Events 2 a Tee Blog

The ESPY’s

This was my first time to the ESPY’s. I have always wanted to attend the event. As an event planner it was a highlight of my life to see a live production of the show. We were also fortunate enough to be invited to the post parties sponsored by ESPN. The list of people there was [...]

All-Star Game and Pre-ESPY party

The Major League Baseball really knows how to do events! The coordinating of all these festivities are superb and they have every detail covered.
Prior to the All Star Game there was a parade and a party outside the stadium that the MLB put on for customers and sponsors. We got cool All-Star hats as a gift. [...]

MLB Home Run Derby

Wendy Haskell here writing…..Here are some pictures from the MLB Home Run Derby and All Star Baseball Game. I had the chance of a lifetime during the Home Run Derby to sit on the set of FOX Sports and interview Steve Lyons, who used to play baseball and now reports for FOX Sports and who [...]

NHL Awards Ceremony, Live from Las Vegas!

I am in Las Vegas for the NHL Awards Ceremony with the Buffalo Sabres and Ryan Miller’s charity, The Steadfast Foundation. I coordinate the foundations main fundraising event, Catwalk for Charity scheduled this year sometime in November.( I am meeting with Ryan today to discuss the date and will announce it asap)
Ryan is up for three [...]

The 136th Kentucky Derby

Here are some fun photos from the Derby. We had tickets in the clubhouse level and saw Brad Pitt, Terrell Owens and his entourage! Also, see the photo of Erin and girls we found with the same dress… Absolutely hilarious!!! They also all had dates with seer sucker suits..it caused havoc in the hallway and [...]

The ESPY’s

July 15th, 2010

This was my first time to the ESPY’s. I have always wanted to attend the event. As an event planner it was a highlight of my life to see a live production of the show. We were also fortunate enough to be invited to the post parties sponsored by ESPN. The list of people there was endless. I was bummed Ryan did not get the NHL Player of the year award and Sidney Crosby won it…boohoo!

The other Buffalo connections we had a chance to also say hi to were Matthew Barnaby, Pat Kane, and Wade Phillips. At the end of the evening I chatted with a production manager for Saturday Night Live. He was there with Seth Myers and Will Farrell. He just got married at the Country Club of Buffalo on June 12 to a Buffalo girl! We talked wedding planning… and I wish I planned their wedding for them!

Some of the hundreds of celebrities we either saw, met or had out photo taken with were…. Lyndsey Vonn, Seth Myers, Apollo Ono, Tim Tebow, Terrell Owens(he corrected me on how I said his name ), Willis McGahey, Drew Brees and the entire New Orleans Saints team including kicker Garrett Hartley who let us try on his superbowl ring! (see photo), Armando Galarraga(see photo) Reggie Bush, Erin Andrews, John Isner, Jon Gruden and so many others!

Tonight we are off to see Wendy’s brother in “So you think you can Dance”. He is an all-star dancer on the show….. and then back to Buffalo on the red eye!

Check out Wendy’s dress… She’s wearing a dress designed by ADAM.

ADAM, (Adam Lippes) He is one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things” and won O’s “Real World Style Awards.” Today the ADAM collection is available at the ADAM flagship store located in the meatpacking district of New York City, ADAM’s e-commerce site, and over 250 stores in 10 countries around the world, including Bergdorf Goodman, Jeffrey NY, Intermix, net-a-porter.com, Neiman Marcus, Lane Crawford, TSUM, Harrods and in his hometown of Buffalo, NY, on main street in Williamsville! I especially love that Adam adores dogs and plans an event around them!… and he and I share the same birthday – Christmas Eve! Check out his line www.shopadam.com

All-Star Game and Pre-ESPY party

July 14th, 2010

The Major League Baseball really knows how to do events! The coordinating of all these festivities are superb and they have every detail covered.

Prior to the All Star Game there was a parade and a party outside the stadium that the MLB put on for customers and sponsors. We got cool All-Star hats as a gift. The band Train performed there as seen in some of these photos. Our tickets for the All Star game were two rows up from the field on the first base line behind the dugout. It was incredible! We sat right next to Chris Berman for a few innings and he gave us the play by play on the game, and background on each of the players. He then had to leave and prepare for the post game show. After the game we went to a pre-ESPY party at Boulevard 3 on Sunset in Hollywood. It was for all of the nominees, sponsors, etc… It was sponsored by Hennessy Black and they honored the Super Bowl Champions, New Orleans Saints. (Funny thing happened to us…The Saints and their families were being ushered on to the stage when we were walking back from the bathroom and the event planners almost escorted us on stage…we had no idea what was going on and did not even know they were the Saints until they started yelling “football players, lets go!”) Paparazzi were out in full force…autograph seekers too! We were only there for a short while and wanted to get rest for tonight and the real show…the ESPY’s… of course we will be cheering on Buffalo Sabres, goalie Ryan Miller for NHL Player of the year!

