Wednesday, January 28th was the official kick-off of TSE 2009!  It was a jam packed day with the Wedding Luncheon and the Gallery as well as the Tradeshow.

I am suffering from information overload so here’s a visual recap of the day!

Scenes from the TSE 2009 Tradeshow

Scenes from the TSE 2009 Wedding Lunch & Gallery

The Special Event (also known as TSE) is a yearly convention for the special event industry.  Every year special event professionals descend upon a poor unsuspecting city trying to paint the town red (sometimes literally!).  This year TSE is in San Diego (woo hoo!) and so as a San Diego based Weddings and Events Planner, it was an absolute must for me to attend!

Tuesday was the first day of sessions and it was fantastic!  I attended a Marketing session by Nancy Liu Chin, a San Francisco Floral Designer, who is just a ball of energy!  It was a great way to start the morning and the conference.  I definitely came away energized and with a great take-away: be the bridge - as in connecting people!

Next up was Andy Ebon’s session on Exploring New Social Media.  Andy, of The Wedding Marketing Blog, was really inspiring about navigating all the social media outlets, which ones to utilize and how to maximize them.  He even stayed longer to talk in more detail about blogs…and while he ribbed me about my website a bit it was a great critique that I plan to work on!

The session by Forte Events‘ Tami Forero session was equally motivating and Elegant Events by Elisa’s own Elisa MacKenzie’s session was such a boost to what I am already doing!

I met up with a fantstic group of fellow coordinators at JSix (which will get its own review later) and then attended the TSE event at Stingaree, which is an awesome venue!

On Wednesday’s agenda: The Tradeshow & The Wedding Luncheon at the Hard Rock Hotel ….can’t wait!

Don’t get me wrong…I like flowers!  But I also like flowers when they are surrounded by non-floral pieces.  Wheatgrass, cabbage, fern, leaves…they all add extra depth and texture to bouquets and centerpieces.

Here are some fab examples of how to incorporate flora elements that are not flowers!

Other faves are succulents, curly willow, bamboo and berries!

Also, make sure you take advantage of whatever items are in season!  It will save you some bucks.

Have you found other great non-flower ideas?  Post your links in a comment!

From My Travels!

In January of 2008 I was fortunate enough to take a fantastic trip to London.  One of my best friends and I planned a 4 day excursion, but I got to thinking…if we’re going to be in London then why not also go to Paris?!  Well, she couldn’t get the extra time off work, but I could.  So when the London part of the trip came to an end, she hopped a plane back to the states and I hopped a train to Paris!
Now, I had only ever been there once before about 7 years prior so its not as though I was familiar with the city.  I don’t even speak French!  So I was concerned about being able to navigate the city, by myself no less!  Before my trip I picked up a phrase book and reviewed what I thought would be some important things to know.

Now, I was told the not being able to speak French thing would not be a problem because most Parisians speak English, but at the same time I felt it would be rude of me to just assume the language barrier would not be a problem.  I figured that I may not be able to speak French, but at least demonstrating some effort would get me more than just a cold shoulder from the locals.  And I think my efforts paid off!

The French tend to get a pretty bad rap for being rude, but I didn’t have a problem (aside from one waitress, but I think that was just her general disposition).  Its my belief that whenever you are traveling to a country where English is not native language, the polite thing to do is to learn phrases that will help you on your travels.  At least know how to ask if they other person speaks English, that way if they don’t they may be able to find someone that does.  Also, for restaurant dining, be able to ask for a table, for the menu, and for the check.  Know what “exit” and “enter” signs are, and how to purchase train & metro tickets.  The things you will most commonly do on your travels are the bits to brush up on so that you won’t feel so much like a fish out of water!

Happy Monday!

Downtown San Diego has been enjoying quite the boom!  The Ivy Hotel opened in 2007 as THE chic & luxe hotel in the Gaslamp.  It was shortly followed by the Hard Rock Hotel and let’s not forget the newly renovated W hotel.  But now we have another treat to add to the mix…Se San Diego.

Designed to be an oasis amongst the buzzing downtown, walking into Se is like walking into another world.  The attention to detail in the lobby alone is incredible…stingray skins cover the concierge and reception desks…but the staff will immediately inform you that no stingrays were harmed in the process.  The skins come from a preserve and were gathered after the natural shedding process…how’s that for chic and eco-friendly!

A custom designed lighting sculpture hangs in the lobby and is more akin to a mobile than anything else.

And that’s another thing!  Installation pieces abound throughout the hotel.  The staircase wall is lined with a fin-like installation, the restaurant (Suite & Tender) has black wood panels with etchings of different words and phrases (some naughty and some nice), and the spa reception desk has an awesome backdrop of miniature teacup-like sculptures in the loveliest shade of foam green.  Its worth the visit just to see the art in the joint!

And the guest rooms….dark hardwood floors.  I was sold on that alone!

The hotel bar is cool, dark and sexy…perfect for an evening drink.

No expense was spared in the design of this property.  Boasting mainly an Asian-inspired theme, Se actually fuses together inspiration from every conceivable point in the world but in the most fluid aesthetic imaginable.  Incredibly tactile, you want to feel everything you see, but the sensory experience does not stop there.  The quirkiest part of the hotel are the elevators…white acrylic walls with embedded crosscuts of wood pieces that emanate the most subtly sweet aroma.  Again…the attention to detail is beyond anything I could have imagined.

And let’s not forget the ballroom.  Located on the 4th floor (someone correct me if that’s wrong), the east wall of the ballroom is filled with windows from floor to ceiling, and the ceiling has a sculptured element with wood panels overlapping each other.  I love the modern feel of the whole space!

As you can see, I like the place.  So next time your downtown and find yourself near the House of Blues cruise into the bar of their new neighbor…Se San Diego.

Image Courtesty of SeSanDiego.com

Website: SE San Diego

Address: 1047 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

Se has had their soft opening and is due for their Grand Opening in February.