February 2, 2012

etc: The Travel Club for Event Suppliers

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Last year, I was approached by Martin Hess with American Club Association with an idea to start a club that would bring together meeting industry suppliers with meeting planners. What evolved was the Event Travel Club (etc) – an organization dedicated to building relationships between event, meeting, and travel professionals. While this is designed to be a national organization, currently Kansas City is the only major metro area with a local club, of which I am the president.

etc provides networking opportunities to share information regarding their roles and needs. In addition, etc provides an educational forum for professionals to learn, teach, and have face-to-face discussions regarding the future of the industry. Regardless of your event or travel needs, the connections you’ll make at etc will maximize your profits and increase the success of your events.

Some etc events will function as a mini FAM showcasing the leading event and convention venues throughout the metro area including hotels with meeting space, conference and event centers, local restaurants, and other entertainment establishments.

An Event Travel Club Membership offers hospitality professionals the following benefits:

* Meetings and Events: Members receive exclusive invitations to a variety of meetings and events designed to educate and support hospitality professionals. Members also have the opportunity to invite their friends, clients and colleagues to select events.

* Membership Roster: Members receive access to the etc Membership Roster, a confidential on-line directory that showcases and assists members in building relationships with others that share their same interests and concerns. Members receive their own Member profile with a photo and bio, which encourages members to become better acquainted on a personal level.

* Resource Directory:  etc will host an on-line Resource Directory consisting of businesses that serve hospitality professionals – and your search can be expanded to the entire metro area as well. Because etc endorses, and holds accountable, every business listed in the Directory, you can feel confident in utilizing the products and services featured – and recommend them to your friends, family, clients and colleagues.

 * Newsletter: Members receive a monthly e-newsletter created to keep our members informed and educated on event and travel planning. The newsletter also features our upcoming meetings and events, as well as helpful resources and updates.

* ACA Clubhouse: The Event Travel Club is supported by the American Club Association (ACA). As a result, our members receive exclusive access to the ACA Clubhouse which provides a centralized on-line member area designed to inform and connect members from all ACA Clubs. The ACA Clubhouse features an event calendar, resource library, internal messaging, free classifieds, and more.

After reading about etc, you may be asking yourself “how is this different than all the other meeting-related associations.” etc concentrates on the suppliers of the meeting/travel industry – allowing them to network together in a small group setting building relationships, bouncing ideas and referrals. I’m really excited about this new club because most of the associations I participate in focus on the supplier’s connection with the meeting planner and this one focuses on the supplier’s connection to other suppliers (although meeting planners are invited and welcome).

Membership is open to those hospitality professionals that serve the meeting, event, and travel industry. As a member, etc offers numerous opportunities for developing partnerships, giving back to the community, entertaining clients and colleagues, and growing your business.   If you would like more information regarding The Event Travel Club, contact me at mlallier@visitoverlandpark.com.

~Mindy

Why is car buying so difficult?

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You’ve seen and heard all the commercials.  We need your trade, interest rates at an all time low, this is the best time to buy a car, low prices, no haggle pricing, year-end inventory sale, summer sale, winter sale, and see you on the showroom floor.  And have you noticed they always seem to be yelling, maybe that is the first thing that turns us off, but really why is it so difficult and intimidating to buy a car.

I just recently purchased a car and actually had a good time doing it and felt confident about walking into the dealership.  Here is how I did it. I hope you find some of the suggestions helpful. 

1. Research! Research! Research! The internet is great.  Check out auto trader, Car Max, and cars.com to get prices, trade in values, and current interest rates. 

2. Go to multiple places and test drive cars you have narrowed it down to consider.  This is a big step.  Go at times like lunch or later in the evening when you and the dealer only have a few minutes, which will help prevent the dealer from sticking you in the office and being bullied into buying the car.  Also be up front and say I am not buying today. 

3. Have a plan on how you will pay, negotiate, what price you are comfortable with and how you will finance.  Financing is huge so know the current rates, check your bank or even your insurance company (they do car loans too).  This is what I actually did. 

