The story goes that St. Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland. Legend has it that St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish - he was British! As a teenager, he was kidnapped by the Irish. After escaping captivity, he fled back to England. He returned a number of years later as a missionary with the intent of spreading the Christian faith to the Irish.

The famous shamrock is associated with St. Patrick because it is said that he used it to explain the trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - to the Irish people he was ministering to. He lived the rest of his life in service to the Irish people, and he died on March 17th, 461. St. Patrick was largely forgotten for hundreds of years until stories of him and the life he lived resurfaced and local Irish began to recognize him as a saint. Over the centuries, St. Patrick’s Day evolved from a simple day of remembrance to a day of celebration.

Today, we celebrate St. Patrick with parades, beer, wearing green, and sporting t-shirts that say, “Kiss Me I’m Irish” - even if we’re NOT Irish! All over the country, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in fun and unique ways!

For instance, Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day every year with its green river! To kick off the day, city officials dye the river a bright shade of green. Boston, the US city with the greatest concentration of Irish Americans, hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the nation.

Every year, it attracts millions of spectators. It also hosts a famous St. Patrick’s Day road race. Savannah, Georgia hosts another sizable parade that attracts over 400,000 people every year. Savannah lights up the city with green fountains, live music, and activities for everyone.

Locally here in the Twin Cities, there is no shortage of festivities! Nicollet Mall hosts a St. Patrick’s Day Parade. A number of Irish pubs light up the night with karaoke, beer, and specials on traditional Irish food. At the Mall of America, a local Irish dance troupe will be giving a demonstration on how to do the Irish jig!

So, with all the excitement, how could someone take this annual holiday and work it into a fun, classy, professional themed event?

Decor

As it goes with St. Patrick’s Day, it’s all about the green! A venue could be transformed easily by using the gorgeous emerald green as a backdrop, with gold accents to offset.

Entertainment

Irish entertainment is great fun! Irish dancing, flutists, beer flights and tastings could all be incorporated into a St. Patrick’s Day themed event. Bagpipes are popular in Irish celebrations and could be incorporated in a fun and unobtrusive way.

Food

It’s not a St. Patrick’s Day celebration without corned beef! An event can feature Irish soda bread, and anything mixed with Irish Whiskey! Shepherd’s pie, Rueben sandwiches, corned beef and cabbage, shamrock shaped desserts, and of course, Guinness.

St. Patrick’s Day is a fun, lively event that can be a great backdrop for any number of events.

What themes do you have in mind for your next celebratory event? We would love to help you make it a reality! Contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Wendy Porter is the Owner/Chief Events Architect at Wendy Porter Events, LLC, and a national award-winning event strategist. Connect with Wendy on her Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

“Mardi Gras” is French for “Fat Tuesday,” and it has its origins in medieval Europe. Traditionally, Mardi Gras was no more than a celebratory feasting period before the start of lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday and continues through Easter. However, much has changed with the celebration of Mardi Gras since its humble medieval beginnings. 

The story goes that the French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyene Sieur de Bienville arrived south of what is current day New Orleans on March 2, 1699. It just so happened that this date was also Mardi Gras, so in honor of the happy coincidence, Jean Baptiste and his men named the land “Pointe Du Mardi Gras.”

As the years went on, the region adopted more and more Mardi Gras traditions. Finally, in 1875, Governor Warmoth signed the “Mardi Gras Act”, which made Mardi Gras a legal Louisiana holiday. It remains so today. 

When we think of Mardi Gras, we tend to think of parades, purple, green, and yellow beads, king cakes, jazz musicians, brightly colored masks, Bourbon street, and all-night parties. Certainly, this isn’t something that could be turned into a professional-level event, right?

Well, we did it. 

And it was one of the most memorable events we ever did. 

Several years ago, I was in charge of the UnitedHealthcare Platinum Sponsorship for the AARP Life@50+ Member Event in New Orleans. We always hosted a staff dinner following our training meeting the day before the launch of the event. It was a thank you to the staff who were going to be working three long days, but also an opportunity for team bonding and camaraderie. For this particular trade show, there were 130 staff members, including 30 senior level executives, all the way up to our CEO. So, this dinner was going to be an event in and of itself!

