Member Spotlight :: Vincent Smith

Vincent Smith

Regional Sales Manager  |  Casino Party Planners

Vincent Smith
Casino Party Planners

5112 Hardegan Street

Indianapolis, IN 46227

Direct: (317) 459-0847

Fax: (317) 677-8550

Check out the website:

http://www.casinopartyplanners.com/INDIANA/index-INDIANA.html

Welcome to ISES!  :)  Sincerely, your ISES Indiana Board of Directors

·         What is your title and position at your current company? Regional Sales Manager

         

• What does your company do?  How is it different than others like it?  We are a casino event entertainment company that provides everything from professionally trained dealers to casino quality game tables and equipment. We are different from other casino entertainment companies because we are the ONLY casino equipment supplier in the Midwest that uses REAL casino equipment and 16.1 gram casino chips. Our equipment can be found on the casino floor of over a ½ dozen casinos in Las Vegas alone. This allows us to offer the most realistic Las Vegas style casino event without any risk and much more fun!

• How many years have you been in the industry?  I have been in the industry for two years.

• What was your very first job? When I was 14 years old, I was a busser at a restaurant called Heritage House.

• What lead you in into the event industry? I started out by working as a casino dealer part-time. As I dealt at events, I would end up booking events and grew to really like doing sales for casino services. My boss approached me about it and offered me a sales manager position, so here I am!

• Why did you decide to join ISES? I decided to join ISES because of the vast network of people that I could create relationships with that would use our services.

• What are you looking to gain out of our ISES membership and how can we help you achieve that?  I’m looking to increase my client base, increase my sales, and increase awareness of my company’s services. ISES could help by having networking events, spotlight my company on your internet resources, and allow us to host an ISES event with a casino as entertainment.

• What is your most memorable event? Why? We hosted a casino fundraiser for the Josh Lindblom Foundation last November. I got meet him and talked about him being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Texas Rangers. I got his autograph and had a lot of fun at this event.

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I was born and raised in Hawaii.

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job?  I would love to be an ice cream taste tester.

Member Spotlight :: Marie Frey

Marie Frey

President  |  FCCI Weddings

Wedding Planner and Bridal Alteration Specialist

Marie Frey

FCCI Weddings

Phone:  317 . 459 . 1485

• Check out the website:
• http://f-c-c-i.com/

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

Please "Like" on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/fcci2011?ref=ts&fref=ts

Please Follow Boards on Pinterest: 

https://pinterest.com/fcciweddings/

Welcome, Marie, to ISES!  :)  Sincerely, your ISES Indiana Board of Directors

• What is your title and position at your current company? 

          Wedding Planner & Bridal Alteration Specialist

          President of FCCI Weddings

• What does your company do?  Wedding Planning, Décor & Design, Bridal Alterations, Veils & Headpieces, Chair Covers, Table Linens & Runners, Real Flower Centerpieces & Wedding rentals, Invitations & Accessories

• How is it different than others like it?  We offer the brides many services and products to create the wedding of their dreams.

• How many years have you been in the industry?  12 years

• What was your very first job? Cooperate America in the Banking industry

• What lead you in into the event industry? The love of weddings. Our passion to assist the bride, groom and their family on the most important day of their lives.

• Why did you decide to join ISES? To gain a presence in the industry.

• What are you looking to gain out of our ISES membership and how can we help you achieve that?  To network with other event personal in the industry

• What is your most memorable event? Why? Two very memorable events were my daughters’ weddings.  Yes, they both were married 4 months apart from each other in the same year. It was very rewarding to assist my daughters with their weddings and to see the final events that we planned together with my daughters and my staff.  I also learned so much from my daughters and it has been an advantage to assisting my current brides.  We have a vast knowledge now having gone through this on a personal level and have been able to bring this to the table for brides and families that we are now planning. This has also increased our requests for more brides hiring wedding planners.  

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I grew up in a small town on a farm.  I know how to work hard and achieve my goals.

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job? Doing anything that I can be creative and meet people.

Member Spotlight :: Carol Lockhart

Carol Lockhart

Co-Owner and CEO  |  Top Hat Photo Booths, Indiana and Chicago

Carol Lockhart

Top Hat Photo Booth

Big Booth, BIG FUN

Phone:  317 . 222 . 1836

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

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

Please "Like" on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/IndianapolisPhotoBoothRental?fref=ts

• What is your title and position at your current company?   I am the co-owner and CEO (Chief Everything Officer) of Top Hat Photo Booths in Indiana and Chicago.

• What does your company do? How is it different than others like it? We offer photo booth rentals for corporate events, parties, fundraiser, gala's and weddings.  Our sole focus is photo booths, we don't mix the photo booth business with any other types of event rentals.  Our photo booths are much larger than most booths, it is a stand up style "real booth" --perfect for "adult" events.  We do a lot of corporate events since our booth is larger and offers large exterior panels for corporate branding and wraps.  We are also part of the Top Hat Photo Booth network with locations in 16 cities and all providing the same type of exclusive photo booth rentals.  We currently have 3 photo booths in Indianapolis and several teams of trained employees that do most of our events. 

