An Eventful Scene on the St. Lawrence Seaway

The St. Lawrence River is awesome. Period. I grew up visiting the river and still go every summer to visit family. Hanging for the day on the boat, while my dad fished, it was so cool to get close to the ocean freighters that have to slowly and carefully navigate the length from the sea to Lake Ontario and back. And there are some great small towns along its banks to explore. A few weeks back I was in Clayton, NY to check out an event venue. Clayton is a charming riverside town with quaint shops, wineries and restaurants along the main street. It’s also the home of the Antique Boat Museum, which is a MUST if you haven’t been!

The 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel is located at the end of the main street in Clayton and provides a much-needed atmosphere for visitors. I met with the event staff there and the place is beautiful. The conference spaces are well designed and the view of the river from the halls is remarkable. The guestrooms are lovely and spacious. You know by now that I love the details in things and the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel thought of everything. My most common gripes with hotels? Plastic cups vs. glass in the rooms and the fitness center in a stuffy room next to the inside pool. This venue TOTALLY impressed me with their attention to what their guests would want. Their fitness room is fresh, clean and, wait for it… the treadmills look out over the water! And guess what? Not only do they have glasses instead of plastic cups in the room, they have wine glasses, rocks glasses and an opener! Hallelujiah!

Believe it or not, I haven’t even told you about the best part yet – the outside space. SO NICE! The patio is welcoming, warm and large. There are tables, ADK chairs (that’s short for Adirondack for those who aren’t in-the-know) around firepits; shaded spots and places where you can get all the sun you want. And everything has a stunning view of the river. AND you can pull your boat right up to their dock!

So – the take away here? This would be a great place for any event including conferences, parties, family reunions, workshops or whatever your heart desires. And did I mention that it’s on a gorgeous riverfront? ‘Nuff said.

Look Down

OK this is cool. I saw these arrows all over the place when I was in San Jose. They marked the route of a walkathon that took place on Saturday while I was at the GAS conference. The starting line was right across so the street from the glassblowing in the park. You can get these arrows online from RouteArrows.com

Check it out. They are inexpensive, stick to concrete and asphalt, can be easily removed, and come on a roll. Super easy. RouteArrows has lots of other event signage and with a little imagination can be used for marking paths and providing direction for non-sporting events. Think about community-wide scavenger hunts, or a sequential event where guests travel around town. Plus they could really add some fun to a typical indoor conference venue!

Inspiration in San Jose

photo courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Just got back from an amazing week at the Glass Art Society conference in San Jose, CA. This is the annual gathering of glass artists and glass art enthusiasts from around the world. For me, it was a great opportunity to get management ideas and inspiration for future conferences. I was enlisted at the last minute to help out at the Gala reception. Always ready to jump in!

Of course, the recent MANY (Museum Association of New York) conference in Corning had glass blowing as a centerpiece to our opening night fundraising, fire and ice dinner. In San Jose, the Corning team was blowing glass outside using their portable hot glass studio. It was situated in a city park, just outside the front door of the conference hotel. The hot glass studio energized the park and the entire conference, bringing life and energy with artistry and showmanship. Of course, perfect weather helped too!  More about the Glass Art Society (GAS)

Director of Fun, Me!

I kept wondering if I should do it. What would happen if I focused full-time on my passion for event and conference planning? Throughout my career, events that I've planned have been the peak moments for me. It's the time when I really shine. Those events have been a spark to connect people, ideas, and energy –and spin them into something special, something of the moment when things really happen.

Soup to nuts I love it - from the initial idea sessions, to all the detail, to the marathon at the end. The energy, creativity and the team of people involved in the process all drive me to do my best, and to make something truly memorable.

So after years of thinking about it, I quietly started asked friends about the idea of me focusing full-time on event planning. Their initial response was amazingly supportive. A few weeks ago, I was at a conference and tried the idea out on a few more colleagues. Not only were they encouraging, they wanted to talk about future projects. When I asked a few people, whom I truly admire, to write testimonials for my new website, I was completely overwhelmed. Their positive response, and the generosity of their words supported what I knew in my heart to be true.

The time to make the leap is now.
I'm ready. Here I go!