"Even introverts need people. Adults invented work so they could keep playing together"  - Silver Rose

This should be fun...work that is! It seems though we involve ourselves in work, community and charities, we find ourselves rising to the occasion to lead or follow in the footsteps off...instead of passionately exploring the opportunities.

It has become harder to find passion and hard work ethic around us. Whatever happened to getting gratification from your work day? So many of us forget to appreciate those around us and those who do for us consistently. And through this lack of recognition...honest heartfelt recognition, I think we perpetuate the lack of engagement and an under-delivering society.

Through a recent personal situation, I realized that I have finally found my "perfect bloom" with the team at ALLURE Event & Meeting Productions. Not only did those around me come to save the day... they actually exceeded my expectations! Yes exceeded! I am not shocked but excited and proud of my team’s strong working relationship. I am honored to be a part of this talented, hard working and truly dedicated team at ALLURE.

And without further ado, I thank you my ALLURE teammates Erin Davidge, Monica Sehgal, Julia Kuras, Rebekah Covay, Dave Woelber and Marti Zambrano for being there for me and acting as a passionate team. Keep up the amazing standard you have created and thank you for being fabulous individuals to make ALLURE such an exciting team to work with!

"Make yourself and your differences seen" -Harry Beckwith

We're Back!

HELLO ALLURE Bloggers!

It has been a while friends and fans!  We have had some new additions to the ALLURE family!  Aside from Jiwon McCartney, Managing Director having baby #3 in October 2010, ALLURE added Monica Seghal, Account Executive and Rebekah Covay, Account Executive to the Chicago ALLURE team!     



Rebekah Covay, Account Executive

 

Monica Sehgal, Account Executive



ALLURE Atlanta has had a wonderful and busy first 3 months of 2011 and we are looking forward to an amazing year ahead, with some phenomenal clients! Here are some happenings in ALLURE!

April 4th, 2011 we had a wonderful meeting with Nit Vyas and Nicole Fitzpatrick from Calihan Catering. ALLURE is looking forward to working with your amazing team! Much was to be learned about the strategic marketing in theMobil social world with Slalom Consulting: Thanks for all your time today Niti Vaish!  We learned so much and are super excited for our own ALLURE "Mobil/Social Strategy Plan" from Slalom!

 April 6th, 2011 ALLURE Chicago will be guided by Heather Larson Sales Manager
Woodfield Chicago Northwest,Convention Bureau and Woodfield CVB for a full day of tour to some amazing properties: Marriott Schaumburg, Westin Northwest Itasca, Eaglewood Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Woodfield and Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.  Super excited for out field trip with Heather!!

April 9-13th, 2011, Erin Davidge, GM ALLURE Atlanta and Monica are heading to Beau Rivage in Biloxi MS to plan a meeting for Atlanta Bread. 

April 10-12, 2011 ALLURE will be attending the Smart Meetings Hosted Buyers Program at The Ritz - Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA!

Stay Tuned for more ALLURE "shares" in 2011!

Top 10 Hot Drinks for a Cold Day

The votes are in for ALLURE’s Top 10 Hot Drinks for a Cold Day. Baby, it’s cold outside and what better to warm you up on these cold winter days and nights than some scrumptious hot beverages. Included in our list are the standards that everyone loves and some different ideas for you to try! So light a fire in your fire place, put on your slippers, bundle up in your Snuggie and give our list a look.

1. Hot Tea – Tea is one of the most popular hot beverages around the world. Marti likes to spice up her tea by adding shaved ginger and a squeeze of lime. Erin prefers Black tea with honey and lemon. And sometimes a cup of chamomile is nice before bed time. There are so many variations it’s impossible to list them all.

2. Coffee – Oh the possibilities!! Jiwon likes a cup of Quad shot Latte and of course there is the ever popular Irish Coffee (Black coffee, brown sugar & Irish whiskey topped with whipped cream) or you could add a shot of Bailey’s to spruce it up!

3. Hot Chocolate – With or without marshmallows? One of our fans prefers it made with Abuelita Chocolate, others like Swiss Miss. Dave likes his with a little Sugar Cane Rum. To add some extra flavor, try a dash of Kahlúa!

