January Event Highlights :: Pinterest Workshop @ The Indianapolis Public Library

Today's January 30th "Pinterest Workshop:  Pinterest and Other Emerging Social Media Trends Workshop:  An In-Depth ISES Workshop for Event Professionals" was amazing and definitely full of knowledge and inspiration!  Special thank you to Crystal Grave, founder of Snappening.com, as she shared the basic ideas behind Pinterest and other related emerging media.  This expanded workshop was a result of our popular ISES EdCon session in October. This session started with a one-hour recap of the EdCon session, followed by in-depth examples and tutorials with the use of the products in real time.  Thank you also to Tiffany Benedict Berkson from Historic Indianapolis for the special guest appearance segment on Instagram.  

This was an ISES-Member-Only Event and we were all so thankful to be there!  Events like this are definitely one of the perks of joining ISES to be part of an awesome organization with amazing event professionals.  We could have listened to Crystal talk all day and really appreciated the outstanding advice and insights.  We were immediately inspired and educated about how to convert the use of these tools into real business opportunities. We learned more about the often underutilized Pinterest tools and how to drive traffic to our websites for potential business leads via Pinterest. Crystal was on hand to provide one-on-one assistance with attendees, answer specific questions and provide quick individual business tactics and ideas for each attendee.  All of us who attended left inspired, full of knowledge and the tools to act!  It was a great day with industry friends and lots of information that we all are going to start incorporating into our businesses.  We are all hoping to be P-E-R-F-E-C-T pinners soon.  

Thank you again to Crystal and her special guest, Tiffany!  Thank you again to all of you members and guests that attended the event.  We appreciate all of you!  Here are a few of the highlights from Kristin Hornberger Photography . . .  

Our favorite little guest . . . Little Miss Charlotte . . . that was born on October 31st.  She was worn out by all the excitement.  What a cutie.  Congrats, Megan and Tim King!  

 Thanks again!  Sincerely, your ISES Indiana Board of Directors

TSE Event Highlights from Chicago

Thank you to all of the ISES Indiana representation at The Special Event earlier this month.  It was a whirlwind of knowledge, inspiration and fun.  We loved seeing so many of you from our ISES Indiana Chapter in Chicago for the conference and events!  

Sincerely, your ISES Indiana Board of Directors

Industry Events :: Art of the Table

Art of the Table Event is March 3rd, 2013 1pm - 4pm

Find More Info about Art of the Table:  http://www.artofthetable.info/

Recognizing Excellence / Further information for PACE Extension

RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE:

What are the ISES Indiana PACE Awards?

The ISES Indiana PACE Awards (Professional Achievement in Creative Events) are designed to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts, performance, and outstanding contributions of ISES members in the special events planning industry. The ISES Indiana PACE Awards celebrate those event professionals who have turned their ideas into accomplishments. These awards are a stepping stone to the ISES Esprit Awards which are the mark of global distinction and the highest level of professional acknowledgement within the special events industry today. ISES Indiana has worked hard to format our awards this year to allow for an easy transition to submitting for ISES Esprit Awards.

Who can enter the awards?

Entries for any category are open only to 2012 ISES Indiana Chapter Members. To enter as a member, you must be listed on ises.com as a member on or before the day of the event which is being entered.

We want this to be easy for you! Ask about MENTORING for this week...

Submitting and actually winning an ISES Indiana PACE Award of Excellence is a major accomplishment in any professional's life. The learning curve is easy, and the process itself IS NOT as rigorous as one might think!

However, as a first timer and/or NEW Member it might seem to be daunting. We don't want it to be!!

As a pro bono contribution to your profession, ISES Indiana has put into place for this week the ability to be paired up with a mentor. You will be paired with a mentor outside of your entering category as to ensure no conflict of interests, etc.

You will consult with your mentor via telephone or email as you plan your submission. The submitter may ask to review and comment on their draft submission. However, the rules prevent the mentor from writing or editing any portion of their submission. We have many organizations anxious to help you with the process, so don't hesitate to reach out and find out from them what it means to be an Award winning organization!

Contact: PaceAwards@isesindiana.com if we can get you connected with a mentor today!

Please make sure to visit the PACE webpage so you can download the NEW submission forms with updated information. Please read carefully, so you are clear on submission fees, etc. It will be an additional $25.00 to submit a late entry.

