Saturday, May 18, 2013

Things to Look For in an Event Management Software Solution


When purchasing an event management software solution what should I look for?There are many solutions on the market, but some are more comprehensive and technically advanced than others. Event managers must ensure that the investment they make is future proof - in other words, the software must be able to grow and adapt as the organisation grows and as technology develops. More specifically, the particular features that make a quality event software solution include:

Integration into back end office systems

Being able to integrate the event software into the solutions used within the business already makes for a more efficient package. Business systems such as CRM solutions, finance packages and HR solutions all contain data that will need to be updated with every event. The customer data on CRM solution will need to be updated with their latest activity, the finance system will need to process any payments and the HR solution will need to update employee records if the event involves staff attendance. Automating this process through integration eliminates any errors and makes the process of updating other platforms far more efficient. Effective event software solutions will have flexible technical architecture, allowing them to integrate with all your current and future systems.

Integrating the event software into the organizations own website, means that not only does the delegate gain the benefits from a familiar website, but the event organizers can retain full control over the content and branding of the registration page. Customizable booking forms should be able to be created with ease. The booking forms will be integrated with the back end office systems, updating the records automatically as soon as a delegate registers for an event.

Event management software can also make it easy to organize repeatable events, by storing booking forms and other event tools as templates, ready to be used over and over again.

Comprehensive Email Marketing Tool

The event management industry now relies heavily on email marketing. Emails are used to:

  • Promote events

  • Send invitations

  • Update delegates on event changes/developments

  • Reach delegates for post event surveys

The email marketing tool that comes within the event software must be technical enough to be able to track major KPIs. These include the number of opened emails and click throughs, unopened emails, deleted emails, most popular links etc. This level of measurement helps event managers to constantly improve their emails - helping to increase the level of delegate response with each communication.

However, many email solutions can go one step further. Integrating the email tool with the event software means that the registration process can be further streamlined. Prospective delegates can receive an email invitation, click on the link and be taken to a registration page where their details have already been populated into the booking form - this allows for a two click registration process - one click to arrive at the registration web page and a second click to confirm the information is correct and to register for the event. This capability drastically increases delegate registration numbers which is a key measurement for many events in this current economic climate.

Reporting and Analysis

Improving event quality and attendance can only be achieved through the measurement and analysis of each and every event held. This can be a complex and time consuming effort and is often something that gets pushed aside as the next event is only round the corner!

Event management software makes the analysis and reporting of events easy. Comprehensive OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) can automate the creation of standard reports and should be part of all event software packages. These reports are built upon the individual requirements and needs of each organisation - not all organisation place weight on the same KPIs and results. Understanding what is important and what affects individual event success is key to creating appropriate reports.

As organizations grow and transform, it is important that the event software is able to grow with them. The OLAP reporting functionality makes it easy for event managers to simply create ad hoc reports and new report templates as and when required.

Event software OLAP reporting tools can also measure other event metrics such as:

  • Expense to Revenue Ratio (E:R)

  • Conversion rate of invites sent vs. delegate registrations

  • Delegate registrations vs. Attendance

  • Delegate Lead Quality and Quantity

  • Sales Cycle and Opportunities

Other key features that event managers should look for in an event management software solution are:

  • Website Integration: Seamlessly integrate with your existing website without the need to re-design or re-brand

  • Online Registration: Fully customizable online booking form ensuring your online registration process captures the most relevant information from your delegates

  • Invitation Management: Comprehensive, easy to use integrated invitation management tool

  • Email Marketing Tool: Powerful, integrated and fully functional email marketing tool enabling event managers to send highly targeted email campaigns marketing to the relevant delegate audience

  • Badge Creation: Produce personalised delegate badges pre or during the event simply through event management software

  • Resource Management Facility: Simply manage and allocate all resources through a comprehensive calendar feature, providing you with total control of all aspects of the event management process

  • Secure Online Payments: Allow your delegates to securely pay online with confidence, providing ease of automation

  • Integrated Reporting and Analysis Suite: Powerful reporting and analysis suite, enabling you to simply and quickly drill down to the event data in just a matter of seconds

  • Survey: Integrated and automated feedback management tool

How to Plan Corporate Events That Rejuvenate and Strengthen Your Business


Organization development activities such as team building events are an effective way of strengthening the business organization. These corporate events may come in the form of corporate parties, company picnics or other form of group activities. If you own or manage a small or large business, it is important that you conduct relevant organizational development activities to ensure that your company's human resources are operating at optimum level of performance.

These team building events are conducted to strengthen the organization by giving the opportunities for the members of the organization to find ways to work as one cohesive team. The critical areas of improvement addressed by these organizational development activities include communication, employee motivation and skills. In Texas there are Dallas corporate events and Dallas team building events planners who can plan the whole event for you and your firm.

The members of your organization can participate in such activities as mystery contests and treasure trails. They are given the opportunity to enjoy fun activities while learning essential techniques in time management, control, leading and delegation. There are also group dynamics that take the form of a game that hones the selling skills of a sales team. These group activities are what comprise corporate events that are designed to prepare top level management, middle level management and the rank and file employees as they try to hurdle the challenges of a potential multi-million dollar sales deal. These team building events are what you might consider as the company's training camp prior to a big fight.

The activities that are done by the participants during these kinds of corporate events are designed to foster stronger relationship among all the members of the organization. It is one great opportunity for top management and supervisors to interact with the other members of the organization. These approaches of group dynamics build up trust and respect within the organization. It is imperative that professional relationship within the organization is anchored on trust and respect among all members.

The team building events staged by organization also takes a social dimension as they may take many forms. For instance, an evening theater presentation and dances can have a social element on top of the group dynamic elements that are incorporated in the corporate activity. Management can also incorporate other events to add variety and excitement to their corporate events. They may stage evening awards ceremonies to give commendation and recognition to members of the organization who have exemplary performance.

As a general rule, corporate events are planned well in advance. There are instances that these corporate events are even planned online. There are corporate event packages which are offered online and are classified based on the type of activities, events, number of participants and the catering requirements. It is imperative that you pick out the best company who can offer the best corporate events proposal based on relevance and affordability. In certain instances, there are pre-planned corporate events with standard requirements. Such event packages are fairly simple and can be mounted on short notice. You are advised to closely study the proposals and packages to come up with the most appropriate corporate events package for your company.

4 Steps to Successfully Evaluate Your Event's Performance and Find Scopes for Further Improvement


Events do not end with the departure of the last guest. Post event analysis, or more popularly known as event evaluation, is a basic step that organizers need to adhere to in order to quantify the event and identify any scope for future improvement. The aim is to distinguish the mistakes and learn from them. The evaluation process is the answer to queries on whether you have been successful in achieving your goals or was your message properly conveyed to the target audience. Today, there are various Cloud-based software products which come with tools that ease the process of event evaluation for organizers.

Let me now discuss some of the steps that can help you to evaluate your events successfully:

Step 1: Meeting the Core Team Immediately Post Events

It is imperative to conduct a meeting with your core team immediately post the completion of the event. The time gap should not be more than a week at the most. Delaying the process often results in fading of the important details in the light of current issues and responsibilities. Moreover, the staff may also change from time to time. An agenda should be prepared before the meeting which should cover every aspect of the event like venue, entertainment, food and beverages, timeline for communications, invitations etc. This will help you to find out what worked well and what did not.

Step -2: Evaluating Your Financial Goals

This step is vital in terms of getting an impartial overview of the revenue and expenses. The analysis assists you to attain a clear idea as to why your expenses exceeded your budget, net revenue; additionally make a revenue comparison with last year and decide on the necessary improvements to be undertaken for the next year. Cloud -based software users are facilitated with tools that make such evaluation processes more logical, streamlined, simple and less time consuming. Since most of the reports are stored in web based standard formats so it helps you to generate fruitful results by identifying the pitfalls easily.

Step 3: Assessing Your Promotional and Marketing Objectives

A promotional or marketing campaign is crucial to the success of any event. If your event was unable to drive attendees as per your anticipation then you really need to think over what went wrong. Remember a failure to market your events can create major havoc. The first and foremost thing that you need to understand is whether you adopted the right marketing strategy. If it is the printed form of advertisements that you decided to employ then your strategies must be revised for your next event. A social media campaign could be a better platform to connect you to the millions of users and gives your event better exposure. Cloud-based software product users are however facilitated with a social media connector tool that helps in easy integration.

Step 2: Feedback from Clients and Attendees

Feedback is a great way to effectively improve and enhance your event performance. To get feedback from clients you can attach a feedback form as a part of the welcome kit. Attendee feedback can however be a part of a gift voucher which they can redeem once he/she fills up the form. Don't forget to fill your attendee feedback form with questions that will you to get views about the event, scopes for further improvement, problems faced, etc. Make sure you keep your questionnaire short and sweet so that it does not irritate the attendees. Additionally, if you have invested in an online registration system, it comes embedded with a Survey tool which you can use to generate online questionnaires post event completion.

Event evaluation can be at times quite challenging but the efforts are worthy enough to give a sufficient boost to your events.

