HOW THE GRINCH TRIED TO STEAL CHRISTMAS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The presents filled the church halls, everything from MP3s to Justin Bieber CDs. The First Born Church in Fort Pierce had captained a successful toy drive for the under privileged children in the area. Volunteers donated their time to make every gift look as beautiful as possible. The gifts were set to be delivered Christmas Eve and everyone was excited to see the look of joy and excitement on every child's face.

Just three days before the big delivery, a Grinch broke into the church and stole $200 worth of gifts intended for the local children. The pastor of the church knew that the Grinch would not prevail, and that the toy drive could still be a holiday miracle for so many people.

When Renee Radabuagh, CEO Paragon Events, heard about the heart-wrenching story she was determined to defeat the Grinch and make Christmas happen just as the pastor had envisioned. 

The day before Christmas Eve Mrs. Radabaugh was able to replace every gift that had been robbed from the church. " I am so blessed and fortunate to be able to help. Every child should experience unwrapping a present on Christmas morning."

So, much like the Dr. Seuss story, the Grinch tried to steal Christmas, but the true Christmas spirit will always overcome. Happy Holidays! And YOU still have a chance to make a difference in the lives of others this holiday. Please click here so that Paragon Events may donate on your behalf to the charity of your choice.

Paragon Events staff with local church members

             

Santa Came Early

"How will I ever be able to keep this away from my kids," Lisa exclaims after being notified of her Fall Formula Sweepstakes win. Lisa participated in the 6-week Fall Formula Sweepstakes sponsored by Paragon Events- the grand prize, a new iPad2. "I am so excited about the new found mobility I will have. My new iPad2 will be the perfect assistant in my travels across the state and country." When asked about which app she can't wait to download, she quickly replied, "Bento. To help me manage contacts, track projects, plan events and organize the busy details of my life."
"I am so thrilled to have been selected as the sweepstakes winner. It feels like Santa has arrived early this year!"  Congratulations Lisa!

Lisa Rawlins

SMILE FOR A GREAT CAUSE

Behind that giant smiley face, is Renee Radabaugh's teenage son, Dakotah.
As a parent, you are probably constantly encouraging your kids to do the right thing or to get involved in the community. Above all, parents plead with their children to simply stay out of trouble. As a mom, Renee says she "could not be more proud of my Dakotah." Dakotah decided to not only meet all of his mom's requests, but he went a step beyond and volunteered his extra time (which seems to be so valuable to most teenagers) for the Imagination Organization. The organization encourages at risk youths to get off or stay off drugs and alcohol, and that is definitely something to smile about.

As the holiday season is upon us, we at Paragon Events felt the need to give as well. Our Featured Event this month, "One Click. One Wish. Make a Difference." is one all about helping those who could use a helping hand this holiday season. To see how Paragon would like to make a difference on your behalf please visit the featured event page.
Happy Holidays!

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME FOR DINNER PARTIES

As event planners, food is a big part of what we do and we know that the holiday season is packed full of holiday parties. Here are two simple hors d oeuvre recipes that we have found are a hit with guests.

Tomato Tart:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 4 medium tomatoes, sliced 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup crumbled Chevre (goat cheese)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, basil, marjoram, thyme) 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425F. Roll out the pastry into a 10-inch tart pan and bake it for 18 to 22 minutes until it puffs and turns golden brown. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. 

Spread the Dijon mustard in an even layer over the browned pastry, leaving 1/2-inch of the edges empty.  Arrange the tomato slices over the mustard. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the sea salt, pepper, goat cheese and herbs. Serve the tart at room temperature or chilled. This goat cheese and tomato tart makes 8 to 10 servings. 

Cheesy Mushroom:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 16 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 
• 1/3 cup shredded Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese 

Preparation: 

Heat butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. when butter is foamy, add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned,stirring constantly.

Whisk together the sour cream, egg yolk, and salt and pepper; stir into the mushrooms. Heat through, stirring. Spoon mushroom mixture into a shallow baking dish; sprinkle with the chopped parsley and shredded cheese. Bake at 425F for ten minutes, until cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Bon appetit! We wish you a very happy holiday with lots of happy gatherings. Please let us know how the dishes tasted at your dinner party.

And if you find that you could use a few more elves in the kitchen, Paragon Events offers several catering options for your special event.  

