Join ISES Portland on Tuesday December 2nd as they celebrate the holiday season at The Nines, Portland’s elegant new hotel and meeting facility.

This year’s holiday soiree will include entertainment by the multi talented Scott Head of Musica Melodia, Espresso Catering by Espresso Elegance and a delicious plated luncheon created and prepared exclusively by Chef Michael Corvino, previously from the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida and the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, and behind-the-scenes tours of the hotel’s event spaces and hotel rooms led by their staff of meeting and catering professionals. This is the tour that EVERYONE wants to take, so don’t miss this opportunity!

ISES is also hosting a food drive at this holiday luncheon event, and will be collecting packaged products on behalf of the Oregon Food Bank at the door. Your generous donation will help feed less fortunate Oregonians, and is especially needed in these challenging times.

Here’s what to bring:
• canned meats (i.e., tuna, chicken, salmon)
• canned and boxed meals (i.e., soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese)
• peanut butter
• canned or dried beans and peas (i.e., black, pinto, lentils)
• pasta, rice, cereal
• canned fruits
• 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed).

Register now as space is limited.

Last Friday we took the VIPPDX bus on a tour to three wineries. There were about 20 of us that loaded our food and drinks onto the bus and headed to Vista Hills Vineyard! The bus ride was amazing, there was so much room to move around and flat screen TV’s at each end. We brought our IPOD and the music was flowing. After Vista Hills we headed to Erath Winery. At that point, I think most of us were happy there was a restroom on board! The service on the bus was incredible. Our last stop was Anne Amie it was nice to relax and enjoy the view and the wine. Many thanks to everyone we encountered, we had a great time!

A recent recipient of the “Parnelli Award” as Best Northwest Lighting Company from PLSN magazine, and the “Emerald City Applause Award” for best use of lighting (Microsoft’s Zune product launch), Hollywood Lighting’s creative team is known for cutting edge visual media that seemlessly blends with dynamic lighting to create stimulating environments.  

Excited, flattered, and a bit stunned was the reaction of Amy and JP Prutch of AJ’s Studio when they got the word they had place 6th in the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers photo competition. AJ’s placed in a variety of categories. Some, such as Creative Portraiture, Framing the Subject, and Creative Use of Wide Angle, Lens demonstrated technical ability. represents a creative Other categories; Family Love, Movement and Motion, and Humor showcase the ability to connect with the couple and reflect the energy and candid moments of the day. AJ’s took top honors in the Humor category as well as fourth and fourteenth place.

The International Society of Wedding of Professional Wedding Photographers boasts a membership of multi award winning photographers and maintains a rigorous standard of membership. Photographers must have undergo an intensive portfolio review, have a minimum of 50 weddings as primary photographers and and adhere to a strict code of conduct, including a no outstanding complaints with organizations such as the BBB or Professional Photographers of America.

AJ’s Studio has been photographing weddings in the Portland/Vancouver area since 1993 and has been a Bravo client since 1996.

Okay – just got back from 15 minutes in heaven at Therapy, here in Lake Oswego… using a oxygen machine, soft music, watching an ocean video and massage chair! OMG – talk about a mini-vacation. I highly recommend booking a session and follow up up their nutrition response testing, precision spinal correction, cold laser therapy or any of their other wonderful services. What a treat for your body!

Therapy Offices

(Paraphrased from Meetings & Conventions Magazine)

When Nintendo launched its Wii video game system a couple of years ago, two things happened:  they flew off the shelves at an incredible pace, and people began to hold Wii parties.  To capitalize on this grass-roots popularity – as well as that of karaoke-style games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band – some hotels nationwide have begun to include the Wii in their meetings offerings.

Take this idea to your next event… offer Wii meeting breaks and/or team-building events – include a stage, surround sound, fog effects, prizes and even an M.C.  Play Wii bowling with bowling shirts with your company’s logo, encourage attendees to bring bowling shoes.  Play Rock Band and include “Rockstar” energy drinks, wild wigs and hire a photographer or photo booth like Paparazzi Tonight to make the event even more memorable.

(paraphrased from Smart Meetings Magazine)

Cowboys and Indians, a rite of passage for millions of children, is often the first role-playing experience they will encounter in their lives.  Ironically, many years later, these same, seemingly childish, games – full of subtle strategy, manipulation and teamwork – might be used to help a Fortune 500 company boost its sales, build cooperation between IT and PR or simply improve morale.  And today, team-building programs are more creative, exhilirating and hilarious than ever before.

When it comes to team building, almost anything is possible and, with the innovative programs available today, a group of people can discover things about themselves and each other that would be nearly impossible in a “professional” office environment, and the rewards can be immeasurable.

Whether you are a CEO putting together a program for a small company, or a third-party planner working on contract for a large organization, clearly identifying the goals for the group ahead of time should guide the type of activity you choose, and how the activity is structured.

Strategic Team Building – A targeted team building experience can significantly improve the operations and productivity of the company.  But knowing which specific areas you want to target is much smarter than simply hoping the experience will improve the company’s inter-office communication, for example.

Problem Solving – Usually the focus here is getting certain people or departments to work better together – and few things can do this better than hitching them together on the same team… Sack race, anyone?

Problem solving can also help solve interdepartmental disputes, like poor communication.  Simply dividing departments info different teams – which must then compete against each other – is a fun and easy way to mix things up, improve interdepartmental personal relationships, and remind everyone that they are all on the same team.

When considering an activity, consider a few major factors:  Physical Limitations & Maturity Level.  Pick an activity that appeals to the collective nature of the company and it requires asking some questions beforehand about what they like to do.  Mix the wrong activity with the wrong group and you could end up with frustration or boredom.

Don’t forget to follow-up with a survey when it’s over.

Some examples of Team-Building Programs
•    The Classic Rope Course – ropes courses are designed to challenge both individuals and teams by overcoming a fear of heights, learning to put trust in others and working as a team to problem-solve physical challenges.
•    Geocaching – A high-tech upgrade to treasure hunts, teams use GPS devices to navigate to pre-placed objects, which contain includes, GPS coordinates or prizes.  Geocaching has surged in popularity, with many independent participants listing GPS coordinates online for stashes hidden all over the globe, whereas team-building programs focus on a relatively local, navigable area.
•    Volunteer Team Building – programs that combine team building with traditional volunteer and charity activities.  With the upcoming holiday season – this would be a great time to help stuff food boxes for the hungry, gather coats for needy children or serve meals to the homeless.
•    Car Racing – from go-karts to specially designed racing cars, almost everyone loves competitive racing.  Go to Family Fun Center in Wilsonville for a great place to race (they have Lazer Tag too).

I was reading an industry magazine and came across an article on how the city of Denver has one of the most eco-friendly convention centers. WWW.visitdenver.com provides the opportunity for meeting planners to measure the carbon footprints left after planning an event and the option to purchase carbon offsets. I came across another site www.carbonfund.org that allows individuals and companies to determine the carbon footprint left by daily activities. Check it out, we all have to do our part.