Mikel Marketing Newsletter

all work and no play? no way!
by: mimi dinh

Quite a few things come to mind when we think of Vegas: casinos, celebrities, gambling, night clubs, shopping, restaurants, etc.; what many of us don’t think of is work. While I would hardly call my time spent in Vegas work, that’s precisely why I was there. This February, I traveled to Las Vegas as a guest speaker for the 2009 CaterSource / Event Solutions Conference & Trade Show.

Event Solutions—in partnership with Catersource Magazine, Conference & Tradeshow—held their annual conference and tradeshow in Las Vegas, Feb. 22 - 26, 2009. The award-winning event brings together planners, producers, caterers, suppliers and designers from all over the world, empowering planners to conquer the dynamic challenges facing event businesses, while growing professional opportunities.

In 2007, the show was named Best Conference & Expo, beating out the event “O! You” by The Oprah Magazine, to win the top FOLIO: Awards for Magazine Events award in its category. With corporate and association certificate options from Event Solutions and the University of Las Vegas’ hospitality school, continuing education credits, a series of courses for master planners, and series covering “green” events and weddings, it’s the most complete event education in the industry. This year, more than 7,000 attendees and 800 exhibit booths made it a successful show for all. (www.event-solutions.com)

Practice makes perfect…
Though I was flattered to be asked to speak at such a prestigious event, I must admit I was extremely nervous, especially when I found out I had one hour+ to speak. Wanting to excel verbally as well as visually, I began preparing my presentation months in advance. This process, which I knew was going to be extensive, ended up taking me four months to prepare, and I continued to revise it until the last minute…thank goodness I didn’t procrastinate.

A little overwhelmed and not knowing where to begin, I just dove right in. Immediately, I realized the problem wasn’t finding the material, it was actually breaking it all down and fashioning it into an organized and interesting production. After an extensive “process of elimination,” sorting through notes, marketing materials, images, etc., my project was finally starting to take shape. My topic, “Invites and More: Branding the Event Experience with Effective Marketing Materials,” had finally been defined, my materials had a consistent flow, and the six case studies I had decided to incorporate created the perfect transitions from subject to subject. To equally stimulate my audience visually, I spent as much time carefully selecting images for my Power Point as I did written the content. In addition, I created two supplemental display boards, complete with paper material samples, packaging styles, invitation samples, and more; all of which were fastened by Velcro so the audience could touch and feel each item afterwards.

In what turned out to be a very successful attempt to fine tune my presentation, I invited my friends and industry professionals to a ‘focus group’ session at my office the week before my big day for a ‘mock talk’. This session turned out to be exactly what I needed. Everyone gave me valuable advice, feedback, and pointers. It was with their help that I was able to hone in my skills and perfect my presentation.

Work…
Though the convention was being held at the Las Vegas Hilton, my friend Mary and I stayed at the Paris Las Vegas because one hotel was far too small to accommodate all of the attendees. After checking in to our hotel, we immediately went to the registration booth, and were pleasantly surprised by how organized everything was: our badges, event information, transportation tickets, etc. were given to us without any problems or delay…I love it when that happens!

While the Paris Las Vegas didn’t exactly compare to the real Paris, our hotel was quite charming and a pleasure to stay at. It captured all of the intricate details of Paris, right down to the cobblestone streets and replica of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. The building walls surrounding the casino were modeled after those of actual French neighborhoods, including the occasional “for sale” sign in the window. As I walked these streets to the French cafes, pastry shops, and restaurants, nostalgic French “elevator music” made the experience that much more believable. Our frequent stop was the patisserie where we had more sinful desserts and pastries than we should have. Yum!

To take advantage of all four days and everything the convention had to offer, my friend and I would wake up early, eat breakfast, and head out. We mapped out our itinerary for each day, trying to attend as many of the classes as possible. Every session was so informative and inspiring I couldn’t wait to get to the next. I learned everything from creating winning event proposals to trendy new hors d’oeuvres for receptions – from building successful relationships between event planners and caterers to using Twitter to promote an event… The topics were amazing; we wanted to attend them all. They were informative, inspiring, and fun!

