Posts

Showing posts from July, 2017

Event Music: DJ Lee Dyson's Summer HOT PLAY LIST

Image
Is summer getting to you? Still working while it seems everyone else is on the beach? We got the anti-dote for the summer blues. Get up and DANCE! DJ Lee Dyson: "Normally I don't like pop music. That being said....so far in 2017...I'm loving pop music! Some really catchy and listenable stuff being released that is perfect for a long Sunday drive or relaxing by the pool. Enjoy!

Event Trend: Games, Games, Games

Image
'Play is not just essential for kids; it can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults as well. Playing with your romantic partner, friends, co-workers, pets, and children is a sure (and fun) way to fuel your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional well-being.' Source: HelpGuide.org in collaboration with Harvard Health Publications. No wonder 'Play' is such a trend in corporate events this year! Giant jenga, LED foosball tables, life-size Battleship.... it's games, games, games everywhere we look these days. We checked in with our experts, Justin Hapeman, Gary Bordman and Jeff Anderson to explore whether it is just our inner child's dream or an event trend reality. Happy to share our findings. The Premise: Play is a serious science. The preeminent expert is American physician, psychiatrist and TED speaker, Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play. Following the horrific Texas Tower mass

Working for a Good Cause: Alisa Walsh Reports from The 4th Annual SITE SoCal Poker Tournament

Image
Alisa Walsh, pictured here with Liz Smith from Destination Concepts, Inc.  her "partner in crime" in planning logistics for the tournament, was very honored when our friends at JNR invited her to expand her role with the tournament and come on board as a co-organizer. The Event: ALL IN Charity Poker Tournament,                   hosted by SITE SoCal Young Leaders and SITE Southern California Event Date: June 25, 2017, 11AM to 6PM Event Location: Hotel Irvine, Irvine, CA. The concept of the Annual SITE SoCal Poker Tournament: turn a meetings & events industry mingler into a very worthwhile fundraising opportunity for the San Diego Brain Tumor Foundation, founded in 2002 by our colleague Connie Reeves Campbell in memory of her late husband Dennis who lost his battle against a brain tumor in 2000. Hotels and suppliers come together enthusiastically to support the event by sponsoring tables and much more. SITE SoCal Chapter members love this fun occasion t

Event Report: Honoring the First Recipient of the Icons of LA Award, Stan Lee.

Image
The Event: UCLA Extension presents "Icons of LA" Award Event Date: June 29, 2017 Event Location: W Hotel Westwood It was such a pleasure to provide the event support to our friends at UCLA Extension for the inaugural "Icons of LA" Award reception. Meeting a personal super hero, the first Icon of LA recipient, Marvel's Stan Lee, was the cherry on top of our pie! Event producer Brynne Peña: "We have a long standing relationship with UCLA's event team and were very pleased to be invited to support the inaugural Icon of LA Award. Our design team went to work to create the graphics for the award program as well as all event decor, in UCLA blue and yellow, of course." Seeing the response to the event on social media is always an extra reward for us. Brynne shares: "Watching 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' will be an even more meaningful experience, now that I had the chance to meet the creator. I also like Stan Lee's advi

Event Report: The U.S. Air Force Academy Ring Dance – Toasting to Nostalgia, History & Tradition

Image
We recently had the opportunity and honor to again produce the United States Air Force Academy’s Annual Ring Dance for the Class of 2018, a celebration for some of the finest young people in the USA.  Executive Producer Kristen Rensch enjoyed the May snowstorm in Colorado. Kristen is no stranger to military aviation. Her father is a nearly 30-year decorated retired veteran and pilot of the U.S. Marine Corp. She spent part of her childhood on military bases, in flight simulators, and watching her father command flight squadrons. With other family members in various branches of the armed forces, and with a personal and professional aviation background herself (just ask her to quickly recite the phonetic alphabet!), there was something nostalgic and downright breathtaking about the Academy campus and this event. “The Academy grounds are dramatically beautiful, tucked into thousands of acres of western landscape. The scale of the large buildings and structures on campus