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As the event management firm retained to manage all media related activities/logistics in this historic visit to the U.S. by the Holy Father on April 15-20, Voilà! will design, contract and implement many of the activities involved in the multi-faceted event spanning Washington, D.C. and New York City, NY.
Voilà’s comprehensive services for the six-day event include site selection, hotel negotiations and housing, media pool site trips, media centers, media access and press credentialing, technology implementation, translation services, full staffing support and city-wide transportation. Voilà! will also operate directly with the U.S. Secret Service and city police departments to ensure proper security measures are established and executed among all venues.
“Voilà! is very pleased and honored to be playing such a leading role in the upcoming Papal visit,” said Eden Capuano, Principal of Voilà! “Our relationship with the USCCB is the type of client relationship we really value. We have proven strengths in coordinating all aspects of high-profile programs, which has translated into our being named as a major participant in this most historic event.” 
We have full confidence that they will do what they do best and help make this a flawlessly orchestrated event. 
Voilà! was selected to play a significant role in the Papal visit based on its strong relationship with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) – the lead organization responsible for promoting and coordinating Pope Benedict XVI’s U.S.-based visit. The USCCB also cited Voilà’s demonstrated track record of exceptional service, proven ability to deliver, and attention to detail.
“We chose Voilà! to assist us with this highly anticipated event with the Holy Father based on their long-standing record of providing us with world-class program support. We always appreciate their team approach and know that we can count of them to successfully execute on planned and unexpected details. We have full confidence that they will do what they do best and help make this a flawlessly orchestrated event,” said Helen Osman, Executive Secretary of Communications at USCCB.
“The services we are providing for the Papal Visit are among the many varied services we provide to all of our clients. Granted, the level of security is higher than any other Head of State event we manage and the logistics involve an extensive global presence not usually encountered. Add managing the needs of over 5,000 media personnel from outlets such as CNN, Reuters, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and the Associated Press and we have a trifecta of meeting planning challenges, all of which we’re prepared to meet and exceed,” comments Olivia Immerman, Principal of Voilà!
About Voilà!
Founded in 2001, Voilà! Meeting and Event Management is a woman-owned, award-winning, full-service event management and incentive firm offering services to corporate, association, government and religious organizations. Voilà! consults to over 60 domestic and international clients across multiple disciplines including incentive travel, conference, trade show, event, media, sporting, and meeting management. Clients such as Delta Airlines, Coors Brewing Company, Caribbean Central American Action, NM Rothschild & Sons, and NY Stock Exchange have sought Voilà! for their outstanding client service and detail-oriented approach. For more information, please visit www.voilameetings.com
About the Papal Visit
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the U.S. will encompass public and private events. Public activities include Masses at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium while private events include the Holy Father’s address to the United Nations, a meeting with President Bush, and several prayer services. Comprehensive information on the Papal visit can be found at www.uspapalvisit.org
CLOSE TO ITS CLIENT
Voila was in charge of site selection, hotel negotiations and housing, media pool site trips, media centers, media access and press credentialing, technology implementation, translation services, full staffing support and citywide transportation, the company reports. Voila also worked directly with the U.S. Secret Service and city police departments to ensure protection for the pontiff.
Voila won the business thanks to the "long-standing relationship" that company principal Eden Capuano and business partner Olivia Immerman have developed with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Capuano tells Special Events. Despite her team's ability to collaborate easily with its client, however, the event was a challenge, Capuano notes. It’s not about how perfectly things ran from a pre-planning perspective but how well we were able to react to the on-site changes occurring around us each hour.
"Our contacts called us in September and asked us to research the booking of D.C. and New York properties," she says. "Finding their housing needs was a task in itself as we were looking for two hotels in each city with 500-plus room nights and plenty of meeting space." Making matters worse were the busy season and tight timeline: "Springtime in D.C. and New York, under six months' out," Capuano says. "The topper was, we could not say that the space was needed for the papal visit!"
TIGHT TIMELINES
In Washington, DMC GEP Washington took on local logistical projections, timeline development, transportation for the papal entourage, developing and operating a shuttle system for Nationals Stadium, assistance with decor and design, and coordinating staffing, the company reports.
The pope's first stop was in Washington April 15-17, which included a cake served at the White House to honor his 81st birthday, meetings with clergy and a mass at the newly completed Nationals Park.
The three-day New York leg of the pope's visit, April 18-20, was packed with events including an address at the United Nations, a seminary visit, a visit to the 9/11 site, a drive down famed Fifth Avenue and masses at both St. Patrick's Cathedral and Yankee Stadium, the latter drawing more than 57,000, according to Catholic News Service.
PLANNING PAYOFF
Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich cooked dinner the nights of April 18 and 19, which the pope spent in the Manhattan home of Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's representative to the U.N., CNS reports.
