It goes without saying that we have each had to deal with challenging or difficult folks from time to time so to help you save face and most importantly your health, here are  several tips for dealing with a difficult person or negative message:

1. Forgive - What would the Dali Lama do if he was in the situation? He would most likely forgive. Remember that at our very core, we are good, but our judgment becomes clouded and we may say hurtful things. Ask yourself, “What is it about this situation or person that I can seek to understand and forgive?“

2. Wait it Out - Sometimes I feel compelled to instantly send an email defending myself. I’ve learned that emotionally charged emails never get us the result we want; they only add oil to the fire. What is helpful is inserting time to allow ourselves to cool off. You can write the emotionally charged email to the person, just don’t send it off. Wait until you’ve cooled off before responding, if you choose to respond at all.

3. “Does it really matter if I am right?” - Sometimes we respond with the intention of defending the side we took a position on. If you find yourself arguing for the sake of being right, ask “Does it matter if I am right?” If yes, then ask “Why do I need to be right? What will I gain?“

4. Don’t Respond - Many times when a person initiates a negative message or difficult attitude, they are trying to trigger a response from you. When we react, we are actually giving them what they want. Let’s stop the cycle of negative snowballing and sell them short on what they’re looking for; don’t bother responding.

5. Stop Talking About It - When you have a problem or a conflict in your life, don’t you find that people just love talking about it? We end up repeating the story to anyone who’ll listen. We express how much we hate the situation or person. What we fail to recognize in these moments is that the more we talk about something, the more of that thing we’ll notice. Example, the more we talk about how much we dislike a person, the more hate we will feel towards them and the more we’ll notice things about them that we dislike. Stop giving it energy, stop thinking about it, and stop talking about it. Do your best to not repeat the story to others.

6. Be In Their Shoes - As cliché as this may sound, we tend to forget that we become blind-sided in the situation. Try putting yourself in their position and consider how you may have hurt their feelings. This understanding will give you a new perspective on becoming rational again, and may help you develop compassion for the other person.

7. Look for the Lessons - No situation is ever lost if we can take away from it some lessons that will help us grow and become a better person. Regardless of how negative a scenario may appear, there is always a hidden gift in the form of a lesson. Find the lesson(s).

8. Choose to Eliminate Negative People In Your Life - Negative people can be a source of energy drain. And deeply unhappy people will want to bring you down emotionally, so that they are not down there alone. Be aware of this. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands and do not mind the energy drain, I recommend that you cut them off from your life. Cut them out by avoiding interactions with them as much as possible. Remember that you have the choice to commit to being surrounded by people who have the qualities you admire: optimistic, positive, peaceful and encouraging people. As Kathy Sierra said, “Be around the change you want to see in the world.”

9. Become the Observer - When we practice becoming the observer of our feelings, our thoughts and the situation, we separate ourselves away from the emotions. Instead of identifying with the emotions and letting them consume us, we observe them with clarity and detachment. When you find yourself identifying with emotions and thoughts, bring your focus on your breathe.

10. Go for a Run … or a swim, or some other workout. Physical exercise can help to release the negative and excess energy in us. Use exercise as a tool to clear your mind and release built up negative energy.

11. Worst Case Scenario - Ask yourself two questions, “If I do not respond, what is the worst thing that can result from it?“, “If I do respond, what is the worst thing that can result from it?” Answering these questions often adds perspectives to the situation, and you’ll realize that nothing good will come out of reacting. Your energy will be wasted, and your inner space disturbed.

12. Avoid Heated Discussions - When we’re emotionally charged, we are so much in our heads that we argue out of an impulse to be right, to defend ourselves, for the sake of our egos. Rationality and resolution can rarely arise out of these discussions. If a discussion is necessary, wait until everyone has cooled off before diving into one.

13. Most Important - List out things in your life most important to you. Then ask yourself, “Will a reaction to this person contribute to the things that matter most to me?“

14. Pour Honey - This doesn’t always work, but sometimes catches people off guard when they’re trying to “Pour Poison” on you. Compliment the other person for something they did well, tell them you’ve learned something new through interacting with them, and maybe offer to become friends. Remember to be genuine. You might have to dig deep to find something that you appreciate about this person.

15. Express It - Take out some scrap paper and dump all the random and negative thoughts out of you by writing freely without editing. Continue to do so until you have nothing else to say. Now, roll the paper up into a ball, close your eyes and visualize that all the negative energy is now inside that paper ball. Toss the paper ball in the trash. Let it go!

The point is, we are humans after all, and we have emotions and egos. However, by keeping our egos in-check and inserting emotional intelligence, we’ll not only be doing a favor for our health and mental space, but we’ll also have intercepted a situation that would have gone bad, unnecessarily.

Take care everyone and have a fabulous week!

Michele Phillips - ISES Orlando VP of Communications

michelep@atlanticproaudio.com

Then and Now: How Far We Are From Y2K, and the Tech That Got Us Here

The year 2000 loomed over the world way before 1999 -- see Prince songs, Y2K concerns, and even hordes of science fiction movies set before the end of the millennium. But on January 1, 2000, nothing much changed, jet packs didn't suddenly appear, and we didn't all get rad Jetsons-style hair. Televisions in cars? Look how tiny your DiscMans are! And what in the world is a Twitter?

Not to sound overly obvious, but the last decade has changed everything -- the way we think and interact with one another, the way we work and play -- more so than any 10-year span of the last century. So we investigate the fact that, in many ways and without us even noticing, technology has become front and center in our lives, and how vastly different the end of the first decade of the new millennium was from the beginning. With the first generation of children who have never used a VHS or won't remember Apple as a Macintosh finally hitting computing age, we take stock in how the world has evolved. So think about yourself then and now, and remember, like Prince says, make sure to party like it's 199--, er, 2009.

WORK:

Then: ThinkPads, Curved Monitors, The Bondi Blue iMac
Our view on 2000's laptops are akin to that era's view on brick-like cell phones: what ancient, strange devices they were. The ThinkPad was a popular, clunky model, and only serious business travelers would shell out the thousands of dollars to use such a bulky object. Serious work was done on an "old school," curved CRT monitor. The end of the 20th century was a dark time for Apple, which only had education, publishing, and a motley crew of überfans as major consumers. Though Steve Jobs returned in 1996, he spent years pulling it back from the brink of obsolescence. The first iMac didn't land until 1998, and went through several changes before being accepted by a larger audience. The market, for the most part, was completely Windows-saturated.

