Stark Group, Inc.

12/21/2023

Looking back at some of the fun experiences over the years - just a few pics!

12/21/2023

As we settle into the end of 2023 and look ahead to a new year, I am excited to share that Stark Group Events has reached an important milestone in its journey, celebrating 20 years in business this fall!

To celebrate, I am reflecting on all of the awesome events I got to be a part of, the cool places around the world I have gotten to see but most importantly, all of the amazing people I have worked with and met along the way, many who have become friends. Loyal client partners and trusted vendors who make it all enjoyable and fun during the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in the event industry.

As they say this has been a “labor of love” and has been built with a lot of “blood, sweat and tears”….ok, maybe not too much blood but a fair share of the others through the years. There have been ups, downs, highs, lows, successes and many lessons learned as a small business owner. Looking back, I am so grateful for all of it!

I want to thank my biggest supporters along the way- my family who has always been there to cheer me on for the accomplishments and lean on during the busy and difficult times. Some very important personal thank yous go to Cullen, Lauryn and Camryn, my sister Stephanie and my parents, Tom and Elaine. This is my go-to crew for encouragement, advice on many topics, name badge stuffing, and even registration desk help! Special shout out to Cullen for being my favorite “IT guy”! Also to Kim and Tina who have joined me on many of these event travel adventures over the years!

12/30/2022

Before we head into a new year, we are reflecting on 2022 and the much anticipated return to live events. So happy to be back in some of our favorite cities, working side by side with great colleagues and vendor partners! Happy new year everyone!

12/31/2020

Here we are at the end of 2020, a year none of us could have ever imagined. This year’s reflection looks a little different for the world overall and the event world. This past year included continuous uncertainty, cancellations and rescheduling, and completely redesigning existing events for the virtual world. With the challenges, there has been opportunities to learn new skills and embrace change. Notably, less airports meant more time with my own “bubble” as we navigated our way together through this crazy year!

I am feeling hopeful as we approach 2021 and sending best wishes for a happy, healthy new year!

12/29/2020

05/13/2020

This is a great article for all of my industry colleagues who can relate - the not knowing is the hardest. We can postpone or change to virtual where relevant but we cannot offer curbside pickup for gatherings like meetings or events. We will be back!

A place where words matter

12/31/2019

Reflecting back on the past 12 months and the wonderful people and beautiful places that made it a great year! Thank you 2019 for another year of adventures and learning as we try new things and embrace new opportunities. We are looking forward to 2020 and wishing everyone all the best for the New Year!

05/06/2019

Kudos to all my planner friends!

A round of applause to you!!! Pat yourselves on the back for the amazing job you do everyday!!!

12/21/2018

Now that the fall busy event season is wrapped up and we head into the holidays, we are reflecting back on the year and some of the highlights. We are so grateful for our great clients, vendors and industry colleagues that make this job fun. While we spend lots of time in hotel ballrooms, we are also lucky to see some cool sites along the way. Happy Holidays and all the best in 2019!

12/21/2018

12/06/2018

Excited to share a new, fresh look for Stark Group - thanks to Mary Jo Little at Bait Design!

10/09/2018

A nice recap of the 2018 Ag & Animal Science Conference from the MGTA team. We have been working with the MinnWest team for the past 8 years to plan this ag industry conference in Willmar.

WingTips Blog Start a Ripple of Agricultural Change | 2018 AASC September 27, 2018Lettuce, turkeys and a logger share a lot in common when they convene together to discuss the successes and challenges each face as leaders in their industries. These stories and several others were shared at the eight...

06/26/2018

Attending a great event industry conference- great content, very creative ideas and...puppies to cuddle during the break!

04/27/2018

We love our lists!

We do love our lists; they ensure exceptional events!

01/26/2018

I was working downtown yesterday and made sure to check out the final prep taking place for Super Bowl as Minneapolis prepares for the big game and lot of visitors! The Bold North is looking good!

11/16/2017

Sharing a few highlights from NYC event last week. Tried some new branding this year including the stairs which turned out great!

10/27/2017

Stark Group Inc. was nominated again for Best Planner for Minnesota Meetings & Events "Best Of" for 2018- If you have a chance, please take a moment to vote!

