Corporate Promotional Clothing - Not Only for Company Staff

If you have been a keen observer, you'll notice that corporate shirts are being used by many companies as their primary mode of marketing. This is due to the fact that with a well made promotional corporate shirt, it can take a business to its next level. Sometimes, you'd observe that consumers are the ones paying the company just to wear their logo. This is because people find their logo stylish enough to be part of their fashion. This only means that as long as a business has captured the attention of their potential clients and have gained trust from their loyal customers, people will voluntarily want to have their own set of shirts that includes a printed logo of their favorite store. Some would even go as far as purchasing this Corporate Clothing at popular events like concerts or shows.

With the term "corporate" wears, it usually implies that these are only worn by employees or staff. Yes, that may be true for some; however, other companies use them as promotional giveaways during trade shows or an important event as a token of appreciation for those who attended.

Let's go back to these being used as a company uniform. A lot of businesses nowadays are utilizing these types of clothing for their employee's everyday get up. It actually helps a business appear more professional, as everyone who comes into a store would know which person is working for the company. If you have a special corporate shirt for events, people will think that you are indeed serious about your business. Additionally, getting your staff to wear the same corporate promotional clothes make them feel like a part of a team, hence getting them to work harmoniously together. Now these may all sound too expensive, but you'll be surprised to know that you don't have to break the bank just to get these shirts made.

There are actually a lot of different designs and styles when it comes to choosing a corporate shirt for your promotional needs. You can opt for:

- Embroidered Polo Shirts - Polo shirts are a hit for both men and women, and with an elegantly embroidered design, people will surely go crazy over them. With the right color combination, most people would definitely want to wear them and unconsciously help in promoting a business name out in the open.

- Hanes Printed T Shirts - We all know how popular Hanes is, and with this type of clothing printed with your business name, people will surely love to wear them for you, and be your walking billboard for as long as they wear the shirt.

- Promotional T- Shirts - This is one of the most common and cost efficient type of corporate shirt. You can choose to go for a higher quality fabric t-shirts and print your business name and logo. Once done, you can both ask your employees to wear them at a said event, or give them away as a souvenir.

- Corporate Clothing and Branded Business Shirts - If you want to look much more professional, then you can go for this option. It can range from short sleeved corporate wears to the classy long sleeved business attire.

Whichever corporate Branded Promotional Clothing you choose, as long as you put your efforts and thoughts into it, you'll definitely nail it!

Who Is Involved in Organizing a Concert?

There are many people involved in organizing a big event like a concert. There are many things that should be done for a concert to be successful. These are some of the people involved that play a major part during big events.

A production group must include an event planner or event manager who is the one in-charge with the overall production. An event planner or manager is responsible for planning the whole event and ensures that every little detail is taken care of and not neglected.

The event coordinator is also part of the production team. The responsibility of the coordinator is to look for event professionals and service providers.

It is also beneficial to have an information manager. This is the one who handles all the paperwork. The information manager is responsible for all the documentation before and after the event.

A Security Manager or managers are responsible to make security plans and implement them. People in security groups must make sure that the concert venue has enough entry and exit points, adequate number of fire extinguishers, fire alarms, emergency escape routes, sprinkler, security personnel, handicap ramps, security cameras, first aid kits and power backups (like generator, inverter, UPS). Security is not just for the performers and the audience; it must also be extended to the service provider and the security group. And because there are many people involved in staging a concert, one way of increasing security is by having team members to wear a photo ID.

It is a breeze when you are working in a place and you do not have to worry about security but can focus on your job instead. By having photo ID cards displayed, you get to be familiar with the people working around you. You cannot ignore completely the possibility that someone will sabotage the production process, but having photo ID is one way of reducing the possibility. Security managers also prepare a risk management plan. According to Wikipedia, this is a document prepared by a project manager to foresee risks, to estimate the effectiveness, and to create response plans to mitigate them. In order to avoid risk, the plans can be changed whenever needed in order to prevent the problem from arising.

The infrastructure manager is responsible for the procurement of materials, to set up and dismantle infrastructure like the stage that will be used during the event. For events held on the open concert grounds, it will include the boundary wall, entrance and exit gates, staff rooms and many more.

How to Become an Professional Event Planner

Are you a highly organized individual? Do you love to take the reins when a party or wedding comes up and find yourself doing most of if not all the planning? Do your friends and family come to you for help when they are planning a party or other special occasion? If so then becoming a professional event planner may be up your alley.

Being an event planner is a highly rewarding way to own your own business and put your planning skills to work. To become an event planner you should be proficient in organization, have some sense of accounting, and also know about marketing. If you don't know all of these things fear not.

There are college degrees in the area of event planning but attaining one is not mandatory to break into the business. There are many courses that different schools offer that will give a certificate in event planning. At these schools you will learn things such as marketing and networking, different types of event planning to get into, and how to present yourself and your business in a professional manner.

Your start up cost will all depend on what type of event planner you want to be. If you plan on having catering as part of your business for example you will need a full kitchen. These types of things can often be outsourced, but it is important to pick an area that you will focus your business plan on. Do you want to do weddings, parties, corporate events or a combination of two or more?

No matter what area you decide you want to focus on you will need a few items. You will need at the very least, a cell phone, a laptop computer, business cards, stationary, and an ad in your local Yellow Pages. You will want to be sure that anything of correspondence such as your business cards, e-mails, and stationary displays you logo.

Being an event planner is no different from any other business when it comes to growth. Joining the local Chamber of Commerce will give you the opportunity to network with other business members in the community and can be a great place to get a few jobs. Word of mouth is always important, but is extremely important in the early stages. The better services you provide in your event planning the more referrals you will get.

Once you have successfully planned some events and have a little extra money to spare for advertising, a good direct mailing to your target audience is always a good idea. You can also do an e-mail marketing campaign with relative ease. Having a website designed is always a great idea and can be filled with information on your company such as pricing and what types of event you cover.

But the most important factor in your event planning business is you. You have to be professional, courteous, and above all else organized. Being an event planner can take some time to perfect, but with a little bit of schooling and a lot of hard work and dedication you too can claim your piece of a business that boasts billions of dollars in revenues every year.

Corporate Events Caterers and How to Choose One

This first time that you are looking to hire corporate events caterers you can feel a little overwhelmed by the process of finding the best one at the best price. The following are some tips that can help you make your way through this endeavor.

A good place to begin is by asking people you know if they have any experience with corporate event caterers. Request that they give you both their positive and negative experiences so they can let you know some things to avoid. They should be able to give you the name of a company or two.

The next step is to take a look on the internet and see what information is out there for your particular location. For example, if you were looking for a caterer in the Washington D.C. area, you would start by doing a search for something like party rentals Washington DC. Then, take a look at some sites that rate these companies. It's always a good idea to read about what other consumers like you have experienced.

When you have pinned it down to a few companies, call them and get an estimate. You have to be aware of how many people you expect to feed and the kind of food you need. There are several ways to negotiate with the catering companies. One way is to let them know specifically how much money you have available and find out what you could receive for your money. Make sure they know you are considering different companies. Another way is to just let them know how many guests you invited and let them give you suggestions.

Another thing to be certain to remember is to request a discount for large orders. You might imagine that the discount will be given to you automatically on a bulk order like this, but you often do have to ask. In any case it will never be bad for you to request information about any deals or promotions that they have. This will help you save money, or perhaps get more out of the money that you will be spending.

The bottom line is that when you're planning for an event like this you should really be looking specifically into corporate events caterers who specialize in the type of order your placing. Try to find someone with a lot of positive reviews on different consumer sites and be sure to get everything in writing before hand.

How An Event Planner Defines Her Meta-Talent

I had a delicious conversation yesterday with Salem, Mass. based event planner Jennifer Saphier. I learned something very cool about how she came to her life's work.

She pointed out to me that she was always volunteering for stuff, even in high school, and this continued through college. Although she worked as an event planner for others upon graduating, a change in circumstance found her doing her first solo gig. One short-term assignment led to another, and she was launched doing what she already knew to be something she loved.

All this is wonderful information. But I dug for MORE. "What is the overall skill, the thing that you love doing that makes this the right fit for you? How can someone see themselves in your story? How might they come to know their thing, too?"

She thought for a bit, then answered that what truly makes her right for this work is that she LOVES seeing things through to the end. She loves all the pre-planning, which is the greater part of the job.

"A lot of people love planning parties, but after a few months of it, they hate it - all the work, all the stuff that you do beforehand. I love that part of it" she said.

Voila, y, c'est ca.

That's my frenchiness for what Jennifer did that others don't yet know to do: She was able to define it through just a little more thoroughly to what the meta-talent was in her life's work - the joy of all the pre-planning and seeing a project through from beginning to end. "It's really project management" said Jen.

Think you've done all the work you should on defining your passion? Can you take it just one step further and define your meta-talent? Don't worry a shred about how you can make money with this talent, or what you will DO with this talent. Just define it. Write it down. I can help you with the rest. A book could help you with the rest. But do this one thing for yourself.

