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An Affair to Remember

PLANNING YOUR NAPA VALLEY EVENT

Of all the possible locations for your special event, the Napa Valley is sure to be the most memorable–for all the right reasons.

Our Mediterranean climate, with reliably blue skies and dry conditions for much of the year and dramatic cloudscapes in the brief off-season, coupled with the dramatic hills and celebrated vineyards that define the Valley view year round, make Napa an irresistible destination for everyone from wedding parties (just ask Christina Aguilera) to corporate teams.

World-class wineries, golfing and restaurants only add to the luster of your affair, be it a family party, reunion, business conference or executive retreat. It’s no wonder that keynote presentations and conferences seem to pack more punch in Wine Country.

But if you want to make the utmost of the Napa Valley’s many charms–without encountering any buzz-killing logistical pitfalls–consider enlisting an experienced, locally-based, event-planning agency that can help you to an effortless occasion.

Your own head will rest easier, while your guests will bask in the many advantages a local firm can offer through longstanding relationships with property owners, caterers and decorators.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

“What are you trying to make happen?” asks Mark Leonardi, director for Napa-based MLA Events.

Once that essential question is established, he continues, the next step is to identify the essential elements–beverages, entertainment, food, décor and lighting. Most importantly, Leonardi says, “You have to select the right location in Napa and put it all together, and that’s where an event planner can be very helpful.”

A well-connected planner has access to properties not generally known to be available, “whether they be wineries, exclusive venues or resorts and hotels that can be rented out,” Leonardi explains.

That insider knowledge can make a big difference in landing your one-of-a-kind event location, perhaps on a vineyard estate or unforgettable mountainside retreat with breathtaking views.

MLA Events, like other planners, can also connect prospective party-givers with top local caterers and book from a wide assortment of Bay Area and nationally known bands for entertainment.

But above, beyond–and before–the tasks of picking hors d’oeuvres, selecting wines and checking out the demo discs, event hosts need experienced planners from the very beginning. “There’s the party side, and then there’s the business part,” Kutchai says, explaining that professional planners manage all the logistical challenges that would otherwise take the bloom off of hosting an event.

REALITY CHECK

It all starts with a reality check: “You need to know what you want,” says Kutchai. “Is your budget realistic, knowing Napa is kind of a high-end market?”

A locally-based planner is the best route to answering that question. And once the budget is established, firms like MLA can take on all the other heavy lifting required:

From online registration, décor, travel arrangements–long-distance transportation, local pickups, limos and even bus transfers–to on-site management, “an event planner coordinates all these elements and brings them all together,” says Mark Leonardi, founder and director of MLA Events.

“We have access to venues that you might not find on your own, and access to caterers, décor, and so on,” he continues–but here’s what may be the best part: “We also know how to run business meetings, and achieve your goals,” Leonardi says.

That service alone is practically invaluable–just ask anyone who’s tried to improvise an important event!

While MLA Events specializes in planning, producing and managing corporate events nationwide, they also service the local market with planning and managing special and social events.

Once the reality check is completed, fantasy is free to reign (within your budget): MLA Events can coordinate a fiesta on virtually any imaginable theme.

NFL kickoff party, Bacchus party, “Back to the Future” party, “Sting” party, casino party, private wine tastings and wine education events…the list is as long as your imagination can conjure.

The advantages of a full-service event planner can begin as early as the invitations: MLA Events offers an online registration option allowing guests to R.S.V.P., choose gifts, get directions and more.

The firm even sends out reminders as the date approaches. “A good event planner does all these things,” says Kutchai.

Once your special event is under way, full-service planners are there on-site to make sure everything goes smoothly. MLA Events has managed events for some 1,900 people during Bank of the West’s annual conference at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, where Leonardi and Kutchai have arranged staging, light, sound and spectacular special effects for years.

“This has to be the best event the bank has done yet,” wrote Cheryl Pierce of the bank’s Presidents Club. “Your work before, during, and after the event was fantastic. We are looking forward to working with you again next year.”

Your own event may not require high-flying acrobats or special effects lighting; but with the help of a local events planner, you can provide your guests with Napa Valley memories they’ll never forget–for all the right reasons.

Article provided by MLA Events