How Do You Fill A Gaping Void? IGNORE EVERYBODY!

I am the first to admit I am sucker for buying the latest books. The only problem is most of them collect in my bookcase and I'm lucky to get past the preface or maybe a chapter or two.

But last week my good friend, Mark Ferrell, whose workshops have lately been the hot topic all over Stacie Tamaki's Flirty Guide Blog gave me the heads up about a new book called "IGNORE EVERYBODY And 39 Other Keys to Creativity" by Hugh MacLeod. I am also the first to judge a book by its title so grabbing this one was an absolute no-brainer for me.

Last night I started reading it at 10:30 after thirty minutes of the Ten O'Clock News was all I could handle. Normally, at this hour I would get through a few pages and hit the pillow. My wife was falling asleep but I simply could not stop reading. So I quietly slipped into our closet with my book light and finished all of the Top 40 keys at around midnight.

Needless to say Hugh had me from the liner notes. I can't really say enough great things about this little book so I am not even going to attempt a book review. The best way to meet Hugh MacLeod is right on his blog called gapingvoid.

Hugh is a cartoonist and a lot more. He draws cartoons on the back of business cards. Sounds simple enough. Too simple? Yes, his approach to creativity is direct, humorous and at times even overly poignant. Whether you are a copywriter, artist, designer, photographer, painter, art director, tech writer or anyone else pursuing a creative endeavour this little book is a MUST read. Actually, it is full of big and little life lessons for just about anyone whose career needs a jump start.

Thanks Hugh. I am off to bed right now to spin it again.

What A Weekend! It Starts with Andy Mark's Dinner and Ends with Rev. Ed Holt's 100 Mile Dessert On A Bicycle!

Anyone who knows me knows I sometimes squeeze a little too much into not enough time. Last weekend was no exception. It's not that I planned it this way but sometimes all the cool stuff just happens at the same time.

It all began at a Martini Madness not too long ago when my good friend, Stacie Tamaki, of The Flirty Guide and I met Andy Mark. Andy is one of the most active spouses in the wedding industry constantly supporting his wife, Lisa Whelan and her photography business. The conversation soon turned to my other favorite subject of food and Andy said to check out his food blog. The next day I went right to www.itscookin.com and fell instantly in love with a recipe for a grilled avocado salad.

The more Stacie and I talked the more it sounded like a great idea to resurrect the dinner party concept she pioneered many years ago before formal networking even existed in our industry. Stacie is no slouch of a cook herself and used to invite about six industry peers to her tiny duplex in Campbell. Dinner was not only great but the social aspect was off the charts. At 2:00 a.m. the conversation was often still bustling. She developed some of her closest industry relationships from those little gatherings.

So Andy and I picked May 15 and worked out a Mediterranean theme menu around several restrictive diets of our guests. This first picture is of the two cooks showing off Andy's zucchini appetizer in the special I MC Events vibrant green colored serving bowl.


Our menu also included an incredible French cheese tray, my capresé kebabs, white bean dip, pan roasted halibut, steamed chard and couscous with currents and toasted almonds. As if that wasn't enough, we topped off the evening with a really fun interactive dessert. It was a chocolate tasting hosted by Andy's good friend, Christine Doerr, of Neo Cocoa, "The Hearts of Chocolate Truffles." Also enjoying our first dinner party was event designer, Duncan Reyes, videographer, Dave Ethridge and photographer, Jasmine Wang.

As you can tell from this extremely rare shot of Stacie T. with a wine goblet toasting Duncan an absolutely splendid time was being had by all.


However, around midnight I had to be the party pooper and head back to Santa Cruz. My first century of the season beckoned only a few hours away. My good friend and cycling compadré, Rev. Ed Holt was meeting me at 6:00 a.m. to embark on the Strawberry Fields Forever Century Bicycle Ride. Normally, I like to get more than just a couple of hours sleep before a long ride but this time it just wasn't in the cards. Here's a shot of Ed and I before we embarked on our journey through the hills and fields of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.


Many cyclists agree that the Strawberry ride has some of the best food of any organized ride. It is well supported and the rest stops never disappoint. The highlight is the final rest stop at the famous Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville. Famous for their apples and bake shop we were treated to fresh cider and apple pie. This is cycling at it's finest.



