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.
Images courtesy MARINO M. REGALADO / Ninja Entertainment
For a perspective on what it was like as a NACE Hawaii member, click here read about the meeting on the blog of Marino M. Regalado, Hawaii wedding emcee and owner of Ninja Entertainment.
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
\\ tags: costing, may, meeting, new otani kaimana beach
 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.
Click here to view Michael’s notes for “Are You Networking or STILL Not Working?”
If you wish to have Michael Rabe speak at your next function, contact him at 521-7101.
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
\\ tags: advice, meeting, mike rabe, networking
Marino M. Regalado with Ninja Entertainment recently blogged about two NACE Hawaii events that happened not too long ago.
Click here to read about and see pictures of the recent Jerry Edwards NACE Hawaii Special Event in January at Dole Ballrooms.
Click here to read about this month’s general meeting at Formaggio Grill in Kailua, where Michael Rabe with Creations in Catering delivered a powerful keynote presentation on the importance of networking and being involved in the associations you belong to.
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
\\ tags: dinner, dole ballrooms, Formaggio Grill, networking
Are you planning to participate in the TABLETOP DESIGN CONTEST at the upcoming OWA/NACE Hawaii joint meeting? In addition to the cash prizes to be awarded at the end of the night, this is your opportunity to showcase your design skills and talents.
 Here are the rules to participate:
- Teams will consist of a minimum of two people, and a maximum of four people.
- There is a $40 entry fee per team.
- Your design will be a scaled-down design for a table of four. Sheraton Waikiki will supply a 30″ round table and four standard banquet chairs. You are free to bring your own. If you want to use Sheraton’s equipment (e.g., silverware, china, linens, etc.), please submit a list of your needs to NACE Hawaii President Herb Yamamoto so he can request the items on your behalf from the hotel. Your list is due no later than Monday, October 4. In addition, if you are bringing in your own specialty items (e.g., linens, furniture, etc.) and need access to the loading zone area, please advise Herb so that the hotel can be notified.
- Decor setup time will consist of two hours on the day of, between 3:30-5:30pm. All decor must be brought on location that day and will be taken down at the end of the event.
- Setup location is the Ni’ihau Room Foyer.
- Your team will need to provide the price and information for your design, based on a table of ten (10).
- Your final design and layout will be kept anonymous for judging and will not be revealed until winners are announced at the end of the night. This gives you a fair, unbiased opportunity to be judged on your creativity and talents rather than your popularity among your friends and colleagues.
Members of both organizations will vote to pick the winning entries.
To register your team for this event, please contact your organization’s president:
NACE Hawaii: Herb Yamamoto, herb.yamamoto@pacificbeachhotel.com or 921-6194 (office) or 782-0132 (cell)
OWA: Dave Miyamoto, owapres@gmail.com or 396-5599
Thanks to OWA Past President Susan O’Donnell for putting together the rules for this contest. Good luck with your design!
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
NACE Hawaii held its monthly meeting last Tuesday, August 11, and it was very informative and a lot of fun!
The formal meeting was hosted by Tanna Dang of The Wedding Cafe, and it was held in the Kewalo Room at Ward Warehouse, right above the cafe. NACE Hawaii chapter president Herb Yamamoto talked about his experiences at the NACE Experience! Conference in July. Members enjoyed the wonderful slideshow put together by NACE Hawaii Vice President Josette Murai and listened intently to Herb as he spoke about the latest trends and new ideas in weddings & special events.
After the formal presentation, guests moved across the street to Bucca di Beppo, where they enjoyed a very delicious multi-course dinner, excellent networking with other Hawaii wedding & special event professionals, and a great time.
Sue Tabbal with Su-V Expressions got the “royal treatment” NACE Hawaii & Bucca-style since her birthday was the day before!
