Amway Watch

How big an army can you feed?

A friend and I were recently talking about the holidays and she mentioned that she is having 26 people over for Thanksgiving dinner. That's a lot of people! Another friend of mine is hosting his family for Turkey day, and he's cooking the entire meal for all 12 or so of them. 

What's the largest dinner or meal you've ever hosted? How did it go? 

The largest party I've ever hosted in my 1,000 square foot condo was a "Winter Blues Chasing Party" one January. At the height of the party, I counted 68 people. We were crammed in good, with people sitting on the floor and many people there I didn't even know. It was fun and it never got out of hand. 

The largest dinner I ever hosted was for 15. It was a June event, so I could count on using the patio to help with space for socializing. I moved all the furniture out of my living room and added three folding tables to the dinning room table to make room for 15 place settings. I kept the menu fairly simple and chose to do an Italian theme, since cooking large quantities of pasta and other Italian style food is somewhat easier than a fancy French dinner for the same number. 

With the holidays coming up (faster than we can imagine), many of us will be hosting family and friends for medium and large gatherings and dinners. Share with me how you manage these events, your strategies, tips, and stories.

 

Ice Vegas

Well, at the risk of offending some of the regular readers here with another "pithy" topic that doesn't fully examine the darkest, deepest recesses of the Amway Global business, I will share some of my experiences of the past week while working with staff and marketing to leverage our title sponsorship of the Holiday Celebration on Ice, which will appear on NBC on Nov. 30.

There really were two aspects to the event that we went to Vegas to coordinate and participate in.  The first was the filming of a vignette that will appear as part of the NBC program.  The vignette features children who are benefitting from Easter Seals services skating with the all-star cast of the show, including Nancy Kerrigan, Jeffrey Buttle, Todd Eldredge, Yuka Sato, Ilia Kulik, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Jennifer Robinson, and Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon. I think most of the kids really enjoyed the experience (especially the one skating with reigning men's world champion Jeffrey Buttle -- see below) but I also think the skaters themselves were touched by the experience.  The final vignette, of which I've already seen a rough cut, will appear during the Nov. 30 broadcast and will showcase Amway Global's support for Easter Seals.

In addition to the vignette, we were product sampling at the event, providing attendees with samples of ARTISTRY skin care and cosmetic products.  I was surpised by how quickly people were snatching up the pretty bags that we assembled for the event. Marsha and Jessica did a stellar job bringing this all together and getting Artistry products into the hands of attendees at the event.

Of course, there was time to get to know the cast a little. The first evening in Las Vegas I joined them to see Le Reve at the Wynn, which was an awesome show. I spent some time chatting with some of the cast members, particularly fellow Canadians Jeffrey, Shae-Lynn, Jennifer, and Marie-France and Patrice. Also, found out that choreographer Lea Ann Miller has family right here in Grand Rapids area (and paintings on her wall at home bought at Bergsma Gallery in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel).

The actual event was awesome, with the holiday music provided by Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. It was great to meet them in person afterward during the meet and greet event.  When getting my pic taken with Amy, she leaned over to say thank you for the Artistry gift bag we left in her dressing room, adding that she couldn't wait to try the products.

I was snapping pix like a madman and created a set of some of them at my flickr site, so you need to check that out. You also can find out more from Leyla's blog, who attended the event to oversee vignette arrangements.

Easter Seals Skating Champs!

Enjoy the pictures!

Jeffrey Buttle and friend.

Yuka Sato and friend.

Shae Lynn Bourne and friend.

Todd Eldridge and friend.

Nancy Kerrigan and friend.

Patrice Lauzon and friend.

Easter Seals National Child Representative Scottie Gaither (third from right) and his friends.

The champions and the kids.

Amy Grant and friend.

Melisa, Zadie, Amy Grant and Paul.

ATTENTION WEST MICHIGAN IBOS:

Amway has been a long time partner to the Southeast Academic Center, a Grand Rapids public school. Each year as part of this partnership we host a Secret Santa Workshop so the kids can find presents for their families. Staff volunteer to serve as assistant shoppers. I recently received a request from our Queen of Everything Volunteer, Dawnlynn Suttorp, asking if we can reach out to IBOs in the area to see if they'd be interested in joining staff this year. So, below is all the information from Dawnlynn. 

We would love to have you join us for Santa Secret Work shop at  Southeast Academic Center, Amway's partner in education.

We will be helping 127 smiling students do their holiday shopping and wrap their gifts for their families! Each student needs an adult buddy to help them with their shopping.  We need approximately 25 people per shift.

Dates and Times:
             Monday, December 8, times are 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. to set the store up.
             Tuesday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 10, times are 9 a.m. to noon and/or 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Southeast Academic Center
                 1250 Sigsbee SE
                  Grand Rapids, MI 49506 

This is an awesome experience for the students and adults. Thanks

Cooking with Fruit

I've been reading a few Scandinavian cook books recently and I noticed that they call for fruit in many dishes. And I've tried a few of the recipes and they are indeed tasty.

Here are some ideas:

• Orange slices with fish or pork. Simply add them uncooked along side or on top of the meat or fish for a little added sweetness.
• Berries go wonderfully with beef. You can use the berries uncooked or you can heat the berries until they come apart and mix in some balsamic vinegar for a sweet and sour meat topping. Its easy to do and you can use raspberries, blackberries, or even strawberries.
  
• Pineapple apple chunks go well with nearly any dish.

So, if you are looking for a way to spice up a meal, try some fruit. Its an easy, healthy addition for something different. 

 

Taking the Dis out of Disabil

If there is one thing that I've learned working with Easter Seals it's that every individual has ability and that we all should strive to be the best that we can be considering our unique abilities.

