Nonprofit organizations and the people who run them are changemakers who work hard to make the world a better place. We work along side them as guides, coaches and support to help deliver stunning events that meet and exceed goals.
September 17 (2-5PM) The Art of the Special Appeal Getting the Most Out of the Room at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
October 30 (9AM-4PM) Auctions A – Z Review the Basics & Set Your Strategies at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
December 9 (9AM-12PM) Pledge Based Events Raising Money with a Walk, Run, or Ride at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
January 19, 2011 (9AM-12PM) Marketing Your Event Increase Visibility & Sell More Tickets at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
February 9, 2011 (12–3PM) Sponsorship Building Your Relationships in the Community at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
March 10, 2011 (1–4PM) Planning for Your Big Day The Logistics of a Good Event at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
April 7, 2011 (1–4PM) Telling Your Story Engaging People With Your Work at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
May 11, 2011 (9AM–12PM) Breakfast & Lunch Fundraising Events Raising Money in a 1-Hour Format at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
June 25, 2011 (9AM–4PM) Auctions A – Z Review the Basics & Set Your Strategies at Planned Parenthood, 3727 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
For more information and to register for workshops: REGISTER HERE
Thank you to our sponsor Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon
ISES Portland announces “Art of the Party,” the first annual Tabletop Competition
The Portland Chapter of the International Special Event Society is rolling out its first ever Tabletop Decorating Contest, to be held on Tuesday Evening, September 28th, 2010. The event, dubbed “Art of the Party,” will be hosted at the Embassy Suites Multnomah Hotel in downtown Portland.
The competition, part of ISES Portland’s monthly meeting for September, will be judged by two of the industry’s foremost event designers, Pauline Parry and Dan Smith. Parry is President and Smith is Creative Director for Good Gracious, an event design and production company in Los Angeles. Parry and Smith will also be presenting the educational content for this special evening meeting. “If you are in catering or event décor, you KNOW who these people are. If you aren’t, you soon will!” Says Nick Apap (of Royces Prop Shop), ISES Portland board member.
“We’ve been working on putting together another signature annual event for ISES Portland,” says Dwayne Thomas (of Greenlight Creative), the ISES Portland’s Vice President of Programs and Events. “We had actually been holding back on this concept for awhile, waiting for the right opportunity to arise. When the chance to bring Pauline and Dan to Portland this September came up, we knew it would be the perfect time to jump in.” The event will be held from 5:30-8:30pm on Tuesday, September 28th in the Queen Marie Ballroom of the Embassy Suites Hotel, 319 SW Pine Street, Portland.
The Tabletop Competition is open to all area event providers and designers–florists, caterers, rental companies–all may enter as well. The entrance fee is $50.00 for members and $80.00 for non-members, and includes one admission to the evening’s education, and networking event. Entrants will have the opportunity to show their tabletop design skills and creativity not only to many other local industry professionals, but to two of the best-known tabletop decorators in the country. “Feedback is so valuable to us as designers,” says Maria Corvallis (of Peter Corvallis Productions), President of ISES Portland. “It’s great that we’ll have a chance to show our work to experts from another part of the country as well.”
Three prizes will be awarded: Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Alternative Materials, and People’s Choice. Each winner will receive a framed certificate, an autographed copy of Pauline Parry’s book “Food Fun Love, Party Styles,” and a $50.00 gift card from Stanford’s Restaurant. In addition, winners will receive recognition on all ISES electronic promotional materials (newsletter, website, social media, and blog). A 60” round table will be provided for each entry. Entrants may register for the competition by emailing alesia@alesiazorn.com. Tabletops are limited, and contest entries on a first-come first-served basis.
Interested attendees who do not wish to enter the competition may still attend this event as always. Tickets for the event only are $25.00 for members and $40.00 for non-members, and are available at Tickets Oregon or www.isesportland.com. Heavy appetizers will be served.