Let me know what you find.

What to Look for in a Limousine Company Beyond the Price

There are many occasions in our lives that hiring a limousine can improve. Once you've decided that you'd like to hire a limo, for whatever reason, you may notice that a lot of hired car companies have relatively close rates, which may make the decision more difficult. What else should you consider to narrow down the selection?

Extras! Extras!

The magical ride to and from your special occasion can dictate the overall evening. Depending on the number of people and the reason, the difference between companies usually comes down to the little extras.

Most limousine companies offer a wide variety of vehicle styles ranging from a traditional classic design to elaborate stretch Hummers and Escalades. With a large group, look for a service that offers a party bus or a specified tour around the area you will be staying.

If you have a group that loves music, make sure you can provide your own soundtrack. If there will be children, find out about DVD availability. Concessions are another perk area to consider. Is there a complimentary bar, and what is it stocked with? Make sure the refreshments and snacks will be enjoyed by everyone.

Learn About Their Company

Know the company you will be dealing with. How long have they been in business? How long have they been at their current location? What are their requirements to be a chauffeur? What is their safety protocol?

Thanks to the internet, reading reviews from previous customers can provide insight into the experience you will have. Pay attention to comments made about punctuality, chauffeur conduct, condition of the vehicle, and the overall encounter they had. Make sure you look at a multitude of websites and sources for your reviews. Look at how long ago the comment was made and if they seem to be biased in any way. Is the website affiliated with the business, a competitor or completely separate?

Don't neglect to ask the company for references and follow through with contacting them. A company's choice in references (or lack thereof) can be very telling. When you get in touch with the references, be sure to ask the important questions to understand what your experience will be like.

Insurance Coverage

No one wants to think about the worst, but planning ahead can save your experience. Confirm the limousine company you choose has insurance coverage that fits your needs and requirements. Inquire on the process that takes place in the event of an accident. What type of compensation is offered during and after the incident?

Hidden Fees

While the flat rates among limousine services are similar, added fees and charges can drastically alter the total of the bill. Cleanliness of limo after use, mini bar consumption, and mileage are often factors that can modify the cost. Investigate every possible stipulation that may possibly increase the price, and have the company detail these items before you sign.

3 Creative Ideas to Make Your Corporate Event More Special Using Promotional Products

Are you planning a corporate party? Can't think of ways to excite your guests about it? Here are 3 creative ideas that can help you rock everyone's social and personal experience through promotional products:

Make your corporate giveaways yours and theirs.

Of course, we have to make the party souvenirs symbols of our brand identity. But to make our guests more engaged and less estranged during the event, it will help if we make the corporate gifts theirs as much as it is ours.

How can we do that? We can do it by giving promotional products that are personalized according to the guests, or by making the items "customizable". For example, you can rent a photo booth for the event and let people take their pictures there for free. And to come along with the free photo is a promotional photo frame with your company name and logo imprinted on it. If you do this, you make corporate souvenirs more personal and more memorable for your guests.

Involve an experience to the corporate tokens.

Human beings naturally relate experiences to objects. This is why when you have a box filled with memorabilia about your past affairs, people will call you a "sentimental" person. This is also why we keep gifts given to us by special persons. More than the experience, we also attach an emotion to the objects, making them more unforgettable for us. Apply this principle in your giveaways and you will soar high in your promotion. You can hold some exciting contests where people can get promotional awards as prizes. Something earned will always be something special for people.

Give promotional products that are unique.

Corporate gifts that are new, innovative and can't be found anywhere else in the planet instantly wows people. Oftentimes, it makes the party more interesting and unforgettable too. But of course, although unique, make sure that the promo gifts are still logically related to the theme of the event and to your brand identity as well. Also, never forget to still make the personalized items functional, though rare because you're still after brand visibility, and you can't have full exposure if your customized merchandise cannot be put to use.

Marketing is about doing the same thing in a fresh way. The great party ideas above using promotional products are actually nothing new, but just tweaked and updated marketing tactics that were improved to fit the needs of the current generation.

5 Event Planning Ideas For A Very Tight Budget

Throwing a party can be great fun. However it is easy to get carried away with event planning that you barely realize you are running way over what you can afford. It is quite a skill trying to balance between planning a successful event and keeping expenses within a reasonable budget.

If you are concerned about your finances and cannot afford the services of a professional event planner, there are plenty of affordable planning options and ideas to make your event just as memorable and fun. Here are a few ideas:

One easy way you can cut cost is the time of day you decide to have your event. For events such as weddings or birthdays or baby showers, holding them in the afternoon definitely puts less of a dent to your pocketbook. You would definitely have lower expenses for afternoon events which require less food and catering such as light snacks and beverages such as punch or tea or coffee, as opposed to full course meals and full bar for evening events.

Another factor to consider for event planning is whether you need to hire a caterer. For small events, you could probably get away with most of the planning and cooking by yourself. However, for bigger sized events, caterers can provide invaluable assistance.

If your event planning budget is really tight, then probably the best idea for slashing cost in the food area is to host a potluck where every guest supplies either food or drinks, with some bringing salad or entrée, and others bringing soda or wine. The event planner needs to communicate and coordinate closely with the guests so that there is a nice variety of food and drinks with something for everyone, and also so that guests do not bring similar dishes. This is a wonderful way to include all the guests in the event planning process, and guests usually delight in the fact that they are able to contribute and be a part of the party.

Food is not the only area where you can save on. You can also focus on other areas such as the entertainment or the decoration. For example, for children's birthday parties you can ask parents, friends or relatives to entertain the kids with simple songs or magic tricks, or to make balloon animals or to hold water fights.

Decorations also do not have to break the bank. For example, for children's parties you can buy a bunch of balloons and streamers. Or for a garden party, instead of buying expensive outdoor lighting that you probably will never use again, you can buy a couple of outdoor torches and use the outdoor lights that usually adorn your trees and bushes on special occasions in your garden to create beautiful, soft lighting. Your guests will never know the difference between expensive and cheap lighting, and probably won't even care as long as the ambience is cozy and the party fun.

Putting careful thought into planning the event would allow your dollar to go a long way yet still allow you to hold an event that is great fun for everyone.

Professional Conference Organisers Have the Skills to Make Your Conference a Success

Professional conference organisers and administrative employees have a lot of experience and skills, which are required for success in professional organising as well as related industries. They either work independently or as a team, to provide you with the perfect package of services, to help you reduce stress and frustration, as well as save a lot of time and money for you. They are well experienced to come up with a number of ideas, when planning a professional conference or a corporate event. They have excellent communication skills, with the ability to interact and deal with a very wide range of people, quite professionally, and a complete awareness of organisational techniques and strategies.

1. Professional conference organisers can deal with everything from your paper to your professional responsibilities and give you parameters on what to keep, what to change, and when to take action. Their main responsibilities include managing events of all sorts, and other special services like rate negotiations, venue booking, and corporate travel arrangements.

2. These professionals are a leader in developing high-quality, innovative storage and organisation solutions, with vast experience and knowledge in planning meetings, thus making it really convenient for you. They may even assist you in making both lodging and travel arrangements for your attendees. With the assistance of these skilled professionals, it's quite easy for you to keep the costs in line for your corporate event.

3. Professional conference organisers companies specialise in conference organisation and administration, to enhance the lives of clients and educate the public on organising solutions and the resulting benefits. They have a number of knowledgeable, experienced, and professional staff, who can help you to reap the great benefits of using a conference organiser or event planner without any additional expense to your company.

4. Whether it's a large multi-day professional conference or any other time of the year, these specialists can assist you with any number of the early stages of planning a major event.

5. These experts can do some terribly challenging and difficult tasks for you, especially during a busy time of year, which can be really hectic and difficult. With their experience and knowledge, they can help you narrow your selection of possible venues, and reduce the amount of time needed to choose a venue that meets your requirements. They might also be able to assist you with selecting the most centralised and convenient location for your corporate event.

Professional conference organisers can give your organising business a level of unattainable credibility everywhere. They are well prepared to cope with pressure and tight deadlines and are always on hand, during the event, to ensure everything runs smoothly and can deal with any problems that may arise. These organisers always ensure that the time-consuming and complex elements, such as budget management and event planning, are taken care of. They can also allow you to save valuable company time and resources and always make sure that your event is managed well from start to finish.

Why a Wedding Planner?

We all have friends and family who are happy to help us with our weddings. However, your friends and family are your guests and even part of your wedding. Although, they can be very helpful they can not be a part of your wedding and make sure that everything goes flawlessly at your as well. After all, friends and family are not professional wedding consultants and they will not be able to guarantee a perfect event, nor help sort out whether your budget and deals are accurate.

