It was Shakespeare who said that all of life's a stage, but it was MPI volunteers, including Greater Green Bay CVB Convention Sales Manager, Denise Humphrey, who made the quote come true. Humphrey and her contemporaries planned and presented last month’s Wisconsin MPI Annual Gala at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh, WI. Playing off the unique qualities of the venue, the party was themed Come Fly with MPI-WI and the planners made it a dramatically different event. You too, can make your event even more memorable by looking for simple, yet unique ways to add drama, just like Denise did and the other MPI volunteers did.
Q. Tell me about the event in September?
A. It was our annual gala that we hold each year to recognize and celebrate our membership and all our volunteers from the previous year. This year we had 110 in attendance. The event was held at the EAA AirVenture Museum, so we focused on the flying theme.
Q. How did you play off that theme?
A. It started with an invitation that looked like an airline ticket. Then upon registration at the event, everyone was given a “boarding pass” which they handed off as they went through the doors. Then they arrived at their table to find an event program that looked like a passport. Our AV partners did a great job of incorporating the theme into the presentation too. They superimposed photos of the award winners’ heads onto pilots’ bodies. The theme also came through in the colors we chose—royal blue, gray/silver and white—very reminiscent of an airline. And of course, the music was appropriately themed and nostalgic—Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly with Me” and other songs like that.
Q. How about the food? I hope it wasn’t similar to what you’d receive on an airplane?
A. No, we had sort of an old world theme with the food. It was MPI’s 40th anniversary, so we made some old world choices for the food –- Coq au vin, a fall salad and a grapefruit tart.
Q. How did you come up with the whole airplane/flight idea?
A. It started with our venue choice — the EAA AirVenture Museum. We went into it thinking we should play off the venue. For example, during one portion of the reception, we were gathered in an area where there were planes suspended from the ceiling. It really added drama to the gathering because it tied into our theme.
Q. What tips would you offer a planner who wants to add some drama to their event?
A. First start by scouting out unique venues. See if there’s something you can do that’s going to lend itself to an unusual or dramatic theme. For example, two local venues –- Lambeau Field and the National Railroad Museum –- would offer a planner the opportunity to create something special and really play up that “wow” factor.
Then once you’ve chosen the venue, create drama with the ambience by choosing lighting, music, décor and colors that will add impact and excitement.
Denise Humphrey works at the Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau as the Convention Sales Manager. She works with various meeting and event groups to help make their event a success in Greater Green Bay. Currently she also volunteers on the Meeting Professionals International-Wisconsin Board of Directors as Director of Awards, Scholarship & Recruitment for the chapter.
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