The theme this year was Destination Northwest and immediately as you walked into the exhibit hall you were transported to a lush, inviting entryway that directly reflected how inspiring our landscape is. Just by walking around and seeing the different array of booths you could sense that it took a tremendous amount of work, most of the vendors working late into the night before getting everything to look just right. The collection of vendors that participated put on a fantastic show and many said that Bravo! Live is their favorite event of the year.

Many vendors also commented that they saw a tremendous amount of foot traffic and emphasized that it was the right type of foot traffic, making valuable connections with event planners from all types of industries. We were thrilled to hear this feedback because that is Bravo’s number one goal for putting on this type of event.

Hybrid Moon put together a great video for us which they recorded, edited and uploaded directly from the event, right from their iPhone! Check it out below:

Bravo! Event Live 2011 Tour • Shot, Editied and Uploaded using an iPhone 4

Again, this event was spectacular and the only way it was possible was with the joint efforts of so many hardworking and creative people. For us, it’s our biggest event of the year but also a chance for people to come together and do business in a way that is fun, interactive and unique. The success of this event inspires us to make the Bravo! Wedding Affair even more of a triumph. As the year winds down the work picks up and we thrive off the positive feedback we get from vendors and attendees after our shows.

People came hungry and the caterers did not disappoint- we’d list all the amazing food but the photos from Andie Petkus Studios simply speak for themselves! Take a look at the pictures below and make sure to check out the entire gallery from the show here.

Again, thank you to everyone involved and who came and here’s to next year’s show!

Peter Corvallis Production’s amazing booth. We loved the colors and mounted deer head!

What:

Indulge at the Jupiter is Portland Eastside Dining and Spirits Festival featuring 15 restaurants, 5 food carts, 7 distilleries, 7 wineries, 4 brewers and plenty more!

When:

September 22nd, 2011 at 5:30pm-9:00pm

Where:

At the Jupiter Hotel: 800 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214.

Why:

Support the p:ear program and pull off one of the best culinary events in Portland. p:ear builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth, ages 15 to 24, through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.

Indulge has a ton of great new features this year:

You don’t want to miss out, register now http://indulgeatthejupiter.eventbrite.com/

Looking for a place to hold your next corporate meeting? Check out Sunset Lanes in Beaverton, they offer a comfortable and relaxed environment to hold your next meeting. They have 36 lanes available, 12 with couches. Food and beverages can be delivered right to the lanes or you can enjoy their new B-Town Bar & Grill.  Sunset Lanes also features tons of arcade games and billiards. Contact them at 503.646.1116 to get started planning your next event.

Sunset Lanes is also featured on Sharing Spree today, 1 1/2 hours of bowling and shoe rental for up to 5 guests for $19!

Oregon Health & Science University offers venues that showcase the best of Portland. Choose one of their venues on Marquam Hill and enjoy the  incomparable views of Portland and Mount Hood. Or, you can select their state-of-the-art facility located in the desirable South Waterfront district and accessible by bike, streetcar, car or kayak.

Can’t decide? Pick the best of both worlds and have your guests float above the city in the Portland Aerial Tram during your event. They offer onsite catering, AV services and parking for guests.

Contact OHSU at 503.494.4312 or events@ohsu.edu for more information.

The Five Pine campus includes the Sisters Athletic Club, Three Creeks Brewery, Thyme Fine Dining, Shibui Spa and Sisters Movie House. They also have plenty of room choices available if you are looking for a place to rest and relax. You can relax in a suite in the main lodge or choose from the many cabins available for added privacy. Five Pine offers packages for a romantic getaway, golf weekend, girls weekend or many other choices.  Check out their website for all of the great offers and get your special event booked today! Beautiful photo by Kimberly Kay Photography.

   Recently Mary Lou and Janey spent the day in Willamette Valley touring event spaces that are new to Bravo! Travel Salem is a great resource for meeting and event planners and pretty much anything happening in Salem can be found on their website. Debbie McCune graciously offered us the use of their conference room for our networking event on July 13th, check out TravelSalem.com for more information.

Willamette University is full of great event spaces both indoors and outdoors. They have small space available such as the Alumni Lounge up to large spaces such as the Hudson Concert Hall. They also offer Event Planning Services onsite to assist with any event needs. Willamette University’s food service must be catered by Bon Appétit, a premier on-site restaurant company. Bon Appétit is passionate about serving fresh, wholesome, delicious food, prepared from scratch, using the finest local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible.

Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry also has great meeting and event spaces. They have several locations available to hold meetings and offer a wide variety of event services to make your event successful.

Looking for a caterer for your next event? Busick Court offers catering and a restaurant facility. You can view menus online for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They offer over 24 appetizer and 17 entree selections. You don’t want to miss their Sunday Brunch!

If you are looking to catch a great meal, check out La Capitale, Salem’s casual French Bistro. They offer lunch and dinner and you can book your reservations online. They are located at 508 State Street in Salem.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the new location of West Coast Event Productions. They have moved their location to the waterfront, 1466 NW Naito Parkway where they have a fantastic view! Their warehouse is filled with props, linens, dishware, tables & chairs and much more! They have a product catalog online to make selecting items easy.

West Coast has merged with Shaka-sound and will now be able to provide top quality sound at weddings and events. They are able to provide great sound for your event using professional equipment.

They will also be unveiling a new type of romantic/glittery style drape that is new to the area. The drape will be designed inhouse and will bring your event to the next level.

West Coast prides itself on its artists they have on staff. They can help clients build their dream event.

Contact them at here or at 503.294.0412 to get started planning your wedding or event.

Stay tuned for more information on the Grand Opening to be scheduled mid-August.

Muddy Award winning performance. Best Performance of the Year! http://raycharlestribute.com/

May 11th, 7:00 P.M. at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego

Many guest artists:
Linda Hornbuckle
Andy Stokes
Duffy Bishop
Peter Damman
Janice Scroggins
Renato Caranto
Lee Garrett – cowrote Signed Sealed Deliver w/ Stevie Wonder
George Mitchell
Patrick Lamb
Norman Sylvester
Carl Bock
Gretchen Mitchell
Anthony Jones
Gene Houck
DK Stewart

Purchase Tickets to Concert for Japan – Tribute to Ray Charles w/ Patrick Lamb and Friends

Concert for Japan - Tribute to Ray Charles w/ Patrick Lamb and Friends

The goal is for everyone to have a great time, but also to raise money for local 501c3 Growing Gardens.  Growing Gardens “Dawn of the Bed” event raises funds for low income families in our area and the ecoShuttle team will be building a raised bed for one family on May 7th.  The money raised will provide the family with tools, supplies and workshops so they can have a productive garden for the next three years.  As participants, the ecoShuttle staff’s task is to get the gardens up and going.  The aim of the party is to raise donations to reach the $600 dollar goal that helps pay for the gardening supplies and support for low income families.

According to Fiona Mitchell, the event coordinator and ecoShuttle’s Director of Marketing and Sales, “ecoShuttle has always been dedicated to environmental sustainability, but we also have a strong commitment to the sustainability of families, and our neighbors in the community.”

The party starts Sunday, May 1st at 12:00pm and goes until 5:00pm, and ecoShuttle is hoping for a large turnout to assist them with this relevant cause.

For more information contact Fiona Mitchell:  503.200.4728 – fmitchell@ecoshuttle.net – www.ecoshuttle.net