The African American Heritage Festival

Once again, it is time for the 9th annual African American Heritage Festival (AAHF). It will take place in Baltimore, Maryland at M&T Bank Stadium (Lots B & C) June 18-June 20, 2010 and Events2Remember, Inc. is partnering with the festival this year! The African American Heritage Festival is an annual family celebration of the history, culture, education, heritage, and arts that
embraces and promotes the rich traditions and zestful spirit of the city of Baltimore. The festival is free before 4pm and $5 after 4pm. Children 12 and under are free anytime, all weekend.

Founded in 2001, the African American Heritage Festival has become one of the premiere Atlantic-coast summer festivals offering patrons a wide array of events. Such events include local artist’s displaying their arts and crafts, carnival rides , live performances on 3 stages (Main stage, Verizon Wireless B stage and the Sunny Delight Children’s stage), Baltimore’s local and diverse cuisine and villages filled with programming in the areas of Health and Wellness, Financial Empowerment and Art/History/Culture and Education. This year, scheduled to perform include Ryan Leslie, Robin Thicke, Donnie McClurkin and many more, for a full list of the artists scheduled to perform on all 3 stages, please visit www.aahf.net and click on "Entertainment."

Proceeds from the festival go towards the AAHF Foundation, Inc. The foundation is a Maryland based non-profit organization that cultivates, secures, and directs creative and intellectual capital towards developing self-sustaining, cooperative, and competitive communities. The AAHF Foundation, Inc. was established in 2008 to combine the reach and influence of the African American Heritage Festival with direct services in health and wellness, education, and financial literacy. The AAHF Foundation, in partnership with regional non-profits and foundations, produces events that support direct services around health and wellness, financial empowerment, and education, as well as creates opportunities for self-expression in the creative arts, music, poetry, dance, and theater by producing the Annual African American Heritage Festival.

Their model is one of building coalitions and partnerships that serve and affect under-served communities. Their commitment is to touch and impact communities that are at a disadvantage in relation to health disparities, low graduation rates, financial empowerment and ownership. We hope to see you at the festival this year!

Cocktail Buffet Highlights

video clip courtesy of Matheson Communications, Inc.

"Newbies" and "Wannabes"

As of January 2010, this has become the new “hot topic” in many articles, blogs, and networking discussions in the event planning industry. However, this topic is not specific to event planners only, but to everyone in the event industry from caterers to florists, from deejays to photographers, from videographers to designers, and from coordinators to consultants.

Although this is not a new phenomenon, in the recent years we are really seeing an influx of emerging planners. Is it due to the current economic conditions or the hype of the industry being a glitzy and glamorous one? Clearly, without truly understanding the hard work and details that go into planning an event, one sees the final product and assumes that it is an easy and glamorous career.

First, let us differentiate the term “Newbies” from “Wannabes.” A “Newbie” refers to newcomers into the industry. Typically, they have the education; they may or may not have some practicum hours under their belt and are in their first year in business. A “Wannabe,” on the other hand, has done nothing much towards establishing themselves as real professionals, has no education and usually has minimal or no experience in the industry

I would like to emphasize that seasoned planners have nothing against “Newbies.” After all, all planners were once “Newbies” themselves.

Are they driving down the price structure? Yes, they probably are, and undercutting prices is a major problem. However, remember the saying, "What you pay, is what you get,” and consequently, seasoned planners should not feel that they have to compromise their brand and/or service parameters because of fear of losing a potential client to a “Newbie” or “Wannabe.” Another major concern to seasoned planners is when some “Newbies” and “Wannabes” blatantly copy/lift contents (verbatim) and pictures from their websites and use it as their own.

The truth is, it is not so much the threat or fear of the influx of “Newbies” and “Wannabes” that is the main concern for seasoned planners, but the lowering prices and standards and the blatant use of other planners ‘sweat and blood’ by some of these “Newbies” and “Wannabes.” What do you think?

Wedding Song Choices

Wedding season is upon us and like everything else in the process, song selection is an equally important part.

The First Dance:
For some couples, selecting the song for their first dance is easy because they have “their song,” while for others it may be a daunting task. So, how does a couple select their song for their first dance from the endless myriads of song choices available today?
Photo courtesy of www.16-strings.com

This is a very personal but imperative process. The most important factor to take into consideration when choosing any song is that the song has to be meaningful to you as a couple. It can have sentimental value or it can simply be something fun. Whatever it is, make sure you both like the song. Do not choose a song because it is popular or because other people will like it; your wedding day is about the two of you and not the other people. Additionally, although traditionally the first dance is a slow tempo, it doesn't have to be! Nor does it have to be one song, it can be a medley of songs.