Online Event Registration Can Be Cost Effective and User Friendly


Whether you're planning a golf outing, an annual meeting, or a fund raising event, the convenience of offering online event registration can favorably affect both attendance and revenue figures. Making use of an online registration system also projects a more professional image to the public and demonstrates that your organization is attuned to technology and the latest methods of doing business. In addition to business and organizational uses, online registration systems are also widely used to help administer educational programs and training events, such as college courses, continuing education classes, professional workshops, and seminars. While event registration systems may not always be a one-size-fits-all solution, the more customizable and flexible a system is, the greater the chances are that it will fit the requirements of individual businesses and organizations.

Beyond the convenience factor that online event registration offers to registrants, event organizers also benefit in a variety of ways. One of the main advantages of web-based event registration is the ability to capture vital data that helps manage the event from planning to implementation. An optimal registration system, for example, would allow for the creation of an unlimited number of event registration pages, without having to incur additional costs. A feature that provides value to organizers and attendees is when the online system automatically emails details of the transaction to each online registrant after they've completed the online process.

To maximize a business's ROI for a conference or other event, it's advisable to compare prices of online payment systems and services. Two things to keep in mind when evaluating costs are the amount of the gateway fee that's charged and the cumulative effect of the transaction fee. Authorize.net, for example, is one of the larger companies associated with online payment and registration services, but its comparatively high gateway fees can take a big chunk out of the proceeds out of a fundraising event, conference, or seminar. The same can be said of PayPals's relatively hefty transaction fees. Those fees, which can and do add up, can be avoided by taking advantage of less costly alternatives. While the services of higher priced providers may meet the needs of some companies and organizations, the budgetary impact of expensive gateway or transaction fees can often outweigh the advantages, especially on companies and organizations with limited budgets.

From a corporate branding perspective, it's also desirable to choose a merchant credit card processing service that offers an ample amount of customer control over the graphical look and feel of the online payment interface. It's another element that enhances the level of professionalism and credibility that's presented to the public, and also helps imprint an organization's identity and name on the minds of members, donors, and customers

In addition to affordability, ease of use, and flexibility, another important factor to include on your checklist of must-haves is online security. Choosing a hosting provider that is a PCI DSS compliant will go a long way toward protecting sensitive data and providing both you and your registrants with peace of mind.

Do You Know About the Top Trends of Event Management in 2012?


The growing tendency of creating and managing events online has resulted in the development of some new trends in the field of event management in 2012. People as well as organizations are using mobile phones like never before. These devices have opened up great channels for instantly interacting with millions of mobile phone subscribers. These devices are also facilitating concepts such as 'green' events, hybrid programs, and more. This article discusses in detail some of this year's most important event management trends.

Mobile Phone Application for Event Promotion

In recent times, countries around the world have seen a tremendous growth in the number of people using mobile phones to stay in touch with friends and family. Organizations, with the use of various mobile in-built applications, have started targeting specific groups of people like never before. Mobile phone applications (email clients, news readers, currency convertors, and many more) have opened up a pool of opportunities for organizations to communicate instantly with their potential contacts. These applications help you easily send product ads, emails, and SMSs covering details of your next conference or fundraiser directly on the Smartphone or on any such mobile devices.

Hybrid Events

Hybrid events have become extremely popular because of the convenience it provides in holding meetings and conferences across multiple locations and even across different time zones. With live video conferencing facility, management as well as executives will hardly get a chance to miss out on a meeting or seminar held in some other city or country. Thus, the hybrid components, such as live broadcast and video streaming, can be used to easily interact and discuss with practically anyone across the world. These hybrid components can also be used to cost-effectively share files in real-time, over the internet.

Green Events

The concept of 'green' events has become the catchword of 2012. Rising air, water, and noise pollution and cutting of trees is adversely affecting earth's ecological balance. It has led organizations seriously think of some alternative, environment-friendly way of organizing trade shows, seminars, and such other programs. Holding green events is the most convenient way to show how much you care for planet earth. Organizers of such events pay utmost attention to sustainability and focus on recycling the waste materials generated during an event. They are also paying importance in an event to the use of various green elements, such as food made from organic ingredients, drinks prepared from organically grown liquors, and using reusable plants for decoration purpose.

Greater Social Media Interaction

Organizations have understood the importance of penetrating into the social media world in order to promote their activities on the social media websites. There are many advantages of becoming a member of social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. These sites help you display, market, and share all your social event details with the account holders. Social media websites help you convey your message to people across any geographical boundary and location. Hence, these platforms can be used to easily reach out to millions of people at once, thereby increasing the chances of high attendance rate and increased tickets sales.

Innovative Party Ideas From Event Planners


If you are looking for thunderous entertaining outdoors, then prior planning is necessary. Whether you want a formal party of an informal one, all you need is perfect planning from guest's list to the menu items. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to arrange everything on the party date. People often have low knowledge and skills to plan and arrange swiftly. They sometimes forget vital things, which results in mess and bad impression as well. Guests always expect new, creative and dazzling party ideas in order to enjoy it to the fullest. This is the reason people select party planners to make their party stunning and memorable.

Whether it's a summer time or winter, you are living in metropolitan or rural area, you can afford high budget party or low, event planners can manage everything in style. They make the party entertaining that can last longer in the memories of guests.

They also offer you innovative party ideas like:

Inclusion of cushioned seats for your guests at either one long table or square table for more convenience and style! This idea is the best when you want different seating arrangement for your party. It will not only give a stunning look, but also give a fresh feel to the guests.

Placing of candles on the table is the nicest option in order to include a sense of intimacy, affection and inner passion. In this way, you can have eco-friendly party with low carbon emission and high rate of cool and pleasing atmosphere.

If you have a pool, then you can use it as integral part of your party decor. You can use trees around and tables all around it. This can add a rejuvenating and placid touch to your party and make it worthwhile. Whether it's a birthday party or corporate party you can use your pool for either purpose.

You can give chocolates or muffins to your guests instead of a card. It can add personal touch to your party and make people feel good and delighted. They can enjoy gifts and its delicious flavor. In fact, kids love chocolates at such moments.

If you want something extra or that can add value to your party, you can take the help of party planners. They can help you at every step and provide innovative ideas to the people. They charge very low for the exclusive parties and make the best possible recommendations for the people to act upon.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Planning a Corporate Party? How to Host a Successful Corporate Cocktail Party


Have you been put in charge of the office cocktail party and want it go off with a bang? Read these useful and perhaps not-so-obvious tips on planning and giving the perfect corporate party.

GIVE THE DATE OF YOUR PARTY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION

Spend a little time and thought when picking the right date for your corporate party. Choose a date that works for your business and staff to ensure maximum turnout. A mid-week date is usually a good choice as people have personal plans and commitments on Fridays and Saturdays. And try to avoid busy times for certain office departments. For example, avoid the quarterly or year-end rush for the finance department or clashing with the annual marketing roadshow.

GIVE ENOUGH NOTICE

Send out invitations about 10-14 days in advance and make sure you put RSVP on the invitation and whether or not the employees are allowed to invite their partners. Chase up the RSVPs three days before the party date so you can finalize the numbers.

LET YOUR BUILDING MANAGEMENT KNOW

Remember to notify your building management in writing that you are holding an office party.

SHORTER IS SWEETER

Corporate cocktail parties are typically held in the early evening and should not run too long. 6:00pm-8:30pm is a good time. By setting an end time, you can clear the venue out in prompt fashion and by keeping it short, you can ensure a better turnout. if you are going to have speeches, don't forget to make room for them in the schedule.

PICKING A THEME

If you pick a theme for your corporate party (and they tend to be more fun), try to carry it through to every aspect: from drinks, food, waiters' attire, background music, invitations and decorations.

Theme ideas:
1. Hollywood
2. Decades (the 20s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s)
3. Famous couples
4. Color e.g. gold and black
5. Hawaiian Luaus
6. Country and Western
7. Kids (if you're giving a party for adults)
8. Shipwrecked / Pirates of the Caribbean
9. Wine tasting
10. Casino
11. Grease/Happy Days
12. Superheroes
13. Nuns and Vicars
14. Gangsters and Villains
15. Caveman
16. Greeks and Romans
17. Elvis
18. Countries and Cultures
19. Sports
20. Aliens
21. Superheroes and arch-villains

CREATE A MEMORABLE AND FRIENDLY WELCOME

Apart from the food and beverage staff, consider asking some staff to be greeters at the door. Not only can they take business cards and offer a cloakroom service, but it creates a friendly welcome from the start. Perhaps there is an opening activity to get people in the mood e.g. a cut-out photo opportunity (you know, the ones when you put your head in the space and end up with the body of a monster), or a giant autograph board. Or perhaps this is the moment that the Lucky Draw tickets are given out.

DON'T FEEL PRESSURE TO HAVE BACK-TO-BACK ENTERTAINMENT

Do not feel obliged to hire end-to-end party entertainers, play games or have speeches throughout the evening. There is nothing wrong with allowing your staff to talk casually and get to know each other in a relaxed social setting.

KEEP ALL SPEECHES SHORT

If you do have speeches, make sure to keep them short and if several people will be speaking you might want to break them out into two (or more) sessions.

Follow these tips and your office party should be a huge success!