A wedding planner is there to ensure that everything you want at your special occasion is procured and present on time. A planner or consultant will help to do all your wedding arrangements by taking the big load and stress off your shoulders and coordinate your day in detail. Even if you are an expert at making all the arrangements you can not be the bride and supervise that everything happens as planned and scheduled. The wedding day will need direction and coordination which the coordinator can take care of the day of your wedding. A Wedding Planner, Coordinator, or a Consultant is an expert and specialist in wedding planning. This person assists in the planning of weddings on a professional basis. So, the amount of experience and situations a good planner has encountered is numerous and he or she can handle most high pressure situations that can occur during a wedding.

A professional planner is a consultant in the wedding planning arrangements. It is misinterpretation to think that this person will take over your event. A planner will give you an abundance of ideas and advise for your wedding for you to pick from and know that a professional is supporting you. The planner has loads of information for the designing and planning out, and most professional event planners are aesthetically inspired and have creative ideas to add to the wedding. You may know that you want a beautiful wedding, but coming up with unique ideas and designs for it may not be your forte. Thus, a planner can give you these ideas to select from. An event planner or coordinator is constantly creating and knows where and how to procure all the unique details for your special wedding. Not to mention that a professional planner has the connections to all the deals and bargains as well as knowledge about reliable vendors. Professionals in the business know the art of negotiation and they are there to do that for you. Wedding planners have connections with vendors in the wedding business and they are able to access discounts for clients. Consultants have extensive knowledge about wedding products and services and can recommend those that are right for the couple, as well as other unique services that the couple may not have thought of or found on their own.

A planner knows all the particulars. They can understand your budget and access the vendors who will work with your taste and price, thus, saving you a lot of time shopping for the right vendors. This person can also assist in coming up with a budget based on the couples needs. Most importantly, planners and consultants are experts at adhering to the budget. They will advise you on the best way to divide your budget and how to acquire all the services you need within your budget. An event planner knows all the tricks and tips to trouble shooting and avoiding dilemmas. A professional understands timelines for planning a wedding and knows when what needs to be done, as well as how to get things done.

Event planners and consultants are very organized and detail oriented people. They are able to support the bride and be a close advisor through out the entire planning process and on the wedding day. What many couples do not realize is that wedding planning is extremely time consuming and it can be a full time job. There can be a lot of oversight when there is so much to manage if the planning is not handled properly. A wedding occurs only once, and you can't go back and do it over. So, even when couples think they have it under control, it is important to consult a professional who can give assurance of this. A coordinator can also be hired to supervise and coordinate just the wedding day. On the day of the wedding the coordinator will ensure that all the vendors, guests, bridal party, and the bride and groom know what to do and when to do it, so the wedding proceeds as planned by the bride and groom. A couple who is absolutely confident about their planning skills may opt for this option because they will not be available on their own wedding day to ensure everything they arranged occurs according to plan. The couple is also not available if an emergency is encountered, thus a professional wedding consultant could take over for the couple and allow them to celebrate and enjoy their special day.

For a stress free wedding day, a planner or coordinator is a must. Whether it is to help plan the entire event or to supervise the day of the event, a planner will ensure a couple's peace of mind on the day of their wedding. Coordinators and consultant are actually very affordable, especially when considering the money that a consultant can help to save the couple. There are a wide range of wedding consulting and planning services for all budgets. Most coordinators offer free initial consultations and it is worth seeking these services for a once in a lifetime event. Having a planner may initially seem like an excessive expenditure; however it could be well worth the investment. A wedding planner will help you always stay one step ahead and be your creative partner.

How Online Event Registration Software Helps in Managing School Events?

Advancement in technology has led the event planners to develop strategies and streamline processes in event management. Event organizers have since opted for the online event registration software solutions for successfully managing event of any nature. These cater to schools, corporate, institutions and non profits that require event management as a part of their marketing schedule.

Schools always have a number of events scheduled in a calendar year. From camps to sports events to and cultural programs, events are an integral part of schooling. Managing such events is a tedious job with loads of things to be managed at the same time. Multi-tasking does not help much in such situations. A good way out is to use a comprehensive online solution for the many small things that you need to cater to while managing a school event. These include payment management, attendee management, reporting and so on. So with event registration solutions and the factors that account to easy event management in schools, you can envisage a huge success.

Page Customization

The software programs allow you to create a school event page that works for the marketing and branding of the event is an easy job. You can make the web pages visually appealing with the customization options that the software lends.

Usability of program

The best part of the online event registration program is the usability factor. The event managers can reach out to the targeted people using this system. E-mail updates to the attendees can help keep them updated about the schedule. Before sending e-mails you can also customize them making it more appealing to the attendee.

Reporting

Reports are an important aspect of any event management system. Reports such as attendee reports, check-in-reports and sales reports help you to gauge the failure or the success of each event by keeping you perfectly savvy with the total process.

Attendee Management

Option for online registration is a key feature that helps in boosting the attendance. An option for group registration for the prospective attendees is an added asset which makes online registration very popular. You can also register for multiple events easily. Consequently, the organizers get a boosted attendance for multiple events.

Payment Management

Payment processing is one of the major challenges that the event planner has to face. With the online registration solutions that provide secure facilities for payment, there is no problem. These support quite a number of payment gateways and there are multiple payment options that include Pay Pal too. The event organizers can also prevent payment frauds and the pricing is well customized for getting more attendees to the program.

The online event registration software makes you work smarter and faster. It always gives you that extra edge in planning a school event or, for that matter, any other event. It is not only fast but also hassle free and you do not spend time manually tracking the reports. Apart from all these advantages, the software programs save a lot of paper clutter in your office. This is a well integrated and peerless system that makes the colossal online event registration work a cakewalk for you.

Greening Your Hotel Meetings and Conferences - Green is For Go

Does your hotel offer meeting and/or conference space? Have you noticed a trend in the RFP's you receive from groups, asking about your "green" or "sustainable" initiatives? All signs are pointing in the direction of a widespread increase in this trend.

Even with the current recession, business meetings in the United States alone constitute an amazing $175 billion industry, and Americans make more than 400 million long-distance business trips each year. Don't let your hotel miss an opportunity to garner its share of group business.

Despite a global recession, investment levels in energy efficiency have remained strong, according to the Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) released June 3, 2010 by Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI). As stated in this report, the primary motivation driving sustainable investments is cost savings, with 97% of respondents identifying it as significant. Or, as stated by Dennis Quaintance, CEO of Proximity Hotels (the first platinum LEED certified hotel), "It ain't sustainable to go broke."

What is a "Green Meeting"?

The Convention Industry Council (CIC) presented this definition: "A green meeting or event incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment." There are almost a limitless number of ways to green a meeting - and many of these offer opportunities to save money and increase efficiency.

Event planners will look at numerous aspects of your hotel's efforts toward sustainability, including such areas as:

繚 Food and Beverage: Do you maximize the use of reusable, rather than disposable glassware, flatware, tablecloths, etc?

繚 Registration and Exhibitions: Do you use electronic communication over paper as often as possible? Do you encourage exhibitors to do the same?

繚 Location: Do you offer shuttle service or mass transit? Are areas of interest and entertainment nearby in order to decrease vehicle emissions?

繚 Do you have an energy and water use conservation program currently in place?

Why are Green Meetings becoming more Prevalent?

There are many reasons that this green trend is growing exponentially across the globe. Consumers and businesses are becoming much more aware of their "carbon footprint" and as more companies feel the pressure to create sustainability goals, they increasingly are asking their employees to stay in green-certified hotels. Companies that are closely scrutinized by the public sector (government agencies, for example) do not want to present a mixed message to the public - stating they want to help the planet, but ignoring a hotel's approach to sustainability when planning for a company meeting. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an amazing 93,000 federal employees are traveling on any given business day to 8,000 locations across the country. Federal travelers alone use 24 million room nights of hotel space in the United States annually. Now add to this number businesses both large and small who are making efforts toward sustainability, and the totals can be staggering.

Are Green Meetings an Example of "Greenwashing"?

When a product or building (such as a hotel) extols its virtues of being "green", but does so in a misleading or exaggerated way, it is described as "greenwashing". That can be a difficult label to shed, as guests and/or groups may feel as though they've been misled, or worse. Many green standards are in their infancy and thus still ill-defined.. There is no need to try to fool meeting and event planners, as many of them are looking for some effort toward sustainability, and will be happy with the progress you've made so far and the goals you have set. Much like social media, it is important to be transparent.

Green meetings can have a tremendous impact on our environment. Most hotels purchase more products in one week than 100 families typically purchase in a year. By initiating green goals such as recycling, reducing and reusing, you can feel good that you are helping the environment in a big way, helping your revenue stream, and reducing many of your operating costs.

Who Supports Green Meetings?

Depending on where your hotel(s) are located on the globe, various government, for-profit and non-profit organizations are jumping in to assist and encourage hoteliers to go green. There is a plethora of information available to help you (some excellent web-sites are posted for you at the bottom of this publication), and the number of green experts available for consulting or commissioning grows every month.

