January 2010 General Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President Barry Altmark as he welcomed both members and guests.

Barry introduced the board (Vice President - Vann Cook - CAM Video Productions, Treasurer - Natalie Pilato Andrews – Kathy G, and Secretary - Rachael Grammer – Two Hearts Weddings and Events, and himself).

Barry acknowledged and thanked The Birmingham Marriott for hosting the November meeting.

Barry then thanked Carlos Otolara from Total Entertainment for hosting the January meeting and asked him to say a few words. Carlos welcomed all members and thanked Jessica from The Harbert Center for helping him to host the meeting.

Old Business

Minutes - Barry asked if any one needed to hear the minutes from last month’s meeting and reminded everyone they are posted on the AWEP blog.

Thank you to Alene, Danny, Carlos, Tutwiler Hotel, Jerrod, Vince, Kathy, Carol, and Andy for our fun holiday party. It was a fun night!

New Business

If anyone would like to see the 2009 financials, they are available. Just ask Barry to see them.

The 2010 Treasurer position is available. Shannon Hard had to resign due to a family situation that has caused her to move to Phoenix, AZ. Barry asked Angela Deaver to take over the position, she agreed, and the membership voted for her to take over as Treasurer.

Dues and Meeting Fees - Membership renewals and dues for 2010 are due now. So get those in as soon as possible.

Committees – thank you to those who volunteered (as requested) and signed up to serve on a committee. Barry gave a brief explanation of what each committee will be doing and told the membership if they had not signed up for a specific committee by the end of tonight’s meeting he would select a committee for them to be involved with. The committees are: Membership, Programming, Free Wedding, Marketing, Leadership and Social Events.

New Website – our new website is HYPERLINK "http://www.ALWEP.com" www.ALWEP.com. The old address ( HYPERLINK "http://www.alawep.com" www.alawep.com) no longer exists. In the next day or two, each member will be receiving an email notice from our new website with instructions on how to login, update their info and upload any photos they wish to appear on their page. We ask that you limit your number of photos to 5 for server storage purposes.

Haiti – Due to the recent tragedy in Haiti, the board unanimously voted to send $500 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts there. If you would like to personally donate, $10 to thirstrelief.org is an excellent choice as well.

Guests – Jamie Cawood from Woodrow Hall, Jared from The Sonnet House, and MaryLou from Bama Balloons were all guests at tonight’s meeting.

Commercials – Barry asked if any members would like to give a short commercial. The following announcements were made…

Laura Eason of Laura Eason Artistry told the group of her experience as a makeup artist and that she would love to be referred to brides as well as work on any publication’s photo shoots. Her web address is HYPERLINK "http://www.lauraeasonartistry.com" www.lauraeasonartistry.com

Andy Tolar of Design Productions told the group about the open house he is hosting on February 2 at the Matt Jones Art Gallery. Asked everyone to please come and bring their clients.

Andy Hopper of Kathy G Designs told the group about the floral and décor work he can provide through Kathy G but clients don’t have to have the catering services to hire him.

Butch Oglesby, Bill and Alisa Wilson, Angela Deaver and Vann Cook all came up and said they were forming a group called “Videographers Against Brides Using Uncle Joe for Their Wedding Videography”. The group just wanted to get the message out to the membership about letting their brides know their video should be professionally done just like the rest of their wedding.

Martie Duncan told the membership to look out for an exciting giveaway coming soon from Bromberg’s.

Amber Ford told the membership her daughter is selling girl scout cookies and she would be happy to place an order for anyone. Please let her know as soon as possible if you would like some.

Presents – Gretchen Birdwell of Gretchen B Photography was the first member to turn in her membership renewal for 2010. As a reward her meeting fees for the February meeting will be on AWEP – thank you Gretchen! Also starting in February, each meeting there will be a drawing for a door prize or prizes.

Closing

The February meeting will be held at Out Takes in Homewood. Our March meeting will most likely be hosted by Carol Riley of Lillie’s at the new Hyatt Hotel. Our April meeting will be at Woodrow Hall and we are working on lining up a big speaker for our May meeting but those talks are still going on. His name is Rick Brewer and Rick specializes in Marketing to the Bride.

