Ginger's Stories Have Moved!

To my lovely, loyal followers,

Ginger's Stories have moved! I recently relaunched my website and my blog is incorporated there. So please sign up at http://gingerdonnanevents.com/blog/

Thanks!

More, Better

With rising markets come elevated moods and shrinking fears, particularly about job security. For those in-house event planners still waiting for the requests to come rolling in (which of course they will...on September 8), here's a quick tip:

Do more and do better with what you have in front of you.

If you've checked off every task on your list, review your list for something that's missing or could be added to improve the event.

Get off facebook, turn off your email alert, turn on your voicemail and spend 20 uninterrupted minutes thinking through the event and where opportunities exist to make it better.

Did you hear back from that department, attendee or vendor that you contacted three days ago? Your role as a service provider is to solve the issue to the best of your abilities, not just do 50% (send an email, receive an email).

So stop worrying about the next event that's yet to come and devote more time to doing the best you can for the event in front of you.

Can I Get a Drum Role, Please?

The highlights video from this year's Communities for Public Education Reform Convening is now available! Click here for our round-up about the event and see the video here:

2009 CPER Convening - Highlights from PIP Videos on Vimeo.

We all know that it's all about video now, but for planners, who view events from a completely different angle than attendees, it's great when we can see and hear the feedback, in addition to reading the evaluation forms. Not to mention the promotional value the video gives the client!

For more information about the convening, click here.

For more information about this funding collaborative supporting community organizing for school reform, click here.

Next year's convening will take place May 20-22, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. For more information on preparations for that meeting, click here.

Rocky Mountain Higher

Last week I had the opportunity to return to one of my favorite cities to hold events - Denver, Colorado. This is my third trip there in the past year and I'll be headed back in May 2010 for a non-profit client's annual conference that has grown from 175 to 250 in the last three years.

Some of the latest happenings:

Freaky weather: 50 degrees the last week of July while Seattle was blistering. Have no fear, though, it's back to normal: 80 degrees with a chance of snow.

2009 deals: hotels are booking 2010 like crazy but this year still has plenty of availability.

$100 million goes a long way: the downtown Sheraton (previously Adam's Mark) has undergone some incredible changes and many are still to come, including a 6,000 sq. ft. fitness center.

Closures: Sadly, I learned that our dine-around won't include Alto, a wonderful Larimer Square restaurant that recently shuttered its doors.

It was great to experience old favorites, like the free 16th Street Shuttle and Enstrom's Almond Toffee, and take up a friend on some recommendations (8 Rivers on Blake Street and a Max Evans at the Celtic, where all the decor - from the stained glass to the street signs - comes from Ireland).

I'll be back before the event next year so stay tuned for more Denver developments!

Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Sauerkraut, Oh My!

What a great day at Cedar Beach, New York last Friday. A dozen volunteers from Macy's stores all over Long Island joined me at the 2nd Annual Babylon to Beaches portion of the Wounded Warrior Project's Empire State Soldier Ride.

With the Suffolk County 1st Police Precinct Brotherhood working the grills, the Macy's volunteers served hot dogs and hamburgers for two hours to a record 1,000 people who participated in the 22 mile bicycle ride. The volunteers were enthusiastic and up for anything - from crowd control to freezing their hands digging for cold sodas for guests.

Just this portion of the multiple-day Soldier Ride raised $40,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Autism Speaks to Young Professionals at the NYSE

The organization that started it all for me is having a fundraising event that I actually get to attend, rather than plan! Autism Speaks to Young Professionals is a cocktail party taking place on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. I can't think of a better way to entice the Generation Y crowd into getting involved in a cause that will severely impact our future (our children!) unless we do something about it.

The event takes place on Thursday, August 6 from 7-10 p.m. It's being organized by the sassy and savvy Justine Benisch, who I've had the pleasure to work with on numerous Autism Speaks events, so it's pretty much guaranteed to be a fantastic evening. $50 pays for your entrance fee, open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and of course, supports an organization that is changing the future of autism.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://events.autismspeaks.org/youngprofessionals

See you there!

Soldier Ride - Babylon to Beaches

In two weeks, the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride will be presented by Macy's and I'm headed to my hometown of Babylon, Long Island, New York to help on the "Babylon to Beaches portion of the ride. Soldier Ride is a four-day rehabilitative cycling event for wounded veterans and includes:

• a Hero's Reception at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale ($50 for dinner provided by Outback, music, beer/wine and prizes)
• a NYC bike ride starting in Herald Square with Matthew Modine's "Bicycle for A Day" program
• the Babylon to Beaches ride with a BBQ at Overlook Beach ($35 to ride, T-shirt and BBQ or just $10 for the BBQ)
• an additional ride with celebrations in the Hamptons

Taking place just a few weeks after the Fourth of July, this is a great opportunity to thank the soldiers who have fought for the freedoms that day represents.

Visit sr.woundedwarriorproject.org to find out how you can participate - by donating, celebrating and encouraging the athletes along the bike routes!