Tracey Manailescu and Danielle Andrews-Sunkell join us at Special Event Boot Camp for the second year.  These ladies are the Masters in the Canada’s Wedding Industry, owner’s of Canada’s largest Wedding Coordination Firm,  The Wedding Planners, and co-founders of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC).  

Danielle and Tracey will share insight on dining etiquette during lunch on Event Planning Day.    All recruits have the opportunity to win a certificate from WPIC for Certification at the two day Toronto course at Uof T on October 18th and 19th, 2008.

The Government of Canada gives WPIC the right to issue credentials after successful completion of the course (WPICC).   WPIC has almuni boards for all graduates and posts volunteer coordination positions and their assistant spots, paid and unpaid to gain experience and build their portfolios. www.wpic.ca

Today, featured on Canada AM, was two of Canada’s Hottest Wine Personalities, known together as ‘The Wine Enthusiasts’ Angela Aiello and Paxton Allewell.  The Toronto Star hailed them as the “New Generation of Wine Aficionados” and Post City Magazines declare that they “bring wine tasting into the 21st Century”.  We are delighted they will be joing us this year at Special Event Boot Camp in the Edutainment Zone to host the “Naked Wine Tasting Adventure”.

Recently, Angela and Paxton were featured in CBC’s ‘Wine Confidential’ documentrary and Angela also covers the wine scene for Le Gourmet TV., part of the Broadband Gourmet Network.  Because of their exciting approach to wine, Angela & Paxton were asked to lead tutored tastings at two of Toronto’s most influential wine shows:  The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo & Toronto’s Wine & Cheese Show.  Notably, they also hosted and filmed the presitgious 2008 Ontario Wine Awards.  www.iYellowWineClub.com

As planners we have the task of generating publicity for our special events.  Today’s launch of “A Dark Knight”  accomplished the mission of publicity for the movie, but perhaps not quite the way it was planned.  We can take note and learn from our industry peers on this story.    

The new Batman movie “The Dark Knight,” opening today, is expected to be a global blockbuster. But a local guerilla promotion by a San Antonio theater chain threatened to turn that Hollywood cliché into a literal bomb.

To generate regional publicity for the film, the Santikos Theater chain mailed out cakes studded with wires and iced with a phone number and the message “Call Me” to 25 local TV, radio and newspaper outlets. The cakes had cell phones baked inside, along with promotional materials for the film.

When users dialed the number iced onto the cake, they were to receive a text message instructing them to come to one of the Santikos theaters premiering “The Dark Knight.”
http://promomagazine.com/othertactics/news/batman_promo_bomb_squad_cake_0718/

In 2008, Québec City celebrates its 400th birthday!

The 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City has Canada-wide significance. It is an extraordinary opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the history of Québec City and of Canada.

The eyes of the world will be on Québec City, famed as a historic World Heritage Site and the cradle of French civilization in North America.

The celebrations are an opportunity to mark 400 years of unique historical and cultural heritage. http://www.quebec400.gc.ca/pc-ch-eng.cfm

Summer time fun.  Thought you might enjoy this challenge from Baskin-Robbins this month.

BASKIN-ROBBINS: is celebrating National Ice Cream Month with Lick-A-Thon events on July 17. Customers can challenge friends, family or community members to a “lick race” to see who can lick a scoop of Oreo Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream the fastest and become the ultimate Lick Champion at participating stores nationwide. The event dovetails off the company’s expansion of its Oreo menu line-up, which features 19 Oreo ice cream products.

Engage or Get Lost

The only place where the loner succeeds is in comic books.  If you’re Superman, Batman or Spiderman, you might be able to make on your own, but even then, life is an angst-filled experience.  The new superheroes are those who reach out to others.  They’re connectors, the networkers, the social contributors.  They’re the ones who see everyone – family, company and community – as a partner.  They’re the ones who organize the event that brings people together to support a cause.”  Mike Lipkin www.mikelipkin.com