2ND ANNUAL CRUSH AND CUISINE

The Second Annual, NBC East Coast Crush and Cuisine: A Feast of Food and Wine has opened registration! Come join us at the Westin Diplomat on October 19-21 for this three day event! There are a variety of fantastic food and wine options for you to enjoy such as the Royal Tasting where you can experience dinner-by-the-bite; generous appetizers and heavy hors d'oeuvres created by our featured chefs, local restaurants and culinary partners! Inspire your palate at our Grande Finale Dinner. Enjoy "The Feast," a six course dinner hosted by Executive Chef David Hackett. Also experience an assortment of wine and food tastings, as well as chef demonstrations throughout the weekend! You will not want to miss out on the chance to win a car either, by participating in the Tasting on The Tee golf tournament on The Westin Diplomat's 18-hole championship course! Click on the link below to see all of the upcoming events and sign up today!!

LA MYSTIQUE INTERACTIVE DANCE GROUP

Paragon announces the acquisition of La Mystique the interactive dance company that enhances events with theatrical dance groups that perform, entertain, and interact with the guests. "La Mystique, a South Florida based company that travels internationally. It is over 18 years old and in the business is considered to be the premier entertainment company of its kind. La Mystique features freeze posed fabulous costumed entrance entertainers and high energy production numbers that provide motivation and excitement. Most importantly is the guest involvement- the guest may never sit down. With La Mystique the guests are always entertained and entertaining. I have used this entertainment group with confidence for years, I am excited to have this product incorporated into the Paragon family of great services," Renee Radabaugh, owner and CEO of Paragon Events. Paragon Events is a 22 year old events management firm that specializes in corporate meetings, incentive programs, special events and medical meetings both nationally and internationally. Renee Radabaugh says "La Mystique is an excellent addition to the great Destination Services we offer." Click on the link below to learn more about La Mystique!!

PARAGON OFFERS NEW ENTERTAINMENT OPTION

Paragon has secured a new entertainment option for your guests. Paragon Events finds an electrifying new entertainment act to be featured in an upcoming event at the Wynn Encore Beach Resort in Las Vegas. "It is always exciting to discover unique sources for entertainment. The acrobatic entertainment performed by these artists includes a floating pool bubble contortionist and a hanging acrobatic performer who will serve guest champagne from a chandelier. The performers will prove to be a creative addition to the event. With this addition of these wonderful performers, the event is sure to 'wow' each and every attendee," Renee Radabaugh, owner and CEO of Paragon Events. Contact us for further details.

CASE STUDY: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS BUYOUT

Case Study: Universal Studios Buyout The Scenario: A large public company decided to have an Award Function for 2600 people in Orlando, Florida. Our Team, after an extensive search, secured Universal Studios for a private function. The Result: • Full Buyout of Universal Studios Orlando: Guests were treated to a private evening in Universal Orlando. • Food stations for a full dinner were set in "New York" Area • PE Staff were provided throughout Park to support guests needs • 6 stations of entertainment- including a 9 piece band were placed throughout Universal • EMT was secured for "just-in-case" • Credentials were created for all guests • Pre-event announcements, invitations and registration was provided • RSVP services and confirmations were handled • Transportation and Parking was provided • We designed a theatrical opening that included key executives to "Kick-Off" the event The Outcome: Guests were introduced to a once in a lifetime private experience that highlighted the award recipients while recognizing the hard work of all of the other staff/participants.

