It’s been a busy month for me having spent most of it on the road — a site inspection in London and then a Global Leadership Meeting in Bangalore.

London continues to be one of my favorite cities and spending time looking at all the incredible venue possibilities for events was great fun.  On my first day, I previewed a dozen venues in advance of my clients, so that I could show them the best of the best the following day, making good use of their precious time on the ground.  I like to move quickly during a site.

One of the advantages of having long term clients is that you really are able to get into their heads and show them things that you know are going to be solid options for them.  Therefore, I can pretty much tell in the first 5 minutes of a visit if a venue is going to work.  The next day, with clients in tow, we moved at a fast pace seeing the options I had screened, taking photos, notes, etc. and discussing the possibilities.

The site went well and as we said our goodbyes, we knew that we had several options for a successful program in London.

I had one more night in London prior to heading on to India, so I got a chance to go to dinner and theatre with one of my colleagues.

I had heard the buzz around the latest offering from the Menier Chocolate Factory — the little theatre near London Bridge that has been pumping out quality work — (most notably the scaled back version of “La Cage aux Folles,” that found its way to Broadway).

Currently on the bill is their new take on the Stephen Schwartz, musical, “Pippin”.  (He’s the composer best known for “Godspell” and “Wicked”.)  I still remember the original cast album of “Pippin,” which had its Broadway debut in 1972.  My brother and I played that record constantly and sitting in the Menier Theatre, I pretty much knew every lyric to every song.

Even as often as I’ve gone to the theatre this season, not many things have left a lasting impression on me.  Yet, I vividly remember the original 1970′s production of “Pippin” that featured brilliant Bob Fosse staging and performances by luminaries Ben Vereen, John Rubinstein, and Jill Clayburgh.

Coming to the theatre with that much baggage isn’t always a good thing. But, my guest wasn’t familiar with “Pippin” — so I limited sharing too much of my love for the original production until we got to compare notes after the show.

This production of “Pippin” updates the show by setting it inside the world of a video game.  It’s a bold concept and one that is fully embraced by the creative team and cast.  It doesn’t always land, but it is definitely a great example of a strong vision at work.  At times, the concept overwhelms the material and I felt unmoved.  And, while there’s plenty of Fosse choreography, it’s not executed with the precision of Fosse trained dancers and the cold video character styled costumes don’t help.  Yet, there is something compelling about seeing the show re-interpreted.  The use of projection, lighting and again, that commitment to the vision of the director, definitely kept me intrigued.

When you love an original cast so much, it’s hard to stop comparing performances while you’re watching the show.  And filling the shoes of the likes of Ben Vereen… not easy.

The standouts for me in this cast were Caroline Quentin as Berthe (at intermission my friend remarked — “I just love the grandmother!”…I did too) and Carly Bawden as Catherine… watching her flip from video game character on stage to video game player on screen was great.  And it was fun to see Frances Ruffelle (the original Eponine from “Les Miserables”) tackle the role of Fastrada.

I’m curious to see what happens with this production of “Pippin”.  There’s buzz that it will come to Broadway and I think with more development — it could work.  The score is one delight after the next and while it’s remarkable to see the technical achievements in the tiny Chocolate Factory theatre, I can only imagine the innovation that a Broadway production could bring to the concept.

Harry Hepple (Pippin) and Carly Bawden (Catherine) (c)Tristam Kenton

And, regardless of what’s on tap, I’ll return to the Menier Chocolate Factory during my next trip to London.  There are several great restaurants in walking distance – (we had a fantastic dinner at Roast and the theatre itself houses a funky restaurant in the building).  And, after two days of visiting venues and imagining how they can be transformed for events — it was inspiring to see how the creative team of “Pippin” transformed the Menier.

We have just come off of the busiest month in BKA history. This October, we had events going on in three different continents and over a dozen different cities. I traveled to three of the events for a couple of our long-standing clients. The first was a customer meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, then a Sales Leadership Meeting in Venice, Italy (complete with a scavenger hunt throughout the city, not an easy feat) and the finale was a full on theatrical production of FAME the Musical in Macau, China at the Macau International Music Festival. Being that I was over on the other side of the globe, Oskar and I decided to continue the adventure and head to Cambodia for vacation, a place I’ve long wanted to visit and explore.