We’ll be back with more tomorrow!! ~Wendy~

MLB Home Run Derby

July 14th, 2010

Wendy Haskell here writing…..Here are some pictures from the MLB Home Run Derby and All Star Baseball Game. I had the chance of a lifetime during the Home Run Derby to sit on the set of FOX Sports and interview Steve Lyons, who used to play baseball and now reports for FOX Sports and who is well known for taking off his pants in the middle of a game while standing on first base! He was a great player, his main position was left “bench”…the only issue was the splinters. He is hoping to someday make the Hall of Fame! We recorded the interview, and will post it soon.

We also had tickets to an ESPN party during the Home Run Derby behind centerfield. They gave away Rawlings baseball mitts with the ESPN logo… so we could catch some of the home run balls (yeah right!) They broadcasted the game in 3D and 3D glasses for everyone to wear…it was as if you sitting behind home plate! We were asked quite a bit “where are you girls from”…and after we would say “Buffalo”, everyone would repeat in an astounding and emphatic way, “BUUUUFFFAAALLLO??? We figured you were from southern California”… It was quite funny, because it happened every time. We of course told them how much we LOVE Buffalo and love living there! We ran into two men at our hotel after the Home Run Derby, that said the same thing, but this time they had another reason for saying it because they work for New Era West Coast which the main headquarters is based in Buffalo. Pete Augustine, President of New Era, and other Buffalonians then followed in and we had a mini Buffalo reunion. They invited us to the Oakley Party but we already had plans to go to Marquis Jet Party at Boomers in Irvine. The Net Jet Party was a blast and they gave us a big bag full of hats, t-shirts, a model Marquis plane and other goodies. I had my first In and Out Burger at the party, and it was delicious! I was told you had to have one while out in Cali.

Funny story…we were on the elevator with two ladies and they were also from Buffalo and work for New Era.. Our families knew each other quite well… Debbie Lancellotti and Linda Sheriff… small world!

What is she up to now?

July 11th, 2010

Hello friends, family, acquaintances and all others on email list! This is my unofficial Events to a Tee newsletter!

I have been planning events and parties for over 24 years, and have either coordinated or assisted with over 500 events in my career. (If you count the parties I had while my parents were out of town and the ones I planned in college, that number goes way up!) I have always said my event planning internship began when I was in high school and I have my parents to thank for that. Sorry Mom and Dad! I acquired some great experience and no one got hurt!

I originally started my Events to a Tee blog while I was in Vancouver for the Olympics and have future plans to make it bigger and better, through the guidance of some advisors, as I explore various ways to use it and grow my business.

A look into the future for Events to a Tee and the blog:

v I will be putting together group trips to events such as the sporting events, golf tournaments, music festivals, and food & wine festivals. I will also custom plan a trip for you and your friends or clients.

v I will soon have an “event planning guide” with some focus on the events I have already attended. It will have some inside scoops on events, recommendations for vendors, entertainers, cool themes, and other material for anyone that plans a party or event.

v I am working on more sponsors, advertisers, and affiliate marketing for the blog and website.

v AND… down the road, I would love to write a book on event planning to a Tee!

v So there you have it…. Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions etc….. please let me know!

And now for what today holds…. I am just coming off planning back to back events in Buffalo, and am currently on a plane to Los Angeles for the MLB home run derby on Monday, the MLB All-star game on Tuesday, the ESPY’s on Wednesday, and FOX’s, “So You Think You Can Dance” on Thursday. I am going out there with Wendy Haskell who is featured on my website/blog as a reporter/blogger/interviewer and will be doing some blog entries from LA. Wendy by profession is a doctor of physical therapy, a model and now ‘cover girl’ of American Airlines Skymall Magazine. For the next three months she is featured in the all Skymall magazines for Evel Kneivel Cycles on page 13. I introduced her to the owner of Evel Knievel Cycles, who I have known for years, and setup the opportunity, while I was in Miami for the Superbowl. Below is the cover of the magazine. Wendy calls me her “agent”, as I am working with her as she pursues her future goal as a side line sports reporter!

We had a great opportunity to come to LA and report on the events here, and I want to thank Beverly Peluso for her hospitality, along with Chris Berman, and Neil Haskell (Wendy’s brother who is an All Star dancer on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’) for tickets to the events.

A Special Thank you to some of our sponsors:

ADAM, (Adam Lippes) has outfitted us with some fabulous clothes from his collection to wear while in LA. He has a long resume in the fashion world. He is one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things” and won O’s “Real World Style Awards.” Today the ADAM collection is available at the ADAM flagship store located in the meatpacking district of New York City, ADAM’s e-commerce site, and over 250 stores in 10 countries around the world, including Bergdorf Goodman, Jeffrey NY, Intermix, net-a-porter.com, Neiman Marcus, Lane Crawford, TSUM, Harrods and in his hometown of Buffalo, NY, on main street in Williamsville! I especially love that Adam adores dogs and plans an event around them!… and he and I share the same birthday – Christmas Eve! Check out his line www.shopadam.com

97 Rock, in Buffalo, NY, will be promoting our blog while in LA on air and on their website. http://www.97rock.com/ Here is the on air schedule.

1) ESPN’s, Chris Berman will be doing a call in to the station on Monday, July 12 during the 8amEST hour.