Asked if the papal visit came off as planned, Capuano replies, "With an event of this magnitude and the number of players involved--i.e., the Secret Service, local police enforcement, the Vatican, the USCCB, archdioceses of both D.C and New York, etc.--it’s not about how perfectly things ran from a pre-planning perspective but how well we were able to react to the on-site changes occurring around us each hour. From that perspective, yes, things went amazingly well." She adds, "The pope’s visit was a tremendous success, and we are so thrilled to have played a role in this historic event."
At press time, Capuano and team had not yet tallied up the staff hours invested in the papal visit. (Indeed, during her interview Tuesday with Special Events, two days after the pope left the U.S., Capuano laughed, "I'm still in my pajamas!") "We can say without hesitation that we have never before experienced such a time-consuming program," she notes. Remarkably, the company worked on a trade show for 1,500 attendees the Saturday before the pope's visit as well as on planning for other clients.
GEP Washington president Marty MacKay notes her company's work in high-pressure Washington means "We are very used to working with [security]; we know the drill." The biggest headache, MacKay says, was planning logistics for the April 17 mass at Nationals Park, which had opened officially only two weeks before. That mass was attended by 45,000 worshippers.
After working with many corporations who keep a low public profile for their events, it felt "strange," MacKay says, to see the event she was working on dominate news coverage. "What can you do that is any larger?" she asks rhetorically. "It was an honor."
May 12, 2008
Q: I am a new mom and would like to quit my job and start my own business so that I can be with my son more. I have never started a business before, so this seems doubly challenging. How do other moms do it? — Melissa
A: Well, how they do it differs, but why they do it seems very, very similar. In anticipation of this past Mother's Day, I spent the last week talking to and learning about various moms about how and why they started their own business.
What I have found is that not a few women go into business for themselves because, like Melissa above, they want the flexibility and ability to spend more time with their families.
It is rare that I ever meet a man who started his business for that reason; in fact, I can only think of one male entrepreneur I have ever met who went into business due to family considerations. Voila saw that they could fill a niche by offering superior customer service and personal attention to all event details, from start to finish
The good news for the mompreneur is that from what I have seen, the plan works — by and large, for women, owning your own business means you can (mostly, and not always) prioritize and juggle all of your different commitments a bit easier — mom, wife, self, parents, business, etc.
Here are but a few examples of some of the great women I have had the chance to learn about during this past week's mompreneur intensive:
The women who hosted the Pope: Could there be a better gig for a small event planning business than to help organize Pope Benedict's recent visit to the United States? If so, I can't imagine what it is.
But that is precisely what Eden Capuano and Olivia Immerman and their business Voila! Meetings and Event Management (voilameetings.com) were chosen to do.
Eden and Olivia started their business for the reasons stated above: Eden was a new mom, and Olivia had a teenage son. Both wanted to work closer to home. And while their entrepreneurial plan worked quite well, Eden does point out, "you have to work darn hard to find that balance!"
But beyond their family concerns, like any great entrepreneurs, what really drove the two partners was that they saw a need in their industry and knew they could fill it. Specifically, they saw that they could fill a niche by offering superior customer service and personal attention to all event details, from start to finish.
By being very involved from the beginning of the sales cycle all the way through the event planning and execution details, Voila! Is able to offer clients a service unlike that of many competitors.
And that is how they came to host the Pope.
Having worked with the United States Conference of Bishops on smaller programs over the years, when the time came to organize a trip for the Pontiff, Voila!, having proven itself, was the natural choice.
This global event was a huge success, and Eden and Olivia's business was no small part of it.
The fit mom: Helene Byrne started her business, BeFit-Mom when, after giving birth to her son, she could not find the right fitness program to get back in shape. But that's where being a dancer and fitness expert helped, and so she created her own system in 2002 to help new moms tone up.
Using Google AdWords to promote her classes and system, Byrne's business grew quickly, and sustains a 30% a year growth clip.
The ex-retail buyer: It was after Brooks Lively had her first child that she decided that she did not love the styles of clothes that were out there. And, having been a retail buyer for 8 years, Ms. Lively realized that she could probably successfully venture off on her own.
Not only could she offer clothes she believed in, but doing so would also offer her the stay-at-home flexibility she so desired. And so it was that Carrot Top Clothes was born.
Lessons learned: What I see is that mom entrepreneurs are both just like any other entrepreneurs yet also are a unique breed unto themselves:
They are like all other entrepreneurs in that, to succeed, the first step is to see a need and figure out how to fill it.
Yet they remain unique in that 1) The need they see often has to do with their experience as a mother, and 2) Starting a business helps them not only fill a need in the marketplace, but one in their own home as well.
Way to go moms!