In addition to the sessions, I really enjoyed the actual trade show. With more than 1,000 exhibits, we must have visited at least half. I couldn’t believe all of the different vendors; there were booths for floral arrangements, table settings, dishware, lighting & sound, etc. If you’re having trouble imagining it, try picturing a bridal extravaganza or home & garden show on steroids. It was definitely overwhelming, yet rousing at the same time. As we wandered from booth to booth, we had the great pleasure of munching on some of the yummiest treats I have ever tasted. Fitting for such an event, top caterers from around the nation were here as well, offering samples of their finest wines, hors d’ oeuvres, and desserts. It’s not surprising Mary and I were so full when we left.

Play…
It seemed like at every moment there was always something exciting going on. While we would have loved to attend all of the events associated with the convention, we chose two in particular. The first event was the outdoor BBQ Lunch. Because it was on the first day, this was the perfect event to mingle casually, enjoy a great meal, and just relax. I even got my own little taste of Texas right in the heart of Vegas!

The second event we went to was the 2009 Fabulous Showcase Event held at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Body English. As soon as we walked in, we were mesmerized. Dancers positioned around the night club seemed to emerge organically from architectural elements. Outfitted in spandex, they moved to the techno music and fascinated everybody there. We could even join in by stepping inside a frame and moving to the beat ourselves. This event was the most memorable by far. The moving and dancing combined with the patterns and lighting cast on the spandex was truly amazing. Talk about innovative ideas for event entertainment!

By now, you’re probably wondering when I’m going to get to the juicy stuff. All this talk about Vegas without a hint of nightlife; well, perhaps my next few nights will interest you. Though our time there was limited, Mary and I managed to visit three different nightclubs…just to see what Vegas was really all about.

Our clubs of choice ended up being Privé, a South Beach-style lounge located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino known for attracting stars like Pamela Anderson, Joel Madden, Eddie Murphy, Janet Jackson, and Bruce Willis. Also, Pure, a chic, modern venue that caters to the most discerning, upscale clientele, recognized for producing some of the most progressive music mixes on the club scene; and last but not least, LAX, located in the Luxor Hotel & Casino, which plays hosts to DJ extraordinaires like DJ AM and DJ Vice, and is the destination of choice for club-goers, A-list celebrities and social jet setters.

Everywhere we went, we were honestly shocked by the hospitality and special treatment we received. At each club, we were invited or escorted to the VIP section, given complimentary bottle service, and treated with the utmost respect. I am more of a “lounge” girl, preferring to be in a more laid back atmosphere with mellow, down tempo music where people can carry a conversation. And while I remain partial to the European and Miami lounge scene, Mary and I were certainly in the groove as we danced to the music, sipped sassy cocktails, and witnessed Vegas’ true colors.

It’s no secret that that too much work combined with too much play can wear a person out; however, we weren’t going to let a little tiredness slow us down. We had worked the convention, attended events and experienced the nightlife, now there was one thing left to do: shop. If you thought we were going to leave Vegas without any type of retail fix, you thought wrong. Taking shape in the form of 170 specialty stores, Vegas’ Miracle Mile may be one of the longest, yet fiercest fashion districts I’ve ever seen. Offering everything from American Apparel and True Religion Brand Jeans to BCBG MAXAZRIA and Marciano, we were in shopping heaven. And, it was nice to see a lot of affordable prices; I didn’t feel like fainting every time I looked at a price tag. I’m proud to say didn’t do too much damage, although I couldn’t say the same for my friend Mary. But hey, who can blame her?

Farewell Sin City…
While my time spent in Vegas could be considered a vacation, I consider it more of a learning experience. The CaterSource / Event Solutions Conference & Trade Show was by far the most exquisite and valuable conference I have been to thus far. The combination of classes, exhibits, event functions, and trade show created what I image is every industry professionals’ dream come true. I had every resource I use on daily basis right there in front of me, teaching and showing me new ways to do my job better. In addition, by coming here, I was given the rare opportunity to meet not only the “head-honchos” in the industry, but also countless other event planners just like myself. The relationships and contacts I built with some of these people, in conjunction with the knowledge I gained from so many classes are without a doubt my most prized souvenir. On that note, this was a trip where “what happened in Vegas, should definitely not stay in Vegas!”

Mark your calendars for next year’s show, March 7 - 11, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Paris Hotel. Whether you are in the event coordination, fund-raising, hospitality, decoration, lighting, sound, and staging business, or simply want to learn how to plan an event, this convention has plenty to offer. Maybe we’ll see you there next year!