We event planners can’t even go on vacation without thinking about events and how our vacation experience or destination applies to our clients. During the recent American Thanksgiving holiday, two RealTime Productions’ staff members separately vacationed in British Columbia, Canada, enjoying all that Vancouver and Whistler have to offer with an eye on what that means to you. Despite the weak dollar, our neighbors to the north offer a quick getaway that keeps getting easier.
Office Manager, Tiffany Stevenson, took the train from Seattle to Vancouver, enjoying the beautiful scenery and lack of border line-up. She highly recommends kicking back, reading a good book and leaving the driving to someone else! Once in Vancouver, she and her husband took the SkyTrain, the SeaBus, and, finally, a city bus to their bed & breakfast (www.thistle-down.com) in North Van, as the locals call it. North Van boasts its own attractions, such as the Lonsdale Quay Market and Shops (www.lonsdalequay.com), skiing at Grouse Mountain (www.grousemountain.com), and the amazing Capilano Suspension Bridge (www.capbridge.com).
The Vancouver Trolley (www.vancouvertrolley.com) provided the best tour for these first-timers around Vancouver proper and provided the option to jump on and off at different locations. Granville Island was a huge hit with its produce market, crafts, boutique shops and artist galleries. Stanley Park was another favorite spot, as well as the UBC Museum of Anthropology with its original First Nations totem poles and assorted ceremonial items. Bring good walking shoes and an adventurous appetite to Vancouver where it’s easy to feel that you’ve travelled halfway around the world in just a few hours.
Sales Manager, Catherine Springman, whisked her family up to Whistler by car, and the border wait was palatable thanks to checking the website www.borderlineups.com, directing them to the least congested crossing site. All U.S. residents must have a passport or birth certificate and photo i.d., residents from other countries may need a visa, and anyone with a criminal offense on their record (including a misdemeanor or DUI) may be refused entrance into Canada. Event managers should check the latest guidelines at www.seattle.gc.ca.
The expansion and improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler make that drive easier and faster than ever before. We still recommend dining in Vancouver or waiting until you reach Whistler, as the fare in between has not improved. The latest addition to non-ski activities is the Ziptrek (www.ziptrek.com), which zips you along a cable from treetop to treetop on an educational eco-tour of the forest. Groups are welcome. The rec center in Whistler is also fun with a huge swimming pool featuring rope swing and mini-current that sweeps you through a tiled channel into the main pool, as well as an NHL-size ice arena with rental skates. There are plenty of 5 star hotels and restaurants, as well as spas, with space for every group size.
For all that Whistler has to offer in winter or summer, see www.seevirtual360.com/index.aspx. Don't forget that the Winter Games come to Whistler in 2010!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Five Tips for Easy Entertaining
1. Fake it. A party or hosting Thanksgiving dinner is just for a few hours, so don’t feel like you have to clean and stage the entire house to perfection. Choose the areas you make available to guests and hide the rest! Stash paper stacks and laundry, close the doors to kids’ rooms, and don’t worry about cleaning closets and under sofas. Do scrub the bathroom guests will use, provide a soap dispenser (not the slimy bar), add a candle or flowers, clean towels and nice hand lotion.
Where will you put coats? Tidy up and make room in the coat closet, even if you have to take your coats off hangers and throw them on your bed temporarily. Putting coats on the master bed? Then you will need to dust off and straighten up your bedroom. Lock doors into off-limits rooms, particularly if the gathering is relatives or good friends – I found two friends having a heart-to-heart in the room I chose to hide everything at my last party! Use a moveable screen or chairs with a pretty ribbon across them to block access to hallways or other areas without a door.
Since I am not a cook, my favorite fake is to order food in advance, put it in my own dishes and heat right before guests arrive. I get to enjoy my own party and everyone eats better!
2. Decorate simply. Think large focal points. Purchase one kind of flower, in one color, in bulk, and make your own simple arrangements. Use kids’ artwork or photos from previous gatherings – they provide conversation pieces as well. Or cluster candles in groups, but be mindful of mixing too many different scented candles. Go for mostly unscented or one light scent. At this time of year, pinecones, qood quality artificial fall leaves, twig wreaths and dried seed pods make interesting decorations, as well. Keep table centerpieces low so guests can see and talk over them.
3. Involve guests. The hosts shouldn’t spend all their time in the kitchen, but should enjoy their guests. For smaller gatherings, include guests in the meal or dessert preparation. Ask guests to bring elements of the meal, particulary for make-your-own meals like fajita bar, chili or “stone soup” where each person brings an ingredient for a soup or stew without conferring with the others. Provide a little activity for an ice breaker and to get people in the holiday spirit. Have guests make their own placemat, ornament, or holiday decoration you later donate to a local hospital or charity. Decorate cookies or candy, or ask each guest to bring a dozen of their favorite holiday treat to share. But know your guests – if your friends don’t like to cook or get glue on their fingers, you will want a different idea. If you have a germ phobic in the crowd, inform them in advance of the communal cooking plan and suggest a food option that works for them.
4. No full bar. Don’t get stuck behind the bar all night. Set a side table or counter for self-serve and keep it simple, unless you hire a bartender. Red and white wine, and two nice beers are plenty for most parties and easier on the budget. For fun, prepare one or two signature cocktails in advance. Put them in pitchers and add ice just before guests arrive. Or pour in cocktail glasses and set out on trays. Again, keep the recipe simple and try it out before the night of your party. A simple and pretty drink is a kir royale – champagne and crème de casis or any fruity liquor. Make little lemon peel twist garnishes in advance. Be sure to serve some food when serving alchohol.
