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.

​At a time when there are 9.4 million women-owned businesses in the US, supporting women entrepreneurs is not just a good cause but also a necessity for economic growth.
 
The LBD (Little Black Dress) is a fun and fashionable fundraiser created by SKY Armory that benefits the WISE Women's Business Center (WBC). This celebratory night will take place on Friday, October 14th, from 7-11 pm at SKY Armory.

Our president and creative director, Nicole Samolis, herself a woman business owner, has been heavily and passionately involved in working with the WISE WBC for a decade. Having started her company before the emergence of WISE, she knows firsthand the value of the business development resources and networking provided by the WISE Women's Business Center. The center offers mentoring and consulting services to women entrepreneurs, as well as networking opportunities.

The festive evening, celebrating the 10th anniversary of WISE WBC, will include a runway-style fashion show, emceed by Jackie Terribile,  highlighting local designers, retailers and models.

The event features funky cocktails, wines by female winemakers, made-from-scratch hors d’oeuvres, small plates and desserts prepared by the talented SKY Armory culinary team. 

​In case you need more reasons to attend this beautiful evening, a stunning gold Little Black Dress necklace (a $225 value) will be raffled at the end of the night.  Live entertainment will be playing throughout the evening, so you can dance the night away.
 
Click here for more information and to book your ticket for this amazing fundraiser that supports local women entrepreneurs in your community. 

Pre-order your Little Black Dress Necklace Today!

This $75 silver pendant on a Tiffany's style chain with black
cubic zirconium stones has been designed by Cazenovia Jewelery exclusively for the Little Black Dress Fundraiser. Proceeds benefit the ​WISE Women's Business Center.

Click here to purchase your necklace, once on the page, click on 'Get Tickets' on the top right-hand side, then scroll down the page to where it says LBD Necklace.

A huge thank you goes out to the 90+ golfers who came out for a great day on the course at Beaver Meadows. Together, these 23 teams raised $5,200 for the Syracuse Silverbacks Youth Rugby Team which was played in memory of Sean M. Samolis, a founding member and captain of the rugby team. The money raised funds team scholarships and defrays the costs of equipment, registration fees, and other costs. 

The game was played as a captain & crew and many teams also competed in the skins and putting contests. 

We are also very grateful to our sponsors who supported the annual tournament with raffle prize donations, tee and green signs,  and Pro Shop gift cards for course contests.

Presenting Sponsors:
Ale N Angus
SKY Armory

Longest Drive Sponsor - Merrill Lynch
Closest to the Pin Sponsor - Ale N Angus
Hole in One Sponsor - SKY Armory
Birdie Sponsor - Barclay Damon, LLP

Dinner Sponsors:
Black Tie Entertainment
Nu-Crete
Senior Home Care Solutions

Gift Sponsor - Just the Right Stuff

Signage Sponsor - Plus Sign Graphics

Tee/Green Signs:
The Ambrose Group
Barclay Damon, LLP
Bill's Carpet Services 
Carbonaro Law Office
Champions for Life
Classic Gunstocks, LLC
Coca-Cola
Empire Merchants North
GreatBrewers.com
Harrison Family
Hultzman Family
Le Moyne College
Menzel Family
Onondaga Beverage
Opici Family Distributing
Peter A. Guinta & Son Produce, Inc.
Powers Accounting & Business Services
Renzi Food Service
911 Restoration

A few more outtakes from the day, which included a sandwich lunch, steak dinner, and a lot of fun:

Being locally minded doesn’t just mean frequenting independent retailers and restaurants, though we love doing that. Being locally minded also means working to make our community better for all who live here. Since 1985, Food Bank of Central New York has been providing food to people in need and working to eliminate hunger in our area.

We have worked with Food Bank for the past 15 years on Savor Syracuse, an annual fundraiser. In honor of The Food Bank’s 30th anniversary in 2015, we have come up with something new and exciting that we hope you will join us for!