Barry’s Deep Thought – “I’m too busy”

As wedding professionals, we are all very busy. However, part of your responsibility as a member of AWEP is to be involved with the betterment of the group. So come to the meetings, engage in your membership and provide assistance to the committees you are assigned to.

October 2009 General Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President Barry Altmark as he welcomed both members and guests.

Barry introduced the board (Vice President - Vann Cook - CAM Video Productions, Treasurer - Natalie Pilato Andrews – Kathy G, and Secretary - Rachael Grammer – Two Hearts Weddings and Events, and himself).

Barry acknowledged and thanked Catering by LaNetta for hosting the September meeting.

Barry then thanked The Club for hosting the October meeting and asked Allison Cambre to say a few words about The Club. Allison welcomed all members and talked about the upcoming bridal show there at The Club on January 24, 2010. She also went onto say the patio is now available for parties and events.

Old Business

Minutes - Barry asked if any one needed to hear the minutes from last month’s meeting and reminded everyone they are posted on the AWEP blog.

Thank you to Martie Duncan for providing an outstanding presentation on viral marketing at our September meeting.

The AWEP forum is up and running. Please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.alawep.com/forum" www.alawep.com/forum and register to access and join in on the fun. We also need members to join the committee to help maintain and monitor the forums. If you are interested, please let one of the officers know.

New Business

2009 Charitable Giving - in November, members will be asked to vote on 2 charities for our annual holiday giving.

AWEP is starting a new committee to handle a wedding giveaway to an active military couple or couple in need. If you would like to be a part of the 2010 committee, please let an officer know.

Elections are in November. Nominations for AWEP officers/board members will be accepted until Monday, November 9th and then voted on at the November 17th meeting. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for a position, please let Barry know.

Barry then asked members who brought guests for the evening to stand and introduce their guests. The following guests were in attendance:

Erin Hunter – Impress the Guests (planner) – guest of Marsha Perry Photography

Scott Couron – IT Computer Guy – guest of Frank Carnaggio

Keith Pugh – Birmingham Christian Family - guest of Blue Moon Photography

Barry also made an announcement for Stephanie from the Perfect Wedding Guide. The Bridal Market bridal show will be at The Wynfrey Hotel on February 28, 2010 and booth space is available for both PWG advertisers and non-advertisers.

Holiday party - Alene Gamel (I Do, I Do) is organizing an AWEP Holiday Party and details will be coming soon. As of right now, the two dates being targeted are December 8th or December 15th and will be held at The Tutwiler Hotel.

Barry’s Deep Thought – “Take Some Time Out And Play”

Everyone needs to take time out for themselves. In our busy days of planning, creating and executing beautiful wedding day memories for our clients, it is important to do things for ourselves. Taking these breaks allows for the creative juices to keep on flowing.

Closing

The November meeting is hosted by the Birmingham Marriott (officer elections). There is no December meeting but look for information coming about the Holiday Party. The January meeting is sponsored by Total Entertainment with location to be announced soon. Barry also informed the membership we are taking meeting sponsors for next year and anyone that would like to sponsor a meeting, to please see him or any of the officers.

September 2009 General Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President Barry Altmark as he welcomed both members and guests.

Barry introduced the board (Vice President - Vann Cook - CAM Video Productions, Treasurer - Natalie Pilato Andrews – Kathy G (absent), and Secretary - Rachael Grammer – Two Hearts Weddings and Events, and himself).

Barry acknowledged and thanked Chef Bob for sponsoring the August meeting. He also went on to tell the membership that Chef Bob is no longer out at the Mall Café at the Trussville Antique Mall. You can keep up with Chef Bob at HYPERLINK "http://www.chefbob.com" www.chefbob.com

Barry also thanked JAMM Entertainment for providing the audio equipment for both the August and September meetings.

Old Business

Minutes - Barry asked if any one needed to hear the minutes from last month’s meeting and reminded everyone they are posted on the AWEP blog.

Directories, postcards and copies of the AWEP by-laws are all available. Please let us know if you need any.

New Business

Barry introduced the speaker for the meeting, Martie Duncan of Martie Knows Parties. Martie gave a presentation on Social Media and the importance of these outlets to our industry. She discussed several methods and their differences. Martie explained that while you may have implemented these communications tools, you must consistently be updating them with current and relevant content. A strong point Martie made is if a bride cannot find what she is looking for on your website or blog in less than 30 seconds, she will move on to her next search.

