Conclusion

In review this internship has been an excellent and rewarding experience.  I have been able to meet and network with so many people that I am sure will be able to help me with opportunities in the future. 

            One main thing that I have learned through this internship is time management skills as well as self-motivation.  When I first started I did not think that I was going to be able to make myself sit in an office for eight hours a day, five days a week.  Once I realized what I had to do I organized my day and work so that I was not overlapping or wasting my hours.  I learned that I needed to b organized and have questions ready for when it was the correct time to get feedback.  From this internship and time management I had to learn how to motivate myself through being in the office for so many hours.  I came up with various proposals and ideas that the company is still looking into using.

            I am going to continue to work for Steve LeVine Entertainment although I am still keeping my options open for new opportunities.  I enjoy this line of work, but I am not sure if there is enough room to grow through this company.  I will continue  to work hard in my position and hope to continue to learn about the industry and meet new people.  This was an excellent experience and I hope that other interns got as much out of it ass I did!

Looking Ahead

Now that the summer is smoothly rolling past us we are able to start getting prepared for the busy school year.  The company is currently coming up with ideas in order to boost our business once people come back to Arizona for school or from vacation.  Some of these include coming up with ideas for club nights such as a Maxim back to school party and pool event as well as some huge fashion events.  We are also in the works of finishing up our “Summer of Love” pool party event that has lasted all summer.

            Currently I am working on permits and finalizing ideas for our W account as well as some campus events.  I am in charge of getting everything cleared for our Labor Day weekend event at the W hotel.  For this event we plan to have live music outside by the pool area.  In a similar manner we are also planning the Sweet Dreams charity event for the Phoenix Suns.  For this event we also need to get a permit to have live entertainment out doors as well as I will be creating a letter to send out to the neighbors for any concerns or complaints they may have.

            One of the main priorities of the company is to do things the correct way and stay out of trouble.  We always want to be considerate of not only our clients, but our guests as well.  Through each of the events that we put together I have learned that there is a lot more than what you see on the outside.  We need to get every detail cleared with the city, staff, and clients in order to even begin creating our picture of how we think the event should go.  Through this experience I have been able to learn a lot about networking and who you need to talk to in order to get things accomplished.  I am continuing to meet great people who I hope I can work with and help them in the future.

Final Weeks

            So within our final weeks until the Desert Duel tournament I am getting into the fine details.  Our tentative schedule so far is:

SUNDAY (JULY 26, 2009) MONDAY/TUESDAY (JULY 27 - 28, 2009)

CHECK-IN (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM) TOURNAMENT PLAY

Location: Schedule:

Best Western Dobson Ranch Inn Monday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM

1666 S. Dobson Road Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM 

Mesa, AZ 85202-5699 (the Championship Game begins at 9:00 PM)

Tel: (480) 831-7000

•  Check-in

•  Registration

 TEAM WELCOME EVENING (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)

Location:

Mesquite High School

500 S. McQueen Rd.

Gilbert, AZ 85233

  • Tournament Video Presentation

  • Keynote Speaker:  To Be Announced

  • Dinner

We also had to create the brackets and decide which team was playing and what there time slots are.  For this event, as I stated before, I am also coming up with lists of media contacts and I was a big help in creating the media and press release.  This is what our final media release includes and will be sent out across the country on Monday July 20^th;

 

PHOENIX TO SHOWCASE BEST IN HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL FROM ACROSS NATION

First Annual Desert Duel Charity Basketball Tournament

Gilbert, Ariz. – On July 27, 2009, the next generation of basketball stars will land in the Valley of the Sun. For the first time ever, high school students from around the country will go head-to-head to compete in the inaugural Desert Duel basketball tournament at Mesquite High School located at 500 S. McQueen Road in Gilbert, AZ. The tournament will last through Tuesday, July 28, 2009.

Participating teams have been handpicked by Tom Crawford’s Leadership Children’s Foundation (TCLCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth across the nation. This NCAA sanctioned tournament is expected to draw more than 5,000 fans, while college basketball recruiters from across the nation turn out to see who will lead the pack of high school boys basketball stars.

“Desert Duel is strategically poised to follow the Las Vegas invitational, promising to attract the country’s top college coaches, recruiters, and talent scouts to watch the elite prep players in the world showcase their talent,” said Justin Peterson, a tournament organizer. “It will be an honor and a thrill to watch.”

Funds raised at the Desert Duel will support TCLCF, which funds children's causes that help preserve childhood and improve the quality of life for young people. From child abuse prevention and treatment in the fight against childhood diseases, TCLCF has directed over two million dollars to global organizations dedicated to helping children.  TCLCF is a 501(c)(3) foundation co-founded by Thomas K. and Tammy Crawford. Thomas K. Crawford passed away in July 2006.  Tournament organizers have created the Desert Duel Memorial Tournament in honor of Tom’s legacy by highlighting the stars of tomorrow, while raising funds for less fortunate children. 

 “We really want to give these young athletes a chance to showcase their talents but also offer them an opportunity to give back to kids that are not as fortunate,” said Tammy Crawford. “We hope it inspires them to pay it forward by continuing to help others.”

Tickets are $10 and available for purchase at the door. Entry is free for all teams as fees have been waived thanks to generous donations by tournament sponsors.

For more information about Desert Duel 2008, visit www.desertduelmemorial.com

These are just some ideas of what I am working on and all of the finalized paperwork I have to make sure gets out to as many people as possible before the tournament in two weeks.

                     

Desert Duel

This week I am really working hard on an upcoming event.  The event is called Desert Duels and will be taking place July 26^th-28^th. This exciting, invitation-only tournament will highlight the superstars of tomorrow while raising money for children.  This tournament brings high school students from across the country along with college scouts in order to raise money and give these kids an opportunity for the future.  Arizona is very lucky to be able to hold this tournament in Gilbert because of the large national recognition it will receive.

            The tournament is put on in honor of Tom Crawford and has been going on for two years.  This year I am coming on board in order to help get the finalized product complete.  This week we had a meeting with the Phoenix suns, a very big sponsor, and discussed what things we needed to finalize.  I am now in charge of finding local media for each of the teams hometowns.  This job requires me to research where each of the teams is from and who the best people to work with are.

            Another position that I am in charge of is creating entertainment and specialty guests for the event.  I have already locked down involving the Phoenix Suns Gorilla and the Mercury Hip Hop Squad.  Currently I am trying to involve the ASU pom squad in the event as well.  In the next two weeks we are going to be focusing on working with all venues of media including TV, Newspaper, and Radio.  Hopefully this will be a success and everyone will hear about this amazing event.  This event is not only a huge 3 day production, but is also going for a great cause.  I hope that the final event goes well and we can continue this experience in the future.  

4th of July

4^th of July at my office is complete chaos although it is also a learning experience.  We are planning an Independence day party at the W Hotel lasting four days.  For this event we had to start about a month ago applying for firework permits.  The idea for this is to have the largest rooftop firework show in the valley.  After we got the permit the office staff had to start brainstorming entertainment for the weekend.  We came up with some great DJ’s and live entertainment and then my boss put in offers to get them here.

            Next I was in charge of coming up with ideas to make our 4^th of July party better than every other one in the valley.  We decided that we would create gift baskets/ survival bags for every room that booked all three nights at the hotel.  I brainstormed ideas such as; Evian mister bottles, sunscreen, Chap Stick, tank tops, and W printed pool bags.  I got the go ahead from the boss and we began to order the supplies and create the bags.  Now that we are only a couple days away the countdown has started, and finalizing rooms and flights is becoming more stressful.  It seems like everyday we are rebooking rooms and changing names on reservations.  We are also booking new décor such as exotic birds and tiki torches.

            I think that in the end this event is going to be a great success and be above and beyond all other events in the valley.  I have learned to be very open to change through this whole experience.  I have also learned to make sure everything that I do is documented and completed in order to make everyone’s work fit together.  I am very excited for the weekend to start Thursday night and I am really hoping we can all enjoy the event instead of being stressed all weekend. 

*If you are interested call my office 480-284-6033 and I can get you special discount rates for the weekend!!

Conventions

            In order to help my company grow and expand my experience within the business I have began to look into finding some events and conventions that my boss could attend to meet some new clients and suppliers.  I began looking into conventions that he already takes the employees to in order to see what he is currently researching.  One convention that my boss has attended over the past couple years is the Nightclub and Bar Show http://www.ncbshow.com/nightclubbar/v42/index.cvn.   This is one of the nation’s largest food and beverage destinations.  This debuts the latest innovations, new strategies for growth, hot products, and networking opportunities.  Another convention that the company attended for the first time last year was The Special Event http://thespecialeventshow.com/specialevent2010/public/enter.aspx.  This show is to get together people in the event planning industry to network and share ideas. 

            I decided to look into other conventions that our company could go to in order to grow in various industries throughout our company.  The first one that I found, which is coming up fairly quickly is the International Special Events Societies Eventworld convention http://isesew.vtcus.com/index.aspx.  This is more of a conference where people can meet with professionals across the world in order to brand your business, gain knowledge of other companies, meet potential clients, and develop new plans and trends in the industry.  This conference is different from other things we have gone to because you are able to actually market yourself and company through talking to people instead of just being confined to a booth.  Another great convention and expo is the International Festival and Events Association http://www.ifea.com/. I think that this would also be interesting to attend to learn more about different venues of event planning. 

            After doing a lot of research I learned that the event planning industry is larger than I imagined.  I hope that other people that read this blog can take some of these ideas and apply them to their own company.  I think that all of these conferences and conventions would be great learning experiences and hopefully my company will take them into consideration.

Supervisor

While interviewing my supervisor I learned a lot not only about the company, but how I should act and work to be involved effectively through my company.  One thing that I think is very important is learning how to work in a way that your supervisor appreciates.  I asked her if she was comfortable delegating tasks for me or how the best way to get work is.  She said that if she is not too busy I can always ask her and that way she knows that I am ready for a new task and can take some work off of her shoulders.  I think that this is a very effective question in the work place because I often find myself wondering what I should do next.  From this I know that as long as I am courteous I can ask her any questions that I have.

            From this assignment I also learned other great ideas and things to keep in mind while working under my supervisor.  Especially what kind of work updates that she would like and what I should expect from her.  I learned that she is all about keeping a positive attitude through working in and out of the office.  I felt that this assignment was very helpful in getting me comfortable with the company and will only help me move forward in the future.  Somer, my supervisor, has big goals for me to find new clients and ideas and this is what I hope to do.

            While taking this interview and applying the skills to my position I hope to grow to new levels.  I have now taken the opportunity to start looking into new clients and businesses coming to the valley.  I also have started contacting businesses that may not be doing so well, and trying to create a package to improve their company.  I have been informed that the summer is a slow business time in Arizona, and the bad economy is also not helping.  Right now I am going to continue with this goal and see what new ideas I can bring to Steve LeVine Entertainment.

Current Project

So now that I am getting familiar with my job position, the company is starting to give me more responsibilities.  The project that I am currently working on is planning an on campus event.  Steve LeVine Entertainment would like to plan events throughout the first week of school on campuses such as ASU, Scottsdale Community, and Paradise Valley Community colleges.  For this event they would like me to book local DJ's, talk to sponsors, as well as create a schedule for the week

When I began to work on this project I wasn't sure where to start.  I began calling all of the schools in order to fill out forms and get approval.  This was not an easy task.  After going back and forth with the different campus coordinators as well as filing for insurance for each event I was able to lock down the dates that I wanted.  After this I had to contact different companies in order to get sponsorships.  Some of these companies included; Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Sandbar, AXIS/ Radius, Myst, W Hotel, ad various other companies that my boss has connections with.  I am currently still waiting on responses as well as confirmation on dates and locations for each event.  I am also working with our talent coordinator in order to book entertainment for each event.  So far I am really excited about receiving a project all to myself.  I hope that all of the companies and schools keep in contact with me and in the end the event will run smoothly.

Company Picnic

Last week the office put me in charge of planning the annual Steve LeVine Entertainment company picnic.  This is an event that the company does every year and from what I heard around the office, it has never been incredibly amazing.

As I began to brainstorm I had to keep in mind the hot weather and what locations would allow us to stay in the shade as well as have food and beverage on site.  I looked into various parks until I found one that seemed to have it all.  I chose the Indian Bend park in Scottsdale which included; bocci ball, tennis, shuffle board, basketball, baseball, horseshoes and many other activities.  Through planning I had to rent a ramada as well as get food and music permits.  I also created an Evite (online invitation) to make sure that all of the employees we invited.

As the day of the event came I had to make a trip to Costco and the grocery store to not only get food and drinks, but make sure that we had all of the necessary utensils.  As it came close to 12:00 people started arriving, and I could already tell they were impressed.  People immediately started digging into the food and participating in all of the activities.

Looking back I would say that this was a very successful event.  If I were to change anything I would switch the event to a date earlier in the year.  This would prevent people from getting too hot in the Arizona summer.  I would love to plan more events like this, that are more for enjoyment than for profit.

First Week

As I have now begun my internship I am realizing that having a full day of work is not as easy as I expected. It really takes a toll on you having to get up and work all day every day. Needless to say I am already prepared for the weekend! In this sense the idea of an internship was not what I expected. I had mentally prepared myself that being in an office all day would be easy although it is far from that. I feel that so far I am doing well with the organization; meeting new people, understanding the roles, and figuring out my responsibilities.

Through my position here I have found that I have already taken the lead on various events that we have coming up throughout the organization. For example I have already created two proposals for the company. One of these includes the idea of bringing the bridal industry into our company as a new work venue. I created some ideas for incorporating bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and other events and venues. I also thought of the idea of marketing to teens through our events. Within both of these ideas I proposed that we should make pre-made as well as custom packages for our clients. I also thought of different exhibit halls and venues that our team could begin to incorporate marketing skills.

By the end of my experience here I hope that I am successful not only while helping with events the company is taking a part in, but also having some events and ideas that I carry out myself. I hope to gain knowledge of this industry, clients, as well as new ideas coming to the valley. I also hope that this internship helps me to determine where I want to take the rest of my life and the decisions that I will make in the future.