What a crazy couple of weeks it’s been! We’ve hardly had time to breathe let alone soak in the success of our very first Willamette Valley Event Showcase. Looking back we can see just how great the event went and how wonderful all of our vendors were- we couldn’t have done it without them and their hard work! This success makes us even more motivated to put on killer Bravo! Live and Bravo! Wedding Affair shows and seeing how well our vendors operated we have no doubt they’ll be a hit.

The day started early at 6:30 a.m. as Konect Aviation flew in a helicopter as the sun was barely rising. What a way to kick off the day, right? Mary Lou Burton, owner at Bravo! Publications even went for a ride!

Mary Lou Burton, owner of Bravo! Publications and the folks from Konect Aviation

The variety and quality of each vendor  was simply immense and for being one of our smaller shows it reflects the amount of detail that goes into it. More importantly, you could tell that the event was fun for both vendors and attendees! We really can’t say enough kind things about our vendors and we’re so excited to be having some of them return for our next events and judging by how successful the Willamette Valley Event Showcase went, there’s no doubt in our minds it will be an event to remember. Below are more pictures from the WVES and information on our two upcoming events on October 19th and November 6th.

Flight Deck serves homemade berry punch on this amazing ice luge!

Yum! Deliciousness is served at the Salem Conference booth. Who else is hungry?

Foremost Marketing interviewing Shirleen from Danner & Soli Gifts

West Coast Drape and Blush Furniture display their chic, contemporary products

Owner Mary Lou Burton cuts the ceremonial red ribbon to start the show!

For information on Bravo! Live on Wednesday october 19th at the Oregon Convention Center-Hall D and who will be there and how to register go to www.BravoEvent.com

For more information on Bravo! Wedding Affair on Sunday November 6th at the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland and how to purchase tickets go to www.BravoWedding.com

Only a few more days until the Willamette Valley Event Showcase at the Salem Conference Center! This will be a culmination of hard work from a fantastic group of people and vendors and we simply can’t wait to see it all come together. This is such a fantastic opportunity for event planners and vendors of the Willamette Valley to meet face to face and do business with each other. For event planners, this show is free, allowing them to preview the services of vendors from all different categories. Caterers? Check. Transportation? Yup. Live entertainment? Oh yeah. Every little detail that goes into throwing an amazing event will be there at your disposal.

Bravo! Publications and the Willamette Valley Showcase was recently featured in the Salem Business Journal and we’re glowing with pride. One of our main efforts is to help stimulate the economy of the Willamette Valley and inspire event planners to throw fantastic events for companies which could in turn, motivate employees. We also want to highlight the amazing companies that are so integral in event planning.

If you’re interested in this event and would like to register for free, you still can up until noon today (October 4th) or on-site at the Salem Conference Center on Thursday October 6th starting at 11 a.m. When you register you will also be able to snag one of our new 2012 Bravo! Event Resource Guide for free.

Come hungry and ready to meet great vendors and other event planners in the area! Below is more information on the event, where to register and some of the vendors that will be there.

Register here

Complete information here

Vendors:

Adam’s Rib

Bentley’s Grill

Flight Deck Restaurant

Roth’s Catering

Wild Pear Catering & Restaurant

Wooden Nickel Catering

Courtell Talent Agency

Destination Events

Will Rogers Live

A to Z Party Rental

Danner & Soli

Eric John Photography

Olson Florists

Special Occasions Parties & Events

West Coast Drape & Blush Furniture

Grand Cru Wine Tours

Konect Aviation (on display outside)

The Trolley (on display outside)

Beckenridge Vineyards

Columbia Cliff Villas

Corvallis Country Club

Evergreen Aviation Museum

Flight Deck Restaurant

Grand Hotel Salem

Independence Civic Center

Kahneeta Resort & Casino

Keizer Renaissance Inn

McMenamins Pubs & Breweries

Mission Mill Museum (Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill)

Salem Conference Center

Have you ever stopped and imagined what a wedding would be like without “The Dress?” For some, it’s merely secondary and for others, it’s absolutely necessary. For the latter brides-to-be, sample sales are the way to go because you can get your dream dress at a price that doesn’t send you running for the hills. Anna’s Bridal Boutique in Lake Oswego is hosting their designer gown sample sale featuring brands like Priscilla of Boston, Jewel, Melissa Sweet, Vineyard, Matthew Christopher, Pronovia and more. Did we mention that Anna’s Bridal Boutique was voted Best of 2010 by Oregon Bride Magazine? Now imagine a store full of beautiful designer gowns for your picking that are an additional 25 percent off their already discounted prices. This sale goes from October 1-October 31 and is by appointment only, so we suggest you call ahead. Additional info is below!

