Dear Kith and Kin:
The NCI hosted the 40th Annual Indy International Festival in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Thursday through Saturday, November 10-12, 2016. The festival featured 34 Cultural Booths, 16 Food Booths, 27 Vendors, and there were 12,384 in attendance. The Naturalization Ceremony, which was attended by US Congressman Andre Carson, welcomed 187 representatives of 50 countries as citizens of the United States.
The event was a success.
Treasurer Alma Smith of the Liberia Progress Foundation was named 2016 NCI Volunteer of the Year, Jane Gehlhausen of JAG Global Solutions judged the Cultural Booths, and Chefs Vlad Bora and Liz Giménez of the American Culinary Federation, and Chef Luke Trinosky of the Chef’s Academy at Harrison College, judged the Food Booths, with the following results:
Cultural Booth – Theme
1st Place
American Turkish Association of Indiana
2nd Place
Vlad the Impaler “Dracula” the Romanian Society
3rd Place
Barangay Club of Indiana
Cultural Booth – Educational Value
1st Place
Ballet Folklorico Mosaicos
2nd Place
Scottish Society of Indianapolis
3rd Place
Mabuhay! Philippine Cultural Community
Cultural Booth – Creativity
1st Place
Polish Cultural Society of Indiana
2nd Place
Society for the Promotion of Persian Culture
3rd Place
Swiss Club of Central Indiana
Cultural Booth – Quality
1st Place
Mabuhay! Philippine Cultural Community
2nd Place
Barangay Club of Indiana
3rd Place
Indiana Okinawa Kenjinkai
Cultural Booth – Overall Highest Score
1st Place
Mabuhay! Philippine Cultural Community
2nd Place
Barangay Club of Indiana
3rd Place
Polish Cultural Society of Indiana
Food Booth
1st Place
Taste of the Philippines
2nd Place
Taste of Romania
3rd Place
Taste of Taiwan
The NCI was in arrears to the Promotion Company to the tune of $35,000.00 before that obligation was waived upon the sale of the company in 2015. Our new Event Manager, Marife Callender, donated her time in 2015. The NCI was able to cover the cost of the Indy International Festival in 2016, but only because Marife Callender waived her final payment of $8,500.00, or 25% of our contract.
This is unacceptable.
Unless, and until, the Officers, the Board of Directors, the Member Organizations, and the Individual Members of the Nationalities Council of Indiana identify and secure Corporate Sponsors, sell tickets, and promote this event more effectively, there is no guarantee that our Event Managers will continue to waive the terms of our contracts, and the Indy International Festival will become unsustainable.
I remain, yours, aye!
Carson C. Smith, FSA Scot
President 2016-17
Nationalities Council of Indiana