For the last three and a half years, lead planner and project manager Alyssa Kessler has been a major asset to our company. In addition to planning and producing the majority of The Events Company’s events, she also took the lead on planning several of the in-house events held at our sister company, event venue SKY Armory. Alyssa was initially hired as an intern, but it was very quickly apparent that she could handle much more responsibility and was hired full-time before her internship was over.
 
Alyssa just moved on to a new adventure: she’s joined her father’s company where she will learn the business and be groomed to take the reins someday. Before she left, we asked her for her perspective on her time here.
 
What was your favorite event or type of event to work on?
I loved planning the annual Driver’s Village Christmas Party! It’s such a great event they host for their employees. I love getting to bring the theme to life, starting with a blank slate, watching the kids get to experience the event with so much excitement!
 
What other venues were your favorites to produce events at?
I had the opportunity to go to so many amazing and unique locations and venues. My short list would include Suzanne’s Fine Regional Cuisine, the NYS Preparedness Training Center, the Oncenter, the Double Tree (I love working with Linda!), and the Landmark Theatre.
 
What was your biggest challenge?
The trial by fire of being thrown into a planner position: I was hired as a full-time employee before my internship was even supposed to be over and as the only planner I had to hit the ground running and manage all of the details for each event. But it was also one of my biggest successes.
 
What was your biggest success/proudest moment?
Completing the very first event I was involved in from start to finish – the Mayor’s Ball. Not to mention the [Hancock] airport was a great venue to transform.
 
Favorite part of the job?
Getting to work first hand with clients and bringing visions to life!
 
Least favorite part of the job?
Late night (or should I say early morning) load-outs.
 
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned in the last three years?
Don’t procrastinate! It will come back to bite you… or at least cost you extra money.
 
What is the strangest or most original thing you ever had to do for an event?
Making a chuppah out of a bride’s grandmother’s wedding dress.
 
What will you miss most about TEC?
My work family, although I know we will stay in touch.

Good luck Alyssa!

Music is a powerful tool for conveying thoughts and emotions. Weddings are undoubtedly emotional events and couples often spend a lot of time thinking about the type of music they want to play at their reception.
 
With the 2017 wedding season gearing up, we went right to the source and asked three local DJs we often work with what they’re seeing couples choose for their first dance and what their go-to songs are to pack the dance floor.
 
First Dances
 
The first dance song often holds special meaning for the couple or the lyrics give a little insight into the way the couple views their relationship. Cindy Ormond of Ormond Entertainment finds that even couples who don’t typically listen to a lot of country music select country songs for their first dance. “It’s likely because country song writers pen powerful love stories which perfectly express wedding day emotions,” she notes.
 
To find unique first dance songs that aren’t “overplayed,” many couples are searching YouTube and finding original songs or uploads by new professional or amateur artists who have covered a popular song in a very stripped-down manner (say with only an acoustic guitar).  However, Bill Milham of Black Tie Entertainment  warns that most of these YouTube videos are of very poor audio quality and the legality of ripping out the audio is questionable.  Listening through very small speakers on your phone or computer will not show the audio limitations that exist when these YouTube tracks are played through a large PA system.
 
Need some first dance song inspiration? Here’s what some Central New York couples will be dancing to this year:

Dance All Night
 
After the formalities are out of the way, high energy songs get people moving. “I stress to all of our clients that their goal should be to include music for everyone they invited.  Some of that may have to be during cocktail hour & dinner, but it can really make a person's night just to hear a few songs they absolutely love,” says Brian Simons of Visa Versa Entertainment.
 
Selecting music that appeals across generations often means choosing a middle ground of current hits and classics. “A trend that's been going for the past few years, and I expect to continue, is the popularity of 90s - 2000s pop/hip-hop for dancing,” says Brian. “It's old enough and well-known enough that the people in their 40s-60s know and dance to it, and recent enough that couples and their friends can agree on it as well.” That means songs from The Spice Girls, N’Sync, and the Backstreet Boys are coming back, as well as other favorites.
 
Bruno Mars continues to have lots of appeal at wedding receptions. Bill Milham says, “Although released late last year, “24K” by Bruno Mars is still THE go to song that has the most multi-generational appeal and is a slam dunk for getting people dancing. It’s the kind of song you want to be careful to play at the absolute apex of the evening!”  
 
Keep your guests on their feet with:

​Are you a sports nut? Cindy Ormond often sees couples select their team’s favorite anthem to get the crowd amped up. “’Shout’ for the Bills, “Sweet Caroline” for Red Sox fans, and of course, “New York, New York” for those who cheer the Yankees – these are dance floor winners every time when played for the right audience,” she says.”
 