KICKING OFF CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, DC

Happy Holidays at The Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center! Paragon Events was at the Gaylord managing a week long Government Conference. There were 50 attendees from 8 countries in attendance. Along with the planned activities, dinners and meetings, our guests were able to enjoy the Holiday light show spectacular put on by the Gaylord!

SAVE THE GREEN, MONEY THAT IS

If you are in the event planning industry, chances are you have been pondering the concept of Green, the environmentally - cautious movement that is sweeping through our country. You might be wondering, how much should I invest in "greening" my product? Or maybe you're thinking, should I even bother with being "eco-friendly" - odds are people will give up this ideology in a few years. Or maybe you fall into the category that "Going Green" is a must. You have hired your consultant and are on your way to being the environment's biggest fan.
The Convention Industry Council will release their very first Green Meetings and Event Standards this month. The anticipated release drummed up several discussions on LinkedIn this week. Here are a few: Will these new guidelines change the way the event planning industry operates? Will they change what our customers demand? Do I need to transform my company into a Green Machine?
We asked the question in our ongoing Paragon Events' Fall Formula Survey  "Do you feel it's important to offer green solutions to your clients, why or why not?"
The Results: While a majority of people claim to love our earth and love the concept of eco-friendliness, they care more about the green in their pockets. Companies and consumers alike agree, if the price is right they will go green; but saving the monetary green is more important.
Three things to keep in mind when plotting your green initiatives:
1) Clients will not pay more for eco-friendliness.
2) Be creative and you will find that you can actually save clients money if you choose to go the green route.
3) Last but not least, I think companies will start to see more and more benefits from going green, such as tax credits and niche markets. As the economy improves, more people will demand green services.
 I believe the green phenomenon is not a trend, but here to stay. The new guidelines will make this more evident. Start devising your green concepts now. To see how Paragon Events is plunging into this market, check out our new Eco-Vents division.

PROUD TO SERVE OUR NATIONS' CAPITAL

Paragon Events Expands Driven by increased demand for its offerings,Paragon Events expands to the Washington,DC market.   DELRAY BEACH, FL - November 3, 2011 - Paragon Events, Inc., is expanding it's services to the Washington, DC market as a result of the nationwide increase in demand for Paragon Events' premier Meeting & Conference Planning services as well as Destination Management services. Ms. Terry Bradley has been appointed Director of National Accounts Northeast Division and will serve as an executive level liaison to this market. With this addition, Paragon Events, Inc. secures a footprint in this emerging sector and plans to meet the growing demands of the Washington, DC corporate and philanthropic events planning and destination management community.  Director of National Accounts Northeast "Our remarkable and consistent growth is a result of our strong positioning and innovation in the event planning marketplace," said Renee Christiansen Radabaugh, CEO and Founder, Paragon Events. "Our presence in the Washington, DC Metro area and the expansion of our National Sales team represent huge milestones in the growth of our company, " said Radabaugh. "These developments also secure our commitment to serving this innovative, quality-demanding market with our best-in-class event planning services. We are particularly excited about our new event planning division, Eco-Vents, that should be appealing to our environmentally-minded partners in Washington, DC. Terry shares our philosophy on being truly committed to sustainable practices while serving the customer. Her addition to our sales team is a true benefit to our organization and our clientele." Living and working in Washington, DC for 25 years, Terry Bradley is a seasoned executive. For the past two and a half decades, Terry has been associated with a wide range of leaders from government, corporate and non-profit industries as well as the governing boards of leading colleges and universities. She is widely traveled within the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Canada and Mexico. Terry has a deep knowledge of successful conference planning techniques through her work as Founder and Chairman of her own non-profit agency, the Washington,DC-based organization August Rain. This role allowed Terry to focus her energy and passion on helping those who cannot help themselves by delivering clean drinking water worldwide. Terry will be responsible for leading sales growth, managing Paragon Events' regional expansion and bringing Paragon's Destination Management services to this market.  Ms. Bradley is as demanding of excellence in the planning and production of an event and destination meetings as she is insistent on delivering superior customer service and innovation to each of Paragon Events' clients. The many and varied relationships she has enjoyed while living and working in Washington, DC provide her with a wealth of knowledge and resources. Her philosophy is simple: Find a way or make one.  Paragon Events, founded in 1989, specializes in Corporate Event Planning, Destination Management and Association Management. This full scale meeting and special events firm was founded by Renee Radabaugh, President and CEO.