2012 is the Year of Event Pros Take Action (EPTA)

The Event Industry’s Newest Charitable Organization – Bigger, Better & Making a Difference!

February 14, 2012. Pittsburgh, PA. If you haven’t heard of Event Pros Take Action yet –stand up and take notice – EPTA, the event industry’s newest charitable organization, is taking the event world – and beyond – by storm!

At just 10 months old, this ambitious organization has already accomplished a great deal. It kicked off 2012 with a trip to The Special Event, where its powerful video message not only played in its booth, but also brought the audience to tears during the opening session.  Funds and awareness increased significantly – and this was just the beginning.

At the end of this month, February 27-29, 2012, EPTA will head to Las Vegas for Catersource/Event Solutions’ Idea Factory. EPTA’s moving video message will kick off the opening session given by Preston Bailey. Attendees who can’t be there – don’t fret – you’ll be able to stop by booth #2167 to watch the video, meet the team, join, or donate in a number of ways to this worthy cause.

EPTA has raised $26,600 so far, and can proudly underwrite a home for one of its partner families; it is on the way to covering costs (the goal is a total of $30K) for a second family by continuing its fundraising efforts. The current drive includes $100 and $150 kitchen/bathroom baskets that can be sponsored any time between now and its next mission, which will take place this coming July.

In just five months, EPTA will commemorate its inaugural mission by heading back to NOLA, and this time, it will be partnering with the National Association of Catering Executives(NACE). “The NACE Experience is July 16-18,” explains Tricia Schmitt, director of marketing for AFR, one of EPTA’s key partners/sponsors “We are hoping people attending the conference will stay one or more days and work with us.”

“NACE is excited about our partnership and will certainly encourage its attendees to stay and work if at all possible,” says Susie Perelman, co-founder of EPTA and owner of Mosaic Inc. “If there is one thing we have learned from the first mission, it is how incredibly satisfying – and life-changing – it is to be able to get in there and make a difference. Once you see the looks on the families’ faces, the smiles, the tears of joy and gratitude…you will never be the same.  We are changing the quality of life for families in need. For all the suffering Katrina victims have endured, these families deserve to move on with their lives and close a chapter in their lives. Knowing this is what drives us to make 2012 even bigger and better than last year.” Co-founder, Stacey Mehalik adds “We went down to NOLA last summer to give, but we left with gifts from a community that is determined to rebound from environmental and personal despair.  Participants in our mission learned lessons in resilience and the value of community and we cannot wait to go back next summer!”

Capturing the hearts of event industry leaders nationwide, individuals and companies including A-1 Tablecloth, American Turf & Carpet, Atlas Party Rental, Hospitality Connects,Intellievent, Liberty Party Rental, and Panache, a Classic Party Rental Co. continue to support the cause with a host of other supporters in the industry. Richard Carbotti of Perfect Surroundings, Inc. and Mark Wells of Hello Florida will reprise their roles as “Design Angels”, the ones who bring the design vision to life for two special families in need. Shari Lynn Rothstein-Kramer of SLK Creative will again lead the PR charge; AFR Event Furnishings not only presented EPTA a check for $20K, but again, will offer furnishings for two homes this summer. Also presenting significant contributions is Larry Green of Rentals Unlimited, and of course, Mosaic Inc. Both companies will again take leadership roles in the 2012 mission.

For more information on EPTA, please visit www.eventprostakeaction.org or contact Susie Perelman or Stacey Mehalik at 412.562.2800 or sperelman@partymosaic.com /smehalik@partymosaic.com

Learn more - Watch the EPTA video!

For media inquiries, contact Shari Lynn Rothstein-Kramer at 305.466.4312 or shari@slkcreative.com

For more information on the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE), visit www.nace.net or NACE or 410.290.5410; media contact David Harrison at 410.843.3869 ordavid@harrisoncommunications.net

Event Pros Take Action (EPTA) is a charitable organization that lets special events professionals give back to those in need. Our endeavors focus on relief efforts for communities that have experienced a natural disaster and are in the process of recovering from substantial loss and rebuilding communities. Professionals from The Special Events Industry throughout the USA have come together in an unprecedented undertaking: a merging all of their talents and products, in an all-out effort to create dramatic results for the communities it aims to impact.

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