Sullivan Group

Texas Lyceum Event Tackles Transportation Infrastructure

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:30:00 GMT

For the fourth consecutive year, Sullivan Group is producing the Texas Lyceum Public Conference. This year, the gathering addresses our state’s transportation infrastructure. Designed to move beyond a traditional panel discussion, this one-day event will actively engage audience members in the establishment of public policy priorities. This is an unprecedented opportunity to interact with policy makers and advocates in an innovative setting.

The Texas Lyceum Public Conference is December 3^rd at Reliant Center. For more information and to register, visit http://www.texaslyceum.org/events_list_con.aspx

21-Oct-08 5:30 PM

Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run Takes To The Streets

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Sullivan Group is proud to do its part for the upcoming Texas Children’s Hospital Kids’ Fun Run,
presented by BKD. This 3K and 1K non-competitive event is the kick-off to the 2009 Chevron Houston Marathon weekend, giving all participants the opportunity to cross the official Marathon finish line. All children ages 5-15 years (K-8), including children with special needs, are invited to participate in the 3K Run or Walk. Children with special needs may also choose to participate in the 1K Adaptive Run or Walk.

Every child is a winner and will receive a Fun Run T-shirt and commemorative medal upon participating.

Entrance to the Kid's Fun Run Expo following the race is free.

The Texas Children’s Hospital Kids’ Fun Run is Saturday, January 17, 2009 at the George R. Brown

Convention Center, beginning at 8:00 a.m. For more information and to register, visit

www.funrun.texaschildrens.org.

21-Oct-08 5:00 PM

Microsoft Partner Event – 10,000 Attendees Play on a Field of Dreams

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

For three days in July of 2008, Houston welcomed the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, one of the company’s top three annual global events. As part of this gathering, Sullivan Group was called upon to orchestrate the Microsoft Partner Event – a celebration saluting approximately 10,000 authorized Microsoft distributors and partners, each a vital member of the global Microsoft family.

Chosen for the firm’s proven capabilities, Sullivan Group was charged with event theming and complete turnkey production within Houston’s Minute Maid Park, home of Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros.

With only about 30 days to plan a world-class event reflective of the Microsoft brand, Sullivan Group sprung into action. The production process began with event-theme formulation. Dubbed Field of Dreams, Microsoft partners were summoned to “get their game on” in an environment centered around sports, as well as games of chance, intellect and talent.

Making the most of Minute Maid Park’s Concourse level, Sullivan Group producers engineered five key fun-and-games areas, housing a host of energized activities. These areas included Xbox® Alley – featuring numerous virtual sports games; a dueling-piano bar; a Sports Pub; the Union Station cinema which screened classic sports-themed movies; and a wildly popular karaoke club with interactive voting for fan favorites. While strolling between these entertainment hubs, attendees could enjoy arcade and carnival-style games, as well as demonstrations by billiards experts, card sharks, fortune tellers, strolling magicians and other entertainers. At the center of it all, the Minute Maid Park floor was home to a number of live bands.

The evening’s crescendo came with the gradual opening of Minute Maid Park’s retractable roof. After much anticipation, the night skies provided the perfect backdrop for an impressive fireworks display, witnessed by attendees who made their way to the Minute Maid Park field level. Ultimately on-time, on-target and on-budget, Field of Dreams proved to be, quite simply, a grand slam.

21-Oct-08 5:00 PM

Enrich Your Mind and Body at the 2008 Wellness Symposium

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

The 2008 Wellness Symposium addresses two issues at the heart of health concerns in America. Dubbed the Obesity Summit and Worksite Wellness Conference, this year’s Wellness Symposium endeavors to translate knowledge into collaborative action. For the second consecutive year, you’re invited to join Sullivan Group and the Houston Wellness Association for this important event – Thursday and Friday, November 13 and 14, 2008 at Minute Maid Park. For more information, and to register, visit www.houstonwellness.org.