Now: VAIOs and Inspirons, Wi-Fi, BlackBerrys, the all-in-one iPhone
You'll find the Switched office working diligently... on laptops (the exception being our Editor-In-Chief, who does some heavy Pro-level lifting). Our computers snap shut and start up quickly, and a lack of free Wi-Fi usually gets us whining. The business landscape has changed, thanks to modern mobility. This means cheaper labor -- interns can bring their own computers or more workers stay at home. Also, we are constantly on the go, using smart phones to check e-mail or transfer money into bank accounts. The phone has finally become what it always should have been -- a way to get on to the Internet.

While PCs are still the large portion of the market, the average individual doesn't recoil in horror when someone pulls out a MacBook. Most can manage their way around either graphical interface, but take a vehement liking to one over the other.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Then: Videotaping Your Favorite Shows, That Massive Spindle of CDs
The idea of downloading music, to a year 2000 dweller, was not absurd. Napster was at the fingertips of those in the know, and if you could tolerate the 96 kbps sound quality, there were virtual libraries to be pillaged. But that was still the era of collecting: old VHS tapes were slowly being replaced by expensive DVDs (but we still needed tapes for recording 'Party of Five' if we couldn't be home), books and books (remember those?) of CDs organized (if you are like us, with corresponding inner sleeves), and so many discarded AA batteries.

Now: Digital Collections, Downloading to Get it Now, Hulu
The idea of someone staying home to watch 'True Blood' is baffling. In fact, a show can be a hit even if no one tunes in, thanks to TiVo -- and now Hulu, iTunes, and (not that we condone it) illegal downloading. In fact, most people born after 1980 have probably, at some point, engaged or illegal downloading (or have had friends who experimented). Our bitrate-obsessed culture has made us increasingly aware of quality and speed. Collections have become entirely digital, and thanks to next-gen consoles like Xbox and PS3, even our video games can be downloaded.

iPod, YouPod, WeAllPod
No matter how good the reviews are or how cheap the gadget is, nothing has encroached on the iPod's market share. MP3s have become synonymous with the player, which essentially allowed MP3-purchasing sites like iTunes and Amazon to be successful. The MP3 made the iPod possible, but the iPod made the MP3 successful. Of course, the way we listen changed as well, with individuals considering music in terms of singly purchased songs, instead of entire, CD-contained albums.

Broader than Broadband
The need for speed (constantly being fed by Internet accessible devices) was a distant future for late-20th-century residents, who knew something must be faster, but had to deal with the daunting dial-tone of molasses-slow modems. However, with faster speeds came more information -- making the computer central to the way we entertain ourselves.

TRAVEL:

Then: Calling Airlines, Check-In Lines, Relaxed Departure and Easy Carry-Ons
Any American decade retrospective has to take the most ground-breaking event of the last 10 years into perspective: On September 11, 2001, this country's way of travel was irrevocably changed. No more walking Grandma to her gate. Also available in 2000 were travel agents, liquids on-board carry-ons, and it was possible to fly in a smoking section internationally. There also weren't looming threat "orange level alerts" during travels.

Now: Relaxed Planning, Nothing Over 6 Oz. of Liquid
Travel agencies are all but extinct thanks to sites like Kayak, Hotwire, and Priceline. The irony of flying in a post 9/11 world is that, while traveling itself has become more regulated and thorough in safety procedures, it's easier than ever to buy a ticket: it's possible to even do it on a phone, and if you plan correctly, you can make it through an airport without speaking to anyone besides the security agent. Which doesn't make it easier to fly, of course.

COMMUNICATION:

Then: The Nokia 3310 and Faceplates, Message Boards and Angelfire
Though cell phones weren't as rampant as they are now (many invested after 9/11), the popular phone of the early millennium was the Nokia 3310. With interchangeable faceplates (the author had a glittery purple one), they were simple and straightforward with a pea-green screen and that catchy ringtone. Text messaging was a fairly easy thing to understand (remember, there were two-way pagers), but not as useful as today. Oh, and lastly -- cell phones weren't reliable. People turned them off when not in use, and most were employed for outgoing, not incoming, calls. Lastly, this year marked the death of Geocities, and with it, the sparkling on-page graphics associated with Web sites of yore.

Now: Facebook, Do Everything Phones and a Whole New Social Networking World
Nothing has changed as much as the way we communicate. 'The Twitter' has taken the Web by storm, you don't exist unless you have a Facebook profile (and the last 10 years saw the rise and fall of Friendster and MySpace first). Texting is an obvious addition, but imagine explaining to your ten-years-younger self that you 'poked' someone online or that your mom has learned Internet chat.

What this means is that everything is recorded. With digital cameras, we upload memories as we make them, share experiences with friends across the globe, and always remember birthdays (often sending messages of commemoration). A best friend can be in Singapore. Your mother knows what you and your new boyfriend did on a date last night. And finally, you can prove that your high school crush fortunately peaked in high school.

THINKING:

Then: Digital Encyclopedias, CD-ROMs, 'All Your Base Are Belong to Us'
Once upon a time, we were a unique, articulate, rational people. We knew how to find things with maps, and we would be wowed by someone's 300+ CD collection. If we didn't know something small -- like what would happen if we hired two private investigators to follow each other -- we either did some clever querying on our CD-ROM encyclopedia, or we just didn't know it. Our senses of humor didn't include the word FAIL and witnessing a keyboard-playing cat required one heck of a talented cat. Basically, our quest for knowledge wasn't immediately gratified.. and we were OK with that.

Now: Google Addicts, Wiki Weirdos, Immediate YouTube Gratification
A new word has entered the lexicon: Google (noun and verb). MVP of the Boston Red Sox in 1976? Google it. Want to find others interested in classic Malaysian dance in Philadelphia? Find them on Yelp. Wanna see Snooki get slugged? YouTube it. The world is at your fingertips, which can feel incredibly daunting. No matter what, someone's blog will always be better or more popular, someone else will get the scoop on the new 'Spiderman' movie before you, someone else has written the wiki before you even knew what a Wikipedia was.

YouTube Stars and Blogging Celebrities
Since every painful thing you ever wanted to know -- about the world, about your exes' new flame, about Mighty Mouse -- is on the Net, we've begun to think in status updates: 'Ugh, this plane is late. #FML' or 'We're official. It says so on Facebook.' Any person with a computer can write a blog, any Joe with a cell cam can take a life-changing picture, any funny talent can bring YouTube fame. With the Net, we are always performing for our legions of friends and followers (or our moms. Whatever).

Here's some food for thought: In 2000, if you asked us what a footprint was, we'd remark it's something we left in the sand. Today, we might respond it's how we are traced, and how far our impact is felt, digitally and throughout the world. And that's a lot to think about.

Santa Is Alive & Well - And We Are On His Team

    I remember my first Christmas party with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
    My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns.
    Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go."
    "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything.
    As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days.
    "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it.  I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
    I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.
    For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill , wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about though, when I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's second grade class.
    Bobbie Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobbie Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.
    "Yes," I replied shyly. "It's ... for Bobbie." The nice lady smiled at me.  I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, "To Bobbie, From Santa Claus" on it -- Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers.
    Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."
    I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie.
    Forty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

Author Unknown

Happy Holidays to you all and be safe in your travels!

