It’s the old saying you only get out what you put in!  It’s really true, the more you get involved with a project of any kind the more passionate you become about your efforts. Working in the catering/event world is ever evolving.  You simply just can’t know it all.  The moment you feel that you have hit the highlight of an event, you have to start again on the next big moment.  You simply just trip over your last event and either take on more knowledge and growth or you simply just fizzle out.   Triangle NACE offers a wealth of ideas/ inspirations and growth for the individual who seeks to add to their event tool box.  You can’t just show up, you need to participate and get involved.  Look around you at each event and you will see that there is more than meets the eye at this association.  Networking with peers, visiting your competitors, exchanging ideas and getting an education session all rolled in one.   It’s up to you to improve your self and grow, and I for one can say that the Triangle NACE chapter has been where I have picked up the trends of the season, collaborated with my peers, discussed difficult topics, and sharpened my career by mentoring others.

This article was contributed by Diane Tighe

Immediate Past President of Triangle NACE

Director of Catering & Conference Services, Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club

Triangle NACE had its annual Awards Gala this Tuesday, and what a fabulous evening it was! The elegant Brier Creek Country Club hosted the event and provided delicious food and wine. Heart Stone Films produced a hilarious trailer to match the gala’s “Are You A Superhero” theme- now available on our Home Page! Photos by Amanda Olson will be posted to our gallery soon!

Thank you to our sponsors who helped put this event together:

Brier Creek Country Club

The English Garden

CE Rental

Joe Bunn DJ Company (for Joe's full presentation playlist, click HERE!)

Scott Brown Media Group

Going Greene Events

Amanda Olson Photography

Congrats to our 2012 Winners and Nominees! You are all Superheros!

BEST PLATED FOOD PRESENTATION AT AN EVENT

Winner: EXPRESSIONS BENEFIT, THE UMSTEAD HOTEL AND SPA

Other Nominees:

Food & Wine Pairing, The Carolina Inn

First Citizen’s Wealth Management Dinner, Mitchell’s Catering

Mother Earth Beer Dinner, TPC at Wakefield Plantation

Spark/Smith Wedding, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

BEST BUFFET PRESENTATION AT AN EVENT

Winner: 60^TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, TPC AT WAKEFIELD PLANTATION

Other Nominee:

The Container Store Grand Opening, Mitchell’s Catering

BEST DESSERT PRESENTATION AT AN EVENT

Winner: LAMPURI BIRTHDAY CAKE, MITCHELL’S CATERING

Other Nominees:

NACE Awards Gala 2011, Centerplate

Hass Rehearsal Dinner, Mitchell’s Catering

Taking Sustainability to the Next Level, The Siena Hotel

BEST TABLETOP DÉCOR AT AN EVENT

Winner: SOLAS NACE EVENT, FLEURTATIONS WEDDINGS AND EVENTS

Other Nominee:

Bahl Wedding, Fleurtations Wedding & Events

BEST FLORALS AT AN EVENT

Winner: VATZ / KUHN WEDDING, FLEURATIONS WEDDINGS AND EVENTS

Other Nominees:    

Bahl Wedding, Fleurtations Wedding & Events

Mordecai Wedding, Fleurtations Wedding & Events

BEST LIGHTING OR PROPS AT AN EVENT

Winner: HERRING WEDDING RECEPTION, TOTAL PRODUCTION SERVICES

Other Nominees:

Contemporary Art Museum Grand Opening, Going Greene Events McKendall/Jones Wedding Reception, Total Production Services

BEST PHOTOGRAPHY FROM AN EVENT

Winner: BEACH TO BATTLESHIP IRONMAN TRIATHALON, SCOTT FABER PHOTOGRAPHY

Other Nominees:

Bahl/Johnson Wedding, f8 Photo Studios

Handley/Sayewich Wedding, f8 Photo Studios

Zajac Wedding, Neil Boyd Photography

Come Fly Away, Scott Faber Photography

BEST VIDEOGRAPHY FROM AN EVENT

Winner: WELLMAN / WILNER WEDDING, HEART STONE FILMS

Other Nominees:

Jana & Erik Drown the Gown, f8 in Motion

Wedding of Jenna & Shawn, Southern Video Design

BEST ENTERTAINMENT AT AN EVENT

Tie Winners: WEDDING RECEPTION BY JOE BUNN DJ COMPANY, and

ROBINSON/BROWN WEDDING LIVE PAINTING BY TESH’S LIVE WEDDING AND EVENT PAINTINGS

Other Nominee:

