A Sweet Summer Barbecue!

It’s officially summertime, and that means fun in the sun for us at Sweet Deal!!  When the weather warms up, we head out to the beach for summer parties but can also be found at home, lighting up the barbecue and having a great time with friends and family.  We love to incorporate our consumer product clients and friends into our own barbecues, as well as the private parties we produce as part of our Event Planning Division.  Here are some of our favorite snacks and drinks to satisfy everyone’s warm weather cravings! 

Vitamin Water – Not only does VM taste delicious, but it keeps you hydrated when the sun is beating down.  We love the new line of Vitamin Water Zero that loses the calories, but keeps the same refreshing taste.

Sweet Deal brand ambassador Sara promoting popchips at a Seattle Seahawks game!

popchips – Mmm, mmm good!!  If you’ve ever popped one of Pop Chips’ flavors like Barbecue or Sour Cream & Onion, you know we’re right when we say these little tasty morsels are absolutely addicting.  They are the perfect complement to your main barbecue dishes, be it a hamburger or hot dog. 

Sweet spokes models Danielle and Lauren at a beach promo for Seagram's Sweet Tea Vodka

Seagram’s Sweet Tea Vodka – What’s better than lounging in the sun with a nice cool cup of lemonade?  We’ll tell you what: spiked lemonade!!  This Sweet Tea vodka from Seagram’s is our favorite brand to whip up some Arnold Palmers for grown-ups.  Stick a colorful umbrella swizzler in, and you’ve got the makings of a great party!

Savida Sangria – If you’re hankering for a fruity drink, our choice for a Spanish favorite is Savida Sangria.  Cut up some fresh fruit (we recommend oranges, peaches, apples, and grapes!) and let it sit for awhile in the sangria, so the fruit really soaks up the liquid.  When it’s ready to serve, your guests will be asking for more pitchers all night long!

Luna Bar/Clif Bar –Either for a healthy snack in the beginning of the night or a dessert to close the evening, these whole grain and tasty treats are great for adults and kids alike.

DRY Soda – For the non-drinkers of your guests, we highly recommend grabbing some DRY Soda at your local Whole Foods.  With

A DRY Soda in-store promotion in Las Vegas

flavors like Lavender, Lemongrass, and Vanilla Bean (amongst others), this is a perfect alternative to wine as it pairs very well with many types of food.  Low in sugar and calories, this a perfect treat for a warm evening under the stars.

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We’re Mad (and made) for March Madness!

As the weather drags its feet getting warmer, basketball season picks up the pace and Sweet Deal spokesmodels bring the heat that the sun is withholding. Can you believe we’re already in The Final Four?! While the last teams standing may be considered “unexpected” as followers of March Madness can learn from reading SB Nation, the most engaging, up-to-speed sports blog in the sphere, the energy and flair that our models bring to college basketball fans participating in a lively event to honor the season has come to be relied upon. Guests of the Sports Blog Nation party are the lucky recipients of the spirit, and (literally), CHEER, of Sweet Deal facilitators. Sometimes it takes a woman’s honed eye for detail to ensure that the best hospitality is provided. Therefore, our lovely ladies are present at events to make sure that every face is smiling and every thirst is quenched by a sweet drink. Samsung has come on board to sponsor the event and, most importantly, to provide adorable, peppy outfits for our models. March is mad, yes, but our models infuse even more frenzy into this sports extravaganza held at The Parlour, Midtown in Manhattan as they greet guests and attend to their comfort. Equipped with cute outfits, bubbly personalities, and sports knowledge, the models are a match made in heaven for events of this nature: supervising every operation from ensuring the most exciting music to providing up to date sports information covered by SB Nation, sweet deal moves the party down the court.  Our models are well-acquainted with the fiery force that is sports fan-ship. They’ve got plenty of experience. In fact, this past fall our models directed a fun, successful Fantasy Football Draft for Yahoo Sports and Thrillist that featured snacks, Mikes Hard Lemonade, and the customary stellar company of sweet sports fans. Ben Hindiman, former National Events Director at Thrillist sent us this sweet note, “Just want to thank you (profusely) for yet again delivering a talented, friendly, charismatic, punctual and hard working group of staffers for my events.  You always exceed my expectations with your staff choice and these ambassadors are no exception.” The tradition of food, flirty fun, and competitive sports that makes up the fabric of American life continues to sizzle with sweet models as the gracious hostesses.