So 100 miles and 6,000 vertical feet later Ed and I were nicely spent. We were certainly not the first to finish but we were satisfied to have niether bonked nor quit. I chalked it up to another weekend full of life. You just can't beat food, friends and fast times on a road bike. My thanks go out to Andy for a great culinary effort, Stacie for her never ending social networking skills and Ed for persevering the entire 100. All of you continue to make my life richer.

That Cycling Chef Guy.

CIA Boot Camp taught by Chef John Ash is really more like a Culinary Fantasy Camp

Most people perk up when they hear the term "CIA" and wonder if someone is secretly watching, recording or tapping their phone line. But anyone who pays any attention to culinary education knows in the foodie world the acronym stands for Culinary Institute of America. They began in Hyde Park, New York and moved southwest adding a campus in San Antonio, Texas. The expansion to the west coast was directly into to the heart of the wine country in Napa, California. My first photo is the front of their incredible Napa facility which was once the Greystone Winery and then later run by the Christian Brothers. This centerpiece of the campus is 117,000 square feet of classrooms, theaters, shops and restaurants. It is premier culinary training in the middle of a wine mecca which is a pairing that makes perfect sense.


In November I had the opportunity and pleasure of enlisting in the CIA Basic Boot Camp at this amazing Greystone campus. I was one of just twelve students who got to spend one week under the guidance of the renowned chef, author and educator, Chef John Ash.

We wasted no time jumping right into the swing of things at the CIA. Chef John Ash is a pioneer of using local, seasonal ingredients to complement the regional wines of the area at his restaurant, John Ash & Co. in Santa Rosa, California. And it didn't get any more local for us than just a few steps across the driveway to the CIA's own herb garden. We toured it on the first day of class and had the luxury of picking from this plethora of fresh herbs all week long.


There were so many varieties of just chives alone that I lost count. As Chef John gave us the tour of this extensive garden we sampled along the way. My personal favorite was called Sanguisorba Minor or more commonly, Salad Burnet. It is absolutely delicious and I'm predicting it to be the next basil.


On our very first night we got off on the right foot with a CIA hosted dinner in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. It was no surprise that the food was spectacular and nicely paired with wines from the Sauvignon Republic. As an ice breaker Chef Ash asked each of us to share one of our favorite stories at dinner. Comradery blossomed and it was a great start to a great week.


As pleasant as the surroundings were it was still boot camp and that meant starting everyday sharp at 7:00 a.m. We covered everything from basic knife skills to some of the most popular cooking techniques like poaching in oil. It was great to see rigid protocol like dress codes enforced. Our chef's toques were to be worn at all times in the kitchen area. Pictured here is my entry in our knife skills competition.


Every day began with lectures and ended with us preparing enough food for 96 people. We formed four teams and each team made four dishes in quantities of six. The results meant some serious good eats for the dozen students, Chef John and his two assistants. Pictured here is Dan Williams as he tenderizes some meat with the back of a saucepan. Dan lives in Orangevale near Sacramento and was the only other guy in our class. Dan is not only a great cook, but also loves wine and golf which means that he and I will definitely have a few more stories to tell down the road.


Chef John Ash knows a lot about flavors. He also knows a lot about wine and we were treated to a session at The Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies where he used tiny bits of food to play with our palates. This experiment was part of the greater discussion of flavors to which we dedicated an entire day and was the highlight of my week.


My only complaint of the week was the proverbial "so much information, so little time." The realm of culinary is massive and impossible to squeeze into five days. We had a great group of students. We had our own private kitchen called The Williams Center for Flavor Development separate from the main teaching facility. We had Chef John Ash as our mentor. If we only had some more time. I liken cooking instruction from Chef Ash to taking an art class from Michelangelo because every lesson is augmented by real first hand experience from around the world. If it's tempera, then he has a story to share about cooking with Japan's top chef. Education just doesn't get much better than this. They call it "Boot Camp" but it was truly like living out a fantasy for me.


It's no surprise that I have chalked this one up to a truly great experience. In my parting shot here Chef John Ash is pointing to one very happy boot camper.

MC Skills Workshop - Never Stop Honing

In the culinary world we are taught to hone our knives every time we use them. A quick run across the honing stone enables your knife to easily go right through a ripe tomato. It is really all about maintenance and keeping your tools effective. I feel this same sharpening habit goes for your talents. Last month I had the opportunity to return to school and take a unique MC Skills Workshop in Las Vegas where we learned what makes great speakers and presenters.