Next, Andy Tolar of Design Productions was asked to update the membership on a new venture for the AWEP website. It is the Forum. Andy explained the forum can currently be found my entering the following URL address… HYPERLINK "http://www.alawep.com/forum" www.alawep.com/forum and for members to go there and register. The forum will go live in a month or so but was already available for our members to get use to accessing and using on a regular basis.

Barry discussed again the importance of linking to other AWEP members on our individual websites. He explained the more direct links you have to one another and to AWEP, will increase your search engine optimization ranking as well as AWEP’s. A few members have already done this exercise but it was clear that most of our membership has not taken the time to do so. Barry strongly encouraged all to work on linking to other members.

Next on the agenda was the topic of a new meeting payment policy for 2010. Barry asked for the group’s feedback on having two payment options for meeting fees beginning in January. Members agreed they were in favor of the two options. Option 1 is to pay up front $110 for the whole year of meetings along with the annual dues or Option 2 to pay the fees at each meeting. If Option 1 is chosen, members will need to remember it’s a “use it or lose it” policy.

Elections are coming up in November. Nominations for AWEP officers/board members will be taken at the October meeting and then voted on at the November meeting. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for a position, please let Barry know.

Bad Checks – there has been a rash of bad checks being given for meeting fees lately and Barry explained this has caused some accounting issues. Up until this point the bank charges for the insufficient checks have not been tacked onto the fees a member owes but we have incurred so many that we will begin doing so for future problematic transactions. So please keep that in mind.

New Committees – the board has been receiving excellent ideas from many members on growing our membership as well as increasing the benefits and interactions a member gets through their AWEP membership. For this reason, the board will be establishing several new committees that members will have the opportunity to get involved with. These committees will be announced in the coming months and you are encouraged to “get involved”.

Barry then asked members who brought guests for the evening to stand and introduce their guests. The following guests were in attendance:

Etricia Williams – owner, 122 Tree Lane (Creole restaurant in Helena) – guest of Gretchen Birdwell

Dana & Jackie – Dana’s Floral Designs & Weddings – guest of Andy Tolar

Neely Kirk Butler – Redmont Hotel and also owner of Gather (event planner) – guest of Martie Duncan

Arden Ward (photographer) – guest of Martie Duncan – nice to see Arden again.

Barry’s Deep Thought – “Discounting Your Services”

Potential clients and current clients will always try to talk you down on your services and product costs. Afterall, the economy troubles of today add validity to their cause. However, it’s very important to stand firm with your fees. You know how much time and effort it takes to accomplish a bride’s wedding needs and it only hurts you and other vendors in the end. An example of what we are all experiencing these days is in the video link below. Stay true to your standards and yourself and you’ll be better off in the long run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY

Closing

The October meeting is sponsored by The Club, the November meeting is sponsored by Birmingham Marriott (officer elections). There is no December meeting. The January meeting is sponsored by Total Entertainment with location to be announced soon. Barry also informed the membership we are taking meeting sponsors for next year and anyone that would like to sponsor a meeting, to please see him or any of the officers.

August 2009 General Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President Barry Altmark as he welcomed both members and guests.

Barry introduced the board (Vice President - Vann Cook - CAM Video Productions, Treasurer - Natalie Pilato Andrews – Kathy G, and Secretary - Rachael Grammer – Two Hearts Weddings and Events, and himself).

Barry acknowledged and thanked I Do, I Do Weddings, Lillie’s Flowers, Total Entertainment, Feel The Beat, and Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail for sponsoring the July meeting.

Barry then thanked and introduced Chef Bob with The Mall Café for hosting the August meeting. He also thanked JAMM Entertainment for providing the audio equipment.

Old Business

Minutes - Barry asked if any one needed to hear the minutes from last month’s meeting and reminded everyone they are posted on the AWEP blog.

Membership certificates have been given out the last couple of meetings and if you haven’t received one, please let us know.

Directories and postcards are also available and please let us know if you need any.

New Business

The AWEP booth at the Perfect Wedding Guide was a big success. Thanks to all those that talked with brides on behalf of the membership. The directories were well received and our percentage of traffic to our website went up 16%. Thank you to Stephanie Whitaker from Perfect Wedding Guide for allowing AWEP the opportunity to be included in the show!