Ok the big day is here and I headed off to the dealer, actually made an appointment with the salesman I had driven the car with on my original visit.  The first thing is always the trade-in as expected; therefore I countered with my offer along with the research.  Next what I will pay for the new car, this is where I offered cash and my trade-in.  He was floored by the cash offer, which was actually the loan from the insurance company, but he did not know that.  He came back with a reasonable offer (within my pre-planned amount) and inquired about the cash I was coming to the table with.  I explained that if he could beat the rate that I was getting from my insurance company then I would finance through them.  I actually told him lower than the insurance company had offered and wouldn’t you know he beat it and by a large amount.  I could not have been happier.  It only took two hours and the majority was filling out all the paper work. 

Here are a few other items you may be able to use when negotiating your deal.

 1. Never sit down in the office.  Walk around the showroom or even outside if the weather is nice.  Talk to other sales people. This throws them off something terrible and takes them away from their comfort zone. 

2. Always ask for your keys back when they look at your car before you begin negotiating.  This shows you are willing to leave.

3. Always be willing to walk away.

4. Never give your monthly price or any price.  Remember the first person who speaks loses.

5. You are not there to find a best friend, but be cordial.

6. Never allow the guy from the back to come out.  If they bring the other guy out this is your cue to leave.  The hard sell is coming

7. And always answer the question, “What will it take to get you in the car today?”  With the answer, “A free car.  “

Good luck!

~Kelly

January 26, 2012

Life lessons from Ferris Bueller and my visit to the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

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One of my favorite movies of all time is the cult classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. So many scenes are memorable, but one that always stands out to me is the trio playfully frolicking around the Art Institute of Chicago. Who can forget the infamous scene where Ferris’ buddy Cameron is mesmerized by the complexity and beauty of one of Georges Seurat’s most famous paintings in the world? When I lived in Chicago for six years, I was extremely lucky to be able to make monthly visits to the Art Institute and replicate my own Ferris Bueller experience – minus the actual frolicking of course.

Fast forward 18 months, I am now a resident of Overland Park and constantly familiarizing myself with my new surroundings. I’ll admit that when I moved here in the summer of 2010, I was skeptical of how I could ever live without Chicago deep dish pizza, frequent visits to the Art Institute and the breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. As I prepared for the big move and made my way south, my husband said “don’t worry, there’s plenty to do here!” Gradually, I have come to believe him more and more.

I could go on and on about the culinary and cultural adventures we have had over the last year and a half in the Kansas City metro area, but I would like to concentrate on my recent visit to the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, located on the campus of Johnson County Community College (JCCC). As I previously mentioned, I love exploring art museums and was very excited that one so widely respected in the art world is a five minute drive from our home.

Unfortunately, it took me until this past weekend to get out and explore this local gem, but I’m officially hooked. Upon arrival, the museum is an architectural wonder divided into two levels. The lower level is currently devoted to a very special exhibit, Abstract Kansas City, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the JCCC art collection. Abstract features pieces by artists who were educated in Kansas City or currently reside in the metro area. Running until February 19th, the exhibit showcases probing and unique pieces of contemporary work by such artists as Anne Lindberg (Parallel 23, 2009) and Brian Fahlstrom (Final Theme) – two of my favorites! The creative talent in the Kansas City area is tremendous and there is truly something for everyone to appreciate in this special exhibit. There’s even a beautiful piece involving duct tape!

Next, I made my way upstairs to the Kauffman, Starr and Cohen Galleries. I was greeted by South Korean artist Do-Ho Suh’s Some/One, which is truly one of the most unique pieces of art I have ever seen. Made from hundreds of stainless steel dog tags symbolizing ones issued by the military, the “coat” stirred my curiosity for at least 20 minutes. Other permanent pieces that caught my eye were Tomory Dodge’s Wasteland and Nicola Lopez’s Eye of the Storm. Both pieces involved so much color and visual detail that every admirer of the piece will surely interpret it differently.

For those of you who have never visited the Nerman or haven’t in quite some time, I highly encourage a visit as soon as possible. Admission to the museum is free and exhibits rotate every few months so each trip is truly different. During your visit, take time to read about the artist’s background, gaze at the art from different angles, interpret the art in your own way and if you have time, ask for a free guided tour. You may find that your appreciation and curiosity builds more than you ever imagined. And remember what Ferris famously said:  “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

~Liron

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