Workshops and seminars for self-improvement are quite common. However, emcee/MC/ master of ceremonies skills are often learned innately or stem from acting, film, television or drama disciplines. Fortunately, my good friends, Mark and Rebecca Ferrell, have produced several workshops for disc jockeys who seek to improve their MC skills. The Ferrells are well qualified to teach this workshop because they come from an extensive entertainment background including Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, as well as television, radio and voice over work. They created The Love Story concept in 1989 for their wedding clients and have been teaching the Marbecca Method to entertainers all over the United States and Canada. You can follow them on their blog at Mark Ferrell.com.

The Marbecca Method training is both intimate and intense. I was one of only six students in this small meeting room at Hilton Homewood Suites in Henderson, Nevada. The tables were strategically positioned to optimize communication between everyone.


And then there was the dreaded camcorder. Yes, the only way to see your mistakes and watch your improvements is video. It was constantly rolling and revealing every little nuance you want to see and many you'd rather not see. In this shot I am on the hot seat with somewhat of a deer-in-the-headlights look on my face while Mark seems to be chuckling at the footage.


Part of our training included watching many examples of speakers. Time and again the best example of great MC work we witnessed was Marc Summers. Marc is the quintessential Master of Ceremonies. Marc hosts a show called Unwrapped on my favorite channel, The Food Network, where you can enjoy his amazing speaking skills weekly.

An important part of being the Master of Ceremonies is to have a working knowledge of the ceremonies themselves. There is much folklore and history that has made ceremonies endure over hundreds of years. We took turns role playing as bridal couples while each of us explained these traditions in our announcements. It could have been the intensity or just the moment but I decided humor was the best medicine when it was my turn to play the bride so I turned a napkin into a veil for that shabby chic look. I am posing here over the cake cutting with my new "hubby" Glen Bacarro who traveled all the way from Ontario, Canada to take the workshop.


This parting shot is our graduating class. Some came from as far away as Australia and England just to improve their skills. Our sincere thanks goes out to Mark and Rebecca for sharing their many years of experience with us. I learned an awful lot about MC skills from this workshop. It also reminded me just how important it is to never stop learning. Even if you think you've mastered everything, then get outside your comfort zone and take on the challenge of a brand new skill where you are the rookie. The learning curve will be exhilarating and it will jump start your senses. After all, it is never too late to learn and hone your brain cells.

The 411 Debut: A Case Study in Branding 101

Just in case you missed it Monday night was the first official network gathering of South Bay event professionals. It is called The 411 and it is the brainchild of Nicole Lisanne Weddings & Events by Design. For many of us south of Palo Alto the shared sentiment is "It's about time!" As much as we love The City we also have a strong community here and feel our market is worthy of it's own organized networking events.

For me the evening hit a very high note because I definitely have branding on the brain. It all began last month when my good friend, Stacie Tamaki, from The Flirty Guide took some time away from her insanely busy schedule to help me re-brand. If you have not seen my new website, please check it out at imcevents.com.

I have learned many things from Stacie but among them is the importance of branding. We went to great lengths to get a specific color of green for my new look. It was an easy color to define by Pantone number but not that easy to print. My first run of 2,000 business cards had to be tossed because the green was just not the right green.

So last week when I did my first showcase of the year with Fanfare I got right into the swing of things with my new green look. Branding at the Stacie Tamaki level means finding green foiled Hershey's Kisses in a multi-colored variety Easter pack and then picking out only the green ones. Even Stacie had to admit that she was impressed with my green-to-the-point-of-envy efforts as you can see from my display.


As crazy as all this may sound it really makes a difference when you are branding your company with a color, graphic, slogan or anything else people will associate with you. At The 411 I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Boyd who is a non-denominational wedding officiant. Barbara was curious about branding and asking me to share some of my experience on the subject. Our conversation segued into an introduction to someone named "Edith." At the very moment of introduction I flashed on my brief visit to the Bridal Expo on January 31 at the Santa Cruz Cocoanut Grove where I recall noticing a very classy cake exhibit. Three things struck me about this company which was a standout in the midst of a busy wedding show packed with vendors of all kinds.