Don’t think you have to save all these songs for after dinner, either. Bill Milham recommends sprinkling these songs into your cocktail hour music in addition to other upbeat tunes:  “Cocktail hour is much more energetic, boisterous, and loud than many realize and the music should match this energy coming from your guests,” he says.  
 
What song always gets you moving? Let us know!

At a time when there are 9.4 million women-owned businesses in the US, women entrepreneurs are a necessity for economic growth. Here in Syracuse, the WISE Women's Business Center (WBC) - a center that provides information, resources, and support for local women entrepreneurs - has served over 8,000 clients since 2006.

 With that many past clients, there are so many stories of successful business women who, thanks to WISE WBC and the WISE Symposium, received the support they needed to start and grow their business. 

Since we have been involved with the WISE Symposium for so many years, we wanted to highlight the impact the Symposium and the WBC itself have had on women in our community.

Meet Cathy Pemberton, owner of Cathy's Cookie Kitchen

Cathy was looking to start a business on a shoestring budget. "I was looking for something that I could do, something that I was good at and I would really enjoy doing. I narrowed it down to cookies because I have always loved to bake, and I thought I could perfect my recipes and be successful with them." She started baking cookies and selling her goods at farmers markets and other events. "The demand for my cookies became so great that I began taking samples to area restaurants and retail stores. I started to get local accounts that I delivered cookies to each week." When she wasn't sure if that's the direction she should stay in, she turned to the WISE WBC for help and guidance. "I met with Maria Wiklund, she was wonderful and very encouraging, she told me that I had developed a great niche market and should stick with it, and she offered to help me with a marketing plan. With Maria’s encouragement, I felt I was on the right path."
​
In December of last year, Cathy opened Cathy's Cookie Kitchen in downtown Syracuse. "It has been successful beyond my expectation, and it continues to grow each month," says Cathy.

Additionally, the Wise Symposium inspired Natalie and Jennifer, two women entrepreneurs who opened their bakery The Sweet Praxis in November of 2016. (Watch how they started). Lorna Oppedisano of Syracuse Women Magazine (SWM) sat with them for the April issue, here's what they told her about WISE Symposium, which they had learned about from a flyer. “It was really transformative for me,” Jennifer said, “because I’d never been around that many empowered women who just have this creative passion, and are so proud of what they do, and eager to share their knowledge with each other.”

​Lorna writes: She (Jennifer) hadn’t yet met Joanne Lenweaver, the director of the WISE Women’s Business Center, but remembers seeing her speak at the event. That day reassured Jennifer that she and Natalie were on the right track. “I left feeling like, ‘Oh my god, we can do this,’” Jennifer remembered. “I was like, ‘People do this kind of thing all the time. And we know what we want. We just have to get it done.’”

​Full article here.

So what is it that you want to achieve? What's your dream? What venture did you always want to take? Or maybe you're unsure what the next step for your business is, perhaps you need advice from someone who has walked the talk... Come to the WISE Symposium, be inspired by the speakers, be inspired by the women in the room, be inspired to go for your big idea...Who knows?

It is well known in our office that Alyssa, our senior planner, is a big fan of corporate parties! She absolutely loves working with clients to understand their needs and wants, and then plans an event that knocks their socks off.  Weeks prior to the event, you see her shopping online for the event, buying props, backdrops and decor elements that fit the theme.  

In this blog, we'll be featuring Pyramid Brokerage, one of our repeat clients who hire us to plan and produce their annual sales and awards meeting. Every one of their meetings carries an inspirational message or a takeaway for their employees. That message is what sets forth the planning process for us, from it we derive ideas for speakers as well as theme and decor. 

Let's show you exactly what we mean.

For our client's 2016 annual sales meeting, the message was passion! Harley-Davidson came to mind as one of the most inspirational brands out there. From its first bike in 1903 till today, the brand is able to withstand competition (over 200 companies make motorcycles in America)  throughout its 100+ years, and is still going strong.  

Another year, the message our client chose was: Dream, Achieve, Believe. We were happy to find speakers that so aptly embodied this message. The Beekman Boys.  Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner Brent Ridge - the former an advertising executive, the latter a VP of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia- both lost their jobs in the recession of 2008. To make things worse, they had bought a farm in 2007 as a getaway from their busy NYC lives. With both jobs lost, their farm was facing foreclosure. They started to think of ways to make their farm profitable, like making soap and cheese and selling their products. The magic happened when they both took part in CBS's The Amazing Race. Not only did they finish the race, they won it, along with 1 million dollars which they used to pay off their farm! They have built an empire of healthy living, and a very profitable business indeed!