21-Oct-08 5:00 PM

PR Day 2008 Welcomes Clare Sullivan-Jackson, CSEP

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Sullivan group President and CEO, Clare Sullivan-Jackson, CSEP, will be among more than 20 renowned experts participating in PR Day 2008. Presented by the Houston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, this one-day conference will begin with PR Velocity – a rapid-fire roundtable session where event attendees can enjoy interactive skull-sessions with authorities such as Clare. In addition to spending some quality time with guests, Clare will deliver a 3:00 address – How Strategic Events Help Meet Your PR Goals. Recounting the ongoing success of Lemonade Day, an annual citywide event encouraging youth entrepreneurship, Clare will illustrate the synergistic effect of event planning, PR and advertising.

PR Day 2008 is December 3rd at Houston’s Westin-Oaks Hotel. For more information, visit www.prsahouston.org. To find out more about Lemonade Day, visit www.lemonadeday.org.

21-Oct-08 5:00 PM

Houston Destination Management Company (DMC)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Nobody knows Houston better than the DMC experts at Sullivan Group!

If you are challenged with planning an extensive visit for guests traveling to Houston, be sure to contact the Houston destination management experts at Sullivan Group to help you from beginning to end.

Our DMC team will take care of all of your destination management needs so you can focus on your clients and a successful outcome from your visit.

When you are bringing clients and guests to Houston, you want a DMC whose team will pay attention to details and encompass a strong sense of professionalism.

Sullivan Group services for Houston destination management include:

Airport Transfers
Transportation and Accommodations
Site Inspections/Facility Tours
Dine Arounds
Customized Tours of Houston
Arts/Entertainment
Sporting Events
Theme Recommendations
Venue Choices
Off-site Events
Security/MultiLingual Staff
Contingency Planning

From executive meetings of 10 to convention groups of thousands, you can count on the Sullivan Group DMC team to manage the logistics with accuracy, flexibility and attention to detail.

Contact us to learn more about our destination management services and how we may make your next Houston event a success!!

16-Jul-08 3:00 PM

Who Said That?

noemail@sullivan-group.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT

BP ATLANTIS CELEBRATION
“My head is so swollen from all of the praise for the party that I'm worried I won't be able to get out the door to go home tonight! Everyone – from the managers to the staff – is so excited and happy about the party. In an early meeting this morning with his management, someone said he was "was still basking in the after glow of Saturday night's party!” The food was fantastically delicious and beautifully presented, the sirens were a major hit, the souvenir photos are being shown around the office, people are talking about everything. Its almost overwhelming to hear it all! All I can say is “thank you” for pushing us outside of the "corporate party mentality" to create a very special evening that I know people will be talking about for a long time to come.”

Bobbie Tompkins, Deepwater SPU, Houston
BP Atlantis Project

IREM Energy Star LUNCHEON
“This is a big personal thanks for the tremendous job your company performed for this year’s Energy Star luncheon. We have had numerous rave comments since then. A lot of people worked very had to make this event happen and they are all to be congratulated, but I put your team at the head of the list. This luncheon has turned into the signature event that IREM has been trying to achieve for many, many years. The tremendous talent, creativity and professionalism your firm provided took this event to a much higher level than I expected.”

Philip M. Schneidau, CPM®, CSM®
President, BMS Management, Inc.

The UP Experience
“This February, we launched a very complicated first-year event called The UP Experience. Sullivan Group was engaged as event planner, thanks to their proven strategic expertise. Their efforts included the coordination of 20 different speakers from all over the world, presenting in front of 550 people, in 20 minute presentations throughout the day. It is rare to find a service provider that consistently exceeds all of your very high expectations. Sullivan Group did just that. Pre-event planning was precise, timely and very interactive, with an incredibly open and professional communication process. Event setup, execution and tear-down were implemented with precision and an amazing “can do” attitude. We have received amazing accolades from our attendees, due in large part to Sullivan Group’s strategic advice, planning and execution. There is no reason to have your own operations staff when Sullivan Group can do it all for you, with outstanding, professional results.”