Demonstrating Sweet Taste

Laos is a lovely landlocked country in southeast Asia bordered by Thailand to the west. Two of these countries’ best exports teamed up to sponsor a fantastic demonstration, with Sweet Deal brand ambassadors serving as liaisons of Laos. As spring continues to tease us with the promise of sunshine, flowers, and an eventual glorious summer, Sweet Deal brand ambassadors come to the rescue  by wetting your whistle with a free sample of tropical beer that has traveled all the way from the eastern hemisphere.  At the acclaimed restaurant, Pongsri Thai, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, customers were given the opportunity to discover (or in some cases, rediscover) a great lager to add to their list of good libations. As friends and family sat down to a delicious meal, they were extremely pleased to be offered samples of Beerlao, the national beer of Laos. The Sweet Deal brand ambassadors operating the demonstration know how to make the most of a sweet sample. They poured the delicious tropical lager into the center of the cup so the customer could enjoy the flavor of jasmine rice enhanced by creating a nice head in the beer, and guided them through the experience by asking them to stop and appreciate the fragrance and unusually light taste. Not only did these lucky diners get free beer, but they went home with Beerlao stickers, pins, and information as well. There are  intricacies to promoting a brand that may be new to a certain consumer base. Tasters must not only like the product, but they must also remember to keep it at the top of their grocery lists and know exactly where to get it. Our brand ambassadors for Beerlao had a jolly time with the customers, listening to stories about one diner’s time spent living in Laos, while also delivering all the pertinent information about the product. Our brand ambassadors take time to chat and exchange stories with the people they demonstrate to, intertwining the experience with the product into the warm, friendly conversations about 14th century castles and beautiful rainy seasons in Laos. In the aftermath of St. Patrick’s Day, beer aficionados may be interested in a sweet, unassuming lager that packs all the alcohol content with less of the bulk. If it is company and conversation you are interested in, contact Sweet Deal to put a personal touch on your brand.

Smiling Is Good for Business at Professional Conferences and Expos

In the exciting, rapidly evolving world of digital media, leading companies must be able to engage with other movers and shakers in the market. To be able to demonstrate the full meaning of the word ‘engage’, a spokesmodel trained to represent a cutting edge digital media company must be impressive and well informed. Sweetness goes a long way, but a nuanced understanding of our clients’ professional operations takes a networking opportunity even further–From strictly business to business and fun. Our intelligent spokesmodels strive to represent your business with exemplary professionalism and memorable charm.PaymentOne, a valued client that connects digital merchants and network operators by providing secure, easy third party billing, attended the Engage 2011 Conference and Expo at The Javits Convention Center in NYC. To take full advantage of a conference, executives usually attempt to be in many different places at once: business meetings, keynote addresses, other booths, etc. Our clients can feel confident that their booths are being gracefully represented as they make their appointments. The Engage 2011 Conference and Expo took place alongside the American International Toy Fair, allowing attendees from the digital concept and programming side to interact with the buyers and exhibitors. United under the same roof, the business opportunities were ripe. Our savvy spokesmodels know exactly how to capitalize on such opportunities. A natural communicator, she explains the basic concept of PaymentOne to an interested passerby, remaining conscious of the nametag around his neck and his interest in the company she represents on the tradeshow floor to ensure that she delivers information that is precise and relevant. A sweet model practices an effortless interpersonal zeal at all times, which is very important when making impressions on potential business partners. Even more important, however, is the preparation that she receives in order to effectively market her client. Commanding the booth by collecting and handing out business cards, fielding questions, making connections, and reporting to the client keep her on her toes. She’ll also help you set up your fussy banners and displays and come up with solutions for any problems that may arise. Our models are handy! If you are interested in hiring a capable spokesmodel with experience working professional conferences, expositions, and tradeshows, you may consult our model registry, or we’ll happily provide a model with the desired qualifications. Please contact info@sweetdealin.com.