Anna’s Bridal Boutique designer sample sale

October 1-October 31

17050 Pilkington #210, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Appointments Required

(503) 636-1474

As the anticipation for the October 6th Willamette Valley Event Showcase builds, we quietly remind ourselves that the selection and quality of the vendors at the event reaffirms how great we think it will be. These vendors represent the Willamette Valley and we couldn’t be more proud to be partners with them, including United Way of the Mid Willamette Valley. United Way is an amazing organization that aims to empower children and adults of the Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties by improving financial independence and health.

Established in 1937, United Way focuses on three areas: education, income and health. Seeing the effects of things like bankruptcy, low birth weight and declining percentages of reading proficiency had on people of Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, United Way aims to alleviate these stresses. By united people and resources, they are able to focus on community building toward a healthier, more financial stable and educated population.

United Way has more than 6,000 individual donors and their 2009 campaign helped raise $2 million. They also have more than 500 volunteers who participate in their annual “Days of Caring.” Additionally, Hands On Mid-Willamette Valley, part of United Way, connects people to volunteer opportunities that directly help the surrounding communities. Hands On MWV helped facilitate more than 4,682 volunteer connections completing 271,850 hours of volunteer work.

If that isn’t sweat equity, we don’t know what is! The amount of work these volunteers put in is simply astounding and truly reaffirms how excited we are to have United Way be part of our Willamette Valley Event Showcase. For more information on United Way and how to get involved, please see below. There are also links to more info on the WVES on October 6 at the Salem Conference Center below.

http://unitedwaymwv.org/volunteer

http://www.bravoevent.com/willamettevalleyevent/

You’ve probably been to a restaurant that has a cute little vase with one or two flowers or some other type of garnish, right? Well, the International Special Events Society- Portland Chapter (ISES) is taking table toppers to a whole new level. From 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday September 27th, ISES is holding the second annual “Art of the Party” Table Top Competition at the Portland Art Museum.

One of last year's winners- Wish Upon a Wedding

Last year’s event was so popular that it received a write up in Northwest Meetings & Events Magazine and last year’s winners included The Party Place, Wish Upon a Wedding and Peter Corvallis Productions. The guest judges will critique the designs on four categories: Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Alternative Materials, Peoples Choice and Best Overall. Winners will receive a gift certificate to a Portland restaurant, an ISES plaque and serious bragging rights for the next year!

Tickets are $25 for ISES members and $35 for non-members and can be purchased here

Portland experiences highs and lows just like any major metropolitan city and luckily there are groups of dedicated people who help those affected by the hard times. One such group is Potluck in the Park, or PiP, a strictly volunteer run organization that has provided healthy meals to Portland’s homeless population every Sunday for more than 20 years. PiP recently celebrated its 20 year anniversary on August 28th. It all started when Sharon Darcy, the founder of PiP, struck up a conversation with a homeless person and found out that homeless shelters in Portland did not serve meals on Sunday. The next week, Darcy returned with her daughter and served soup to 15 people.

Now PiP is a fully-functioning organization with board members, countless volunteers and a kitchen that they lease to cook all their meals. They rely on monetary donations so they can purchase food from the Oregon Food Bank and Birch Community Gleaners along with donations from church and faith organizations, grocery stores and social services agencies.

No matter the weather, PiP is out in O’Bryant Park in downtown Portland, serving more than 400 people a week. PiP has served more than 12,726 people so far in 2011 and the amount of people that come every Sunday has increased 13 percent since last year. They expect to serve around 28,000 people this year, said PiP Board Member David Utzinger. Utzinger just received the “Spirit of Portland” Humanitarian award from the city of Portland for his tireless efforts helping run the 20-year-old organization.

What once began as a tiny operation run by concerned citizens that struggled to even get enough food for their Sunday meals has now developed into a thriving volunteer-run organization. They now have a kitchen they rent so they can cook healthy, protein packed meals, fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits and desserts. Along with a $50,000 donation from Wal-Mart, PiP is able to steadily provide meals for those less fortunate.

As the obvious increase of homeless people continues in Portland, people like those at PiP represent a part of Portland that cares for others, without any exchange of money.

If you’d like to volunteer for this amazing organization or find out ways you can help, click here

For more than 30 years, West Coast Event Productions has been one of the nation’s top ten event production companies. Serving four locations (Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Las Vegas, NV, Bend, OR), WCEP continues to create, design and consult despite its recent move to a larger, more expansive 55,000 square foot warehouse where it serves as their design, meeting and sales area. In fact, WCEP celebrated their recent move with an open house on August 30. Joe Garcia of WCEP designed the new riverfront location which features custom wood and steel framed tables, copper lighting fixtures and a canopy-covered Urban Farmer theme.