Sheryl & Ernie Rapp
Founders, The UP Experience

2-May-08 1:00 PM

The UP Experience: Serious Brainpower, 20 Minutes at a time

noemail@sullivan-group.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Co-founder of Apple Computers, Steve Wozniak and
Emmy Award-winning journalist Shara Fryer.

Twenty inspiring speakers, 20 minutes each, one amazing day. In a nutshell, The UP Experience™ – an event where attendees could listen, learn and interact with speakers whose expertise spans from alternative energy to artificial intelligence. Nearly 600 open-minded guests heard from authorities who included Blink and Tipping Point author Malcom Gladwell, Emmy Award-winning journalist Shara Fryer and co-founder of Apple Computers, Steve Wozniak.

Brainchild of Sheryl & Ernie Rapp, The UP Experience took place on February 7th at the Stafford Performing Arts Theatre, a venue chosen for its flexibility, elegance and state-of-the-art capacity to stage such an all-encompassing day. Sullivan Group served as UP Experience planner and coordinator, displaying our knack for managing multi-faceted, fast-paced affairs – not to mention an ability to mesh the personalities of 20 dynamic thinkers, creators and innovators.

Those who took to the stage welcomed conversation and queries during program breaks. Upon returning from breaks, guests were encouraged to change seats, so that new faces in the crowd could meet and benefit from each other’s potentially diverse opinions. All enjoyed catered lunch from Houston’s world-renowned Tony’s, as well as the six-string stylings of YouTube guitar sensation Erik Mongrain. Attendees were even offered access to video archives of the day’s presentations.

All in all, The UP Experience proved to be an enriching success. So much so, in fact, that plans are already underway for UP Experience ‘09. Please join us, and learn more at www.theupexperience.com.

2-May-08 12:00 PM

Green Events Are a Necessary, Natural Evolution

noemail@sullivan-group.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Imagine attending a tradeshow that’s absent of printed brochures, signs and binders. Instead, exhibitor collateral arrives in your e-mail box. You choose to print or review on-screen. At the show, you receive a text message with each day’s symposium schedule. No need for a paper agenda. What were traditionally printed event backdrops are now LED projections, complete with changing information and graphics. Sound like sci-fi? Far from it. Many forward-thinking event planners are already embracing this kind of innovative, eco-friendly approach.

Today virtually every company we know is “going green.” For some firms, calling themselves “environmentally friendly” is mostly – even regrettably – lip service. But for the vast majority, being a good steward of Earth’s resources is tantamount to serious business. It’s a corporate value expected to extend through environmentally conscious orchestration of meetings, tradeshows and galas. For event planners, whether they be internal or outside consultants, “green” is no longer simply a color candidate for table linens.

Paper, Power and the Proper Place
Making our planet an event’s understated center of attention can be a relatively simple, but highly gratifying endeavor. Even if an event isn’t as eco-advanced as the one described earlier, focusing on a few basics – reducing paper, conserving power and choosing the right venue – can make a big difference. Further Earth-friendly measures can take the form of sustainable furniture rental, bio-degradable materials, and lightweight, reusable tension-fabric displays that cut down on packing cardboard and foam. In terms of power, look first for Energy Star- or LEED-rated facilities. Add low-voltage LED and fiber-optic lighting for further event-driven energy conservation.

And remember – if you talk the talk, you should walk the walk. At Sullivan Group, the little paper we use is recycled. Low-voltage lighting is everywhere. We even have a carpooling program in place. By practicing what we preach, “going green” is far more than a thinly veiled pitch to prospects. It’s a way of working , and living, that makes our profession especially rewarding.