Cork Hunger: A Wine Auction to Benefit Food Bank of Central New York is a cocktail reception, multi-course wine dinner, and wine auction (both silent and live) taking place at SKY Armory on Friday, April 24, 2015. This event will be a great resource for everyday wine enthusiasts and a way for collectors to score hard-to-find bottles. 

Cork Hunger will be a key fundraising component of the Food Bank’s year-long celebration to mark their milestone anniversary.  The goal is to raise $150,000, which will directly support Food Bank’s continued efforts to alleviate hunger in central and northern New York and fund education programs, as well.

Our auction committee of fine wine aficionados is reaching out to wineries around the globe and private cellars requesting they send a single bottle or case of some of their best vintages to Syracuse. We are asking members of our community to donate wine and wine-related items with a minimum retail value of $75.00 that can be auctioned at the event.

If you have a special vintage or another wine-related item, and are interested in making a tax-deductible donation, please click here to fill out the donation form.

We are also looking for supportive organizations to help sponsor this event – there are a variety of levels to choose from.

Between now and April 24, we’ll be using #corkhunger and we look forward to unveiling the Cork Hunger logo and sharing information and updates! Stay tuned!




We and the Food Bank are committed to responsible drinking – you must be age 21 or older to attend this event, consume alcohol, or purchase alcohol.

We realized in talking to some of our long-time clients that there may be a little confusion about how The Events Company and SKY Armory work, both separately and together. So we'd like to help clear that up!

The Events Company (TEC), which has been in business for 18 years, is not changing. We are still your go-to for exceptional weddings, corporate meetings and events, Bat and Bar Mitzvahs, milestone birthdays and anniversaries (both social and corporate), galas, bashes, fundraisers, awards dinners, community events - you name it! We are an event planning and design company and we will help you plan your event at any location.  

Our sister company, SKY Armory, is an event venue in downtown Syracuse. SKY has its own staff, which includes a sales manager, executive chef, food & beverage manager, event planners, and kitchen, dining, and service staff.  SKY is an urban open-loft style space and it is one of the larger event venues in Central New York - SKY is able to hold up to 900 people between the two large ballrooms and has already hosted or booked many of the types of events listed above. 

The companies, both owned by Nicole and Kevin Samolis, are two separate entities with their own staffs: The Events Company event planners and production team manage events at indoor and outdoor locations all over the region (and beyond). SKY Armory's staff handles events held only at SKY Armory. 

When you come to The Events Company about your event, depending on your projected headcount, event style and vision, we may suggest SKY as a venue if we think it's right for you. If you select SKY Armory as the venue for your event, you'll still work directly with your TEC planner, who will liaise with the management staff at SKY to help schedule decor meetings and tastings. 

SKY is not only one more great local venue in our arsenal of top venues in the area, it provides a very different atmosphere than other locations where you might have held events. If you choose another location for your event, your TEC planner will guide you through the planning process and day-of management. 

As always, our goal is to ease the stress and pain of event planning for you and help you create a memorable event that people talk about long after they depart. 

When brides choose the colors for their events, it's probably safe to say the majority of them are picking two, maybe three, solid colors to work with. Different color combinations can evoke a variety of moods, but have you thought about mixing in a pattern?  (This doesn't just apply to bridal clients - the right pattern can be appropriate and add visual interest to any corporate event or fundraiser, too!)

When we present linen options for a client, we have a wide range of solids and patterns on hand in a variety of materials, sheens, and textures. Color, texture, the way light reflects off the material, any embellishments such as sequins or embroidered thread - all of these enhance the look of your event. Patterns even more strongly convey a message about the mood and style of your wedding.  Patterns can be subtle or bold, neutral or bright, and used in large or small doses. (And not just on linens.) 

Above are outtakes from an inspiration shoot we did a few years ago, and below are some beautiful examples we've found from more recent events:

Don't feel constrained by the phrase "wedding colors" --  there is a world of pattern available to you that includes geometrics, stripes, ikats, ethnic patterns, florals, abstracts, damasks, and more. Click the links below to see even more ideas.

