacienda. The concert will benefit The Wright House Wellness Center, offering care and compassion to Central Texans living with or at risk of HIV and other chronic illnesses and providing resources for support, education, and empowerment.

Please SAVE-THE-DATE for CulinART 2011 on Thursday, February 17th, 2011 at the Austin Music Hall. More details to follow soon!!

5.  CSEP, CSEP, CSEP…do it.Learn more about what it is, why you should consider getting it and exactly what it will take to get there. CSEP outline. Also, be sure to make plans to join the ISES Austin CSEP Discussion Group on September 28th! For more information contact Mary Baird Wilcock at mary@thesimplifiers.com.

1.  Don’t miss the next ISES Program on Tuesday, September 21st 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saving Green – Going Green : Best Sustainable Practices for you RIGHT NOW

Deep Eddy Hacienda 700 Winsted Austin, TX 78703

2. ISES Austin has been challenged to put together a team of out members to compete in NEAWP’s 2010 Olympics Event on Wednesday September 15th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at The Star of Texas Event Center.  The cost is $25.00 per team member.  We are still a few folks shy of a team!! If you would like to participate on the ISES Austin team, contact Stacey Hoyt at staceyhoyt@mac.com and be sure to include your shirt size.

3. The Communication Committee will meet on Thursday, September 16th at 5:30 p.m. at St. Edward’s University. Get your voice heard–opportunities on blog, social media, website management, vendor outreach interviews plus much more. Students welcome! For more information please contact Kelley Burrus at kelley@clinkevents.com.

4. The Smile Never Fades Annual Gala will be held next Thursday, September 9 from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at The Long Center. See previous blog post. Help raise money for Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas by supporting this wonderful event.

5.

Attend six regular ISES meetings for the price of five!

Devoted ISES members, have we got a deal for you…buy the ICE PACK for a cool $150 and get automatically registered to attend all the remaining regular monthly ISES Austin meetings in the 2010-2011 year and save $30.

Meeting dates include: 9/21/10, 10/19/10, 1/18/11, 3/15/11, 4/19/11, 5/17/11.*

ICE PACK must be pre-paid in full by September 20, 2010 and registrations are non-transferable, non-refundable.

*The ICE PACK does not include any master series courses, student 101 workshops, the annual ISES Austin holiday fundraiser, the CulinART 2011 fundraiser or the June Awards Gala.  The ICE PACK is for regular monthly meetings of ISES Austin.

To take part in this special deal, contact Mary Baird-Wilcock, President-Elect/Director of Finance at 512-695-7744 or via email at mary@thesimplifiers.com by September 20th.

]]> http://isesaustin.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=978 1 http://isesaustin.com/blog/?p=976 http://isesaustin.com/blog/?p=976#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:31:21 +0000 Kelley http://isesaustin.com/blog/?p=976

ISES Austin wins Spirit of Excellence Award

The Austin Chapter of the International Special  Events Society received the coveted Spirit of Excellence Award in Special Projects for its production of CulinArt. This is the first Spirit of Excellence Award for the ISES Austin Chapter. CulinArt is as a fundraiser celebrating the artistic elements of fine food and beverages, including food preparation as performance art. The event also serves as a showcase of the talented members of ISES, who donate goods and services to benefit a local nonprofit.  For the third consecutive year, CulinART partnered with The Wright House Wellness Center, an organization that provides care and compassion to Central Texans living with or at risk of chronic illness by providing resources for support, education and empowerment.

by Melissa Robinson Jameson

1) Networking– probably the best reason to come to Evenworld is all the connections you will make once you get here. The opportunities to connect and form deep rooted relationships that help you grow and advance in the industry are endless!

2) Motivation-We have all had periods in our career where we move into idle. Eventworld will help rejuvenate you and your commitment to success. With motivational speakers like Mike Rayburn [link to http://www.mikerayburn.com/] who challenge you to ask the right questions to the fundraising idea you get from another chapter; you will leave Eventworld with a new gusto for your career life.

3)Education-Learning happens everywhere. The Eventworld conference planners have a pulse on what event specialists want to learn and need to know in today’s economy, and they deliver! But learning does not stop once you leave the hotel conference room, it extends beyond the walls into the conversations you have with other ISES members from around the world that challenge you to think in new and creative ways.

4)Fun-People in the event industry know how to have a good time and Eventworld is no exception. From entertainment, to food, to décor –the fun never stops, so get ready to have a good time.

5) Friends: What could be better than spending a weekend with your ISES Austin friends in a destination![see if you can get Stacey to send you the pic of all the ISES Austin Event world attendees]

So save the date:

Eventworld 2011

St. Louis

Aug. 4-6

The Hospitality & Event industry prides itself on service and making the client feel #1. At least that is what many of us strive for. As a business owner I feel that “good service” is a gold standard and that without this exceptional level of service then the value is gone. So I tossed it out to the best in the biz and this is what they said…

This week’s question:

Why should “good service” be an essential part of anyone’s business?

