Las Vegas Welcomes CaterSource & Event Solutions 2009

What do you get when you combine thousands of people; chefs, catering professionals, event planners, designers, entertainers, decor suppliers and more and bring them to Las Vegas?

You get an amazing 4 day event filled with education, inspiration and fun called "CaterSource/Event Solutions 2009". It's sponsored by National Association of Catering Executives (NACE), of which I am a member, Event Solutions and Catersource Magazines.

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge will be attending this conference this week. I'll be out of the office Sunday through Wednesday learning new ideas to better my business and planning, creative skills, getting inspired by professionals from all aspects of the catering and event planning business. On the trade show floor, I'll be seeing amazing new ideas in decor, tasting and experiencing great new food and beverage products and presentation ideas, checking out cool new event rentals, lighting and more and attending some cool events to see how it all amazingly comes together. 

Oh, and meeting tons of other incredibly talented, creative and dedicated wedding, food and catering & event professionals from around the country and beyond; sharing stories, ideas and more. 

Very lucky to have this opportunity on annual basis here in Las Vegas to attend for another year.  

So excited to bring back more great ideas for all of you. Have a great week!

Wedding Concierge Headed to The Special Event in San Diego

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is headed to San Diego Monday for The Special Event Show, 2009!

I will be out of the office the entire week of January 26-Jan 30th. I'll be back to office hours on February 2nd. I'll be checking & responding to email & voicemail on a limited base due to the busy schedule conferences entail.

This show, is THE event conference for event professionals in the events industry and includes people who are the best of the best (and learning to be) and features education, trade show and showcasing events on the best & brightest new ideas, trends and style setters in the industry. 

This will be my third "Special Event Show". The first two I attended (Las Vegas & LA), I took part in an amazing volunteer program called "Hands on Hundred" that offered a break on education costs in exchange for helping out with events. It was an amazing experience and highly recommend it but I am excited to attend as a full attendee this year.

The show is partnered and associated with leading professional organizations in the Special Events Industry such as ISES (International Special Events Society), NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) and WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association). I am proud to be a member of all 3.

This show encompasses EVERY kind of event from Weddings to Bar Mitzvahs, Corporate to Festivals and even people who plan Inaugural Balls!

Of course, Weddings will be well represented with educational sessions on new trends in weddings and a fabulous Wedding Luncheon that always is a big hit. This year it will feature the founders & owners  of The Knot at the Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego.

In addition to the Wedding Luncheon, I will also be attending The NACE Welcome Event representing my fabulous Las Vegas Chapter as Secretary of our 2009 Board of Directors. This year the Welcome Event will be a fun beach party style event that is literally a display of the best food in San Diego co-sponsored by my friends from San Diego NACE.

You will also find me Thursday morning volunteering at the WIPA booth (#218) on the Trade Show floor and probably visiting with my NACE friends at the NACE booth (#525) as well, so please make sure to stop by and say "hello".

I look forward to seeing all my friends in the industry; those I have known for years, those who I have "met" online & seeing you in person and meeting new ones. I can't wait to absorb it all come home inspired and full of Event "Verve" ready to share with you many exciting things. 

I will also try to provide some updates from the show as well when possible.

Have a great week!

Wedding Concierge Featured on Wedding Podcast Network-"Meet the Masters" series from NACE "Experience 2008".

Tracey Kumer-Moore, JWIC of  Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is excited and honored to be included as one of the featured interviews from the NACE "Experience 2008" "Meet the Masters" series of wedding podcasts from the Wedding Podcast Network.

The NACE (National Association of Catering Excutives held their annual educational conference in Philadelphia, PA this past August called "Experience 2008: The Future of Catering and Event Design".

The conference showcased the best, most talented caterers, chefs, designers and planners in the business including celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss, the coolest and newest trends in food and decor and a lot of the exciting new ideas you will soon be seeing in magazines and on tabletops in 2009.

The Wedding Podcast Network travelled to Philadelphia to cover this event to bring all of the exciting ideas, trends and passion for the industry from the attendees (that would be all those fabulous catering managers, wedding planners, DJ's, event designers, etc. that you are hiring) to you directly to hear to draw inspiration from. This is why I love the "WPN" not only as a benefit to brides but for my own professional education as well!

This special podcast included interviews with Keynote Speaker Walter Scheib; former White House Chef to the Clintons & President George W. Bush, former National NACE president Chef Jerry Edwards,CPCE, The Glazier Group Director of Catering Cheryl Kahn Brocco (The Glazier Group owns Michael Jordon's Steakhouse, "Strip House" Steakhouse which has a Vegas location at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino). Also interviewed are my good friends and fellow Las Vegas NACE members Jodi & Patrick Harris of Sight and Sound Events and my good friend Andy Ebon from the Wedding Marketing Network Blog was also mentioned.

I think you are going to get a lot of great wedding planning information from this podcast so make sure to listen to it on your computer or download it onto your iPod or MP3 player.

Have a Stylish Day!

