Welcome to the Rave Reviews Blog

November 16 2011

Putting the Holiday Spirit into Corporate Events

Looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit of giving? Rave Reviews invites you to share in our exciting holiday project: making no-sew fleece blankets for the needy. A simple and fun activity, making these blankets will not only warm your heart but will bring warmth to families in need. (See instructions below.) If you have questions, call us. This no-sew event is also a no-fee event.

The blankets will be distributed through The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless or you can bring them to a local charity or homeless shelter.

This is a fun, do-it-yourself project, an interoffice activity or a company-wide event. Make one at home or bring yards of fleece to the office and have everyone participate…a great team building, morale boosting opportunity. You can even include family and friends.

If you’re in the neighborhood, you can drop them off at Rave Reviews (8201 East Pacific Place, Suite 510, Denver, CO 80231) or call us (303-695-9002). We’ll be happy to come pick them up before December 20^th if you’re in the Denver Metro area. If you’re outside Metro Denver, just take them to any local charity or homeless shelter. This is a great event that will not only bring your employees together but will bring smiles and warmth to some needy families. Hope you’ll join us.

Call us if you have any questions or you need help putting this together. This is not only a no sew event, it is also a no fee event.

Happy holiday season!

Instructions

The Simplest, No Sew Fleece Blanket – This is the absolute easiest to create. To make:

• Buy 1½ - 2 yards of colorful, medium to heavy-weight fleece
• Trim the blanket until all the edges are even, removing the rough machine finished edges in the process. The smooth, cut edges of the blanket won’t fray and in just a few minutes you’ll have a simple, snuggly blanket
• Time involved…a trip to the fabric store and 5 minutes to remove the rough edges.

The Simple, Fringed, No Sew Fleece Blanket – Also very easy but the fringed edges dress it up a bit. To make:

• Buy 1½ - 2 yards of colorful, medium to heavy-weight fleece
• Trim the blanket until all the edges are even, removing the rough machine finished edges in the process.
• Using a sharp scissors or a rotary cutter fringe the opposite edges of the fabric so that you have two smooth edges and two fringed edges. (Fringe can be approximately 1” wide and 4” long.)
• Voila! A warm, cuddly blanket
• Time involved…a trip to the fabric store and 30-60 minutes to fringe the edges.

0 comments

October 10 2011

A Mezzaluna: The Key To Great Corporate Meetings and Events

I have a new toy. It’s called a mezzaluna. A mezzaluna is a specialty knife consisting of a curved blade with a handle on each end. I saw David Rocco using one on The Cooking Channel and I had to have one. I’ve been using mine to chop herbs for pestos and pepper relishes that remind me of my childhood.

So, how does my mezzaluna experience relate to corporate meetings and event planning? It’s not as much of a stretch as you may think.

Really great pesto requires top notch ingredients: a large bunch of fresh basil from the garden, 2 plump garlic cloves, ½ cup toasted pine nuts, a handful of freshly grated Italian Parmigianno Regianno cheese and some wonderful extra virgin olive oil.

Gather the first three ingredients on a chopping board and begin rocking the mezzaluna back and forth across the basil, garlic, and pine nuts melding them into one amazing creation. Scoop the mixture into a small jar. Add the cheese. Top with olive oil, a little salt and pepper and shake…the jar that is.

Meantime, cook whole wheat pasta (one lb.) in a large kettle of boiling water until al dente. Drain. Combine the drained pasta and the pesto and serve in a large bowl. Top with halved cherry tomatoes and more Parmigianno Regianno. Bella!

The same principals of creating a great pesto for a fabulous dish of pasta apply to creating a great meeting or event.

1. Incorporate the best ingredients you can find…the best talent…the best venue…the most creative agenda…the best techinical support…the freshest ideas…the most engaging team building…the best tools (like my mezzaluna)
2. Add a large quantity of organizational skills and meld these ingredients into one, cohesive, exciting corporate meeting and event.
3. Finally, top with hard work, enthusiasm and an additional heaping cup of creativety. Bella!

0 comments

June 20 2011

Twenty-one and Counting!

I can’t believe it but Rave Reviews has been in business for 21 years. We’ve traveled the country, met amazing people, worked for over 300 local, national and international companies, and in the process have had a great time learning a lot about the events business.

This blog will serve as a forum to share some of the insights I’ve gained and the excitement I feel being a part of this ever-changing industry. I have compiled a list called, 21 Lessons I’ve Learned Working in the Corporate Events’ World.  Each of the next several blogs will include one or two of those lessons.

Finally, there will be articles I find educational or simply interesting, and sometimes, whatever thoughts pop into my head. As I am very interested in food and health related topics, you’ll find an occasional recipe or an idea that might make your life a little better.

I encourage you to post your comments, questions or ideas as well.

To start, I’d love to introduce our new website: http://www.ravereviews.net This .will give you an idea of what we’ve been doing the last 21 years and why we’re celebrating this momentous occasion.

Here’s to 21 more!

0 comments