“Good service is crucial and even more so when you have an intangible product like event planning.  Service is your primary product.  Exceptional service sets you apart from the competition allowing for higher price points and repeat business. “
Christy Caffrey, CMP, The Driskill Hotel

“I believe a good business, or one that wants to be successful, should continually have repeat clients, not just new clients. And in order to do so, a business needs to offer quality work with exceptional customer service. You must connect with your client and form a relationship with them. Without that, a business cannot be profitable in the long run.”
Shannon Ferguson, The Inviting Pear

“Today’s customer has a world of options when it comes to doing business.  In order for a business to distinguish itself from its competitors, that business needs to deliver outstanding service in a friendly & professional manner.  At Premiere Party Central we are always reminded to “under promise & over deliver.””
Diane Lyerly, Premiere Party Central

“You have heard of ‘go the extra mile’. If you don’t your competitor will. Ask yourself, what separates you from them? Service is probably the answer.”
Bill Bastas, Bill Bastas Photography

“Service is truly the ONLY differentiator in our business. Your direct competitors, whatever your field of endeavor, can have what you have . . . they can match your products and other deliverables . . . they can replicate your pricing, your promotions and your perks . . . but they cannot “be” you. The only thing that distinguishes one business from another is SERVICE. It’s the knowledge and belief that you / your company will go the extra mile . . . that you practice the “service” commitment that you preach . . .  it’s positive customer service experiences that build customer loyalty and perpetuate positive word of mouth!”
Delores Crum, Premiere Party Central

“Good service is an essential part of any business as it speaks volumes to the company’s work culture; their belief system on how the customer should be treated; and how the business wants to be remembered from a brand perspective.”
Cindy Y. Lo, Red Velvet Events, Inc.

“Customer Service is the foundation of all successful business.  Anyone can offer products.  It is peace of mind and no stress customer value as much or more than the products we offer. It is the wonderful event that is remembered not the products supplied.”
Damon W. Holditch, Marquee Event Group

Attend six regular ISES meetings for the price of five!

Devoted ISES members, have we got a deal for you…buy the ICE PACK for a cool $150 and get automatically registered to attend all the remaining regular monthly ISES Austin meetings in the 2010-2011 year and save $30.  Meeting dates include: 9/21/10, 10/19/10, 1/18/11, 3/15/11, 4/19/11, 5/17/11.*
ICE PACK must be pre-paid in full by September 20, 2010 and registrations are non-transferable, non-refundable.

*The ICE PACK does not include any master series courses, student 101 workshops, the annual ISES Austin holiday fundraiser, the CulinART 2011 gala or the June Awards gala.  The ICE PACK is for regular monthly meetings of ISES Austin.

To take part in this special deal, contact Mary Baird-Wilcock, President-Elect/Director of Finance at 512-695-7744 or via email at mary@thesimplifiers.com by September 20th.

Bill Bastas, an incredible long-time member of ISES Austin (and one who joyfully shares his event photos) will soon release his fourth heartwarming volume of stories and photos of survivors of breast cancer–focused on the survivor and their relationship with their pets.

After losing his wife, Michelle, Bill started a foundation to help give help and support to those diagnosed with the disease. KVUE recently profiled his efforts, view the KVUE profile here.

Join in his efforts for breast cancer awareness–ATTEND THE GALA and give.  The Smile Never Fades.

Well done, friend.

Bill wishes to recognize the invaluable support and help he receives annually from Damon Holdith, CSEP / Marquee Event Group and Larry Kille, Sterling Affairs.

1. Although early registration is closed, you can still join on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. for the kickoff event of the season! Gibson Showroom/Penn Field!

2. Stop in for information on joining the Membership Committee on August 24th from 4:30-5:30  at Marquee 616 Howard Lane. Everyone is welcome! For more information contact Rachel Church at rachel@marqueerents.com

3. The committees for CulinART 2011 are forming now. Many opportunities to share your vision exist. For more information, contact Heather Carroll at heatherc.58@gmail.com or Matthew Gonzales mgonzales@bbjlinen.com

4. We’re always looking for new ideas, people, places to be featured on blog. Simply write up what you’d like to share and send us an email to news@isesaustin.com.

5. ISES Austin continues to grow….our chapter is at #107 members, an all time record high. Do someone a favor and share with them the benefits of our network.

The Top Five Thing You Should Know About Our Chapter This Week

1. Every year at Eventworld ISES presents chapters with awards for excellence called The Spirit of Excellence Awards.  On Saturday, August 7, 2010 the Austin ISES Chapter was chosen to receive the Spirit of Excellence award in Special Projects for their annual fundraiser, CulinART. This is a huge achievement for our chapter!  Kudos to the 2010 CulinART Committee and special thanks to Melissa Jameson/St. Edwards University for the hard work she put into the the award submission!

2. Register for the August 18th meeting! Don’t be left out–channel your inner ROCKSTAR as you work as a team to write lyrics and perform in a band. The hottest team building experience in Austin! This will kick off the annual programming for ISES Austin!

3. Student Opportunity…..Now is the time to get your foot in the door and JOIN ISES as a student member! Networking…workshops…student committee… OPPORTUNITY! It’s all at your fingertips. And did we mention it’s only $35? Contact Aubrey Byfield at aubreybyfield@gmail.com for more information on how YOU can be involved in ISES Austin!

4. CulinART Committee Meeting. Chairs: Heather Carroll and Matthew Gonzales

What: CulinART 2011 Meeting    I Who:  Anyone who is interested in taking an active role!

When:  Monday, Aug. 16th @ 5:00pm      I Where: BBJ Linens (700 W. 34th St.)

Why:  We want your ideas and feedback!!      I Contact: Heather Carroll for more information at heatherc.58@gmail.com

5. The Communications Committee has several open opportunities. Blogging, photographing and alerting, Oh, my……. To learn more, contact Kelley Burrus at kelley@clinkevents.com.