NACE Hawaii members gathered for an informative and entertaining night at the warehouse headquarters of Hawaii Tents & Events, where company president Dennis Young and his staff spoke about trends in special event tenting, decor, and other changes in the industry. Using ceiling treatments, specialty linens, and lighting, Young transformed his warehouse into a swank, sophisticated gathering place.
The delicious food provided by Brian Wada and Kama’aina Catering was another highlight of the meeting. The spread consisted of various local favorites with surprise twists, as well as a bevy of tasty & fresh desserts.
Local American Idol star Camille Velasco was a pleasant surprise, performing one of her favorite songs to the delight of the audience.
It’s that time of year again, where we challenge the best creative minds in the Hawaii wedding industry for a night of fun and friendly competition with the Second Annual OWA/NACE Hawaii Tabletop Design Contest! This year’s contest will expand on last year’s event to make it more fun, challenging, and creative!
This year’s contest happens during the NACE Hawaii/OWA joint meeting on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, at the Honolulu Suites at the Sheraton Waikiki. Setup begins at 3:30pm, with judging to begin at 6:00pm. This is your opportunity to showcase your creativity, your talents, your team’s talents, and have some fun in the process. Cash prizes for the top designs!
Here are the contest rules:
Teams will consist of a minimum of two people and a maximum of four people. Team members may belong to more than one team (e.g., a florist may contribute her talents to more than one team, if it’s okay with the designers involved).
There is a $40 entry fee per team.
Team identities will be kept secret during judging, in order to keep the judging impartial and objective.
Designers will be creating designs for a table of 10 guests.
The Sheraton Waikiki will supply a standard banquet round table, chairs, linen, china, silver, and glassware from their own house supply, but you are invited to bring in your own in order to achieve a more original look. If you want to use the Sheraton equipment, please submit a list of your needs to Eugene or Herb so that they can request the items from the venue. We will need your list no later than Monday, Oct. 4th.
You may begin to load-in and set up at 3:30pm, and you have two hours to set up, from 3:30-5:30pm. All decor must be brought on location that day and taken down at the end of the event.
Bringing in specialty items that will require access to the loading dock? Please advise Herb or Eugene so that the hotel can be notified.
Set-up location is in the Honolulu Suites. Your table and material, if you requested it in advance, will be ready for you when you arrive.
You are limited to a budget of $250.
This year’s theme is Green/Sustainability.
Judging: Your peers (NACE Hawaii & OWA members) who attend the meeting that night will anonymously judge and vote for their favorite designs during cocktail hour and dinner. Judging will close at the end of dinner, and winners will be announced at the end of the night.
Cash prizes (and a year’s worth of bragging rights) for winning teams!
Start thinking of your designs and putting together your teams, then let us know! To register your team for the event, please contact your organization’s President:
After a day of work, Hawaii caterers and event professionals unwinded and relaxed at the NACE Hawaii monthly meeting, held on August 10 at the Koolau Ballrooms. An ono (delicious) appetizer-style buffet was prepared for the occasion, as Koolau Ballrooms catering executives Norman Higashi and Steven Nagamine showcased their property and menu. A complementary wine tasting by Southern Wine & Spirits accompanied the meal.
NACE Hawaii member Tanna Dang with The Wedding Cafe & Eden In Love spoke about Dressing for Success, the primary topic of the meeting’s Learning Journey. She dispelled seven fashion “myths” and gave NACE Hawaii members some tips on how to inexpensively and easily improve their wardrobe.
NACE Hawaii member Phil Grunenberg with Phil’s Tux Shop delivered a very informative presentation on men’s wear and the importance of choosing the right material when buying or renting a suit or tuxedo. In addition, he covered the differences between black-tie, formal, semi-formal, and other terms associated with formal wear.
Norman Higashi, Steven Nagamine, and their wonderful staff at Koolau Ballrooms, for graciously hosting this month’s meeting, as well as for the incredible meal and great service;
Larry with Southern Wine & Spirits, for the complementary wine tasting, especially the new Nuvo sparkling liqueur.