Madness in March!

With the buzz from the Super Bowl dying down, sports fanatics are already looking for their next reason to party.  Good thing March Madness is right around the corner!!!  With Selection Sunday just 19 days away, there’s just enough time to plan the perfect party.  Throw your party on Selection Sunday to root for your favorite college or wait until April 3^rd to watch the final four showdown which will be held in Indianapolis this year. Who are you rooting for?

Here are some tips to make your party a Slam-Dunk:

Decorations: Orange and Black are good neutral colors for a basketball themed party, or be a supportive fan and go with your favorite teams colors!  We’re divided between many teams: ASU, San Diego State, USC. it’s a hard choice!!

Dress: Wear anything from a ref tee and whistle to a jersey from your favorite team.  Our staff has dressed as referees at past parties to keep the guests in line!

 Trivia: Tests your guests’ knowledge of NCAA with some basketball trivia. (Did you know UCLA has won the most championships with 11 victories?)

 Need some help finding trivia? This website has tons of quizzes and answers. http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/sports/ncaa_basketball/ncaa_march_madness.html

 Party Games:  Before the game starts, might as well put a little money down with a betting board to raise the party stakes!  If you have a basketball hoop, challenge your guests to a game outside in between quarters. Or if exercise isn’t your thing, play some basketball themed video games like EA’s NCAA March Madness to give your fingers a work out instead.

 Food: Finger Food! Try this recipe your guests can dunk into. Serve with pretzels.  We’re already getting hungry just looking at this!!

Beer Dip
Ingredients:

1 package Hidden Valley dip mix (original flavor)
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
6 oz. beer (of your choice)
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
pretzels

Just mix the ingredients and chill. 

http://www.celebrations.com/article/Throw-a-March-Madness-Mixer 

 Drinks: What’s a sports party without beer? But if you want to mix it up a little try this cocktail.

 3-Point Basket (Zombie)
1 shot dark rum (we recommend Skyy Spirits’ Flor De Cana Rum http://www.flordecana.com/)
1 shot white rum
1 shot gold/spiced rum
1/2 shot apricot brandy
1/2 shot lime juice
1/2 shot pineapple juice
A dash of sugar

http://www.evite.com/app/cms/ideas/march-madness

Sweet Additions:  Cocktail waitresses or bartenders dressed as referees, to make sure the party is kept in line!  How about a betting board where guests can pick a square and win some moolah!

A Home Run for Spring Training

If you love baseball as much as we do then you know what the months of February and March means: SPRING TRAINING!!!  Yes, we’ve all waited 6 long months for America’s game to return to our lives and the wait is finally over!!  Pitchers and catchers have already reported and soon position players will be on the field as well.  Get ready sports fans…Spring Training is in full swing and Sweet Deal has all the info you need to make this Spring Training a hit!! 

This entry will focus on the Cactus League Spring Training in Phoenix, AZ, but for those of you on the East Coast you can check out www.floridagrapefruitleague.com for more info!

 Games and Tickets

Games are being played from February 25-March 30th, 2011 and individual game tickets are already on sale!

Visit http://www.cactusleague.com/images/2011_schedule.pdf  for a full schedule of games and for information on purchasing tickets.

