Reviewing the ROYAL Wedding

Royal Wedding Fever has hit our office – we have been glued to the T.V. set in our boardroom this morning.

Here is our review of the royal festivities:

                   

Dana’s Pick for Nicest Touch

Profits from the sales of the official Wedding Programme will go to benefit the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry – a loving tribute to their mother.

Dana’s Pick for most touching moments

Amongst all the pomp and ceremony, true sentiment still shined through.

• A lip reader says Prince William cracked a joke to his father-in-law at the altar before the ceremony, saying: "We're supposed to have just a small family affair".
• Prince Harry telling his brother to “Go for it” as they walked towards the alter
• Prince William turning to his bride as she approached him and whispering “You look absolutely beautiful”

Dana’s Pick for Worst Planning Blunder

Blogs and tweets were buzzing with the news from London that there are no restroom facilities at the 500 year Westminster Abbey (surely a royal planner could have made arrangements for royal port-a-potty) 

Shawna’s Best Royal Keepsakes

Here is a great grab bag idea for bridal showers and bachelorette parties.

No More Waity, Katie is a soft, elegant greige shade nail polish with a splash of lilac glitter for the perfect marriage to combine fashion and fun.

http://www.butterlondon.ca/drupal/lacquers/no-more-waity-katie

This plate says it all!  IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!

Hanna’s Profit Projections

The Royal Wedding is expected to generate £50million (about $80 million Canadian) in revenue, kick-starting a tourism bonanza leading to the London Olympics next year.   Up to 1.1million tourists are expected to flood into the capital, spending tens of millions on refreshments, hotels, attractions, theatre tickets and souvenirs.

 

Jan’s Royal Breakfast at 4 am

Jan celebrated this morning with 8 of her lady friends – the menu would have been easily approved by the Queen herself and included scones with clotted cream and jam, crumpets and Kedgeree.

Adama Crunches the Numbers

With a reported budget of $70 million ($33 million for security alone) Adama was amazed at the cost. That works out to be about $36,000 a person!

Linda’s Best Green Wedding Element

The selection of large potted trees that lined the aisle of the Abbey represented the English countryside in spring. Following the ceremony, the trees will be planted at Highgrove Estate and live on. This same sustainable theme can be brought to any event through the use of potted, living plants for centrepieces and decor and either offering them as gifts to guests or donating them to local conservation groups for re-use in the community.

Charmaine’s Hat’s off to the Royal Wedding

The Mad Hatter: Business is booming again for Toronto hat makers as they are booked beyond the date of the royal wedding.

Hats have always been on the royal scene but they are soon becoming the next new “must have”!

Will the hat trend be incorporated into themes at your next fund-raiser, next girl’s night out event or stag and doe?

Charmaine’s pick for STANDOUT HAT today was the elaborate creation worn by Zara Phillips

Jimmy’s Keen Eye on Security

The security plan included snipers on roofs, divers in the Thames River, investigation of sewers and undercover police planted in the crowds.  More than 5,000 police officers were on duty to deal with potential threats ranging from international Islamist militants to anarchists and stalkers.

Lyne’s Celebrity Watch

Elton David, the Beckhams, Guy Ritchie, Joss Stone and Mr. Bean were all in attendance today.  The After Party hosted by party boy Prince Harry is still under wraps but we do know that he has reportedly turned three rooms at the Buckingham Palace into a nightclub for VIP guests.  It was announced yesterday that Ellie Goulding will perform her version of Elton’s Your Song at the official reception. She was reportedly asked to appear by the royal bridal couple who are big fans of the 24-year-old Brit-Award-winning artist.

Rachel’s Viral Wedding

Need more proof of how important a part social media is playing in events? The Royal wedding social-network chatter surpassed the Japanese earthquake and tsunami and the people's uprising in Egypt as the top news story of the year. The world united with blogs, tweets, YouTube feeds and Facebook chatter - 911,000 wedding-related tweets were tracked in the past 30 days. The apps, websites and related content created for the wedding will also live on well after the party ends.

Want to follow? TheBritishMonarchy @BritishMonarchy United Kingdom

Our Best Wishes to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – we had fun watching

Hope my “Free Idea” makes your Friday!      

To learn more, please visit www.andlogistix.com 

Doing a little good this weekend

Free Idea Friday is taking a break this week but we still wanted to share some news with you about 2 wonderful fundraising events that we support on an annual basis.

This is our fourth year supporting  Women’s Habitat and once again this year we are lending a hand to an extraordinary young philanthropist named Jack and his Lemonade Stand for SickKids

Jack Yeilding is an 8-yr-old boy who has been a patient at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, ON for most of his short life because he used to suffer from a severe form of epilepsy. In 2010, Jack underwent a series of three brain surgeries at the hospital and had a portion of his brain removed. Since then, he has been healthy and seizure-free! His recovery is a miracle and he now gets to enjoy life like a regular kid.

Since 2007, he has been on a mission to help the other children at SickKids by selling lemonade. Through an incredible wave of community support, more than $220,000 has now been raised! Join Jack’s crusade to make sick kids better, one cup at a time!