• How many years have you been in the industry? Just starting our 3rd year in Indiana and the company we are part of is over 4 years.  

• What was your very first job?  First female paper route carrier, back when "kids" delivered the paper in their neighborhood.

• What lead you in into the event industry?  I was looking for a type of business that was/is still robust in a down market and found that the event rental business with the combination of all different types of events and the active convention business in Indianapolis is something that we could be successful at.  It was also important to be able to join up with a larger company with an exclusive product, training and support. 

• Why did you decide to join ISES?  I wanted to be able to network with and learn from other like-minded professionals in the business. 

• What is your favorite thing about ISES?  It has been interesting to learn more about the industry and to meet all the professionals in the Indianapolis Event Industry.

• What is your most memorable event? Why?  Racing for Cancer.  It was fun to provide the photo booth for the families and kids that have cancer and humbling to see how much fun a photo booth could be for people with life threatening circumstances.  I felt very lucky to be able to provide a bit of fun for them.

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?  I'm an Instrument Rated Licensed pilot. 

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job?  Real Estate Mogul

Member Spotlight :: Chelsea Abney

Chelsea Abney

Indiana University-Tourism Management and Event Planning Graduate
Bartender  |  Buffalo Wild Wings, Bloomington, IN
Catering  |  Indiana Memorial Union
Guest Services  |  Lucas Oil

Chelsea Abney
Buffalo Wild Wings
Bloomington, IN

Welcome, Chelsea, to ISES and to the event industry!  :)  Sincerely, your ISES Indiana Board of Directors

• What is your title and position at your current company? I am a recent graduate from Indiana University. I am currently still working as a bartender at Buffalo Wild Wings in Bloomington, Indiana. I also just started working at the Indiana Memorial Union in catering and also just started at Lucas Oil with Guest Services. 

• What does your company do? At Buffalo Wild Wing we cater to large groups and serve are guest with speed while giving a sports bar atmosphere. At the IMU we cater to all parties an groups with a million dollar catering company. 

• How many years have you been in the industry? I have been at Buffalo Wild Wings for 4 years and just started at the IMU and Lucas Oil. I have been in hospitality and customer service for 5 years. 

• What was your very first job? My first job in the industry was this past summer at the Buskirk Chumley Theater where I was the event and hospitality intern. I really enjoyed this internship and found my passion through the hard work. 

• What lead you in into the event industry? I have always been interested in large events especially concerts and anything that goes on in large arenas. I love seeing how everything gets put together and seeing the fans enjoying themselves.  

• Why did you decide to join ISES? I joined ISES because my advisor Julie Knapp told me about all the benefits this organization can offer especially for new graduates looking for a start to their career. 

• What are you looking to gain out of our ISES membership and how can we help you achieve that? I hope ISES can help me meet people that are interested in the my field. I want to gain experience through the meetings that are offered. I also want to find a job that will help me reach my career goals. 

• What is your most memorable event? Why? My most memorial event would be my first large event at the Buskirk Chumley Theater. We had Mary Chapin Carpenter and we had a backed house. The band and management were incredible nice and easy going. During show time we had a guest that was unable to make it up the stairs so I helped them out and got them floor seats and they were so happy and excited. It always feels good when a guest is truly satisfied with their experience that we can provide. 

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? Something that people might not know about me is that I jam to the Jonas Brothers in my car with my little sister every chance I get. 

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job? My dream job is to be involved with the United Center in Chicago. But if I wasn't in this industry I would love to be an interior designer.  

Member Spotlight :: Melissa Feathers

Melissa Feathers

Owner, President and CEO  |  Well Organized Weddings

Melissa Feathers

Well Organized Weddings

Phone:  317 . 727 . 0678

• Check out the website:
• http://wellorganizedweddings.com/

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

Please "Like" on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/WellOrganizedWeddings

• What is your title and position at your current company?  I am the owner, president, CEO(choose which one you like the most, I can't decide what sounds the 'best')  Chief Bridal Consultant for Well Organized Weddings.  

• What does your company do? How is it different than others like it?  Well Organized Weddings provides planning and coordination services for busy couples.  WOW differs from most wedding planning companies in a few ways:  1) I try to give perspective and a sense of calm to the wedding planning, and especially the wedding day.  I pride myself on being able to 'read' people and understand their unique situation and generally be able to determine quickly what is most important to them.  2) I ask a TON of questions.  My goal is to be able to answer any wedding day questions that arise as if the bride herself is speaking.  That can only be accomplished by asking questions that may or may not be in the book or on the checklist.  3)  I am able to analyze the wedding intricacies- family politics, bridal party dynamics, guest list dynamics, timeline logistics, vendor reputation, tendencies  & styles, etc.- and anticipate, remedy, & avoid potential problems and keep things smooth and drama-free.  I would say that my two best 'tried and true' professional attributes are my abilities to anticipate and foresee pitfalls directly followed by my fast, efficient non-panicked response and remedy of any actual emergencies.    