ISES Portland, which boasts a membership of greater Portland, Northwest Oregon, and Southwest Washington event planners and vendors, also hosts such annual events as “Pimp My Warehouse,” “Summer Soiree,” “The Early Show with ISES,” and “Field Trip with ISES;” all popular with their audience of ISES members and other industry notables. ISES Portland meets 10 times throughout the August-through-June season each year, featuring professional networking, lunch or dinner from the area’s foremost caterers, and education on topics ranging from event design and production techniques, to business and marketing strategies, to sustainable event solutions.
ISES International consists of over 7200 of the event industry’s most elite professionals, spread across 49 chapters in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. The Mission of ISES is “to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals along with related industries.” ISES’ slogan is “Dedicated and Educated to Deliver Creative Excellence and Professionalism in Special Events.”
For more information, contact Dwayne Thomas, VP of Programs and Education at dt@greenlight-creative.com or Samantha Swaim, VP of Communications at sam@samanthaswaim.com.
The fall fundraising sprint is just around the corner. While this can be hard to think about in the midst of August when beaches and lapping waves are more appealing, time flies. And, if you’re doing your event this fall the same old way as you’ve always done it… then you’re going to do it wrong.
Everything changes and evolves, so why shouldn’t your biggest fundraiser of the year follow suit?
One of the biggest elements you can use to engage people in your organization and its work is video. As we so often tell clients, when the lights go off and the TV turns on, people get quiet and pay attention. What could be a better moment for you to tell your story? And if it works that well for your fundraiser, why not use it as a regular medium to reach your audiences and give them the sense of being on the inside track of your organization.
In Fundraising Success, Nancy Schwartz makes a great list of arguments for video:
“1. Video production now can be done by anyone with a video camera and Internet access. Brief, on-the-fly videos provide authenticity, the sense of ‘being there’ and compelling visuals via a short production cycle.
2. There’s an expectation, especially among those 30 and under, that video be an element of every communications mix.
3. Quality video contributes immediacy and excitement to your communications mix and strengthens overall impact. Well-crafted videos can emotionally engage your audience in a way that reading can’t.”
We’re in a time and place where technology is fast, cheap, and easy. But most importantly, it helps us meet people through the tools they use and expect. Your video can be as creative as you want. But don’t let lack of resource or time stop you, a great video can simply be a photo montage with music. It brings people along with you in a fast, simple way. It conveys who you are and what you do in a few short minutes, and that can be hard to do in words alone.
If you're looking for a great video team who really understands the art of telling your story we have a few suggestions... Allied Video Two Penguins Productions
Check out some great appeal videos & organizational videos on our You Tube Page
The Request for Bid is out for the annual April ISES event called Pimp My Warehouse. Event planners from all around the city join together to convert a warehouse space into a fun and beautiful event venue. Then we allow one lucky non-profit to come into the space and host their annual fundraising event. You get a high end luxury event for a small donation to the ISES education fund.
Wanna learn more... the RFB is due by September 15th!
Request for Bid – ISES Portland’s “Pimp My Charity” Program
The International Special Events Society (ISES) Portland Chapter is pleased to offer this unique opportunity to a select few non-profit organizations. In late April, 2011, we are offering a completely turnkey, all-inclusive event production package for your use, in order to host your own fundraising event….but for a fraction of the normal cost. Especially in these uncertain financial times, this could catapult your fundraising dinner and/or auction to the next level of profitability, while giving your donors a unique and memorable experience that your organization might not otherwise have been able to afford.
ABOUT ISES ISES is a professional association made up of many individual chapters throughout North America. We are dedicated to the professional growth and education of our members, the creation of standards and ethics in our industry, and the provision of new business opportunities through networking and relationship building. The Portland Chapter consists of event planners, designers, facilities, scenic and décor providers, AV and staging companies, entertainers, media, and a host of unique event service providers of every kind. We hold (10) monthly meetings each year.