Voting for the 16th Annual Best of Minnesota Awards is now open! Vote for your favorites in the industry today!

http://mn.meetingsmags.com/vote-2018-best-minnesota-awards

10/03/2017

MinnWest Technology Campus

Media coverage of the 9/26/17 Ag & Animal Science Conference highlighting the innovative speakers from our Storytellers Session.

Great article about the Ag & Animal Science Conference in the West Central Tribune highlighting regional Ag Leaders during the Storytellers session.
http://www.wctrib.com/news/local/4336245-everybody-has-story-annual-willmar-ag-conference-features-storytellers

09/13/2017

Stark Group, Inc. is excited to be profiled in the article about Small Businesses in the most recent issue of Minnesota Meetings & Events - see page 43. An honor to be included alongside meeting planner colleagues and friends, Amy-Marie Lemanski and Dana Ellis!

http://mn.meetingsmags.com/fall-2017-3

08/04/2017

Event Manager Blog

Hey fellow planners- who can relate to some of these? I was willing to risk missing my plane to grab my cell phone when I realized I left it in my front console of my car before heading to NYC for my biggest event! Kim Hanauska and Stephanie Wright remember this?

❤️ you !

07/18/2017

Event Manager Blog

Here are some innovative signage ideas to try at your next event. Get creative - try branding floors and walls which means less foamcore on easels.

Event signage is meant to be noticed!

01/05/2017

New York City's most iconic hotel is closing indefinitely — take a look back at its star-studded past

Very cool article about some of the Waldorf's history. Sad to see the doors close for renovations but feel lucky to have been able to be a part of it all by holding an event there for 11 years. http://www.thisisinsider.com/the-waldorf-astoria-is-closing-2017-1/ -the-future-of-the-hotel-and-towers-is-uncertain-it-will-without-a-doubt-continue-to-hold-a-place-in-history-26

The Waldorf Astoria is closing for renovations at the end of February.

12/01/2016

TC SPIN Holiday Cheer at Punch Bowl Social 12.8.16

SPIN December event- hope to see all of my event industry friends there!

We hope you can join us Thursday, December 8 at 4:00 pm for a casual Happy Hour to celebrate the holidays as we wind down 2016.

09/22/2016

Speakers discuss GMO crops during ag conference at MinnWest Technology...

Media coverage on the 6th Annual Ag & Animal Science Conference http://tinyurl.com/jvbfjcx

WILLMAR—Fear fueled by misinformation—and not science—is a driving force in the anti-GMO movement that could harm agriculture and make it difficult to feed a growing world population.That was the message delivered Tuesday during the sixth annual Ag and Animal Science Conference at the MinnWest...

06/14/2016

Minnesota Turkey

This conference has been really interesting to work on! This will be my 6th year producing this with the MinnWest Technology Campus.

The 6th Annual Ag & Animal Science Conference will be held September 20 in Willmar and cover such topics as animal welfare, GMO labeling, sustainability, and perception of animal agriculture.

Good stuff – we hope farmers will join us for this informative (and free!) conference.

http://www.mnwesttechnology.com/asc/

05/25/2016

Smart Meetings

This article is right in line with the work we are doing with VoiceHive- actively engaging your conference and event attendees through interactive Q&A, word clouds and live polling. Most of our clients have been adding tools like this with much success.

#6. More empowered audiences. Many of today’s event goers (especially millennials) are eager to express their opinions and want to actively participate in the event they are attending.

05/16/2016

Survey: What Are the Event Manager’s Most Valuable Skills?

Yes! I do many informational interviews with people who are interested in going into event planning and this list basically describes what I share with them.

We’ve already discussed the event management skills your corporate customer really wants and what the event manager’s profession actually includes. With this article, however, we decided to dig deeper into the subject of the most essential skills an event manager should possess nowadays. We reckoned...

05/04/2016

Event Farm

Good article!

"1. Thou shalt always check the venue Wi-Fi."

04/20/2016

MinnWest Technology Campus

This is the keynote speaker for the Ag & Animal Science Conference on 9/20 - check out his Ted Talk. We have been working with MinnWest Technology to produce this conference for the past 6 years.

Keynote Rob Saik: Know GMO...Will Ag be Allowed to Feed 9 Billion People?