Tag Archives: New York City

Hear ye, hear ye

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There’s a new gazette in town: one that’s all about you or your event.

I think the founders of McPapers, Matt & Paige McPheely, may have answered a number of soon-to-be-bride’s wishes for an elegant compliment to their shabby chic dreams.

What better way to tell your family and friends about your latest news than via personalized newspaper?

We’re getting hitched! We’re pregnant! We’ve bought a house! We’re having a baby!

All of those are great reasons to give these personalized papes a whirl, but there are definitely a number of other events for which these would be appropriate and adorable as well.

Do you have a retro themed (or Mad Men themed) fundraiser coming up? Did you just graduate? Are you hosting a murder mystery party? Are you finally empty nesters, now that all five kids are out of the house? Are you planning to celebrate grandpa’s 90th birthday?

Any of these would be great reasons to let people know via the classic (and nearly extinct) newspaper. Not to mention that was the only way people knew what was going on in the world for quite a long time (aside from hearsay and later radio, of course). So there’s still something ultra-special about flipping the tangible pages. And it only takes a few short weeks, before your beloved family and friends / guests / dedicated donors could be awaiting a perfectly printed 4 to 16 page spread of deets about your special event.

And for those of you in NYC, there are even a couple of key stores I think would wildly benefit from sending their next corporate newsletter or exclusive deals for long-time customers via McPapers as well. Let me know if you agree or if you have local suggestions (for wherever you are):

Brooks Brothers Flatiron storefront.  Their 7200 square foot, three level, man cave is such a nod to retro that it would pair perfectly. Photo from WWD.

Stumptown Coffee, with their Newsies-esque pageboy baristas. Photo from newyork.seriouseats.com.

And a Soirée it was…

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I’m so excited to bring you our first guest blogger: the fabulously sparkling millennial, Kate Hayes. Kate is already a powerhouse in NYC and has a passion for helping teens and women by day and by night. She writes for SocialForward.org and StraightUpNewYork.com, while still dedicating herself full time to an organization benefiting NYC students, Minds Matter, Inc.  

As you may have read in previous post: “Budget: not the most important element for nonprofit events“, we recently came together to execute another annual fundraising event for Minds Matter and the day has finally come for us to tell you all about it and reveal the photos! Take it away, Kate! 

The Minds Matter Spring Soirée is the largest fundraising effort for Minds Matter of NYC. Each year, a significant portion of our operating budget relies on the revenue from this event. 2012 marked the eleventh annual Soirée. Playing host to over 1,100 guests and raising over $240,000, this year’s Soirée was a huge success for the organization.

As the event evolves each year, there is a continual need to bring it to the next level; this includes raising additional funds for our direct programming, increasing awareness of our organization, and of course, throwing a great party for our guests! This year we surpassed our previous successes in each of these three areas.

Raising over $240,000 was a huge accomplishment for Minds Matter. This year we diversified our event revenue, including an enormously successful silent auction, ticket specials (such as 1 day “2for” special), and our first ever sponsorship tiers. The team (led by Laura) worked very hard to negotiate rates with all vendors, resulting in completely donated space, alcohol sponsorships, and reduced prices on other services.

Organizationally, we are working hard to build the Minds Matter brand. In a competitive market, it is important that our external audience knows who we are, what we do, and why they should get involved. For this year’s Spring Soirée we greatly improved our marketing and promotion of the event. By having consistent and engaging communications, an enhanced ticket sales website, and night-of marketing (including a step & repeat banner, intelligent lighting shining the organization’s logo and an engaging video), we were able to further the organization’s profile and increase our brand recognition.

Lastly, as you can see from the pictures, it was of course important for us to throw a great party. With four floors of guests, entertainment including stilt walkers, a contortionist, and a magician, live and silent auctions, catering by DavidEllis, and a hosted bar, our supporters had a great time. I cannot wait until next year’s event!

Kate Hayes
Minds Matter of NYC, Inc.  

Kate Hayes writes for SocialForward.org and StraightUpNewYork.com.

Entertainment provided by Smash Party Entertainment.  All photos courtesy of A De Vos Photo, Inc. 

DIY Restaurant Week

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Sadly, another delightful Restaurant Week has come to a close. Hopefully your past three weeks were filled with prix fixes galore, diving in to fancy pants restaurants at the ever-so-affordable prices. Now we (in NYC) have a long six months to wait before it’s time for (official) Restaurant Week once again.

But… there’s no need to wait before enjoying a prix fixe with friends.

You can do it on the cheap, on the town, or on the fly. Just keep your goals, budget and guest list in mind while planning.

I’d suggest starting with local produce. In fact, browse your local Fresh Market/Whole Foods/farmers’ market with the goal of finding a produce item you’ve never tried/cooked before. Hop online to find a recipe of choice (can even be done on your smartphone while AT the store) and gather together the necessary items. Prix fixes are usually four courses, and half the fun is trying new flavors, so you’ll already be well on your way. The rest is all about creating a menu that progresses logically, is delicious, is complimented by the environment created, and enjoyed in great company.

Remember that presentation of your plates can also contribute to the ambiance of the evening (individual plates vs. family style, casual outdoor environment vs. a sassy dinner party for four). If you’ve ever seen a Top Chef‘s Restaurant Wars episode, you know to also steer clear of scented candles near your seating area (candles? sure, but unscented, please). If you’re really going all out, whip up little menus for your guests with a displayed prix fixe cost of $1 or 2 hours shared time. Get silly. Even the little differences will go a long way.

Paper Pleasers.

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One of my absolute favorite things about living in NYC is the constant feed of new art. Seeing it helps me stay creative and up to speed with new event campaign ideas and detailed execution. Successful events incorporate hundreds of details and the more emotional ties to those details you can create for your guests, the better.

Bergdorf is one of the few corporate entities (without an long history of pulling heart strings, like Coca-Cola) that still connects emotion while pulling off stunning holiday windows year after year.

This winter, aside from the one luxurious gown showcased with equally fabulous accessories, their artists created masterpieces in each window box out of ordinary objects. For example, they had a window made of those little shiny tiles in various shades of blues and greens.. one made of leather and wood… And the pictures shown here are from a window full of items made (nearly) entirely of paper. PAPER!?!?!

These never cease to amaze me. Pictures truly don’t do these justice. In person, I could stand there and stare, appreciating each paper cut, crease, and origami paper fold for hours.

I’m pretty sure that should we ever move away from NYC, (along with the oversized candy canes) the Bergdorf windows will keep me coming back to the city during the winter time. I’ll just become another tourist flooding the wintery NYC streets. Just another road block while New Yorkers try to rush past to keep up with the hustle and bustle that is NYC.