Michele and the entire ISES Orlando Communications Team!

Quick Holiday Tips to Stay Sane

The holidays are a time when it becomes very easy to completely ignore the budget.

Experts will tell you that the best thing to do is to be cautious, make a list and stick to it, and try and not get lured in by the frenzy of spending.. We have a few more tips that will help you focus on what’s most important this holiday season.

This is the year to invest time solidifying family traditions that direct attention away from the typical kid-focus on “getting”.

Perhaps it’s setting aside some funds to spend on a charity’s Holiday needs (check out the United Way’s Holiday Wish Book for ideas), or making cookies or holiday treats for your neighbors. In the Carlson family, traditions include baking together, going to the (free) Holiday Fantasy in Lights display at Olin Park and watching favorite holiday movies. We also make ornaments for everyone in the family, and write thank you notes to some of the farmers that supplied our holiday meal fixings.

Limit the number of gifts that each person in the family gets, to help control the over-expectations of what Christmas morning should mean.

This was easy in the Seidel household but took a little more encouraging for extended family who eventually agreed to 2 packages to open for each grandchild. Encourage family members to buy “recycled” gifts. Last year the Carson Clan set a limit of $10 per person, and between homemade art and thrift store bargains, the gifts were more meaningful than in years past.

Give a “green” gift.

Have your child pick out a toy that has been used but not overly-well-loved, and give it as a gift for a friend or cousin who might enjoy the life left in the toy.

Ask relatives who might spend money on a lot of items you don’t need, to think about gift giving as more long-term.

Suggest a museum membership, or paying for classes (such as music, art, and athletics). Bonds or contributions to children’s 529 plans are a great investment in a child.

Give the “gift of time” to family and friends.

Share a meal together as families in lieu of a gift exchange. Have your neighbors kids over for a sleepover so mom and dad can have a free night out, or offer a skill you can share. We would rather have someone offer to help us salvage our kids terribly-stained clothing than recieve another holiday candle!

Tips courtesy of Ellen and Lisa, two local moms who organize Half-Pint Resale.

The History of Labor Day

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

Good Monday Morning, Everyone!

I am very much looking forward to spending a year of my time with each of you! I have very big shoes to fill from my predecessors: Christine Ivanov-Logan, Heather Wilson, CSEP and of course most recently Jason Logan. They have all done such a phenomenal job, so I thank them for raising the bar so high! I feel myself sit a little taller in my desk chair as I prepare for this exciting and challenging position.

I do want you to understand that this news letter is just as much your newsletter as it is mine. Please feel free to let me know what sort of articles you would find interesting and engaging. I hope to create a newsletter that is not only expected each week but actually anticipated. I will need your assistance to accomplish this feat. I encourage your feedback and thoughts.

A few things that Lindsay and I have in mind to add are a “Student Corner” and a “People on the Move” section. The student corner will be written by student ISES members; keeping us informed of what is happening at UCF/ Rosen School, as well as offering up an opportunity to unite local companies and interns.  The section titled “People on the Move” will help us stay informed of who was promoted to which position, who switched companies and who has decided to leave our wacky world of hospitality.

Cheers to a fruitful and prosperous week!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you once again for a great year as your VP of Communications!  This has been an awesome experience for me.  I have gotten to express my views and opinions in this forum and I hope that you were entertained.  As I move on to my next post, VP of Programs and Education, I hope to share with you all in another capacity.

I hope that you will welcome the new Monday Morning News Editor, Michele Philips, with open arms.  She is excited and ready to get things started next year.  From what I am told, she has some great new ideas for the MMN next year.  Word on the street is she is going to kick this thing old school.  She has been training carrier pigeons for the past month and says they will be delivering your Monday Morning News via them.  Be on the look out for a swarm of pigeons in your neighborhoods next week.

Everyone have a great week and we will see you at the WOW awards on July 17, 2009.

Jason Logan

Hello All,

Today I am writing to you from beautiful St. Augustine, FL, our nations oldest city.  

Here is your history lesson for this week class...

The mainland of the North American continent was first sighted by the Spanish explorer and treasure hunter Don Juan Ponce de Leon on Easter, March 27, 1513. He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, meaning "Land of Flowers". Between 1513 and 1563 the government of Spain launched six expeditions to settle Florida, but all failed. the French succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in 1564 and, in doing so, threatened Spain's treasure fleets whic h sailed along Florida's shoreline returning to Spain. As a result of this incursion into Florida, King Phillip II named Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spain's most experienced admiral, as governor of Florida, instructing him to explore and to colonize the territory. Menendez was also instructed to drive out any pirates or settlers from other nations, should they be found there.

When Menendez arrived off the coast of Florida, it was August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine.

Utilizing brilliant military maneuvers, Menendez destroyed the French garrison on the St. Johns River and, with the help of a hurricane, also defeated the French fleet. With the coast of Florida firmly in Spanish hands, he then set to work building the town, establishing missions to the Indians for the Church, and exploring the land.

Thus, St. Augustine was founded forty-two years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts - making it the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American continent. (Oldcity.com)

St. Augustine is truly one of the hidden gems of Florida.  It is not just a place where kids come for field trips.  There is so much to do here, shopping, dining, entertainment, sport fishing, and even getting married.  Which is the reason why I am here this weekend.  No, I am not getting married, just celebrating my marriage.  3 years ago, my lovely wife and I celebrated our love by getting married in this romantic city.  With the historic Casa Monica hotel as the back drop, we tied the knot with friends and family all in attendance.    As my wife would say, it was the most perfect day.  Everything was perfect!  As we celebrated our anniversary this past month, she said let's go and try and relive our wedding day.  So we came back up.  

Well I had to balk at her trying to wear her wedding gown to dinner last night, but we still enjoyed spending time together and reminiscing of our big day.  Although our trip is not a lengthy one, our mini-vacation has served to re-ignite the sparks of wedded bliss.  No kids, no house work, and no stress from our jobs, has gotten us to refocus on what is really important in our lives, our relationship!  It is what keeps our lives balanced.  When the world gets to much to handle, we know that the one thing that is going to work is our love for each other.  Our little get away has served as the rejuvenation of that promise that we made on our wedding day.

On the way home tomorrow, I will be reminding myself not to sweat the small stuff and to make sure that I celebrate what is really important in life.

Everyone have a great week!  I am off to ride the trolley and learn more about St. Augustine!

Jason Logan, VP of Communications

Good Morning Everyone,

Welcome to the first day of June!  