The Wedding Concierge is Headed to Philadelphia-Closed Aug 1-10

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is so excited to finally be headed off to "Experience 2008" Conference for the "National Association of Catering Executives (NACE)" being held in Philadelphia, PA this year!!

I am officially "closed" tomorrow, August 1st and will be returning, all reved up and ready to go again on August 11th!

I will be part of a great delegation from Las Vegas made up of my fellow Las Vegas NACE members and friends. I also can't wait to see many of my friends and fellow wedding planners and NACE members from the east coast!

This year NACE is celebrating it's 50th Anniversary as a professional association and Philadelphia takes us back to the very beginning and very first chapter but the focus of this conference is totally looking to THE FUTURE!

I'll be learning all about new trends in the wedding and event and catering industry from the very best in the business including celebrity wedding and party planner Mindy Weiss, getting new insight on how to have stylish yet sustainable and "green" events and just how to do things better and plan fabulous and memorable events working with all these great professionals who make it happen for YOU!

I hope to take lots of pictures and have a lot to talk about when I get back.

YO NACE, YO PHILLY...Here I come!

Wedding Concierge wins 2nd Scholarship to attend Catering Conference!

YO NACE!!

Sorry, I just could not help myself:)!

Well, I am very proud to announce that, for the second year in a row, I have won an educational schloarship through my amazing Las Vegas Chapter of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) to attend my third National Educational Conference this year in Philadelphia, PA August 3-6.

YAY ME!

I am thrilled to be part of a great group of people from our Las Vegas chapter who are attending as well including other chapter member winners who were awarded these scholarships (full and partial) by donating time and services and more to our local chapter.

This year is the 50th Anniverary of the National Association of Catering Executives.

The conference will be the icing on a great year of anniversary celebrations with incredible seminars and speakers including celebrity Wedding Planner Mindy Weiss (I have met and heard her speak a few times in person and she is truly a class act!), great food of course and inspiration galore. Many of the topics will focus on the future of catering and event planning so I am excited to see just what "the future" will bring.

This is my first time visiting Philadelphia and I am looking forward to soaking in all that Philly Soul and brotherly love, both from my fellow NACE members and the Philly natives. I am also looking forward to seeing my friend and fellow wedding planner, the fabulous Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultant, Mark Kingsdorf, who is Philadelphia's wedding planner star!

I also need to start training to try and climb up those famous ROCKY steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, LOL!

I always come back from these conferences pumped up and inspired with new ideas to help me be the best planner and business woman I can be and to share interesting and exciting ideas with you my readers and my clients.

I know this year will be no exception.

Have a Stylish Day!

Catering, Conferences & Colin Cowie!! OH MY!

Take a look at the pictures to see where Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge will be over the next week!

I am off to the elegant and luxurious Ritz Carlton, Lake Las Vegas Resort from February 22-24 to participate in the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) Regional Leadership Summit so that I continue to learn how to contribute to my wonderful Las Vegas NACE chapter and the national organization. "NACE" has been a very big part of my success both personally and professionally. I am excited to learn a lot and see old friends and make new ones.

Then, on the 24-28, it's right into an exciting week of food, flowers, decor, ice..if Caterers and Event Planners can think it or do it, it will be featured at The Catersource/Event Solutions "Idea Factory Conference & Tradeshow 2008" show right here in Las Vegas!

My "hero" style guru, Colin Cowie will be a keynote speaker and I'm so excited to see him speak again in person! There will be lots of interesting and inspiring seminars I'll be attending to learn about new food and beverage and presentation trends, wedding decor,cultural weddings an food and how to better collaborate with all the dedicated and talented catering managers so I can do what I do best, even better. And that's better for my brides and grooms as they ultimately get the benefit!

I'm hoping I'll have a chance to post during this whirlwind of a week with some cool things I have learned and seen, but I'm sure I'll have all kinds of great wedding advice and weddding style ideas to share (probably weeks worth) after the show.

Stay Tuned, have a fabulous and Stylish weekend (and week ahead)!

Wedding Concierge Talks to Videographers at WEVA Conference!

I had the pleasure and honor to be invited by my friend and fellow NACE member Tim Sudall of Video One Productions in Philadelphia, PA to be part of a panel of wedding industry experts on January 30th for the Wedding & Event Videographer's (WEVA) winter conference here in Las Vegas.

I was on a very illustrious panel including my friends and fellow Las Vegas NACE members, Lisa Lynn Backus, CMP, CPCE Senior Catering Manager at Caesar's Palace , Kathy Baldieri, CPCE, Director of Catering at Lake Las Vegas Resort, Tim Sudall, Alan Berg, VP of Marketing & Advertising for The Knot and Kris Malandruccolo of Elegant Videos by Kris in Chicago, IL!

We had some great questions posed to us by WEVA Chairman, Roy Chapman about how engaged coupoles are now perceiving video in 2008, the value are they placing on it figuratively and literally$$ and what a wedding planner (or catering manager) such as myself also values when they finally give their seal of approval and professional reccomendation to a couple to contact a videographer.