5. Party plates. Don’t have dinner service for 12? Love to cook but hate to clean up? Rent glasses and dishes. They match, look nice and you don’t have to wash them before you return them. Or, purchase festive heavy plastic or paper partyware. The plastic can go in the dishwasher to use again, but you can also just throw it away. Our family uses paper plates and napkins with real silverware for all our family gatherings, so no one is stuck in the kitchen after dinner. It has become fun to see what kind of crazy partyware each host presents.
Please share your favorite entertaining tips! Tips above came from 10 Quick Tips for Easy, Excellent Holiday Entertaining by Kelly DiNardo & Natalie Ermann Russell, and our own experience.
Where will you put coats? Tidy up and make room in the coat closet, even if you have to take your coats off hangers and throw them on your bed temporarily. Putting coats on the master bed? Then you will need to dust off and straighten up your bedroom. Lock doors into off-limits rooms, particularly if the gathering is relatives or good friends – I found two friends having a heart-to-heart in the room I chose to hide everything at my last party! Use a moveable screen or chairs with a pretty ribbon across them to block access to hallways or other areas without a door.
Since I am not a cook, my favorite fake is to order food in advance, put it in my own dishes and heat right before guests arrive. I get to enjoy my own party and everyone eats better!
2. Decorate simply. Think large focal points. Purchase one kind of flower, in one color, in bulk, and make your own simple arrangements. Use kids’ artwork or photos from previous gatherings – they provide conversation pieces as well. Or cluster candles in groups, but be mindful of mixing too many different scented candles. Go for mostly unscented or one light scent. At this time of year, pinecones, qood quality artificial fall leaves, twig wreaths and dried seed pods make interesting decorations, as well. Keep table centerpieces low so guests can see and talk over them.
3. Involve guests. The hosts shouldn’t spend all their time in the kitchen, but should enjoy their guests. For smaller gatherings, include guests in the meal or dessert preparation. Ask guests to bring elements of the meal, particulary for make-your-own meals like fajita bar, chili or “stone soup” where each person brings an ingredient for a soup or stew without conferring with the others. Provide a little activity for an ice breaker and to get people in the holiday spirit. Have guests make their own placemat, ornament, or holiday decoration you later donate to a local hospital or charity. Decorate cookies or candy, or ask each guest to bring a dozen of their favorite holiday treat to share. But know your guests – if your friends don’t like to cook or get glue on their fingers, you will want a different idea. If you have a germ phobic in the crowd, inform them in advance of the communal cooking plan and suggest a food option that works for them.
4. No full bar. Don’t get stuck behind the bar all night. Set a side table or counter for self-serve and keep it simple, unless you hire a bartender. Red and white wine, and two nice beers are plenty for most parties and easier on the budget. For fun, prepare one or two signature cocktails in advance. Put them in pitchers and add ice just before guests arrive. Or pour in cocktail glasses and set out on trays. Again, keep the recipe simple and try it out before the night of your party. A simple and pretty drink is a kir royale – champagne and crème de casis or any fruity liquor. Make little lemon peel twist garnishes in advance. Be sure to serve some food when serving alchohol.
5. Party plates. Don’t have dinner service for 12? Love to cook but hate to clean up? Rent glasses and dishes. They match, look nice and you don’t have to wash them before you return them. Or, purchase festive heavy plastic or paper partyware. The plastic can go in the dishwasher to use again, but you can also just throw it away. Our family uses paper plates and napkins with real silverware for all our family gatherings, so no one is stuck in the kitchen after dinner. It has become fun to see what kind of crazy partyware each host presents.
Please share your favorite entertaining tips! Tips above came from 10 Quick Tips for Easy, Excellent Holiday Entertaining by Kelly DiNardo & Natalie Ermann Russell, and our own experience.
Friday, November 2, 2007
I Want To Slap Your Haaaand! (sung to the tune of the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand”)
At events, should staff get involved in the activities intended for attendees?
This issue came up at this fall’s MPI/PCMA Industry Summit at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers. The keynote speaker was a Beatles expert quizzing the registered attendees assembled in the ballroom on Beatles trivia. A successful answer netted the knowledgeable attendee $20. An enthusiastic member of the hotel banquet staff standing in the back of the room raised his hand and answered a question. He was given $20. At the end of the presentation, all who answered the trivia questions were invited on to the stage for a performance. The banquet waiter complied and was quite entertaining. His actions were the topic of conversation at lunch – some diners said they enjoyed his participation and thought it was fine. Some felt staff should be inconspicuous and forbidden to participate in event activities. Still others thought he was way over the line, especially accepting money, and should be fired.
What do you think? And if you feel such an employee should be reprimanded, how? A slap on the hand? Fired? Share your thoughts and best practices.
Want to know what happened to the banquet dude? Stay tuned…..
This issue came up at this fall’s MPI/PCMA Industry Summit at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers. The keynote speaker was a Beatles expert quizzing the registered attendees assembled in the ballroom on Beatles trivia. A successful answer netted the knowledgeable attendee $20. An enthusiastic member of the hotel banquet staff standing in the back of the room raised his hand and answered a question. He was given $20. At the end of the presentation, all who answered the trivia questions were invited on to the stage for a performance. The banquet waiter complied and was quite entertaining. His actions were the topic of conversation at lunch – some diners said they enjoyed his participation and thought it was fine. Some felt staff should be inconspicuous and forbidden to participate in event activities. Still others thought he was way over the line, especially accepting money, and should be fired.
What do you think? And if you feel such an employee should be reprimanded, how? A slap on the hand? Fired? Share your thoughts and best practices.
Want to know what happened to the banquet dude? Stay tuned…..
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