In this issue today we introduce our newest member of the month, learn more about our Heritage Members, find out what the "No Member Left Behind" Initiative is, and mark our calendars for the June Meeting.

Congratulations to the slate of nominees for 2009-2010!  The slate has been approved by the membership and these people will take their offices on July 1, 2009.

Heather Wilson, CSEP - President

Derek Eaton - President Elect

Jason Logan  - VP of Programs and Education

Michele Phillips - VP of Communications

J. Michael Hicks - VP of Membership

Christine Logan - Immediate Past President

Directors

Richard Streitler

Lindsay Cosimi

Rick Andrews

Stephen McGregor

Chris Esposito

JC York

Eddie Diaz

Congrats to you all.

Everyone have a great week!

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful long Memorial Day Weekend!  As with many holiday weekends, I had to work.  It comes with the territory, and over the past 15 years, I have come to deal with it.  I am not sure my family has, but these are some of the sacrifices that I have come to accept to provide for my family.

This sacrifice is really nothing in the grand scheme of things.  Over the weekend, I watched a movie on a paid movie channel this weekend called "Taking Chance".  The movie stars Kevin Bacon who plays a Lt. Col. in the Marines who volunteers for escort duty.  This duty requires the "escort" to accompany the remains of a fallen Marine back to his home for his burial.  

Along the way back home, person after person, stop to pay respect to this fallen soldier.  Kind words, small gifts, and gratitude are given Kevin Bacon's character to deliver to the family on this soul-searching journey.  Even though the people along the way did not know the fallen soldiers name or background, they still paid respect to this soldier and the sacrifice that he provided for his country.

What started as something to occupy time and truly a way to get out of housework, ended with a tearful reminder that there are others out there that risk their lives everyday to provide us the freedom that we as Americans hold so true to our hearts.

Whether or not you believe in war, or the conflicts that America is involved in overseas today, the fact still remains, our brave men and women in all branches of the military put their lives on the line when their government calls on them to do so, never questioning why. Serving on the front lines in a far away land or back at home serving in support roles, these men and women are true heros!

I know that there are several ISES Orlando Members who have served in the Armed Forces and I would like to thank you for your dedication and service to our country!  Thank you for serving and thank you for the sacrifices, no matter how big or small,  you have made to keep America free.  The fact that you put on a uniform and stood guard over this great country deserves a standing ovation and the humble gratitude of a great nation and its citizens.

I Salute You!

Jason Logan, VP of Communications

Good Morning,

Are you a sucker?  Are you one of those people that gets drawn into a sales pitch like the tractor beam from the Death Star in Star Wars?  Sad to say, I am.  If I am not in the right frame of mind, I will buy anything!  All you have to do is deliver a good sales pitch, and I am hooked.  

I love infomercials!  I have to watch whenever I am flipping channels.  My wife hates them.   I watch them so much that my kids know almost all of them and the names of the guys who are hocking the merchandise.  Billy Mays seems to be their favorite, but the Sham-Wow guy is quickly moving up the charts.  

I come by this habit honestly.  My Dad was always watching these guys too.  My Dad, being a small business owner since 1979, would sit and marvel at all the amazing things that could be done with awesome products.  Being a true salesman at heart, he would watch and almost take notes from these guys.  By the third or fourth time he heard the pitch, 6 weeks later, we had a new product in our house.  It would show up and it was always like the scene in A Christmas Story, when the Dad's major award showed up on the door step.  Packing material would be flying, my Mom's eyes rolling, us kids asking "Dad, what is it!"  My Dad would answer just like the guy in the infomercial.  He would give us all the benefits of the product and once it was out of the box, he would demonstrate for us.  

I find it funny how I am doing the same things that my father did with me.  To all the kids out there, YOU WILL GROW UP JUST LIKE YOUR PARENTS!  DON'T FIGHT IT!  THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE, AND SO ARE YOU!

My obsession started when I first moved out of my parents house in college.  My roommates and I were addicted to TV.  We watched everything, including infomercials.  Our favorite of course was Ron Popeil!  This man is a genius.  Did you know he invented everything he sold on TV?  The first thing I bought was the Miracle Blade II.  You know the knife that you can cut marble with and then cut a hot loaf of bread without any trouble at all.  This was a great product and one that I am proud to say, 15 years later, I am still using.  Thank,s Ron.

Other great items that I have purchased were (in no particular order) Cyclonic Cooker, Flow-Bee Hair Cutting System, The Magic Bullet, Oxy-Clean, and most recently The Sham-WOW!

The last one I bought on Friday while I was waiting for photos to be printed for my WOW Award Submission.  I was at Wal-Greens and they have an "As Seen On TV" section that I was drawn to like a moth to a flame.  I had to wait 25 minutes for my photos to print and I could not leave this section of the store.  They had everything!  That pedicure egg thing, the slider hamburger press, the grill daddy, I mean everything.  The holy grail was there as well, The Sham-WOW!  I could not stop touching the box.  I picked it up read the entire box at least 8 times.  I even found myself replaying the commercial in my head over and over, stopping and rewinding at all the good parts.  "It's made in Germany.  The Germans make good stuff, so you know this is good".  Finally, after getting to third base with the box, I purchased this item.

I got it home and man did I have fun.  I was spilling stuff all over the place just so the Sham-WOW could do its thing.  The kids started going through the commercial and saying "Dad, let's spill cola on the carpet", I said "Son, don't believe everything you see on TV, it is not all true. " And that is when it hit me.  I thought back to all the other things that I had purchased and how they didn't really do exactly what I had seen on TV.  I remember the disappointment of learning this the hard way and wishing I had my money back.  

Folks, I am here to tell you that the Sham-WOW is not as great as what the guy on TV says it is.  Yes, it picks up spills and stuff, but not as great as on TV.  Man I am such a sucker!  

If you have the same problem I have, you are addicted to infomercials, let me know.  I am forming a support group for people just like us.  Your information will be kept confidential and no one will ever know that you are a member.  Hurry now while slots are still available.  Operators are standing by.  Also, if you are one of the first five callers, you will receive a special gift for acting fast! 

Have a great day!

ISES Orlando and ISES International in no way endorses any of the products mentioned in the above editorial.

Good Morning!

I hope that everyone sent their Mother's something nice for Mother's Day.  I sure did.  I made my wife, Mother, and Mother-in-Law come out to Kissimmee for a soccer tournament all weekend long.  I am so thoughtful, not only did I make them come out and do something that they probably did not want to do, but did I mention it was about 1,000,000,000 degrees out this weekend.  I should definitely get husband, son, son-in-law, and coach of the year for this one.

All ended up well, we won our final game of the season, I got roses for the kids to give their Mother's before the game started, and went home and took care of Mom.  My Anniversary is this week, I am sure I won't screw this one up.