We were welcomed into this beautiful country by wonderful, warm people. Especially Reaksmay, our guide. As we spent more time with Reaksmay we couldn’t get past his incredible optimism and perennial smile. He is passionate about his life in Phnom Penh. Incredibly hospitable, warm, funny and genuine with vast knowledge of history, architecture, culture and customs, it was a joy to spend time with him learning about his country.

Through his story we learned about Cambodia, its history and how the people who have been through so much still manage to have a spirit that is indisputable. After all, Reaksmay, his mother and sister all survived the war — a war that wiped out 20% of the Cambodian population.

Reaksmay led us on our tour of S21 and the Killing Fields, two areas where the Khmer Rouge performed acts of torture and ultimately the genocide of its own people during the war.

These visits were made more vivid for us as we learned Reaksmay’s personal story. He was just 1 month old when his country was invaded. His parents fled. His mother taking Reaksmay and his 2 year old sister, his father realizing that his family was more in danger if he stayed with them ventured into the jungle area to hide.

30 days on foot, 19 without food, his mother found refuge. His father reunited with his family briefly, only to die from an illness borne during his time in hiding. Reaksmay never knew his father, who during better times held a government position. His mother, realizing that any evidence of her connection to a government employee was dangerous, burned any evidence of her husband’s existence. Clothes, papers and sadly, all photographs — all connections to Reaksmay’s father were gone.

After leaving S21 and the killing fields with a sinking feeling, I finally had to ask him how he functions on a day-to-day basis. How was it possible for him to tour such sad sites and relive stories of devastation?

“Forgiveness,” Reaksmay told us. “As a child I wanted revenge, but as an adult, I learned that forgiveness allowed me to be free of the burden of pain.” I was stunned by his answer. I felt it was almost superhuman that he could even set out to forgive those who caused such pain for him let alone sincerely living that way.

I thought of the things that I’ve been unable to forgive over the years. And, although I can’t say I’m at the point where Reaskmay is, I am incredibly humbled and honored to have met him and learned from him. Reaksmay’s name translates to “Sunshine” in English. Not only was his mother a survivor, but she also had a knack for naming her son.

At the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh

FAME — I’m gonna live forever! I’m gonna’ learn how to fly…HIGH! I feel it coming together, people will see me and cry….FAME!”

Do you remember the movie musical FAME? Irene Cara standing on top of a taxi as young hopefuls from the High School of the Performing Arts danced down the streets of Manhattan?

Well, FAME is back…and BKA is producing a large-scale production of the show for this fall’s Macao International Music Festival.

We have rehearsals here in NYC and then move the cast, creative team and musicians to Macao where we join our local crew and members of the Macao Symphony Orchestra to present a lavish production of this worldwide theatrical sensation.

The show will be presented in English with subtitles in Mandarin, Cantonese and Portuguese (though just an hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, Macao was originally a Portuguese colony and still has a small Portuguese population).

We auditioned hundred of actors, singers and dancers for this production and I couldn’t be more excited about the cast and the creative team we have assembled for the show.

First, the FAME creative team:

BKA’s Keith Marrapodi is our lead producer on this job. It’s always fun for me to work with Keith — but particularly fun to be together on this job. Keith has traveled the world and started his career as a dancer and then was a choreographer before moving into event production. He can relate to the characters of FAME — both the students and the teachers.

Richard (Ricky) Hinds and I are sharing directing duties on FAME and Ricky will also choreograph the show. We got to work together for the first time on this year’s Drama Desk Awards. He’s a fantastic collaborator and a dazzling choreographer. FAME gives him a chance to show off his talents in ballet, jazz, street, Latin, hip hop….virtually all styles of dance are represented in the show.

He’s partnered with Andrew Turteltaub, a talented choreographer in his own right. Andrew has a long association with FAME having performed in the show on tour and during the NY run of FAME back in 2003. Andrew’s got a wicked sense of humor and moves at the speed at light. I’m glad we have him on the show.