Contemporary Art Museum Grand Opening, Going Greene Events

BEST CORPORATE EVENT

Winner: COME FLY AWAY, RSVP EVENTS

Other Nominees:

Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge, American Tobacco

Channel Advisors Welcome Reception/Beer Garden, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

BEST NON-PROFIT/FUNDRAISER EVENT

Winner: CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM GRAND OPENING, GOING GREENE EVENTS

Other Nominees:

Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge, American Tobacco

Durham Academy’s Downtown Hoedown, A Swanky Affair

Expressions Benefit, Umstead Hotel and Spa

BEST THEMED FOOD AND BEVERAGE EVENT

Winner: A THREE RING NEW YEARS EVE, TPC AT WAKEFIELD PLANTATION

Other Nominees:

First Citizen’s Wealth Management Dinner, Mitchell’s Catering

Taking Sustainability to the Next Level, The Siena Hotel

WaDu is Alive with the Sound of Music, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

BEST WEDDING  EVENT

Winner: THOMAS/MILLER WEDDING, GRACE LEISURE EVENTS

Other Nominees:

Maggie & RT, A Southern Soiree

Annette & Joel’s Clinton Wedding Transformation, A Southern Soiree

Gaither/Webb Wedding, A Swanky Affair

Chic Urban Downtown Raleigh Wedding, Erin McLean Events

Classically Elegant Country Club Wedding, Erin McLean Events

Historic Mordecai Wedding, Fleurtations Wedding & Events

Moore/Butler Wedding, Umstead Hotel & Spa

Ayarza/Konik Wedding, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

Sparks/Smith Wedding, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

CHAPTER MEETING AWARDS

FAVORITE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AT A MEETING

Tie Winners: FOOD SAFETY ABC’S AT THE EMBASSY SUITES BRIER CREEK, and

FLORAL DESIGN WITH CATERING WORKS

FAVORITE FOOD AT A MEETING

Winner: NACE AWARDS GALA, CENTERPLATE

FAVORITE SERVICE AT A MEETING

Winner:  FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS AT THE CAROLINA INN

FAVORITE HOST

Winner: THE CAROLINA INN

FAVORITE OVERALL CHAPTER MEETING

Winner: SPEED NETWORKING AT PRESTONWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

PRESIDENT'S AWARDS

AMY GREENE, GOING GREENE EVENTS

VALERIE WARD, BAY 7 AT AMERICAN TOBACCO/ CAPITAL BROADCASTING

THE UMSTEAD HOTEL & SPA

MEMBERSHIP AWARDS

BEST NEW MEMBER

Winner: ERIN MCLEAN WITH ERIN MCLEAN EVENTS

Other Nominees:

Shelly Keeter, Brier Creek Country Club

Tracy Neilson, The Carolina Inn

Neal Zipser, Shutterbooth

EVENT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Winner: JOE BUNN WITH JOE BUNN DJ COMPANY

Other Nominees:

Jesse Jenkins, AFR Event Furnishings

Mary Moore Larick, CE Rental

Jenna Olender, Southern Bride & Groom

Ryan Pflumm, SPIN

Valerie Ward, American Tobacco/Capitol Broadcasting

CATERER OF THE YEAR

Winner: ROCKY TOP CATERING

Other Nominees:

Laura Petersen, The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

Devon Schwartz, The Carolina Inn

Jaclyn Parks, TPC at Wakefield Plantation

JW Walton, The Catering Company

SPIRIT OF NACE

Winner: VALERIE WARD, AMERICAN TOBACCO /CAPITOL BROADCASTING

Other Nominees:

Neil Boyd, Neil Boyd Photography

Cara Galati, F8 Photo Studios

Amy Greene, Going Greene Events

Jaclyn Parks, TPC at Wakefield Plantation

Laura Petersen, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

Sharon Riley, RSVP Events

Diane Tighe, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

Valerie Ward, American Tobacco/Capitol Broadcasting

Angie Wright, Chic Details Weddings & Events

The 2nd annual NACEgiving was held this past Monday, November 7, at Sparians Bowling Boutique in Raleigh.
The money from our fundraiser was given to the interfaith food shuttle, and we also inducted the new 2012 board. We ended the evening with bowling! Check out the pictures below from In His Image Photography.

Thank you to this month's meeting sponsors:

...and to this month's Door Prize Sponsors:

• F8 Photo Studios
• American Tobacco Campus
• Sienna Hotel
• Bliss by Sam
   

Parking Info: Free Valet parking will be available across from Top of the Hill begining at 5:30pm.  Access registration via the Columbia Street entrance.