Event Planning, Making Movies Or How to Learn From My Mistakes


I worked in the movie business for a few years on such films as Jerry Maguire, Dante's Peak, Hollow Man, Twister, American Pie, Congo, and Starship Troopers to name a few. I started out as a production assistant for a company that created and produced the computer graphics on the storm chasers computer screens in the movie Twister.

After a few years of incredible experiences, horribly long hours, no vacations and unimaginable stress I decided I needed to do something a little different for a while and moved on to other things.

Then a couple of years ago I decided I was tired of working for someone else and thought if I was going to have to work long hours I might as well work for myself. Although I loved my time in the film business it wasn't something I was dying to do again and I wanted to have my own little company so I thought about what kind of work could I do with my particular skill set.

And then I got what I thought was a brilliant idea... why not start an event planning company. Making a movie I reasoned is about being creative, having the ability to handle details and knowing how to please everyone and all at the same time. I had planned production meetings which included directors, DP's (Director of Principal Photography), planned and produced company wrap parties, managed big budgets and had played a creative and technical role in film set design. It seemed to me at the time that planning and producing events would use many of the same skills I had acquired working in the film business.

So how hard could it be I thought to start an event planning business. I thought I'll just throw up a website and I'd be ready for those first client calls. I can now say and with all honesty I had no idea what I had just got myself into.

What had originally seemed like a brilliant ideal, that of owning my own event planning company, slowly turned into a kind of nightmare. I found trying to break into the event planning business was like being in a line with a thousand other actors all trying to get a break. I kept telling myself all I needed was a couple of small parts in even a "B" type of event to get my name out there and then I'd start to get those big parts that paid enormous amounts of money and get my name in lights. Well, maybe not my company name in lights but maybe a lot of cash. But the reality was that there was a long line of people in front of me wanting the same thing I wanted and I was at the very bottom of a very very long list.

I soon realized that although I had a lot of business skills that would help me in starting an event planning company I also realized there were things I didn't know enough about. And one thing I knew almost nothing about was how to sell my company services using my website as a marketing tool.

Reality dawned and I realized that if clients couldn't find my company website I'd never be getting those calls that I was so anxiously waiting by the phone for.

All this rambling now takes me to the point of this article, which is; I wish I had known then what I know now. Or how to learn from my mistakes.

Although I had a graphic design background and I knew I could design a visually presentable site what I didn't have was the technical know how and skills to create a website that search engines would like and would then hopefully place me in a spot on their pages where clients could actually find me.

To further illustrate just how naive I was at the time I actually thought all I needed to do was design a visually decent looking site describing what I do and people would come to my site.

I remember the horror I felt when I first Googled the word event companies expecting my company name to come up in the search. What did come up in the search was hundreds and hundreds of event related companies but with my company name nowhere in site! To say my new business suffered as a result of my lack of knowledge is an understatement.

Just recently I have started a new company offering a different kind of event service and one, which I feel, is more suited to my likes and talents. And I decided this time around I was definitely going to do things a little bit different when it came time to creating my website. This time I decided that I was going to put some real energy and time into learning how to get traffic for my site.

I knew I needed to get the attention of those big bad search engines so potential clients could find my company website...But how?

Unfortunately I didn't have a clue as to where to begin or what I needed to know.  Although I had seen words like SEO, page ranking, and back links tossed around on different sites and knew they were a clue to a successful site I had no idea what they meant or how important understanding them was to getting visitor traffic for my site. What did it mean to optimize a website? Or what were keywords? And how did they affect my ranking? What did it mean when a search engine "crawled" your site?? I was absolutely lost!

My lack of "know how" seriously worried me and what where the chances of my web site's success when I was competing for a spot with countless numbers of event related business sites already on the web: wedding planners, event planners, event vendors, event production companies, vendor referral services and more. How could my little site when thrown in among all those hundreds and hundreds of other sites going to be noticed by anyone if it was always listed on page thirty or forty or even page fifty of a Google or Yahoo search.

I definitely felt a serious panic attack coming on!

Since I didn't have the money to hire one of those high price Internet marketing companies to help me with my site I begin to do the only thing I could do and that was to educate myself. I researched web site after site on event planning businesses, web design and promotion. I read everything I could find and I mean I read everything. I was not going to post a site this time around and set back and hope that clients would miraculously find my site.

Well, to make a long story short I've learned a lot in recent months about the business of web site design, marketing and promotion and I understand even more than when starting out just how complicated and confusing trying to create and maintain a successful site can be. And believe me I now know that creating a successful site is not an easy task to accomplish and even more so if you're doing it without the help of skilled professionals. But I think it can be done.

So for you all newbies faced with the seemingly daunting task of creating a successful website, or to put it another way a site with lots of visitors, allow me to alleviate some of your anxiety about this challenge by sharing some simple yet important beginners advice.

Just because you put a web site up doesn't mean anyone will visit it.

You have to realize that there are thousands and thousands and thousands of websites out there so you need to work like the devil to get the search engines to notice you. You'll never get much business if your site is always on page thirty of a client's Goggle Search.

Just listing your company name on an Event or Wedding site along with the hundreds and hundreds of other names doesn't automatically bring clients to your web site or lead to paying clients.

On many of these sites unless you put out some cash for top placement you'll be listed with hundreds of other vendors and unfortunately if you're not on one of the first few pages most potential clients will search no further than page one or two and so they'll never see your listing. You'll most likely be waiting by a phone that never rings.

So how do you get noticed... how do you set yourself apart from all those other hundreds of companies on the web...It may seem like a losing battle but you just need to start at the beginning and go from there. First things first.

Learn everything you can about web design and site promotion.

Long gone are the days when you could put up a site and just sit back and you'd get visitors. There are way too many sites now.

When you begin the process of planning your website to use as a marketing tool learn everything you can about the how to make your website work for you. Learn everything you can about how to best design your site for those pesky search engines and understand the process of how to promote it.

Research, read and learn everything you can about not only the business you are in but also website design, development and promotion by attending seminars, going to networking groups, and finding and learning from on line information sources.

Understand that your site is your business calling card.

Don't just throw up a site. Your site speaks for you. It's got to say I'm a professional and this is what I can do for you. If you can't pay for a professional web site designer there are sites that help novices like I was to create a simple yet professional site. Or put out an ad to design schools with talented students who have knowledge of how to design a search engine friendly site.

Don't put up a site that you're not proud of. If a client goes to your site and it's a mess with graphics placed anywhere, or tons of different fonts or misspelled text or one that's designed so poorly the client can't figure out how to navigate from one of your pages to another I can tell you that as a client I wouldn't be looking at your site for very long and I certainly wouldn't be inclined to do business with your company. And you can pretty much bet no one else will either.

Learn everything you can about SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

This is critical to the success of your site. There's loads of free information on line. Just do some research and be aware that the information is out there just be determined and keep learning everything you can.

So to reiterate: For all you website newbies who want a website that helps sell your company; be aware of how absolutely critical it is that you have a knowledge of web design and web marketing, how important it is to your survival and how this knowledge or lack of can mean the difference between a profitable or a non existent company

Remember if you want a starring role you want to see your company name in lights you've got to study your lines, understand your character and audition every chance you get. In other words learn everything you can about the business of promoting your company, learn the business of web design and promotion and take every opportunity to promote your company by making your website the ultimate salesperson.

Gail Wise

South African Function and Event Venues


Thanks to its great weather and natural beauty South Africa has become a major international function venue for corporate and special events as well as celebrity weddings. The most well known function areas are situated around the major metropolitan areas of Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria as they not only provide access via their world class airports and harbours, but can also provide world class hospitality services such as catering, local transport and events tents rental.

Venues by region

Some of the top special events and wedding venues by in South Africa can be listed by geographical region and provide some of the most memorable function locations in the world. These are some of the more popular ones:

Pretoria

Mokoya Lodge, Wedding & Conference Centre

The Mokoya Lodge is situated at the feet of the majestic Magaliesberg mountains and provides an enchanting bushveld venue near Hekpoort. It is the perfect venue for any type of special function and is specifically suitable as a wedding venue.

Cocomo Conference Centre & Function Venue

The Cocomo is a luxury Boutique Hotel situated in Ifafi near Hartbeespoort Dam. The setting is tranquil to the extreme and offers an exotic island within the wolds of Africa. This venue is stylish, exclusive and perfect for ant special event.

Cape Town

The Royal Cape Yacht Club

One of the most well known function venues in Cape Town, the Royal Cape Yacht Club offers customers looking for that little something different venue the chance to enjoy Cape Town at its finest. It is situated at the Small Craft in Basin Duncan Road at the Table Bay Harbour.

Chapmans Peak Beach Hotel

Located on Chapmans Peak Drive in Hout Bay, Cape Town the Chapmans Peak Beach Hotel and Banqueting facility is a firm function favourite in the Mother City thanks to its unique location and staff known for their creativity.

Johannesburg

Vilamoura

Situated in the exclusive Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg, this venue exudes tranquility and splendour. It is built to revitalising ones senses and tantalise a persons desire of exploration. This venue is well suited as a corporate or product launch or wedding venue.

TSG 4 Ways

TSG is situated in Fourways, Johannesburg and offers patrons versatility and is the perfect quickly organized part and function venue. It is extremely flexible and can cater for almost any specific need.