The decor, lighting and centerpieces were inspired by the Beekman Boys farm and one of its products, tomato sauce!

This last example we're sharing hits pretty close to home. For this annual meeting, the message was "Totally Engaged, Fully Committed, Now is The Time". Nicole, our founder, thought of her father, Spencer Thew,  who is a successful entrepreneur, a businessman, a college professor, and he happened to complete an Iditarod in 1993. He lived the message that our client wanted to convey to his team! He has so much passion, that at 75 years of age, he has been chosen to participate in the Sleddog World Championship! With him as the event speaker, our vision - decor wise- was pretty clear.  We went with an iditarod-themed corporate event, with a sled on stage, huskies, and a floor-to-ceiling snow backdrop.  

Whether you're planning an annual meeting for your employees, a customer appreciation event, or a team-building activity, we're here for you! We bring over 20 years of planning experience, we know how to plan events that WOW. Call us for your event needs, we'll do all the work while you take all the credit!

September 2016 marks our 20th anniversary. It was back to school time, and Nicole's youngest son, Sean, had just started kindergarten. Looking to start her own business, Nicole read numerous books about emerging industries, and seeing that events management was a developing one, she decided to give it a try...the rest is history.

We thought we'd put together a timeline of the journey over the past 20 years. 

1996: 
The Events Company was established as a DBA. The original name was Events Unlimited. However, when Nicole went to register the name, it was already taken. This prompted a quick payphone call (no cell phones back then) to Nicole's husband to ask if he had another idea for a name. Kevin tossed out The Events Company, she shouted the name out to the clerk who looked it up, said it was available, thanked Kevin, hung up the phone and continued registering the business.
 
Joined the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce (now Centerstate CEO)
 
1997: 
Joined the International Special Events Society (ISES) who are now known as International Live Events Association (ILEA).
 
Our first bridal couple, Jill and Ted got married on August 16th. Ted’s family was Greek and instead of throwing plates, they threw dollar bills at the couple.

​2000: 
Planned the first Coaches vs. Cancer Basket Ball Gala with the American Cancer Society and Juli Boeheim.

​2004:
Moved offices to Harrison Street.

Kevin Samolis (Nicole's husband) joined the team. 'Best decision ever! It was great having someone to strategize with, a person who had the same goals but approached them from a different perspective. Plus, Kevin will take on any task that I prefer not to do…' says Nicole.
 
2006:
Planned our first event out of Central New York in New Orleans. 
 
2007:
Planned our first event out of the country in Cancun, Mexico

Launched our Design and Production Division offering clients who didn't want planning services but wanted decor offerings. Despite of slowdown of the economy, we still saw double-digit growth. 

2008:
Expanded our offices to include an Event Showroom.
 
2009:
Earned the Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) Designation. 
 
2010:
Social Media came onto the scene and Nicole wanted to learn more about it, so she launched the BizBuzz Social Media Conference.
 
2011:
Hearts were broken when The Events Company (TEC)  team member Sean Samolis (and youngest son of Nicole and Kevin) passed away unexpectedly. In tribute to Sean, the TEC team now wears tie-dyed t-shirts as their load-in/out uniform. ​

2012:
Planned our first event on 2 islands. A wedding for 500 guests included barges to get the goods to the island, and Uncle Sam Boat Tours to get guests to the islands.

2014: 
The Events Company gets a ‘sister company’ with the opening of SKY Armory. The Events Company still plans events in other venues.  ​

​2015:
The Events Company starts to create its own events using SKY Armory as a host venue. Our events include BizBuzz Social Media Conference, Night Market, He Said Beer She Said Wine, Little Black Dress Event, New Year's Eve Bash, and St. Patrick's Day Parade.
 
2016:
It’s been 20 years – doesn’t seem like it. It’s been a fabulous journey and we have had the opportunity to create amazing events with some really cool clients who were open to our zany ideas. We’ve met some great people and made a lot of friends along the way.  We thank you for entrusting us with your events.
 
The Next 20:  Who knows where this journey will take us, but know that we are always committed to the WOW!

​As an entrepreneur, I like staying on the forefront of trends and seize opportunities that keep my businesses moving forward. Remember when there was MySpace and then Facebook and you started hearing about ‘social networking’ and wondered what people really meant by that?
 