We had a new member application up for vote. Laura Eason of Laura Eason Artistry (makeup artist) was unanimously approved. Congratulations Laura!

Barry then explained the policy for new member applications and the reason behind the decision to pull the other new member application from Rush Videos. He also informed the membership that if anyone would like a copy of the AWEP Bylaws that they were available at tonight’s meeting and would eventually be available on the member page of the AWEP website.

Barry discussed the importance of linking to other AWEP members on our individual websites. He explained the more direct links you have to one another and to AWEP, will increase your search engine optimization ranking as well as AWEP’s.

Barry then brought up the topic of the membership managing an AWEP blog. Each member would be given a specified week to come up with a relevant topic to write an informational piece about. It would be uploaded to a blog that is associated with AWEP’s website and constantly providing new and important information to brides. Andy Tolar, Carol Harris Riley and Butch Oglesby all volunteered to help steer this effort. There will be much more to come on this subject. This discussion really seemed to spark some very creative ideas from members. Several presented ideas to a couple of the board members after the meeting and those ideas will be shared with the membership for discussion and direction very soon.

Danny Brewer with Feel The Beat then asked if he may have the floor to discuss a topic of concern. He discussed the magazine “The Knot” and his concerns over the lack of representation of Alabama vendors for the Southeastern region (the issue you will find on the shelf in our area). Danny asked for the members support in urging the AWEP board to send a letter to the The Knot expressing our concerns.

Barry’s Deep Thought – “The System Works”

Whether we’re talking about public debate or AWEP bylaws, the system can and does work.

Closing

The September meeting will be hosted by Catering by LaNetta, the October meeting will be hosted by The Club, and the November meeting will be hosted by Birmingham Marriott (officer elections). There is no December meeting.

Barry thanked everyone for coming again and asked all to stay and network more.

July 2009 General Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President Barry Altmark as he welcomed both members and guests.

Barry introduced the board (Vice President - Vann Cook - CAM Video Productions, Treasurer - Natalie Pilato Andrews – Kathy G, and Secretary - Rachael Grammer – Two Hearts Weddings and Events (absent), and himself).

Barry acknowledged and thanked Kathy G & Co for sponsoring the June meeting. He also thanked JAMM Entertainment for providing the audio/video equipment. He then recognized Dallas Teague Snider for her email etiquette presentation.

Barry then thanked I Do, I Do! Weddings and Lillie’s Flowers for hosting the July meeting.

Old Business

Minutes - Barry asked if any one needed to hear the minutes from last month’s meeting and reminded everyone they are posted on the AWEP blog.

Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show – Barry reminded the members that AWEP is signed up for a booth at the PWG bridal show on August 2nd. Everyone’s materials they wish to have placed on the table were due at tonight’s meeting.

New Business

Membership certificates have been prepared for the 2009 AWEP members. They will be available at the conclusion of tonight's meeting. Please make sure to pick yours up.

The new AWEP member directories are available. Make sure you pick yours up tonight. These will be handed out to the brides at the PWG bridal show on August 2nd.

Barry informed the members there were short shifts available for members to work the AWEP booth at the PWG show and to see him about volunteering their time.


Barry’s Deep Thought – “Preparation”

Know where you are going before you go there. If need be, get a GPS. Don’t show up 1 hour late and look like a fool. Bring all of your materials and equipment with you – prepare a checklist if need be, but always come to a job prepared.

The August meeting is being finalized. The September meeting will be hosted by Catering by LaNetta, the October meeting will be hosted by The Club, and the November meeting will be hosted by Birmingham Marriott (officer elections). There is no December meeting.

Barry thanked everyone for coming again and asked all to stay and network more.

July 2009 meeting at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

The deadline to RSVP for the July AWEP meeting is by 12pm (noon) Friday, July 17th. If you have already responded and have received a reply back from me, then I have you down and there is no need to respond to this email. If you did not receive a reply from me, then I did not get your RSVP.

Important
The deadline to turn in materials you want on the AWEP table at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show is at the next AWEP meeting – Tuesday, July 21st. Please note – only one card or flyer is acceptable. Do not bring multiple materials - only one will be allowed and the others will be discarded.