2) Tim Busfield,a director/producer and most notably from the show Thirty Something, will be on Tuesday July 13, from LA live at 8:45amEST. Tim is from East Lansing and went to grade school with Ryan Millers’ father, Dean Miller. Chris Berman and he were in the movie “Little Big League” together, and in Berman style, he calls him Timothy “The Magic” Busfield. Here is a Tim bit: Tim introduced Ryan to his wonderful girlfriend, Noureen DeWulf, an actress,.. with a little help from me! Tim is a HUGE fan of Ryan’s and the Buffalo Sabres !

3) Ryan Miller(Buffalo Sabres and Olympic Goalie) will be doing a call in on Wednesday July 14 during the 8amEST hour . He will speak about his nomination for NHL Player of the Year at the ESPY’s that evening. He will also talk about Catwalk for Charity V, scheduled this year for Sunday November 21, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

4) Wendy and I will be doing a live call in live from LA at 8:15amEST to the radio station on Thursday July 15, just hours after the ESPY’s, and hopefully to report on the newest NHL Player of the year, Ryan Miller!

Please visit the blog or sign up for email alerts. I have over 10,000 hits so far and please pass on the link to your family, business associates, friends! Please let me know if you, and I will put you on my VIP list…There are perks! www.events2atee.com/eblog

Lastly, I want to promote an event I am coordinating on July 21 in Buffalo for the Western New York Women’s Fund, called “What She’s made of”. It is an evening with Emmy Award Winning Congressional Correspondent and best selling author - Cokie Roberts. The Women’s Fund is a foundation that indentifies, communicates, advocates, funds and collaborates with organizations on the critical needs affecting women and girls in Western New York. It is a great organization and I urge you to come support this great cause. Tickets can be purchased at www.whatshesmadeof.org or by calling 716-887-2616. This is a unique event that pays tribute to all girls and women in our community. I hope to see you there!

Therese Forton

716-868-8868

Owner, Events to a Tee and Associates – www.events2atee.com

Events to a Tee Blog - www.events2atee.com/eblog

Event Manager – The Steadfast Foundation/”Catwalk for Charity” – www.thesteadfastfoundation.com

Author of Children’s books – www.ZakiandVenus.com

Green Tee – www.GreenLivingtoaTee.com

Tree Tee – www.Carvingsforacause.com

Vice President, Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame www.gbshof.com

NHL Awards Ceremony, Live from Las Vegas!

June 23rd, 2010

I am in Las Vegas for the NHL Awards Ceremony with the Buffalo Sabres and Ryan Miller’s charity, The Steadfast Foundation. I coordinate the foundations main fundraising event, Catwalk for Charity scheduled this year sometime in November.( I am meeting with Ryan today to discuss the date and will announce it asap)

Ryan is up for three awards and Tyler Myers, defensemen for the Sabres, is up for Rookie of the Year.Ryan is up for the prestigious Vezina for the best goaltender and his competition is Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur. Ryan went 41-18-8 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .929 save percentage, while his main competitor, Bryzgalov, was 42-20-6 with 2.29 and .920.

The second award he is up for is The Messier Leadership Award, given to the player who exemplifies leadership on and off the ice. The winner is selected by Mark Messier, with the other two contenders being Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Phoenix’s Shane Doan.

The third award is the NHL Foundation Award given to the player who applies the core values of hockey — commitment, perseverance and teamwork — to enrich the lives of people in his community. Ryan’s competition for this award are Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown and Washington’s Mike Green.

The Hotel is buzzing with all sorts of NHL players and fans. I actually ran into and briefly chatted with Pat Kane last night on my way out to dinner with my cousin Ray Forton and his wife Amy.

Stay Tuned…for a report from The Palms in Las Vegas and plenty of red carpet photos!

Part II - See more photos of the NHL Awards Ceremony and a few more stories…

Funny story…I walked in solo on the red carpet to the ceremony….A lot of cameras were in front of me and I knew “someone” was behind me. It turned out to be Brett Hull. Security thought I was with him so they ushered me in with him on an elevator into a VIP area…very funny…I told him I planned Jim Kelly’s and Ryan Millers events so he did think I was a crazy person… I also told him I met him 20 years ago at Jim Kelly’s house after a football game. He remembered and also said it was the greatest comeback game that day and reminded me the Stars beat the Sabres that night too! I had to go to my seat and thanked him for the 5 minute date!

The Award Ceremony was spectacular! Ryan took the Venzina (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw0LJHgW9aQ ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIaVwMtA7Mg) but also received the NHL Foundation Award! Everyone involved with the Foundation and Catwalk for Charity should get a pat on their back! See article http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=532547 and video http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=72766

I met up with Ryan and his girlfriend, Noureen DeWulf, after the ceremony as seen in one photo. They both looked so great on the red carpet together… see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTrM_WuJscs … I would also like to mention the fabulous dress Noureen was wearing…. designed by Herve Ledger! They had a hard time even getting into the party as the requests for photos and autographs were endless. After a few hours of down time in their room, we met up later for some celebratory champagne! Congrats Ryan!