It has been through such collaborations that some hotel brands are now "pre-certifying" a few of their prototypes. For example, Marriott has launched such a prototype for their Courtyard Hotels. By taking advantage of "volume certification" or "portfolio certification", Marriott may be able to save property owners approximately $100,000 in design and other costs, and about six months in design time. More prototype brands are expected to follow.

As Michael Kawecki, LEED AP, GA and owner of Axiom Sustainable Consulting, LLC states, "with volume certification, each credit is documented based on regions, and then further documentation is provided during construction. For example, rather than energy modeling each store, a prototype is modeled in each climate area, and then that model is good for all future stores." It is obvious how this type of certification could save a significant amount of work for hotel owners, and flow into their group meeting venues.

Hyatt Hotels is also making numerous green initiatives. Jim Milkovich, corporate vice president of purchasing for Hyatt Hotels Corp. explains that Hyatt has won group business to its convention hotels in part because of its green initiatives. In an interview with Beth Kormanik of Buyer Interactive, Milkovich states, "If you can show a meeting planner how you are reducing, recycling and reusing products throughout the hotel and how your associates are engaged in the process - it's not something you're doing for this meeting, but it's in your culture - that is what is really evident to those meeting planners."

A terrific example of how a hotel has monetized and calculates an ROI for their green meetings is the Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. As Herve′ Houdre′, GM of the Willard InterContinental states in HotelNewsNow.com, "The hotel carefully tracks its individual and guestroom bookings that result directly from its sustainable practices. I gave myself and my team a goal to generate $1 million in extra revenue (in 2009) due to

our sustainable development strategy. Guests are impressed with the development strategy because they believe the strategy corresponds with their own culture."

Keep in mind that prospective clients won't know what your hotel is doing to limit its impact on the environment if you don't tell them. "Don't be shy," advises hotel consultant Daniel Edward Craig. "Advertise your green initiatives on your website and in sales kits, proposals, your in-room directory and social media activities. Meeting planners and travelers want to know."

What is the Future of Green Meetings for Hoteliers?

The landscape is changing quickly. In the United States, the meetings industry is working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a green meeting industry standard. With such standards, hotels will have common goals to reach to win group or convention business. Because the EPA is a government-based organization, and the green meeting planning associations are not, such joint efforts are rare and cannot be ignored.

What Groups Can Help My Hotel With Green Meeting Initiatives?

There are a growing number of organizations eager to help hoteliers with sustainability and green meeting initiatives. The following limited list does not address the numerous and qualified private enterprise consultants:

Green Meeting Industry Council: info@greenmeetings.info
Meeting Professionals International (MPI): btess@mpiweb.org
International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (IACVB): http://www.meetingsnet.com/contact/
The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) - Green Hotel Initiative: 617.247.0700 X 21

"Green" Hotels Association:

NW Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) - Hospitality Sector
Green Seal - Environmental Standard for Lodging Properties
Hotel Association of Canada - Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program
U.S. Green Building Council

Is there a cost to "going green" for your hotel and group or conference meetings? Yes. Is there a larger cost involved in ignoring the trend? Absolutely. Don't allow your hotel to languish in meeting sales. Get educated on "green", and pencil out the numbers. Or let an expert guide you. You will be surprised and delighted to learn -

Green is for Go.

穢 Ridgeline Hospitality, LLC 2010
By Dr. Diana Driscoll

Event Planning Services Meet Up Via Twitter

With the increase of technology, computer programs and applications, the world continues to get smaller and smaller for all industries, including event planning services. One day, I was twittering around and ran across wedding event planner Carlo from Carlo at Your Service. Her recipe for a Watermarkitini caught my eye and we have been communicating ever since.

As a wedding event planner myself, I know the importance of using social media to increase awareness of my event planning services. Plus it is fun to communicate and get to know others in your industry, around the country as well as the world. It is a great way to share information, pick up a recipe or two and learn what your colleagues are working on in real time.

Carlo has the extra challenge with her event planning services because of her location, Detroit, Michigan. Unless you have been hiding under a rock this past year, you know the challenges facing Detroit, economically and socially. Their new mayor, Dave Bing, is working towards the positive revitalization program of Detroit and Carlo is part of the large and expansive team assisting in this effort. Her wedding event planner "hat" is multi-faceted allowing her to develop her service skills to reach a new market and teaming up with Mayor Bing is one way she has diversified her business. In fact, according to Carlo, "catering to people or taking care of people isn't a stretch - you give them the same excellent service that you would want to pay for. I love taking care of people; to the point where they're amazed at how well they're actually being cared for."

Another crazy small world aspect about event coordinators meeting up via social media is the fact that Carlo used to work in Los Angeles. In fact, that is where she got the bug for event services and learned what it takes to provide excellent service, a trademark of any professional in the event services industry and something I discuss in my book Budget Bash - Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget.

As event coordinators, we talk all the time about what is working for us in the moment, what are goals are for our businesses and what we have learned from working in the event services business for so many years. It is crazy how much we share in common even though our businesses are 3,000 miles apart. The fact that we both like to create signature drinks for our events as well got us both laughing and of course, I have to share her Watermarkitini recipe with you.

The Watermarkitini was created as the signature cocktail for an event showcasing the upcoming luxury condominium real estate development project, The Watermark Detroit, owned by: Detroit Mayor Dave Bing & Trucking magnate Roger Penske. The recipe is as follows:

1 shot of Absolut Vanilla Vodka
1 shot Bols Banana Liqueur
Cherry pomegranate juice
Pineapple juice
Cocktail shaker
Crushed ice
Maraschino cherries, drained and rinsed in water Orange slices
Pineapple chunks
Cocktail swords

Directions
Fill cocktail shaker with 1/4 of ice.
Add vodka.
Add banana liqueur
Fill cocktail shaker with cherry pomegranate juice to 1/4 of the top
Shake well
Pour cocktail into martini glass
Top with a splash of pineapple juice
Spear sword through pineapple chunk, cherry and orange - place on the rim of martini glass

Makes 2 cocktails

So next time you are tooling around on the internet, think about all the options there are in meeting new people, discovering information and learning about a new recipe or two. After all, if two event coordinators from opposite ends of the country can help one another, think of the endless opportunities in all aspects of event planning services.

Lanyards With Company Logos As a Great Marketing Tool

A lanyard with your company logo has become a familiar fixture at most corporate conventions these days. This ubiquitous tool has become the mainstay of every corporate event. It is an attractive colorfully designed cord that is used to attach items such as ID cards, keys and USB cards.

These badge holders come in many different styles and can be made from materials such as nylon, cotton or polyester. They can be trimmed with wooden or plastic beads and a hot new item is the trendy bling style with sparkling rhinestones that spell out your logo and can be added to your woven cords.

In recent years so many unusual designs and colors have been used to make a seemingly dull woven cord look more stylish and perfect for today's quick paced world. This once humble cord can now be found sporting names of corporations, schools, sporting teams, social media events and much more. This will be the first item your event planner will order and the first thing your attendees will be handed. Some companies have even accepted the use of this cord as part of their personnel uniform. When walking through the lobby of a hotel or convention center, you will be struck by the variety of these cords around all the necks of the conventioneers.

This cord may look like a very simple item, but companies have learned how to get the maximum benefit out of this product With the advances in printing technology it has now become possible for a lanyard to be printed with the name, logo and design of your company. Employees using lanyards with logos of their companies have become a common sight in the corporate world. Companies have realized that aside from the practical purpose that it serves in terms of holding the IDs or USB cards of their employees, it can also transmit a message of corporate identity.

Even students and schools have caught up with the craze of using it as a means of proper identification. Most schools these days have encouraged their students to use it for displaying their ID cards. A lanyard holding an ID can be imprinted with the school name and logo, making identification even easier.

Given the rise in popularity of lanyards, companies have cashed in on the craze by designing their own with their company name woven into it. Companies usually distribute them with their company name or logo during trade shows and corporate events to employees or potential customers. A good looking well designed woven cord with your company logo can also serve as badge holders for trade shows, making it more convenient for potential clients to identify your company representatives.

These cords come in so many varieties, multi-color, solid, camouflage or tie dye. They can be re-cycled with various hook designs such as pull reel for added strength, split rings, break-a-way safety release, lobster claw hook or swivel clip. They could be woven of micro weave soft plastic or ribbed polyester. Attachments can be clear vinyl holders, attached 2 color multiple ink pens, soft vinyl pouches or key chains.

Companies looking for suppliers of such cords with corporate name or logo need not look far. The Internet is a great resource for online suppliers of lanyards printed with corporate names and logos. Online suppliers can give companies a wide range of choices when it comes to designing and printing them, thereby creating a look that is unique to that company.

Different Types Of Corporate Events At A Glance

With the right support and a few good ideas, corporate events could be a big success with the customers, clients and staffs. The most important part of a corporate event is careful planning. Different organizations plan different types of corporate events for different reasons. Here is a list of various corporate events that the companies' typically have at various occasions.

