Big things are happening at The RK Group!

Hello faithful blog followers, it has been far too long... There's a good reason, I promise! We have been busy this summer, and I'm not just talking about all the fabulous parties we've been a part of (there were some great ones!). We have some exciting news to share and I hope you will all be as thrilled as we are...

Rosemary's Catering is now OPEN in HOUSTON! And we're very excited, can you tell?? Some of you may have read the blog post a few month's ago about our involvement with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and you may be scratching your head. For the past few years we have been catering parties in Houston, but working from our San Antonio headquarters. We are now thrilled that we actually have an office and a staff in Houston. So, all you Houstonians, give us a call, we're ready to caterer your next event. And, as an added bonus, we've partnered with the Bayou City Event Center, one of Houston's newest event venues and a great addition to the market. We will be officing out of the venue and are the exclusive caterers. Already have a venue or looking to do something at a ranch or home? Don't fret, we'll travel where ever you need us to be. Our doors are open! Need something? Call Donia Blossom at 713.396.0551.

Illusions Rentals and Designs is now OPEN in AUSTIN! Rosemary's Catering, an RK Group Company, had been an Austin resident for many many years, officing out of the UT Alumni Center and servicing many venues across town. It was only natural for us to introduce our rental company, Illusions Rentals and Designs, into the market. We've put together an amazing team and are currently setting up a great warehouse space and showroom. Just like San Antonio, our Austin office will have a large supply of tents, tables, linens, chairs, china, flatware, decor, lighting, flooring and more. Our design experts can make an event come to life with their amazing visions. Our doors are now open! Call us today at 512.610.2880.

Oh, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook. The RK Group and Illusions Rentals and Designs each have a page. Great tips and information!

Happy Tuesday, we hope you all had a great long weekend! Come and visit us soon.

Ongoing Blog: Wedding Planning 101

Many of you may not know that I am currently at the beginning of a journey that every girl dreams of – planning my wedding. So you can only imagine the extra excitement I felt when I started in my new position with the RK Group only three short weeks ago. This company is a mecca for all brides-to-be. With rentals, catering, floral, destination management, transportation, entertainment resources and venues, what more could a girl ask for?

Being a resourceful girl, one that likes convenience and creative ideas (I’m pretty sure I could build a piece of furniture with all of the magazine’s I’ve collected in three short months since getting engaged) I jumped on the idea of creating an ongoing “wedding planning 101” blog. Starting this week, I will write a regular blog entry on this site that will chronicle my journey from engaged to married. I will show you all of the amazing things that the RK Group offers with a behind-the-scenes view into my appointments, the process and what you can expect. I will introduce our wonderful team and give you insight into the magic that they can produce. I will also introduce you to some of our exclusive venues as I hunt for the perfect place for the big day.

My planning will be based off of the typical “timelines” put in place by all of the wonderful wedding planning resources. I will also introduce you to some of my favorite blogs and the new trends in the industry. I encourage you to leave me questions or comments you might have for our team and I will try my best to get them answered. Stay tuned in for updates… much, much more to come!

- Jessica -

what happens when 60,000 people come to town!

If you were in San Antonio over the 4th of July weekend you probably noticed the 60,000 people in town for the 2010 International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous. Planning for this convention began years ago with the expectation most meetings and events would be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Alamodome and Hemisfair Park. Being that The RK Group LLC is the exclusive caterer at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center, Elias Aguirre with The RK Group LLC, Darlene Baldearenda with Circa Texas, and Travis Kowalski with Illusions Rentals and Design were involved from day one.

Aguirre says "We were prepared with a plan of action to support this convention in all ways possible with all our various companies. It really took a delicate coordination between all of our companies to help support such a large convention."

From transportation to tenting and food, The RK Group had their hand in the success of this convention. Attendees knew the "Big Meeting" would be held at the Alamodome, what they didn't know was how to get there through the unexpected rain due to Hurricane Alex. Illusions Rentals went to work constructing miles of tenting for the convenience and safety of all guests. The tenting was initially constructed due to the Texas heat, but instead used for rain cover. Also rained out was Party in the Park with less than 24 hour notice! The RK Group and Illusions Rentals went to work moving the party from Hemisfair Park into the convention center and coordinated with Downtown Operations to make the event a successful move, due to rain.

Circa Texas worked diligently with all hotels in the San Antonio area as guests were lodging as far out as Boerne, Texas. Circa set up two routes, one to service outside of I-410 and the other for inside of I-410. Both routes smoothly scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs thanks to the Circa headquarters stationed at The RK Group corporate office. Circa was also able to strategically plan the assistance of all special needs individuals attending the conference with 700 wheelchairs and scooters available for all ADA (American with Disabilities Act) attendees, as well as ADA friendly taxis.

It's estimated The RK Group LLC provided

225,000 cups of coffee

200,000 bottles of water and sodas

and enough food to feed the entire City of San Antonio!

This was the largest convention in the history of San Antonio and The RK Group was honored to be a part of such an amazing event for a truly wonderful cause.

Check out what else is happening at The RK Group by visiting our Facebook Page and Following us on Twitter!

-Rachel Kellar Co-authored by Elias Aguirre

The RK Group prepares for Hurricane Alex

The RK Group team is working closely with BCFS as Texas' first hurricane, Alex, heads to shore within the next few days.

Since early this week, The RK Group has been providing services for food and shelter to the 300-700 first response team members stationed at San Antonio evacuation locations. First responders include bus drivers, ambulance drivers, medics, police officers and other Texas emergency members who are in San Antonio until they are dispatched to emergency locations.