Jack's 5th Lemonade Stand for SickKids is set for Saturday, May 28th!

Jack’s website: http://www.jackslemonade.com/

Watch Jack’s bravery video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn07Y04n4p4

Women’s Habitat serves women and their children who are fleeing violence and abuse. Since 1978, they have helped tens of thousands of women build new lives for themselves and their children, free from violence.  Their 25-bed emergency shelter gives women and their children a safe, supportive place to live while they rebuild their lives. The outreach program helps women in the community who are experiencing wife assault/woman abuse. Other initiatives help women secure stable housing and find employment.  They can’t do all of this alone. Women’s Habitat receives government funding but unfortunately, it is not enough. They need your help to bridge the gap between funding, and what it actually costs to keep our doors open to women in crisis. 

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to spend time with the girls while helping a worthy cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of women and children fleeing violence.   Invite your girlfriends, sisters, mothers and co-workers to this fun evening filled with psychic readings, therapeutic touch, yoga demonstrations, a silent auction, vendors with terrific merchandise and much more.  Check out http://www.womens-habitat.ca/GirlsNightOut.php to see more about what's happening this year.

Here is how you can help with these events:

• buy tickets to the event
• supply an auction item or prize for our events   
• (A night stay at a hotel, tickets to a sporting event, merchandise or gift cards for the auction)

I hope you can help out with these very worthwhile causes – email me if you can dzita@andlogistix.com

Hope my “Free Idea” makes your Friday!       Have a great long weekend.

To learn more, please visit www.andlogistix.com

A royal wedding, a hero’s return, an election… and the protocol of it all

A few interesting news items caught my attention this past week –

• The 1900 guests invited to the April 29^th Royal Wedding received a 22-page long etiquette document this week (including such instructions as how to drink tea and just the right way to hold a tea cup)
• Florists and flower enthusiasts are all trying to predict what flowers Miss Middleton will carry on her wedding day and royal revelers are also wondering if the future Princess will follow the tradition of surrendering her flower bouquet to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the service. (This heartfelt gesture began with the Queen Mother, who lost two brothers in World War I, and has been carried on by many royals since, including Princess Diana.)
• Sadly Canada lost another soldier in Afghanistan and the motorcade along the Highway of Heroes drew hundreds of supporters.  (We have a nephew serving in Afghanistan and to support his efforts my husband and I often join the gathering of mourners down at the coroner’s office to pay homage to these brave men and women.  The atmosphere is serene with rows of police cars and fire trucks lined up along the final route, their officers at attention saluting – it is a solemn and majestic pageantry unlike anything I have ever seen)
• The federal election has derailed the plans for Prime Minister Harper and Mrs. Harper to attend the Royal Wedding.  Though not mandated by any electoral ruling, canceling the trip in the middle of an election is probably the most pragmatic move (though if I was Mrs. Harper I would be looking for lots of “make it up to me” gifts for canceling that official commitment)

All of this got me thinking about the PROTOCOL of it all.  What is the difference between tradition, military customs, diplomatic precedence, or just plain common manners?  

Now you don’t want to mess around with PROTOCOL and to deal with this sensitive subject matter I consulted with a leader in the industry - Barbara Sullivan, Chief of Protocol, City of Toronto.

Barb and I have been great friends for over 25 years.  Those close to her often tease her with the nickname “the flag police”.   She has a supernatural passionate zeal for her work – but isn’t that the point?  you really can’t be lax ABOUT protocol.

Barb cautions that “many people think protocol is only about etiquette - which fork goes where, or how to fold a napkin”, but she and her team do very little of that.  She goes on to explain “international protocol is a complex system of rules and conventions that govern the relationships between nations and international organizations.  Most protocol is contextual - it depends on the situation, who is involved, what are the circumstances, what is the purpose, what is the expected outcome, past actions and future plans.  Consideration needs to be given to issues of culture which may include religion/faith and accessibility/special needs”.

                                                                 

So what is the right thing to do and as meeting and event planners when do we do it?   As there is no one complete resource for protocol, which often frustrates people, Barbara generously offers the following suggestions –

Protocol and Diplomacy International - Protocol Officers Association

www.protocolinternational.org

(This association is having their Education Forum here in Toronto the last week of July)

Canadian Heritage Protocol    (precedence, titles, styles of address, etc.)

www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/prtcl/index-eng.cfm

Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada Government

www.international.gc.ca/protocol-protocole/index.aspx

Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols

www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/index-eng.cfm

Canadian Flag www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/df1-eng.cfm

US Dept of State - Office of the Chief of Protocol

www.state.gov/s/cpr/

And if you are like Barb and I and still enjoy buying actual books - she recommends the following:

• Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands
• When Cultures Collide
• How to be a Perfect Stranger

Hope my “Free Idea” makes your Friday!

To learn more, please visit www.andlogistix.com

Dreading Company Day?

Yesterday I was walking back to my car from a downtown meeting when I was accidentally bombarded by hoards of school kids on their annual field trip to the CN Tower.