• Seminars and Conferences- Seminars target a particular group of delegates and they are used to provide certain information to the delegates. The duration is usually few hours to half a day to full day. There may be single or multiple speakers and they keep the participants together at the same place. On the other hand conferences have multiple sessions. The most common place for a conference is hotel. They begin with keynote session and then hold breakout sessions by topic. The usual duration of a conference is 2/3 of a day, one day, two days or sometimes longer.


• Trade Shows- Trade shows are very popular amongst clients, customers and even rival companies. They are well known for creating brand identity. Organizations attend trade shows or host one to reinforce their image as an industry leader among those who attend, such as members, customers, prospects and suppliers. Event planning for trade shows involves negotiating sponsorship rates for trade show booth space, advertising and promotion of the event, and sometimes speaking opportunities at the event for the leadership.


• Executive Retreats and Incentive Programs- These programs often held at luxury hotels in exclusive destinations. The main agenda is business development and organizational planning. They typically last between three to five days. The arranger must have a sharp negotiation skill because these programs involve all aspects of event planning.


• Golf Events- An annual golf outing is a favourite event at all organizations. Sponsored golf days require a large number of event planning. They are ideal for building relationship with the customers. During the planning phase, it is important to keep internal clients on track, and not allow them to minimize the business time.


• Appreciation Events- these programs allows the event host to spend more informal times with its clients in a non- traditional environment. There are limitless possibilities and types of appreciation events that the organizers can hold throughout the year. Common programs include- dinner and theatre, holiday parties, day and evening cruises etc.

How to Write a Perfect Confirmation Email for Your Event Attendees

An important advantage of using an online event registration feature is that you can automatically send confirmation emails to event registrants instantly. Although the primary objective of such an email is to confirm registration details of the attendees, yet such emails are great for providing attendees with additional information and reminders about the event. However, you need to ensure that it gets to the intended recipient at the right time.

Focus on ensuring that the email is delivered to the recipient's inbox along with a deliver. Increase your ROI with large-Scale Corporate Event Marketing Strategy confirmation email to you. Additionally use the feature to receive confirmation that the email has been read before being sent to the Trash folder or deleted from the Inbox.

The subject line of the confirmation email is of vital importance. You need to frame it in such a way to prevent it being sent to the spam folder of the inbox. Mostly the Spam filters look for certain words, such as "free, loans, subscribe, opportunity, please read, special promotion and all new". It is a wise idea to avoid these types of words and phrases, in order to avoid SPAM filters.

According to experts, the subject line can create a positive impression on the recipient, if framed carefully. For example, your subject line should be something like - "XYZ Conference Confirmation and Additional Detail". Although it is precise, yet the subject line can make the mail easily recognizable by the reader. It is likely to remind them about the event for which he or she has registered.

One of the major components of the confirmation email is the sender's name. Make sure that the sender's name is appearing on the mail body as an actual name rather than just an email address. In case, you do not want to use your personal name, you can try out other readable text, which can be easily comprehended. For example, you can use "William Jones" (your name) or "XYZ Conference Register" (event's name)b in order to the attract reader's attention towards your mail.

Remember to choose something that your event audience can easily recognize.
After you decide on the subject line and the sender's name, you need to think about the content of your confirmation email. Apart from confirming the person's registration, you also need to mention the time, date, venue and dress code (if there is any) for the event. It helps you in building up your credibility.

Many a times, event organizers add various links to the confirmation email for the convenience of attendees. Links allow people to access more in depth information without actually cluttering up the confirmation email.

Check out the link ideas you can use in your confirmation email

• A link to a map of the location where the event is organized
• Links to accommodations in the area
• Links to car rental companies
• Links to the sponsors websites
• Most importantly, a link to the corporate website

You can follow these ideas to create a great confirmation email for your next event.

Event Planning - 10 Tips to Planning A Better Event

Whether you are a planning a wedding, a birthday party, or even a convention there are some simple things to consider and implement that can drastically improve the quality of the event. Using the knowledge I have gained over the years I've put together a list of 10 tips that have helped in my pursuit for terrific events.

1. Always have a little bit more food than needed


2. If you don't hire an event planner at least have someone act as one. That person would be in charge of making sure the vendors are set up properly and can help keep everything running smoothly. Whether it's a friend or family member the organization will be appreciated.


3. If you hire a DJ be wary of the distance between his/her setup and your guests. The last thing you want is a blaring speaker deafening a guest.


4. Try to find a suitable venue and make sure it suits your particular needs. Consider things like the number of guests, whether or not it needs to be wheel chair accessible.


5. Consider trying to find package deals which some venues might offer.


6. Be wary of weather alerts before and the morning of the event. Nothing is worse than having an event washed out or worse.


7. Lists!, lists!, lists! I can't stress this enough. If you keep an up to date list the chances of anything being forgotten or going wrong are greatly reduced. Anytime I have an event or even just trying to accomplish a goal I create a to do list. If something doesn't get accomplished I roll it over to the next day. When planning an event it helps to not forget things like carded place holders for tables or napkins.


8. Maintain contact with people your vendors. When planning an event make sure to maintain contact with your DJ, caterer, limousine driver. Sometimes in the chaos of preparing for an event services or people you require to get the job done can get left behind.


9. Develop and stick to your event budget. The quality of an event does not depend on the dollar investment, rather it depends on effective event planning. There are easy ways to save money shop around a little and check event directories planning directories which will sometimes allow you to find inexpensive event related businesses.


10. And last but not least keep calm, cool, and collected. Event planning is a lot of work and it's easy to be overcome with stress. If your stress or exhausted you can't put together a great event and remember stress shows.

Why You Should Use Your Trade Show Displays At Special Company Events

Everyone knows that trade show displays and banner stands are undeniably powerful tools at marketing conventions and industry events. Offering access to massive numbers of competitors and customers alike, merely setting up a trade show booth at any of these promotional functions announces to your industry (and consumer pool!) at large that your company is officially open for business. When combined with the many other benefits that industry events offer, participating in trade show displays quickly proves a simple business decision.

While the results yielded at these large conventions are undeniable, it's important to remember that banner stands and trade show displays can incur a fairly hefty price tag. Many business owners, struggling to remain fiscally salient, simply can't justify absorbing the costs of booths and stands that can only be used at competitive functions. Fortunately, a new marketing trend has completely revamped how organizations view and use their banner stands and trade show booth designs. Rather than keeping them in storage to collect dust in between conventions, savvy entrepreneurs are utilizing them at special corporate events.

Three Events Where Your Trade Show Displays Can Be Used

First and foremost, you must decide what type of corporate event makes sense for your specific business needs. There are a wide range of special occasions that you can plan to use your business booths and banner stands at. Each offers its own distinctive features and can showcase your organization in a unique way. When beginning the planning process consider:

Corporate Open House: Have you recently moved to a new location? Has it been a while since you've invited your consumer public onsite? A corporate open house is a great way to get acquainted or reacquainted with the customers in your own business backyard. Set up your booth to distribute giveaways, hold raffles and/or provide live entertainment to really generate a buzz.

Affiliate Functions: Rather than compete with direct opposition at a convention, hold an event that includes only you and all of your affiliate partners. Allow every vendor to set up their individual stands and invite their own specific list of clients to ensure you all have ample opportunity to network throughout the evening.

Product Launch: Why wait until the next convention to release your next product line? Take your booth and banner stands on the road and set up at various locations to announce your latest merchandise. Remember to bring free samples to maximize marketing impact.

Benefits Of Planning Company Events

What's one of the most significant benefits of using corporate trade show displays at company events? Unlike industry functions that grant a level playing field for all organizations, a special business event only showcases your company. Rather than trying to grab the crowd's attention away from the competitive masses, you'll enjoy knowing that every attendee is there specifically to see and learn more about your business. Eliminating the insurmountable pressure of trying to build up visitor traffic to your specific trade show displays means that your staff can relax and focus simply on connecting and engaging with the roaming pedestrians who have accepted your invitation for an evening out.

Event Planning Courses - An Overview of Event Planning Courses

The key to any successful event is good event planning. It can be really very devastating if you have spent so much money on organizing your occasion and it does not come out as you had expected. Now as people have become so busy with their work they do not have enough time to properly arrange their events. So it has become a necessity for them to hire a good event planner that will make their occasions successful.

So if you are thinking of doing event planning courses to enhance your skills and interest in arranging different occasions then you should know that it will be very beneficial for you. This is a career which does not only makes individual's life simpler but it also is a very interesting and exciting work. Those who are new in this field should know that there is a lot of money in this field. There are no limitations of your salary; the better you perform the more money you will earn besides that you can see around yourself that there are many experienced event planners who are earning in millions.

The best thing about this career is that it does not require the individual to possess a college degree. If you have just done certified courses then it would be enough for you get in this line. However, the most degrees or certificates you have the more advantages you will gain.