Event and wedding planners are often asked about the essential elements that make an event special. The more obvious answers of good food, music, and decor are all true, but something that people hosting events usually don't think of is flow -- how people will move through the event space. 

All of our planners spend a lot of time considering options when designing the layout for a wedding, gala, fundraiser, or bash. The purpose of the event helps to guide the process and, of course, the venue configuration has a significant role as well. 

From there the specific needs of the event - be it a dance floor, stage or platform for a speaker or performer, the bar, seating and tables, and any transitions (i.e. fabric draping) - inform the plans for the space. 

In a recent post on BizBash, Josh Tierney, director of style and design for planning company Great Performances, said: “The best parties have a mix of seating that takes the personalities of guests into account—lounge seating by the dance floor for the party animals, lots of high-tops and tall communal tables by the bar to create a bar scene, a dark lounge tucked away so that wallflowers feel cool and have a space to observe, traditional guest seating for older folks, and a reserved place for senior management to hold court. Building the floor plan should take real people into account.”

A past article from InTents Magazine outlined some best practices for designing good event flow. In addition to aesthetics, there are safety concerns as well: you don't want guests tripping over power cords or sitting at tables that are in the way of the bathrooms or kitchen door. 

In the article, Kelly Murphy of Pompano Beach, FL-based Panache said:  “Walking the space with the client is also very helpful,” she says. “People do not always see things that can be obvious obstacles, like trees, ground covering in terms of selecting the proper tent option for staking or construction, and guest accessibility. It is the foundation from which to build, so the initial phase of understanding the layout and being able to visualize it is vitally important.”

If you're planning your own event, try to visualize how people will enter and move around the space. Think about the pieces of the event and how it will progress. Of course, if you're hiring an event planner, he or she will be able to take all factors into consideration when laying out your event and will have contingency plans or be able to think quickly on their feet if something isn't quite right. 

We often help organizations of all kinds produce fundraising events.  When you're producing an event that benefits a cause or a charity, getting attendees and potential donors to feel as passionately about the issue as you do is key. Creating an emotional connection means that you could potentially raise more money for the organization, and you may earn new supporters who continue efforts to raise awareness and funds beyond the event itself.

Having something tangible makes the challenges others face seem more real. In Brooklyn, past-its-prime food and a scrubbed-down garbage dumpster have become the foundation for Salvage Supperclubs. Conceptualized by designer Josh Treuhaft for his recent master's thesis, the idea is to create a six-course meal from food that is imperfect or about to be thrown away. Guests pay $50 (suggested donation) to attend the dinner and the goal is to raise awareness about how much food is actually wasted unnecessarily. The proceeds from the dinners go to various charities dealing with hunger relief, healthy food access, and other food-related concerns. 

A Huffington Post article on the supper clubs stated this: "According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, American families throw out about 25 percent of their groceries each year, often because they don't maximize the food's full use -- for example, some people throw away broccoli stems and only use the florets -- or they don't know how to store perishable items correctly. What's more, according to the World Resources Institute, about one-third of all food produced worldwide gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems annually."

Having guests sit in a dumpster eating food that was nearly wasted creates a much bigger impact than having them listen to speeches, however impassioned. 

Another great example of this strategy is from charity: water. Most of us have likely seen pictures of African villagers carrying large jugs of water back to their homes. You see the image and you understand that getting clean water is hardship in many places, but you don't necessarily connect with the reality of it. Charity: water held an event where guests were encouraged to carry a standard 40-pound jerry can of water about 50 yards. The guests couldn't believe how heavy the cans were and how hard it is to move the cans even a short distance. Guests were able to more fully realize the difficulty many people face in accessing a basic human right and felt more passionately that something must be done. 

For another clever example, see this article from Event Solutions. Creative ideas like these create a physical and emotional experience that garner a much larger investment from guests and benefit the cause in a more meaningful way.


Photos: The Huffington Post, Event Solutions