Durban

Rain Farm Game and Lodge

Located on Esenembe Road in Umhlali (near the coastal holiday resort of Ballito) this game lodge offer visitors a slice of tropical Kwa-Zulu Natal tropical splendor. It is the perfect conference or corporate getaway and also provides full wedding and special events programs.

The Windmills

The Windmills can be found near Mount West on Curry's Post Road in the Natal Midlands. It is the perfect country retreat and has easy access to and from a major highway for ease of access.

Understanding the Pros and Cons of Event Planner Services


It is common for a company to have a variety of events throughout the course of year. These are scheduled to recognize important occasions, to help honor sponsors, to reveal brands, or to acknowledge the hard work that the company's associates place in their jobs every year.

Irrespective of the aim of your events, it's vital that they run as smooth as possible to assist the honored guests feel appreciated and not burdened by the altering plans of poor event organization. It is the importance placed on the detail of the execution of these events that inspire many organizations to turn to the professional services of an experienced event planner. Professional planners place a lot of importance to the finer details of the execution and this makes many firms to hire them to organize the corporate events conducted by them.

Once you make use of these planner to run your corporate event you'll find out that there are a number of benefits that are associated with cashing in on their planner services. The primary profit you'll find out with a professional event planner is that you are using a person who person that has the expertise and the information needed to predict all the wants your event will need to be run successfully.

The second advantage you'll discover with a professional planner is that you're using a person who is closely acquainted with the event planning market, therefore permitting you to have an correct idea of the budget required for your event. A 3rd benefit that is associated with the use of an event planner is found with having an individual who has well-known resources in the planning industry helping you get the best value from your event at prices that you'd be unable to capture without an expert event organizer.

After all all of those positives will be flipped to negatives when you do not look for the professional services of an event organizer and instead look in-house towards the inexperience of an associate. An individual with no event organizer expertise can be uninformed of the dangers that often disclose themselves during the event planner process, resulting in negative aspects of your event.

Additionally, an inexperienced event organizer can not be aware of the numerous aspects included in the event planner process so opening the door for dangerous budget estimations and a high expense event. Finally, an inexperienced event organizer does not have any connections within the event planner industry that leaves them open to being fully charged for event services and unaware of any cash saving opportunities.

Event Registration Software: An Enhanced Platform for Event Management


Organizing events require a number of tasks to be handled simultaneously like dealing with administrative workload; also engaging in extensive promotional activities and driving maximum number of participants. This job when undertaken manually becomes a mammoth for most organizers. Here comes the essence of the Cloud-based online event registration software that helps in logical synchronization of all events related administrative tasks thereby streamlining it in the most effective manner.

This article briefly discusses about how event registration software is providing a better platform for event management.

Reduces Back Office Workload and Data Loss

Undertaking manual collection of registration forms and ensuring subsequent data transfers not only meant enormous back office workload but also higher probabilities of data loss and human errors, especially in terms of data entry on spreadsheets. For organizers it also meant a lot of additional expenses as this required hiring administrative staffs to execute such activities. This extensive process often led to delay in completing the event registration process. The introduction of online event registration software has however brought about a complete transformation. It is a 'Software as a Service' operating on a Cloud computing interface and automates the entire work flow; from event registration to creation, submission and procession, hence resulting in reduced chances of data loss.

Proper Fund Management

In a manual system, misplacement of funds and accounting discrepancies was a common phenomenon. This led to chaos; thus hampering the entire process of event planning. Moreover, as the payments were mostly made by paper checks so its clearance was a time consuming process often extending to days or weeks at a time. This drawback is taken care of once you resort to the web based event registration solution. Additionally, the rate of bouncing checks is mineralized greatly. The platform comes with an embedded payment management system that mechanizes the entire process of accepting funds. The process is not only instant but also convenient for organizers as well as the registrants as it encourages fund transfers either via credit/debit cards or standard payment gateways like PayPal. Additionally the service also allows organizers to have a merchant account of their own to accept payments directly.

Error Free Real Time Reporting

To quantify the success rate of your events, you must resort to error-free reporting. Initially all event reports related to attendee presence, ticket sales, etc. had to be handled manually, which did not allow event organizers to maintain data with sufficient transparency. The Cloud-based registration software however permits organizers to efficiently maintain data on a real time basis via various web based formats. It also authorizes automatic database up-gradation. As an event organizer, one can retrieve or download any of these data as and when necessary.

Unparalleled Promotional Activities

Promotional activities via this smart, web based solution help your event to get better exposure. This is because the software facilitates organizers with a social media connector tool which helps in easy integration with various social media platforms. Such promotion is beneficial to the organizers in two ways; first, it offsets the cost incurred on various printed form of advertisements; second, it helps organizers to connect and convey their message to a larger group of audience.

This is how the online event registration software makes your event management experience so much more fun filled and exciting.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Insider Tips to Help You Ace Your Event Planning Courses


Event planning courses will help you find your way in this emerging industry, which is in constant flux, but it is a good idea to also pay careful attention to the event management trends that are developing around you as you pursue your studies.

1. Relieve guest anxiety. Tell them where to sit.

Assigning seating at formal events can help graduates of event planning courses make event guests feel comfortable quickly.

Learning how to draft seating plans in your event planning courses will serve you well the length of your career. It is an old tradition that is being revived for good reason.

2. Hone your social media skills.

There is a new wedding trend in town, so new that it might not be mentioned yet in the textbooks for your event planning courses: tweddings! Tweddings are weddings that are broadcast on Twitter.

Although you may not learn about the many ways to use Twitter in your event planning courses, you can do your own research and bring that knowledge into the projects you carry out for school.

Ways graduates of event planner courses are currently using Twitter include:

  • encouraging guests to take photographs of your events with their cellphones for uploading

  • having guests vote on d矇cor, meal plan, music, etc., over Twitter

  • some graduates of event planner courses go so far as to have a bride or groom pull out their phone during the ceremony to update their virtual guests on their marital status

  • One UK couple lost their wedding deposit when the venue they had arranged closed without warning just weeks before they were due to tie the knot. They sent out an SOS on Twitter and photographers, etc., came forward, willing to offer their services for free. Who knows, maybe there was a graduate of event planner courses in the bunch!

The etiquette regarding tweeting and social events is still in development. There has been debate lately about the practice, for instance, of tweeting during theatrical productions. Some theatre companies have embraced this practice as free promotion; others view it as disruptive. In the future, one can expect that social media etiquette will form a module in most event planning courses.

As anyone enrolled in event management courses knows, this is a young industry that is undergoing rapid change.

3. Keep up with photographic trends.

There is a trend towards more realistic, less seemingly staged wedding photos, as evidence by the new practice of catching on film that first moment when a groom lays eyes on his bride on their special day. Impress your fellow students in your event planning courses by referring with ease to the new "first look" tradition.

4. Make a notebook of all your coolest tips.

As you pursue your event planning courses, you are going to come across a million great ideas. Get into the practice of writing them down in one place, whether:

  • a reminder that bird seed is a more environmentally friendly option than confetti

  • some resourceful graduates of event planning courses are expanding the ranges of services they offer: there is a new trend, for instance, towards proposal planning services. Wedding planners can be "engaged" (pun intended) to help the besotted stage the proposal of their dreams.

Keep your eyes and ears open. By the time you graduate from your event planning courses, you should have a host of good ideas to share with your clients.

Will Group Facilitation Improve the Management of Outsourced Talent?


No two groups function the same - this common piece of wisdom is on display every day in business environments. While some groups have members whose strengths and weaknesses perfectly complement one another, most groups are less harmonious and are unable to work together efficiently. Organizational leaders justify spending money to improve the way a group functions because the ability of a group to work together as a team is critical to the company's success. One great way to do this is through a process called group facilitation. This process aims to improve the way employees, organizational leaders, and consultants work together to tackle problems. An additional resource that helps improve group functionality is consulting skills training, which helps the organization's consultants do a better job of understanding the organization's needs and working with employees to identify and implement new strategies. This article will take a look at the two processes and explain how each one helps the organization foster group harmony.

Group Facilitation

This type of facilitation aims to help members of a group work together more effectively. One way to do this is by making it easier for thoughtful discourse to take place. A group facilitation expert will create an agenda before a gathering so that he or she can guide the group to discussing specific topics that are important to the company's success. When managing a group, the facilitator will also need to manage the individuals. He or she must make sure that one individual is not dominating the conversation by asking for input from individuals who are too shy to volunteer opinions on their own. Additionally, the group facilitation specialist will have to work through personality conflicts by giving each affected individual a chance to speak and suggest ways to work past personal conflicts without injecting personal bias into the mediation process. By managing the individuals within the group, the group facilitation expert will improve that group's ability to function at a high level moving forward.

Consulting Skills Training

When companies need advice or want to develop strategies by gaining an outside perspective, they will bring in a consultant. A consultant who has gone through consulting skills training will: be better prepared to set and manage expectations, communicate effectively with team members, and deal with setting targets. Consultants also learn how to more effectively communicate with clients, by learning how to deal with resistance from clients and even how to give feedback to employees. Since the most important factor in teamwork is effective communication, companies will find that teams composed of employees and consultants work together more efficiently when consultants have completed consulting skills training.