Now there are ample job opportunities available for event planners in various reputable firms on different posts. As event planning courses are offered from few certificates to the master's degree level. These courses will make you able to plan all kinds of social or business events for example; wedding, cocktail parties, birthday parties or business conferences.

Nonetheless, this line is not for everyone. Those who have a lot of stamina, possess good conversation skills, like socializing, are well planned and multi tasking are the most eligible ones for this profession. Those who are lazy, shy and choose working not in public can pick other vocations for them.

You will learn a great deal of things in this line because these courses do not just provide the basic understanding of handling different kinds of occasions but they will also teach you how to become more organized and you will also gain a lot of knowledge regarding different things like how a business is run etc. All in all, event planning is a fun-filled field which everyone who has entered in it will enjoy to bits.

Event Planning 101

One of the tools I use as a professional organizer are countdowns.

What exactly is a countdown? To put it simply, anytime a special event, party, or holiday is anticipated (okay maybe dreaded :), create a MASTER list of EVERYTHING you need to do.

For example, during the winter holidays, tasks such as- setting your table, gift buying, cooking, decorating, may be floating around in your head. "Oh yes, I can't forget to do x,y,z", sound familiar?

Transfer all of that mental clutter from your head onto a piece of paper. This is your MASTER to-do list.

Then, transfer each item on your MASTER list to a day in your calendar, sometime before the event. It will not be too hard to determine the necessary chronological order for each task. You may want to use something large like a wall calendar with post-it notes for the individual tasks. This way, if you cannot complete a task on the assigned day, you can move the post-it over to another day.

You now have DAILY and WEEKLY to-do lists and have just created a COUNTDOWN.

After creating your Master list, you may decide that you logistically cannot get it all done before the event. If this applies to you, decide to delegate, delete, or diminish some of your tasks. Do you really need to give a gift to every single one of your coworkers? Can you buy the jelly donuts instead of baking them-especially if you've never made jelly donuts before?

Organising a Corporate Treasure Hunt for Your Staff: What's In It for You?

When it comes to spending money on a fun incentive day for your staff, the main aim you probably have in mind is making sure that your employees feel valued and have a lot of fun. But there are also a lot of benefits for you as the boss.

Sure, fun is part of it, but you can have fun at an office party. With well-planned incentive day activities, such as corporate treasure hunts, you get so much more out of it than just fun.

Here are a few of the things that you can expect to benefit from when you organise an incentive day.

Motivated Staff

Incentive days for staff in the form of treasure hunts are the ideal way to keep staff motivated. There is nothing boring about a treasure hunt, and you'll be providing them with something that they can really look forward to.

This is the ultimate way to reward them for hard work and to let them know that their work does not go unnoticed, and they will get back to the office ready to go and up for the challenge.

Staff Working Together

A corporate day out is the ideal way to iron out any communication problems between staff and improve relations. No office can function properly unless all of the staff are able to communicate well, and after a successful incentive day they will get back to the office as a real team, using what they learn out in the field to improve how the team works back in the office.

Boost Creativity and Problem Solving

Corporate treasure hunts are based around problem solving and coming up with creative solutions to problems. By focusing on an activity which rewards them for coming up with innovative solutions to problems, you can try to encourage the same behaviour back in the office.

Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

A corporate treasure hunt will test talents and possibly uncover hidden potential. Some people can excel in such situations who might not have proven themselves back at work, and you can use this by trying to incorporate such skills back in the office.

You can also use it to work out where your team needs improvement and you can then devise ways to work on this later on.

Take Advantage of All the Benefits

If you want motivated staff, teams who work well together and improved communication then a corporate treasure hunt could be ideal for you. There are lots of different treasure hunts now available for all budgets, so treat your staff to a fun day out and take advantage of all the excellent benefits that it will provide.

Planning a Charity Event

While the cause for charity may be a noble one, most hosts find that when planning a charity event they are dealing with several commercial issues, which if ignored can lead to the event collapsing completely. Keeping a few steps in mind will help ensure that the charity event in question is executed smoothly and is able to thus meet its aim.

The first and foremost step to planning a charity event is setting up a board of directors who undertake and oversee all the details of the organization. There are various aspects involved in the process of planning a charity event, and several hands will need to be delegated these responsibilities when a successful charity event is organized. While the executive director of the committee is to be held finally responsible, it is important that all other members also bring with them several abilities to contribute to the committee, as well as feel for the cause at hand.

Since there are charity events that qualify for tax exemption, it is essential that one enquires if the event does indeed enjoy this advantage. If the cause is not taxable, then it is imperative that all receipts be saved so that they can be presented later to the authorities when seeking the rebate.

Tap on the seemingly low profile individual to help out with the event. Most high profile people are too busy to contribute time to a charitable cause, while they may be happy to help with funds and goodwill. However, during the planning of the event, one is looking for helping hands that can commit time, which is required in the planning and execution of the event.

Be prepared with an alternative plan of action at all times. During the planning of the charitable event it is essential that a back up is also planned, since sometimes things tend to go wrong, which can lead to the fall of the entire event. In the same tune, it is also beneficial to plan for the natural elements like rainfall or snow when organizing a charity event, especially if it is an outdoor one.

Bring in the fun element when planning the event. While it is true that there are people who would contribute to the cause due to its nobility, most will prefer to have fun while going about the activity. So if the target group is a high income slot, then a golf tournament will do well, while a short run or a dog show will do better with another income slot. So, at all times, select the venue and activity of the charitable event by keeping the average target in mind, since the more people you attract the more likely it is for the event to succeed.

One must plan ahead of the scheduled time rather than waiting to get closer to the day of the event. The extra time helps to iron out the wrinkles, if any, during the last days without having the entire occasion collapse due to the added pressure. Remember that there will be fallbacks and not everyone will meet the deadlines demanded of them, and a buffer period will help extensively in this case.

The few tips listed above will help organize a charitable event with great detail, and will be more likely to result in a successful event rather than one organized haphazardly.

Corporate Event Planning 101 - Making Your Trade Show A Huge Success

The key to the success of any corporate event - such as a trade show, a retirement party, a sports outing, or any hospitality event, a sales meeting, or the annual holiday party - is Corporate Event Planning 101. Corporate events vary in size and purpose. Some corporations host corporate events that consist of thousands of invitees, while some organize events for all employees, and some for only select employees. Whatever the occasion, you require proper corporate event planning to make event memorable and a roaring success.

With a variety of people attending these corporate events, their tastes and preferences are bound to be different. Workplaces have a diversity of people, and this makes corporate event planning stressful and difficult. It takes a lot of quality time for excellent corporate event planning, and still many may be disappointed with the results.

The major part of Corporate Event Planning 101 is the appointment of a professional Corporate Event Planner. He/she can plan and produce a great corporate event for you and save you time and money. In fact, due to poor planning, many corporate events have failed to draw clients. Well, you can definitely avoid this.

Planning Your Trade Show

Planning and organizing corporate events, such as a trade show, requires investing a lot of time and money. To make your corporate event a showcase of your products, you need to plan for personalized promotions items, effective banners and unique giveaways. Corporate event planning for business events involves ways to find new prospective customers and clients, reacquaint yourself with old customers, plan a couple of seminars, and network with your peers and your competition.

You will need to plan well in advance. First and foremost, plan and set a budget. Train your representatives who will work for you at the corporate event. Draw a list of people you would like to talk to at the event.

Your prospective customers are your target market. You need to draw them to your event. Announce your participation in the corporate event; make your sales staff personally invite select prospects you would especially like to be present. A personalized invitation to key prospective customers is a great way to ensure success of your strategy.

Plan to follow up the visit by your prospective client with a thank you note, email, or a phone call. Do this immediately after your corporate event.

How to Turn a Staff Christmas Party Into Something Sensational

The Christmas season is coming up again and the same problem arises again as it does every year at this time; what are we going to do for this year's Christmas work function?

The staff have really been under pressure this year and they have performed well under rather trying conditions, and they deserve a real end of year treat, time to let their hair down and kick their heels up so to speak.

However they are a discerning lot and you are anxious to maintain their respect with a suitably appropriate party venue, something a little different.

You have a list of essential conditions the venue will have to meet:

• Your own private facilities: The facility must be available for your own exclusive use without the fear of gatecrashers spoiling your night

• A chance to "dress up": Theme parties are a lot of fun, helping to create a relaxed environment and break the work hierarchical structure, putting all staff on the same level

• A competition for the best, worst, most daring costume is always a lot of fun

• Convivial atmosphere: A venue with a real festive atmosphere is what is called for on this occasion, a colorful light show, an alluring dance floor ("I could have danced all night"), and comfortable furniture to lounge on

• Music: Your venue almost assuredly should have an ace sound system to play the songs you most enjoy dancing to, maybe you could tell them in advance the style of music you most enjoy and is appropriate for your occasion

• Master of ceremonies: A good team leader will help break the ice, generate good humor, get the dancing going, and provide some structure for the night's entertainment. He or she will work to your program of events if required, but they will have a wealth of experience of these events to draw upon

• Refreshments: Ensure there is a well-stocked refreshment bar with an interesting selection of jazzy cocktails and the more traditional drinks. Non-alcoholic beverages should always be readily available, dancing is hot work! Function staff will be trained in "Host Responsibility" ensuring your event runs without a hitch

Safe travel and conduct is of paramount importance to you, your staff and their actions on this great night are your responsibility, and it is with relief that the right venue hosts will be responsible for this, as they will collect your staff in a luxury coach and deliver them safely to their homes after the event.

