Afta: hosted by Weymouth Design
Wed Dec 20th, 6:30 at the Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant, 161 Devonshire St., Boston
This month's agenda-less, free-form gathering of area creative folk. Each month a different firm gets to pick the place and play host for the evening; AIGA Boston gets to thank one of our generous sponsors for their ongoing partnership; and YOU get to drop by "afta" work and hang loose with the local design community! Watch your email inbox or boston.aiga.org for details to come.

Marketing Essentials: Organizing the Proposal Process by the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS)
Wed Dec 6th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Black Rhino, 21 Broad Street, Boston, $15
Pulling your hair out over another proposal? Relax. Maria Tatarczuk, 2004 SMPS Boston Chapter President, will teach you how to take control of the proposal process through better organization strategies. Maria will focus on the critical role of the marketing coordinator - from marketing data management to text development - and will explain the dos and don'ts of a successful proposal. This session will include an educational program and workshop, followed by the opportunity to network with your peers in a social setting. For more information, visit www.smpsboston.com.

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Grand Opening
Sun Dec 10th, 9 am - 9 pm, ICA, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, free
The ICA officially opens with a free, 12-hour community open house. Come tour our new exhibitions, grab a free family guide, and enjoy a variety of events including performances by Snappy Dance Theater, Alloy Orchestra, the Either/Orchestra, a live DJ, and much more, plus face painting, balloon sculptors, and animated films by New England filmmakers. For more information, visit www.icaboston.org.

U B the Judge Competition Call for Entries
January 5th, 2007 deadline, no entry fee
Entries must be printed all, or in part, on Utopia or Curious Collection products between January 1st and December 31st, 2006. Admission is free. When you submit work into U B the Judge (UBJ), you are automatically invited to the UBJ event(s) where your work is on display. There are 5 UBJ events throughout North America and those in attendance judge the work of their peers. Platinum and Gold Winners are awarded at each show. The Appleton Coated Design Council will also select 12 all of the Curious entries submitted for display. They also review all of the Utopia entries to select the Utopia Design Council Showcase. The Design Council's selections will be displayed at the 2007 U B the Judge Shows. Together with the Platinum Winners chosen by participants in the 2007 U B the Judge Shows, the Showcases form an exhibit which will travel throughout North America in the second half of 2007. Additionally, all the winners will be featured on the Appleton Coated website. For more information, visit www.appletoncoated.com.