I wanted to explore how ‘social networking’ could help expand my markets and grow my business. When I couldn’t get enough information, I decided to do what any forward-thinking entrepreneur and event planner would do – create a conference to learn what I want to learn! We reached out to our colleagues who were in the web and digital marketing fields, BizBuzz was conceptualized, and we held our first conference in 2010.
​

Even though this was our fourth annual golf tournament, it all really started ten years ago. Rugby was a new sport on the scene for Syracuse youth, Coach David Bunyan (A teacher at Jamesville/DeWitt School District) and Coach Peter recruited a handful of fearless, thrill-seeking high school youth and got them hooked on Rugby! Sean Samolis, Kevin and Nicole’s youngest son, was a founding member of the Silverbacks Rugby team. They remember the days of no uniforms, needing to borrow players from the other team (Rugby is a gentlemen’s sport) and games played in fields of mud. Being the new kids in the league, they lost a lot of games  but they played with a whole lot of heart and even more determination.
 
Sean loved playing Rugby, and when the world lost this amazing kid in 2011, hearts were broken. Our friends at Ale n Angus Pub wanted to create a golf tournament in his memory. Kevin and Nicole couldn’t think of a better cause to support than a team and sport their son was passionate about. ​

​A lot has changed since that time, the Silverbacks has grown into a powerhouse team, with a girls team now! The money raised helps the CNY Youth Rugby Team by covering equipment cost, uniforms, maintenance and even scholarships. This keeps the teams and sport growing in Central New York.

We would really like to thank the teams that signed up and supported the Infinity Golf Tournament, making it our most successful one yet with $6000 raised. Twenty teams gathered on that day to play golf, have fun (and beer!), and support our local CNY youth rugby.  ​

We couldn't have made it without our sponsors! A big thank you to:

Presenting Sponsors
Ale N Angus Pub
The Events Company

Par Sponsors
The Woodrow Family
Twins Properties Maintenance
TPM General Contractors
Team Green Lawyers

Longest Drive Sponsor
Merrill Lynch

Dinner Sponsors
Senior Home Care Solutions
Black Tie Entertainment, Inc

Tee/Green Sign Sponsors
Sysco
Le Moyne College
Maines
Plus Sign & Graphics
Just The Right Stuff (also golfers' gifts sponsor)
Deli Boy
Ken & Olivia Waite
The Rundberg Family
Boosters
Josh Gaunthier
The Events Company
Syracuse Police Department
Syracuse Silverbacks
Don & Maria Doerr
Colin Cavanaugh
Dave & Monica Metsky
Team Green Lawyers, PLLC
Ryan Gentile
911 Restoration
​Austin Fraher

We would also like to thank the numerous people and companies that donated gifts for the
raffle tickets.

This September, we will celebrate our 20th year in business. Over the course of two decades, we had weddings that went seamlessly, and others, well, let's just say they were about to unweave.

I sat down with Nicole Samolis, CSEP (our Founder and Creative Director), to talk about the worst near disaster(s) that she and her event team have had to deal with at weddings. A few weddings came to mind, the most memorable one was that of Olivia & Derek's big day.

In the end, Olivia, Derek and their guests were thankful to be indoors, warm and dry. "This is what we do, we transform woes into WOWs!" said Nicole with a smile.

Try walking in this groomsman's shoes! Nicole recounted another example where her team saved the day. A groomsman ordered tuxedo-rental shoes that ran small,  when he put them on, not only did he look extremely uncomfortable, but he could barely walk.  "One of our team members contacted the tuxedo shop and got the groomsman the right size shoes just before the ceremony! We come to your rescue, that's why during our meetings with the couple we write down the list of chosen service providers, it's so we can be there for you in instances such as this one." ​

​We love a challenge, and when wedding day disasters happen, we're in full event mode rolling up our sleeves and doing what we're hired to do: making your wedding day memorable and stress-free, sometimes without you even knowing there was an issue to begin with.  At the end of the day, you get to marry your best friend...and we get to do what we love.

You hear the words trade show, and you might think old school, but trade shows do not belong on a marketing Throwback Thursday post. In today's age of speed and instant information, trade shows remain of great value. A trade show is a complete experience unlike any other that allows you to build engagement, community, and your customer base: It's an opportunity to meet your future customers face to face, introduce them to your product or service, and potentially close a deal right there on the floor. This valuable interaction simply cannot be replaced by technology, though, as The Professional Convention Management Association found in their high level look at the future of trade shows (recommended reading for those in the events industry), technology is being incorporated into the production of these events.