In planning this particular portion of an already grand scale trade show, I had a choice. I could simply hire a transportation company to drive us to an average restaurant for a typical run of the mill dinner. Now, if that was our only option, my team and I would have made it very professional and that would have been fine. 

But this was New Orleans. So instead…

I planned a traditional New Orleans style parade for everyone to walk to a Mardi Gras themed party. This was an experience that delivered!

To begin with, the police blocked off the streets for us. That left our parade of staff members free to walk, complete with a jazz band leading the procession, to the famous and unforgettable Latrobe’s On Royal restaurant. 

Now, Latrobe’s On Royal is one of the most significant buildings in all of New Orleans. Located directly in the heart of the French quarter, Latrobe’s On Royal was originally built to house the Louisiana State Bank back in 1822. Even though much of it has modernized over the years, it has lost none of its original character and design. The foyer at the entrance actually used to be where they parked the carriages with horses.

How cool!

Once we arrived, guests spent the evening enjoying king cake and red beans and rice under high vaulted historic brick ceilings and arches that made for perfect acoustics. Gas lamps dimly lit the walls and the tables were all decked out in Mardi Gras beads, feather boas, and masks. 

In the corner, a painter was painting a live scene of the event. And in another corner, a Tarot card reader was predicting fortunes. For fun, Voodoo dolls were made specially for this event.

The restaurant served us endless helpings of crawfish boil, shrimp and grits, jambalaya, fried okra, frozen milk punch, and beignets. Musicians were playing New Orleans style jazz while we enjoyed the restaurant's hand painted murals.  

Everything about the evening was magical, and went far beyond simply a run-of-the-mill staff reception dinner.

In fact, one of the attendees at the event said to me afterwards that even though this was never a bucket list item for her, it became one after experiencing it. She said that she added - and checked off - “Mardi Gras parade and party” on her bucket list that day. 

Talk about a unique event! 

New Orleans has so much to offer that can be incorporated into a professional event. It is full of beautiful, historic homes and famous above ground cemeteries. Of course, Mardi Gras is a key event in New Orleans, as well as the French Quarter and Jazz Festivals. There are so many great ways to celebrate this fascinating and beautiful city!

Do you want to host a themed event in your city? Contact us today to get the party started! 

Wendy Porter is the Owner/Chief Events Architect at Wendy Porter Events, LLC, and a national award-winning event strategist. Connect with Wendy on her Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram

We are all familiar with the story of the great Martin Luther King Jr. He was the well-loved reverend, civil rights activist, and advocate for his fellow African Americans during a tumultuous time in our nation’s history. He is fondly remembered for his success in bringing equality to everyone, which was a monumental leap forward for his time. We can all agree that our culture as a whole has benefited from the message that he shared. He is known for his preaching and peaceful protesting as he spoke of a dream that we still, in many ways, aspire to live, fifty years later.

In April of 1968, he had planned to lead a peace rally in Memphis, but he was tragically assassinated at his hotel while standing on his balcony. Martin Luther King Jr didn’t live to see the fruits of his labors, but we honor and celebrate the great changes that he made in our society, even today.

In 1983, only 16 years after his death, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law that would create Martin Luther King Jr day and recognize it as a federal holiday. Since then, the third Monday in January is recognized as a national holiday in honor of the great Martin Luther King Jr.

For a number of reasons, Martin Luther King Jr Day is a great opportunity for hosting business events. For one thing, it is not a major US holiday, but many businesses and schools take it off, leaving many people’s schedules open for other activities.

In addition, hosting an event on Martin Luther King Jr Day is a great opportunity for a company to demonstrate their desire to continue supporting diversity and the work of the civil rights movement. While the Civil Rights Movement took place nearly sixty years ago, our culture is in many ways still striving for equality and inclusion on many fronts. Choosing to show that you stand with the message of the civil rights movement yet today communicates a clear message about your company’s commitment to diversity.

I have had the pleasure of planning several events for clients over the years who have chosen to celebrate and honor the work of this incredible man, and I highly recommend making use of this special holiday for your event.

For instance, in 2006, Medicare launched Part D. This is the Prescription Drug part of Medicare health coverage, and its arrival was much anticipated! My team participated in the annual MLK celebration in St. Paul, MN, where we had a table at the Expo to educate the general public about Part D and how it works. It was a great opportunity to explain the exciting changes that had been long awaited in Medicare coverage and support the diverse population of the Twin Cities.

