One Smooth Stone published in 2010 BBJ Linen Catalog

One Smooth Stone is honored to be included in the BBJ Linen catalog for the second year in a row. Six photographs from 2009 BMC Software incentive programs produced by One Smooth Stone were highlighted in this year's publication, showcasing creative integration and use of BBJ Linen products. Feel free to peruse the images below or download the whole catalog here: http://www.bbjlinen.com/Marketing/Pressreleases/BBJLinen2010Catalog.pdf (See pages 2, 7, 21, 31, 39 and 43).

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One Smooth Stone's Updated Website...

Check out the latest One Smooth Stone website - www.onesmoothstone.com! We've included updates on our capabilities, the work we've done, our team and our passion for philanthropy. Feel free to comment below and let us know what you think!

Open Mic Article: Corporate Social Responsibility

In the current winter issue of Illinois Meetings and Events magazine, One Smooth Stone Associate Producer Bethany Johnson shared her take on Corporate Social Responsibility. In the article, she provides tips on successfully incorporating philanthropic elements into your next event...everything from how to select the right charitable organization to preparing your attendees for the experience. The article is available online and also graced the cover of the print edition of this season's magazine. Check it out here!

Christmas Gift Giving

It's a One Smooth Stone tradition each Christmas to "adopt" several families through a local charity and purchase gifts for them. This year, we continued the tradition and worked with Evangelical Child and Family Agency to identify 3 families in need. One Smooth Stone staff members made donations, which were matched by the company. The staff then ventured in teams to the local Walmart and returned with a variety of gifts from the wish lists of each family member. Pizza and gift wrapping concluded our evening of giving!

Emily and Lisa perfect their gift wrapping skills.

Kimberly and Barb team up at Walmart.

Mark shows off a stylish scarf before it is wrapped.

Steve, Ken and Bethany, hard at work!

Webinar - Understand Union Labor

Thanks to everyone who listened and participated in our second installment of the Producer...You! webinar series entitled "Understanding Union Labor", a webinar co-hosted by One Smooth Stone and hinton+grusich on December 10th. The webinar provided an overview of the complexities of Union Labor, addressing frequently asked questions and reviewing key terms.

If you missed the session, complete audio/video has been posted here for viewing! Just click the video below to watch.

A glossary of terms and note from the webinar can be downloaded here:
http://tinyurl.com/UnionLaborNotes-Glossary

Feel free to send a link to this blog post to anyone who might benefit from the content.

Tips for Producing a Successful Virtual Event

As with live events, producing a successful virtual event involves extensive planning, careful content development and precise execution. Through our experience producing virtual events, we have found the following tips to be helpful in ensuring success...

1) Never underestimate the amount of pre-event planning time required for a virtual event. Build it into your schedule. You'll always wish you had more!

2) If your event is for an internal audience, engage your IT department early to ensure attendees have sufficient bandwidth and any challenges with access are resolved beforehand.

3) Like a physical event, keep the content and delivery engaging. Vary your presentation formats to keep attendees interested.

4) Consider using the virtual event platform for pre-event communication. This will test out its usability with your audience, help attendees get familiar and comfortable with its use, and get the word out!

5) If live interaction is a part of your event, don't forget to build sufficient rehearsal time into the schedule.

To learn more about One Smooth Stone's virtual event offering, watch our demo or shoot an email to Steve.

One Smooth Stone named 2010 Special Event Gala Award Finalist

The results are in...and One Smooth Stone has been named a finalist in the 2010 Special Event Gala Awards for its exquisite and elegant gala design at BMC Software's 2009 Chairman's Circle arrival lunch at the Four Seasons Lanai, Hawaii.

Released yesterday, the finalists in the competition have been posted online. Final award selections will be announced in January at The Special Event in New Orleans.

Arrival lunch at the Four Seasons golf course, overlooking the ocean

Floral and table design

Seating under an elegant canopy