2-May-08 12:00 PM

Singapore Airlines: Taking Luxury To New Heights

noemail@sullivan-group.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

In celebration of new non-stop flights from Houston to Moscow and Singapore, Singapore Airlines invited 200 of its most loyal travelers to an unforgettable evening. For the event, Sullivan Group transformed the spaces of Downtown Houston’s Corinthian into a multi-faceted, multi-cultural experience.

Festivities began at the Corinthian entry, where guests were greeted curbside by a traditional Russian musical quartet. A cocktail reception offered relaxation and refreshment in the form of Singapore Slings, Asian dumplings and Russian caviar. After drinks and appetizers, guests flowed to their seats in the wake of traditional Asian Lion Dancers for a delicious three-course dinner.

The evening’s center of attention was undoubtedly the lavish new Singapore Airlines First Class cabin. An actual cabin assembly was brought to the Corinthian floor and housed in a one-of-a-kind canopy. Frequent flyers were eager to have first crack at the comfort, amenities and all-out opulence found amid these exclusive airborne havens. More ballroom embellishment included live music and large-format, gold-gilded video screens featuring ever-changing land- and cityscapes of the exotic destinations served by Singapore Airlines.

First and foremost, as strategic event planners, we ensured that the Singapore Airlines brand was the star of the show. Tasteful reinforcement of the Singapore brand came in the form of custom menu cards, beverage napkins and even a “Gobo” light projection that joined dancefloor revelers. And with assistance from venue valets, the final touch: preparing guests for departure by depositing bottles of Singapore Airlines drinking water in their vehicles.

2-May-08 12:00 PM

SEACOR MARINE: WET, WILD AND WONDERFUL VESSEL CHRISTENING

noemail@sullivan-group.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays Sullivan Group event producers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Of course, snow is highly unlikely on a February afternoon in Galveston, Texas. Rain on the other hand, is a distinct possibility. Such was the case for our weather-watching team at the rain-or-shine christening of the Seacor Cheetah.

Seacor Marine operates one of the world’s largest fleets of offshore support vessels, serving the global oil-and-gas exploration and production industries. Christening of the Cheetah at Galveston’s Pier 21 ushered in the company’s newest generation of offshore-crew transport vessels. Cheetah’s 165-foot catamaran structure allows it to transport up to 150 passengers at a speed of 40 knots – about twice as fast as conventional crewboats.

Two-hundred offshore-industry customers joined Seacor representatives for a lunchtime celebration, vessel tours and a formal christening. As at any event, timing meant everything for the Sullivan team. But on this day, with thunderheads looming, seconds counted more than ever. Our crew remained in constant contact with KPRC TV’s Frank Billingsley, who provided over-the-phone updates on impending storms. Sullivan’s on-site producers tweaked event timing and flow so that the day’s crescendo – a high-octane Cheetah ride for all attendees – dodged the worst of the weather. While guests were out to sea, our soon-to-be-soaked crew broke down event facilities and greeted returning passengers with umbrellas in hand.

In addition to learning a bit more about meteorology, our team also oversaw all travel, catering, décor and audio-visual facets of the Seacor event. Logistics included recruitment of a local priest for the formal Cheetah christening and work with the Port of Galveston in managing security for the public Pier 21 site.

2-May-08 12:00 PM

Celebrate the Game of Life

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:00:00 GMT

December – Houston – Sullivan Group treated 250 clients to one of their classically brilliant soirees on November 29. Themed “Celebrate the Game of Life,” the gathering celebrated friendship, client loyalty and the company’s success over the last year. Sullivan Group maintained its annual tradition of designating a Houston charity to spotlight. This year it was “Lemonade Day,” an organization that educates students about entrepreneurship through running their own lemonade stands. Last year over 2000 stands were set up throughout Houston.

“As we celebrate our prosperity, we thought it fitting to also celebrate Prepared4Life,” said Clare Sullivan Jackson, President and CEO of Sullivan Group. “This is a group that teaches middle school students how much fun and how profitable business can be. It’s an organization we feel strongly about and want to support.”

