We (Cassie and Kendra) just got back from the North American Livestock Show and Rodeo Managers’ Association Annual Meeting in Shreveport, LA, and we had a blast! Of course, we learned how to host a stellar rodeo and livestock show, but these folks sure knew how to have a good time while we learned.

Louisiana has a ton to offer and we took full advantage of the culture, food and warm weather.

One of our first stops was Alligator Park, where we saw, you guessed it, a ton of alligators!

We even saw the house where the wedding from Steel Magnolias was filmed!

Then in the evening, we spent a little time drinking mint juleps on the porch and having delicious BBQ at a fabulous plantation.

We also took a trip to the country and saw the fantastic LSU Ag Research Center, where we took a hayride to visit some cows. They were also growing some amazing-looking tomatoes in a greenhouse. These were honestly the biggest tomato plants I’ve ever seen. So delicious!

We had the change to hear from a great speaker named Teresa Allen, who kicked her presentation off with a Mardi Gras style entrance by the officers, who threw beads to get the crowd going.

Our visit to the Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City was incredible. We saw some awesome planes and got a tour from a retired Air Force vet. It was such a treat so close to Memorial Day!

We got to eat crawfish at the LA Exhibit Museum, where Jarrod from HOT Fair and Karla from State Fair of Texas showed us how it’s done.

To cap off our trip, we went to Mudbug Madness, Shreveport’s biggest crawfish festival!  The festival hung a sign to welcome our group, and Cassie  made sure everyone was using their new Saffire koozies!

A special thanks to the staff and volunteers at The State Fair of Louisiana for showing us around your great state.  We had such a fantastic time at the NALS&RMA Annual Meeting, and we can’t wait until next year!

Can you handle some more good news?  Because we just can’t wait to share that we are officially partnering with American Royal to enhance their online presence!

We have been talking with Jody and his staff since we first met at the NALS&RMA Conference last summer, and we couldn’t be more excited to be associated with an organization that gives over $1 million annually to support youth and education.

From the Horse Show and Rodeo to the World Series of BBQ, this organization does it’s part to keep the fun alive in Kansas City.

During September, October and November, more than 250,000 people will attend the American Royal events, so we better get started!  We had our first design brainstorm meeting yesterday, and let me tell you: this is going to be one knock-out website!

It’s not often that I feel 76.8% wrong, but the business etiquette course by Marion Gellatly of Powerful Presence did just that.

My favorite thing I learned was that when someone is toasting you, you shouldn’t drink. And this came in handy immediately after the conference.

I shared this new information with my business partners and their families at dinner, and a few of us decided to constantly toast our creative director for the rest of the night! (It became slightly less funny when he started toasting us back in retaliation!)

But in all seriousness, Marion gave me some things to think about, and the key things I learned are:

• When setting the table:
  • Remember BMW – Bread (plate), Meal, Water (glass) – in that order from left to right
  • Use silverware from outward in towards the center
• When you sit down:
  • Enter your chair from the right
  • Immediately put your napkin in your lap, folded in half with the fold toward you
• During the meal:
  • No getting up for any reason, except for between courses; if you do leave, put your napkin on your chair, only on the table when finished
  • No “grooming” (lipstick, fixing hair, etc.)
  • No handbag or phone on the table
  • No sharing from one plate – ask for an extra
  • Spoon soup away from you
  • Pass food to the right, offering left first
  • If your food arrives earlier, wait for permission from others at the table before beginning (don’t start if they don’t give it)
• When you are finished:
  • Put your silverware side by side on the right side of your plate
  • Don’t ask for leftovers (This one will be hardest for me!)
• If you are the host:
  • Ask if they have food allergies or preferences after they accept your invitation; make two suggestions – mainstream and ethnic
  • Reconfirm the morning of the event
  • Wait 20 minutes if they are late
  • Direct your guests where to sit; if only one guest, sit them kitty corner from you
  • Allow your guest to order first; if your guest orders two courses, match his order
  • Don’t start business conversation until the orders have been taken

I hope these tips are as helpful and as interesting for you as they were for me….but I may still take home my leftovers!