POLAR PHILANTHROPY

Pay it forward.
Give back.
Whichever way your heart's G.P.S. takes you, charity is the
event of the season. Destination? Greenwich, Ct.

Fashionistas and artists are taking it to the streets
once again. The boutique bound will find much satisfaction on
Fashion Night Out (Sept. 10, 2010). Buying in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness/Research will be the deal of the night.
Al fresco art unveilings will shower the streets all month long. They are
galleries for all to meet neighbors who spend both their time
and money celebrating the ability to make a difference.

Just down the road (Sept. 11, 2010), E.C.A.D. is kicking up
its denim, heel, boots and tails for the "real" heroes.
Waterside wait staff will take care of those
raising funds for the future of our veterans , their families and
our neighborhoods.

Need directions on how to get on the guest list
of any one of the many celebrations taking place in
Connecticut? In search of someone to coordinate
your an event for the charity of your choice? Let us guide you !

Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions 914- 419 -2368 jo@jorosenfeld.com
www.jorosenfeld.com Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions on FB

WHEN IN ROME

Guilty - a slave to what the international runways send down preseason to see what's in style in France and Italy. It's all over the top and too much fun to watch. A luxury item is a luxury item. Prices are predictably high in any given country.
So, I am taking a look at what is happening at the end of another runway - an airport one. How are people celebrating in France and Italy all year long?

On any ordinary day the men and women of Paris are beautiful to behold. I have to laugh
( to myself as I am, after all, in France where everyone is not only beautiful but soooo reserved) as I drink my coffee. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with others, outside of the Cafe Duree, the posture of the Parisians is one sitting facing the street and "viewing" life in a very different manner than I am accustomed to.
My French is fragile but I attempt to chat with a fellow coffee lover. I now have
a handle , pun intended, on what I will coin as "fete forward."

Less is more. The economy has seen to that . The cost of both living and celebrating
is enough to take one's breath away. So, churches and hotels see their fair share
of events while museums and other alternative venues do not. Wine flows and food is served in a most traditional fashion. Flowers are plentiful and are easily found
courtesy of Mother Nature. So, in good weather, parties take place in courtyards.
One birthday celebration at the Georges Cinq is set up with a number of small tents.
Iron bases have soft canopies tied atop supporting poles with cascading , filmy
ribbons. Table settings are smaller and more intimate. There appears to be less of
an emphasis on a focal point and more on the ambiance. Felicitations , Catherine!

Fete fit for a Roi. My tour guide in Versailles, Anne Marie, says that only large
companies plan events at the palace. The gardens have fifty
landscaping crews working on them day in and day out. A staff of fountain keepers
keep the same hours. So, a world wide player, such as Microsoft, can easily extend
invitations to hundreds of guests for a launch. Formal attire and entertainment.
Private families, however well off, do not look to take over the palace an its
surroundings. I am thinking that brides choose not to accept stress as part of
the planning process. There is a venue for everyone and there are , even in a soft economy, 365 days in a year.

When in Rome... and I am. My guide , Daniel, who is a native Italian with catering work experience in N.Y., Miami, Vegas and Colorado, explains to me what a fly on the
city walls of Rome gets to see and hear.

Life and its joyous moments are celebrated with dancing in the streets. I
am busy staring at a nude which I know well from my art history days in
college. Behind me a bride , her family and friends are draped in silk
and striking their own poses for impromptu pictures. Simple fabrics.
Simple surroundings. Simple foods. Like the statue, her memories will be
carved in stone and survive the years.

Get me to the church on time! There is one on every corner...maybe two?
In Florence, the land of luxurious leather, elegant gatherings are scaled down
to be intimate much like that of the French. I am struck by the attention to both fashion and fare. Stunning copies of original dress designs line the streets of the city. The menus I find are prefixed and delicious. Local wines are offered and , I think, worth raising one's glass to. There are string musicians
who create a most romantic mood. Boutique hotels offer rooms for private
gatherings and their price points are both non negotiable and flexible.

"No worries. " The Villa Scacciapensieri which is named with that in mind. I discover that foreign dignitaries and local politicians will, from time to time, escape to celebrate a meeting of the minds in style. French service in the Tuscany valley makes me laugh ( aloud this time as , in Italy, volume is encouraged)! Lemon trees are natural bounds set
for gatherings. Paola, who indulges me an iced coffee, a la America, shares
tales of weddings and anniversaries which are being celebrated at the villa.
Sculpture gardens and stone patios are old world settings for new , and returning, guests. On a clear day, one can see miles and miles into the distance.
Event coordinators do not appear with headsets. The details are handled in advance
and then a most seasoned staff takes over. A celebratory meal at one end of the patio lingers for hours. The group sits and sits...and sits... "last call" is the last thing anyone has on their minds. Every moment is one to be savored. A simple menu of foods and wines. I note the absence of a drycleaning service and , so,
it occurs to me that a change of wardrobe from ceremony to reception will
not be a dramatic one. My blood pressure drops and so stress is not
an invited guest in Sienna.

