About Us

Mission

We believe that it is the responsibility of the ISES St. Louis Chapter to:

• Enhance the level of professionalism within our community by following the Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics at the heart of ISES
• Assist our members in increasing the standards and quality of service to our clients
• Educate our community about the value, impact, & significance of our industry
• Expand our own talents within the special events industry by recognizing and utilizing the educational resources of our chapter and the international organization
• Recognize and encourage excellence in the special events industry through the ISES Awards

History of ISES & the St. Louis Chapter

The International Special Events Society (ISES) was founded in 1987 to foster enlightened performance through education while promoting ethical conduct. ISES works to join professionals to focus on the "event as a whole" rather than its individual parts.

ISES has grown to involve nearly 4,000 members active in 41 chapters throughout the world. Membership brings together professionals from a variety of special events disciplines including caterers, meeting planners, decorators, event planners, audio-visual technicians, party and convention coordinators, educators, journalists, hotel sales managers and many more professional disciplines. The solid peer network that ISES provides is a valued resource that helps special events professionals produce outstanding results for clients while establishing positive working relationships with other event colleagues.

In 1992, a small group of St. Louis caterers and event planners gathered to plant the seeds of establishing a local chapter of ISES. After much research, many meetings and numerous conversations, and the filing of legal documents and choosing a name, the plan was put into action and became a reality in 1996. The ISES Missouri Chapter was born. Now in our 15th year, with a new name, and more than 120 members strong, the St. Louis Chapter continues to grow and thrive, attracting a growing number of representative disciplines.