MPI January Education Program

Paragon Events staff was lucky enough to be included in the South Florida MPI January Education Program on January 10th. Read on for details about the event or check out a few hundred fabulous pictures here!

Meeting's Market For Fresh Ideas: 

Local Support and Steps to Prepare the 

Meeting Industry for a Sustainable Future

"An engaging speaker, effective facilitator, writer, and veteran meeting professional, Katherine Manfredi has over 20 years of event management experience. An MPI Accredited Trainer, Katherine is qualified to facilitate MPI’s Global Certification programs at universities world-wide. She is also a certified instructor of management skills, and one of only 14 MPI members trained to deliver MPI’s Corporate Social Responsibility Platinum Speaker program. Dedicated to advancing CSR, sustainability, and green meetings, she is one of six representing MPI on the US TAG 250 group for ISO 2012 Sustainable Event Standard Development. She also chaired the CSR/Green Initiatives Committee for the MPI Southeastern Educational Conference 2009, a four-chapter annual conference. A Founding Board Member of Florida/Caribbean chapter of the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), she is helping lead the adoption of sustainability in the hospitality industry. She is an Approved GMIC trainer for Sustainable Meeting Standards and co-chair for the GMIC Sustainable Meetings Conference 2012 & 2013."  

Overview:

Our industry has huge opportunities to use meeting and event sustainability to help support local communities and protect the environment while being profitable. Food & Beverage (F&B) is often the focus of so many events, and there are so many ways we can provide participants with an interesting and sustainable F&B experience without ‘breaking the bank’. Often the ‘B’ of Sustainable F&B is thought of as merely avoiding water bottles, when there is so much more! And it makes good sense to be sure we’re offering our food and refreshments in the 'right setting'.

Join us to learn about how buying local can be good for the community, your delegates, and work within your budget. We’ll showcase some fun susty alternatives that may get you excited about your next event and how you can implement some of these ideas.

Learner Outcomes:

Options for making good (sustainable) F&B choices and how to apply that approach to your entire event supply chain
How to create the ‘right setting’ for your susty F&B choices
Two ways that applying sustainability to F&B brings value to your event/client/delegate.

ALHI IAC Board Meeting

If you read our most recent post about our President and Managing Director Renee Radabaugh being selected for the Associated Luxury Hotels International Industry Advisory Council Board, you know why Renee just spent the week in Vegas!

Renee was chosen to sit on the board of the Industry Advisory Council, which held a fantastic and beautiful meeting in Las Vegas last week. Renee was able to explore the Bellagio and the Aria and many other fabulous places while she was there. She also learned a LOT and was able to offer her own experiences and wisdom to other attendees!

Enjoy the photos!

Fabulous drink station at welcome party!

Renee at the Bellagio- the year of the snake!

Chinese New Year at the Bellagio- this girl was made completely of flowers

Beautiful stage design at the main meeting- lighting made it look completely different each time.

Paragon's on Pinterest!

We're on Pinterest!

We have officially started pinning, and now that we have, there's no end in sight. We're adding hundreds of pictures of weddings, corporate events, social events, amazing places to visit and great marketing ideas.

Follow us now! We look forward to pinning with you....

Renee Appointed to ALHI IAC Board!

 

Paragon Events CEO Renee Radabaugh Appointed as Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) Industry Advisory Council Board Member

January 14, 2013, Delray Beach, FL: Renee Radabaugh, Managing Director and President of Paragon Events meeting & event planning and marketing firm of Delray Beach, FL, has been nominated and selected as a board member for the Associated Hotels International (ALHI) Industry Advisory Council.

Radabaugh was nominated to the Industry Advisory Council by ALHI Director of Sales Kyle Lourie in November of 2012. ALHI President and CEO David G. Gabri received the nomination and extended an official invitation to Radabaugh to join the Council as a board member, which Radabaugh warmly accepted. 

“Recently, I have spoken to Kyle Lourie who graciously recommended and endorsed your addition onto our highly respected Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) Industry Advisory Council,” Gabri wrote to Radabaugh in the official invitation. “Kyle and I fully recognize your important role and responsibilities within Paragon Events and your valuable status within our industry.”

Since 1986, Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has worked with meeting professionals, association managers, incentive/recognition specialists and business executives across North America and around the world to create effective solutions for tens of thousands of programs and events. The ALHI Industry Advisory Council is a prestigious group of hand-selected association and corporate meeting professionals and executives who exemplify the highest standards of the event planning industry. The council acts as advisors to ALHI’s membership of over 130 of America’s premier four-and five-star luxury hotels, both nationally and worldwide. ALHI’s Council members service for an initial two-year term.

Paragon Events is an award-winning event planning firm specializing in meeting planning, corporate brand strategy, high-end society events, etc., destination management and full-service marketing and advertising.

Catering to Special Dietary Needs

ReBlog! Great article from CVent on paying attention to special dietary needs during your event. 

Catering to Special Dietary Needs, Part 2

Last week we looked at delicious dishes for catering to food allergies and sensitivities. There are other types of food restrictions about which event planners and caterers should be aware including vegan, vegetarian and religious prohibitions.

Just a reminder that a few questions on participant surveys will ensure that you identify dietary requirements for your guests. If some guests don't return them, ensure that this is noted at registration and that you provide an opportunity to fill them in. Also, make an announcement at the beginning of your event and give participants and opportunity to approach a member of the event team so that their requirements can be accommodated.

Common Dietary Restrictions
Last week, although our focus was on peanut, egg, lactose and gluten free meals, we also ensured that some of the menu items suggested would also be appropriate for the following dietary restrictions:

• Vegetarian: A vegetarian diet does not include meat. Some vegetarians will eat seafood so it is important to clarify the specific nature of dietary restrictions.
• Vegan: A vegan diet does not include meat, fish or any animal by products such as cheese and other dairy products.
• Pork: Some religions prohibit consumption of pork, ham and their byproducts. As substitutes, Kosher and Halal pepperoni, as well as turkey ham and bacon, are available in some markets.

Some recipes can easily be adjusted for guests who require vegetarian, vegan or meat-free dishes. For example, to create meatless chili, paella, spaghetti sauce or Pad Thai combine all ingredients except the meat or fish. Remove the servings for the special meals just before you add the meat or seafood.

Quinoa is protein rich. It can used to replace meat or ingredients with gluten. (Rice allergies are rare but quinoa can be used as a rice substitute.)

Special meals will need to be ordered in if even a few attendees require Kosher or Halal cuisine. If many guests require Kosher or Halal cuisine, the wisest strategy would be to select this option for catering the entire event. Ackee & Salt Fish (Cod) Jamaica's national dish is often served as a brunch item with boiled green bananas and dumplings as sides. If there are guests who require vegetarian or vegan dishes, remove their portion before you add the salt fish and add season that portion with salt.

Source: CVent