Newsletter 1

Charisma Productions Gazette Volume 3, Issue 2 Feburary 2011

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Proper Business Etiquette-Offsite

1 Happy Valentine’s Day

2 How to Organize Corporate Retreats

3 Events

4 How a Professional Can Help With

Corporate Meetings and Events

5 From Our Executive Chef

6 From Our IT Department

7 Thank You For Your Support

Proper Business Etiquette

When Holding an Offsite

Meeting

Offsite Meeting Etiquette

Business Etiquette

Charisma Productions Network

Offsite business meetings are great ways for people to

interact in a relaxed environment and still get workers

and bosses focused on work related business. These

types of conferences should always be held in a

business casual manner to promote an easy going

flow. Business etiquette demands that bosses maintain

the dignity of their position while connecting with

employees or clients on a personal basis.

One tip to get the ball rolling for an offsite meeting is to

know who having a prearranged location with all of

guests accounted for. By knowing how many people

are going to attend, a project leader can plan the

activities for the best locations. The size of the group

definitely plays into the etiquette of a meeting. Smaller

meetings can be held on a golf course, while larger

ones should be geared towards retreats. The etiquette

Happy Valentine’s Day

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to

Valentine's Day) this is an annual commemoration held

on February 14 celebrating love and affection between

intimate companions. The day is named after one or more

early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established

by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman

calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious

observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which

lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers,

offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as

"valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic

love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle

Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Informative, Inspiring and Empowering

Charisma Productions Network

continued on page 2

Newsletter 2

of a bosses and employees alike should be casual but

professional while on a retreat. It is okay to have fun but

remember that these people must work together. If

alcoholic beverages are served, monitor intake to avoid

any embarrassing situations that arise from being

inebriated. No one wants to be fired for having a little too

much fun at the business retreat.

Group leaders and bosses should also have a well thought

out agenda for the offsite meeting so that everyone is

heading in the same direction. While on a retreat, different

classes, games, and activities to promote better boss,

employee, and customer relations is paramount.

Remember to include fun in most of the activities to

reinvigorate employees during one of these get-togethers.

It is also important for those who will be doing the hosting

of the conference to take a tour of the facilities before the

group arrives. This allows them to plan the activities best

suited for any location to promote the easy flow of people

attending. Know the costs and grounds so that employees'

fun is maximized. This is all a part of being prepared for

the offsite meeting and will pay off in case of trouble.

Business etiquette during an offsite meeting should remain

business casual. Keep employees and bosses happy alike

by being friendly and personable but maintain dignity at all

times. Bosses, especially, should preplan activities and

have a good working knowledge of the agenda and area

where the meeting is to be held. These types of

conferences go a long way in bring a company closer

together.

.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS

How to Organize Corporate Team

Building Retreats

Off-site corporate meetings can have many purposes – sales meetings, leadership retreats, management meetings, or training seminars. For any retreat, organization is key. Here's how to organize a corporate meeting.

Form a Corporate Retreat Planning

Committee

Many organizations form planning committees to help divide the many tasks involved in planning an event. Two or more people should be involved in the planning, with

tasks clearly defined. In addition, all individuals on the planning committee should touch base, either in meetings or by conference call, on a regular basis to keep each other updated and to mitigate any problems that might arise.

The planning committee should be formed as soon as possible, so that the meeting can be planned well in advance. This will help to find vendors and keep the planning running smoothly, as well as to take advantage of any early booking discounts that may be available.If the meeting will take place over two or more days, schedule some down time for employees to see the sights or other attractions in the area, especially if the retreat takes place out of town.

Be sure to also set a dress code for attendees so that they know how to pack and what to plan for; include specific items, such as swimwear, if necessary.

Meals and Catering at Off-Site Meetings

For any meeting, meals and snacks are important. Will a caterer be needed, or does the venue offer food services? How will special dietary restrictions, such as allergies or vegetarians, be handled? Plan for three meals a day, plus snacks and drinks throughout the day. In addition, have bottles or pitchers of water handy, as well as coffee and tea.

Planning a corporate retreat can be complicated; by staying organized and focused, planners can ensure that employees get the most of the meeting.

Set a Budget for the Company Meeting

Before any planning can take place, a budget must be created. Include any expenses that may be incurred, such as transportation, lodging, food and beverage, speaker fees, and taxes and tips.

Choosing a Venue for a Corporate Retreat

Consider the purpose and mood of the meeting; is it a focused meeting to discuss crucial information, or a reward for a job well done? Will team building activities or workshops be included? How far should employees travel to the venue? If air travel is involved, will they need overnight accommodations and transportation to and from the airport?

Setting the Meeting Agenda for an Off Site

Meeting

Decide on the purpose of the meeting and set the agenda accordingly. Guest speakers, workshop facilitators and other guests can help to meet the goals of the meeting and keep employees engaged and focused.

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Newsletter 3

Events

Newsletter 4

How a Professional Can Help With Corporate Meetings

and Events!