Selection of the right corporate party bus hire experts will meet all your requirements and more, allowing you to fulfill your desire to reward not only your staff but also yourself with a truly successful and safe celebration.

How to Begin Arranging a Corporate Hospitality Event

Great corporate hospitality is about providing a unique experience for your clients. A corporate hospitality event, if approached and planned properly, can enable you to build trust and rapport, which is the cornerstone of all business success.

But it doesn't happen by magic. Corporate Hospitality does not provide some miracle cure that guarantees clients will re-new a contract or invest in a new product. For it to deliver great results, you need to avoid the mistakes that most many companies make when looking to arrange a corporate hospitality event. You must begin by defining exactly what you want, both for your clients and the event itself.

Having the 'idea' to give clients a good day out is the easy part, after all the benefits are obvious:

• Quality Time - you can get to know your clients away from a business environment and share memorable and exciting experiences with them. Through this experience, you have the opportunity to discover things in common and see what they are like 'off-duty'.


• Create Loyalty - you are demonstrating that you value them highly. Your willingness to invest in a high profile hospitality event reflects your gratitude for the business they do with you and a desire to thank them.


• Networking - you have the chance to meet other members of the team and widen your circle of influence. The occasion may also give you and your clients the chance to network with other like-minded individuals and companies.


• Competitor Differentiation - you are demonstrating that you think differently about your customers compared to some of your competitors. This is especially true if you have the right attitude and approach.

But these benefits are, in themselves, not enough. You want a tangible outcome as result of your investment. And you are only going to get that if you apply the rules and approach it with the right mindset.

It's important, for example, to gain an understanding of your clients and their interests. Find out what their hobbies are, and then have a think about the types of events or sports packages which might interest them the most. If you can, try and find out the specifics of what they enjoy. For example, you may find you have a client who is interested in football; ideally you could also find out which teams (and even players) they are most enthused about. This will give you a greater understanding of your clients, and enable you to choose a corporate hospitality package or event best suited to them.

Finding out what interests your clients is a crucial first step in arranging a corporate hospitality event. By determining what interests them the most, you are on your way to arranging a corporate hospitality event which will be a resounding success in improving your business networking and relationships.

Top 5 Benefits of Online Social Network Management Solutions

We are living in an age where effective communication has become pivotal for us. Whether you conduct training sessions or manage events, maintaining communications with members, partners, attendees and registrants is extremely critical to ensure the success of your class and events. By opting for a comprehensive class or event management solution, you can build a secure and integrated community platform to boost communications between your partners in the most cost effective manner.

A scalable, flexible and feature rich private community offers a number of benefits to the event planners, administrators and organizers. Apart from enabling users to leverage the power of building a comprehensive private network, private community management comes with a host of useful features. Some of the key features of a powerful private community management system include the following:

Intuitive Tools for Boosting Interaction

Most event organizers and administrators set their focus solely on getting new business without realizing the need to boost communication with past and current members. Significantly, regular communication between members leads to positive word of mouth which brings new leads. Moreover, marketing and promotion play a very critical role in ensuring the success of your class or event.

In the recent times, social networking has emerged as the most popular and preferred options for event organizers and administrators to spread the word about their events and classes. An integrated private community management system enables you to use personal blogs and social networking sites for generating buzz about your class or event. In addition, a secure private community will assist you to communicate with your members and understand their requirements.

Online Access to Event Session Materials

Providing event session materials to attendees who have not attended the event is an excellent way to arouse their interest and induce them to participate in the upcoming events. Event organizers can post photos, videos, and session handouts to make it easier for the registrants to access relevant documents and other details.

Excellent Payment Management Services

Profit maximization is a top priority for event planners and administrators. Significantly, streamlining the process of payment management plays a major role in increasing revenues. With an efficient private community management solution, you can eliminate payment hassles effectively. These solutions support multiple payment gateways and enable you to track payments and registrations from a unified platform. So not only do your registrants find it easier to sign up for the events or classes, you also find it convenient to monitor the status of payments.

Complete Control over Members and Attendees

Event organizers and administrators need to access information at all times to boost their network. However, managing the vast database is often a huge challenge for these professionals. To reduce the administrative workload, private community management solutions come equip with features that aid in managing all the information.

Customizable Solutions for a Diverse Range of Industries

Private community management software provides several benefits to different industries that need to manage members, attendees and registrants to boost communication. Scalable private community management solutions enable organizations to manage as few and as many members in the most effective manner. From associations, corporations, faith based organizations to educational institutions; private community management delivers a wide range of solution effectively.

Owing to the various benefits offered by private community management systems, a large number of organizations are seen going for these solutions that cater to the specific requirements of the clients. Organizers need to choose wisely to select the best solutions that provide complete assistance.

The Pros and Cons of Becoming a Caterer

So, you've loved food all your life, and have finally come to the conclusion that you want to have a job that includes food. You're interested in becoming a caterer, but aren't sure of the details, the benefits, nor the negative aspects. Becoming a professional caterer, while exciting and enjoyable for those who have a creative eye and a love for food, can prove to include working long hours and having excellent customer service and math skills.

While no training is necessarily needed, having an Associates or Bachelor of Arts degree in Culinary Arts would definitely improve your skills, as well as any restaurant experience as a server or manager. As a caterer, you can often work from home; it's a great job for those who want to be self-employed, but keep in mind, the start-up fee is often $10,000+.

For those whom don't want to start their own business, there are catering businesses that require both experience in the food industry as well as some type of culinary training, usually in the form of a B.A. or Associate's degree. As a catering manager, you would oversee the entire facility, as well as work with each customer, planning their entire event, and contributing the best of customer service.

A caterer has to make sure that he or she works well with people and has great interpersonal communication skills because it's imperative to the job. As a catering manager, you might also be asked to have computer experience, team-building skills, as well as distinct attention to detail. Especially if you own your own business, you must have an eye for detail, in terms of bookkeeping, new ideas for party theme, and scheduling of events.

There are actually different types of caterers, and pros and cons come with each specialty.

1. Mobile Catering - This type of catering is the newest trend; food trucks are the latest trend in party catering. While being a mobile caterer has low start-up fees, this can be challenging, considering your limited space and lack of brand awareness. One must be sure to do plenty of social media advertising and marketing for the city (or cities) which the truck covers.


2. Business Catering - This is popular due to the fact that it's year-round, versus special event and mobile catering, which is limited to warmer months. Also, if you get in with a corporate giant, they usually stay with who they like, and you'll have a consistent flow of income.


3. Special Events Catering - This form of catering is for the creative type of caterer; you get to show off your artistic skills. They provide food for weddings, anniversaries, and any type of event in which you can show off your innovative culinary abilities. However, you must be able to be laid-back and accept constructive criticism.

When it comes to entering the catering industry there are pros and cons, but if you have the right skills and abilities, and the love for event planning, becoming a caterer is just the right niche for you.

Stylish Promotional Clothing For Corporate Events

Promotional clothing like sweatshirts and t-shirts are probably the most difficult to choose, because unlike other articles like bags, pens or coffee mugs, this is something that the user will put on and has to provide maximum comfort. They are not only distributed among the consumers, but often the marketing personals and employees have to put it on for an entire day for promotional purposes.

When it comes to choosing the fabric for shirts and t-shirts, the best option is of course, cotton. Nothing can be more comfortable than this natural fiber. White or dyed, it provides an excellent backdrop for your company logo and the tagline for your promotion. There are a lot of options from which you can choose your promotion apparel.

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  Printed Caps: These are the most common and inexpensive too, suitable for large-scale promotion among the masses. Imprint your company logo on the top rim and watch the caps disappear among the crowds!


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  Screen Printed T-shirts: These t-shirts are trendy to look at and made from suitable material, will be a top draw among the consumers. Moreover, since they can be used by both male and female consumers, it sure to gain popularity and the much needed attention for your product. Polo shirts or plain white shirts can also serve the same purpose.


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  Company Jackets: They may be a bit more expensive but your employees and clients will love it if you can put in the required detailing. Perfect as travel-wear or even for daily use, jackets are always a necessary item and to be handed one by the company itself is a quite an incentive. Moreover, branded apparel is within easy reach of the consumers today, so it becomes all the more easily to provide your employees and clients with such items.


