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NACE EXPERIENCE! 2009
 The most informative session I have ever attended at a NACE conference.by Lisa Lynn Backus, CMP, CPCE
After several wonderful years of attending the NACE educational conference, I have many, many learning experiences and memories. Many of them come from my counterparts from around the country who are there to share ideas for the moment and/or for years to come. Many are the wonderful presentations of breakfast, theme breaks, cool reception décor and gala dinner events.
However, this year I very much enjoyed all the breakout sessions I attended … and in particular, the most informative session that I can recall ever attending at any NACE conference.
The title and promotional write-up for this remarkable session was:
Reaching Today’s Wired Bride (for free)
Sonny Ganguly, WeddingWire
Sonny will discuss how to effectively build brand equity in today’s marketplace, one that tends to be crowded and cluttered. The presentation will share best practices from Wal-Mart, Kraft foods, Harvard Business School and WeddingWire.
While I enjoyed the update on bridal decisions made using the on-line searches, I was really impressed with the information on the following websites. Many might just change your life or certainly the way you do things. Check out the following and a brief description of how they will help you:
My personal favorite website was www.animoto.com! I opened a free account and uploaded 12 photos from NACE Experience 2009, selected music from the offerings and, presto, I had a video.
Lastly, “Save the date.” Next July 25th-28th, NACE Experience! 2010 in Austin, Texas.
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Experience 2009! Conference
James Filtz, CPCE
My second conference experience, was as expected, a very exciting experience for me. Our first official day of conference was dedicated to the CPC meeting which is the Chapter Presidents Council. These are present or former chapter presidents who have decided to continue to serve on a national level. During this meeting we head all of the great things national is doing to support us on the chapter level, as well as hear about their plans for the coming year. At the CPC luncheon I was honored with the President's list award, which is only given to one member of the chapter per year. From sessions on Food Allergies, Blogging to Wine Trends, and Cost Effective Menu creation, it was a highly educational conference. The sendoff was a fantastic session by Janine Driver, whose book is called “The Lion Tamer”. Janine in the matter of 30 minutes had us rethink the body language and communication styles we use, as well as encouraged us to “Break our Chain” which is a euphemism for breaking free from whatever is keeping us from being truly successful. Finally the Awards Gala was very exciting for all of in the Las Vegas chapter because our members had a very good overall showing. I am already looking forward to next year's conference in Austin to see what exciting sessions and events NACE can produce for us attending.
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Experience 2009!
Cheryl Sgovio, CPCE
One of the elements I found to be the most interesting at the 2009 Experience Conference was the design session. While this session is held annually, there was a new "twist" this year.
The session was put on by Stephanie Bradshaw, a member of the Baltimore Chapter of NACE, and an up and coming designer. Prior to the event, Ms. Bradshaw got to personally know the four individuals/couples that she was designing an event for. While that is not unusual, what I did find unique is that Stephanie took the overall planning a step further. In addition to designing the event, she designed their personal outfit for the evening as well. Ms. Bradshaw has found that some clients do not have the knowledge or foresight when planning their attire to ensure their maximum comfort, confidence and enjoyment.
While as local catering and event planners we may not all be able to do that, it was an interesting aspect to the overall event that I had not thought about previously.
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Wendy’s Take on Experience 2009 – Charlotte, NC
Experience is a great name for the NACE National Educational event. It truly was a great experience.
While the décor and food is always something that I can’t wait to taste and take in, the highlight of the week for me were the classes I went to.
I thought I would share a few of the things that hit home for me in two of six classes I attended. So here goes:
How to be Socially Savvy in All Situations, taught by Joy Weaver –
§ 85% of our success is due to our social skills
§ 75% of our stress does not come from work, but who we work with
§ We spent a lot of time on how to shake hands appropriately, wear our nametags, etc.
§ Interesting fact, your left hand is your “personal hand” and should be used to cover a cough, sneeze, etc. And, you right hand is your social hand and is used to shake hands, etc.
The Profit Focused-Chef, taught by Jerry Edwards, CPCE
§ Question was asked as to who was most important in the list of three people:
1. Customer
2. Staff
3. Company
§ The answer was interesting: 1.Company; 2.Staff; 3.Customer, and here is why -
§ If your Company is on track (profitable) and your Staff is happy, your Customers are going to be taken care of…
§ There were so many points in this class to pass on, but the thing that I most enjoyed in this learning was the different types of Hors d’ oeuvres & Entrees that you can serve at a lower food cost and still make a decent profit. This is something that I can use everyday in my job.
The general sessions, receptions, dinners were all a treat to see and taste:
We experienced regional items like:
§ Fried Green Tomatoes, Shrimp & Grits and Home-Made Biscuits
§ And, we enjoyed tastes from Morocco like: Grilled Moroccan Spiced Beef Skewers, Moroccan Rice Pudding & a Selection of Exotic Beverages
All in all it was a great week; I learned a lot and look forward to going to Austin next year. |
