A great summer of live events

It is a summertime full of live entertainment right here in the entertainment capital of the world Orlando, Florida and the surrounding area. Since our last update I attended the Lindsey Buckingham concert at the Plaza Live last week and it was a fantastic show by a very talented musician. I attended the event with a life-long friend that is an accomplished guitarist and it was great to see his reaction as Buckingham wowed the audience with some of his recent material and took many of us back in time with his Grammy Awarding hits from the ‘70s. One of my friend’s most memorable comments was, “this guy is a musician’s musician”. I guess that’s about the highest compliment you can pay a professional musician.

Speaking of the Plaza Live, I was checking their website looking for this weekend’s lineup and noted with pleasure that the Plaza Live will be temporarily closed beginning Monday, 8/20 for long awaited roof repairs to the sixty year old former movie theater. Their final concert before the renovation is a free gig this Sunday night. Plaza Live is a great venue offering a wide variety of live events that is building a loyal following among the locals. The Plaza Live will reopen in mid-September with what is sure to be a great rap-up to the summer of 2012.

In searching for activities for the weekend I stumbled upon what looks like my calendar entry for Saturday afternoon. Another local landmark, the Orlando Museum of Art is presenting the, ‘Southernmost Art and Literary Portraits’ photography exhibition by Orlando resident Jimm Roberts. The Orlando Sentinel reports Roberts’s presentation this way, “It’s an unparalleled collection of black-and-white photographic portraits by Jimm Roberts, the longtime Orlando resident who from behind his camera has created an archive of Florida’s cultural royalty.” Whether you are a Florida native, a transplant resident, or a first time visitor, this walk through a piece of Florida history sounds rewarding. General admission tickets are $8 with discounts provided to students and seniors and the exhibition runs through October 28^th.

On a related note, the Orlando Museum of Art is located just south of downtown Orlando at Loch Haven Park. Along with OMA the park is home to many other cultural attractions including, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando Science Center, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando Fire Museum, and the Mennello Museum of American Art. With this one stop you can spend all weekend enjoying live entertainment.

Take a look around and get out there and enjoy a live event this weekend.

Great events in Central Florida in August

It has been a great couple of weeks for live entertainment in the area and as the summer continues there are more great events to come. Although I did not have the opportunity to catch The Heart and Soul Tour last night at the Amway Center, several members of the production crew worked the show and the early morning report today was all good news. According to the crew, the show was almost sold out and one observer said that the audience was a great mix of parents with their adult children. Excellent marketing mix on this one!

In an ironic display of scheduling, happening this Tuesday night in the intimate surroundings of the Plaza Live for one night only, one show only is the truly remarkable talent of Lindsey Buckingham. For those not in the know, Lindsey Buckingham is the former lead guitarist for Fleetwood Mac who along with last night’s The Heart and Soul Tour opener Stevie Nicks, created some of the best sounds of the 1970s. The unorthodox playing style and dynamic vocals of Lindsey Buckingham will surely rock the house down in Orlando on Tuesday. Unlike the high ticket and concession prices at last night’s gig, Tuesday at the Plaza Live offers very reasonable prices, an intimate atmosphere, free parking, and a great little coffee house directly across the street named the Drunken Monkey for some refreshment before or after the show. Makes a perfect summer night out.

Like me, if waiting until Tuesday for some live entertainment is too long, tomorrow I’m checking out something I just heard of, Nerdapalooza 2012. They’re celebrating their 5^th anniversary this year and the event runs this weekend in downtown Orlando. According to a preview in the Orlando Sentinel, “Since conceiving the notion of a Nerdapalooza festival in 2007, founder John “Hex” Carter has taken the event to California and London, but seems to have established permanent roots in Orlando.” The event is three days and is located at the Beacham and Social clubs on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. I’m not really sure what to expect from a festival that is ‘everything nerd’ but one thing is for sure, almost any live event beats any virtual event any time, any day.

Now, get out there and enjoy some live entertainment.

Excellent Speaker - Simon Sinek

This week I had the opportunity to assist a local talent booking agency locate a motivational speaker for a leadership conference being held in Central Florida. After determining all the details I made a list of speakers that I had heard of or had contact with that would be a good fit for the client. I recalled a great presentation I had seen sometime earlier on Ted.com by Simon Sinek about how very successful leaders think and do things completely opposite from the rest of us.

Mr. Sinek has a very calm and compassionate speaking persona that draws the audience directly to his observations. Sinek, a graduate professor of communications at Columbia University and adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, has discovered a biologically based concept that drives each of us to make decisions in what he calls, “The Golden Circle.” Sinek describes how effective leaders all have one common trait regardless of what product, service, or message they sell or present. Sinek concludes that the common trait these unique leaders posses is their ability to master the concept that human beings, “don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Sinek uses some great historical leaders to illustrate his point. Starting with one that would seem pretty obvious is the late Steve Jobs from Apple while others are a little more obscure leaders like the Wright Brothers. We may view the latter as inventors and innovators which of course they certainly were but, perhaps hidden in their glory of invention, the Wright Brothers where able to clearly relate exceptional leadership qualities in explaining “Why” they were working to create motorized flight and keeping the ‘what and how’ they were going to attain that as secondary messages. Sinek concludes his examples by quoting part of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s world famous speech in reminding the audience that after all, “Martin Luther King, Jr. started his speech with ‘I have a dream’, not I have a plan.” People have dreams and share dreams, that’s a much greater motivator than just following a plan.

Watching this presentation has helped me develop better leadership qualities in presenting my passion and compassion in producing the best events ever for my clients. Passion is contagious, and having the clients share the “Why” I do things has increased my business. I hope you get the opportunity take a look at the short video of Professor Sinek’s presentation. If the schedules work out, maybe I’ll finally get to meet him at the leadership conference.

International Special Events Society - Great for the Industry

The International Special Events Society (ISES) provides an unparalleled opportunity for the industry professional to gain insight to the Special Events industry and the other segments of the entertainment industry related to the production of live events. From small family events like weddings and anniversaries to international film and music award ceremonies almost every segment of the industry relies on special event professionals to present their brand in the best image possible. According to their official website, “The Mission of ISES is to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals along with related industries. To that end, we strive to…

▪ Uphold the integrity of the special events profession to the general public through our "Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics"

▪ Acquire and disseminate useful business information

▪ Foster a spirit of cooperation among its members and other special events professionals, and…Cultivate high standards of business practices.”

Based in Chicago, Illinois, ISES is the international standard bearer for professional event planners with official chapters located on every continent worldwide. Education is a very important component of an ISES membership program; the society offers numerous special event industry recognized certifications to their members and the opportunity to participate in a myriad of educational conferences, seminars, webinars, and workshops to ensure their members maintain the high standards set by the society. This dedication is further evidenced by the opportunity of a student membership to the society for the very reasonable price of $35.00. This is a great opportunity for any aspiring student to establish contact with other industry professional around the world.

Education and industry certifications are not the only benefits offered by ISES. Other services offered to their members and the general public include the broadcast of current industry news, international, regional, and local political decisions that affect the production of special events, and annual awards ceremonies to recognize industry professionals that excelled in their field of expertise. Another ISES benefit to its members through subscription and the general public through both subscription and newsstand sales is their monthly publication of Special Events Magazine (SEM). This is how I was originally introduced to the Society and their impact on the industry. SEM is an outstanding resource for in-depth articles on the international happenings in the industry and almost as beneficial as the reporting is the international brand advertisements located throughout the publication. The powerful combination of education and access to competitive, international, state-of-the-art brands will help ensure the success of the committed special event planner.

A Great Summer of Live Events Ahead

We attended the World Ballet Competition’s production of All Stars of Dance at Orlando’s Bob Carr Performing Arts Center this past week and WOW is a good word to describe the experience. We had a great evening of dance by some of the best upcoming and current ballet stars from Cuba, France, Japan, Russia, and around the US. Congratulations to WBC’s Founder and Executive Director Vasile Petrutiu for a fantastic performance and thank you for bringing your international dance competition to Orlando.

We have plans to attend two great live events happening this week in Central Florida the first is tomorrow evening, Thursday, June 14^th on the Winter Park campus of Full Sail University. World WrestlingEntertainment (WWE) NXT and Full Sail University team up to present a great night of wrestling entertainment and the event is open to the public. This is a video taped event to be broadcast at a future date. The box office at Full Sail Live opens a 4p, doors at 545p and the show starts at 630p general admission tickets are $10.

