Oshkopoly

I once heard a quote from Winston Churchill that said "There's nothing wrong with change, if it's in the right direction" and I can't help but think back to that quote as I started to write about our latest event. We have all been guilty of getting comfortable with something or someone, and ending up in a rut. Expecting the same old thing, doing the same old thing and with no surprise receiving the same results. So when we found out Assurance Title would be hosting Business After Hours in October, we knew it was our chance to shake things up. For those of you not familiar Business After Hours (BAH) is an opportunity for local businesses to host a networking party at their facility. It gives local businesses a chance to meet new people and strengthen ties with old friends and business associates. The problem is, that sometimes things get so familiar that you don't end up doing the intended task. After showing up to a BAH where I essentially knew no one I realized how hard it would be for someone to feel comfortable with meeting new people. Now let me tell you, I am one of the most outgoing people I know, and actually feel quiet comfortable talking to anyone who will listen, but when you have groups of people who circle themselves off it actually even made me feel intimidated. So that was our challenge, turning BAH back into the networking event it was intended to be, all while keeping the fun.

After talking with Assurance Title and brainstorming here at Encore we knew the perfect idea, Oshkopoly. An interactive event where guests would receive one piece of their property and would have to mingle with others in order to be able to find the rest of their set. When their set was completed they were able to write their names on their cards put it into the "community chest" and were entered to win prizes. It was amazing to see so many people getting excited about finding their set. And even more amazing, hearing compliments and thank you's from individuals who not only said they had fun playing the game, but that they were able to meet so many more people.

Chamco 50th Anniversary

Happy Monday! Just wanted to share with you some pictures of an event we did at EAA for Chamco's 50th Anniversary. After brainstorming with our client we decided to keep their colors for the look of the night and also add in some silver to add a touch of elegance to the night. After finding out they did not want tall centerpieces that get in the way of table conversation we decided cakes would be a perfect option. Not only were the cakes an interesting focal point but they also helped out with costs. Chamco is a non profit organization and so to be able to have the centerpieces double as dessert was a great option.

There's No Place Like Home

When asked to be a part of CitizensFirst Credit Union's grand opening this past summer, we knew it would be a big project. When we decided on the Wizard of Oz theme, things really took off. We wanted to make the atmosphere very inviting and entertaining to both adults and children. So many people are familiar with the Wizard of Oz movie that it almost seems to take everyone back to a place of nostalgia. We had hundreds of rainbow colored balloons to give out, a coloring table of famous Wizard of Oz characters, pick a Wizard of Oz duck, face painting, tours from the lollipop kids, a wizard show, door prizes and even the characters walking around and taking pictures with all of the guests. There was no shortage of entertainment and it left guests feel right at home in the new CitizensFirst building.

Tee'd Off at MS

They say that everything happens for a reason, and in the case of our MS Golf Outing it couldn't have proved to be more true. We had been working hard on getting sponsorships and prizes for months prior to our July 24th scheduled date, but as fate would have it a huge storm front came in that week and literally rained out eastern Wisconsin for a week straight. Needless to say the golf course was in no shape to hold a golf outing come that Saturday. So the search was on for a new date and by the time September 17th rolled around we had gained many new hole sponsors, new golfers, a $1500 sponsorship from Pete's Garage and a couple new prizes. Because of our little rain delay we were able to net over $5,000 towards The National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. We also Ended up with some pretty great weather too.

M.I.A

It's been a very long time since the last post. We have had events coming out of our ears, and for that I have no room to complain. But an apology is in order. And so to say I'm sorry, I offer you some eye candy of some of the recent events we've had. For the next couple of days I will share with you some details and pictures of our wonderful events we've been working on for the last couple of months. We are now looking forward to all of our other events coming in including...Allstate's Grand Opening & Meet and Greet, The Wedding Faire... and many more events for 2011.

Today's event I want to show you is our Sadoff & Rudoy Seminar held at the Waters. For anyone who isn't familiar with Sadoff & Rudoy, they are a metal scrapping company located throughout Wisconsin and Nebraska. One of the coolest elements of this seminar were the metal save the dates and invites we created for them. The pictures simply do not do them justice. We were very hands on with our client making sure that the right name tags were ordered, the food provided a nice atmosphere and flow in the room, the souvenirs were catchy and useful, the guest speakers were greeted with a nice welcome basket, and because Oshkosh seemed to be one big road block this summer, a wonderful map to get them from the meeting venue to the onsite tour of Sadoff & Rudoy Industries was made handy. Overall it was a very successful and entertaining meeting, and bonus if you have any questions on metal, I have gained a mass amount of knowledge on the subject!

Tee'd Off at Ms

After personally battling MS along with three other family members, Dave Blavat has made it his personal mission to raise money for the MS Society so that one day no other family will have to endure the slowly debilitating consequences of this disease.

Multiple Sclerosis is an unpredictable and often disabling disease that interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body. Many times people with symptoms of MS dismiss or overlook them as no big deal, but after diagnosis, they realize the signs were there. Common MS symptoms include numbness in the hands or feet, occasional temporary sight loss, chronic exhaustion and cognitive disorders.

One in every 500 residents in Wisconsin lives with MS, giving our state one of the highest incidence rates in the country. While the progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease. The goal of this event is to help in the fight to find better treatments, options and ultimately a cure.

Mark your calendars. The Tee’d Off at MS Charity Golf Outing will be held on Friday, September 17th, 2010 at Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, WI. All proceeds will go to The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, helping to fund research and education to help find a cure. Volunteers, sponsors and of course, golfers are all needed to make this event a success.

The 18-hole scramble begins with a 12:00 pm shotgun start. A box lunch will be served on the course and a picnic dinner will be held in the clubhouse afterward. Door prizes, silent auction and a raffle will be available to all golfers and attendees. Golf registration is $80 per person and is open to the public. Sponsorship opportunities are available ranging from $100–$3000.

For more information, contact Shana at shana@fortyfournorth.com or call her at 426-1970 or Dave at dblavat@charter.net

Key Chains, Bottle Openers, and Magnets... Oh My!

I don't know a person alive who doesn't like free things. Even when it is something you just end up putting in your junk draw, free things attract people to booths like a bear to honey. With the downward economy effecting almost every business, people are naturally looking at ways to cut costs, but should these freebies be spared? How valuable are these little tinker toys?

Georgia Southern University was wondering the same questions. They conducted a survey on just how powerful the promotional product really is, and you may be surprised. More than 70% of trade show attendees who received a promotional product remembered the name of the company that gave them the product after the show. Even more interesting than that fact is the in depth survey seeing just how effective your promotions are when increasing the quality of the promotional product. Pre-registered trade show participants were put into three categories. The first group received only a postcard inviting them to visit an exhibit. The second received the same postcard along with a branded magnet. The third group received a postcard with a coupon to redeem for a free T-shirt at the booth. The study found that 78% more attendees responded to the T-shirt offer than the postcard/magnet offer, while 57% more people responded to the postcard/magnet than to the postcard alone.

When choosing products to represent your company its important to have just that, something to represents your company and does so logically. Just because you can't live with out your free bottle opener you got doesn't mean that its a great item for your business to give away. I think three key objectives should be hit when looking for what product to choose. Make it fit. It's important that your item tie into your compay or the event you are attending, or better yet both. Make it functional. You want people to use this item over and over again, thus seeing your name over and over again. Make it memorable. You want people to get excited about the product, so excited they need to show their friends the gadget, its all about visibility and getting that little gadget to do a lot of talking for you.