Inside WCEP's waterfront view from their new warehouse location

WCEP’s approach to designing contemporary and elegant events along with their combined years of expertise in the event planning industry makes them an invaluable resource. WCEP can help with anything from event consultation, event design, event rentals, technical services, event marketing, venue management and weddings. Plus, they have an infinite selection of decor to make sure the finishing touches to your event are fresh and modern.

One of the many gorgeous arrangements WCEP is capable of designing

Click here to see the latest designs from WCEP

When it comes to hiring a speaker for your events, it’s to know if they’ll be effective, insightful or at the very least entertaining. Summer is quickly winding down and now is a good time reserving a speaker for the fall and winter season. With so many people out there claiming they’re the right speaker for your event, which one do you choose? A speaker should be engaging, smart and creative- essentially someone you want to listen to and interact with. Curtis Frye is that person who can mix facts, theater and a little bit of magic into his presentation. Instead of a speaker that just talks at you, Frye encourages participation and exercises that challenge the mind. Using his 15 years of experience, Frye performs for a wide range of companies and people, making sure to involve participants so that co-workers and friends can see each other in the spotlight.

Curtis Frye (right) performs with a participant

His experience comes from studying and working in high technology industries as well as theater, combining the two fluidly. Using humor and intelligence, Frye avoids being schmaltzy or over-the-top focusing instead on tricks and tips on how to harness your mind’s full potential. His techniques matched by his love of improvisation help make his presentations unique, entertaining and fun. Because of his unconventional techniques, Frye can perform for a group of engineers, for a fundraiser or awards dinner or anyone that enjoys being entertained and learning something rewarding at the same time. You can catch Curtis Frye at 7:30 p.m. on September 10 and at 2 p.m. September 11 at the Portland Actors Conservatory Firehouse Theatre where he’ll be performing his Magic of The Mind show. For more information on Curtis Frye, his shows and how to contact please see below.

Who: Curtis Frye
What: Magic of the Mind show
Where: Portland Actors Conservatory’s Firehouse Theatre, 1436 SW Montgomery
St. Portland, OR 97201
When: Saturday, September 10, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 11 at 2:00PM
Tickets are $10 at the door – the show is appropriate for all ages

Curtis Frye website

503.880.1638

curt@curtisfrye.com

Swing to the beat and enjoy the extended weekend with one of two Labor Day packages from The Resort at The Mountain , an all-season golf, spa and ski destination located less than an hour from Portland, Ore. To start the holiday weekend, The Resort invites Blues lovers to enjoy the Mt.Hood Blues & Brews package, featuring cozy guest accommodations on Saturday night, as well as access to the area’s best brews, food and music at The Resort’s second annual Brew Fest, a one-day celebration of local food, beer and music taking place on Saturday, Sept. 3.  Included in the package are 20 beverage tokens and $20 worth of food tokens to use at the event.  For guests who want to extend their stay beyond Saturday night, The Resort is offering a special rate of $69 per night for Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday nights when booked with the Mt. Hood Blues & Brews package,
available on Sept. 3, 2011.  Rates start at $159.

The Resort is also offering its And All That Jazz package, including overnight accommodations, the “End to Summer” dinner buffet for two with wine at mallards café & pub, as well as live music from Tom Grant and Shelly Rudolph from 7 to 9 p.m.  The package is available Sept. 4, 2011 and rates start at $199.

In addition to the championship golf courses and a full service wellness-focused spa, The Resort offers many activities for guests including croquet, lawn bowling, 18-hole putting course, swimming pool and whirlpool spa,fitness center, tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball hoop, Frisbee, mountain bike rentals and hiking trails.

Guest rooms at The Resort are well-appointed and feature custom Simmons® Beautyrest Black® Beverly Hills™ beds wrapped in luxury linens, walk-in showers with rainheads, 42” HDTVs, WiFi internet access and more.

Congratulations to Postergarden who was one of six recipients of the Product Design Awards. Postergarden presented the Varia.Lux. It features a sturdy base, a lightweight pole, and full-color retractable graphics. It can be used as 3 x 8′ banner stand or as a compact 40 x 36″ table top display. You can also create a double sided display and move the display to different angles. If you are looking for ways to improve your signage or trade show booth, check out Postergarden. We use their products for the Bravo! booth at shows and also signage at the Bravo! Live Showcase. Contact Postergarden at 800.707.0204. You can see the other winners in the July 2011 issue of Exhibitor magazine.