Today's tip: Need some help for your women-owned business? Check out WomenOwned.com, Womenbiz.gov, and BlueSuitMom.com.
Voilà! Meetings Selected to Join Team Orchestrating Pope Benedict XVI Visit to U.S.
Washington – April 8, 2008 – Voilà! Meeting and Event Management, a premier full-service event management and incentive firm in the DC Metro area, is pleased to announce that it has been chosen to play a significant role in the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States this April. As the event management firm retained to manage all media related activities/logistics in this historic visit to the U.S. by the Holy Father on April 15-20, Voilà! will design, contract and implement many of the activities involved in the multi-faceted event spanning Washington, D.C. and New York City, NY.
Voilà’s comprehensive services for the six-day event include site selection, hotel negotiations and housing, media pool site trips, media centers, media access and press credentialing, technology implementation, translation services, full staffing support and city-wide transportation. Voilà! will also operate directly with the U.S. Secret Service and city police departments to ensure proper security measures are established and executed among all venues.
“Voilà! is very pleased and honored to be playing such a leading role in the upcoming Papal visit,” said Eden Capuano, Principal of Voilà! “Our relationship with the USCCB is the type of client relationship we really value. We have proven strengths in coordinating all aspects of high-profile programs, which has translated into our being named as a major participant in this most historic event.”
We have full confidence that they will do what they do best and help make this a flawlessly orchestrated event. “We chose Voilà! to assist us with this highly anticipated event with the Holy Father based on their long-standing record of providing us with world-class program support. We always appreciate their team approach and know that we can count of them to successfully execute on planned and unexpected details. We have full confidence that they will do what they do best and help make this a flawlessly orchestrated event,” said Helen Osman, Executive Secretary of Communications at USCCB.
“The services we are providing for the Papal Visit are among the many varied services we provide to all of our clients. Granted, the level of security is higher than any other Head of State event we manage and the logistics involve an extensive global presence not usually encountered. Add managing the needs of over 5,000 media personnel from outlets such as CNN, Reuters, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and the Associated Press and we have a trifecta of meeting planning challenges, all of which we’re prepared to meet and exceed,” comments Olivia Immerman, Principal of Voilà!
About Voilà!
Founded in 2001, Voilà! Meeting and Event Management is a woman-owned, award-winning, full-service event management and incentive firm offering services to corporate, association, government and religious organizations. Voilà! consults to over 60 domestic and international clients across multiple disciplines including incentive travel, conference, trade show, event, media, sporting, and meeting management. Clients such as Delta Airlines, Coors Brewing Company, Caribbean Central American Action, NM Rothschild & Sons, and NY Stock Exchange have sought Voilà! for their outstanding client service and detail-oriented approach. For more information, please visit www.voilameetings.com
About the Papal Visit
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the U.S. will encompass public and private events. Public activities include Masses at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium while private events include the Holy Father’s address to the United Nations, a meeting with President Bush, and several prayer services. Comprehensive information on the Papal visit can be found at www.uspapalvisit.org
Event Companies Ensure Smooth Papal Visit
Washington – April 22, 2008 – During the recent papal visit, Washington-area Voila Meetings and Events was the answer to an event pro's prayers. The team helped ensure seamless visits in Washington and New York for Pope Benedict XVI last week on his first journey to the U.S.CLOSE TO ITS CLIENT
Voila was in charge of site selection, hotel negotiations and housing, media pool site trips, media centers, media access and press credentialing, technology implementation, translation services, full staffing support and citywide transportation, the company reports. Voila also worked directly with the U.S. Secret Service and city police departments to ensure protection for the pontiff.
Voila won the business thanks to the "long-standing relationship" that company principal Eden Capuano and business partner Olivia Immerman have developed with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Capuano tells Special Events. Despite her team's ability to collaborate easily with its client, however, the event was a challenge, Capuano notes.
It’s not about how perfectly things ran from a pre-planning perspective but how well we were able to react to the on-site changes occurring around us each hour. TIGHT TIMELINES
In Washington, DMC GEP Washington took on local logistical projections, timeline development, transportation for the papal entourage, developing and operating a shuttle system for Nationals Stadium, assistance with decor and design, and coordinating staffing, the company reports.
The pope's first stop was in Washington April 15-17, which included a cake served at the White House to honor his 81st birthday, meetings with clergy and a mass at the newly completed Nationals Park.
The three-day New York leg of the pope's visit, April 18-20, was packed with events including an address at the United Nations, a seminary visit, a visit to the 9/11 site, a drive down famed Fifth Avenue and masses at both St. Patrick's Cathedral and Yankee Stadium, the latter drawing more than 57,000, according to Catholic News Service.
PLANNING PAYOFF
Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich cooked dinner the nights of April 18 and 19, which the pope spent in the Manhattan home of Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's representative to the U.N., CNS reports.