Watching the Easter Seals kids skate with the stars from Amway Global's Holiday Celebration on Ice Monday only reinforced this message. Each and every child out there was enjoying the experience to the best of their abilities and each and every one of them took away something positive from the experience.

How can I explain the joy that I saw on the faces of these kids as they skated or experienced skating by being held securely in the arms of the professionals as they, together, glided across the rink?

I wish you all could have heard the enthusiastic "I did it! I did it!" of one young man as he stretched his leg out behind him in an arabesque or jumped up into the air as he held hands with world champion figure skater Jeffrey Buttle.

I wish you all could have experienced the electric smile of a young lady with cerebral palsy, dressed in pink velvet with white fur trim, as she felt the cool air on her face while "skating" across the rink in her wheelchair.

I wish you all could have seen the joy and pride in the faces of the parents and grandparents as they watched their children experience something they never thought they would.

Robin took about a million pictures...I'll be posting some soon.

Amway República Dominicana

A principios de este mes nuestro equipo en la República Dominicana llevo a cabo una feria donde tanto los IBO como el público en general tuvieron la oportunidad de probar los productos de salud y belleza exclusivos de Amway. Ruben Familia el director general de Amway DR fue destacado en un artículo que se publico en DominicanosHOY.com. Haz un clic en link para leer en artículo completo.

http://dominicanoshoy.com/articulos/archivos/2008/noviembre/articulo/amway-realiza-feria/

Le mando muchas felicidades a Ruben y todo los IBOs en esa isla por un exitoso evento y los invito a compartir sus experiencias sobre el evento.

Amway Global Advertising Upda

We took a major break from television advertising during the presidential election period, but we're coming back, and in a big way! Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we'll have a major presence on most networks.

For many families, Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and football - and Amway Global will be a part of both. 

Look for advertising during the live broadcast of the 82nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, airing from 9 a.m. to Noon EST Thursday, Nov. 27 on NBC affiliates across the U.S. The parade will be hosted by NBC Today Show hosts Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker, and feature performances by Miley Cyrus and America Idol finalist David Archuletta, plus marching bands, floats and those famous inflatable characters. Millions of people tune in to see the parade broadcast live from Manhattan on Thanksgiving Day.

Those planning to watch football during the long holiday weekend will see Amway Global advertising on NFL games on CBS, FOX, NBC, and the cable NFL Network. Our ads will air during the NBC Sunday Night Game as well as other NFL game broadcasts. Complete details will be available at AmwayGlobal.com in the coming weeks.

We also recently shared with our IBOs that Amway Global will be the presenting sponsor of the NBC Holiday Celebration on Ice, airing Nov. 30 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. EST. The show will feature an all-star cast of legendary skaters, including Nancy Kerrigan, Todd Eldredge, and Yuka Sato, plus performances by American singer-songwriters Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith.

As Presenting Sponsor, the Amway Global name will appear in television advertising surrounding the telecast, print materials and event signage. Look for a special Artistry "Beauty Begins with Heart" vignette highlighting our partnership with Easter Seals and featuring some of the skating superstars featured in the show.

Watch, enjoy, and please, let us know what you think!

Skating with the Stars

On Sunday, I fly out to Vegas to work with staff on leveraging our Presenting Sponsorship of the Holiday Celebration on Ice, which will appear on NBC on Nov. 11, 4-6 p.m. (ET).  It features skating stars like Nancy Kerrigan, Todd Eldredge and reigning men's World Champion Jeffrey Buttle, plus the music legends Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, so I'm looking forward to a great couple days.

On Monday, we shoot a vignette that will appear during the televised special on Nov. 30. The vignette will feature a dozen or so kids who benefit from Easter Seals services on the ice with the skaters. I'm bringing the camera, so I hope to be able to share some pix next week!  On Tuesday is the actual show that is being taped.  We will be doing product sampling for event attendees.  Amway Global signage will be on center ice, on banners surrounding the performance area, and on the program. 

We also will be prominent in the TV coverage and our ads will appear during the special.  As part of this whole deal, our ads also appear during other televised skating specials, including tomorrow's NBC television special (4-6 p.m. EST) featuring Kristi Yamaguchi and the Jonas Brothers.  So be sure to tune in to NBC tomorrow afternoon to see a great show and our ads. 

The event will be at the Orleans Arena next Tuesday ... hopefully there will be some time to see other sights and attractions in Vegas because, believe it or not, this is my first time there.  That's right, I'm a Vegas virgin.  I'm not a gambler, so there's never been any sort of appeal to go there for that reason.  I am a people watcher, though, and I've been told there's no better place to see ... ummm ... an interesting and diverse array of individuals.  :-)   

Before I head out, I first have to rake and bag mountains of leaves.  Autumn is, like, three months long, but it seems like all the leaves went "thunk" last night.  And let me tell you, raking in the Luymes backyard is quite the adventure.  Our back yard is also where Lucky "goes."  So, while I'm shuffling through the leaves I'm trying to avoid the landmines that I normally refer to as "Lucky Strikes."  Sigh.

Tis the season.  Halloween ends, Thanksgiving looms, I'm raking leaves and working on Christmas specials.  :-)  Have a good weekend!

Awards with Appeal ... Ribbon

Have you heard of  Incentive Magazine? Well, it's a wonderful magazine about the incentive industry-- available in digital and print versions. An OZ regular, CJ, sent a link to this article.

It talks about how Ribbon Gift Collections combine the use of gift cards with gift/award albums and that the key element of the program is choice. It goes on to talk about the price ranges and variety of brand names and products.

The article also highlights Successful Essentials, an Amway Global-affiliated business in Florida.

Check it out!

Don't forget! The holidays are coming fast. Be sure to contact current and prospective customers now. Businesses, friends, family, neighbors. Ribbon Gift Collections make the perfect holiday gift.

Need more info on Ribbon? Start here.