So in this issue of the Monday Morning News we...

Introduce May's Member of the Month, tell you all about May's meeting with NACE, remind you about the WOW Awards, give you a new link to Odyssey Creative's video from last month's meeting, and give you a new trivia question.  Enjoy the info!

Have a great week and don't forget to sign up for RE-Build your Network!

Jason Logan, VP of Communications

Buenos Dias,

Remember back when you were a kid and everytime you did something wrong you got caught?  Your parents would always ask you about the incident and would ask you not to lie about what had happened.   You would lie to see if your parents were bluffing or you would continue to lie in hopes that some magical flying fairy would come down and make your parents believe that the story you were  telling was the truth.  Now that I am a parent, I am realizing why my parents knew everything that I did or was going to do almost before I did it.  Life Experience.  My parents, your parents, everyone's parents did the same exact stupid thing that you did!  It is that simple.

With all of the talk about the end of the world, the Mayan calendar, and all the shows on the History and Discovery Channels talking about Nostrodomas, my kids have started calling me, "Daddy-domas", because I know everything!  It is great to see their little faces when I catch them doing stuff.  They really don't get into trouble when they get caught doing something stupid-- they get in trouble for lying.  Which brings me to my story....

The one person in my house who has not realized that I know everything is my beautiful wife, Christine.  Now ladies you may say, Jason you are an egotistical, arrogant, you know what, but you can ask Christine-- I know everything that goes on in my world.  It blows her mind sometimes when I predict the exact outcome of a situation that we have been dealing with, or when the kids do something and I tell her what the result is going to be and 20 minutes later it happens.  "Daddy-Domas"! I would like to say that I have some mystical powers or I had a vision the night before, but that just isn't true.  I have done the same stupid stuff years before and I am just using my life experience.

Here is what happened...

This past week we started getting mail from traffic schools.. you know the ones that you get when you get a speeding ticket.  I thought we were getting them because over the holidays we had gotten pulled over on our way home from Atlanta for our tag being expired and not having proof of insurance.  One thing led to another- "we" lost the speeding ticket, "we" paid the wrong fine, "we" got too busy to rectify the situation, so Jason got his license suspended.  This is why I thought "we" were getting these notices.  As we kept getting them, I started to think, "they don't send you this information when you get your license suspended, you get those notes when you get a speeding ticket!"  As you can well imagine, I had to get to the bottom of this mystery.

I ran down the list of people in my house who could have gotten a speeding ticket.  There are two:  Jason and Christine.  I have known Jason for a very long time, and while he is an aggressive driver, he has not gotten a speeding ticket in quite some time.  It wasn't Jason.  Christine has a different motto when driving, and I am sure that you have heard it in conjuntion with NASCAR... "If you are not rubbing, you are not racing".  She is a very busy woman and like I have said many times, works three full time jobs.  She gets a little lost when she is driving.  I could do an entire 15 minutes on my wife's driving, but we will save that for later.

I picked up the phone and called and in a non-accusatory tone asked, "Have you gotten a speeding ticket lately?" This was met with bumbling and stammering the likes I have never heard before.  You see, Christine is an honest person.  She doesn't lie about anything.  What you see is what you get with her.  This played into her downfall.   The bumbling and stammering gave her away!  Ah-Ha I had her.  She never fully answered my question.  My question was answered with multiple counts of "How did you find out?"  "Who told you?"  "Did someone call?" There was a lot of embarrassed laughter on her end of the phone.  She just wanted to know how I knew.  I told her not to worry about how I found out, just know that I know everything!  Once she fessed up about what had happened, I let her in on the secret.  She apologized for keeping the secret and we moved on.

It really didn't bother me what had happened-- big deal you got a speeding ticket.  It is not the end of the world.  What I relished in was the fact that she tried to hide something from me and I found out and I called her on it.  I believe that she learned a very valuable lesson that day my friends.  Don't keep stuff from your husband, especially if his name is "Daddy-domas"!

Have a great week, and in the immortal words of Dave Chappell imitating Rick James,

Enjoy Yourselves!

I hope to see you all tomorrow night at RE-Introduce Yourself meeting at the Hyatt Airport, one of our wonderful member venues.  Not only are we having a fantastic speaker, but it is our member showcase event.  Monday (today!) by noon is going to be the last you can register through the web.  We will be taking walk-ups but we have limited seating to the first 150 people for our speaker Laura Schwartz.  We are not there yet, but we are getting close.  If you want to assure your seat, please sign up NOW!

Last week you should have received an email letting you know that the 2009 Orlando WOW Awards entry deadline was extended till May 15, 2009.  This is a wonderful opportunity to let the world of ISES, and our industry association friends, know about the great events that you have done over the past year.  You know you did some great work, show off and win an award.  Check this issue for more details.

For those of you who look forward to the Letter From The Editor being a fun and entertaining look into my life, I am sorry that the past two weeks have not been that.  I promise that I will share more with you next week. 

Enjoy the week! 

Jason Logan

VP of Communications

Good Morning All.

In this issue, you will find all kinds of exciting stuff about ISES and ISES Orlando, like....

April's Meeting, Re-Introduce Yourself.  Derek Eaton, Director of Special Projects, has more information about what we are going to be doing and seeing on April 21.  Check out his article and see what's doin' for our meeting.

If you didn't read it last week, our Member of the Month, Lindsay Cosimi of Room Service, told us a little about herself and what makes her tick.  Read more about Lindsay in this article.

The conversation is shifting about how meetings are taking place in our country.  It looks like legislators are hearing our voice and starting to succumb to our pressure.  Geoff Freeman, Senior VP of US Travel Association is looking for someone to be the main spokes person for their cause.  Read more about how you could be the face of the movement to get America Back to Meeting Again.

Chapter Elections are drawing close.  If you have ever thought about being on the ISES Orlando Board of Directors, now is the perfect time to nominate someone or yourself for a board position.  Read more in this issue to see which position you would be interested in.

As always, if you are having trouble with any part of this newsletter, you can find everything that we put in the Monday Morning News on line at www.ISESOrlando.com.  It all will not be sitting right on the front page, but go to the search bar at the top of the website and type in the article title and it should pop up.  You can do this with names or subjects as well.

I hope everyone has a great week.  Don't forget to register for April's meeting.

Jason Logan, VP of Communications

Thank God it’s Monday! 

You don’t usually make that statement, but today is one that I am rejoicing over!

Last week, I took my four kids to the beach for their spring break.  I remember the days of my youth when I loved spring break.  Daytona Beach, in its heyday, was the best.  I remember my first spring break there when MTV first started broadcasting from the different locations.  One of my favorite musical groups, The Beastie Boys (4 and 3 and 2 and 1…when I rock the mic the suckas run…WORD!) were playing.  I of course was doing everything that you do on spring break (wink wink), and living my youth.  The sun, the music, all the beautiful people with their 80’s hair, what a great time to grow up.