On or Before Thursday, January 31, 2013: Drop Off Entries any Weekday from 8:00am - 5:00pm any day on or before January 31st by 5:00pm at the ISES Indiana Office:

8945 South Street, Fishers, Indiana 46038

Friday, March 8, 2013 • ISES Indiana PACE Awards Ceremony • Indiana State Museum • 650 W. Washington St. • Indianapolis, IN • 6:00pm-11:00pm

More Information about the PACE Awards on the ISES Indiana Website:

Visit the ISES PACE Awards Page Here

Member Spotlight :: Megan King

Megan King

Owner and Lead Photographer  |  Megelaine Images

Megan King

Megelaine Images

6173 Rosslyn Ave.

Indianapolis, IN  46220

Phone: 317 . 319 . 2055

• Check out the website:
• http://www.megelaine.com/

• Follow them on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/megelaineimages

Please "Like" on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/megelaineimages?ref=ts&fref=ts

• What is your title and position at your current company?  Owner and lead photographer with Megelaine Images

• What does your company do?  Wedding photojournalism is our focus, capturing wedding days in an authentic way that shows the couple's love and the people that are most important to them. How is it different than others like it?  We are a husband wife team who value the connection with the couple, creating a very personal experience and timeless imagery.

• How many years have you been in the industry?  I've been a wedding photographer as my full time job since 2005, so I just finished my 8^th season. I entered the industry as an assistant in 2001, just at the crossover between film and digital.

• What was your very first job?  In the spring of 2001, I shot my first wedding as a second shooter. It was magical, a beautiful wedding in the countryside of Kentucky. A big white tent set up in the bride's parents yard with a live band, the ceremony down a path in the pasture to a country church. The groom and his family all were from England. The couple were both professors at Savannah College of Art and Design where I was considering attending at the time (I was 18).

• What lead you in into the event industry? I fell in love with the story of weddings the first one I shot. At the time I was more in love with the art of photography and telling a story, than weddings themselves.

• Why did you decide to join ISES?  Recommendations from a few industry friends, particularly fellow photographer Nate. I felt like it was a good opportunity to get to know other event professionals outside of the day of events.

• What is your favorite thing about ISES? My favorite thing about ISES is the great connections I've been able to have with other members, not just on a networking level, but a true friend level. I've also enjoyed having a place to learn about the industry as it constantly is evolving and have a place to discuss topics that matter to my business.

• What is your most memorable event? Why? There have been many memorable events, perhaps the most memorable would be the wedding we shot in Costa Rica. It wasn't booked as a destination wedding, but rather at the Columbia Club. However the bride was from Costa Rica and there were some Visa issues and a month before the wedding it got moved to her hometown in Costa Rica. We decided we were willing to go and it was an incredible adventure. It wasn't a luxury resort type of wedding. Well, we aren't Spanish speakers and the only ones who did speak English were the couple, her sister and one groomsman. The bride got ready at the sister's house, where she was finishing decorating the cake with fondant. The mass was all in Spanish, over an hour long in a non air conditioned building. I remember taking pictures before the reception and almost stepping on a lizard. The food was incredible, likely quite fresh from the family's ranch. Ladies were in high heels, everyone drinking lots of whiskey and tequila dancing the night away, yet never seemed intoxicated. Toward the end of the evening a Brazilian carnival broke out, including drums and fireworks inside the ballroom! By the end of the night we were exhausted and amazed at how incredible the celebration was for this sweet couple. As an added bonus we stayed a few extra days to explore the rainforest of Costa Rica.

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I actually grew up in a very small town and began my business while I was in college. Tim married into the industry.
  
  
• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job? I'm actually fortunate to spend a lot of time also being a mom, which is incredibly challenging at times but also full of very sweet moments. My heart and passions are in both being a mom and photographing weddings.

Just Announced :: PACE Award Entry Deadline Extended until January 31st at 5 PM!

Just Announced :: PACE Award Entry Deadline Extended until January 31st at 5 PM!

The ISES Indiana Board of Directors has extended the PACE Entry Deadline.  We want this to be a competition, and we just haven’t seen enough entries! 2012 was an amazing year for the City of Indianapolis, and we want to see your successful events. You can't win, if you don't enter.  No Excuses.  Start your PACE Submission Today!

On or Before Thursday, January 31, 2013:

• Drop Off Entries any Weekday from 8:00 am - 5:00 p.m. any day on or before January 31st by 5:00 PM at the ISES Indiana Office, 8945 South Street, Fishers, Indiana 46038.  

