Corporate Events, Parties & Celebrations Worldwide

This is so cool for events of all kinds. This would jazz up a meeting or wake them up!

Casting Call

Interesting casting opportunity that focus on weddings but not the bride! The En Vogue Events team will be tuning in!

Case Study

Great video showing a new twist on wedding favors from Catch the Moment, interviewing a wedding planner from the Houston based company En Vogue Events. Tired of getting m&m's at a wedding, this interactive favor is the way to enhance your wedding or special event. En Vogue Events is an award winning wedding and special event company.

New way to "Green" your event - Beer Paper!!!

Handmade paper created with recycled paper and spent barley from brewing Upland Beer in Bloomington, Indiana. THE FIRST BEER PAPER EVER! Original to Twisted Limb!

Cheers! woodcut by Darian Goldin Stahl on front of card. Text on the back of card lets receiver know the special ingredient and beer name. Cards include matching handmade beer paper envelopes.

Colors match your favorite beers--wheat, pilsner, amber, and porter. Set of four cards and envelopes includes one card in each of the four beer colors.

You can choose to have your custom invitations made with BEER PAPER for INVITATIONS ON TAP!! Select wheat, pilsner, amber, or porter.

Ontario Court of Appeal Ruling Jeopardizes Event and Wedding Planners

Ontario Court of Appeal Ruling Jeopardizes Event and Wedding Planners
Monday, October 31, 2011 by Anne Thornley-Brown @executiveoasis

In a dangerous precedent, an Ontario Court of Appeal decision has blurred the distinction between event planners and travel agents. Dangerous, because rulings in one jurisdiction usually spread to others.

Section 4(1)(a) of Ontario's Travel Industry Act 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30 Schedule D. indicates that it is an offense for an individual or firm that has not been registered as a travel agent to act in that capacity. Fair enough. In most jurisdictions, travel agents

* sell travel services to consumers
* collect and hold client funds in trust accounts
* disperse funds to hotels, resorts, airlines, tour operators and other travel suppliers
* issue tickets and vouchers

In Monsanto Canada vs Ontario (Superintendent of Financial Services) "sales in Ontario by a registered travel agent" were determined to be "the amount paid through the travel agent for all travel services sold in Ontario." On July 22, 2010, an Ontario Court of Appeal ruling reversed earlier decisions and broadened the definition of "travel agent":

Travel Council of Ontario vs David Thomas Gray O/A All Sport Accommodations

"[25] ...the proper interpretation of "travel agent" in the Act includes a person who sells travel services to consumers as an agent for the provider of those services"

All Sport Accommodation collected no funds from client, yet it was deemed to be a de facto agent for the hotels because it received commissions. The TICO website has a long list of similar convictions.

Implications for Event Planners: More Red Tape...Higher Overhead

Quebec uses a definition of "travel agent" consistent with other US and Canadian jurisdictions. A common sense approach does not require registration by planners who occasionally handle hotel or travel arrangements.

Ontario event planners and wedding planners who assist clients with transportation, accommodation or meeting venues at hotels or resorts arrangements can be charge unless they register with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO).

This is in spite of the fact that commissions are not paid until after the event when there is no longer any risk to the client. The registration process is long and expensive involving:

* a $3,000 application fee
* an opening pro forma statement showing minimum working capital of $5,000
* a $10,000 security deposit
* scrutiny of bank statements
* evidence of a trust account(s)
* a lengthy exam with content intended for travel agents
* annual renewal fees

To pay commissions, some airlines (e.g. WestJet) also require IATA or TIDS registration. All of these fees are prohibitive for independent meeting planners and small event planning firms. They lack the resources to handle the red tape. Generating enough income to stay afloat through fees for planning business meetings, weddings, special events, or corporate events will be a challenge. Without commissions or fees for assisting clients in finding hotels, event venues and transportation companies, some small firms will not remain afloat.

Against the backdrop of travel industry bankruptcies that stranded thousands of Canadians in foreign destinations, TICO plays a vital role. High profile bankruptcies resulting in payouts by TICO have involved tour operators, airlines, and hotels. Yet hotels are not required to contribute to TICO's compensation fund and airlines are exempt as they are federally regulated. Declaring war on event planners who do not hold funds for clients does not get to the root of the problem or address the industry's deeper systemic problems.

MPI, PCMA, GBTA, SITE, and CanSPEP need to advocate now to protect the interests of the public and the profession. In the meantime, event planners should refer clients requiring hotel facilities or transportation facilities to TICO travel agents or direct them to search the Cvent Supplier Network

Digital Graffiti Wall

How it works
Instead of paint, when the cap is pressed the can ‘sprays’ infra red light, which is tracked by a computer as it moves across the screen. The digital paint appears wherever the can is sprayed, just like spraying paint on a real wall.
As well as its wide palette of paint colours, new features such as animated stars, swirls, drip effect paint and a variety of stencils are now available, and we can even custom make further spray patterns and stencils to reflect your event or client. The wall can be used in all event settings. The digital graffiti wall excites guests and gives them the ability to express their own artist creations on a larger then life canvas.

