Member News from Eventworld, Baltimore by Allison Pangakis
As the proud recipient of the Leadership and Merit Scholarship from ISES RI, to attend the 2010 Eventworld in Baltimore, I could not have been more excited to see what this conference had in store for me. Having been to Baltimore and Eventworld in the past I knew how much fun and information there would be to come. The week started off on Thursday with a great opening session presented by Guitarist Mike Rayburn. Not only inspiring, but also very funny, Mike was able to get everyone excited for the days ahead.
This year the focus of Eventworld was to give attendees the opportunity to network with each other and share information, trends, troubles and successes among them. This was done in numerous round table discussions that proved to be extremely beneficial- I left each of the 4 roundtables that week knowing at least 10 new faces and having gained a wealth of information!
Friday was a 9pm-5pm class day, and one of the most worthwhile days I have had at a conference. That morning I attended “You hate insurance, your customer hates insurance, I hate insurance” Presented by Larry Cossio. Having only basic understanding of different types of event insurance and why you need them, I left slightly overwhelmed but also feeling knowledgeable about the topic. That afternoon I attended “Requests for Proposals – Unraveling the mysteries”. The room was packed with people ready for some helpful hints…and that’s what we got. Taught by a panel of 5 professionals, they addressed everything from good and bad RFPs to how to stand out amongst others. I left with pages of notes and a new, clearer understanding of RFPs. To end the day was the “Birds of a feather roundtable” where we talked with professionals in our like aspects of the industry. I joined the “Event Designer” roundtable because of my work with Perfect Surroundings. Friday evening I attended the SEARCH event where I was able to support a great cause, network with friends I had met at past conferences, make new ISES connections, and enjoy time with my fellow Rhode Islanders.
Saturday I chose to take a class more for creative thinking and fun, “Award Winning Events and Menus” Presented by Joann Roth-Oseary. She had some incredible ideas about how to make your event unique. She explained her slides in detail and why these ideas had been so successful. Saturday afternoon I took a class unlike any other I have seen offered at past conferences. It was called “The Psychology of Event Design” Presented by Kevin White CSEP and Richard Foulkes. This class focused on exploring human needs and emotion and how we can manipulate them through our events. They taught us how events are a great opportunity to work with the senses and how, if we can satisfy human needs, the event will be successful.
Finally, to end my days at Eventworld I was able to attend the Luncheon where ISES RI celebrated winning TWO Spirit of Excellence awards; Communications and Membership. I was also able to join everyone on stage to share in the Northeast winning best region!
I cant thank everyone enough for giving me this opportunity and I can truly say that I learned a lot, made some wonderful memories and met great people from all over the world. I am inspired and proud to be a member of ISES RI and a part the Northeast Region.