There are just so many great reasons why a business of any size would benefit by hosting some type of business or corporate meeting or event. For instance, if you're in management and would like to cultivate some type of bond of sorts between yourself, other management personnel and the company’s general work force, throwing a corporate meeting or event of this type is one of the best proven methods of accomplishing this.

These types of meetings and events function to make your employees feel like they are actually part of a family oriented business and hence, are a great motivator. They are also a great time to discuss business or work related matters with them or company policy off the clock. It's also a great time for you as a manager to get a better feel for who your workers are and talk to their spouses, partners or significant others.

So the progressive and opportunistic manager or supervisor will take these types of corporate meeting or events very seriously. Yes it's a great time to eat, drink and be merry but all the same there is much gold to be mined. This is why everything should go off without a hitch and the person doing the organizing will want to make sure that they get maximum bang out of every dollar budgeted for the meeting or event.

So this is where the services of a professional Meeting and Event Production Company come in because this is not the time or place to do any experimenting or to learn by trial and error. A professional corporate meeting and event production company can help you over the stumbling blocks an show you how to best implement any ideas that you may have. Remember that you do have a budget that you will want to stick to.

Because they know the best vendors and are familiar with them, they can insure that you get the best value from all of the vendors that you deal with. They will also have all the connections that you will need for help in setting up, taking down and cleaning up after your event is over. Also they can help you get in contact with the most able and reputable security service in your area.

Remember that an event of this type is a one shot deal, so what would be a minor problem any other time, can be a major headache for you here. Fortunately, professional corporate meeting and event Production Company know where and how the most common problems spout up, so they can prep for or nipped in the bud.

One thing that you never want to do is underestimate the power and potential that a successful event of this type has to get your star shining in the firm that employs you. If done right, it's a success that you pulled off that will be talked about by your peers as well as those in a position to influence your position in the firm for weeks, if not months.

If you want to gamble then hop in your car and drive to a casino, but never gamble with something like this. Sure it's stressful but once you learn the ropes by watching and learning from a professional meeting and event production company, it can end up to be a regular gig that you can count on each time it comes up that makes you all that more valuable and irreplaceable to your company or firm.

Informative, Inspiring and Empowering

Let Charisma Productions Network become your one-stop solution for all your corporate meeting, events and conference

needs.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS

Newsletter 5

From Our Executive Chef

Beef Tenderloin Asturias

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

4 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks

salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup beef broth

4 ounces Spanish blue cheese, such as Cabrales or Valdeon

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Season steaks to taste with salt and pepper, then sear

on both sides in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until steaks reach desired doneness, about 6

minutes for medium-rare. Remove steaks from skillet and keep warm. Stir in minced onion and cook until softened and

translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with paprika and cook for an additional minute. Increase heat to medium-high, then

pour in wine. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, then add the beef broth, return to a simmer, and cook for 2

minutes. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese until just melted. To serve, pour the sauce over the steaks and sprinkle with

chopped parsley.

Newsletter 6

From Our IT Department

Outlook Tip: Synchronize Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Documents with

Outlook 2007

Whether you spend most of your time in the field, or occasionally travel for work, the ability to access files stored on your

SharePoint site at times when you are not connected to the Internet would help you use your time more efficiently and increase

your individual productivity. With Outlook 2007, you can view specific SharePoint lists such as document libraries, discussions,

calendars, tasks and contacts that are stored on your Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 sites.

You can take documents offline and preview, read or perform a search on them within Outlook 2007. Offline support and seamless

synchronization allows you to access and manage information from Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 workspaces within Outlook

even without an Internet connection.

For example, before leaving the office to travel to an offsite meeting, you can save a copy of a necessary document (such as sales

presentation) stored in your team’s workspace, to a special folder in Outlook 2007. While on the road, or even on an airplane

without Internet access, you can continue working on your presentation, whether previewing it within Outlook or editing with

Microsoft Office PowerPoint. When you are back in the office (or another location that has an Internet connection), you will be able

to synchronize your local changes with the shared copy on your SharePoint site. As soon as your Outlook is connected to the

Internet, the synchronization will begin automatically.

To be able to perform this action, you first need to ensure that you (or other users) are using Outlook 2007 with a Microsoft

Exchange account and have been given permission to access SharePoint documents.

Here’s how to do it:

Open the document library or list on your SharePoint site

Click “Actions”

Select “Connect to Outlook” from the actions list.

Newsletter 7

Thank You for Your Support

We wish to thank our readers and our clients for their support and feedback helping to continually grow the Charisma Productions Network. We look forward to another successful year in 2011 as we continue to grow and provide you with successful stress-free events. We appreciate hearing from all of you and strive to improve our articles and hope to have something for everyone at one point or another. Please send us suggestions for topics you would like to read about or if you have an article that you would like to share we’ll be happy to post it.:

Please send all comments to: comments@cpnevents.com

Let Charisma Productions Network become your one-stop solution for all your corporate meeting, events and

conference needs.

Charisma Productions Network A Geoff Andrews Company

805-241-0566 www.charismaproductionsnetwork.com

info@cpnevents.com © Charisma Productions Network 2010, All Rights Reserved