BKA’s VP of Design and Multimedia, Michael Reese has created beautiful scenic designs for FAME and he’ll design the lighting for the show as well. We’ll be incorporating video projection into the overall production design of the show, allowing for added dimension to the visuals. In addition to the scenes set in the school — Michael has designed a stunning finale look for the show where the iconic taxi is positioned in the center of Times Square. FAME represents the 4th show Michael and I have done together in Macao. It’s always great to go back to Macao with Michael – he seems to quickly find the coolest places to go after the show and watching him lead the large tech crew in Macao is a blast.

Mark Fifer is our musical director — it’s a rare chance we get to work with Mark as he is always so busy! He’s a musical theatre expert with a real speciality in Rock and Roll and contemporary musical scores. He’s assembled a core of dynamic young musicians to take the journey with us to Macao and play alongside the incredible musicians in Macao. Mark has great ideas for infusing a more current musical sensibility into the show. Once we get to Macao, members of the Macao Symphony Orchestra will join us. Mark is going to be thrilled with the addition of their fantastic string section in particular.

Scott Westervelt has dozens of Broadway shows under his belt and has been with BKA for many years. Having him design the costumes for FAME means we’ll have our great looking cast in great looking clothes. Scotty is also one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. The travel to Macao is long and Scotty’s big smile and boundless energy goes a long way in getting everyone over their jet lag.

We got to work with Bess Fifer as our casting director on FAME and the cast we’ve assembled is extraordinary. We have a mix of Broadway veterans and fresh new talent in the show.

Meet the teachers:

Regina LaVert played strict English teacher Esther Sherman on the national tour of FAME, a role she will return to in our production. I literally got chills listening to her sing and I’m thrilled that she will be in our show.

Joan Hess plays dance instructor Greta Bell. We’ve worked with Joan frequently over the last several years and she’s one of my favorite performers. She and Regina have a big duet in FAME that is sure to dazzle.

Bruce Winant plays Mr. Sheinkopf in FAME. I just saw Bruce in the La Cage Aux Folles revival and I’m so happy he is joining us as the beloved music teacher. He’s a class act and an incredibly skilled actor.

Peter Reardon plays acting teacher Mr. Meyers, a role he created when FAME played in NYC. Peter and I go all the way back to college at Syracuse University. I was a fan back then and still a fan of this talented actor. Peter returns to Macao having played Sky Masterson when BKA presented “Guys and Dolls” at the festival a few years back.

Meet the students:

Lexi Lawson plays fiery Carmen Diaz and sings the title song. She’s absolutely dynamite. A true triple threat, she’s got the perfect combination of star quality and vulnerability so needed in this role.

Benjamin Mapp is the tormented dancer Tyrone Jackson in our show. He’s definitely got the wow factor. So glad we get to work with him!

Kelly Felthous plays Serena Katz. We knew we wanted Kelly after her first audition. She’s instantly likeable, a great actress, singer and dancer.

K.J. Hippensteel will be breaking hearts in Macao. He plays Nick Piazza in our show — he’s charming with mega-watt charisma.

Laura Volpacchio plays Iris Kelly. Watching this young woman dance, took my breath away. I’m eager to see her and Benjamin perform Ricky’s choreography on the great stage in Macao.

Joel Perez made us laugh so much during auditions — we knew right away we found our class clown, Joe Vegas.

Violin and piano virtuoso Robert Farruggia plays violin and piano virtuoso Schlomo Metzenbaum. They say that directing is 90% casting. Robert is the perfect fit for FAME.

Alissa Laderer plays Grace “Lambchops” our rock and roll student. Alyssa is a knockout — great talent AND she plays the drums.

We were charmed right off the bat by Richard Cerato who plays Goody in our show — he also plays the saxophone and has a great sense of humor.

Annie Funke plays larger than life dancer Mabel Washington. Annie played Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway and she is a riot.

The competition for the 6 ensemble slots was fierce. We are thrilled to have Frankie Paparone, Naimah Saleem, Adam Rogers, Matthew Cullen, Jamie Markovich and April Berry as members of the FAME Company.