Festivities included custom photos by “Catch The Moment,” explosive dance music by “Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes” and a Mystery Wine Tasting arranged by the Tasting Room. Sullivan Group’s “Lemonade Day Room” featured a model lemonade stand and a sign-up sheet for volunteers. Guests enjoyed JACKSON AND COMPANY creative fare from tomato soup with mini grilled cheese sandwiches to petite mugs of hot gumbo.

Sipping lemon drop martinis and chilled beer from the “Tapp’d Out Taxi” were client and Lemonade Day founder Michael Holthouse and wife Lisa. Other business and community leaders joining Clare and Steve Jackson in Celebrating Life and discovering Lemonade Day were Virginia and Walter Tomlinson, Nancy and Jim Levicki, Phil Morabito, Karen Love and Dennis Werner, Tina and John Beddow, Janet and Harvin Moore, Helen Vollmer, Charleen and Richard Floyd, Rich Eichler, Lisa and Michael Holthouse, Elaine White, Gene White and David Spaw. For more information about Lemonade Day, visit www.lemonadeday.org.

About Sullivan Group
Based in Houston, Texas, Sullivan Group serves as producer of corporate meetings and special events for business. Clare Jackson, principal of Sullivan Group, is among the few hundred Certified Special Events Professionals (CSEP) in the world.

21-Dec-07 8:00 AM

Aggreko’s Bahamian Event Modeled “How To” and Answered “Why”

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Travel incentive trips are gaining popularity – not only as rewards for top sales people but also as ways to acknowledge other employees who exceed job expectations. And spouses pack their bags, too.

But what company wants to be associated with another cookie-cutter getaway to a southwestern golf resort - with or without little umbrellas in the drinks?

Certainly Houston-based Aggreko North America did not. Aggreko’s most recent “Excellence Program” trip illustrates the value of working with meeting planners – in this case, at Sullivan Group -- who know more than a couple of creative tactics to make events resonate with attendees.

The client, a successful industrial company new to incentive travel, asked us to take a “Four days in the Bahamas” concept and make something spectacular happen.

If “thinking outside the box” wasn’t invented by meeting planners, we surely elevated the activity to an art form.

Off and running, we flew to Freeport for site surveys of prospective properties as well as dinner and activity venues, including the best one for a big trip-ending awards gala.

Upon returning to Houston, a master proposal was developed, pulling together all factors from airfare and ground transportation to an array of group events for attendees. To optimize the chance for success, we partnered with a local destination management company (DMC). As partners to meeting planners, DMCs provide the invaluable benefits that come with intimate knowledge of a selected locale.

If “thinking outside the box” wasn’t invented by meeting planners, we surely elevated the activity to an art form. An early hint of something special in the air on this trip was the sandcastle team-building – choreographed by experienced sandcastle builders specially flown in for the occasion. Sand came into play another way, too. The gifts that attendees received at registration included flip flops designed with the company logo on the bottom, so that attendees left imprints wherever they walked on the beach. In fact, company branding opportunities abounded everywhere, from beverage napkins to other goodie bag items.

When we get thanks like theirs, the troubles melt away and we realize what a gift it is to do what we do.

You’re getting the picture. But was all the effort and investment worth it in the end? When Aggreko’s super-achievers returned from the Bahamas after the sun-drenched days and final blowout gala, had it been all they hoped for?

Here’s the type of feedback the company management received:
“Thank you for making the trip…such an awesome experience…so much more than we could have ever expected!”

“I am motivated and looking forward to another excellent year!”

“Thanks again for all the hard work, from the fireworks to the dancers, to the atmosphere, the company of people, the water sports, the sand castle experience, the incredible meals and accommodations, the dine-around and the surprise gifts at night.”

“For spouses, it can be hard to understand why we’re so dedicated to this company. This trip really helped that understanding.”

