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Hal Sparks makes 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards Gala an evening to remember

 

Think of it….an Organizing Awards show organized by organizers?  Or at least stand-up comedian Hal Sparks did when he kicked-off the 2009 4^th Annual Red-Carpet Los Angeles Organizing Awards as MC at the Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard in Bel Air last Friday, January 31, 2009. Sparks, who is well known for his turn hosting E’s Talk Soup, let the tidy jokes roll clearing any tension in a room of 100+ professional organizers and industry professionals whose standard of error for such an event is, well, null. Having used a professional organizer in his own home, Sparks showed-off his newfound skills by whipping out a zip-loc labeled bag of jokes - all numbered and ready to go. Of course, this was after fumbling through the array of ‘clutter’ from his suit; including small, shiny boxes, a glittery handkerchief, and yes, even black and red numb chucks. From here, the gala went on without a hitch and with lots of laughs.

Some of the most notable appearances were from top organizing experts and celebrity presenters, including Sam Saboura of Extreme Makeover, Gia Russo and Jodie Watson of Real Simple. Real Life., Dorothy Breininger of Dr. Phil, Linda Koopersmith of Clean House, Monica Ricci of Mission Organization and GreenPlug supporter and advocate Christopher Knight.

All of this could not have been accomplished without the large-scale efforts of The National Association of Professional Organizers Los Angeles Chapter, who produced event, along with presenting sponsor, Office Depot. NAPO-LA President John Trosko said of the joint effort, “Now, more than ever, we both celebrate a clear and passionate mission to simplify everyday tasks by providing smart organizing solutions that encourage people to be more productive at home and work.”

Trosko, who is also passionate about promoting and educating on the organizing industry and a leader in the field, took home two awards, Most Innovative Organizer and the NAPO-LA chapter’s coveted Leading Edge Award. Other multiple awards went to Shelf Genie for their Shelf Conversions, and www.onlineorganizing.com.

Finally, my own personal post-event Cloney Awards. My favorite organizational moment: on arrival we were given the choice of color-coded paper to take to our table for our entry choice of either chicken, fish or vegetarian, this way making serving the most efficient for the staff. My favorite perk of the evening: the Office Depot’s ‘green’ goodie bag, which included top organizing supplies from Sharpie, Post-It, 3M, The Container Store, The Closet Factory, Office Depot, Real Simple and more. And last but not least, as organizers, we love our numbers -my statistic of the evening according to an Ikea survey, 31% of women would rather clean out their closets than have sex with their husbands.

 

And now, let’s honor once more the full-list of winners of the 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards:

 Best Organizing Product Retailer
OnlineOrganizing.com

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