4. Hot Apple Cider – This is Erin’s favorite on a cold day (especially with some rum for cold football tailgates). Emeril Lagasse’s recipe includes some yummy spices – and don’t forget the cinnamon stick!

5. Mulled Wine or Glögg – To make this yummy drink, start with a base of red wine (Merlot will do fine) and add brandy, most variations include a variety of spices and other extras including cloves, cardamom, sugar, cinnamon, almonds and raisins.

6. Hot Buttered Rum – This drink isn’t just butter and rum – add spices such as sugar, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar and salt to get the perfect taste. Some even like to add lemon zest to get a little hint of citrus.

7. Eggnog – A combination of eggs (separated), milk, cream, sugar, bourbon and nutmeg, this popular holiday drink can also work on a cold January or February night. Follow this link for Alton Brown’s recipe. *

8. Tom & Jerry – This drink can be made with milk, water or coffee and brandy or rum. Check out one variation here. *

9. Bishop – This is a simple drink made with hot tea, lemon, honey and either whiskey, rum or brandy. As always, feel free to spice it up with some cloves or cinnamon.

10. Hot Sake – A bit non-traditional, sake can be enjoyed warm or cold, but on a chilly winter evening, why not have a bit of warm sake with your dragon roll?

There’s our list! Have we left off any essentials? Let us know so we can give them all a try for next year’s Top 10 Hot Drinks for a Cold Day!

*ALLURE suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

Meeting and Incentives Forum

ALLURE recently attended the Meeting and Incentives Forum at The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL. The trip started with a visit to the Brazilian Court Hotel for the opening reception. Two days were spent meeting people from different hotels and international destinations. It was a great opportunity to “see” multiple locations without having to travel around the world! The Breakers is a beautiful, historic hotel located on the Atlantic Ocean. They have just undergone a complete room renovation. Check out the accommodations!

On the second night of the event, there was a beautiful banquet with the best dessert I’ve seen in a long time! The oversized martini glass had a layer of berries under a basket filled with three scoops of ice cream, topped with whipped cream and a chocolate garnish. Placed around the sundae are mini chocolate cups filled with various yummy toppings including M&M’s, Marshmallows, nuts, sprinkles and pralines.

New friends were made and connections flourished. We look forward to working with all of our new contacts in the near future!

Hospitality Sales and Marketing International

ALLURE was part of a very informative and interactive Planners Pannel yesterday for the HSMAI ( Hospitality Sales and Marketing International) Chicago Chapter at the Iconic Venue in Wrigleyville the Cubbybear.

Jim Grillo, CMP, V.P. Internet marketing of hereschicago was our MC and kept the floor moving with probing questions. The Panel was composed of six planners:

Jiwon Mcartney,

Managing Director, ALLURE

Kate Chandler, CMP

Director of Operations, Kuoni Destination Management

Patrick Steffes

Manager International Tourism Sales, Chicao Convention and Tourisn Bureau

Sandi Lynn, CMP

Owner, Sandi Lynn and Associates

Jill L. Angelo

Meetings and Event Services

PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

Nicole Price, CMP

Meeting and Events Planner, American Board of Medical Specialties

founder of aroundchicago.

We discussed many topics such as how do planners like to be solicited, how do suppliers get to the decision makers and how often should a supplier call you.

I had a few favorite personal/topic questions:

Q. How do you want suppliers to communicate with you?

A. Jiwon:

" Please don't send me mailers or publications. I like to go online and read them or send it to me electronically. Filtering through our mail could be one persons career with as much mail as we recieve! Send as much electronically as you can and keep connected with us. Eventually when we get up for air, we WILL respond and remember. Send new menus, ideas and product information! If there is more than one page, then it is too much for me. I need a one-sheeter, not a 50 page manual. If you can not fit it onto one page, don't send it expecting a review or response. "

Q.How do vendors get to know you?

A. Jiwon:

"Do some research before calling us. Know my name is NOT "Mr. McCartney," and know about what we do. Personal relationships is where I find comfort. Find ways to meet my ENTIRE team and make opportunities to have an individual relationship. We attend expos and networking to filter the masses but if you want to meet us, take the extra step and make the individual connection."