Meet the 2012 Board Candidates in a fun, informal setting. Then enjoy beer tasting stations with a brewmaster at each, who will describe the the reasons why the menu pairings were selected to bring out the nuances in the beer and the food. 

TOP OF THE HILL MENU

Cocktails & Appetizers
Fried Green Tomatoes with Sour Cream & Caviar
Exotic Fruit Skewers
Old Well White Mimosa Shooters

Station #1 - Beer 101
Beer: Kenan Summer Lager
Food: Grilled bratwurst skewers with onions and peppers *Veggie option*
See and learn the essential ingredients in beer

Station #2 - Hops 101
Beer: Ram’s Head IPA
Food: Muenster Cheese Fondue with Assorted homemade breads & veggies
Learn about hops

Station #3 - Wheats 101
Beer: Blue Ridge Blueberry Wheat & Old Well White
Food: Pulled Pork Slider with molasses-blueberry barbeque sauce
& Dhansak Curried Chicken and Veggies skewers
Learn about wheat beers and reasons for their popularity

Station #4 - Nitrogens 101
Beer: Ellie’s ESB
Food: Great Room Crab Cakes with chipotle remoulade
Learn about English-style brewing vs. American-style

Station #5 - Malts 101
Beer: Frank Graham Porter (AND Black Velvets)
Food: New York Cheesecake
Learn about malts

This Month's Sponsors:

This Month's Door Prize Sponsors:

• Top of the Hill
• Washington Duke Inn
• Bliss by Sam
• American Tobacco Campus
• Miel Bon Bons

Throughout the month of October, Triangle NACE is are running a membership drive. New members will receive $100 savings off our annual fee, and returning members (over 3 months lapsed) will receive a savings of $50.

Being a member, of NACE is a great opportunity to give your business a competitive edge and company representatives the opportunity to network with some of our industry’s leading vendors. Our chapter also offers fabulous educational components at each meeting, in which our members are able to learn from leading figures in the catering and event community.

Join online at www.nace.net using the code: FALL2011 to save on your annual membership. Please spread the word to friends you think would benefit from being NACE members!

By: Jaclyn Parks, Triangle NACE Chapter President

The Design Experience is probably the session most looked forward to by many of the conference attendees each year, myself included!  It's a great way to get a glimpse of some cutting edge trends and to hear exactly what went into each design and why.  Even though most of them are waaaaay above the typical budget we find here in the Triangle, there are still ways to take away pieces of these ideas to incorporate with your events.  Here were my Top 5 takeaways from this year:
 
1. Don't be matchy-matchy
It's the traditional thing to have every place setting at the table be the same - same style plate, glassware, silverware, napkin.  It looks nice that way.  But what if each place setting was completely different, but fit into the bigger picture of the event as a whole?  Love it!!  This table was fun and whimsical, but still had a very unified look.  Every plate was different.  Every coffee cup was different.  Each napkin was different.  When it was put all together?  Completely interesting.  This may be taking it to the extreme, but you could absolutely work this into an event with just slight variations at each place setting.

 
2. Magnolia blossoms are awesome
Yes, I know the real ones are hard to work with and don't last long, but I love how they are the epitome of southern elegance.  These huge blooms are a show stopper.  At conference, they used some really nice faux blooms, which just standing at the table, you'd almost never be able to completely tell.  Then, you can use them over and over again.  I just had some real world experience with them for a wine dinner event here at TPC and everyone commented on how much they loved them.  It took a little effort to get the real ones (thank goodness the neighborhood here has a lot of magnolia trees is all I will say), but it was worth it.

 
3. Lighting is important.
I know this is no "breaking news" for those of us that have experience with all of our lighting vendor friends, but it still holds true.  Lighting goes a long way to setting the ambiance.  If you're not using it, try it.  Because everyone else is.

 
4. Layering a table
One thing I noticed with several of these tables was how many different layers there were.  Every time I came back around, I was noticing something new.  Don't you want the guests at your event to have the same experience?  Each detail was meticulously chosen for a reason and you could tell.  Even if you're not spending $1,000 or more on one table, you can still layer with small touches.

 
5. Black Spraypaint
A little black matte spraypaint can go a long way into turning something old and dated into something current, modern, and chic.  Can you walk into a venue and decide to spraypaint their brassy chandeliers black?  Well, no.  But can you incorporate that into decor in other ways?  Absolutely.  I actually plan on trying this out on an old brassy chandelier that we have in our attic to see what happens.  I also love the idea of black vases.  The table at conference did it to the chandeliers and to the urns that doubled as table legs.  The effect was dramatic.