I knew that it would not be the same this time with four kids, but we set out for a good time anyway. 

We set out on Sunday afternoon and headed to New Smyrna Beach and the weather was fantastic.  Not a cloud in the sky, and the energy was high.  We got to the house that we were staying for the week and unloaded.  All the kids wanted to do was get in the water.  Being the Father, I had to remind the children, that we had all week and we didn’t need to do everything all in one afternoon.  Well, you can’t reason with kids so we threw everything in the house, put on our suits, and hit the beach.

I don’t know if I have told you this before, but I have twin boys who are 11, an 8 year old boy, and what I didn’t realize is this... I have another child, a 30 something girl who turns into a complete child at the beach.  Her name is Christine and is most commonly referred to as my wife.  She lost her mind!

This is the first time that I have referred to my wife by her name.  Most of you know her as ISES Orlando President.  If there was anyone who was in dire need of a vacation it was Christine.  Not only does she work full-time for T Skorman Productions, Inc., she also works full-time at Casa De Logan!  The woman never stops! 

My idea of vacation is to just sit around and do nothing.  No timetables, if we do something, great, if not, great too.  Christine was the first one with her suit on and getting the kids ready to hit the beach.  Not wanting to be a stick-in-the-mud, I was ushered out the door earlier than I wanted every day. 

Now when I say she lost her mind, I don’t mean it literally.  She just had as much fun as the kids, maybe more.  She was throwing the Frisbee, playing Pro Kadima, chasing sea gulls and riding the kids' boogie board and getting pummeled by waves. My idea of fun was sitting on the beach, drinking a beer, and flying a kite.  Flying the kite was met with ridicule from her, which the kids then picked up on.  I was the responsible adult for once in my life.  A role that I am not quite used too.  I found myself telling her not to go out too far in the ocean and making sure the kids all had sunscreen. 

One of my 11 year olds came and sat down next to me and was dejected.  I asked him what the problem was and he responded with “Mom won’t let me ride my boogie board.”  I was settling arguments and disputes all week.  I finally had to go and buy Christine her own float. 

My... how times have changed.  Gone are the days of carefree living and only having to worry about myself.  I thought that turning 30 was a big milestone, I was wrong.  Taking your kids on spring break is the milestone that sent me into adulthood.  Don't get me wrong, it was great to see the whole family together laughing and having fun as a family unit-- but doing it where I spent my youth having irresponsible fun may have changed the way I live my life.

I am so happy to have things back to normal - and I can go back to being the same irresponsible adult that I have always been. 

Have a great week, and here’s to you having a great vacation with that family real soon!

Jason Logan

VP of Communications 

Good Morning,

I hope you all have had a restful weekend.

Lately I have not been watching as much TV as I usually do.  Call it growing up, call it working my butt off, call it whatever, I just have not been watching TV.  But, sports have grabbed a hold of me once again.  March Madness has been in full swing and I just can't get enough of the drama that comes along with this great event.  There really is not sporting event quite like the NCAA Tournament.  Buzzer Beaters, Cinderella's knocking off traditional power house teams, and players becoming superstars right before our eyes by putting their teams on their backs and willing their team to win.  The tournament is just the best!  

With my brackets all out of whack (I had Louisville cutting down the nets) I turned to a sport that over the past year has not gotten any attention at all, Golf.  Golf is a great game, but not one that you really want to sit down and watch all afternoon.  I remember going to my grandparents house on Sunday afternoons and my Grandfather would be watching whatever tournament was on that weekend.  I just could not understand why he needed to watch this boring stuff.  My Grandfather was part of Arnie's Army (Arnold Palmer fans) would tell us all about how great he was and how Arnie and Jack would battle it out each weekend.  As I get older, I find myself doing the same with my kids, except we talk about Tiger and Phil.

I am not a front runner in any sense of the term.  I have always been a Tampa Bay Buccaneer Fan.  I still bleed orange.  When they won the Super Bowl, that was sweet satisfaction for all the bad years.  Everyone jumped on the bandwagon and I graciously welcomed them aboard.  When everyone loved Michael Jordan, I never got on board that train.  I still remembered Dr. J.  How he was the true showman.  How dare everyone lay all their faith in Michael.  Dr. J and George Gervin, those were my showmen.

But now, Tiger is on the scene and everyone loves Tiger.  After watching the Bay Hill Tournament this weekend, there is nothing this guy can't do!  He single handedly has made golf cool!  People who have never watched golf, are now watching golf.  They are picking up the sticks and hitting the links.  TV ratings for golf slumped last season due to his absence.  I cannot wait to see what the ratings were from yesterdays final round.  

Tiger hit a 16' putt on the final hole of the tournament to win his 6th Bay Hill Invitational Tournament, Arnie's Tournament.  It was like hitting the game winning shot at the buzzer.  Kicking the winning field goal with the time running out.  Hitting a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded to win by one run.  This guy in money!  I believe there is nothing he can't do.  

Maybe we should let Tiger fix this AIG situation?  Maybe Tiger could fix our economy?  Maybe Tiger could DJ your next party?  I don't know, but it will be worth the watch at the Masters.

Have a great week and we will talk next week.

Jason Logan, VP of Communications

Good Morning Fellow Industry Professionals,

I had a fun call this week, one that I am sure that you all have had over the past few months.  One of my best clients called and asked if I could do a show next month.  This was a call that he has made countless times and when he asked me the price, I responded in the same way that I have always done.  The response from him was different from all the others.  He said that we needed to come down a little on the price.  After a little discussion, and checking with his client, he came back with a number that was just $100.00 less than what I had a originally quoted.  He asked if I would take the event.  I said sure.  He is one of those clients that you would do anything for.  

Completely and totally happy to have the work, I started thinking to myself that I have been fortunate enough to not have to come off my price yet.  I have not had to discount my services to get the gig yet.  Is this the first of many calls to come?  Where is the line of demarcation the Mendoza line for my services?  I am going to have to figure out where that "Magic" number is going to be.  

As you will read in this issue of the Monday Morning News, everyone in the industry is struggling.  Companies that have been charging a premium for service that most of their clients did not want to do themselves, are now beginning to do those services.  One of my best friends is a Travel Director for some of the biggest incentive houses in the country, and when his clients need to get linens, chairs, decor, entertainment, etc...all on show site, the first question that is asked is "is it in the budget".  He said this is a question that was very seldom asked especially on show site, but now companies are using this as their mantra.  