An efficient team is a competitive advantage for a company, even if that team is made up of a combination of employees and consultants. Investing in employees by providing them with group facilitation, and investing in consultants with consulting skills training will help these groups be more productive. Organizations that want employees to work well together and be more productive should reach out to a leadership training organization for facilitation and training options.

Ensure That Your Corporate Events Are Arranged Flawlessly - Select the Right Venue


Corporate events are extremely important because there is usually a lot riding on them. The image that a company portrays depends on the kind of events it organizes to a large extent. If you have been entrusted with the task organizing corporate functions such as breakfast meetings then you have to proceed with a lot of caution so that you are absolutely sure that nothing goes wrong.

One of the first things you have to ensure is that the place you select for breakfast meetings has the kind of image that adds to your company's reputation. You cannot organize events at a shabby place because that will reflect badly on your company as well. The place that you select should also be able to accommodate your group properly. It needs to be very flexible in its seating arrangements especially if you require space for meetings as well as parties.

Most corporate functions involve the use of audio-visual equipment because presentations are a part of the event. Make sure that any venue you select can provide you with the equipment you require and that the equipment is of the best possible quality so that there is no chance of anything going wrong at the time of the event. The catering that the venue provides is also extremely important because your guests will have certain expectations and your company will have an image to live up to. All arrangements will have to be done on time so that there is no cause for complaints of any sort.

There are certain places that have well trained employees who will go to great lengths in order to ensure that your event goes off well. These employees bring a great deal of enthusiasm to all the work they do and they make a great deal of difference to how your function is organized. Your budget is also very important and you should try to find a place where your corporate events can be organized at reasonable rates. It does not make sense to make your decision solely upon price because this can result in lower quality and increased mistakes, which you can hardly afford because of the importance of the events.

It helps if a trusted source tells you about a really good place where you can conduct your events such as press conferences, dealer meetings and the like because you can then save a great deal of time searching for one.

Event Planning - How Specific Your Plan Should Be


Event planning might be an interesting work to do but it requires hard work, determination and responsibility. There are some rules that should be followed to make your event planning successful. When ever you plan or arrange any event the first thing you should keep in mind that there are certain limits for every kind of event. You might tend to get more color and glamour into a wedding reception or a cruise party but if you plan a business meeting in the same pattern, you would make a disaster. In the same way a child's birthday party does not require a musical band or a DJ. So there are some specific lines for every kind of event which you must follow.

Time: always consider the category of the event before planning further. Usually business meetings are arranged in day time so if you are given the task to arrange a business meeting or any official event keep the day time in mind and plan accordingly and in the same way if you are planning for a birthday party for a child, the time should be early evening. For dance parties and cocktail dinners you need to make arrangements at evening till the function lasts. So there is requirement to be specified about time for any sort of event planning.

Venue: like time the venue is also specified for different sort of events. For example if you are arranging a wedding reception, you need to keep this point in mind that people from every age group are going to attend the party so the place should be comfortable for every one. All the guests can easily arrive on the venue by time.

Food: again about choosing the food the theme and type of the event should be considered. You can not serve fast food or casual food in official meetings as it would spoil the decorum of the event. You need to know what sort of the event is being arranged and how many guests are coming to attend so you can arrange for a good menu.

D矇cor: of course you have to be particular about d矇cor of the event; you need to arrange props and seating arrangements according to the type of the event.

These all things are considered while event planning and you have to be specific in these things when you plan any event because these all points create a difference between a common person and a professional event planner.

Business Continuity Planning When Dealing With Climate Controlled Goods


If you transport goods which need refrigeration storage equipment, it is essential that you have a business continuity plan in place. Without this it is a possibility that your company could lose sales, money, customers and reputation.

Consider, for example, the recent problems caused in Europe by the volcanic ash cloud. Air traffic was grounded and delayed for a number of weeks and the impact was dramatic. Companies which needed to transport climate controlled containers in Europe had to think of alternative ways to move goods around.

Many temperature-sensitive items such as pharmaceuticals, for example, must be strictly kept at a very specific temperature, otherwise they may become less useful which can have a significant impact on finances as well as reputation, not to mention of course potentially on people's health.

Although air transport is the fastest method of getting temperature controlled products from one place to another, as the above scenario demonstrates, there are instances where this may not be possible and there absolutely has to be a contingency plan in place and alternative, sustainable methods of transportation are essential to consider.

Temperature controlled containers, such as pharmaceutical cold stores, are purpose-designed and built to transport high-value products which must be stored at a specific temperature. Examples include vaccines and other drugs. The climate controlled containers are made from refrigerated containers which have been modified. This means that the cold store can easily be shipped anywhere in the world.

For added peace of mind, you are able to monitor the temperature in your climate controlled units remotely.

This is absolutely essential as any change in temperature can spoil products. The remote monitoring systems mean that you can log in via the internet and ensure your products are still being stored in exactly the right conditions.

It is also essential that you have a back-up in place for your refrigeration system. When high-value items like pharmaceuticals and vaccines are being transported, it is advisable to use two independent refrigeration systems. This means that in the unlikely event that one should fail, the other Plan B refrigerator will kick in, so that, crucially, there is no break in refrigeration.

When choosing the company that will provide your refrigeration containers, it is advisable to work with a firm which specialises in shipping containers and also which has experience in your particular industry, such as pharmaceuticals.

If there was another event such as the volcanic ash cloud, do you have a contingency plan in place? Is your method of transporting climate-controlled items sustainable? If not, now is a good time to get a plan in place and avoid disaster.

Hire an Event Planner and Hair and Makeup Artist For Better Photos


That's right. You want amazing pictures on your wedding day, hire a great photographer. You want even BETTER and more amazing photos on your wedding day, hire a great photographer, event planner and hair and makeup artist! Believe it or not, these other two experts are almost as important to your photos as the photographer you choose (as much as I hate to admit it).

As photographers, we can only do so much. We certainly wish we could do it all for you, but the reality is that we're limited to taking amazing shots with creative angles, showing your best side and capturing all the excitement and joy that you and your fiance share on your wedding day. We can't eliminate the stress that goes along with worrying about all the little details, and we certainly can't create an amazing hairstyle or do your makeup. But we can tell you from experience that if you're feeling stressed out because you're worrying about all the little details, your makeup is melting away and/or your hair is frizzing, that's what you're going to notice in your pictures. And unfortunately, those tend to be the things that catch your attention in the pictures after-the-fact. That is why I recommend these other two experts that CAN eliminate those distractions. Need a few more reasons?

• A professional hair and makeup artist is trained not only to ensure you look your best, but understands classic looks versus the trends, and can help you balance the two. The result is a timeless elegance so years from now you don't look back at your pictures and think "what was I thinking - I look like got married in 2010!"

• Professional makeup artists are experts at applying product to show up in photos without making you look overly done. You won't get the cake-like feeling and you'll look flawless (in person and in your images). Many do-it-yourself brides don't wear enough makeup and look washed out once that white dress goes on.

• Hair artists will work with you to style your mane in a way that's comfortable and lasting. You can decide whether you want to have your photos taken before or after your ceremony without worrying if your hairstyle will hold up until later.

• Event planners are trained to work with your photographer to keep you on a timeline that allows ample time to hit multiple locations and get in all the important people and shots that you want.

• Despite the best-laid plans, things inevitably come up. Experienced event planners have seen it all and can "fix-it-all."Pollen stain on your dress from your flowers? No problem - your event planner can help you clean it up, eliminating both the stain and the worry lines on your forehead. Stress is visible and shows up in pictures but if you have nothing to stress about, you'll simply be enjoying yourself and that will shine through.

• Locating and keeping tabs on all the important people you want in photos takes time, and event planners are also great at corralling wayward family, friends and guests to ensure they are ready to go when needed. Think about it - you're spending thousands of dollars on your wedding (and probably spending a chunk of the budget on your photos). Since the images are the only thing you'll have after the day is over, consider the extra money spent on an event planner and hair and makeup artists as an investment in your photography.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Top 6 Advantages of Using Secure Online Payment Management Solution for Your Events


Whether you are running a "Fortune 500 Company" or a small business, the online payment management solution lets you collect payments, settle transactions, handle refunds, and manage chargeback in the most effective way. Besides, this online solution offers easy credit card processing for any type of events (conferences, meetings, seminars, business dinners, and more). Thus, the online payment management software makes it easy for you to collect money for your fundraisers or similar other programs.

The top 6 advantages of adhering to a web-based payment management solution are given below:

No Hidden Cost Involved

Managing your monetary transactions with payment management software is an extremely cost-effective procedure. To use this online payment management solution, you don't need to pay any extra money!

Accept Different Forms of Payment

This Cloud-based solution enables you to accept payments via credit cards, such as MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, and so on. You can even allow your attendees to send you cash via different popular payment gateways, such as VeriSign, PayPal Payflow Pro, PayPal Express, CyberSource, and Authorize.net.

Easy Credit Card Processing

Credit card processing can be made easy by using the Cloud-based payment management solution. Your event attendees can send you donations as well as registration fees in real time by simply using their credit cards. Easy credit card processing benefits both the parties - event planners can quickly receive money, while the registrants can easily send you ticket prices, registration fees, and donations.