HSMAI Chicago is 140 members strong and offers educational opportunities for all
levels of sales and marketing professionals. These programs range from networking and panel discussions on business trends at the local level, to conferences and seminars that touch on international travel and hospitality issues, to Webinars on specialized subjects. A great association to be a part of if you are in the Hospitality industry!

In the audience were some great suppliers such as Kristy Mendenhall with Hard Rock Café Chicago ;Stephanie Weber with One World Transport; John McHugh with Teambonding (www.teambonding.com/chicago) and many more.

Perfect "10" Promotion

Hello all,
We are in our last few days of our Perfect "10" Promotion. Our promotion started the end of July and consisted of "10" weeks dedicated to branding our Blogspot, updating Twitter and setting forth an initiative to increase our Facebook fans. We are in our last week and we have made some positive changes on all social mediums. Since we have a great following of fans, this is a perfect way to celebrate and give back! Therefore, on October 10, 2010, "10" random winners will be drawn from our Facebook fan data base. These "10" winners will be awarded "10" gifts every hour from 10:00 am-10:00 pm. We are so lucky to have such a great following and we want to sincerely thank you all from the ALLURE.

ALLURE Tours The Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro

[L-R: Erin Davidge, CMP - General Manager of ALLURE Atlanta, Vickie Biberian -ALLURE National Account Executive, Chef Alfredo Anaya and Paulette Eastman, Catering Sales Manager]

We started out tour with a fabulous lunch prepared Chef Alfredo Anaya at Dine Restaurant, An American Eatery & Lounge in the Hotel. Our gracious host Paulette Eastman, Catering Sales Manager at The Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro arranged with Chef Anaya an amazing Scallop Andouille Sausage Risotto Appetizer. Beautifully presented and perfectly balanced to start our lunch.

Next we went on to order our Entrees. It was a a tasting frenzy for any palette. Fish & Chips were done perfectly! This is NOT an easy feat. Not too light not too heavy, just right in potion and the fish was cooked to perfection! Lamb Chops & Mash Potato - tender chops and mash potato was done just right. Salmon with roasted potatoes and spinach my favorite! Balanced and light with seasoning just right without killing my entree! Every presentation was elegant and service was spot on!

I see a "comfort food" theme here...ladies?

Open Kitchen ...

And Trendy Atmosphere...

We will definitely be back for more Paulette!!

Next Paulette showed us the Ballroom Space. Space was bright, hip and trendy...NOT what we expected at ALL! This hotel is on prime location right off the expressway and I mean RIGHT off the expressway! Unassuming from the exterior but once you step into the lobby, the feel is very modern, clean and contemporary.

A pleasant surprise indeed!

The sleeping rooms were spacious, comfortable with all the comforts for a planner like desk top plug in locations to wireless services! And of course for the leisure guest they had plenty of elbow room. Not so common these days!

Do we need to show you more to say we gave this hidden gem "6" thumbs up?!

....Ok I do have to say more and it's a good one!

As planner we spend a lot of time in hotels traveling with our clients. And I don't know about you all but I am one of those that need water close by at all times. So usually I make sure I have a case of water brought in, so I have it in my room. Now sometimes due to time constraints, I don't get to bring in the water so that means...yes the dreaded crack the bottle of water that costs me anywhere from $3 - $10 per 12-16oz bottle of hotel water. For people like me who consume GALLONS of water per day...this could potentially cause a financial crisis close to the national debt. Yes I went there.

drum roll please...

So I share my FAVORITE amenity of all and I would be screaming from a mountain if I could climb it in my 3rd trimester, of The Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro...

That's right ladies and gentleman....The water here is COMPLIMENTARY and you know what? They can replenish for FREE! That was very climactic and I hope you enjoyed my share as much as I did when I found this in the room!

So this concludes our fun and informative tour of our new found gem in the city The Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro located 733 West Madison Chicago Illinois 60661 . Paulette Eastman was a fabulous hostess and we are looking forward to hosting an event at The Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro very soon!A Big ALLURE Thank You to Paulette Eastman, Catering Sales Manager at The Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro for a wonderful afternoon!