Then in 2009, I helped UnitedHealth Group to participate in a Martin Luther King Jr celebration in Greensboro, North Carolina. We hosted free health screenings for the PEACE of Heart Program by the UnitedHealth Foundation, which worked to identify people at risk for cardiovascular disease in underserved communities. Subsequently, UnitedHealth Group was recognized for this philanthropic program, which screened more than 1,300 people at events in Atlanta, Chicago, Greensboro, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

You can do a large trade show or just a small day-long community event. Choosing to honor Martin Luther King Jr by hosting an event on this day is a great opportunity to promote diversity while connecting with the community you serve. You can network with diverse talents, celebrate the history that continues to be made, incorporate useful marketing strategies, and build rapport with your target audience along the way.

For instance, with the Greensboro event, we were able to effectively serve the community with the health screenings - and they were grateful! As a result, we fostered connections between healthcare providers and the general public. We educated the general public about healthy numbers for blood pressure and blood glucose. The event provided tremendous value to them as it helped them more fully understand the risks of cardiovascular disease.

The time was right to do the right thing.

Is it your time?

Would your company like to learn more about hosting a community event? Contact Wendy Porter here, and let’s start planning it!

Wendy Porter is the Owner/Chief Events Architect at Wendy Porter Events, LLC, and a national award-winning event strategist. Connect with Wendy on her Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The German Christmas Market, or Christkindlmarkt (translated Christ Child Market), originated in Germany all the way back in the 1400’s. Many other neighboring countries decided to adopt this custom as well, and it has become a well-loved regional event in much of northern and central Europe.

This outdoor marketplace takes place during the entire four weeks of advent, and it typically features traditional displays with nativity scenes and vendors selling traditional German ornaments, nutcrackers, candied and toasted almonds, gingerbread cookies, and hot mulled wine, called Glühwein. Some German Christmas Markets in Europe attract over two million people every year!

It is a beautiful experience to get dressed up in cozy winter clothes, shop while the snow falls, enjoy hot chocolate or mulled wine, and admire professional Christmas tree displays with friends.

The tradition is unfortunately not as common in the United States. But when done properly, it is just as charming and magical as an authentic German Marketplace. You can find small German-inspired Christmas Markets in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Chicago, to name a few.

As a professional event planner, I’m always intrigued at the logistics of planning an event of this magnitude! Planning an event like this takes a bit of finesse - after all, this is definitely not like most other events!

For one thing, this is a four week-long affair! Furthermore, it is outdoors - during the wintertime - in cold regions! This is certainly an event that requires some out of the box thinking and strategizing.

A Christmas Marketplace takes a lot of dedication from a lot of people to make it happen. From the vendors that commit to a month of running their shops outside in the winter months, to the artists that create professional Christmas displays, many hands need to go into the planning and execution of a German Christmas Market experience. Security professionals, production specialists, event planners, vendors, and marketing experts all have a role to play in the creation of an authentic German Christmas Market.

In addition, because these events are usually held outside, there are unique elements that need to be brought in or accommodated. For instance, someone needs to supply power for electricity so that food vendors can cook. It wouldn’t be a German Christmas Market without the mulled wine, fresh candied almonds, Weißwurst, and warm pretzels!

Also, much of the event takes place at night since the days are so short during the wintertime, so the event needs to be properly lit. Not only does it need to be lit, but an event like this needs to be lit with a certain amount of intentional ambiance! Usually, this requires a professional lighting crew.

Vendors need to be able to process payments which, in this day and age, often times requires internet. Also, because it is outside, event planners need to make sure there are toilets and warming huts nearby.

As you can see, there is a lot that goes on in an event like this! A German Christmas Market, when done as authentically as possible, can be one of the most memorable experiences in a person’s lifetime. It goes far beyond the scope of a sales or marketing event. This is something people will want to return to year after year. Come to think of it, I better add this to my 2020 “To Do” list and get back to Germany! 

Do you want to come with me?