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  Sports Apparel: Sponsoring sports apparel for any team in your area and getting your logo imprinted on the apparels that the stars are putting on creates a brand awareness which is difficult to match by other ways of marketing. True, that the costs can really shoot up at times, but the exposure that your company gets is sure to compensate for the costs that the company may have to bear in the initial stages.

Thus, pick clothing for your promotion and see the difference!

Client Vision Meetings - The First Step in Planning A Corporate Event

Before you begin to make arrangements for food, entertainment and transportation for your event, it is important that you take time to speak with your event planners about your ideas and goals for the day. Client vision meetings are an opportunity for the client and planners to sit down together and discuss what the expectations are for the day, as well as ideas on how to accomplish those goals. This meeting helps the planners generate a framework and design for the upcoming event.

If you have ever planned a corporate meeting or event, you know what a big task it can be. There are so many details to take care of that often, people can lose sight of what the true purpose of the event is. This is why it is so important to take time with your event planner to discuss what your vision for the day is and identify the goals you hope to accomplish with your event. A clear understanding of what you hope to accomplish and what the main purpose of the gathering is will allow your event planner to create a dynamic function that will meet or exceed your expectations.

Unlike social gatherings or parties, corporate events are typically held for a specific reason. Many events have the single purpose to educate a group of people about news and innovations in their industry. Conferences and seminars are often held for an educational purpose. Many times, the group will meet as a whole and then break off into smaller groups for more in depth training. Facilitating this type of event takes organization and a lot of planning to make sure that all of your guests are where they need to be and all aspects of the day run smoothly and efficiently.

Another reason that corporations sponsor events may be to promote camaraderie and teamwork among their staff. Team building activities are quite popular as managers and staff work together to become more of a cohesive group. These events are often informational as well as enjoyable for the entire staff. Planning and coordinating meaningful activities can be a big job.

Businesses will often host events as a means for promoting goodwill to their customers. Customer appreciation events allow corporations the opportunity to thank all of their customers for the support they have received over the years. Businesses need to plan activities and entertainment that will delight their customers and show how much they value their loyalty.

No matter what type of event you want to host, take time to identify the specific goals that you want to achieve. With this guidance, your event planners can design a meaningful gathering that will meet those goals. After all, if you are going to devote time, money and manpower to a corporate meeting or function, you want to make sure that it will be beneficial to your business as a whole. You also want to be sure that it will be a worthwhile experience for all of your guests. Client vision meetings are a good opportunity to determine what needs to be done to meet your goals and expectations.

Fun Ways To Spice Up Your Next Corporate Event

Company meetings have earned a notorious reputation for being boring and largely forgettable. The reason is simple: few are willing to think outside the box and take the kind of bold steps that are necessary to really make an impression and let employees have fun. Take your next outing to the next level with one of these creative and cost-effective ideas.

Sumo Suits

Encourage a little bit of friendly competition by involving pairs of co-workers in a friendly game of synthetic sumo. You can easily rent giant padded sumo suits, designed to be worn over virtually any clothing. Completely protected, your employees can then bounce around an arena until one is declared the winner.

Inflatable Jousting

This more competitive alternative to sumo suits offers you the opportunity to tap into your customer's competitive side. With these, you'll be fighting to actually unseat each other, and there's a much more defined win/loss structure than in something like sumo. Inflatable jousting can be a lot of fun, and like the suits it is completely safe because everything is padded and filled with air.

Unconventional Team Building

Traditional "team building" games and trust exercises have historically shown little ability to perform either function. Instead of relying on those, try something that will get your team working and thinking together without presenting the traditional kind of problems. One very good option is to have your employees solve an everyday problem that might confront your company, but mix together people from different departments or teams. Working with new people will provide fresh perspectives and encourage unity across the different sectors of your business.

Avoid Lectures - Use Demonstrations

Nothing is quite as boring as having someone talk at you with relatively little opportunity to interact. If you want your employees to learn about something new, present it in a way that lets them really get into it. The best way to manage that is by making something funny or something that really gets into their brain and makes them think. Demonstrations are great because they can combine these two elements alongside an opportunity to experience something hands-on. If your workers can try whatever it is they just learned and be guided by an expert, they're much more likely to remember it later on.

Make Sure To Build In Time For Fun

Even if the inflatable jousting described above seems like too much of a stretch for your next event, make sure it isn't all business. You want your team to come together as a team - that means they have to see each other as more than just people who do business together. They need to rely on each other, enjoy laughing with each other, and care about each other's success. That kind of caring grows more slowly when you're working on something that is strictly business related.

Event Logistics - 5 Tips To Avoiding The Logistics Nightmare!

During the planning process for any event, there are many essential things that you have to look into. You must consider all possibilities of anything and everything going wrong and be prepared to face any disruption. You must be able to handle the situation and make sure that the event goes on successfully without any hitches if a situation arises.

1. The foremost thing to ensure is that the whole event is kept completely on track. Many things can and will go wrong when a huge event is being planned. You surely don?t want any discouragement when you are planning an amazing event with a lot of hard work. You obviously want the event to go without a hitch so that you do not end up facing any frustration due to any disruption. Patience is essential and stay motivated such that you get the exact output you require for your event.

2. Ensure that the day your event is going to be held is free and that no other event will happen on that day. You will want to keep free dates so that your event does not interfere with other big events, as you will want all the crowd at your place. Check the available dates first to ensure no clashes occur, before you start planning the party. Once the date is set, everything else can be booked and organized to ensure that everyone comes.

3. Keep everything organized properly. Ensure that everything is right on track so that you can be focused on the things that you need to do. Make sure that you can keep everything running like clockwork. You can do this only if you stay completely focused on the job at hand. Make sure that you are able to keep accurate records of all that you are doing. This will help you recall everything easily at a later stage. Ensure that you get all the receipts for all that you purchase for the event. This will also help you keep track of whether you get everything at the right time.

4. Stay aware and focused at all times. Unexpected events can happen at any time. You will want to keep yourself aware of any issue that could flare up at any moment. It will be much easier if you prepare yourself for something that could happen to solve it in a much quicker and smoother fashion. You will realize that when you handle things ahead of time, you will be much better prepared to handle any events that may occur later. You need to ensure that your back up plans are ready and flawless for this very reason.

5. Creating the best possible event will surely not happen by itself. You will have to be completely motivated and stick to your schedules. Stay on the correct path and you will surely have the best event to be ever planned. You will also feel much more at ease and get everything done easily. You have to be ready for anything and work quickly to make sure everything moves perfectly. Stay committed to the cause and you will surely reap the benefits by having a successful event.

The above are some of the best possible solutions to creating a successful event. You will have an amazing event experience when you have everything completely prepared and planned to a schedule. You will be able to have maximum fun and excitement yet, have a huge event organized and conducted if you follow these practices.

Event Decor and Special Event Lighting

No matter if it is a wedding, Mitzvah or corporate event, event lighting is a crucial element of event decor. Many times, special event lighting will make or break an event. What I thought I would do is provide you with some event planning ideas for event decor to include on your event planning checklist.

You can create any type of atmosphere using lighting. Special event lighting can be a relatively inexpensive use of event decor and will enable you to turn a tent into a Louisiana bayou or a warehouse into a circus. With special event lighting anything is possible including projecting images onto scrims or walls.

One of the event planning ideas I give to my clients is to project their names with a gobo (metal disc that is used with a Leiko light to project an image) onto a dance floor, wall or ceiling. Using gobos, especially for weddings and mitzvahs, is a fun event decor idea that calls attention to the couple or child being honored at the event.

All you need to do is create a PDF file of the name you want to project. You can also purchase or rent additional generic gobos as well. With one corporate client, I always have on my event planning checklist to rent special event lighting pre-made gobos such holiday bells, reindeer, a Santa or holly leaves.

Another great inexpensive use of lighting is to up-light trees. These trees can be in your backyard; planters that already exist at the event site or greenery you rent for the event and then highlight them with color.

Depending upon your theme and decor, you can use amber, green, blue or pink to name a few colors. Special event lighting using LED lights on the perimeter of your banquet room floor will add color throughout the event with the lights transitioning color from pinks and blues to ambers and greens.

Pin spotting table centerpieces is another one of the event planning ideas I give my clients to add designer lighting to the event. The best way to pin spot tables is to hang the pin spots above the tables; however, if this is not possible, then try to have your pin spots at least 14' high attached to a pole.

The higher the light, the less likely a guest will complain that light is shining in their eyes when they are at the table. Of course, you will need to accommodate for the ceiling height you are working with so be sure you include checking the ceiling height on your event planning checklist and relay this information to your event decor contact or event lighting company.

Finally, another event decor idea using special event lighting is to use lighted tables and bars. Most party rental companies either have these tables and bars in their inventory or can recommend a company that rents event lighting tables with plexi-glass and LED lights.

I hope you found these event planning ideas on special event lighting something you can add to your event planning checklist. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, delicious, stylish, fun & economical to all!