Check out the link to see the cast of FAME.  http://www.bka.net/whatsnewatbka.php

Alyssa Lee is a Production Coordinator at BKA. She began at our company as a freelancer who worked her way into our hearts and joined us full time more than a year ago. Our clients (and her colleagues) appreciate her dedication, can-do attitude and grace under pressure. She’s our guest blogger today – Jeff

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME… over and over again

There are many perks that come with this job – being a young professional in the event industry I’m learning this more and more. Beyond the long hours, hard work, and insatiable desire for success, we try to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our clients—and in the process we get to participate in those same once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Whether it’s tasting some of the finest cuisine in the world or being backstage at a private concert held by Sir. Elton John, we all take it in stride, keep the focus on the goals of the event, and execute perfectly.

(Meanwhile in the back of our heads we’re thinking “Holy COW I just shook Bill Gate’s hand!” as a good friend shared with me recently.)

However, as I go on through this journey, one thing that I’m finding that is often taken for granted is the gift of traveling. Sure there are some headaches that come along with it, but in the grand scheme of things, we have the opportunity to interact, see, and experience new things with each event. Our world is always expanding.

This year, I had the opportunity to work on an event in Shanghai, China.

I remember the email that came in from BKA’s Head of Production, Adam –

Subject line: Do you…

Body: …want to go to Shanghai?

He’d just about hit send and I already replied with an overwhelming: YES, PLEASE!

With months and months of prep work down, I found myself at Newark Airport on January 11th, sitting in row 15 C on a Continental flight to China.

Upon landing, like any other event, I hit the ground running:

Get to the hotel—Unpack—get to rehearsals—is sound check ready?

We have an edit on Dr. Smith’s PowerPoint.

Where are those signs?

Who has a food allergy?

Cue lights… Cue music… Go to video…

All of a sudden the sensation and awe of being across the world had disappeared. We were in event mode. It wasn’t until a conversation I had with Jeff Kalpak that I snapped back into reality.

You know those one-liners – a piece of advice that you know will stay with you for the rest of your life, or at least for a while anyways? Well, I was given that piece of advice, while onsite staring at the skyline of The Bund in Shanghai – “Never take these opportunities for granted. The moment you start to, step back and take it in; if you can’t, get out. “

Domestic or international, traveling the streets of New York to work, or traveling the streets of Shanghai for a program, that message will echo in the back of my mind.

Life is a series of events— and to quote a classic, Ferris Bueller—“If you don’t’ stop to look around once in a while it might pass you by.”

My adorable niece is going to turn 1 next month. And, like every loving uncle, all I want to do is spoil her.

I’m tempted by every cute outfit and soft plush toy. But, knowing that kids outgrow clothes and you can only play with so many toys at a time… I’ve decided that I’m going to be giving the gift of travel to my little ray of sunshine.

She has her suitcase — Mom and Dad made sure of that from a very early age — and now my job is to make sure she gets to take it with her and see the world.

We’ve started her travel fund, savings allocated for future trips so she can plot her course and choose her adventures. She’s just starting to walk now — so she’s got some time before she raids the piggy bank.

So, in the meantime, I’ve been sending her postcards from all the places I get to go. Sometimes she holds them, sometimes she eats them, but mostly her Mom collects them for her. One day, she’ll read them herself and start to get the idea that the world is bigger than her neighborhood.

For me, the postcard routine gives me a chance to stop and think of her while I’m on the road. I’m generally glued to my keyboard. So taking a moment to actually write something down feels good. And to think that my cute little imp is one day going to get to visit many of the places I have been makes me happy.

Travel has been a great gift to me. And, I’m appreciative of everywhere I get to go…. even if I miss my connection or get stuck in the middle seat.

Life is a series of events, I wish you safe travels and hope you get to travel with someone who approaches the journey with the wide-eyed wonder of a child.

I love making lists. As an event person, having the complete TO DO list is an essential part of planning a great event.