INCENTIVE GIFTS

With the struggling economy and budgets constantly being cut, companies are eliminating gift giving right away without thinking through the ways that it could impact their business and staff. Incentive gifts have always been implemented in a company's budget. They are usually used to keep employee's morale up and enhance performance in the workplace. Unfortunately, with the struggling economy and budgets constantly being cut, companies are eliminating gift giving right away without thinking through the ways that it could impact their business and staff. To make sure they can keep their employees motivated, companies should not remove their incentive programs due to the economy, they should tweak it instead to conform to the new economy. One way incentive programs can be changed is by giving fewer gifts and spread them throughout the year. Knowing that there will only be a select few recognized, staff members will have a bigger push to prove themselves, which will result in improved performance, sales boosts, and better customer service. Being creative and finding inexpensive gift ideas is also a good way businesses can modify their budget. One way you can buy affordable gifts and help others is by buying them through The Helping Hand Rewards. According to Incentive Magazine, the Helping Hands Rewards "markets items to corporations that are made by underprivileged or at-risk women and men in the U.S. and less developed countries." Not only do these companies help people who are unable to get hired by anyone else due to previous work or legal records, they help them build up their resumes, teach them how to improve their work ethics and prepare them for future jobs. Products from the vendors include anything from candle sets and jewelry to spa baskets, and gourmet food items that come from all over the world. Another easy way companies can reward their employees is by giving out gift cards. Popular gift cards from retailers and restaurants around where the company is located can not only help boost the area's economy, but people are more likely to associate it with a gift and not think of it as cash. So instead of getting rid of gifts from your company budget, just be creative. Awarding inexpensive gifts can still guarantee a good work environment while implementing a condensed budget.

RECOGNITION JUNKIES

Recognition Is Becoming the Key to Success for Many Companies today in the Face of an Economic Downturn "People are recognition junkies…No one can ever get too much," according to Derek Irvine, chief marketing officer of Globoforce. Recognition is becoming the key to success for many companies today in the face of an economic downturn. The state of the economy may have sparked a new form of awareness for management teams to show appreciation for their employees. Instead of offering employees bonuses that they cannot afford, companies are beginning to realize that non-monetary forms of motivation are just as beneficial, if not better. Reinforcement and incentives are the things that mold behavior and create positive change. When employees are praised for their accomplishments and they believe their work is being recognized, good things happen. Unconventional forms of motivation are creating positive change and becoming a win-win for both the company and the employee. However, it is important for management teams to realize that all of their employees are different and they must come up with "creative ways" to motivate their diverse work force on a personal level. When people enjoy working for you, you never need to worry about underperformance. Often times, monetary incentives are overlooked and only help short term goals. Paragon Events offers full service destination support for all of your motivational needs, whether you would like to plan a day trip to the beach, an adventure to a theme park, or a night out on the town for your employees and their families, these creative incentives will provide your employees with an experience they will not forget. At Paragon Events, we understand that appreciated employees increase productivity! When employees are motivated to perform in a certain way, management will constantly see the results they expect. It is easy for an employee to do something right one time, but in order to maintain a strong and consistent workforce, recognition is the number one motivator.

MAKE YOUR NEXT FLIGHT EASIER

8 Essential Tips to Make Your Next Flight Easier, by Harry R. Weber (AP airlines writer)Airport VIP lounges are not restricted to just members. Several airlines offer one day or monthly passes. 2) Don’t fret the annoying checked bag fee when bringing strollers and infant car seats. Airline personnel will put those items on the plane for you for free when you get to your gate, and they will not count against your carry-on bag allowance. 3) You don’t have to pay big bucks to fly in business class. Several airlines offer deeply discounted rates on upgrades to business class on the day of travel if there are seats in the front cabin still available. 4) You don’t have to pay big bucks to fly period. Rick Seaney of farecompare.com says the best time to shop domestic tickets is Tuesday afternoon because airlines typically file sales Monday evening and other airlines match Tuesday through noon. 5) Don’t worry about printing out your boarding pass at home. At some airports and with some airlines, travelers with Web-enable mobile devices like BlackBerry of iPhone can download their boarding passes, then hand over the devices for scanning by federal security screeners and airline gate agents. 6) Traveling doesn’t have to be a hassle. If you fly at off-peak times like in the early morning hours on Tuesdays, Wednesday, or Saturdays, flights are less full, and often the lines at security are much shorter. 7) Speeding through security is easy if you pack certain items in your carry-on bags before reaching a checkpoint. 8) If you’ve ever wondered how close you are to your destination or how long the security line is at your airport, you don’t have to be in the dark. You can track your online by entering the flight number at flightaware.com