We have a gold medalist among us...

Have I mentioned that our employees are AMAZING?

In late June, the RK Group's very own Elaine Dagen, vice president of Meetings Plus, competed in the National Senior Games in Houston. There were more than 10,000 athletes participating from all 50 U.S. states as well as Canada. She represented Texas in the track events where she won two silver medals in the 1500M and 4X100M relay and one gold medal in the 800M race. For three days she was inspired to do her best in the company of athletes who were in their 80's and 90's, still competing and looking GREAT! The competition is split up by age in five year increments. Everyone from 50 - 100 + years old is eligible to participate after qualifying.

The next one is in Cleveland in 2013 -- so start training! Then Minneapolis in 2015.

This is just one example of the great things our amazing employees do! We are so proud of you Elaine!

Elaine with her Gold medal (#313)

Meetings Plus, an RK Group company, operates as a full service meeting and event planning company. They put together amazing events around the nation that range from awards ceremonies to conventions to trade shows and beyond. It's no wonder Elaine is such a great athlete and competitor, she is always on the go putting on great events for her clients. It's amazing to see the work they do. As we always say, "Attitude is Everything."

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

Marisa Roberge in Raleigh, NC

Meetings+Plus, a division of the RK Group, is proud to announce an associate in North Carolina who can provide professional meeting services for the Southeast. Marisa Roberge, Event & Production Director, who has produced outstanding events in many US cities is now headquartered in Raleigh, NC.

If you want creative, flawless events or productions, contact Marisa at mroberge@therkgroup.com -- M+ is known for creating cost savings as proficiently as we create extraordinary events!!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN……HERE WE GO!!

Chicago and Minneapolis

TWO destinations. TWO weeks apart. TWO Different Conferences.

ONE HUGE SUCCESS!

Meetings Plus Team is currently on site in Minneapolis working at the Minneapolis Convention Center having just finished another conference at McCormick Place in Chicago, September 20th thru 23rd, 2009. What a success that one was! I managed all of the food and beverage events for CSCMP to include: two VIP Parties, Hospitality Suites, Preconference breaks and meals, VIP Board Dinner, VIP Chairman’s Reception, etc. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place as well as major receptions, meals, and breaks at McCormick Place West for well over 2,000 attendees.

Elaine Dagen (Our Vice-President), Marisa Roberge and Sandra Torrez (Our Event Specialists) all arrived safely in Minneapolis last Sunday – October 4th to begin preparing for NSHMBA’s Annual Conference that kicks off on Thursday – October 8th and culminates with the Brillante Awards Presentation and Entertainment on Saturday – October 10th. Both Elaine and Marisa have worked very hard to coordinate this event.

The finale will feature a special performance by Latin Star, Alejandro Fernandez, who has sold over 15 million copies in over 20 countries. Sandra, has coordinated all the food and beverage services as well as many other logistical pieces for their numerous sessions and company meetings. Our team has worked NSHMBA’s Annual Conference for several years and with our expertise, knowledge, attention to detail, enthusiasm and passion for this meeting, it is sure to be a success again this year! Stay tuned for more details!

SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL: I am constantly reminded how really fantastic our own team is at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center after working in other Centers around the country. We have been the in house caterer there for 38 years producing and creating “memorable” events for all the groups that come to our Center. What moves us ahead of the rest besides our wonderful food and service is our attention to detail, creativity, inability to accept nothing less than perfection for each and every event, attitude of all of our staff and the knowledge that we are a company that “gets it” and are willing to go that extra mile to ensure that everything we touch is the very best we can do.

By: Kathy Clark, Director of Operations

Meetings Plus Goes International!

On Saturday, August 29th, I finished my 10th day in China where I had been working on preparation for the DIOXIN 2010 conference that Meetings+Plus is planning for next September. This was an awesome experience both professionally and personally. I was blessed to have one extra day after the conference ended to travel to The Great Wall. I opted to go to a rural, non-tourist area and hike to the Wall. It was a beautiful sunny day -- attached is photo that was taken about 3 hours into the hike. Truly an amazing experience!!

祝福你
(This says – Blessings to you!) Elaine

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