New Year’s is typically the time of year for another kind of list…the list of TO DON’TS…the list of resolutions…

Stop eating bagels and cream cheese for breakfast

Stop finding excuses to avoid the gym

Stop going to Amy’s Bread for Monkey Cake

The list is endless of all the resolutions I could make going into the New Year and quite frankly, it’s not a particularly inspiring list. Instead, some years back, on New Year’s Eve, I’ve started to create a list of all the places I want TO GO.

I know that with work, if I don’t write it down on my list, it won’t get done. And I feel the same way about all the things I want to accomplish in my life…. especially all the places I want to go. If I list them on paper, I feel that I have made a commitment to doing them.

I’ve got about 20 places on my travel list that I am eager to see. I’ll update it again tonight, crossing off places I got to visit this year, adding some new destinations to the list. And I will carry the updated list with me all year round in my briefcase, every day. Periodically, I’ll take a look at the list and I will make sure that I have some sort of plan to get to that destination and have that experience.

I’ve applied this TO GO list theory to other areas of my life and business that I have wanted to improve. And for me, it works. I guess it’s my version of creative visualization. Some years back, I wrote down what I wanted my life to look like — especially the parts of my life that I spent at the office. I carried that list around as well, periodically checking to see if I was doing the things I had committed to and over time, I’ve been able to get there.

So as I go into this New Year, I’m thinking less about resolutions and more about continuing to add to the experiences I want to have in my life and business — the series of events I want to be a part of. And, I’ll make sure I update them from time to time — sometimes over a piece of that delicious Monkey cake from Amy’s.

Happy New Year!

I’m just back from a trip to Casablanca, Marrakesh and Istanbul. I spent many hours allowing myself to get lost in the streets of Casablanca and Marrakesh and an incredible day catching up with an old friend in Istanbul who I found on Facebook.

Casablanca — not at all like the movie — not at all what I expected. And that’s often the best part about traveling. I stumbled upon Jnane Sherazade (www.jnanesherazade.com) and since it was after the lunch hour, I got to enjoy their beautiful dining room all to myself. With the owner himself fussing over me — I had a feast. I was glad I had allowed myself to get lost, otherwise, I never would have found my way to this great experience.

Getting lost is even easier in the medina in Marrakesh. Within the walled city, all sense of direction is gone and you are quickly absorbed in the fun and chaos of this exotic locale. We found ourselves staying at the absolutely perfect Riad Farnatchi (www.riadfarnatchi.com) where the extraordinary staff’s singular goal is to help you fall in love with Marrakesh. This was easy to do.

But the highlight of my trip was found in the final destination — Istanbul. My Dad was born there (back when it was Constantinople) and our home was filled with my grandfather’s paintings of the spectacular domed city. I have a connection to Istanbul — as anyone in Turkey was quick to notice – as my last name Kalpak translates to “tall sheepskin hat.”

It’s always a treat to return to a familiar place – to find your way back to your favorite restaurant or shop or in this case — to get to catch up with an old friend. I hadn’t seen my friend Erdal in over 25 years. We had worked together on a cruise ship, became fast friends and then, over time, fell out of touch.

Through social networking, we found each other picking up right where we had left off. Erdal ended up in Special Events as well –(www.catalystturkey.com) — and getting to spend the day with him was wonderful. He and his wife Serap live just a few streets away from where he grew up — on the Asian side of Istanbul. So, I found myself living a local’s life. Tea at their favorite place, a tour of the residential side of things and some of the most delicious Turkish food I’ve had. It was a true insiders experience.

Life is a series of events, and sometimes allowing yourself to get lost (whether in new cities or on Facebook) is the best way to find your way to unique experiences.

I’m just back from an extended stay in Dublin. I was scheduled to be there for a two-day site inspection. I ended up there for nine days. The Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash was responsible. Who knew an unpronounceable volcano tucked away in Iceland could have such an impact?

I was certainly looking forward to the Ireland visit. I just like to travel on my own terms. I’m a planner both professionally and by nature, so I need my lists, my agendas, my timelines. However, there was no chance of that happening this trip.

