the last word
Publisher’s Note
I
am frequently asked
what iF Magazine is
about and how we are
different from other
lifestyle magazines. One of
our goals is to bring an aware-
ness of the diversity of the Hous-
ton area’s international community and
its leadership. We are unique in that each
month both our cover and our featured article
are focused on one of the 93 Consul Generals
who serve in the Houston area. This is the third
largest Consular Corps in the nation! You might
ask why this is so important. Well, this means that
each month, a different international community
has a special interest in viewing and reading our
magazine. Many people in the mainstream com-
munity are interested in what’s going on in our
international communities as well.
While many readers applaud our professional de-
sign and print quality, we’re much more than a
pretty face! What separates us from the competi-
tion is that each month we have access to a vari-
ety of exclusive, behind the-scenes international
events—and each attendee leaves with a personal
copy of the International Focus Magazine. From
cultural events to business functions, our goal is to
reach everyone.
We started out 2018 with a bang by holding our
first international networking mixer at the Post
Oak Hilton. The mixer was amazingly successful,
and each guest left with a copy of our January
2018 issue. The Hilton’s Catering Manager, Mar-
gery Reinhardt, was incredibly accommodating,
and pianist Barry Sames provided musical enter-
tainment that was nothing short of spectacular!
And let’s not forget our team, newly appointed
Director of Marketing and Sales, Vivienne Kwon;
newly appointed Social Director, Dawn Gunther;
photographer Heidi Powell; and, as always, our
hardworking Director of International Affairs,
Sonia Guimbellot. Our team reported for duty
and did an outstanding job with our latest and
newest 2018 event. And this is only the begin-
ning!
It has been predicted that Houston and the sur-
rounding area’s international community will
grow exponentially in the year 2018, and our
team is poised to engage and cover that growth.
I’m looking forward to a very special year!
Thank you for your readership!
Val
Thanks!
50 iF Magazine | February 2018
Val Thompson
Publisher & CEO
[email protected]