At Sullivan Group, we work hard for great clients. Often the days are long, the challenges formidable and the constraints considerable. When we read words like those, the troubles melt away and we realize what a gift it is to do what we do.

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

Integrate Philanthropy into Your Holiday Events

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

In December 2007, as in past years, Sullivan Group will gather employees and families to relax, dine, drink and make merry together before the Holidays. In all likelihood, your company will do likewise.

Office Christmas parties are storied events. At Sullivan Group, we try to make them stories that have a higher purpose.

In recent years, during the Holidays (and at other times), when we party together, it’s not only our clients, suppliers and employees who benefit – one of Houston’s nonprofit organizations does, too.

I hope you’ll consider doing the same at your company.

The U.S. has 1.6 million nonprofits. Texas alone has 89,000. Just about all of them need and deserve our support. Why not pick one and integrate support of the organization into your Holiday event?

How? you ask. Well, if you’re supporting a food bank, make donations of food the “tickets” to your party. If it’s a health clinic that cares for children, then ask attendees to bring toys and books that you can give to the charity. If it’s a residential complex for kids, then ask for cool gifts for boys and girls. Maybe give a door prize to the guest who brings the coolest toy.

If you’re timid about calling your chosen nonprofits to ask what they need, then pledge to donate a set amount of company cash or goods for each attendee at the party – and let people know this on their invitations.

I’ve been to parties where representative of the nonprofits get a chance to speak during the party, too. This is yet another way to support the charity of your choice.

If you elect to integrate charitable giving into your party this year, please email me and let me know how. I will mention you in our next newsletter. My email address is clare@sullivan-group.com.

Happy Holidays to all!

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

Celebrate!Enterprise Honors Entrepreneurs and Capitalists

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

“Houston celebrates almost everything,” wrote our friend John C. Beddow, publisher of the Houston Business Journal. “The one group overlooked is the business class. Entrepreneurs, business owners and capitalists in the classic sense don’t get much due.”

Beddow wanted that to change. So he conceived of the idea “Celebrate!Enterprise.”

“It’s about time,” he wrote, “considering that these folks employ about 87 percent of the work force and are responsible for all innovations , products made and sold, and the economic growth the region enjoys.”

For planning, meeting design and event production of the three days of activities, Beddow called on Sullivan Group. In turn, for the event's venue, we selected Wortham Center.

Wednesday through Friday, attendees heard experts and participated in a lively discussions on topics ranging from regional economic development to the secrets of creating great workplaces. Thursday night, everyone enjoyed a “Battle of the Business Bands” in Wortham Foyer and, on Friday evening, attended the much-anticipated world premier of “Treasure Island” at the Alley Theater. To learn more about Celebrate!Enterprise, go to www.celebrateenterprise.com.

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

ISES Honors “Prince of Parties”

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

The 2007 Houston Special Event Awards, the Houston chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES) honored our city’s “Prince of Parties,” Jackson Hicks, of Jackson and Company for his leadership in the Special Events Industry. Clare Sullivan Jackson had the privilege of introducing her friend and honoree.

In a quarter century of business, Jackson and Company has catered in the White House as well as Buckingham Palace, for Fortune 500 giants, for fundraising galas to support dozens of worthy organizations, and for countless social events held by Houston's first families.

Hicks is a frequently selected and always popular contractor for events produced by Sullivan Group.

ISES is a professional organization founded in 1987 and now with 4,000 members and 41 chapters around the world. Clare Jackson was ISES-Houston’s founding president when the chapter was established in 1997.

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

BABC Turns 25 with 007 Theme

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

During November, Sullivan Group was pleased to produce “Bond with the BABC,” the silver anniversary celebration of the Houston chapter of the British-American Business Council. Proceeds from the event, which drew more than 600 people to the Intercontinental Hotel, benefited the British-American Foundation of Texas, a scholarship program of the BABC. BABC is the largest transatlantic business network, with 23 chapters and more than 3,000 member companies in North America and the United Kingdom. To learn more, please visit www.babc.org.

