Sacramento Regional FIRST Robotics Competition

The robots are invading, the robots are invading!

Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. The Sacramento Regional FIRST Robotics Competition returns to UC Davis from March 17-19, and UC Davis Conference and Event Services is very excited to be putting on this event. This year, there will be high school teams northern California all the way to Idaho.

This year’s game is Logo Motion, in which robots will play with inner tubes — trying to hang them on hooks on a wall. The public is welcome to attend, free of charge. The event takes place in The Pavilion at the ARC, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days. Practice rounds are scheduled for Thursday, March 17, with the actual competition set for Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19. [Info from UC Davis News & Information: http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=13304&fu=031111]

We are very excited about this coming to our very own ARC Pavillion and are intrigued by the possibilities of such creativity coming together at one event. Be sure to check it out, and as always, stay tuned for more!

Wedding, Wedding, Who's Having a Wedding?

Tuesday March 1

Earlier last week UC Davis Conference and Event Services staff members Katrina Evans and Adrianne Bataska had a booth at the Dream Wedding Showcase at California Expo. On that cold Sunday morning Katrina and Adrianne set out to inform brides all over the region about UC Davis's beautiful facilities and great services for their special day.

The day proved to be promising as Katrina and Adrianne were give numerous words of praise for not only their great knowledge of the wedding planning industry, but for an outstanding booth design as well.

Take a look at the recap of this year's Dream Wedding Showcase by CES Marketing Manager Katrina Evans, and remember when choosing UC Davis: Everything you need, is already here.

Adrianne and I attended the Dream Wedding Showcase at Cal Expo on Sunday, February 20. With over 1,000 attendees Adrianne and I met brides, grooms and their families all day and introduced them to the possibility of having their weddings at UC Davis. Our booth was one of the prettiest in the building! We kept our trademark black/grey/yellow theme for the wedding show and had lovely compacts and lip glosses for the brides. A special thank you goes out to Favor Warehouse (http://www.favorwarehouse.com/) and Blue Bee Printing (http://www.bluebeeprinting.com/) for assisting us with the fabulous give-away items. The CES Team had fun and enjoyed showcasing the University facilities at the bridal show.

-Marketing Manager, Katrina Evans

2011 GMIC Sustainable Meetings Conference

February 24, 2011

Earlier this week Conference and Event Services team members Ana Kitchen and Lina Layiktez traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend the 2011 GMIC Sustainable Meetings Conference. This event provided Ana and Lina with the knowledge to come back and put some insightful idea to work at UC Davis.

This year's GMIC Sustainable Meetings Conference featured a group of great speakers! The presentations by Richard Aaron from BizBash Media, Scott Hamlin from Looptworks, and Steven Ward from Doubletree Hotel Portland. These three speakers were able to hit three topics that were a must share for all our event planner out there!

Richard Aaron was able to talk about BizBash and about the trends and ideas that progressive event planners and designers are adopting in the planning of their projects. This segment was able to incorporate how decor, lighting, displays, floral and food have been renewed to fit into the green landscape. Here at UC Davis, we're always trying to make sure we're protecting the environment at our events, and after hearing Mr. Aaron's discussion on these ideas, we will be looking to implement some of the plans for decor, lighting, floral, and all the other event planning trends out there.

Scott Hamlin from Looptworks talked about how they up cycle pre-consumer excess materials into clothing and accessories for the urban/outdoor enthusiast. Mr. Hamlin focused on how being sustainable isn't just about recycling, but about reusing as well. It is important to remember that although we may not enjoy a certain product anymore, this doesn't mean that it isn't reusable. By reusing, we are able to reduce our waste significantly and spread the joy of our old materials that we no longer find useful for ourselves.

Last but not least, Ana and Lina attended the talk by Double Tree Portland Executive Chef Steven Ward. With a philosophy like F.L.O.S.S. (fresh, local, organic, seasonal, and sustainable), it was clear to see that even in the kitchen, professionals are looking for ways to help out the environment. By building relationships with local farmers, ranchers, and organic producers, Mr. Ward is able to build long last relationships in the community, and reduce waste by buying local; ultimately cutting down on carbon emissions, pesticides, and other hazardous materials found in our food.

After this great trip to Portland, OR, Ana and Lina have come back to the department with new and fresh ideas to spread to all of you great event planners out there! Being green is important to us, and we know it is important to all you readers out there as well. Keep an eye on our Blog and Facebook for more posts on great conferences we've attended and the latest tips and practices in the sustainability community. Plan Green!