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ISES—NJ North
By David Warner We hire people to paint our house, and then we pay them; is that what makes them professional painters? We wash our own car—not very hard— but we take it to the car wash. Are they professionals? Good question again. Well, how about us, Special Event Professionals? What is a professional Event Planner? Just because we are paid to help someone with their event, does that make us professional? I don’t think so. Like the car wash attendant, we need to act like professionals and be professional in every aspect of what we do. The spots did not come out of your dry cleaning? Take it back. The waiter did not bring the food exactly as you wanted? Send it back. Special Event Professionals don’t have that luxury. There are no do-overs. You can’t send it back. The guests are there, dresses perfect, suits pressed. Everything is in place. You must do this right, the first time, every time, and all the time. You can’t cut corners, you can’t be late, and you can’t forget anything. Everyone must do their job and have a happy face on as well. This is being professional. This is what the International Special Events Society (ISES) is all about. This is what you learn as a member. But ISES is more than that. You will network, meeting folks from all types of disciplines. You will learn that all specialties are not there to compete but to work together for the common good of this very special event! At meetings, you will discover the newest products and learn ways to recycle old ideas. You will open up doors that you never knew existed. But there is one thing that will not happen when you join ISES. You will not get new business. I did say “not” and I mean it. You must get involved. That means showing up at the meetings, participating in discussions, joining events, volunteering on a committee, and even volunteering for the board of directors! Come to an ISES meeting and put on your best 30-second introduction speech. Make sure you have plenty of business cards, and write a nice note the next morning to everyone you’ve met. These are the ways you will benefit from ISES. You will not only grow professionally, but personally. David Warner, immediate past President and co-founder of ISES-NJ North, is a 34-year veteran of the special events industry. He is President of Events Plus Entertainment in Whippany. Events Plus Entertainment produces about 1,000 events a year and has been ranked a top event planner by NJ Biz Magazine for the past three years. Warner can be reached by phone at 973-503-1700 or by email at david@eventsplus.com. |