• How many years have you been in the industry? I retired from pharmacy in Nov. 2010, and joined ABC in March 2011, formed Feathers Enterprises, LLC in August 2011, and officially launched Well Organized Weddings Jan. 1, 2012.  

• What was your very first job? I was a medical transcriptionist and did other general clerical work at a nursing home.  A very grown-up first job!  But, my mother refused to let me work fast food or anywhere 'dangerous', so she somehow talked them in to giving me a chance.  

• What lead you in into the event industry? My post-retirement soul-searching led me to a life coach who utilized an assessment system called "SIMA"- System for Identifying Motivated Abilities.  Through that experience, I came to learn that to be professionally fulfilled, my next career needed to not only utilize my detail-oriented and analytic abilities, but it also needed to simultaneously use and stimulate all of my senses, too.  The event industry, and for me, weddings in particular, bring together my need to hear, see, smell, taste, and touch my 'work' while also feeding my need for order and structure.  Plus, I'm a Sagittarius, so I LOVE a great party!!!  

• Why did you decide to join ISES? I value the caliber and diversity of professionals that ISES brings together.  My experience at the 2012 Education Conference was powerful and I instinctively knew that to move and elevate my business to the next level, THESE are the professionals I need to continue to learn from, both personally and professionally.  And, I know a good deal when I see it, so when Jason Ryan was touting the 50%-off membership drive at a networking luncheon in November, I decided to take the plunge.  

• What is your favorite thing about ISES? The enthusiasm and energy of this group is truly unparalleled.  Even as an industry 'newbie', I have been warmly received, encouraged, and accepted.  I am more appreciative of this kindness and humbled by this professionalism than I can express.   

• What is your most memorable event? Hmmm....  Not many 'professional' events to choose from yet, so I'll go with the one that really IS the reason I'm doing what I'm doing now (even though it is the biggest cliche in the book)- my own wedding!   Why? Because I'm proud of what a great job I (somehow!) did!  There were a LOT of last minute curveballs- late April in Indiana, need I say more?  But we got through it, and have great pictures, memories, and tons of stories that still get brought out at each family holiday.  I'm now able to use it as my professional road map for finding my best fit clients and helping them create the best day of THEIR lives.  It's so cool!!!  

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I had Roux-N-Y Gastric Bypass surgery on December 12, 2007 and it saved my life.  

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job? Being a psychologist.  If I  were mentally and emotionally equipped to be able to handle it AND if I didn't have to go back to school for another degree, I would do it in a heartbeat.  So, I guess I'll just 'play' armchair psychologist and be a wedding planner for now-  :-)  

Member Spotlight :: LaShanta Gripper

LaShanta Gripper

Sales Manager  |  Indiana State Fair Commission

LaShanta Gripper

Indiana State Fair Commission

1202 East 38th Street

Indianapolis, IN  46205

Phone: 317 . 927 . 7523

• Check out the website:
• http://www.in.gov/statefair/

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

Please "Like" on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/IndianaStateFair

• What is your title and position at your current company? My official title is Sales Manager. I’m responsible for leasing 17+ venues year round to local companies within various markets.

• What does your company do? How is it different than others like it? We host the 6^th largest state fair in the world annually as well as play host to over 300 different types of events annually within our 250+ acre complex. We are the only venue in the state that can offer 17+ flexible venues for any type of function, expo or show. This includes several livestock shows as well. It’s simply amazing to watch our team set-up multiple shows each and every day.

• How many years have you been in the industry? Over 20 years.

• What was your very first job? Working for Carlton Cards in the Castleton Square Mall.

• What lead you in into the event industry? I wanted to be a housekeeper in order to make good tips, so I interviewed at the Courtyard by Marriott at 82^nd & Allisonville Road. I walked in dressed in a 3-piece suit and management ended up offering me a front office clerk position. I accepted that same day and continued to work my way up from there.

• Why did you decide to join ISES? I was looking for a way to connect with industry leaders that could give me insight on how to plan better events as well as make connections to get the word out about what the fairgrounds has to offer to any and every meeting planner. The local chapter president, Mike King, also reached out to me in order to invite me to my first luncheon. It was awesome!!

• What are you looking to gain out of our ISES membership and how can we help you achieve that? I want to ensure that I get the word out that the Indiana State Fairgrounds is not just in existence to host the fair. We want to increase awareness as to how many great venues we have at our complex that offers all the comforts of modern today. I also want to make great connections by networking and hopefully lending my support to serve on committees.  

• What is your most memorable event? Why? Most recently, we hosted the 5^th Annual Face of Hope Breakfast sponsored by Little Red Door Cancer Agency in our Agriculture/Horticulture Building. The team of this wonderful agency made a wonderful ideal come to life in an amazing way. I know that utilizing the fairgrounds was completely out of their comfort zone, but they allowed themselves to trust in our ISF team and it worked out perfectly!! They re-booked for 2013!!

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I have always wanted to be a registered nurse, so I’m going back to school now in order to make it happen. I also love to sing.

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job? A registered nurse. I have wanted to be a nurse ever since I was 7 years old.

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.

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.