Wendy Porter is the Owner/Chief Events Architect at Wendy Porter Events, LLC, and a national award-winning event strategist. Connect with Wendy on her Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

I have some top tips and strategies that we use and recommend for hosting our top-tier events, especially during the holidays. I know event planning can sound complicated and tedious, but in reality, it doesn’t need to be. All events and parties contain some of the same basic elements. What makes your event special is the attention to the little details.

So, what exactly are those details that can make your event pop?

Here are some key things to think about as you are planning an amazing, magical event.

Choose a theme

Everything at your event is going to stem from your theme, from your decor to your menu, print advertising, entertainment, and so on. Before you make any plans or start to deal in the details, you must first decide on a theme.

During this season, it can be Oktoberfest, Harvestfest, Autumn, Fall - or something you fashion especially for your event! If you so desire, you can even host a “Halloween” themed party and still keep it classy and sophisticated. Once you have a theme, the vision for the details of the rest of the event comes into focus.

Decor

Your decor will be tied strongly with the theme. For example, your tablecloths, flowers and centerpieces, dishware, flatware, glassware, chairs, lighting, etc. are all chosen as a result of the theme for the event.

Even within the theme and vision for the event, there are usually a lot of options to choose from for decor. No two events are exactly the same! These little details are part of what takes an event from basic to top-tier, so don’t overlook the significance of these decisions. It’s important to create a unified, polished look within all areas of your event.

Food and Beverage

Choosing food becomes easier once your theme is solidified. It also allows you to work within the budget for the event.

There are so many choices! What stands out to you?

Buffets?
Plated dinner?
Passed appetizers?
A potluck?
Themed food and desserts, especially if there will be children attending the event?

As for beverages, are you going to have an open bar? Cash bar? Will you serve wine, beer, and cocktails? What about having a specialty cocktail? It can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. And you can give it a fun themed name.

You can even have a BYOB (bring your own beer) event! If it works within your budget, make it happen!

Entertainment

What sort of music will you have? It could be as simple as background music from an MP3 player, or as grand as a full live band. Consider your ambience, your theme, your budget, and your audience to determine what is going to be the best type of music.

(As a side note, be mindful of music licensing. If you are having a private event at your home, you can play music without issue. But if you have a corporate event or something for the public, you must pay the licensing fees to legally play music. Check out: www.bmi.com to learn more about music licensing do’s and don’ts.)

For other entertainment, consider what else fits into your theme. Would a magician, mind reader, balloon maker, hayride, games for the children, or a pumpkin carving contest work with your particular event? Be creative! What would you like to see your guests enjoying themselves doing?

Audio/Visual

Do you need audio/visual equipment? If so, we highly suggest you engage with an AV expert or professional Technical Director to help you plan what you need and make sure it all goes off without a hitch. Maybe it’s just a microphone and speakers. Or just cool lighting. Maybe it’s a full blown stage production. Whatever you need, a highly qualified technical director is a lifesaver to have on your team.

Creative Design / Print

Whether you are doing a private party or a corporate event, your very first touch with the guest sets the stage for the entire event. So your invitations should be top-tier, no matter what type of party you are hosting.

Do you need a thematic logo created? Or some other art? If so, engage a professional graphic designer. If you are hosting a private party, check out online options for free invitations with Canva or eBrite. And don’t forget the Save the Dates before the real invites go out!

When they arrive to your event, will they be able to find it? It’s always a good idea to have signs of some kind. A classy, professional way to help them get there is to create directional posters that stand on easels throughout  the pathway to the event. Another great tip is to use repositionable velcro arrows that can turn to direct people the right way.

What about name tags? Do your guests all know each other? If not, a thematic name tag is a great way to both help promote branding and to make introductions easier. For corporate events, this is a must have.

Giveaways

No matter the event, people of all ages love giveaways! Do you have a fun gift or takeaway for your guests? This again should be thematic to the event. For a fall harvest party, how about tiny little decorated pumpkins that guests can then take home after the party?

If you pay attention to these key elements, and give intentional focus and attention to the little details, you too, can take an event from good to great!

If you want help creating magic at your next event, please reach out to us at wendy@wendyporterevents.com.

Wendy Porter is the Owner/Chief Events Architect at Wendy Porter Events, LLC, and a national award-winning event strategist. Connect with Wendy on her Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram