We had most certainly heard of Sir Richard Branson, but cooler to us as far was we were concerned was that he had heard of us, and wanted us to perform for his daughter Holly’s birthday party… on his private island. HOLY MOLY! Or in Lisa’s word’s, WOWIE ZOWIE!

It was quite an adventure simply getting our equipment where it needed to be; it’s not like the average gig, where you pull the tour bus up to the loading dock and wheel your equipment through the kitchens and out the door behind the stage. This time, we had to adventurously transport our cases containing lighting and sound equipment, our instruments, and ourselves via large rubber rafts. It was fun… and wet. Luckily, Pink Flamingos double as excellent tarps, and we managed to keep our equipment relatively dry on the journey. And awesomely enough, there were sea turtles on the way, cheering us on.

As far as the show went, those Bransons know how to partaaay! During the night, we were even graced with a Coldplay song, with an original styling by Holly Branson herself. Imagine the setting; a private unspoiled private island with the musical prowess of the Pink Flamingos equals one heck of a party…so much, in fact that at the end of the night, Sir Richard asked us to stay the night after we were through.

As much as we would have liked to have a Pinks Sleepover at SRB’s house, we had a flight to catch to get home. So, he gratefully offered the use of the large rubber rafts to get us back to the main land. It was even more interesting on the way back; it was pitch black. The kind of black that is so disorienting that it’s actually easier to close your eyes! We were very fortunate to have excellent raft navigators helping us get home. Thanks to their know-how, it only took about 30 minutes to arrive at our destination.

Exhausted, wet, and glowing from the performance, very tired flamingos went to bed in the wee hours of the morning thinking of an interesting exchange between Sir Richard Branson and the audience:

He asked the audience what New Mexico was famous for. Most native New Mexicans, when asked what their home state is famous for, say green chile. Probably, Richard was expecting to hear the new spaceport. The answer that had us grinning as we drifted to sleep was,

The Pink Flamingos!

The famous Joint Logo

Tour bus  arrives at the Hard Rock Hotel in mid morning… Head to check- in in what seems to be a club atmosphere in the middle of the night.  The lights are dim and you are assaulted by overwhelming sights and sounds. I try to get into the Rock star head- space since we are here to perform at The Joint! The Same stage that has had some of the most incredible performers on it , the same stage where Guns and Roses just signed on for a several week performance.

I spend several moments being entranced by the huge moving billboard, showing all of the most incredible Rock Stars, behind the beautiful check in people and by the beyond cool musicians filing through with their instruments. I am distracted by the glass cases of the costumes worn by the actual performers. There is Cee Lo Green’s bejeweled black outfit with the space age shoulders, Britney Spears’ see-through- skin colored- tiny dress, Madonna’s hip- flamenco style dress and bolero jacket and of course  James Brown’s kingly cape and crown. Much to the horror of my band mates I am starting to fantasize about a new costume look for The Pink Flamingos!

Cee Lo’s crazy costume

Lucky for them, we get our rooms and head to them. Everything about this hotel is so Rock and Roll. The elevators are like road cases with famous lyric quotes inside. The lights are covered by Zyldjian Cymbals and there is a chandelier made  completely of saxophones! My room is fit for a rock star with colors of  muted silver and grey’s and framed photos of  The Monkey’s and Kurt Cobain. I am definitely going to have Rock Star dreams tonight!

Cool Steve Vai’s Rock Guitar!

Paul McCartney’s bass! (Need I say more?)

We head down to The Joint to set up our gear. The stage is amazing with an incredible lighting rig that looks like an otherworldly space craft is descending on us.  The sound guys are super professional and sound check goes smoothly and quickly.

Pre-Gig stage with amazing lighting rig

As the costumer, I get to spend the bulk of setup in the dressing room – a REAL dressing room with actual make up mirrors and a professional costume steamer! There are posters plastered all over the wall of every rock n roller you can imagine. I am daydreaming that I am using the exact same steamer that Mick Jagger’s costume mistress used for Mick’s costumes when I hear it’s time for sound check. Before I head down I pass through the Green Room where I try to sit on every couch and touch every item that Rock Stars have touched – hoping that their super-star power may rub off on me.

The Hard Rock Dressing room

Time to come back to Earth – Show Time!

Maybe it was the steamer or the super star vibes from the couch or standing on the same stage that infamous Rock Stars have stood on or maybe it was just plain hard work -  but that night, at The Joint, I became a legend in my own mind and had my 15 minutes of fame!

Mine (and Joey’s) 15 minutes of fame!

Most of you already know this…but here’s a quick refresher

Have you ever experienced an embarrassing etiquette quandary? You need to introduce your CEO to a big client, how to you do it properly?

Old School still rules!

Or, you’re at a formal dinner and you don’t know which fork to use for the salad…and the pieces of lettuce are really big, do you cut them with a knife? Then there comes a soup in a cup with handles, do you drink it or eat it with a spoon.

These and other dilemmas were the subject of a recent talk by Colleen Richenbacher (CMP, CSEP, CPC and Co-founder at Global Protocol, Etiquette & Civility Academy) at a recent Meeting Planner’s International New Mexico chapter luncheon.  According to Ms. Richenbacher, ‘even in today’s more casual workplace, it is imperative that we still “mind our manners”’.  With the uncertain economy and the competitive job market, how you appear and how you treat people is more important than ever.  If you don’t obey the unspoken rules, it could hinder your career and prevent you from gaining that really important client.

In an entertaining 73 minute whirlwind presentation, Ms. Richenbacher packed in over 15 years of etiquette training.   Here are a few of her tips:

Business Lunches:

• Whoever invites, pays.
• Handle paying for the bill prior to the lunch i.e. leave your credit card with the restaurant first.
• If you are the host, and your guest doesn’t want desert and coffee (even though you really, really want desert), conclude the lunch.
• Don’t have the bill brought to the table.  Handle it after your guest has left.
• Don’t ever:
  Put lipstick or lip balm on at the table, chew gum or use any device (including a fork, sugar packet or toothpick) to clean your teeth.
• No slurping, clanging, or any other natural sounds

Networking:

• Wear your name on the right side
• If you are at a meeting and you get up to speak or have a photo taken, take off your badge.
• Have 10 things to you can talk about
• Keep your elevator speech to 10 seconds.  As she says, ‘I want to know where you work and that’s it’.  If you really want their business send a note and brochure the next day.
• When shaking hands, keep a distance of about two and a half feet and shake 2-3 times

Hearing Ms. Rickenbacker’s talk was actually a little reassuring and I realized that perhaps I’m not much of an etiquette bumpkin as I expected.  But, just to be on the safe side, I purchased her book Be on Your Best Business Behavior.  Well, it really wasn’t for me… I thought it would be a nice thing for my office mates. (No offense guys).

It’s not as though the Queen is coming to dinner…but what if she did?

P.S.

Yes, to using a knife to cut salad.

Yes to the soup – it is permissible to drink a soup if it is a consommé or thin soup. These types of soups may be served in bowls with handles.

When introducing people use “HOW”:

A person of higher rank is introduced to one of lower rank
An older person is introduced to a younger one
A woman is introduced to a man.

In the case of the introduction, the big client would get introduced to your CEO.

Time to step up to the plate

You can learn more about Colleen Richenbacher and purchase her books at

http://www.globalpecacademy.com

Planning a truly successful event can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be if you
start with a solid plan. Begin by answering two essential questions:

Who?

Why?

The what, where,when and how will fall into place once you’ve clearly established the who and why.

Let’s break it down:

When answering the “who”, consider these eight points:

a. Number of guests attending ___________
b. Age range _______ Median age __________
c. % male _________ % female _____________
d. % of guests w/spouses or dates _________
e. Where are guests from? (local, national, international)_________
f. % of guests who know each other __________
g. % of guests who attended this event last year __________
h. Relationship to host/company sponsoring event __________

It’s important to get this information as soon as possible.

Now, when answering the “why”, learn everything you can about the purpose of this event, both externally and internally:

There is almost always an external, advertised purpose for an event:
TO EDUCATE sales teams, dealers, distributors
TO AWARD outstanding achievers
TO MOTIVATE employees
TO HONOR incoming/outgoing V.I.P.s
TO RECRUIT new members
TO CELEBRATE a company’s great year or anniversary
TO SHOW APPRECIATION to top clients/customers
TO MERGE two competitors bought out by another company

However there is also an unspoken internal purpose:
Ask “What is the intentional experience that you, or the powers that be, want to create for these guests?”

It’s important at this juncture to understand that no matter what medals, plaques,
trophies, or accolades with which you shower your guests, those objects serve only
as half of the equation. The other equal if not more significant half is the
EXPERIENCE they have. While gifts are an explicit expression of appreciation,
they can’t touch the power of a truly memorable experience—a gift that lasts forever.
In the end, it is the quality of the experience that determines how successful the
event has been.

The rest of the puzzle:

THE REST OF THE PUZZLE
By knowing everything you can about the “WHO & WHY,” you can create a solid
framework that allows the rest of the puzzle pieces to easily fall into alignment.
That initial checklist might look something like this:
1. Venue options (Where)
2. Date options (When)
3. Billing of event (What)
4. Room/space layout options
5. Timeline/schedule options
6. If event involves food, options include:

Hors d’oeuvres only

Buffet only

Sit-down, plated meal
7. AV/sound/light options
8. Vendor/supplier options
9. Decor options (or no decor)
10. Theme options (or no theme)
11. Speaker options
12. Entertainment options

Also, within each category are a multitude of options. With your focus remaining on who your guests really are and on the specific intention of your event, you can double-check every choice you have with this one qualifying question:

“Which option most supports our guests and that integral ‘intentional experience’ that we want to create?”

In every category on that checklist, without exception, there are dos and don’ts, ideal and less-than-ideal options. But when held up to the light of your framework and that one qualifying question, the correct choices will quickly become apparent. For example, if your event is designed to encourage and allow guests time to network and connect with each other, you wouldn’t choose to have them sitting at round tables of twelve with gigantic centerpieces that restrict conversation, as prerecorded music blares down through the house speaker system so loudly that they can barely hear themselves think. Just remember: if at any moment the overview begins to overwhelm you, simply take a deep breath and know that you have that clearly defined framework to fall back on.

For more great ideas & useful information, check out our other blogs,  tips for meeting planners or Contact us.  We’ll be happy to help! And,  get to know Lisa a little better by connecting with her on LinkedIn!

The Pink Flamingos © 2012, All Rights Reserved. CONTACT US! www.thepinkflamingos.com
800.700.3898

Pink Flamingo Productions operates on 30 acres of wooded property between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, with a variety of out buildings each serving a purpose for our production company. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s one of the first production companies in the country to operate under a green initiative, with a solar energy grid and a comprehensive composting and recycling program in practice.

This picture is more pleasant than the one of the compost.

And the first stop? The rehearsal room, where the magic begins:

We make it look easy – it’s not!

In this rehearsal space, we’re equipped with a full sound system, complete with wireless mics and a 64 channel sound board (the same kind we use on the road, for continuity’s sake). This is where The Pink Flamingos rehearse their standards, and also their freshest material.

Raven, Willow, and Sophie Hunger for some Harmonies

But what about the art, you ask (admit it, you were asking)? The PFP facility has not one, not two, but three spaces used for Art Explosion and The 3 Painters, two successful and innovative speed painting acts. The main art space is used mostly for painting rehearsal and gig preparation (for all the custom art work that we perform!).

Jeff, one of our Speed Painters, calls this space “The Flick and Thwack Proving Grounds”.

The other space we use for art rehearsal is our multipurpose space, which is bigger and more open; just what we need to practice painting with glitter, fire, and our revolving screen.

This space is also used to store and maintain the different equipment required for our acts (several sets, for those double and triple bookings, of course).

Hula hoops are official equipment, too!

In another facility, we organize and store our plethora of costumes (which you can never have to many of, obviously!):

DRESS UP, I SAY!

But before we can rehearse for a gig, we have to get the gig – that’s where our newly remodeled marketing office comes in to play:

We find that coming to the office in proper attire sets one up for a healthy and productive day.

And for recording the band, or mixing custom music for an explosive art performance, we have a state-of-the-art recording studio, designed by Scott Jarrett and studio designer Geoff Turner:

For mixing and recording!

Once it’s time to go to a gig (and we go all over the place), we load our gear (and ourselves) into these:

For our gear (and sometimes we throw Jeffrey in here for fun)

And the rest of us travel in style!

What helps us too is the location of our headquarters – the beauty and the tranquility contribute to our creative entrepreneurial spirit just as much as our excellent and varied facilities.

It was a very enjoyable walk around the PFP headquarters. Hopefully, you enjoyed it as much as we get to enjoy it every day!

First, it’s worth mentioning that the space we used for the shoot is a multi-functional one; in addition to being a photography studio, it’s used as an art studio, practice space, administrative/practical storage, and a ton of other things. Since it’s not exclusively a photo studio, some creative transformation is required:

Making some decisions about where to get started…

…and then setting up the green screen.

Green Screen Greatness.

After the screen was set up, it was time to get the costumes ready. This meant collecting, organizing, and then steaming each and every piece of each and every costume. This was the most lengthy part of the photo shoot preparations.

Just one of the many racks of costumes that needed to be steamed and prepped for the photo shoot.

Once the preliminary prep was done, it was finally time to get to the fun part! We were lucky enough to have the amazing photography skills of Rob Shields at our disposal. First things first, makeup!

Like Bill needs makeup!

After that, it was time to don the freshly-steamed costumes:

A little help tying ties is always appreciated!

And then the shooting began…

Lights…camera… POSE!

The energy in the room was intense and fun, to the point where seriously almost every shot was usable! We got shots of all sorts of different costumes, and even some head shots for some of us to use for our LinkedIn profiles.

Who could tell that this wasn’t Liza?

You want us to do what??

Stop, in the name of the shot!

Jeffrey is always a little depressed when he’s not wearing his Phantom of the Opera costume.

Perhaps the gals could have used some Java to dance the Java Jive.

This IS his friendly, people face.

After the shoot was over, it was time to break down the equipment. Sad! Still, it was a wonderfully productive and enjoyable shoot.

P.S. – You may be wondering what the absolute hardest part of a photo shoot like this is. The answer is quite simple:

Getting Lauri to put her regular clothes back on!

The Pink Flamingos Demo

When themes seem to go bad, 99.9% of the time it’s not the theme’s fault. They only “go bad” when mismatched with their function. It’s similar to choosing socks—you wouldn’t couple gorgeous, forest green, thermal knee socks with high heels, nor would you select hot pink fishnet stockings to slide into ski boots.

There’s far more to a theme than meets the eye. Listed below are seven specific functions that a theme can serve. The key? Choose the function of your theme before choosing your theme.

1. Creating a Rack to Hang Your Hat On.

The function of this theme is to serve as “the rack” on which to hang your overall conference message—the identifying catch phrase or rallying motto. For example, the focus of one conference was entirely on “quality.” While this could have been a potentially dry topic, they chose a catch phrase that provided a very colorful theme: “Trek to Quality and Beyond,” a Star Trek theme. This provided the “rack” on which to hang all of their advertising, invitations, programs, breakout sessions, signage, etc. Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike enjoyed this lighthearted and creative use of a theme.

Make sure it’s a Stylish Rack.

2. Featuring Your Destination.

This function is more obvious. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in New Orleans, go for a Mardi Gras theme. When in Hawaii, a Hawaiian theme is delightful. And when in New Mexico, consider a Route 66 theme.

Getting your Kicks is always a hit!

3. Transporting Guests to Another Place.

The function of this theme is to transport your guests from Padukah, Kentucky, where your event may actually be, to a more exotic, far away destination. Consider, for example, a Parisian theme at The Moulin Rouge, or a Venetian theme titled, “Ciao, Venezia,” or a pirate theme in the Caribbean, ‘Ahoy, Mates!’

Bonjour.

4. Transporting Guests to Another Time.

Transporting guests to a time in the future or past is a fun way to celebrate a variety of events, including anniversaries. If your company or association gathers for a 40th anniversary, the theme can be based in the 60s when the company or association began. For example, imagine a Woodstock or Sergeant Pepper’s theme. For 100-year anniversaries, a theme that takes you through the decades is exciting. One company’s president used to be in a band in the 70s, so they chose a Studio 54 disco theme. Basing your theme on the movie Back to the Future allows
part of the evening to transport guests to the 1950s, then beam them into the 1980s. No matter what time capsule you choose, you’ll want it to have flexibility. If only one time period dominates, it will inevitably alienate those who can’t relate to that time.

Flapper Girls from the 20′s

5. Honoring Your Guests.

These themes place 100% of the attention on your guests, who become the “stars.” Consider these example themes: “Here’s to the Winner,” “Hats Off to You,” “A Night at the Oscars,” “The AT&T Academy Awards,” “The AOL Walk of Stars,” or “Simply the Best.”

“Oh my gosh! It’s that celebrity that I love! I must have his autograph!

6. Giving License To “Blank”.

The function of this theme is usually a directive for that specific event: “License to Party,” which can be a spy theme, or “License to Chill,” which can be an island, Jimmy Buffet theme. This type of theme announces the intent of the event, like giving license to share this special evening with your spouse or license to network, etc.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

7. Just For Fun/No Particular Reason.

When your theme doesn’t need to serve any of the functions listed above, you can select a theme just for fun: a Broadway theme, underwater theme, Hollywood theme, sports theme, fantasy theme, country theme, motivational theme, and so on. The key to selecting a “just for fun” theme is that it not pigeonhole your event the entire time. It works best to establish the theme at the outset. Your entertainment should support that theme for the early portion of the event, then have the freedom to include the variety that will keep everyone engaged all night long.

What themes have you tried that have been successful? Do you have any theme ideas to share? Give a shout with your ideas!
[contact-form]

The Pink Flamingos © 2012, All Rights Reserved. CONTACT US! www.thepinkflamingos.com
800.700.3898

First of all, BIG congratulations to the USA Women’s field hockey team, both for qualifying for the Olympics, but also for a great finish against Argentina in a four-game series that was even televised on NBC Sports Network.

London 2012!!

Now, on to the celebration!

This year, the performance was for a little over 2000 people; past, current and future Olympians, coaches, sponsors, family of the athletes, etc. The celebration ensued with some music, and then our very own speed painter, Michael Ostaski, painted a larger than life patriotic portrait, with superb singer Ashley King providing the grand, vocal finale, and then right back into the band.

A little later, Michael wowed with another painting, this time of the London 2012 Olympics logo. After he finished this 2^nd masterpiece, the Olympic march began to play and the Pinks lined up along the tables of the athletes- coach Lee Bodimeade introduced each Olympian one by one to the crowd and called them to the stage, and Flamingo confetti followed each one as they ascended.

It rained confetti and splendor.

Once all of the athletes were on stage, the emcee brought back Michael for one final time, painting a field hockey player, and then spectacularly revealing the names of the 16 qualifying athletes while they watched from their spots on stage.

“We made the Olympic Team!”

Once Michael finished his third and last painting, the Olympians lifted a giant American flag and held it along the stage’s edge – and Ashley sang the National Anthem all by himself, no instruments, no track, just his stirring voice and a couple thousand listening ears.

Even a fiercely loyal Canadian couldn’t help but feel like a Patriot.

The National Anthem a la King

After he finished, the athletes tore off the stage and began to party, as The Pink Flamingos took center stage for a highly interactive dance.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, we love performing for the women’s Olympic Field Hockey team because they have no qualms or reservations about matching our energy level. When audiences and performers mesh energetically the way that we always do with them, entertainment magic happens.

Can you guess which Olympians Olivia posed with who were real?

We’ve already started planning for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics – we’ll be ready whenever you are, Olympians!

The stage was one of those convertible truck-to-stage deals and was facing east, shielding us from the sun for a good portion of the setup (wonderful!!).  And, for as hot as it was during the setup, that’s how blustery it was during the show.

I was lucky – I was running the video projector from the side of the stage; I was protected from the wind by our tour bus, which we were using as a dressing room. The sound guys, the photographer, and all our band wasn’t so lucky (to give you an idea of how windy it was, entire branches from trees were flying down the road that we were performing on – not leaves, branches). The costumes were having a hard time, too – Bill, our guitarist, had some issues with his hat blowing right off his head during his highlighting song, “Sleepwalk”, and actually chased it down in the middle of his solo. Twice. The second time, one of the audience members were kind enough to go get it, otherwise we wouldn’t have ever seen that hat again!

After about 45 minutes, I felt a drop of rain. A couple of seconds later, another one plopped lazily on my arm. Another few seconds after that, we’re cutting our song short for an announcement, “The National Weather Service has announced a hail warning and suggests that we all take shelter,” all the while scrambling to get the keyboard and the speakers covered up with plastic (or our audience play parachute, because sometimes you just have to improvise in the moment).

Once everything was covered, we waited in our bus/dressing room for about 20 minutes for the rain to let up – and it did. The sky cleared and the wind died down, and everything was looking good. The rain had even cooled the whole place down to a comfortable temperature. So, we head out to start up the extravaganza once more and people get right back into the swing of the evening…when another drop hits.

Sure enough, the rain comes pouring down harder than before, and to top it all off there’s lighting in two different directions, thunder booming louder than our speakers. At this point, we needed to stop for the safety of everyone involved; we had to end early – one of the very, very few times that we’ve ever had to cut an evening short. A fair consolation, though, is that people shouted how wonderful we were and how they couldn’t wait until next year, the compliment being they took the time to shout it as they were running for cover from the impending lighting strikes.

Lovington, we too look forward to giving it another shot next year – we’ve discovered the most satisfying thing in the world, and we have to show you what it is!