Offers Easy and Secure Ways to Send and Receive Money

This PCI-compliant solution is highly secure, as it eliminates the chance of any form of financial fraud. Hence, your hard-earned money gets transferred to the organizer quite safely. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is formed to make sure all organizations that "process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment."

Offers Merchant Accounting Service

Event organizers can utilize "Use Your Own Merchant Account" (UYOMA) service for gathering online credit card payments through their own online merchant account. The UYOMA service lets you effortlessly generate, activate, and uphold your own merchant accounts. When an event organizer uses this service, it means potential participants can deposit the required fees to the user's account at their convenience. The UYOMA service also allows organizers to easily process cancellations and refunds, when needed.

Manages All Back-end Administrative Payment Functions

The payment management software will help you make changes to your different events ticket price, category, and such other features. You can also easily prepare a range of online reports concerning ticket sales, total amount of registration fees collected, payments reconciliation, and so on.

Event Planning Careers - What It Takes To Be Successful


While the recession may be viewed negatively, now is also the perfect time to branch out on your own if you have the entrepreneurial spirit. Many major companies were started during recessions. Whether you are currently employed but are not getting any fulfillment from your job or you are unemployed, whatever your situation, event planning careers are a growing sector and this is the perfect career choice for the right individual.

Event Planning Careers

This industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with enormous growth potential which also makes this one of the best home based businesses if you are interested in being able to work from home while also being there for your family. Event planning careers can allow the right individual to be able to match or exceed their previous income and being your own boss is another of the positives.

This industry has enormous growth potential because people, corporations, etc, need events planned every year recession or no recession, which makes this a wonderful opportunity. You can specialize with certain event planning jobs such as corporate events, weddings, kids birthday parties, baby showers, etc, or you can perform various events.

With event planning careers, you cannot go wrong if you have a good reputation in the industry which will allow you to enjoy the lucrative financial rewards in addition to being able to enjoy what you do in this exciting field.

Event Planning - Keys To Success

1. You need to be able to strategically evaluate things. To keep from being overwhelmed with an event, you need to be able to break things down to small tasks until you accomplish everything you need to get done. One thing to remember with successful event planning is that nothing ever goes according to plan but a plan is still necessary but you need to be able to adapt when things go wrong without getting overwhelmed and giving up.

Remember that your reputation is on the line and you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done and to satisfy the client and the attendees. Good word of mouth is the difference between success and failure with event planning careers. Have a backup plan if things don't work out the way they are supposed to and have a backup to your backup pla! For instance, if you are planning an outdoor wedding, weather can change even the best plans so you need to have a contingency plan if rain occurs on the wedding day that will still ensure a successful wedding despite a change being made to accommodate the weather.

2. When you are planning an event, think on a large and small scale. How do you want people to respond to the event you are organizing? Do you want the attendees to socialize or network, have fun, purchase items, donate, get educated about something, etc? With the goal in mind, you can determine how best to execute the event from the decorations, food, drinks, music to the overall theme. What is your intention with the event? Once you answer this question, you can then get down to the details of planning the event.

3. With event planning careers, a successful event planner has to think of the big items and well as small details. It's usually the small details that can derail an event and not the big stuff. Don't think that no one will notice that the flowers look a little wilted, the restrooms do not have enough paper towels, etc. If mishaps or accidents occur as they usually do with most events, you need to remain calm and provide a solution.

4. Some of the most important factors about an event are food and entertainment as well as the overall look of the venue. You need to make sure that the food is good. Bad food will leave people talking. The entertainment will need to set the mood so plan accordingly as there are many entertainment options to choose from. When using music, make sure that it is very appropriate for the event and the attendees. Consider the decorations and how someone else may view them. Do they elevate the venue or do they look cheap and tacky?

5. If it is a fundraising event or an event featuring items for sale, you need to set the atmosphere so that it is conducive to money changing hands. Items to consider include ensuring that the lighting is soft, that the music level is not too loud so that announcements can be easily heard over the music, etc.

Wedding Decorating Ideas Using White Wedding Decor


As a wedding event planner, it is always fun to unexpectedly come across a wedding or special event being set up. Recently, I was traveling in Spain and our hotel had one of the most beautiful outdoor wedding locations I had ever seen. I saw that they were hosting this wedding using white wedding decor which of course sparked the idea for this blog that describes various wedding decorating ideas.

First let's discuss outdoor wedding locations and why this site in particular stood out as one of the prettiest I have ever seen. Situated on the Mediterranean, the St. Regis Resort has a stunning view of the ocean from their large lawn where the wedding was held. They also have a path with bougainvillea archways that is beautiful for bride and groom pictures.

Other wonderful hotel features in respect to fabulous outdoor wedding locations is the grand patio where cocktails were held. This terrace is located just off of the main bar of the hotel and is beautifully furnished with outdoor furniture. Therefore, you can save some money and not bring in any of your own furniture.

Finally, as a wedding event planner, I felt completely at ease speaking with the catering department as they were setting up the event, and I got the sense that the hotel is very accommodating and understands the task at hand in making the wedding day special for the bride and groom. In addition, the food and service I experienced at the hotel were among the best I have had at any hotel.

Now for some wedding decorating ideas I picked up while watching the hotel set up the white wedding decor for this wedding.

* Use smaller tents and put them together creating individual spaces or rooms versus one large tent. Plus the bonus of using smaller tents is that you can leave off one corner and create an outside lounge or dancing area.

* Keep costs down with your lounge by using just votive candles on the coffee tables or simple white Cymbidium orchids in votive glasses.

As a wedding event planner, I really liked the idea that they used sand as filler for the flower vase instead of colored glass or rocks. This is a great white wedding decor idea incorporating the location with the wedding.

Other wedding decorating ideas include:

* Use different types of flowers and vases on the tables for an eclectic look and a contrasting color such as black for an accent color.

* Cover the chairs with white chair covers to give a clean and uniform style to the event.

* Bring in some fun decor pieces like these 2' diameter-sized large round candle holders and intersperse them around the reception area.

I hope you found these wedding decorating ideas interesting and can possibly incorporate them with your white wedding decor. As I mentioned above, the hotel in Mardavall was spectacular and I would consider one of the prettiest outdoor wedding locations I have seen. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, delicious, stylish, fun & economical to all!

Your Main Purpose As a Wedding Planner


Ever wonder what a wedding planner REALLY does?

Most people rely on movies like "The Wedding Planner" to form their definition of a typical wedding planner. For the most part, J.Lo as a headset wearing ''star of the show'' is fantasy when it comes to being a wedding planner. Unlike Matthew and Bridget's unlimited budget, you will be hired for your budgeting skills. But your bride will be stressed and this is where you DO shine. You will be called upon and hired or not hired based on your abilities to perform under pressure, like there is no pressure. Learning your role in brides' and grooms' weddings is the first piece of the wedding planning puzzle. Below is a list of the 3 most recognized service selections your clients have to choose from. We refer to these as ''packages.'' However, I am here to tell you, if you want to excel past the cookie cutter wedding planner, then it is up to YOU to define these packages by adding your own pizazz to your unique services.

Wedding Planner - def (n)

A person who creates magic, pulls answers out of hat, and performs a flawless wedding (without sweating).

There are many services a wedding planner can provide to a bride. Depending on the bride's needs and personality, it is up to the wedding planner to service her client's needs. Not only is it important to meet the client's expectations, but exceeding their expectations will enhance your referrals to help you find your next client.

Full Service Planner

A full service planner is able to really help the bride from literally the beginning to the end of her planning. From the moment the groom pops the question the bride comes into the planner's office to begin the journey. This bride is often new to the area, gets overwhelmed easily, doesn't like to make decisions, or is very busy in her career or education. A planner's main responsibility is to be the representative for the family and keep communication lines open amongst all parties involved. Becoming the mediator is often a crucial role in this phase of the planning process.

Main Responsibilities of a Full Service Planner:

oSet budget (stay on budget throughout the planning process)

oFind reception/ceremony location

oBook vendors (photographer, videographer, florist, entertainment)

oNegotiate pricing for all vendors involved

oCreate personal d矇cor style for bride/groom

oCreate vendor timeline/bridal party timeline

oAttend all meetings

oOrchestrate the rehearsal and wedding day

oPersonal assistant to family

oFollow up with miscellaneous tasks post-wedding

Partial Planner

This is the most popular program wedding planners can offer to their clients. Brides will come into the appointment with some of the choices already made, but would like professional guidance in the midst of the planning process. Brides think they can do it all themselves only to find frustration and an endless list of things to do hence, why they turn it over to a planner. This type of bride likes to have the final say in the decision making process, but wants a professional opinion each step of the way.

Main Responsibilities of a Partial Planner:

oCollect all information/contracts from client

oEvaluate the budget

oMeet all family members involved in the planning process

oCreate road map/set goals for each month with client

oBook remainder vendors

oNegotiate pricing when available

oPersonal D矇cor (upgrade program)

oCreate vendor timeline/bridal party timeline

oAttend final catering meeting

oOrchestrate the rehearsal and wedding day

oPersonal assistant to family

oFollow up with miscellaneous tasks post-wedding

Day of Planner

A Day Of Planner is someone who comes in and picks up all the pieces (often referred to as the personal assistant to the family or the manager of the overall wedding). The main responsibility of a day of planner is to ensure the plan the bride and her family has created runs smoothly according to their expectations. Reception d矇cor and ceremony timing is crucial the day of the wedding. The most important piece of the puzzle is to make sure the vendors are directed in the right place at the right time along with the bridal party. The timeline is the heart of the event. Without a solid timeline, people will not know where to go and when they are to report. A day of planner is only as good as her timeline. 5 minutes off the time of the wedding day, means tough filet mignon in the hotbox. This is often referred to as "Game Day."