It was a lively debate (which I found out was being audio recorded for the benefit of WEVA worldwide-very cool!). It seemed everyone wanted to question Your Las Vegas Weddng Concierge as a planner and my thoughts on selecting & hiring professional videographers (this goes for all wedding professionals though!!)

I am a #1 fan as long as the work they produce is done with the highest quality and care within the budget and they treat my clients as well as I treat my clients. If the memories of the planning experience and the wedding day are wonderful AND they call you or me asking how to get more copies because they wore out the first DVD, then my friends, "we" did good:)!

I think someone said after one of my answers "I think I love you":) It got a big laugh.

But seriously I am a big supporter of wedding videography!! As a planner, it is in my personal "Top 3" of must have components for your wedding!

Wedding Videography and Cinematography is the only part of your wedding and celebration that truly captures every moment of what you planned for a year for!

Yes, when the floral arrangements have long been composted and the cake has been sitting in the freezer for a year (don't even get me started on that tradition, uggh!! That's a whole other conversation!), you will have your gorgeous photographs and video to remember them by for decades. But, what your photographs can't do is...

• Capture what was said just before that great photo of the two of you laughing during your ceremony or the laughter itself.
• Capture the two of you saying "I love you" and "I will" on your wedding day.
• Let you listen to your grandmother or grandfather tell you how much they love you both.
• Laugh all over again as you listen to the hilarious toasts that had you and your guests laughing so hard you were crying tears of joy. You know, THAT great picture!

So to my wonderful clients and to my wedding cinematographer friends out there, I look forward to helping you create a beautiful wedding celebration and party and I look forward to having you by my side to ensure each moment is captured beautifully and gloriously in time!

Have a Stylish Day!

Thank You Las Vegas NACE- I am Honored!

It is very rewarding and fulfilling to do what you love and love what you do!!

To be able to share that passion with your industry colleagues in an association of highly respected wedding professionals such as my affiliation with the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) constantly keeps me invigorated and wanting to stay at the top of my game.

To be given an opportunity to channel that passion into a leadership role in my chapter of NACE by doing things I love to do such as writing the newsletter for my Las Vegas NACE Chapter and documenting our chapter's events (I'm very organized as you know!) and giving back to the organization I enjoy so much is extremely gratifying.

To be recognized with the "2007 Las Vegas Spirit of NACE Award" by your colleagues and peers for enjoying what you and for getting to be amongst people you are admire, respect and are inspired by is the ICING ON THE CAKE!!
I am incredibly honored and I am incredibly thrilled and look forward to another rewarding year of membership!
____________________________________
Las Vegas Spirit of NACE Award Description
"The spirit of NACE award is the only award that is a "presidential award" meaning this award is the only one I choose myself. The rest are from the board and/or the membership. This criteria was based on the overall contribution of a member to make a positive difference year-long for the betterment of our entire organization, locally and nationally. Tracey Kumer-Moore, JWIC exemplifies this in all she does every month with meeting attendance, providing meeting raffle prizes, consistently providing monthly chair reports. And if that wasn't enough she has revitalized the Las Vegas chapter newsletter into a work of art we all can be very proud of. And there's more or should I say Moore. She has attended two national conferences and participated as a voting delegate that used her critical thinking skills for informed decision making. Thank you Tracey for making our chapter better and better every day."
Lisa Lynn Backus CMP, CPCE, Senior Catering Manager, Caesar's Palace.

The Wedding Concierge & The "Design Star"!!

Yep, that's me and Scott Corridan himself, one of the featured designers on this years' version of HGTV's "Design Star" and owner of Corridan and Company in Santa Barbara CA. Scott was also part of the incredibly talented team featured on Extreme Makeover "Wedding Edition".

First of all, Scott really does have the most magnetic blue eyes and the greatest smile and, if you have watched the show, you know he just has the best laugh. He is a very genuine person indeed and he definately has a great design style and way he deals with his brides and clients that make you want to stay and hang out with him.

I had the pleasure of meeting Scott and being part of two presentations that he made at the NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) Educational Conference; last year in Phoenix, AZ and this year's conference in Houston, TX.

This year Scott was the feature for the Design & Decor session and his challenge was to create, in 24 hours no less, an entire ambience to showcase new ideas for "Seating Beyond the Bar" that was chosen by the conference attendees.

Oh, and did he "get it"!! Scott showcased spaces and ideas that were innovate yet so comfortable; like you were invited to his living room. And that really is what events should be about-having fun and making your space feel like an extension of yourselves and welcoming your guests to a place in time and space that is yours, even just for the night.

The showcase featured floral arrangements that you would see in homes, furniture and lamps from antique stores, and some really out there ideas (but personal to Scott who rides), Harley's used as seating...that's Hot!

I took away a great deal of inspiration on how to help you find that special look that will welcome your guests into "your place" and celebration of love and your style!

Check out some of the images from Scott's Decor & Design Session at NACE and you can surely see why he is a contender on the Design Star Show. Scott, we y'all loved you in Houston, TX and I am rooting for you!!

Have a Stylish Day!!