RK Group Executive Chef Eric Nelson assures: "We are ready to go, we are just waiting on the word". If and when Hurricane Alex hits land, The RK Group is prepared with trucks and food on stand-by for an immediate trip to the Rio Grande Valley. The RK Group is also providing tenting and generators in San Antonio with more equipment loaded for transport to the Rio Grande Valley as necessary.

Chef Nelson adds, "The RK Group is dedicated to Texas citizens and we are privileged to have the opportunity to help in a potential time of need." If Hurricane Alex fades out before hitting land, this will have been a great trial run for The RK Group as well as the city of San Antonio.


"BCFS is a national leader in medical sheltering and provides critical emergency support services to state and local governments during disasters." Learn More




Posted by Rachel Kellar, Account Executive, The RK Group L.L.C.



Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! @therkgroup

Today's event expectations are not only met, but exceeded by The RK Group

You’re on a site visit and the venue manager is pointing: “Cake table here, gift drop off here, bar over there and the DJ will be in that far back corner”.... Ahh! Some people have the mind and imagination to handle such vagueness, but others need a tangible representation to envision the plan. That’s where I come in!

I create digital diagrams at The RK Group for events ranging from 50 to 50,000 guests. We work in the Convention Center, famous museums, corporate rooms and huge tents that can pop up anywhere around the city. Creating diagrams is not only helpful for all vendors but has also become a necessity.

Guest seating, bar placement, and emergency exits are some obvious reasons for event diagrams, but also consider the following:

• Where is the caterer entering from? Is the walk so far that the food will be cold by the time it reaches the tables?


• Will there be a crowd around the bar? Bars shouldn’t be placed at a direct entrance, exit or near any significant area. If it’s a bar- people will find it.
  
  

Design Program Example: Meeting Matrix

Works great for Ballrooms. Builds initial layout and inputs correct number of tables and chairs based on guest attendance. This diagram shows seating for 2030 with 10 people per table.

• Will guests be cramped at the table while seated? To avoid cramping while guests are seated allow for 3-4 feet between each table.
  
• Is there a need for lights or AV equipment at your event? If so, it is a great idea to include lighting in the diagram. We produced an event with flat screen TVs showing a video of the charity. We had to be sure chairs were positioned so everyone could see the TV screens.


• Is the venue irregularly shaped or does it have unique attributes? If so, consider your guests and their view of the stage or designated point of interest.
  

Design Program Example: Smart Draw
Provides a blank canvas and allows for different layers to import existing venue layouts

Providing a custom diagram is expected of event professionals and popular venues especially when the venue can provide a floor plan. Some venues, such as private residences, don’t have floor plans available. In any case, if the client requests one, it should become a reality. At The RK Group, we have three different programs in our office that allow us to create various types of diagrams from existing facilities to those that are custom designed. Some provide a bird’s eye view and another shows the view from your exact seat!


Design Program Example: PartyCAD
A CAD program that creates virtual tours of your event space and birds eye view. Allows you to create various types of tent (hoecker, pole, etc). There is even a free online tutorial for this program!


Don’t be afraid to imagine your event and then and ask an event professional to provide a realistic representation. Thanks to industry technology, it is possible!

- Rachel Kellar, Sales Associate, The RK Group

A Beautiful Wedding

Let Illusions Rentals & Designs help you with your next social event. Whether it be tents, tables, equipment or chairs, Illusions can make your event breathtaking. Illusions provided a magnificent tent for the wedding listed below. Read on for more! Enjoy!

http://www.sanantonioweddings.com/real_wedding_articles/Yvonne_Mauricio_and_David_Padilla_Real_Wedding.asp?ctr=10

Does Your Event Have a Rain Plan???

I can’t tell you how many wedding and event planners called us this weekend looking for a tent during South Texas’ sporadic rain storms!

The National Weather Advisory says that 2009 is the year of El Nino: http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html Which means Fall and Winter of this year will be wet and cool. Let Illusions Rentals help you with all your cold and wet weather needs!

We have everything from umbrella heaters and generators to small pop up tents and extra large Hoecker tents. All tents have wall options that will keep the cold and wet air out. Lighting and air circulation are necessary in tents but we also enjoy adding special draping and visual effects when possible. Surprisingly the final product on some tent creations can be more flattering than an actual venue (and makes your event completely unique!).

Here are some things to keep in mind when planning a fall or winter event:

- Check the weather forecast continuously beginning 2 months before the event. If you are really concerned about your event, start checking the weather every day beginning 4 weeks before the event!

- If you think you may need a tent – call and reserve a tent as soon as possible. If it doesn’t rain, you may lose your deposit but that’s a lot less than losing your entire event in a torrential down pour!

- Don’t forget flooring: If it’s raining outside will your guests be walking in mud? Illusions Rentals has flooring options you may want to consider

- In case of cold weather: consider umbrella heaters for localized areas such as patios or small-tented areas. Large tents may require a larger heating system.

- If you are hosting an indoor event: Will you guests be walking into your event in the rain? Consider tented walkways into the venue, tenting a parking area or carpeting near the entrance to prevent slippery floors throughout the event.

Best of Luck with your Fall and Winter events and be sure to call Illusions Rentals for assistance with your rain plan. 210-223-2742 ask for Laurie!

---by Rachel Kellar

Call Illusions for Tents, Tables, Chairs & More!

The next time you find yourself in need of equipment for your event, call Illusions!! Whether large or small, we can assist in making your event exactly what you envision. Illusions owns hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment such as:

• Flatware


• China


• Tents


• Props


• Chairs


• Tables

With so much inventory, Illusions is able to proivde remarkable services to you -our clients! Illusions can make your event happen successfully- whether a convention or a wedding... We can be reached at 210-223-2742.