Main responsibilities of a Day of Planner:

oCreate timeline

oCall all vendors to check arrival time and location

oPunch out meeting with bride and groom (collect personal items)

oGet help

oAssign staff with bride (assist in getting dressed)

oAssign staff for reception d矇cor (implement plan)

oOverall manager for family

oOrchestrate rehearsal and wedding day

oFollow up with miscellaneous tasks post-wedding

There are three main services a wedding planner can provide: full service, partial, or day of planner. Knowing which type of service the client is seeking will help define the type of program to sell her. Each client is unique and some programs might have to be customized to fit her needs. Remember, the bride is the client you are the director. It is up to the director to guide the client into the right program to suit her needs.

Event Planning - Considering It As a Career Choice


Event planning as a career is relatively new. This trend of paying professionals to plan, organize and execute all kinds of events ranging from a simple birthday party to an election campaign has been a recent phenomenon. More people are realizing the value in investing in an events planner to relieve them of unnecessary pressure and stress normally associated with planning an event so they can attend their own events and actually enjoy them.

For someone considering events planning as a career, it would be important for the person to be highly efficient, creative, well-organized, and detail-oriented and have a lot of people skills. Physical stamina would also be a major consideration as they will be working long hours and doing quite a lot of physical activities like carrying and moving things around. They also need to be able to handle pressure and also be able to react quickly to all kinds of emergencies.

Some activities that an event planner would be involved in would be looking for venues, talking to caterers, florists, entertainers, printers, and other suppliers, designing invitations, fliers, programs, menus and other printed materials, developing themes and motifs, identifying possible speakers, lecturers, hosts for events, scheduling and coordinating deliveries, making travel arrangements and booking accommodations when needed, creating guest lists and seating arrangements, and even arranging marketing and advertising for certain kinds of events.

There are several ways to get into this field of work. One can apprentice with a professional planner and learn the ropes and work your way up the ladder or one can also volunteer to organize parties and fundraisers to get experience and develop a network of suppliers and contacts in the business. A degree in hotel and restaurant administration, public relations or hospitality management would be an enormous advantage as well.

There is still no formal training program for event planning but a person determined to make a career of it and has the all the required skills, character and stamina for the job could make a successful living in this field. A passion for organizing, a skill for handling all kinds of people, and an almost obsessive attention to detail would be all you need to start you off in this potentially rewarding and fulfilling career.

Event Backdrops - Not Just a Square Design


Backdrops can be used in many different event designs. For an upcoming event planning article on backdrop rentals, I considered what tasks and requirements event planners have when decorating an event. We are very fortunate to know many planners that have warehouses full of unique decorations that complement events and we are amazed with how they creatively use backdrops as one aspect of the decor. Whether the venue has a stage or just an unsightly wall that hinders the ambiance of the event, planners have been using backdrops as room sets successfully.

For example, I think of Progressive Events and how they utilized just a section of the black and white abstract backdrop. Before seeing many pictures of how event planners utilize backdrops, I imagined that backdrops were used in a square space, like a stage. With sharp corners, I considered a backdrop as a very large, square frame. Progressive Events' creative use of the abstract backdrop, encouraged me to expand my scope of backdrops and design. They used a portion of the backdrop to create a circular design with white columns to shape the view of the backdrop and to satisfy a clients desire for a more unique look. This created not only a visual space, but also a practical space for attendees to sit. And though I am not surprised by the creativity trait in event planners, I am often amazed by the impact of a creative design. What unique ways have you implemented backdrops in your events? How have you utilized decor in small venues?

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

How to Write a Good Business Plan During a Bad Recession


How one writes a business plan in recessionary economy works differently. One needs to approach the task from a different perspective. And one must make special efforts to avoid errors that in a good economy one would conveniently get away with.

Fortunately, one can do several simple things to write a better, more realistic plan in a recession:

Recession Business Planning Idea #1: De-grandiose-ize the Plan

In a frothy economy, one can find it easy to get over-excited about an opportunity or venture. And, in a sense, that's may be good. Excitement, optimism and confidence can be contagious. If the entrepreneur or management team displays, say, excitement and confidence, those feelings can infect - in a good way - the perception of customers, vendors, investors, lenders, and employees.

In recession, however, probably one wants to be more cautious for a couple of reasons: First of all, in a sputtering or shrinking economy, one will have more trouble selling. Period. Customers and clients spend less on everything. And this "less cash for purchases" will particularly affect non-essential purchasing.

A second factor relates to the "less money for everything" issue: With fewer dollars to spend, customers and clients will logically require more time for and exercise more caution about their purchases. In other words, even if some customer does choose ultimately to buy a product, the customer may take six months longer to make the decision.

Recession Business Planning Idea #2: Focus on Cash Operating Profits

In a recession, businesses need to focus their planning on maximizing cash operating profits.

This admonition sounds, perhaps, a little too obvious. But to make the point here stand out: Many business plans focus too much on the liquidity event... the transaction that allows the entrepreneur to exit the business at some point in the future with a generous financial windfall.

For example, the entrepreneur plan may focus on doing the things perceived necessary to get to an initial public offering. Or managers may optimize some element of the business that in the past, large companies have used to value the small companies they buy. Like top-line sales revenue or customer counts.

When the economy is healthy, dreaming about and planning for "liquidity event" issues may make sense. Focusing on the "liquidity event" issues when major public corporations need government bailouts to make it through the next week is dumb.

Recession Business Planning Idea #3: Strip Out Geometric Growth Rates

Commonly, in business plans, the people forecasting revenue, profits and cash flow use geometric growth rates. In a good economy, one can often get away with an assumption of geometric growth. Maybe. But geometric growth rates don't make sense in a recession.

A geometric growth rate says that some value in the business forecast embedded in the plan grows by a specified percent. For example, the business forecast planned might assume revenues will grow (almost automatically) by 5% a year. Or that inflation will trigger annual (dependable) price adjustments of 3% for the foreseeable future. Or that customer counts will grow (magically) by 10% a year.

Geometric growth rates create exponential growth - and implicitly assume that the business will just always get better and better.

Note: The subprime mortgage meltdown that triggered the current economic crisis stemmed in part from people using geometric growth rates. Investors, lenders and policy makers assumed that home prices would continue to almost automatically, dependably, magically increase...

The alternative to a geometric growth rate is an arithmetic growth rate. With arithmetic growth, you assume that a value grows by a specific value. For example, a retailer assumes that revenues grow by $500,000 each time a new retail location is added.

Arithmetic growth assumptions provide two benefits to the business planner. Arithmetic growth removes exponential growth from the business plan. Arithmetic growth forces the entrepreneur to explain the details of what drives growth.

Recession Business Planning Idea #4: Do Serious Scenario Planning

In a recession - particularly in a recession that looks to be as bad and deep as the current one - the planning process needs to include serious scenario planning.

Scenario planning means redoing the business plan for some crazy, nearly unimaginable event. Like deflation. Or the collapse of an entire industry. Or commodities prices rising or falling to levels not seen in recent history.

Scenario planning delivers two benefits: Thinking the unthinkable should give the entrepreneur the opportunity to avoid some kinds of risks. And thinking the unthinkable - if the worst case occurs - should mean the entrepreneur can more quickly respond to a threat.

A final comment: Scenario planning should not look only at bad scenarios--though that bias may be easy in the current economy. Some of the surprises we see in the coming months will be unimaginably good.

Strategic Planning is a Process Not an Event


Strategic planning is important for any successful organization. Almost every company I have come in contact with has done some form of strategic planning. The formats can vary, but most planning sessions involve bringing in key personnel to help formulate company goals and strategies. Quite often strategic planning becomes an annual event in which managers get together off site and come up with mission statements, long term goals, and strategies to help them get there. They can spend several days coming up with these plans and may even write everything down in notebooks that everyone can leave with and use the rest of the year. The problem that I have seen is that most of these books stay on a shelve all year and when they get back together the next year they find that they are still dealing with the same issues they were the year before.

So what is missing from these plans? Companies do not spend the time and money on these planning sessions with the intention of having them be ineffective. The problem with most of these plans is that they do not leave with any specific actions for people to do now.

Company leaders need to realize that planning is not an event, it is a process. If it is an event, everyone gets fired up over two to three days, but after they are back in the real world they are not doing anything different. In a month or two they cannot even remember what came out of the event.

Strategic planning is not a futile effort; it is just that in most cases companies are neglecting a crucial element. Once companies have developed their goals and strategies they must come up with specific actions that specific people are responsible for within the next thirty days. People commit to completing their assigned tasks before the initial planning session is completed.