Nightlife/Restaurants

There are a ton of great restaurants and bars in the downtown Scottsdale and Phoenix areas.  Here are some of our favorites:

www.oreganos.com

www.donandcharlies.com

www.monkeypantsbar.com

www.oldtowntavernaz.com

 What to wear

Of course the best way to show your team spirit is by wearing your team’s colors and/or logo!  Why not head on over to shop.mlb.com and stock up on all your team gear so you are ready for baseball season in style!!

Watching the Game from Home

Can’t make it all the way to Phoenix this year?  Well there’s no reason you can’t enjoy some fun in the sun from the comfort of your own home!  Invite some friends over for a “Spring Training Stay-cation” and log on to mlb.com to watch your favorite team battle it out with your least favorite team!  And while you’re at it why not spice up your stay-cation with a baseball themed cocktail?!  (After all, what’s a getaway without a cold drink in your hand?)  This is one of our favorites!

Louisville Slugger ~ From www.Idrink.com 

Ingredients to use:	2.0 tsp  Blackberry Liqueur1.0 oz  Bourbon 2.0 tsp  Lemon juice 1.0 oz  DryVermouth
Directions:	Fill a shaker half full with ice cubes. Pour all ingredients into shaker and shake well. Strain drink into a Cocktail glass, garnish with a Lemon Peel Twist, and serve.

And of course you can always visit www.cactusleague.com for any and all other information you may need to make sure your Spring Training experience is a home run!!

And the Winner Is…

That’s right folks, it’s awards season in Hollywood!  The Academy Awards are one of Hollywood’s biggest events and this year is no exception!  With 10 Best Picture nominees leading the way in grandeur, the 2011 Acadamy Awards promise to be the biggest and best Oscars to date…it’s an event you definitely don’t want to miss, so invite over your entourage on Sunday February 27, 2011 and throw the 2^nd biggest bash in Hollywood.  Here are some tips to make it a star-studded event!

Cocktails: Of course, no party is complete without a themed cocktail!  This recipe for the Red Carpet cocktail is absolutely perfect for any and all Oscar parties.  It is even good enough to serve AT the actual event!  That’s right, this specialty drink was created for the Academy Awards by Patron and was served to the stars at the Pre-show reception and the Governor’s Ball following the ceremony.  If it’s good enough for the stars it’s good enough for you!

 Ingredients:

• 11/2 oz Patrón Silver Tequila
• 1/2 ounce Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur
• fresh raspberry juice
• dash organic cranberry juice
• fresh lime juice
• gold sugar rim
• orange wedge dipped in gold sugar for garnish

Preparation:

1. Wet the rim of a cocktail glass using an orange or lime wedge.
2. Rim the wet with gold sugar, shake off excess sugar and set aside
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
4. Shake well.
5. Strain into the prepared cocktail glass.
6. Garnish with an orange wedge dipped in gold sugar.

To learn more about this cocktail you can visit this website!: http://cocktails.about.com/od/tequilarecipes/r/red_carpet.htm

 Guess the Winners!: Who doesn’t love to make a little wager here and there?  You can print out your very own ballot with each category and nominee just by clicking on this link! Each guest gets their own ballot and picks their winners before the ceremony starts.  Then everyone keeps track of the winners as you are watching the show.  At the end of the night, total up how many categories each person guessed correctly.  The person with the most correct categories wins!

 Costume contest: Just because you can’t actually attend the Academy awards doesn’t mean you can’t dress like you’re attending!  Dig out your old prom dress or hit up a local thrift store to find a formal dress or tux and dress like your favorite celeb!  Or, have your friends come dressed as a character from one of this years nominated movies!  If your character or celebrity wins you can always hit the mute button and give an acceptance speech of your own.

Here are some of last year’s best dressed Oscar attendees if you need a little inspiration!

 Decorations: Do you live at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood?  You don’t?  Well neither do we but that doesn’t mean you can’t deck out your pad to be just as glitzy and glamorous as Tinseltown itself!  Check out the following link for a ton of decorating ideas and special red carpet decorations!   

Happy Red Carpeting!!!