Friday, March 8, 2013: 

• ISES Indiana PACE Awards Ceremony 
• 6:00 - 11:00 PM at the Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN  

More Information about the PACE Awards on the ISES Indiana Website:  

http://isesindiana.com/ISESpace.htm

Event Solutions :: Last Week to Vote: Brady Miller's Spotlight Award Voting Assistance

ISES Indiana Member, Mr. Brady Miller, CSEP, Special Projects Manager at Indiana University Southeast has been nominated and is a finalist in the Organizational Planner of the Year category for the Event Solutions magazine Spotlight Awards.  He needs our help and voting for him!  Voting now through the end of January 26th.  One vote per email address.  If you haven't already, if you can please help and take a moment to vote for him: 

• http://www.event-solutions.com/spotlight/voting/
• Click on the "Organizational Planner of the Year" Category and 
• Select "Brady Miller, CSEP, Indiana University Southeast"

The Event Solutions magazine Spotlight Awards is an annual awards presentation dedicated to recognizing event professionals. The awards are presented in a variety of categories and honor both individuals and companies for their body of work in the previous year. The Event Solutions Advisory Board selects five finalists in each category. Profiles of these finalists are then posted online, and peers in the events industry and the public are invited to view them and vote to help determine the winners.

Thank you for the help in voting for Brady.  Congratulations to you and good luck.  Sincerely, your ISES Indiana Board of Directors

PACE Awards :: Entries Due ASAP!

Important PACE Awards Entry Dates:

Tuesday, January 22, 2013: 

• All mailed entries must be postmarked on or before this day!!

On or Before Wednesday, January 23, 2013:

• Drop Off Entries any Weekday from 8:00 am - 5:00 p.m. any day 1/23/13 or prior to that date at the ISES Indiana Office, 8945 South Street, Fishers, Indiana 46038.  Please keep in mind that on Thursday, 1/24 that the entries have to be dropped off at the below drop-off location.   

Thursday, January 24, 2013, by 5:00 p.m.:  

• If entries not previously dropped off/mailed in, All PACE Submission Entries must be received at our drop-off location!
• Drop Off / Turn-In time on Thursday, January 24, 2013 from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Paradise Bakery & Café on 96^th and Meridian: 9510 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46260, (317) 581-9500

Friday, March 8, 2013: 

• ISES Indiana PACE Awards Ceremony 
• 6:00 - 11:00 PM at the Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN  

More Information about the PACE Awards on the ISES Indiana Website:  

http://isesindiana.com/ISESpace.htm

Who will be our 2013 PACE Award Winners?  Here are our 2012 PACE Award Winners!!

Member Spotlight :: Lynn Shepard

Lynn Shepard

President & Co-Owner  |  Euphoria Events and Creation Cafe

Lynn Shepard

Euphoria Events and Creation Cafe

337 W. 11th St., Indianapolis, IN  46202

Phone: 317 . 955 . 2389

Check out the website:

• http://www.creationcafeandeuphoria.com/

• Please "Like" on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creation-Cafe/117761078250467?fref=ts

• What is your title and position at your current company?   I am president and & co-owner.                                
• What does your company do? How is it different than others like it?  We are an event venue and caterer as well as a full service event planning company (we also have a full service restaurant).  Our biggest passion is to work with our clients to identify their "hot buttons" (things that are most important to them in regards to the event) and their budget and then craft the event from there versus having pre-packaged ideas for them.
• How many years have you been in the industry?  This is our 6th year in operation
• What was your very first job? Where I grew up, if you got a speeding ticket before you were 18 years old you had to do public restitution to pay off the amount of your fine.  My restitution was at Goodwill and then they gave me a job after that!
• What lead you in into the event industry?  I have worked in hospitality and customer service most of my life, so events just eventually comes in to play.
• Why did you decide to join ISES?  I am excited to network with others in the biz and continue to improve our goods & services.
• What are you looking to gain out of our ISES membership and how can we help you achieve that?  See above!  I am hoping that by interacting with others, I can learn and grow personally as well as professionally--ISES can help by creating either a time machine or a cloning device, because there never seems to be enough of me to go around or time to get it all done!
• What is your most memorable event? Why?  In college, I worked back stage at a huge reggae festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA.  That was my first real glimpse into a major event with "talent" to accommodate.  It was memorable because of the scope, the celebrities, and the total exhaustion when it was all over!
• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I have tattoos and I am a lover of karaoke!
• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job?  It would be something in the category of making the world a better place--UNICEF, Peace Corps, or something like that.