1. Vivid Periwinkle Blue Color
2. Catch Phrase: "Understated Elegance"
3. The proprietor's first name, Edith

As soon as I was introduced to Edith I asked her if she had a cake company in Santa Cruz. She was blown away by my instant recognition of her exhibit. I was not surprised at all because Edith Meyer is not only a class act but also very skilled at branding. You have my word on it as well as a very real first hand story from The 411. And what better place to experience great branding than the launching of a brand new industry networking event.

My thanks goes out to Edith Meyer for setting such a great example of branding for all of us.

And for the record, I hear that her cakes are just as amazing as her marketing efforts so it is nice to know that Edith also walks the walk.

-CM

DJ & MC – Are They The Same Thing?

I have returned with a brand new look!

WHAT!?! You seldom see anyone with the "MC" tag following their name.

That's because it could be one of the least understood but biggest responsibilities at any event. Webster's definition of MC/Master of Ceremonies/emcee is "a person who directs the entertainment at a party, dinner, nightclub, radio or television broadcast, or the like, acting as host and introducing the speakers or performers."

Wow! It seems that person can really impact the successful (or not) outcome of an event. No wonder I have enjoyed orchestrating events for so long. I love the challenge of managing many variables that all combine in order create a well timed event that flows smoothly. It is a lot like massaging all the ingredients in a recipe to make the perfect dish.

So where does a DJ fit into this mix? Mixing music is what a great DJ brings to the party. It takes keen music knowledge, programming and technical mixing skills to become a proficient DJ. A great DJ is every bit as much "Live Entertainment" as a band because the selections are chosen on the spot. Any automated playback source such as an iPod is really what is considered canned music because it is pre-programmed even in the shuffle or random mode.

So can a DJ also be a great MC? It is possible but it takes a super multi-tasker who can really think on their feet. After many years of being a musical host at thousands of events I've realized that it was more often my direction than my music that really made the biggest difference. Therefore, I feel it is time to enlighten the world on what makes a great MC and how much he/she means to the success of events.

I love to tell stories which is one reason I like to blog. Recently I've been expanding my MC skills into the culinary world, fitness arena and other non-wedding areas. Get ready for lots of stories and maybe even a few recipes.

My new website is imcevents.com and I LOVE audience feedback. So please drop me a blog comment, e-mail or call 408.298.7710 anytime that one of my stories rings your bell, floats your boat or flips your switch.

-CM the MC

Holman Ranch + Carmel Valley = Amazing!

It had been a few years since my last event at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley. Although I remember it as being a nice venue I would upgrade my current description to stunning. The date was May 24 and the scene was set for the wedding of Kelly Simonson and Conor Flannery. My expectations of this venue were high following a pre-event site inspection courtesy of Holman's Event Sales Manager, Hunter Lowder.

Holman Ranch features four distinctive areas for their events. Batting first is the beautiful ceremony site shown here surrounded by vineyards and a seemingly endless horizon of coastal mountains for the backdrop.


The ceremony was officiated by Conor's long time family priest, Father Seamus Genovese. Kelly was the consummate glowing bride and Conor reached for his tissue a few times in anticipation of reciting his vows.


Following the ceremony the guests took full advantage of the Stone Terrace and much of the seriously manicured grounds for a cocktail hour. Holman Ranch reminds me of Disneyland level detailing in that no blade of grass is out of place. Check out just a few of the many landscape features. Some of these areas aren't even used by the guests but they all add to the incredible ambiance.




Conor stole the show at the conclusion of the cocktail hour with a surprise serenade for Kelly. He made several jaws drop while playing piano and singing their favorite Billy Joel tune, "She's Got A Way." Dinner followed as we moved into the Rose Patio for a family style feast created by Paradise Catering.


We corralled our final phase of fun in the Carriage House to dance, dance, dance. This area is perfect for acoustics and controlled mayhem. While the dance floor was packed there were also campfires and continued delicacies for the non-dancing guests who just chose a wind down conclusion of this fine day.


The sheer beauty of Holman Ranch was the perfect setting for Kelly and Conor's celebration and Mother Nature cooperated to the max with fantastic weather for the Memorial Day weekend.


For an outdoor California wedding it simply doesn't get any better than Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley. It may be one of the best kept wedding venue secrets but Hunter Lowder will gladly tell you all about it at 831.659.2640 or events@holmanranch.com.