Another important consideration is the lyrics of the song. Many couples pick “popular” songs without really understanding the lyrics and meaning of the song. One needs to take time to listen and understand the lyrics because there are times when lyrics have undertones and connotations subject to different interpretations. If you are not sure of the lyrics of a song, Google them!

Finally, do not pick a song that you will be uncomfortable dancing in the presence of parents and grandparents.

Whatever the choice, it has to be “yours” and remember that people will associate it as “your” song whenever they hear it.

Examples of song choices to be mindful of when selecting your first dance:

• My Heart Will Go On (Titanic soundtrack) by Celine Dion … it is indeed about endless love but after the other person has died.

• Lady in Red (Soundtrack) by Chris De Burgh is really about a prostitute. In a real life story of the 1930’s, this was the color worn by a prostitute when she went to the movies with her “date” (a dangerous criminal named John Herbert Dillinger ) to help police identify/capture him leading to his death.

• Every Breath You Take by Sting seems very ‘stalkerish’ if you really listen to the words.

Although optional, many couples have other dances as part of their wedding reception and it is therefore equally important that these song selections be appropriate as well. Examples:

The Grand Entrance song:
This song is played when the bridal party and the couple make their “grand entrance” into the reception area. This can be anything from traditional to a non-traditional upbeat song. For some, this leads into the couples first dance.
Father-Daughter song:
As the title suggests, this is the dance between the bride and her father.
The cake cutting song:
This is optional but some couples like to have a song – either another one of “their” songs or an upbeat song.
The song for bouquet and garter tossing:
Again, be sure to select the appropriate song to encourage participation.
The bridal party dance song:
This is usually the last of the formal dance songs before the party begins and includes the entire bridal party.
The last dance song:
This can be the last dance for the night or it can be the last dance song for the bride and groom as they leave the reception while the guest continue to celebrate.

Have fun and select wisely!

The Odyssey Cruise - Washington, DC

If you haven’t already seen it already, this is a fabulous venue to host your next event! Welcome aboard the Odyssey:

My colleagues and I had a wonderful networking event with a wide selection of beverages, a variety of hor’s d’ouvres, a choice of entrees (selection of three), and exceptional service. If you need assistance with planning your next event aboard the Odyssey in Washington, DC, do not hesitate to contact us at 301-317-4411 or info@events-2remember.com

Wearable Art/Un-Wearable Fashion

On Friday, April 9th I had the opportunity to attend the opening reception for the Wearable Art/Un-Wearable Fashion exhibit at the VisArts Center in Rockville, Maryland. The exhibit featured some beautiful, unique pieces of art, all of which push the boundaries of fashion to innovative heights!

These are some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit:

I also had the opportunity to meet one of the artists -- Martin Figueroa-Ramirez of RōM. His sneaker designs are amazing examples of "wearable art" and are a must-see! Here are some pictures of Figueroa-Ramirez and his work:

He will be teaching three sneaker art workshops at VisArts; please visit the Classes/Workshop section of the VisArts website for more details on this unique opportunity!

Wearable Art/Un-Wearable Fashion will be on display until June 19, 2010 so be sure to check it out if you live near or will be visiting the DC Metro Area!

The VisArts facilities are also available as a rental space for special events! The event room, gallery area, rooftop, and learning center are all spectacular areas and the four spaces can accommodate anywhere from 25 to 300 guests!

"What to Do with Leftover Wedding Food?"

I recently read a blog article via Slashfood that highlighted some practical uses for leftover wedding food. The article is from last June, but I couldn't resist sharing! Here's a brief synopsis:

"Most caterers will over-estimate the amount of food you'll need for your happy nuptials... So what do you do with all of those leftovers? You've paid for the food, and it really is a shame to see it go to waste."

I find that this is often the case with functions (whether it be a wedding or any other special event) that offer a buffet selection instead of a sit-down dinner. The article suggests donating the food to a local food bank, or allowing your out-of-town guests to pack a "doggy bag" to take back to their hotel room. Overall, I thought the brief article made a great point and you should try to keep these options in mind if you find yourself faced with the dilemma of too much food!

Be sure to check out the original article here!