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

Destination Tokyo: Blending Business with Incentive Travel for Symantec

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Symantec is a multinational company that’s all about security. Its managers undoubtedly felt secure in choosing Sullivan Group to plan and produce their three-day event, the Chairman’s Circle, a “business/incentive” trip aimed at recognizing sales accomplishments and the people who made them, while also equipping, informing and inspiring top producers for future achievements.

The venue for this event, themed “Lost in Translation,” was Tokyo, Japan, a site chosen because of its vibrancy and cultural richness -- and the fact that Symantec has an important office there.

The event was designed to encompass strategic activities as well as entertainment that showcased Tokyo. Over the course of the three days, attendees participated in in-depth discussions, creative brainstorming, sessions for sharing best practices, and examinations of current company challenges. Conventional business activities were punctuated by original dining, entertainment and cultural experiences.

Symantec then blended outright fun, cultural adventure and team-building into the event’s culmination, “The Great Race.” Involving every attendee, this contest was modeled after the popular reality show, “The Amazing Race,” in which teams race around the world, traveling to and around different nations by varied modes of transportation, in quest of a grand prize.

Beginning to end, the event provided authentic Japanese experiences served up with Westerners in mind. We made sure that the Asian nuances of this Chairman’s Circle were never lost in translation.

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

Who Said That?

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

“…our incredible annual conference in Houston last month. One organization that helped in the planning and execution of this event was the Sullivan Group. They are local in Houston and, in my opinion, one of the best DMC/Event Planners we have worked with during our years of annual conferences. They are very professional, creative, pro-active partners.“

Scottsdale, Arizona-based HelmsBriscoe is recognized as the highest volume purchaser in the meetings and event industry, providing services for over 8,000 corporate, association and government clients that plan off-site meetings and conferences.

Peter Shelly
HelmsBriscoe

Founded in 1962 in the Netherlands, Aggreko plc is now the global leader in the rental of power, temperature control and oil-free compressed air systems. With 100 locations in 29 countries, Aggreko employs more than 2,200 people and maintains a national support center in Houston.

“Thanks for making Aggreko North America’s first-ever company-wide inventive-award trip an extraordinary event! Considering the magnitude of this production, the reputation of our management team, the significance of the message to employees and, ultimately, the enormous success of the event, we made a very wise choice in partnering with the Sullivan Group.”

George Walker
President

“This note is a big, huge, enormous Thank You for your participation in making this year’s Oasis of Family Fun FAM a fantastic success. The fun is over and the meeting space is cleared, but based on client feedback from the weekend, the memories will linger for a very long time. We look forward to working with you for years to come.”

Thomas A. Norman
Director of Conference Planning and Catering
The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center

Tory Enriquez
Director of Sales and Marketing
The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM

A Stand for Lemonade Day

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

This spring, Sullivan Group took a stand for Lemonade Day. In fact, we did more than take a stand. We organized the city-wide Lemonade Day event for Prepared 4 Life (P4L) and its founder, our client Michael Holthouse.

P4L is an organization that prepares middle-school youth for life through fun, experiential after-school programs. Its foremost objective is building confidence and self-esteem in children that will empower them to take ownership of their lives and become healthy, contributing members of society.

If you missed Lemonade Day 2007, here’s a brief recap.
On Sunday, May 6, Houston-area young people set up an estimated 2,600 lemonade stands in neighborhoods all over the city of Houston. Once in “business,” the kids found themselves participating in a unique, educational entrepreneurial experiences in the trenches of commercial enterprise.. And they were having fun while they learned.

Special support was given Lemonade Day by major Houston businesses, as well as by Jeff Bagwell, the Houston Astros baseball club and Houston Dynamo soccer team. To find out more about the activities of P4L and how you might become involved, visit www.lemonadeday.org.

4-Oct-07 10:00 AM