After the third day of spending hours on the phone trying to reschedule flights and make alternate plans, it finally sunk in that there really are some things that you just can’t control. So, instead of relentlessly trying to determine how to get OUT of Dublin, I decided it was time to just get IN to Dublin.

Granted, I was due in Shanghai for another site inspection. And then Raleigh for an afternoon of presentations -both of which I have to reschedule- but the time I was essentially forced to take in Dublin was invaluable.

Primarily because I got to spend that time with my clients. Not just running around looking at venues, but time just being together. Developing a solid program requires time. Time to see a lot of different options. Time to really beat up all the choices. Time to simply talk to your clients about what matters to them. The volcano gave me the gift of time I didn’t realize I needed.

Unlike many travelers, I was fortunate. I was with people I like. I was staying at The Merrion hotel. And it was sunny. In Ireland!

The staff at The Merrion took great care of us — and most of them knew me by name on day two. Tommy, the doorman always had a smile (and a twinkle in his eye) and Sean, the concierge, is the most patient person I’ve ever met. He knows every great restaurant from casual to fancy and doesn’t mind when you ask the same questions over and over again.

Dublin is a great city. It’s walkable, friendly and a fine mix of charming and gritty. No one says “Top of the Mornin” but you can have a Guinness at the local pub (FOLEY’S was our pub of choice), enjoy fantastic fish and chips (check out THE CELLAR BAR) and shop till you drop (GRAFTON and HENRY STREETS among others).

The city has wonderful venues (which I can personally attest to as I’ve now seen most of them) and is a terrific option for a global meeting or incentive trip. The new convention center is a gem and the airport is just a short ride to the heart of town. And, if you find yourself there with clients who care about the success of their program as much as my clients do, then you really have found the luck of the Irish.

Life is a series of events and sometimes you just have to tear up the list and go whichever way the wind blows. In my case it just happened to be the direction of volcanic ash…

I just got back from a trip to India.  Being there was beyond my imagination.  It was a trip of extremes, that ended up being the most emotional vacation I have ever had.

I found myself in tears at 3 different points of the journey, for 3 different reasons.

I fought back the tears after we left a tiny village en route to Jaipur from Agra.  It’s impossible to avoid the poverty that pervades many areas of the country.  We were told that one way to give back was to offer supplies such as pens, pencils, crayons and markers to school children.  We asked our driver, Santosh, to take us to a school where we could give out the 200 some odd writing implements we brought from home.  He knew of a small village school that was in need.  I was humbled by the children’s excitement, awestruck by their beautiful faces and shattered by the reminder that we have so much more than we need.  I got to hand out the pens to each of the students.  We got back in the car and the tears flowed.

I teared up for a different reason when we arrived at the Taj Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur.  Quite simply, the finest hotel experience I have ever had.  The beauty of the place took my breath away.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  It actually got me choked up when we were escorted to our suite and I saw the splendor of this magnificent property.  And, the service we encountered the next five days was even more stunning.

I lost it one last time on the way to the airport in Mumbai to get on the plane to come home.  I called our ground agent, Saleem, from India Travel Promotions Ltd., to thank him for the incredible arrangements he made for us.  We had postponed our trip twice due to ever changing work schedules — Saleem had to rebook our full itinerary three different sets of dates. The entire time leading up to the trip I was blown away by his kindness and patience.   And, once in India, we felt cared for even more.   Every member of Saleem’s staff was more impressive than the next — from the efficient airport greeters, to the intrepid drivers, to the passionate tour guides.  I wanted Saleem to know how much we appreciated everyone.  After I thanked him, in true Indian fashion, the call ended with him thanking me.  ”Thank you for the honor of allowing us to show you our country.”   I hung up the phone, and wiped away more tears in realizing my two weeks in India was coming to a close.

I fell in love with India — the difficult things to witness, the dazzling things to see and the people throughout the country who touched us in a profound way.  I urge you to visit.  I will happily point you in the direction of great experiences.  No photo or movie or blog entry can capture its essence.

I leave you with this thought…

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” –Samuel Johnson

The funny thing is, when you return from a trip where you have witnessed the way things are, rather than regulated, your imagination is unleashed.