ABOUT THE PMC PROGRAM For the past two years, ISES Portland hosted a unique new educational event called “Pimp My Warehouse,” the strategy of which was to show our audience some of the techniques used in event design and production that can completely transform a bare space into a magical and elegant event. Many different sponsor/vendors worked as a team to create an absolutely breathtaking environment each year in which our audience enjoyed a delicious food, musical entertainment, and a brief presentation; all within an amazing, mulit-tiered “night club” scene. To say the least, our audiences have been “wowed” by the experience!
This meeting was so successful, in fact, that ISES Portland decided to extend the production for an additional day in 2010 in order to offer it to a charity to use as their event space, at a deep discount.
It was a complete success for Portland Women’s Crisis Line, the lucky winner of 2010’s bidding for this event! In fact, everyone was a winner: ISES was able to raise funds for its educational programs, the sponsors receive a small stipend for their services to help offset some of the costs of providing them, and of course, our benefactor, PWCL, was the recipient of an elegant dinner and auction setting at a very attractive price.
For April 2011, ISES is once again offering this unique package via a “highest bidder” silent auction process, which we will explain below. The winning bidder’s organization will receive the use of the venue, all decorations and furnishings, lighting, sound, video, rental properties such as tables, chairs, and linens, and staging. We’ll even throw in the entertainment! Curious about what the past two Request for Bid – ISES Portland’s “Pimp My Charity” Program
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WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
• Your event will be held on a weeknight between April 20th and 28th, 2011. We will confirm the exact date no later than 1/10/11. You can take possession of the venue at 10:00am on the day of the event, and must vacate no later than 11:30pm. • ISES will hold their annual “Pimp My Warehouse” event in the same space utilizing the same event elements on the evening before your event, and will refresh the venue so that it is ready for you to use the next day. • ISES will procure and supply all vendor/sponsors and services as follows: -Event venue -Up to 90 minutes of musical entertainment (solo artist or DJ) -Tables, chairs and table linens for guest seating -Basic food service ware (per person: (2) plates, (4) flatware items, (3) glasses) -Table décor -Floral arrangements -Room décor as design dictates -A small stage suitable for auctioneer and solo performer -Stage and decorative lighting -A small sound system suitable for public address, auctioneer, solo performer, or background music -A video screen and projector -Any necessary curtains or event drapes as design dictates -Lounge furnishings as design dictates -Buffet tables and structures as needed -Up to (8) silent auction tables -A registration area (tables, chairs) and electricity to operate any equipment you provide (credit card acceptance, computers, etc). -All personnel required to install, operate or oversee, and remove the above event elements. • ISES will provide professional event design for all of the above elements. As is evident in the attached photos from previous “pimp” events, your event will be an exceptionally well-designed, stylish adaptation, with design elements sumptuously integrated to create a memorable experience for your guests. • The combined “street value” of the above event elements will be between $50,000 and $65,000. • The event is offered as a pre-designed package; and as such, it is not “customizable.” ISES will, however, strive to meet your seating and food service specifications for up to 175 people, and a room capacity for up to 300 people. NOTE: It will be possible for you to arrange for additional food service items at an additional cost. • The event facility’s location will be a to-be-determined warehouse space in Portland, Oregon. Potential locations include the Pearl District, River District, the Northwest industrial corridor, the Eastbank, inner Northeast or Southeast, McLoughlin Blvd, Swan island, and the PDX airport region. • In keeping with the popular urban tradition of “keeping the venue a secret,” and in order to locate and offer the latest and “hippest” venue, ISES will not confirm or announce the location of this event until after January 10, 2011.
