Diana Tsao Named Mandarin Leader Honoree

We are proud to announce Diana Tsao, CEO and Fearless Leader of Diana Tsao Events, was recognized as a 2016 Honoree by Mandarin Leader for creativity & excellence among Chinese in North America in Entrepreneurship.

Mandarin Leader is a premium North American Chinese-language media brand focused on Chinese making an impact in North America. The honored individuals have: created something out of nothing, taken risks, and exhibited characteristics associated with leadership. We are very proud and humbled by this award!

One excerpt from the interview:

What is an extraordinary place you have recently traveled to?
Aspen. I went skiing, dog sledding and one night after the mountain closed - took a snowcat up for dinner on top of the mountain.

Head over to Mandarin Leader for the full interview!

Truly honored,
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: Mandarin Leader

'Tis the Truffle Season!

October through November is white truffle season in Italy, it also just happens to be our favorite time of the year. In most major cities around the world you will find multiple truffle dishes on seasonal menus, and who doesn’t want authentic truffle on their pizza? But to experience this secretive truffle culture steeped in tradition one must go to the source, and there are many opportunities…

For the adventurous truffle lover who wants to get their hands dirty, there are special truffle hunting excursions available. From Tuscany to Piedmont there are opportunities to meet a true trifulau, truffle hunter, and his trusted hound to learn all you can about this wild delicacy. Gain a true understanding for this secretive profession that is steeped in tradition and inherited skill. 

For those who do not want to spend hours in the forests of Italy, there are quite a few truffle fairs in the heart of some of Italy’s most breathtaking cities. The Alba White Truffle Fair is one of the most famous, and arguably the best in all of Italy. Truffles are not the only thing on display during the Alba White Truffle Fair, with over one hundred exhibitors the gastronomic culture of the region is on full display. If you are looking for more of a medieval backdrop for your truffle fair, be sure to visit San Miniato, in Tuscany, for their Truffle fair the second, third, and fourth weekends in November. 

Happy Truffling!
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: FineDiningLovers, Bella Italia Retreats

Geofilters, Events & Experiential Marketing

You can’t walk a few blocks in New York City without seeing some form of advertising, whether that be a poster plastered to brick, a conveniently placed sticker, or someone handing you a flyer. Snap brings this concept to experiential marketing with Geofilters. Companies are starting to use Geofilters to engage people in specific locations. For as little as $5 for a few hours, events are also creating custom Snap Geofilters to tell a broader story - from a guest's perspective. So...what is a Geofilter?

Geofilter lets users overlay specific filters - available only to people within a pre-determined geofence - on photos and video taken in Snap. For example, riders at SoulCycle can snap a video with their yellow logo or a heart fills your screen when you snap with jewelry at Tiffany. Prices vary based on how many hours you want to offer your filter and how big your geofence is (must be between 20k and 5 million square feet). The upload tool allows you to see different pricing options when creating your Geofilter.

How can a Geofilter enhance events? Creating an effective event hashtag has been around for a while but to increase the digital impressions for your event - at (currently) low costs - consider creating a Geofilter for your next event. Snaps might not live as long as hashtags but the ability to personalize an event with special filters that also reach other people in the area is appealing. If you are looking for a filter not offered through Snap, there are quite a few ways to help create the perfect personalized filter for any event, like Pepper Filters or Canva.

How is this changing experiential marketing? Business are taking note of this new on-demand Geofilter option and implementing experiential marketing campaigns around it. These campaigns bridge online & offline for people in very meaningful ways. One of the more successful campaigns has come from Delta Airlines, who recently joined Snap. Not only do they have their own Geofilters, they created a scavenger hunt around them. Delta’s Dreamhunt challenged the people of Los Angeles to find specific Geofilters around the city to win amazing prizes centered around key industries in the city. Bloomingdale's created something similar with their in-store scavenger hunt, Swipestakes. Geofilters were hidden in local stores across the country giving customers the opportunity to win a meet and greet with Rebecca Minkoff, tickets to Maddie & Tae or gift cards to the store.

As on-demand Geofilters gain popularity, why not be an early adopter and make one for your next event while it's still almost free?

Happy snapping!
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: Snapchat, Delta

SUBMERGE! NYC's Marine Science Festival

Submerge! - NYC’s Marine Science Festival takes place this Saturday on Pier 26 in Tribeca from 11:00am - 4:00pm. Kids (and quite a few adults) will get to learn...for FREE...first hand about the Hudson River waterways and the influence humans have on marine life. This interactive day is sure to inspire some scientists in the making...

Kids will learn valuable information about Hudson River through marine robotics and the scientists that run them with hands-on experiments throughout the day. Interactive touch tanks will allow the public an up close and personal look at sea horses, stingrays, horseshoe crabs, and more. Kids will be given the opportunity to contribute to the ecosystem on the Hudson River by creating oyster habitats to improve their population.

Comedian, creator and host of You're the Expert, Chris Duffy, will be MCing the Science Stage and interviewing three very different and experienced scientists throughout the program. It might get a little wet in the front row with Mad Science's water experiments while Unusual Creatures perform songs that celebrate some of the most bizarre animals on earth.

We are thrilled to be working with Hudson River Park Trust on such an impactful and educational event. Stop by Pier 26 to pin the tail on the shark or take advantage of catch & release fishing and kayaking!

Happy learning!
-DTE

Photo Credit: NYSCI

Tradition Lives On

On Saturday, September 17th, the 183rd Oktoberfest begins on Theresienwiese, Munich’s fairgrounds. It will start like it has every year, with a large parade of horse-drawn carriages through the city transporting large quantities of beer to the Theresienwiese. Here the Mayor of Munich will tap the first keg to shouts of “O’zapft is!” and let the beer flow…

This fest is steeped in deep tradition. Although the Wiesn (what the Bavarians often call Oktoberfest) has grown in size, the organizers stay true to the values that played into the very first celebration. Only true Munich beer, defined as being brewed within the city limits, is allowed the be served. The beer must also be brewed following very strict purity laws in effect since 1516.

Over 7.2 million people visited the grounds in 2015 and consumed over 1.8 million gallons of beer. Drinking beer is not the only tradition followed in this 17 day-long fest. German food is available for mass consumption, including over 1,200 different kinds of sausages, large Pretzels (which Germans eat plain, never with mustard!), various rotisserie chicken dishes and traditional Bavarian pork shanks!

If you aren’t able to fly to Munich this year for Oktoberfest, there are plenty of copycat festivals around the world. So grab your stein and celebrate!

Prost!
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: @oktoberfestmuenchen