The Events Company has been assisting a university's procurement department with a suppliers' trade show for the past five years. Each year we come up with an innovative layout so that every booth is in a good location. And because we know how important it is to engage the attendees with the exhibitors, we host a competition where the exhibitor with the most creative booth gets a prize, because originality attracts people.  

Here are 3 ways to get people to stop, check out your booth and become a customer:

 Attract: 
​Design your booth so that it boldy reflects your brand's essence. Allow customers to take your product for a test run, letting them feel it, try it on, or experience it in a way that gives them a real sense of the product's features and benefits. Interacting with your product will create a bigger impression in people's minds. 

If you are promoting a service, or other intangible, that makes it hard to create an experience with the product, build an interaction that will attract the prospective consumer to your booth. For instance, if you're an insurance company, have a Fortune Teller reading tarot cards or palms - she can add at the end that their lives and valuables will be better protected by buying your insurance policy. ​
​

Engage:
Get social media on your side and harness its power: build engagement and let your fans know about your trade show. How to get people to come to your booth? Take a picture highlighting the most interesting feature of your booth that will make attendees want to come and see it in person. Read this article for many more valuable tips about integrating social media into your trade show. 

Train your team by having a booth-selling skills session, where they learn how to engage with the show's attendees, asking them questions and inviting them to try your exciting product. Have one team member always standing at the entrance of the booth, smiling and greeting attendees. Learn more about sales techniques on the trade show floor. ​

​Adidas gave us all a masterclass at a pre-race expo. In order for people to experience their new sneakers, Adidas had a lifesize hamster wheel, where attendees could put on the new kicks and then "go for a run." Attendees waiting their turn to experience your product are a captive audience; make the most of that time establishing a relationship and find out their needs as you softly start the sales process.

​However, creativity doesn't need to cost a lot of dollars (many of us don't have Adidas' massive budget), little things like getting rid of the banquet table that comes standard with the typical booth, can make a big difference. Many exhibitors put the table at the front of their booth, which creates a barrier to creating connections. Instead, we recommend opening up the booth and using a stand-up table with stools.

Retain:
Once you have a prospective buyer in your booth, start a conversation to learn about the prospect and their needs. Avoid jumping immediately into the features of your product, build a relationship and discover how your product can help fill their needs. Consider creating a private area at the back of your booth where you can talk privately with them.  ​​

Most importantly, follow up with your leads within 48 hours of the trade show closing. Have an email campaign designed and ready, so an email is sent when a lead is put in the system. Attach a photo of your booth (preferably with eager and engaged participants), so the attendee remembers exactly who you are. Create a database of all the qualified leads that you met and networked with during the trade show. 

​"Think out of the booth" and wow your future clients with a well-designed booth and a great experience that converts them to buyers.

Remember to have your business cards on you, know your budget, have a plan as to which booths you want to check out first, network and be open to making new connections. 

1. A Food Tasting Event: This past month, we planned a hugely successful fundraiser for Food Bank of Central New York. Tens of restaurants, grocery stores, hotels and breweries participated, each showcasing a popular item off their menu. 

Gather a few food joints in one place and people will come for great food. Invite a local band to play live background music to create a fun, upbeat ambiance as guests enjoy their delicious bites.

2. Golf Tournament: A game of golf is an interactive way to get people out of the office and into the great outdoors. The Infinity Golf Tournament is a fundraiser we plan every year, with a great turnout. The day includes lunch, drink tickets for beverage stations throughout the course, and dinner with a short program. We also have prizes for fun contests such as Hole-in-One and the Longest Drive. 

As golf appeals to many businesspeople, think about inviting local companies to participate and sign up a foursome. 

3. A Fashion Show:  Mix fashion and music and you've got a fun fundraiser. We work closely with an organization benefiting women entrepreneurs, and we wanted to create a fundraiser for them that offered a carefree and fun night out, while putting the spotlight on the wonderful work they do. Inspired by the chic wardrobe staple, we desgined the Little Black Dress Event with a fashion show, music, dancing and cocktails.

4. Walk/Run: A  community walk/run (or bike ride) is a great way to bring people from all over community together-and runners always love an excuse to hit the pavement. The Rescue Mission's Ride and Run, which we have produced several times in the past, is always a great success. These events are not only healthy, but are often during the day, which means they can be family-friendly as well. 

If you're planning a fundraiser and are in need of a fresh idea, give us a call at 315.422.9400.