It definitely brought back memories of how great it was to get out of the classroom – a reward for a long season of studying.

Grown-up field trips are really meant to do the same thing - recognition for a season of hard work.  But how can we get past the dreaded SAMENESS of company days and corporate social events?

Here are some unique twists to traditional ideas:

-       Bowling

o    Try this new bowling alley in Toronto http://www.allstarinteractive.ca/

o    The 2 young owners have done a great job renovating the place and have turned it into a fantastic event venue.

-       Theatre

o    Add an exclusive back stage tour

o    In New York City the Metropolitan Opera Guild Backstage Tour includes “a behind-the-scenes” look at the costume rooms and carpentry shops

-       Company Picnic

o    Add an a huge outdoor Drive-in Movie screen and show the latest Hollywood release

o    Check out http://www.acf-film.com/

Remember that doing good makes you feel good.  Here are some “do-gooder” ideas that might be just the thing your team needs to revive their energy.

-          Clean up the Don River

o    The Don River is home to various species of fish, different wildlife including foxes and coyotes and plenty of hiker and cyclists

o    Check out this site for ways to organize a clean up day www.toronto.ca/don/

-          Rebuild a Park

o    Last fall ING Direct employees rebuilt a park in my neighbourhood.  Hauling dirt, planting flowers and building a playground were all part of their company outing.  ING DIRECT has expanded their volunteer efforts to include similar projects in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Montreal. 

o    Find a cause close to the hearts or your employees and find out how you can help build, fix or clean up something that matters

Is your budget too small for a costly outing? Why not bring the fun to your office to show appreciation to your team.

Here is something I call “CELEBRATING THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR”

-          Arrange for a smoothie machine and mix up great and healthy smoothies  (a magic bullet machine will do if you have a small office)

-          Add gourmet muffins bursting with fruit and fruit skewers with tasty yogurt dips

-          Decorate with brightly coloured linens and vases filled with lemons, limes and oranges

-          Enjoy the morning with these bright additions!

Hope my “Free Idea” makes your Friday!

To learn more, please visit http://www.andlogistix.com/

April Fools’ Day – full of surprises

My mother will tell you childhood stories of how at the innocent age of four I wanted her to read the dictionary to me at bedtime.  I was fascinated with words and one of my first big vocabulary stumbles was the word “surprise”.  I just could not wrap my young mind around this word that was so wonderful yet so scary.

We have all experienced those brilliant little surprises one encounters on rare occasions - my husband cleaning off my car on a snowy spring morning or finding that long forgotten $10 bill nestled deep in the pocket of your spring jacket or finally taking home that shiny trophy after being nominated three years in a row.  That’s the good side of the word “surprise”.

It is when that little word creeps up from behind and bites you that things get ugly.

Here are a few of my tricks to dodge those nasty surprise situations –

AVOID AIRPORT SURPRISES.  You may not be able to avoid major hubs entirely, but you can at least minimize your risks by routing yourself through a hub not likely to encounter severe winter weather. During the first part of the year, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Phoenix generally report the lowest percentages of tardy arrivals. Despite lots of snow, Denver and Salt Lake City also do pretty well -- they know their snow and how to cope with lots if it.  Even though it's in the South, Atlanta doesn't do quite as well as other southern hubs. Don’t even think about Chicago/O'Hare or the New York airports. For travel to Europe, Washington/Dulles is a better winter gateway bet than airports to the north, and Los Angeles wins over San Francisco for travel to Asia as a general rule.

AVOID COST INCREASE SURPRISES.  For all of you planners who are still budgeting $3- $4 for room drop charges, you may want to check current going rates. Delivering welcome bags or specialty gifts to guest rooms can be as high as $7.  Check prices often – they sneak up on you. (Same goes for current gratuity rates)

AVOID THE “it doesn’t fit” SURPRISES.  Our team has a best practice rule about always asking hotels for floor plans and photos to be submitted with any proposal.  Let’s face it, those capacity charts on hotel and venue websites often don’t take into consideration audio visual set up, that low hanging chandelier or elbow room for that matter.  More and more hotels and conventions centers are working on APEX approved floor plans.  Check out the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), an initiative of the Convention Industry Council which promotes development and implementation of industry-wide accepted practices www.conventionindustry.org/index.aspx

AVOID THE FIRE ALARM SURPRISES.  Beware of Cotton Candy - cotton candy making machines emit a haze strong enough to set off certain smoke and heat detectors sounding off those fire alarms.

While we can’t anticipate all the twists and turns that the planning process can bring, with proper training and skillful maneuvering, we can manage to stay on track even if some unexpected surprises pop up along the way.

Hope my “Free Idea” makes your Friday!

To learn more, please visit www.andlogistix.com

P.S. Are you a wordsmith like me? – Check out these 10 new words changing up our vocabulary expression for better or worse.  It will be interesting to see if they last through the decade.

http://portal.brasilnews.ca/servicos/dicas-de-ingles/top-10-almost-new-english-words/