Special thanks to the following for helping to make this meeting a success:
- Tanna Dang and her staff at The Wedding Cafe for graciously hosting the formal part of the presentation;
- Margie Lehman & Tiffany Lee and their wonderful staff at Bucca di Beppo for the ono (delicious) food and fun atmosphere during the eating & networking portion of the night;
- Herb Yamamoto, Josette Murai, and Linda Leung for sharing their insights and experiences at the NACE Experience! Conference;
- Marino M. Regalado with Ninja Entertainment for providing the sound system for the educational portion of the evening;
- James Chun with Crane Media for supplying the multimedia projector;
- Sue Tabbal with Su-V Expressions for being such a great sport (CHA-CHA-CHA!!);
- And last but not least,
OUR GUESTS,
for taking the time to join NACE Hawaii to network, celebrate, and share. Your presence at our meetings are very much appreciated!
Join us next month on September 8 at the Pacific Beach Hotel. Click here for more info. We’ll see you there!
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
Your NACE Hawaii board of directors met last Tuesday, August 4, at the Pacific Beach Hotel to go over policies and ideas for the direction of the association in the second half of this year. Among the many topics were the upcoming Tasty Travels fall fundraising campaign, NACE Experience! 2009, and educational programs for upcoming general meetings…including the possibility of having some nationally renowned professional caterers, chefs, and event planners give presentations here in Hawaii! The rest of 2009 is shaping up to be very exciting, very informative, and definitely worth your membership. Check back here often for more info.
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
Hawaii wedding professionals took an afternoon off of work to get together, exercise, and hang out in the inaugural unofficial OWA/NACE Hawaii Wedding Industry Bike Ride last Wednesday, July 30. Starting at 6:00pm in the parking lot of Kapiolani Community College, riders rode out to Portlock before turning around and getting back right at sunset. Dinner and networking followed at Diamond Head Market & Grill.
The ride started promptly at 6:00pm with Brad Buckles (former NACE Hawaii member and show producer of Hawaii Bridal Expo) and photographer Eugene Kam leading a breakaway of the faster riders. Marino M. Regalado (NACE Hawaii member and professional Master of Ceremonies with Ninja Entertainment) set a comfortable pace for the rest of the group. Throughout the ride, participants laughed, talked stories, and had a great time.
 After the ride, several riders met at Diamond Head Market & Grill for dinner and networking. Brad shared stories about producing the Hawaii Bridal Expo, explaining how challenging and rewarding the process can be. Marino & Eugene shared ideas on how to find a balance between running successful Hawaii wedding businesses and making time for fitness. Everyone had a laugh as we all shared stories about recent “bridezilla” weddings & events.
To those of you who came to the innaugural ride, THANK YOU! It was great riding with you. Stayed tuned here for more info on the next ride!
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
\\ tags: bike, KCC, Portlock, ride
NACE Hawaii had its monthly meeting last Tuesday, July 14, at the Hale Koa Hotel, and it was a good one. Group discussions on Facebook, Twitter, and traditional marketing were the topic of the day, and many great ideas were shared and developed.
In addition, Susan O’Donnell, fundraising co-chair and the owner of Aloha Wedding Planners, talked about the recent Tasty Travels fundraiser, and how it helped to benefit NACE Hawaii educational initiatives, Hawaii Meals on Wheels, and local restaurants.
The meeting had its share of fun, as guests mingled and networked after the formal program ended, and as the delicious pupu (appetizer) dinner was served.
Special thanks to the following for helping to make this event a success:
YOU
for attending and participating in Tuesday’s conversation. Your presence is very much appreciated!
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
\\ tags: facebook, hale koa, ideas, meeting, networking, twitter
 Just a reminder: this month’s NACE Hawaii meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 14, at the Hale Koa Hotel. Tonight’s topic is a roundtable discussion of Facebook, Twitter, and new social media & networking.
Registration & networking starts at 6pm, with the formal program beginning at 6:30pm.
Get more information on the meeting by clicking here.
We’ll see you at the meeting.
written by NACE Hawaii Webmaster
\\ tags: facebook, hale koa, meeting, networking, twitter
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In case you missed the fun last January, 
