ISES meeting at The Academy of Music Ballroom

On Wednesday, May 26th, we were the A/V sponsor for the ISES (International Special Events Society) event at the Academy of music. Wow! What a place. The meeting was held in their recently renovated ballroom and it looked stunning. Kelly Benedict, who works for the Academy and the Kimmel Center was a pleasure to work with, as she always is, and Mike Chowansky, Catering Director of Restaurant Associates was his usual smiling self. Restaurant Associates is the preferred caterer and they did a great job with the unique cocktail hour’derves and dessert.


It was a great meeting - I got to catch up with the usual gang - and meet some new people. One of the things I love about networking events is seeing places that I have never seen or worked at before. Plus, I can always count on Gene Blum from Drexelbrook catering to let me know what national holiday it is. I think May 26th was National Blueberry Cheesecake Day!



We provided the 7 microphones and projector/screen for the event and I must say, the panel was very informative. i have already put some of the things I learned into place. A big thanks to Eric Allen for putting that program together!

The panelists

A little about the Academy of Music Ballroom-
The Academy of Music Ballroom ushers in a return to traditional elegance and gracious entertaining in a landmark setting overlooking the Avenue of the Arts. Shimmering chandeliers and hand-gilded walls create an oasis of refined luxury, a classic setting for weddings, holiday parties, corporate receptions and celebrations. It took two years and $10 million to renovate the Ballroom to its original look when it was built in 1857. Currently, all of the shows for Broadway, Opera and Ballet reside at The Academy, which falls under the Kimmel Center, Inc. umbrella in which the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater are a part of.

Thanks so much to Jean Valentin Photography for the pictures!
-Jason

ISES and the March meeting at North Bowl

We are currently the in-kind sponsor for A/V and Lighting for the Philadelphia chapter of ISES (International Special Events Society). ISES is a great organization for professionals in the event industry to learn, network and promote the industry. We have worked with an amazing board and President in Larry Ott (Open Aire Affairs).

March's meeting was a lunch and learn at North Bowl in the city. North Bowl is a very cool place - not just for bowling, but also for events - it's a great space. We provided the A/V and lighting for the event. With our sponsorship coming to a close, Eric Alan, VP Programs/Education pproached Jason. “So Jason,” he said, “We would love to have you sponsor again for 2010, would you be interested?” How could he say no? So for 2010, Synergetic will again be the A/V sponsor for ISES meetings. We look forward to helping in any way we can and hope to see many new faces, and keep up with all the great people we already know.

Thanks so much to Valentin of Jean Valentin Photography for the images of the March meeting.

Education

Throughout the year, we feel that it is pretty important to continually get educated in the fields that we work in. One of the things we do throughout the year is go to conferences. It’s a great way to keep up to date with what’s going on, talk with different people throughout the country and take classes on new technology. We also are part of local organizations in the Philadelphia area such as National Association of Caterers (NACE), International Special Event Society (ISES), Perfect Wedding Guild and Society of Wedding Planners (SWP). These organizations also help with us staying in touch with the industry.

These conferences and organizations should be something that most companies make time for. If you are our client or are thinking about contracting us, it is important to know that we actively take steps to make our company stronger for you and your events.

Over the years, we have been asked to speak at some of these conferences and meetings. This past week, I was asked to speak at the Mobile Beat DJ convention on lighting design. With the lighting work we have done and the reputation we have in the industry, the producers wanted us to speak to DJ’s about how to get into lighting, as well as educate them on what some best practices are. It was a great experience and hopefully I will be asked to speak again next year.

We enjoy getting to give back some of the things we have learned and help others become successful. Giving back is something that we feel is vital to making our industry more professional.

Jason