Thanks!

Rachael Grammer
Two Hearts Weddings and Events
(205) 936-0362

Alabama Wedding and Event Professionals - July Meeting Notice

Meeting Reminders

Remember to forward this notice onto any other members of your organization that should receive the meeting information.

Please note new meeting fees and RSVP policy below.

Meeting Information
The next AWEP meeting will be Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 5:30pm. It is imperative we receive your RSVP by Friday, July 17th at 12:00pm. To RSVP, please reply to this email and include the number of people attending, name(s) of person(s) attending along with the company name. If you are bringing any guests, please include their name and company name if applicable.

- The cost of the meal is $10.00 per person.

- The cost for those who do not RSVP by the Friday (noon) prior to the meeting but show to the actual meeting will be $15.00.

- Those who RSVP, but do not attend the meeting, will be responsible to pay $10.00 to cover AWEP catering expenses and will be billed accordingly.

I Do, I Do! Weddings and Lillie’s Flowers will be our hosts this month and the meeting will take place at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – Oxmoor Valley. They are located at: 100 Sunbelt Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35211.

There is no speaker for this meeting. We will be networking only.

June 2009 General Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President Barry Altmark as he welcomed both members and guests.

Barry introduced the board (Vice President - Vann Cook - CAM Video Productions (absent), Treasurer - Natalie Pilato Andrews – Kathy G, and Secretary - Rachael Grammer – Two Hearts Weddings and Events, and himself).

Barry acknowledged and thanked The Wynfrey Hotel for sponsoring the May meeting.

Barry then thanked Kathy G & Co. for hosting the June meeting. Barry also thanked Geoff Carlisle of JAMM for providing the audio and video equipment for tonight's meeting.

Old Business

Minutes - Barry asked if any one needed to hear the minutes from last month’s meeting and reminded everyone they are posted on the AWEP blog.

RSVP Policy – Barry reminded members about the new RSVP policy for AWEP. The cost for those who do not RSVP by the Friday (noon) prior to the meeting but show to the actual meeting will be $15.00. Those who RSVP, but do not attend the meeting, will be responsible to pay $10.00 to cover AWEP catering expenses.

New Business

Membership certificates have been prepared for the 2009 AWEP members. They will be available at the conclusion of tonight's meeting.

Barry introduced our speaker, Dallas Teague Snider, with Make Your Best Impression. Dallas gave a presentation to the members on the importance of good email etiquette and the ways this very important tool of communication can positively or negatively affect your business. She explained many businesses loose business simply from miscommunications through emails. Just a few email tips Dallas shared are as follows:
Include a subject line
Make it easy to read
Use bold formatting
Do not rely on spell check
Avoid the fluff (i.e. smiley faces)
Use a salutation
Use signatures and closing phrases (if you have one)
Forget the "Unsend" button or "Recall" (this really doesn't work - think before
hitting send)
Reply to all - make sure you are aware of all those addressed in a reply all
Use the Out of Office feature if you will be away from email for extended time
Don't shout by using all caps

For more information or business-related etiquette questions, please visit www.makeyourbestimpression.com.

Our New Member to be voted on - Vintage Auto (Ron Marko) - Ron asked to be removed from the ballot at this time.

Marketing – Barry reminded members that AWEP is signed up for a booth at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show on August 2, 2009. Each member will have a space on the booth table available to them but all materials must be turned in by the July 21st meeting. Members will be advised soon of opportunities to help managed the AWEP booth.

Announcements:

Butch Oglesby of Blue Moon Photography introduced Kerensa Perkins of Possibilites, event planner.

Anita Kanellis of Anita Kanellis Wedding Planning introduced Laura Eason, makeup artist, and Gary Rush of Rush Videos.

Barry’s Deep Thought - The Clock

Barry asked the members if any of them have worked an event where it is evident the party is coming to an end shortly only to see support staff starting to break it down or an important vendor leaving and missing a key part of the party. He explained that he wasn't implying that vendors should necessarily give their "time" away but sometimes an extra 15 minutes here and there to complete a project can pay off big dividends for future events.

The July meeting will be hosted by I Do, I Do! Weddings and Lillie's Flowers at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail - Oxmoor Valley.

Barry thanked everyone for coming again and asked all to stay and network more.