Spooky Cocktails

Need some spooky libations for your Halloween party? Check out Event Solutions' "5 Frightening Shocktails" recipes. Who knew you could create candy corn infused vodka or drink a "brain hemmorage"?

ISES Industry Olympix

This spring I organized the Industry Olympix event for the Dallas Chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES).

The Industry Olympics is an annual event which brings local hospitality industry organizations together for an evening of fun and competition. Each organization has a team and they battle the other organizations for the championship title.

We decided the Dallas Zoo would be a perfect place to host the event and themed everything around it – from the décor to the team challenges. Teams paid a nominal fee to register and select a mascot from a list of zoo animals. Their registration fee was donated to the zoo in order to sponsor their mascot animal. Teams really got into the spirit of things and many wore costumes based on their mascots.

Environmentally friendly, upscale safari décor adorned the open air pavilion. A mixture of animal print and burlap linens added color and texture to the room. In order to keep the animal prints from overpowering the look they were paired with neutral khaki and brown linens which balanced the look. Reusable potted plants and lanterns served as “green” centerpieces which can, and have been reused multiple times. Bamboo table runners and leather lounge seating completed the look and added more neutral touches of brown and white. Finally, animal themed statues and plush toys brought a bit of whimsy to the space.

The competition was an “Amazing Race” style challenge consisting of multiple clues, riddles and challenges which led teams on a quest all over the zoo! Each challenge was animal themed and tied into its surroundings. This format allowed guests to see most of the zoo and get up close with some of its furry, feathery and scaly residents.

Guests who weren’t assigned to a team were able to follow the competition, explore the zoo at their leisure or play carnival games at the pavilion such as “whack-a-mole”. Our very own “ostrich jockey” posed with guests for humorous pictures!

This year’s event was a huge success. Thank you to all who attended and to our generous sponsors: Astounding Sounds, Amusement Masters, Cloth Connection, Dallas Zoo, iEntertainment, K&S Photography, LiveWire, Significant Events of Texas, and Ultimate Ventures.

If you would like to participate in next year’s event then visit www.isesdallas.com to sign up for their newsletter.

What do clients look for in new vendors?

BizBash's Claire Hoffman asked several event industry professionals what they look for in a new vendor. Here are their insightful and enlightening answers. Are YOU living up to these standards with your new and existing clientele?

How Do You Test a New Vendor? BizBash

How to Ask Your Parents to Help Pay for Your Wedding

How do you delicately approach the subject of money when family is involved? According to Anna Post (the great-great granddaughter of ettiquette guru Emily Post) you should first establish clear and realistic expectations for your wedding and budget. Once you determine what you can afford and what is a true "must have" then you can broach the sensitive subject of money with your loved ones.

Check out Anna's excellent tips on how to ask your parents for financial help for your wedding in today's Daily Worth article here.

Then check out the Emily Post wedding budget worksheet here.

Happy planning!

Super Bowl; Super Storm

Ultimate Ventures (the Destination Management Company I work for in Dallas/Fort Worth) overcame great hurdles to provide exceptional service to our clients during Super Bowl XLV. The "snowmaggedon" storm put a damper on everyone's plans, but our team stepped up to the challenge.

ConWorld published an article today which outlines the challenges - and how we overcame them.

The stage was set for one of the biggest and best-attended Super Bowls in history… and then Mother Nature came calling. Read the rest of the article here

What all does a "Day of" Wedding Planner Really Do?

Day of wedding planners do much more than just show up at the wedding to help out. Their work typically begins weeks or months out and includes examining the wedding site, reviewing contracts, creating schedules, floorplans and more. Be sure you understand the scope of a planner's services before selecting such help or evaluating how much their help is really worth.

Check out WIPA's white paper which addresses the definition and expectations of a "day of" wedding planner WIPA Publishes White Paper Clarifying Roles Event Solutions

Gobos: More than just a character on Fraggle Rock

Many new event planners may hear a word used frequently that reminds them of early morning 80's cartoons and wonder "what the heck does a Fraggle named Gobo have to do with event lighting"?

A gobo is actually an excellent lighting tool used to create patterns, logos and other images using light. According to wikipedia the goofy name is actually an acroynm for "Goes Between Optics".

There are three main types of gobos which I see frequently used at events: Steel, Black & White Glass and Colored Glass.

Steel

I like to think of these as lighting "stencils". They mask off part of a light and only let it through in the shape of your image - much like a stencil does for paint. These are typically the most affordable type of gobo however they can only display one color at a time (usually provided by a color gel placed over the light along with the gobo) and solid blocks of color. You cannot add shading and small details can become blurred. Custom steel gobos are usually available for less than $100.

They can produce effects such as these when "colored" by a gel.

Black and White Glass

Glass gobos are custom fabricated and allow for grayscale, shading and finer detail. Black and white glass gobos can still only display one color if they are gelled.

Color Glass

These are the most versatile - and typically the most expensive type of gobos. The benefit is that they can display a multi-colored image, shading and even recreate photographic images (though the image won't be as clear as a digital projection). They can run as high as $500 each or more.

Gobos on their own are just a template. They don't work unless they are affixed to a special light source such as a Leko light.

There are a variety of sizes of gobos and lighting units so ensure you know what size your light requires before having a gobo produced. Typically gobos come in sizes such as A, B, C, D, E, G & M. I most commonly use A & B.

Make sure you have realistic expectations of where your gobo can be displayed. Flat surfaces work best and the light needs to be shone straight at the surface if you desire a distortion free projection (such as a logo). Therefore you need to make sure there is a good rigging point directly across from the surface you desire the gobo to be displayed on.

Abstract and natural patterns (such as leaves and clouds) are a little more forgiving since distortion doesn't ruin the image.

The space between the light and surface must be obstruction free of the light will be blocked and a shadow will break up your projection image. Also be careful that the gobo light won't be shining directly into guests' eyes since Leko lights tend to be VERY powerful.