Any image can be loaded as a background so guests can easily paint like a coloring page, or allows for custom branding with logos or themes. Guests use a realistic spray paint can. After the guests create their art they can print a copy onsite or save it to a computer or website.

En Vogue Events Rated Best in Region!

Thursday, October 06, 2011

En Vogue Events LLC has been Rated Among Best in Region!
2011 CMUS Talk of the Town Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction
Awarded to: En Vogue Events LLC

Presented by: Celebration Media U.S. (CMUS) and Talk of the Town News
Congratulations! Only the very best businesses have been chosen to receive the 2011 CMUS Talk of the Town Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction. The award was created to showcase companies that excel in serving their customers and getting their high marks. Customers of En Vogue Events LLC have spoken, scoring some of the highest ratings possible.
Celebration Media U.S. (CMUS) is a co-sponsor of the award and an independent professional research and marketing company that monitors positive and negative reviews, blogs and social networks to determine the highest-rated and top-reviewed businesses in all 50 states of the country and parts of Canada. The 2011 CMUS Talk of the Town Award is here to celebrate their high achievement in customer satisfaction. We believe that a company can only grow by excelling in customer care and providing the best customer experience possible.

Congratulations for making a difference in your community and providing the services, products, management, leadership and staff that has earned your award rating.

First-Time Homebuyers

The two most stressful things a person can do in life 1)Getting Married 2)Buying a house! Here are some tips for buying your first home from the fabulous Emily Smith:

For many first-time homebuyers, pulling the trigger can be a frightening experience. Will you be happy there? Will you like your neighbors? Will you be tied down, house rich and cash poor? What if you lose your job? Will you hate your commute? In short, your fears stem from the unknown.

Conversely, your current home is familiar. You know exactly what to expect. You’ve come to accept its shortcomings whether they are loud neighbors, a leaky ceiling or scant street parking. There are few surprises.

You are surrounded by family, friends and co-workers who took the leap and are reaping the benefits. Give these steps a try and you could be among them:

•Get comfortable with your finances: Anticipate the new costs that you will incur such as taxes, homeowners insurance, utility bills and commuting. This will help determine the maximum price you can spend on a house. Enlisting the help of a financial expert will give you an objective view of your finances. Remember, the first year is the most difficult, after that you will begin receiving tax benefits.

•Partner with an agent: Even though the Internet gives you access to endless amounts of market information, don’t be fooled into going it alone. An agent can line up properties to view, answer many of your questions and make connections for you in your new community. Also, agents often have the inside track on a new properties just coming on the market.

•Accept some risk: Realize that there is uncertainty in everything, but no matter what happens, you will deal with it. Ask family and friends about their experiences and learn from them. Be sure to keep some cash reserves in the bank as a safety net. And remember, you have homeowner's insurance for a reason.

•Fine tune your “must-haves”: Is there a community that you absolutely want to live in? Are you adamant about wanting a garage, a fireplace? Make your list of what’s important to you and look for it. You may find that you are willing to sacrifice one feature, if the rest is fabulous. If you are not crazy about the house, don’t bid. It’s important that you love it at the outset.

•Be ready to bid: Regardless of the market, great houses don’t stay on the market long. Sometimes one open house leads to three offers. If you love it, be ready to make your best offer. If you are wavering, ask yourself, “How will I feel if I don’t get this house?” You might just get it, and if not, at least you’ll know you tried.

•Reap the reward: Owning a home can be one of the most exciting and satisfying things you’ll ever do in your life. It’s an investment that can pay you personal dividends as well as financial.
[Copyright © by Move, Inc., Realtor.com]
Give me a call for all your real estate needs and questions. I would love to help you find your next home.
Emily Smith
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty
832-748-1149
Emily@EmilySmithProperties.com
www.EmilySmithProperties.com
www.facebook.com/EmilySmithProperties

Adapt not Adopt

Recently a friend and I were discussing the competitiveness in the events industry. Sometimes people can get so competitive they get extremely secretive. This friend I am referring to is also in the speaking industry and he says they have a motto, “Adapt, don’t adopt.” The friend is Alan Berg (if you haven’t heard his seminar or read his book you need to, seriously quit reading this blog and go here: http://alanberg.com/)
I am not saying shout on the mountaintop your marketing plan or pricing guide, however don’t be too timid about sharing your trials and tribulations, as well as your success’ with colleagues. Competition is what pushes us all to be more creative and more cost effective – all of this is good. Otherwise we would still be eating a chicken in a sauce, listening to your cousin DJ an event.
This is why I really loved Alan’s motto of adapt don’t adopt. So for his fellow presenting colleagues they openly show one another their notes and projects they may be working on, all knowing that they won’t copy each other but change things to adapt to what they are doing. This creates a bond within their network plus helps improve their overall industry.