|
| About Us |
S. Ahriana Platten, M.Th, CHth More than twenty years of marketing, sponsorship acquisition, event production and product development operations form the background of Ahriana’s unique experience. She has been responsible for the coordination of large scale events and activities for a notable client list, including Ogden Entertainment, The American Honda Convention, The Texas Music Association, Prudential Bache, and various US cities. Since 1996, Ahriana has served as the President of VitAlex Incorporated, an international marketing development company serving the leisure, tourism and entertainment industries across the US and abroad. Ahriana has researched, packaged, negotiated, and concluded marketing and sponsorship campaigns for a variety of consumer and cause related projects, and has garnered the financial support of many high profile corporations like Miller Brewing, Coca Cola, AT & T, Diamond Shamrock, Blockbuster Entertainment and Sebastian International. She has conducted Market Feasibility Studies for multi-million dollar projects on five of the seven continents. Having spent several years in the broadcast industry, both as a Marketing Executive and as an On-Air Personality, Ahriana has extensive experience in media, advertising, collateral material development and strategy design. She has produced national television programs and international radio campaigns. Ahriana is an accomplished speaker who has presented seminars and workshops for numerous industry-related associations, and she has been a professional Mistress of Ceremonies since the age of 14. She has voiced or appeared in television and radio commercials for over 200 companies. In addition to her marketing career, Ahriana is a Certified Hypnotherapist and an Interfaith Minister who holds a Master’s Degree in Theology. She is a requested speaker at many New Thought churches and Spiritual Events throughout the USA. As the Founder and Director of the Colorado Ecospirituality Center, Ahriana supports a wide variety of classes and activities that combine scientific theory and spiritual philosophy with a love of nature. Ahriana is a published writer and newspaper columnist, the mother of four and grandmother of three. (See Ahriana.com). She makes her home in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she can enjoy long walks with her husband, Mark. Monica Lacombe As a resident of several foreign countries, Monica's travels have taken her from the United States to Singapore to Australia. She has an extensive background in foreign investment studies as well as marketing, and has worked for such notable companies as KPMG Pete Marwick and Gaston Jaunet. Having spent over a decade in real estate development of Historic Properties, As an IT consultant, Monica is well-versed in over 20 different software programs with emphasis on technologies related to web-design and management. She has served as a manager and buyer for international retail locations and specialized in promotion coordination, seminar presentation and client development. Her education, from the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas, included pre-law, philosophy and theology. Currently, she is based in Athens. Ohio, USA, where her close proximity to the major East Coast markets allows us a wider domestic and international reach. Chris Winter As Communications Officer for the sponsorship, marketing and event production related activities of the VitAlex team, Chris directs intradepartmental information exchange and client relations. Her primary responsibilities include identification and sourcing research, design composition issues, and on-site control of promotional activities and events. The staging of international projects in the tourism, leisure, hospitality and entertainment industries form her professional background. Originally trained as a US Army Licensed Practical Nurse, Chris has studied all areas of theatre production, including back stage, on stage and support operations. As part of the team producing US national pageants, fashion shows and other featured entertainment, she is well versed in production requirements, operations and implementation, and has co-ordinated efforts for a variety of Vitala Group clients. Virginia Keyis, BA, MEd With a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Houston, Virginia’s curriculum included a focus in the areas of Psychology and History. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities, having majored in Philosophy and Medieval Literature and minoring in Anthropology, Comparative Theology, and Music. Virginia also completed studies in Geology at San Jacinto Junior College, British and American Literature at Lamar University, and Biology and Operatic Performance at Texas Wesleyan College. The diversity of her educational background, combined with her extensive professional experience in the fields of marketing, research and development, play a primary role in her position as a Senior Consultant for VitAlex Inc. As a Professor at Houston Community College, Virginia has educated students in the fields of English composition and technical writing, as well as psychology and counseling methods. She has a strong background in retail management, has designed and produced mail order catalogues and strategies, and is highly qualified in the area of point of purchase displays and inventory control. Her knowledge of database management and systems is equally impressive. Because she has travelled extensively in the former USSR, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico and United States, Virginia’s knowledge of cultures and customs is one of her greatest strengths. Virginia is a published author and poet, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was named Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1984, and is a former member of the Houston Grand Opera Chorus. She is an active volunteer for the Crisis Helpline and for Crisis Defense, and serves in leadership positions for a variety of theological organizations. Val Astermin Overseeing each project from start to finish, Val is directly responsible for all client relations. Applying a diverse education in communications and behavior modification techniques, she is extremely adept at handling all aspects of customer service. Written correspondence, client record maintenance, and database management are all a part of the service she provides. In the course of project development, Val reviews all written contracts and legal documents. She charts each project’s progress and prepares inter-office monthly activity reports. One of Val's most important tasks is the preparation of “Return On Investment Reports” for sponsors. As each project advances, Val collects all accountability data, including radio and television affidavits, gate and event traffic counts, photographs of pertinent signage, banners, and activities, print advertising samples, public relations oriented news and magazine clippings, on site survey and/or coupon results, and other proof of performance. Once gathered, she compiles all collected data, along with activity summaries from each team leader, and prepares a written statement which reflects the Client’s delivery of contractual commitment to the sponsor. In addition to these responsibilities, Val sits on the Creative Development Team, and co-ordinates the dissemination of press releases and public relations notices. Applying her background in theatre and special event production, Val has served as Assistant Director, Stage Manager, Make-up and Costume Designer, and Contestant Co-ordinator for a number of state and national events. Michele Teple Applying over twenty years of experience in sales, Michele is responsible for maintaining sponsor relationships, establishing sponsor profiles and customizing presentation packages to include specific sponsor objectives. In addition, she leads the advertising team, conducting media market analysis, as well as drafting and implementing media strategy. She has an extensive background in media sales and print mediums, having worked for daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers and magazines. As the owner and publisher of “Lower Greenville Avenue at a Glance” magazine, she has managed every aspect of print production. Michele co-ordinated and planned all aspects of advertising strategy development as a media buyer for Texas Education Corporation, and is very adept at planning multi-faceted advertising campaigns involving direct mail, radio, television and print advertising. Molly Couch Molly has been involved in the advertising industry all of her adult life. As early as 1984, she was involved in print media, successfully ranking in the top 10% of the 120 person sales department at Houston's Donnelly Information Publishing. From print, Molly advanced to radio sales, quickly achieving a position as a top-ranked Account Executive with monthly billing exceeding $30,000. She created and co-ordinated numerous client promotional events which, due to her keen ability to analyze the target demographic, resulted in measurable increased sales for her clients and increased listenership for the radio station. The success of her sales record and her proficiency at promotional development led Molly to the position of Broadcast Marketing Director. As such, she implemented over 200 promotions and special events per year, planned and managed an annual budget of over $600,000. Molly is particularly adept at fund-raising for non-profit and civic organizations, and directed efforts to raise more than $150,000 for the American Cancer Society. Leading the Resource Development and Public Relations efforts, Molly serves as the principle liaison between the client, the company, and related participants. She designs marketing plans, creates and co-ordinates on site promotions, procures and maintains an inventory of speciality items for contesting, and makes initial contact with all potential sponsor companies. She is a contributing member of the Creative Design Team, and is responsible for acquiring approvals, and maintaining contact with assignment editors, writers, and other members of the media. |