Asked if the papal visit came off as planned, Capuano replies, "With an event of this magnitude and the number of players involved--i.e., the Secret Service, local police enforcement, the Vatican, the USCCB, archdioceses of both D.C and New York, etc.--it’s not about how perfectly things ran from a pre-planning perspective but how well we were able to react to the on-site changes occurring around us each hour. From that perspective, yes, things went amazingly well." She adds, "The pope’s visit was a tremendous success, and we are so thrilled to have played a role in this historic event."
At press time, Capuano and team had not yet tallied up the staff hours invested in the papal visit. (Indeed, during her interview Tuesday with Special Events, two days after the pope left the U.S., Capuano laughed, "I'm still in my pajamas!") "We can say without hesitation that we have never before experienced such a time-consuming program," she notes. Remarkably, the company worked on a trade show for 1,500 attendees the Saturday before the pope's visit as well as on planning for other clients.
GEP Washington president Marty MacKay notes her company's work in high-pressure Washington means "We are very used to working with [security]; we know the drill." The biggest headache, MacKay says, was planning logistics for the April 17 mass at Nationals Park, which had opened officially only two weeks before. That mass was attended by 45,000 worshippers.
After working with many corporations who keep a low public profile for their events, it felt "strange," MacKay says, to see the event she was working on dominate news coverage. "What can you do that is any larger?" she asks rhetorically. "It was an honor."
Ask an Expert: Moms a unique business force
By Steve Strauss for USA TODAYMay 12, 2008
Q: I am a new mom and would like to quit my job and start my own business so that I can be with my son more. I have never started a business before, so this seems doubly challenging. How do other moms do it? — Melissa
A: Well, how they do it differs, but why they do it seems very, very similar. In anticipation of this past Mother's Day, I spent the last week talking to and learning about various moms about how and why they started their own business.
What I have found is that not a few women go into business for themselves because, like Melissa above, they want the flexibility and ability to spend more time with their families.
It is rare that I ever meet a man who started his business for that reason; in fact, I can only think of one male entrepreneur I have ever met who went into business due to family considerations.
Voila saw that they could fill a niche by offering superior customer service and personal attention to all event details, from start to finish Here are but a few examples of some of the great women I have had the chance to learn about during this past week's mompreneur intensive:
The women who hosted the Pope: Could there be a better gig for a small event planning business than to help organize Pope Benedict's recent visit to the United States? If so, I can't imagine what it is.
But that is precisely what Eden Capuano and Olivia Immerman and their business Voila! Meetings and Event Management (voilameetings.com) were chosen to do.
Eden and Olivia started their business for the reasons stated above: Eden was a new mom, and Olivia had a teenage son. Both wanted to work closer to home. And while their entrepreneurial plan worked quite well, Eden does point out, "you have to work darn hard to find that balance!"
But beyond their family concerns, like any great entrepreneurs, what really drove the two partners was that they saw a need in their industry and knew they could fill it. Specifically, they saw that they could fill a niche by offering superior customer service and personal attention to all event details, from start to finish.
By being very involved from the beginning of the sales cycle all the way through the event planning and execution details, Voila! Is able to offer clients a service unlike that of many competitors.
And that is how they came to host the Pope.
Having worked with the United States Conference of Bishops on smaller programs over the years, when the time came to organize a trip for the Pontiff, Voila!, having proven itself, was the natural choice.
This global event was a huge success, and Eden and Olivia's business was no small part of it.
The fit mom: Helene Byrne started her business, BeFit-Mom when, after giving birth to her son, she could not find the right fitness program to get back in shape. But that's where being a dancer and fitness expert helped, and so she created her own system in 2002 to help new moms tone up.
Using Google AdWords to promote her classes and system, Byrne's business grew quickly, and sustains a 30% a year growth clip.
The ex-retail buyer: It was after Brooks Lively had her first child that she decided that she did not love the styles of clothes that were out there. And, having been a retail buyer for 8 years, Ms. Lively realized that she could probably successfully venture off on her own.
Not only could she offer clothes she believed in, but doing so would also offer her the stay-at-home flexibility she so desired. And so it was that Carrot Top Clothes was born.
Lessons learned: What I see is that mom entrepreneurs are both just like any other entrepreneurs yet also are a unique breed unto themselves:
They are like all other entrepreneurs in that, to succeed, the first step is to see a need and figure out how to fill it.
Yet they remain unique in that 1) The need they see often has to do with their experience as a mother, and 2) Starting a business helps them not only fill a need in the marketplace, but one in their own home as well.
Way to go moms!
Today's tip: Need some help for your women-owned business? Check out WomenOwned.com, Womenbiz.gov, and BlueSuitMom.com.