Cigarette Girls

A Cigarette Girl: a glamorous, leggy being who happily holds a tray containing your favorite Monte Carlo. She leans over, snips off the end and lights.  It’s dark and the band is full of loud trumpets that make you bold, “want to meet after the show?” the smile never leaves her face as she nods.

This is the beginning of not only a great night, but a lifestyle that has evolved since its inception, starting in the speakeasies and supper-clubs of the ’20s and ’30s.  Club-owners, or at least the smart-ones, would hire beautiful young women to walk around their establishments with a tray of cigars and cigarettes hung around their neck.  Men would gladly shell out their money to enjoy a light and chat with the woman holding the tray.

 As time past, this practice moved across the country, from New York to LA, although there is some talk that this was originally a French idea because hot ladies, clubs and cigars are definitely their thing.  On the West Coast, it was all about Hollywood where everybody was (and is) waiting for their big break, making for an abundance of talented people with lots of time but no money.  However, those who had ‘made it’ did like to party, and in the ’40s and ’50s there were plenty of nightclubs who needed Cigarette Girl services. Women were thrilled to work at establishments that catered to movie stars, hoping to make a valuable connection.

However, the ’90s roared in, and it brought back Cigars and Cigarettes because a classic is always sexy.  This was a new era of Cigarette girls and it was all out in the open; the party had left the closet.  In sweltering South Beach, girls stood on the streets, in front of nightclubs, holding trays cigars.  Next came the swanky lounges, and cigar bars, where Ella Fitzgerald still crooned out the speakers, and up and coming models, offering up Romeo and Juliet, Gran Habano and Rigoletto.  However, smokes weren’t the only thing they were holding.  In the ’90s rules were broken.  Trays began to include chocolate, candy and even condoms!

Today, the night-club owners have been replaced with specialized marketing and promotional staffing companies who hire the models to hold the trays, making sure these gorgeous ladies bring their best and receive fair payment.  Cigar girls can now be candy girls, carrying around retro candy, offering up sweets that grandma snacked on, or even high-end chocolate flavored liquor – perfect for an upscale, corporate event.

It’s 2011 and there are no rules.  Cigarette girls have moved-on from the Supper Club (though some remain) and now can come to your fundraiser, golf-outing, corporate event or wedding.  These ladies bring class, sweets and a modern take on a sexy classic that has proven its worth over time.  We at Sweet Deal love when we get requests for cigarette girls, as it is one of our favorite and most creative services! We have customized trays to fit the theme of the event in addition to custom costumes—from Arabian Nights to the Old West!  We love the historic ties our candy girls have with eras now past.

Check out our gallery of our Sweet Deal cigarette girls here.

Sweet Blog

Isn’t our new blog the sweetest? Welcome to the latest location for updates, event coverage, and highlights of our Sweet Deal-ings. We never were much good at keeping secrets, so now we’re spilling all the tantalizing details here. Hope we’ve perked your interest and earned your curiosity. Come back and check in with us as we deliver 2011 news as it’s made!

Biz Bash 2010 Style Awards

The Biz Bash 2010 LA Event Style Awards are coming up this spring! We were so proud to be a part of two of the winning 2009 categories. Our Sweet Deal casino dealers added some sweetness to the Red Carpet and entertained some celebrities for the casino at Ellen Degeneres’ 50^th Birthday Party, which won Best Corporate Event Concept and Best Entertainment Program/Concept.  Ellen’s party was hosted by Warner Brothers and celebrated not only her birthday but also her move from NBC to Warner Brothers. The theme was vintage carnival and included talent ranging from our very own beautiful casino dealers, a dance crew performing on the interactive dance floor, to Ryan Seacrest flying in on helicopter to host. With the 2010 Biz Bash submissions due April 9^th, we have to wonder who will top last years amazing events and take home this years awards.

Take a peek at our photos from Ellen’s 50th birthday bash here!