The old saying that "you can't wear white after Labor day" surely didn't stop anybody at this months meeting! This past Tuesday, September 15, everybody came decked out in their best white attire for a special fundraiser to benefit the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. The event was held at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham. 
It was a memorable evening complete with wonderful food from some of the Triangle's best caterers, a big band performance, a delicious dessert buffet provided by Sweet Memories Bakery, a silent auction and raffle, and gorgeous decor provided by some of the leading local floral, rental, lighting, and furniture professionals. All proceeds from sponsorships, silent auction and raffle go to benefit the Inter-faith Food Shuttle.
Thank you to everybody involved and to all who came to this fabulous event!

Check out the fabulous menu below! You won't want to miss it next year!
Thank you to the fabulous caterers for providing delicious food! Parizade, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Catering Works,Centerplate, and The Catering Company of Chapel Hill.
 

Sign up this week for the Food Shuttle Soiree White Party!!

Please join us on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:00pm at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham for a special fundraiser to benefit the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.

Click here to sign up!  It will be a memorable evening complete with wonderful food from some of the Triangle's best caterers, a big band performance, a delicious dessert buffet, provided by Sweet Memories Bakery,  silent auction and raffle, and gorgeous decor provided by some of the leading local floral, rental, lighting, and furniture professionals. All proceeds from sponsorships, silent auction and raffle go to benefit the Inter-faith Food Shuttle.

SUGGESTED ATTIRE- WHITE

Come out and try delicious foods from Parizade, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Catering Works, Centerplate, and The Catering Company of Chapel Hill.

Greetings from Reno, Nevada!
 
Hello fellow NACE members!!  We are in full swing here at the Experience! 2011 Conference and I wanted to share some of the exciting news from the Chapter Presidents Council meeting that I attended on Sunday.
 
First of all, our national NACE office is working on elevating the national brand of NACE.  Their goal is to make NACE the first thought for consumers when they are looking for a professional in the event industry.  We will be seeing several more industry surveys that will be featured in several national magazines, helping make NACE the expert that people will look to for upcoming event trends.  They are also working on partnerships with Brides Magazine and Brides.com and BizBash, as well as a continued partnership with Catersource.
 
Second, they are working to continue to up the number of educational opportunities available to our membership.  Everyone should have received a calendar of events and webinars in the mail over the last couple of weeks.  This communication piece is a key part of getting the word out about all of the affordable opportunities out there.  The Idea Swaps are also going to be a key component heading into next year as well.  What better way to gain ideas than to hear what other members across the country are doing successfully!
 
Finally, they are looking forward to unveiling an online marketplace very soon.  Every NACE member will get a listing in this marketplace at no charge.  It will be heavily marketed to a national office and will give consumers the opportunity to search for NACE professionals in any given area, as well as put forth a bid that will go out to all members that meet their bid's criteria.  Members will then be able to respond to the bid if they so choose.
 
As you can see, there are lots of new ideas coming!!  We've been having a fantastic time and can't wait to come back and share all of the new ideas with our membership.  And for anyone that is interested, the 2012 Experience! Conference is going to be in New Orleans!
 
See you all soon!
Jaclyn

July's meeting was held on the rooftop of Solas on Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh. It was easily the hottest meeting of the year, but the heat didn't stop anybody from coming to this fabulous event! The evening began with networking, refreshing cocktails, and delicious food. This meeting featured award winning stylist Stephanie Bradshaw, who spoke on "Something Old, Something New" with an inspired fashion show and workshop. Stephanie kicked off the evening with very informative details on how to find inspiration through fashion, branding your image and translating your style into your events. She presented practical styling tips for both men and women and "Dressing people, parties and places".  Stephanie not only shared about events, but styling trade show booths, places and people. It was very informative and enlightening.
We were then treated to a fabulous fashion show featuring beautiful dresses and suits. This was definitely a fashion forward event!

Thank you to our sponsors:
Tre Bella Bridal
Sugarland Bakery
Fleurtations Weddings and Events
Cleveland Plant and Flowers
CE Rentals
SPIN DJ Services
Scott Brown Media Group
Models for Charity
ds Parada
Table of Contents
Tracey Vest

Door Prized provided by:
AFR Event Furnishings
A Southern Soiree
American Tobacco Campus
Going Greene Events
TPC Wakefield
Scott Faber Photography

Gift bags for all guests provided by:
VitaminWater