The other event we have tickets for is the live production of Roger Waters: The Wall at the Amway Center in Orlando this Saturday night. Although currently persona non gratia with the remaining members of Pink Floyd this is certainly going to be a fantastic theatrical event with some memorable rock and roll music along for the ride. One interesting side note to this 2012 tour line-up is that Roger Waters (lead vocals and bass guitar) is joined on stage by his son Harry Waters playing keyboards. A couple of stage hands from my old crew will be setting up the scenic and we hope to have a few candid photos to share in an upcoming post. To see the set and scenic design of this truly unique show is an opportunity we don’t want to miss. The show is scheduled for 8p and tickets prices start at $60 and are still available.  

A fantastic start to a fun summer of entertainment, try to get out and enjoy some of it.

Central Florida Live Events for June 2012

What a great two weeks for live events it has been, I am officially re-naming Central Florida the live event capitol of the universe! The Orlando International Fringe Festival set several all time records for ticket sales, award prizes, and attendance. Much of the credit for this success goes to the Fringe’s new producer Michael Marinaccio who brings a great new look for this year’s event and a great outlook for future Fringes. This is one of those deals where I wish I could have cloned myself so I might have seen more of this outstanding event. Great job Michael and one of the best production teams ever!

On to the immediate future, this weekend is filled with more great live events, on Sunday I will be attending the World Ballet Competition’s production of All Stars of Dance at Orlando’s Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. Accomplished ballet stars from Cuba, France, Japan, Russia, and the US will be performing at this one night only, one show only event. Tickets start at just $25 and are still available. Bob Carr Performing Arts Center is an excellent venue to watch all kinds of events with ease of use in stage set and scenic design installation.

On the note of great presentation and production, I recently had the opportunity of touring a local museum that is the home of the world’s largest private collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s works of art. Located on the north end of Park Avenue in Winter Park is the Morse Museum of American Art. With the recent completion of a new wing, the museum is home for one of the most spectacular collections anywhere. The grandeur of the former Long Island, NY estate of Louis Comfort Tiffany Laurelton Hall is brought to life through the lighting design and support displays in the museum. If you are a lover of all things Tiffany, this is a great place to visit this weekend.

A lot of great live events in and around the area this weekend, make it a point to partake in a few.

Title: A Great Week of Entertainment Ahead For Orlando

         Although the drama certainly isn’t over, the shortened NBA playing season is history for the Magic, now we can shift our focus to one of Orlando’s really unique sideshows, The Orlando Fringe Festival.  This installment marks the 21^st in a long line of memorable events.  From the unique, to the classic, to the weird and the wacky – “The Fringe” has it all.  According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando festival is the oldest in the US.  Who knew?

            All the action begins this Wednesday, May 16^th and runs for 13 consecutive days and ends on Sunday May 28^th. Total attendance numbers are almost impossible to estimate as many of the performances and events are non-ticketed and actual gate counts are not recorded. Suffice to say, all the events are well attended. One of the many great aspects of the management of the festival is the performance rating system to allow parents the opportunity to determine if the acts are suitable for younger audiences. Many kids events and family friendly performances are also scheduled throughout the event. Having attended numerous events in the past several years, I consider myself an unofficial “Fringer.” This is a great festival that steps right up to the boundaries in avant-garde entertainment.

            From the wild and wacky to the classic and beautiful, the Orlando Ballet’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is scheduled for one day only, one show only, this Saturday at 11am.  This would be a great opportunity to see a wonderful performance with the entire family.  I recently had the pleasure of witnessing the performance by our local company in the production of, Swans:Black and White and in one word, wow! If the performance of this adaptation of the classic Swan Lake is any indication, Saturday’s performance of, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is sure to impress even the newcomers to this segment of entertainment.  With matinee performances and very reasonable ticket prices – do yourself and a loved one a favor and go to the ballet, you’ll enjoy it.

            A great entertainment week ahead for Orlando and the Central Florida area, I hope you get out and enjoy it.