You see, companies still are going to need to meet.  Even the likes of Senator John Kerry is not going to be able to keep America from meeting.  Corporations still need to incentive-ize their employees.  They just need to be smart about it.  It is going to be all about budgets for a while.  Which brings me back to my question, how far am I going to come down off of my price and not jeopardize the show?  It is a tightrope act.  Yes, I don't make money if I sit in my house and not perform, but at the same time if I go out for half or a quarter of what I normally sell a show for, how does that help me?  I need to just find that happy medium, make the client happy without selling my soul to the devil and giving away the farm.

I hope you are not going through the same thing I am.  If you are, know that I am feeling your pain!  Be smart about your company and your product.  You may have to come done on your price once or twice, but don't sell out!  Each client is different and each situation is different, use your best judgement.  Only you know what you and your company needs to make to survive.  

And as they used to say on Hill Street Blues....

"Hey, let's be careful out there"

Jason Logan, VP of Communications 

I hope all of you had a great weekend.  Mine was great!  Wedding on Friday night, Saturday, kids first soccer game, Sunday, “Tim Taylor Day”.  It was an all around family weekend!

Saturday was my twins’ first soccer game of the season.  The boys are playing competitive soccer for their second season and I am the coach.  Having played soccer year round from the time I was 5 years old ‘til my freshman year in college, I kind of know a little about the sport.  Last year, I said I would coach my kids’ soccer team. 

We played a team that was a year younger than our boys and ended up losing 4-1.  This team was smaller and faster than my team.  They moved the ball around and made our kids look like they were standing still.  At halftime, the score was 4-0.  During halftime, we got the kids together and gave them a little pep talk.  They were not playing badly; they just were not playing as a team.  I gave them a challenge.  Don’t let them score in the second half and score at least one goal.  I appealed to their “young manhood” and told them that they were better than they were playing and that if they had any pride in themselves, they would go out there and do what I was asking them to do. 

The boys went out and did just what I asked them to do.  We won the second half 1-0!

This week was a little special for my family and me.  We were playing at the fields were I used to play when I was a little kid.  My mom would work the concession stand and my dad would stand on the side lines and give us encouragement in the way only a dad could.  Win or lose, my parents were there watching and cheering us on.  On the way home, my dad would ask me how I could have done better, or just recap the game.  If we lost, I would just shut down and not want to talk.  If we won, the exact opposite would happen.  I would talk about how great we did and before we knew it, we would be home.

I found myself doing the same thing my dad did to us kids after a game.  The entire way home, all I could talk about was the way the game went.  My kids essentially tuned me out.

As a coach, all I could think about was how we could have won the game.  You see-- we did not play as a team in the first half.  There was a lot of great individual play, but not great team play.  I could not let it go. 

Long into the night, I was still thinking about how I could get across the point of teamwork.  My wife was sleeping on the couch and I got up and went to the computer and looked up motivational speeches on YouTube.  The person that kept coming up was Lou Holtz, former Notre Dame football coach.  If you have never heard him speak, please look him up.  He is outstanding!

Holtz continued to stress the importance of fundamentals.  He said, “focus on the fundamentals and you will never fall far from the pack”.  “Understand your purpose.”  Whether it is on the field or in the office, know your role! 
He always stressed these points to his players.  He would always ask his team “what is our main goal?”  He would tell his team that whether we are running the ball or throwing the ball, “we are going to be the best at what we do”.  He would always challenge his players to set goals.  Setting goals is something that we all lose sight of because of the mountain of paper work that is on our desk.  All the goals we set seem to be short-term.  Set long-term goals and be prepared to make the sacrifices to meet them. 

Every year when he would meet the team for the first time, he would give the team 3 simple rules that they as a team would live by.

1.    Do what is right.  Be honest with your self and your actions.
2.    Do the best you can.
3.    Treat others as you would like to be treated.

That is it.  Do those things and everything else falls into place.

I listened to Lou Holtz and a light bulb went off in my head.  This is what I need to be teaching my soccer team-- the importance of fundamentals, setting goals, teamwork, and living by those three simple rules.  Get them to buy into that program, and there would be nothing they could not do.

I started to think about my company as well.  What if I started to run my company the same way?  Focus on the fundamentals, know my role, set goals that are a little hard to reach, do what is right, do the best that I can, and treat others as you would like to be treated.   There would be no way I could falter.  I may not reach all the goals that I have established, but working toward them would be the reward. 

Maybe you are at a cross roads in your job?  Maybe you need to re-evaluate the way you treat your clients?  Maybe you have been doing what might not be right just to get the job and then when it comes, everything goes wrong at that event causing you to not have a client anymore?

Lou Holtz told a great story.  One day at practice, he got an old fire hose out and told the offense to pick the strongest 5 offensive people to get on the hose and the strongest 5 defensive people to get on the hose.  A game of Tug of War ensued.  Before long, there were 10 defensive players going against 10 offensive players.  Before you knew it, the entire offense was going against the entire defense.  After about 8 minutes, the offense won and began to talk smack to the defense.  Tempers began to flare and after the dust settled, he calmed everyone down and asked them this,
“How are we going to win a game if we pull against each other? What we need to do is pull for each other.”

You might think what Lou was saying is a little simplistic and old fashioned, but who knows, try it for a quarter and see what happens.  You may like the results.

Have a great week,

Jason Logan, VP of Communications, ISES Orlando

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This past week, I was Voice of God for an awards gala night here in town.  It had all the glitz and glamour of your typical awards show.  The President of this global beverage company gave a keynote address, that was, as you would expect, your normal average, run of the mill address.  In his closing, he said something that sparked my interest so much that I had to write it down.  It was a quote that I had not heard before.  It is something that I am going to use for motivation the entire year.  Here is what he said...

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's learning how to dance in the rain."

I thought that is exactly what I, this entire industry, and the global economy need to do.  Learn how to do..."dance in the rain."  

In this exciting issue, we have a ton of stuff.  

First, don't forget to register for the RE-Optimize your Web Presence program on Wednesday!  They will not be taking walk-ups for this program, so register today for this informative seminar on how to get the most out of your web page.

Next, we all know about the trials and tribulations that are going on in our industry.  Good friends are looking for new jobs and it all pretty much has to do with corporate America being too afraid to have meetings, parties, and incentive trips due to the way the media is portraying those events.  ISES International has stepped forward to lend its voice to the cause.  In the ISES Advocacy article, you can learn how ISES is attacking back against the media and is giving us, as members, the tools to put pressure on our elected officials to do something about it.  Please read the article carefully and then go to ISES.com and look at all the information on the ISES Advocacy Page.  There is a pre-written letter there that you can send to your elected official.

We have also announced our March Member of the Month, Carolina Ousley.  Next week, we will run a feature on Ms. Ousley and all the great things that she is doing at the Ginn Reunion Resort!

If you missed it, Event Solutions was this past week in Las Vegas, NV.  Three of our ISES Orlando Members were awarded Spotlight Awards - read the article and find out who they were!