NACE Hawaii looks forward to seeing you at the next general meeting, September 14, starting at 6pm at The Ranch House.
The joint NACE Hawaii / Oahu Wedding Association Party is coming October 12, and the boards of directors for both associations are planning a very fun and lively networking event at the Sheraton Waikiki. A highlight of last year’s party was the Tabletop Design Contest, which had six teams entered with the winning design produced by Kelly Sugano of A Perfect Day and Naomi Lee with Les Saisons.
Last year, there were six very creative, very original, and very fresh design ideas. This year’s Tabletop Design Contest promises to be bigger, better, and with new challenges…and we’re looking for teams to showcase their creativity and talents! Do you have what it takes to be a part of the best teams of wedding & event professionals in Hawaii? This is a GREAT opportunity to showcase your product, service, and your genius!
We will be announcing the design parameters very soon, but for now, we need you to start putting together your teams, brainstorming, and at the next NACE Hawaii & OWA meetings, we will be asking you to let us know if you and your teams are interested in participating!
Hawaii caterers & event professionals learned about new technologies and trends in the audiovisual industry at the NACE Hawaii monthly meeting held on July 13 at the Kahala Resort. Following a delicious buffet dinner, Techniques Hawaii CEO Matt Muccio gave an interesting overview of what’s new in the AV world, as well as a “primer” for those not technically inclined but must deal with audiovisual issues on a regular basis. Matt and his team showcased many new and exciting trends, including live webcasting.
After Muccio’s presentation, NACE Hawaii President Herb Yamamoto updated NACE Hawaii members and their guests as to what is happening in the local Hawaii catering & special events industry:
Professional caterers and Hawaii event professionals enjoyed ono (delicious) food and learned a little about the videography industry at NACE Hawaii’s monthly meeting on June 8 at Roy’s Restaurant in Hawaii Kai. Ian Fernandez with IMF Visions gave an informative and interesting presentation on new trends and technologies in the field of professional videography/cinematography.
Guests dined on an incredible menu prepared by Roy’s executive chef Ron Nasuti:
When the waitstaff delivered this “dish,” a few guests (including some seasoned Hawaii caterers) couldn’t figure out what it was:
After the waitstaff poured hot water over the dish, the items expanded…into warm towels for guests to cleanse themselves for dessert!
Hawaii caterers & special event professionals gathered last Tuesday, May 11, at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel for the monthly meeting of NACE Hawaii, the Hawaii chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives. The evening began with a delicious buffet and tasty sorbet dessert.
A lively and informative discussion followed, as NACE member and Creations in Catering President Mike Rabe moderated a great dialogue on event costing. While event professionals are aware of the costs of doing business in their particular industry, it was interesting to learn about the costs from other special event related industries and what goes into the end user’s overall investment. NACE members formed teams and collaborated to put together a proposal for a mock bride & groom to decide to hire, and it was interesting to hear the proposals and the motivations behind the costs.
NACE Hawaii would like to thank New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel for hosting the meeting, and Dianna Shitanishi with Hawaii Weddings and Events for the beautiful decor, help in organizing the meeting logistics, and serving as a liaison between NACE Hawaii and the venue. Finally, a big mahalo (thank you) to all of the guests who came, learned, and networked. Your attendance and participation are greatly appreciated.
At the recent February NACE Hawaii general meeting, Michael Rabe, NACE Hawaii member and President of Hawaii off-premise catering company Creations in Catering, delivered “Your NACE Investment: Are You Networking Or STILL Not Working?”, a profound presentation on the importance of networking, being involved in the associations you belong to, and why it’s so vital to your marketing in this economy. Building on the success of his original presentation six years ago, he had members examine their memberships in the organizations that members belong to, how it has (or hasn’t) impacted their marketing, and WHY.
For the benefit of those who couldn’t make it to last Tuesday’s meeting, Michael has graciously allowed his notes to be posted here on this blog for you to read and download. There are also plans for him to deliver this presentation again at another NACE Hawaii meeting sometime within the year (in town, where we hopefully will get more in attendance), and perhaps to other associations you may belong to.
In case you missed the fun last January, 
At the recent