NEW ORLEANS, LA— August 25, 2015 – Diane B. Lyons, CMP, DMCP, President of ACCENT on Arrangements,Inc., a DMC Network Company, has won a prestigious International Special Events Society (ISES) “ISES Esprit Award” in the category of Best Meeting/Conference Program with a budget over $250,000.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by this eminent international organization for our achievement of excellence in special events.” says Diane Lyons, President of ACCENT on Arrangements. “ISES award winners are known throughout the industry as ‘the best of the best’ so we are honored to be in such company.”
In her 30-plus year career as a special event professional, Lyons has earned her Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) and Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP) designations and has led one of the most respected destination management companies in the New Orleans area. In 2007, ACCENT on Arrangements was selected by the DMC Network as its exclusive New Orleans member company and successfully completed the requirements for the ADME Charter Accredited Destination Company designation as one of its charter members. In 2010, ACCENT received the ISES Esprit Award in the category of Best Meeting/Conference Program over $250,000 and has been nominated for numerous ISES Esprit awards in the past.
ACCENT won the “Best Meeting/ Conference Program Budget over $250,000” category for creating a conference focused on uniqueness by providing a “different” side to New Orleans rather than the more pedestrian experiences that many of these attendees have already had on previous visits. According to Lyons, “In every service that we provided to our client, we looked for a way to put an innovative spin on it to make it more exclusive and not something guests could experience without our events”. The ACCENT team accomplished this by focusing on a New Orleans theme in all of the offsite events, including in the décor and the entertainment. However, no two were quite alike. The most complex event was a Lifestyles event within the convention center where four unique relaxation pavilions were featured and spread around the tradeshow floor, providing a fresh concept to attendees and highlighting the uniqueness of the host in a new way.
The award was presented at the 2015 ISES Live in ACCENT’s hometown, New Orleans, Louisiana on August 22nd.
About ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc.
Founded in 1991 by Diane B. Lyons, ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc. is a privately held corporation with the primary interest of planning, managing and supervising group activities to include spouse/guest programs, team building activities, special events, entertainment and décor, transportation services, speaker programs, hospitality staff and VIP services as well as children’s programs and events. Headquartered in New Orleans, ACCENT has a management team with more than 90 years of combined destination management experience. It is a proud member of the DMC Network, an LLC of the top performing, wholly owned DMCs through North America. In addition to its DMC activities, ACCENT also produces FestiGals, a non-profit enrichment weekend in New Orleans each June that brings women of all ages together, showcases the local culture, and generates awareness and funding for causes affecting women. ACCENT is also a WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise through the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South.