There is so much more in this issue, so please read and enjoy.

I hope that everyone has a great week!  

Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a great weekend and you are fully refreshed.   I personally had an exhausting week and weekend.  Between working and taking care of sick kids, it has been crazy.  It was like I needed a third adult to take care of some things.  You know split things up, get a little team work going.

Speaking of team work, I went to Dallas this weekend for an event that I was booked on by a planner from the ISES Dallas chapter.  I had a chance to meet this planner at EventWorld back in August.  Through networking and actually seeing me perform, she decided to book me for this event. Typically that is the way it works.  That is one of the reasons why we are all in ISES, right? 

Anyway, the show was a huge success.  All of the vendors were the best that Dallas had to offer in their specific disciplines and all were a part of the ISES family.  From the catering to the invitations, an ISES member was used for every service.  It was truly an ISES Team Effort.  

On the plane home, I started thinking about events that happen here in Orlando.  Are we as ISES members utilizing other ISES members? There is no law saying that we should use other members, but don't you think it would make life easier?  Let's look at it like this...we all believe in the same vision and mission statement from ISES...

Vision - Dedicated and Educated to Deliver Creative Excellence and Professionalism in Special Events.

Mission

The Mission of ISES is to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals along with related industries.

To that end, we strive to…

* Uphold the integrity of the special events profession to the general public through our "Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics"

* Acquire and disseminate useful business information

* Foster a spirit of cooperation among its members and other special events professionals, and…

* Cultivate high standards of business practices.

I believe that the above statement is what we are all striving for.  Utilizing companies that believe in the same philosophy as you, it  takes one thing off of your plate.  You know that your vendors are not going to pass out their cards and try and steal your clients.  You know that your vendor will do their best to make sure everything looks its best and there are no liability issues to worry about.  As a planner, I am sure that is what you are looking for, and that is what you get when you hire an ISES member, someone who actively conducts their business with that vision and mission statement in mind.

At the show in Dallas, I was talking with several of the ISES Member vendors and I was asking them what they were doing at the event, in some form or another they did not tell me what they were providing, they said that they were there to do whatever it took to make the event great.  They asked me, and I gave the answer that most everyone would have given, I am doing "xyz" tonight.

The next time someone asks me what I am doing at an event, I am going to say, "Whatever it takes to make this event spectacular". I think having this type of attitude will propel you and your organization to the top! 

Have a great week!

Jason Logan, VP of Communications

Good morning to all.

You know how you take things for granted sometimes.  The phrase you don’t know what you had until its gone?  Well I am really experiencing that this morning.

My beautiful wife usually wakes up with the kids and gets them off to school everyday.  Yesterday, she left for San Diego and The Special Event Conference.  She went to San Diego early for the leadership part of the conference, which means I had to get up with the kids this morning.

WHERE IS MY WIFE! 

Usually, I know where everything is in my house, but not this morning.  I can’t find lunchboxes, the kids can’t seem to find any clothes to wear, and one kid says they are allowed to have something for lunch and the other one says they are not.  I know that my kids are looking at me like I am a substitute teacher and they can get away with stuff.  These kids know just how to work it.   

Something is going to happen today…I can feel it.

Speaking of the thing that is breaking up a happy home, The Special Event is going on this week in San Diego, home of Ron Burgundy.  This is one of the Special Event Industries premier events.  ISES Members from all over the world will converge on San Diego to show off their wares and try and find the next best thing in the event world.  I am sure that Ron and the entire news team will be covering all of the festivities taking place there this week.  If you are going, drop us a line and let all of us know what you thought about the show.  It is always good to hear what you thought.

Also, good luck to all of the ISES Orlando Gala Award nominees.  Here’s to all of you and your outstanding work that has garnered this nomination.  Bring home the gold!

Have a safe week, and enjoy the show.

This week we are moving to a different way to communicate to our Members and Potential members.We are launching our new and improved ISES Orlando Community Portal.

As most of you know, last year was the debut of the ISES Orlando Community Portal. This was the first step to offer our members more direct access to promote their own companies and connect with other ISES Members. Well this was met with mixed reviews.Several of you expressed your concerns with the Portal, and we hope that in the new ISES Orlando Community Portal we have met your wants and desires.

The biggest change to this new Portal is the Directory.Before we had all of the ISES Orlando Members listed and if you knew the name of who you were looking for, it was easy.Now you can search by category, postal code, city, county, state, country, and of course by name.We hope that this will make your lives easier when trying to find just the right company to meet your needs.The Directory will be visible to anyone who comes to our site.We have taken the initial Directory straight from ISES International's directory, so when you signed up for ISES and filled out your profile, whatever you put in there for the category that you best fit your company, is where you are listed in our Directory.

Something else that will change is how you receive your Monday Morning News.We will no longer be sending out a PDF that is our Monday Morning News.You will be receiving an email that will look like a newsletter but it will only have part of the story.If you would like to read more of a particular article, then click the email where it says “read more” and you will be able to read the entire article.You can then go back to the email and repeat the process, or you can just hit “home” at the top of the article and go back to the ISES Orlando Community Portal home page.You will be able to see all of the articles from the Monday Morning News email right from the Home Page.

We hope that the new ISES Orlando Community Portal is easier for our Members and Potential Members to stay more connected to ISES Orlando and what is going on in and around the Central Florida special events community.

We will be rolling this out tonight at our RE-Connect to ISES meeting. We will be there to answer questions and help you get familiar with the new site.

We hope you enjoy the all-new ISES Orlando Community Portal! We are excited to bring this to you, our valued ISES Members.See you tonight.Don’t forget to bring your laptop tonight so you can play around on the new site.

Jason Logan

I think I have found my new vice in life, Facebook.

When I first started it, I thought to myself, “What a huge waste of time”. I guess now
that I am totally caught up in this thing, it still is a huge waste of time, but man is it fun.
I am now officially up to 236 friends, which is nothing to more internet savvy people,
but for a guy who is 37 years old, I think that is pretty good.

If you are not familiar with this social networking site, you can invite people to be your
friend, write up a profile about yourself, take fun quizzes that you can challenge your
friends too, and upload pictures and videos just to name a few.

The thing I love about Facebook is that I have reconnected to friends and family members
that I have not seen in over 15 years. In today’s craziness it is hard to pick up the
phone and spend 30 minutes talking about all that has gone on during the day let
alone 15 years. Having this medium has been a great way to catch up with friends
and family in the little time that I have for myself.

If you haven’t had a chance to get on Facebook or you are just hitting ignore to peoples
requests to be friends, give it a try. I promise you will have fun. Make the ISES
Orlando Fan Page your first stop. Become of Fan of ISES Orlando and we will become
a fan of yours.