I'm heading home to see what the dollar buys and if it is worth celebrating
at home !

Let us give you a first class destination event. Let us help you to celebrate
at home.

Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions www.jorosenfeld.com jo@jorosenfeld.com
914 - 419 - 2368 Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions on FB

There's A College for Everyone

"There's a college for everyone."

Upon first glance , I am sure that, the above statement seems completely
random and unrelated to anything , even remotely, related to the
event industry. Upon second glance, the statement seems to be calming.
It relives the stress of feeling the pressure to commit to any of the
"top, hot and booked out for the next three years " venues or vendors.
Besides, how could looking at colleges with an incoming high school
junior be considered anything shy of a life event?!

Two summery months until college craziness moves into my universe.
Two summery months to take advantage of slower days...days
during which I can , casually, help my friends and clients to see
that there is a college for everyone. There is a venue and a vendor
for everyone. It 's a matter of making a short list to look at and into
a representative of each option and figure out what "feels"
best for the person doing the looking! Not a new concept but one
which is best revisited when the days are longer and the pace of life
is slower.

Just last week I had the pleasure of escorting and interviewing
representatives from both boutique and big business ends of the
event industry. My clients sat back in the comfort of their home
and got a feel for what their options are and what would make
them want to attend their own celebration.

"Boutique" is another word for "family." One very special V.P. of
an entertainment group drove several hours in order to bring
her "family " into the family room of my clients. She sat with
a small laptop equipped with big impact. Time . Attention.
One party in a 24 hour span. Everyone working with her was part of a well
oiled machine (and from the looks of the video clips they are
very , very well oiled)in order to keep the momentum going
from beginning to end. Emotion. Bonding. Blending. Even the contractual
agreement she shared was written as if my clients were related to
the group and nothing in the world mattered more than they did.

Big business pulled up, hours away and days later, with
a history of successes in the passenger seat. A bigger screen
for viewing, high impact and top tier performance. His family
was and is much more of an extended one. Some have been with
the group for over two decades and others have come aboard to
be mentored by their predecessors. Smooth. Seamless.
He offered my clients the assurance that, in the event of any
emergency, there would be many to step in and see the party
through with flying colors.

The two entertainment options cater to different people, for
different reasons at different times. And, at the same time,
they take the guess work out of what the party will be
when it grows up. My clients became college applicants
of sorts. Their decision was one based , purely, on personal
preference. A college for everyone. A venue and a vendor for everyone.
Stress was not ever invited along for the interview process or the
decision making one.

As for the concept of Early Decision in college and in event planning?
I am one who puts much stock in trusting one's gut and shortening the
"to do" list. So, if it feels right then put in an application and
hope for the best. Sweatshirts and bumper stickers?? Now, those best be
left for college. For a party, both the boutique and big biz
groups will wear any custom print tee or hat which would bring
the family and crowd to their feet!

Let us bring the excitement into your family room !
Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions 914- 419 - 2368 jo@jorosenfeld.com
www.jorosenfeld.com Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions on FB

411 on 2010

It seems to me that every time I sit down to blog , over recent weeks, I am
sidetracked with calls from new and existing clients. I am thrilled to be side tracked, you should know, and even more thrilled by the writer's block I am experiencing beyond the blog.

Three photographers. Three out of three booked for a 2011 event. I hit a wonderful wall! Email writer's block !
Well, it took some creativity to match the task with the talent. Tries four and five
came up picture perfect. It occurs to me that as walls are cropping up so
is the economy!

Venue searches have walls closing in, too. Booked. Deposits made. Money put down
ahead of time. This is all very, very good!

Now, you can ask , " How can that be very , very good for me? " After all, hosts and venues need
doors to be open in order to celebrate. Well, it is good as the industry is rising to
the occasion(s) and staffing up It is, once again, custom tailoring product, presentation and pricing.

So, pick up the phone. Take me away from the blog which is so long overdue an entry!
Try your luck! You'll be a winner!

Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions www.jorosenfeld.com jo@jorosenfeld.com
914 - 419 - 2368 Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions on FB

COMFORT FOODS

Over the last 24 hours, I have gotten calls, emails and request for the following:

- a cotton candy machine with two colors and one attendant
- a vintage ice cream truck equipped with a driver and a bell for the kids to ring while the memories of such ring in the ears of their parents
- edible centerpieces made of one hundred percent refined sugar
- shot glasses of warm chocolate pudding with custom baked Twinkies and Devil Dogs riding shotgun
- a Viennese table for a retro Mitzvah
- elaborate desserts by the bite for a "regressive" dinner party

Why the sweet smell of dessert? I turned to history in order to answer my own question.

Before the mechanization of the sugar industry, long before the
rise of Dylan's Candy Bar and the likes, sweets were a privilege of the
aristocrats. Sweets ,for the masses, were a rare treat on special occasions.

Years later , the call ( or the email) is for candy coated celebrations.
Sugar for the masses en masse. Clients are craving sweet treats and the
sweet memories of childhood.

Life is short. Why not begin your day with dessert?!

Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions. jo@jorosenfeld.com www.jorosenfeld.com
914 - 419 - 2368 Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions on FB

Dinner and a Home Movie?

Remember when hearing that your Saturday night at a friend's house was to include dinner, dessert and a pot of family photo album ? Worse, a big slice of home movies?
Over the years, you mastered the art of "poker face" when presented with the
weekend invitation. Many years later , Facebook and other social networks have
changed watching your friends and family on film much more attractive.
You can sneak a quick peak at posted pix without a two hour commitment
to "ooh" and "ahh." Photoshopped and swapped, images are shared with the blink of an eye leaving much time for coffee and/or dessert.

HOWEVER, when it comes to milestone events, it is still important to consider
those who might not share your ability to log in and out of the lives of those
you care for. There are some, such as your kids, who are not connected to a social network ( or at least you hope not) and who live for the entertainment provided
by your voice sharing stories of long ago. Oral story telling and the printed picture. It is the perfect rainy day activity or bedtime ritual.


Professional photographs and videos are a legacy for your children. Many of the shots, such as bridal party prep, are not shared with the masses. The potential
"bloopers" tend to evoke more emotion than any Facebook profile pic or
album inclusion can ever hope to achieve.

The weekend approaches. The weather is unpredictable. One thing is certain,
an invitation to dinner, dessert and carefully chosen eye candy is looking
very, very good. Pull out your albums and videos. Share your stories and
bring a smile to the faces of those in your audience. Pass around the
pot of coffee and our business contacts. Let us refer you to the most talented
photographers and videographers. Let us entertain you !

Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions 914 - 419 2368 www.jorosenfeld.com
jo@jorosenfeld.com Jo Rosenfeld Major Occasions on FB

Celebrating on a Local Level

The lure of Fire Island, for many , was the ability to leave their cars , and civilization, behind. A ferry ride away, the island offered up a party Eden
for visitors and residents. A walk to any spot was withing block left less time to waste on commuting and more for having fun. Celebrating on a local level !

Now they're " all grown up, " with families, work and /or obligations.
Leaving life behind has become far more complicated. Who, to make it more
difficult, invited the economy to throw a wrench into going out and being carefree?!

Residents in a Northern Westchester communities have risen to the occasion.
They have begun to celebrate at home...well, in their hometowns.

One nail salon owner shared the secret of G.N.O. in her town. The same group of women who had once lived in NYC , spent summers on Fire Island and the Hamptons , moved to the burbs and now kept in touch, opt to leave life in the fast lane.
For any given birthday, " the girls " take over the shop for an evening.
Mani, pedi, massage, wax and a lot of laughs are shared. The local wine seller has the party pop and the sushi is delivered from only blocks away. In many cases, babysitters are no longer needed as the group is right in town. Good for the guests and great for the pocketbooks.

Charitable events have also navigated themselves away from more austere venues, such as hotels, and pitched party tents within the walls of local restaurants and inns.
An annual workout ,in the name of good health, brings out the neighbors in numbers.
Food stations are set up along side auction items. Dressing for success no longer involves a blowout , make over or little black dress." B.Y.O.B." is redefined to mean " bring your own bonsu !"

The possibilities are endless and Northern Westchester has brought the
party home for the holidays and for every other day worth celebrating.

Let us help you to find local talent on any level. Venues, catering, entertainment and more !

jo rosenfeld major occasions 914-419-2368 jo@jorosenfeld.com
www.jorosenfeld.com jo rosenfeld major occasions on FB