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WHAT YOU MUST PROVIDE • Food and Beverages are NOT included in this offering. However, ISES will be happy to offer the same (as yet undetermined) professional event catering service that will be used for our prior “Pimp My Warehouse” event at a 15% discount. The use of the ISES caterer is completely at your option and will be negotiated entirely outside of your agreement to procure the event services called out in this RFB. Should you decide to utilize the ISES caterer, you would have complete control over your own menu, but the caterer would be able to pass a small savings along to you of having already set up their service areas at the venue for the prior ISES event. Should you decide to utilize the ISES caterer, you will negotiate a contract with that caterer without the involvement or liability of ISES whatsoever. • Serviceware (plates, silverware, glassware, buffet service dishes, barware) for more than 175 guests, or specialty service items (martini glasses, chargers, etc) are NOT included in this offering. You will need to provide these either through your chosen caterer or a third party at your own expense. • Food and beverage service laborers (servers, bartenders, bussers, kitchen prep personnel) and gratuities for same are NOT included in this offering. You will need to provide these through your chosen caterer or a third party at your own expense. • Any kitchen preparation equipment that is not provided by your caterer as part of their quoted price. • We will assist you in the arrangement and application for a fire permit, but the expense for said will be your responsibility. • Post event cleanup: ISES will provide removal and clean up for all items associated with the provided event production elements listed above. You and/or your caterer will be responsible for all cleanup and removal associated with food and beverage provision. You will be responsible for all cleanup and removal of any items your organization brings into the facility (such as banners, silent auction signage, etc). You will additionally be responsible for all garbage and recycling refuse removal following your event. • You will be required to provide a clean-up team (volunteer or otherwise) following your event for the above items as well as to sweep the floors. Additionally, you will be required to provide a representative on the morning following the event to ensure that all required clean up has occurred. • ISES is only providing basic table-and-chair set up for your registration and/or auction pay area. You must provide your own computers, printers, cash registers, or credit card acceptance devices. • You are allowed to bring your own signage or banners, but you will be required to place or hang them. ISES will provide coordination no later than (7) days prior to the event to determine how and where to present your signs and banners in a place and manner best suited to the event’s design and your event’s success. • If you are presenting any PowerPoint or other computer-hosted display on the ISES provided video screen, you will need to provide your own laptop and presentation design services. • You will be required to provide your own liability insurance for this event, holding harmless ISES and its vendor/sponsors, and naming same as additional insured in the event of damage.
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WHAT YOU MUST PROVIDE (continued)
• You will be asked to provide an appropriate amount of promotion to ISES Portland and all ISES Pimp My Charity sponsor/vendors at no cost to ISES or the vendors themselves. Promotions could include, but are not limited to: -Logo placement on your signage or banners -Logo placement in your pre-event promotional communications -Logo placement on your event’s website with hot links to vendor websites -Live mention by your MC during your event -Inclusion of sponsor names and contact information in all PR and other press materials COMPENSATION TERMS and HOW TO BID:
• You may submit a bid at any time before September 15, 2010, to the ISES Portland Chapter President. Enter your name, organization, contact info, and bid amount in the space provided below. • Initial each page of this RFB and return all pages in the same submission. • Please mail, email, or fax this RFB as indicated below. • The high bidder will be awarded all of the benefits outlined in this RFB. • The high bidder will be notified no later than October 15, 2010. • The high bidder will be required to make a 50% deposit payment of the accepted bid amount no later than November 1, 2010. • The high bidder will be required to pay all balances due no later than May 1, 2011. • There is a minimum bid requirement of $5,000.00 on this offering. All bids must be at least this amount. • By presenting a bid for the consideration of ISES Portland, you hereby agree to all terms outlined in this RFB.
Please submit bid to Maria Corvallis, ISES Portland Chapter President, at maria@petercorvallis.com, or mail to 2204 N. Clark Ave, Portland Oregon 97227, or via fax to 503-222-1047.
ABOUT FUNDING DISTRIBUTION All funds paid by the winning bidder will be distributed as follows: • ISES Portland Educational Scholarship and Programming: 50% after expenses • Major sponsor stipends: 50% split pro-rata. • ISES Portland expenses: approximately $1,500.00.
