Key Section Contact:  Michael S. Roy, roym2@asme.org

General Description of the Program:
Engineer’s Night is an awards dinner held during National Engineer’s Week.  The evening provides an opportunity for local engineering companies to recognize an engineer within their organization that has made a significant engineering impact on their company.  Both lifetime and significant project based achievements are eligible.  Since most engineering tends to be cross disciplinary, participation is not limited to mechanical engineers.  Past recipients have included electrical engineers, materials engineers, mathematicians and scientists.  Large companies with multiple business units, such as Pratt & Whitney, will often recognize several engineers, one from each of the major business units. 

The event is a dinner meeting that is typically held at a local restaurant with a banquette room.  The section solicits involvement from local engineering companies prior to the event.  This is not an awards ceremony where the company “nominates” an individual.  Each company selects a person(s) within their organization to receive the award.  Each award recipient receives a specially designed plaque with the ASME logo that incorporates a letter of commendation on his or her company letterhead.  The plaque is a silk-screened image of the letter impressed onto a brass plate.

The event also serves as an opportunity for engineers to network and socialize with their colleagues from other companies.  The program provides a cost effective way for companies to recognize the achievements of an engineer within their organization in the presence of the engineer’s peers.

To encourage attendance the plaque and dinner are marketed as a package.  Many companies allow the award recipient to fill their table with family, friends and co-workers.  The company may purchase a second table for managers and supervisors.

The event is a formal sit down dinner with three entrée choices: prime rib, chicken cordon bleu, and salmon.  The dinning tables are set for eight.  Each company has a reserved table.  Additional tables are available for ASME members, section officers and ASME students.

The program usually starts with a social hour at 5:00 pm, which includes appetizers and a cash bar, dinner at 6:00 pm and awards presentations from 7:00 to 9:30.

The Engineer’s Night program coordinator or the Section Chair opens the award portion of the meeting with a few words.  They will then introduce the award presenter from each of the companies one at a time.  The recipient’s manager, department head, vice president, etc., make the award presentation.  The presenter has 5 minutes to talk about the recipient and why they have been chosen for the award.  The recipient then has few minutes for an acceptance speech.

Typically, about five of the major companies in the area participate.  Companies such as Pratt & Whitney, Alstom Power, Hamilton Sundstrand, Hartford Steam Boiler, have consistently participated over the last 20 years.  Companies such as this provide a good cornerstone for the event.  Smaller companies participate off and on depending on their budget and availability of a candidate for the award.  Attendance varies from 100 to 200+ people depending on the number of awards. 

Timeline of Major Actions Necessary to Be Successful

8 months before program	Select date and begin search for an adequate facility.
6 months before program	Send invitation letters to local companies.
5-4 months before program	Follow up with local companies to solicit participation.
3 months before program	Confirm participation from local companies.
	Review room setup and dinner menu with facility.
2 months before program	Publicize the program in Newsletter.
6 weeks before program	Send recognition letters to plaque vendor.
2 months before program	Publicize the program in Newsletter. (Second time)
2 weeks before program	Create event program and print.
1 week before program	Finalize headcount, names, room setup and meal choices.
4 days before program	Create nametags and other printed materials.
Day of the program	Arrive 2 hours early to setup the room.

Main Focus of the Program:
The main focus of the event is to develop industry relationships and recognize the contributions of engineers in the area.  This gives the section members an opportunity to talk and network with the senior management at the local engineering companies.

This is also a great opportunity to present someone in the section with the ASME Dedicated Service Award or a company with the Industry Plaque.

Actions and Contacts:
Someone on the operating board must take the lead in making contact with senior management from the local companies if this is going to be a successful event.  It is very difficult to get new companies involved based on a cold call or just a letter.  Your Industry Liaison must sell the benefits of the event to senior management at the target companies. 

In 2006, the Hartford Section charged $750 for an award plus dinner for eight.  Senior management will recognize this as a great way to award key people within their organization for an outstanding job.  Having 3 to 5 large companies involved adds prestige to the evening.

The plaques also make the evening special.  These are not standard local trophy shop engraved plaques.  The plaques are a silk-screened image of the letter written by the recipient’s manager impressed on a brass sheet.  The plaques cost about $250 each when ordering ten or more at a time.  The Hartford Section orders them through John Michael Associates, Newington, CT.  860-666-1414.

The Hartford Section has been doing this event for the past 20 years.  This ongoing process has enabled the section to develop a series of form letters, marketing materials and program timelines that can be shared with any section.

What do you feel you do especially well that makes this program a success?
To have a successful program it is important to get the support of senior management at several large local companies who have the capacity to participate several years in a row. 

For a section just starting the program, start a dialogue with companies a year in advance to solicit interest.  Once several companies on board, the program planning can begin as outlined in the time-line.

The dinner meeting is also held in a formal environment.  Ensure that the venue is a location that would be suitable for a wedding reception rather than banquet halls that would cater to a more informal event.  Remember that your event will include Senior Managers, VPs and Officers of the companies you invite.  Give them their money’s worth.

The person running the event needs to be well organized and have a good attention to detail.  Sending the initial invitation letter out early and following up is critical.

What is the most difficult thing you have to do in running this program?
This is an event that needs to be coordinated by several people.  It helps to have people on your team who work at each of the participating companies.  They will be able to help keep things moving.  Getting the letter of commendation from the companies on time is the biggest hurdle.  The plaque vendor needs four weeks to create the plaques and have them shipped.  They can do it in less than four weeks but then you have to pay a rush charge for both the plaques and the shipping.

What are the financial considerations for the effort?
Generally, each company charged based on how many plaques they present.  This is to make sure that if there are 10 plaque recipients that there are enough people in the room to make it a fun evening.  Companies are allowed to purchase additional dinners beyond what is included with the plaques by the plate.  This is for companies that may have one award recipient but 12 people who wish to attend.  They pay the $750 for a plaque and the first 8 people and then $35 per person after that.  If a company has purchased two plaques for a total of $1500 but they only have 12 instead of 16 guests, they are not refunded for unused seats.  Encourage them to donate their unused meals to students. 

The Hartford Section has a proud tradition of inviting ASME students from the local colleges to all Section events at a discounted price.  The Hartford Section has a scholarship program and scholarship winners are invited to attend the event as the section’s guests.  (See resources for 2006 budget breakdown.)

Industry sponsorship can also benefit the event and improve the overall quality.  Pratt & Whitney typically designs and prints the award program.  They also send the company photographer to the event to provide photographs for everyone, along with the sound system and a sound technician to set it up and operate it.  (See Resources to view the 2006 event program.)

How do you market the program?
The majority of the attendees are from the invited companies.  The event is advertised in the section newsletter several times before the event and as a summary article is written after the event.  Tables are reserved for ASME Section members and the current ASME President, VPs and Board of Governors are invited to attend.