Once this is done the other important key in making planning a process is to have scheduled follow up meetings after the initial session. Follow up meetings should be held monthly and consist of reporting on the status of actions committed to in the previous month. Corrective action is agreed upon for actions not completed, and where actions have been completed, new action items are committed to. Experience has shown that the first follow up meeting is a little awkward, but by the second or third follow up everyone gets used to the process.

The result is that things start getting accomplished. People get used to the fact that everyone will be held accountable for the actions that they have committed to. Meetings that used to take several hours with little to show for the time spent are now taking less time with results being seen by all participants. More critical actions are being accomplished and the company is accomplishing their goals.

I have seen companies go from being frustrated that they continually wrestle with the same issues where nothing seems to be getting accomplished to becoming a company that is energized by the fact that they are seeing themselves getting results every month.

Has your company realized that planning is not an event, it is a process?

Where Do Hospitality Management Graduates Work?


If you're thinking about majoring in hospitality management you're probably wondering, "Where do hospitality management graduates work?" The fact is that there are many different careers in the hospitality management field; many of them you probably have never thought of before. The hospitality industry includes everything from movie theatres and museums tours to restaurants and five-star hotels to cruise ships and resorts. Hospitality is the biggest industry in the world, and in many countries it is the main source of income.

If you are going to work in HM you will be responsible for managing a team and ensuring that customers are able to enjoy their leisure time. You will need to get a degree in hospitality first, which you can do at a traditional college campus or an online university. There are certificate programs as well as associates, bachelors and master's degrees that can help you build a career in this industry - it all depends on how far you want to go. Some people are also able to work their way up through the ranks without getting a degree, but this can require many years of very low pay and missed opportunities along the way. Most experts agree it is best to get at least a bachelor's degree and get some experience working entry-level jobs in the industry while you're in school.

The career choices in the HM field are plentiful. You could work as a hotel manager, either managing an entire hotel or managing a department within a very large hotel, which typically requires at least a bachelor's degree in hospitality management or business. Event planning is another popular career choice, which could involve event and public relations planning for everything from weddings and anniversaries to charity events and corporate functions. Other HM careers include work as travel agents, cruise ship directors and managers for restaurants, resorts, spas and other leisure-related businesses.

Hospitality management graduates can find work all over the world or stay close to home. There are career opportunities in tropical locations, major metropolitan centers and quaint country settings - it all depends on where you want your career to take you.

Booking Entertainment For Corporate Events


When you are putting on a corporate event, you need to have some thought over what the entertainment is going to be. Corporate entertainment is one of the cornerstones of a good event and if the entertainment is bad, the event is going to suffer as well. Follow these tips to ensure your corporate event does not suffer:

1. Begin planning the event as early as you can. Entertainers are often booked very early so you want to make sure that if you are planning a corporate entertainment event for the holiday season, you book very early on. You do not want to have to settle with someone who may not be what you want.

2. Instead of booking through agencies, or managers, book directly with the entertainer. That will allow you to save more money and the more money you save, while providing a good event, the more your bosses are going to be happy.

3. Talk with your co-workers to find out what kind of entertainment they want. They may want comedy, music, magic or something completely different. You want to ensure your audience is getting exactly what they want so that they are happy with the event.

4. Find out what kind of experience the performer has and make sure you ask for a demo tape, which will show you their style. When you hire a comedian, you may want to get someone who is more Bill Cosby than Richard Pryor for your event.

5. Find out what is included in the fees that you are paying. Some entertainers will give you a better deal and you will get more bangs for your buck. You also don't want any unwelcome surprises.

Booking entertainment for a corporate event is not always easy but use these tips to make it easier on yourself and to ensure everyone enjoys it.

Using Promotional Items to Promote Service at Car Racing Events


Many businesses these days have realized the wisdom of using promotional giveaway items to help build a wider customer base, to improve and consolidate customer relationships, to encourage sales, and to increase their brand visibility in the community. That's not all they are useful for either. Promotional gift items are also an effective way to introduce and promote your range of new products and new services.

The advantages of using promotional products for advertising purposes are not limited to simply getting the word out there. They are also perfect for "keeping" the word out there, much more so than any other kind of more traditional advertising. Useful, handy, or curiosity items handed out as free gifts to your customers and prospects tend to hang around for much longer. If you were to use any traditional mode of advertising for an equally long period of time, it would cost your considerably more. After all, long term TV or radio spots are quite heavy on the pocket, and long term runs of print ads aren't exactly cost effective.

Promotional gifts give you the double advantage of being pocket friendly and long lasting. Every time the item is used, it reminds the recipient and everyone around of your company. Car racing events can be an ideal venue for promotional giveaways for businesses that operate in any kind of automobile related fields. Car racing events have a very large footfall rate, and are great places to promote your business with imprinted and personalized items like promotional hats, brand printed caps, custom t-shirts and a range of other promotional outdoor products.

With a range of promotional racing themed and personalized promotional products from specialty gifts you can make a large difference in your overall marketing and promotions drives. Putting your company brand and a short advertising message on the promotional items can effectively expose a large number of prospects to your company's services and products. With your slogan and number on a t-shirt, any client, employee or other recipient becomes a virtual walking billboard for your brand! Everywhere they go, everyone they meet, a large number of people see your brand and become aware of your services.

Effectively, this translates into an unprecedented visibility for your brand, giving a huge shot in the arm to your bottom line in the form of boosted sales, new clients, and more callbacks and conversions. The well thought out promotional car racing event promotional campaign can help you meet your corporate and business goals and to direct existing or prospective customers to any new products or services you might be launching. They also help generate substantially increased sales and drum up new business.

Promotional items for car racing events such as the ones available Action Printing Inc. also make good corporate gifts and promote better client and customer relationships. After all, everyone appreciates a quality, handy, useful gift that can be used and re-used many times, increasing your repeat visibility, and working on your advertising long after the time of the actual gifting!

Corporate Wellness Programs: The Secret to BIG Business With SMALL Overhead


Corporate Wellness Programs are one of the fastest growing and most lucrative aspects of the health and wellness industry and they offer unlimited earning possibilities for wellness businesses and practitioners.

What are Corporate Wellness Programs?

In order to increase morale and find less expensive alternatives to rising employee healthcare costs, many companies are instigating Corporate Wellness Programs for their teams. Popular offerings focus on everything from nutrition education, live fitness classes, mindfulness training and yoga as well as lunchtime massages.

For wellness practitioners from personal trainers, massage therapists, to yoga and Pilates instructors, providing corporate wellness packages to local businesses provides both scheduling flexibility, freedom from overhead costs, and access to innumerable potential future clients.

Why are CWPs in such high demand?


  • Exercise classes and health club membership ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively, behind full medical checkups, in terms of subsidized benefits that employees would like to receive.

  • The success of early corporate wellness programs (particularly the positive impact on the bottom line) has spurred many companies to adopt health-based programs for their own employees. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 77% of employers currently offer some sort of formal health and wellness program and 31% of America's larger corporations subsidized their employees' health club memberships.

  • Employers reported a 56% increase in employee morale after launching a corporate wellness program.

  • 82% of Americans said they would exercise regularly if their employer subsidized health club memberships.

Today, it seems that many employees' wishes are coming true-yet it isn't pure corporate altruism. With skyrocketing healthcare costs, many businesses are realizing that they stand to payout far less if they invest in employee fitness, nutrition, and stress reduction through preventative wellness programs rather than mitigate future HMO costs.

How to profit from the Corporate Wellness agenda:

The first step is to create a series of turnkey packages that are designed to fit a variety of business sizes and cultures, and then to relay on good, old fashioned grassroots marketing to network with said companies in order to distribute your service information. Yet the question remains, once you've put your package together, how do you convince employers of its necessity? Incorporate these great facts and they won't be able to say no:


  • The obesity epidemic and unhealthy lifestyles of employees have led to lower worker productivity, higher compensation claims and higher heath insurance costs - severely hurting U.S. companies' bottom line (Merriman Curhan Ford Fitness and Wellness Report, 2008.)

  • Obese employees cost private employers approximately $45 billion a year due to medical expenses and excessive absenteeism (Weights and Measures: What Employers Should Know About Obesity, by Barbara Rosen and Linda Barrington, The Conference Board, 2008).

  • Companies are projected to pay an average of $9,312 per employee for health care in 2008, up from $6,385 in 2003 (2008 Health Care Cost Survey, Towers Perrin).

  • Health insurance costs are the fastest-growing cost component for employers ("Will Health Benefit Costs Eclipse Profits?" McKinsey & Company, September 2004).

CWPs = lower overhead and higher profits:

Imagine giving thousands of clients the gift of reduced stress and increased energy, without a store front or business mortgage! Because of the financial returns, we expect to see corporations expand offerings, especially in the fitness area, which could have a huge impact on the public's exercise habits. And here's the most important fact for your business' bottom line: spas are the No. 1 leisure activity at meeting and corporate events (executives have the income to support a regular spa regimen and they have the stressful schedules that necessitate relaxation support). In order to expand your reach and increase your future client base, all you need is the tools of a mobile business. In fact, Corporate Wellness Programs have become so flexible in nature due to technology, that many services such as fitness instruction can even be lead by you via webinar or Skype. Take the first step today:


  1. Create a Corporate Wellness Program

  2. Print out brochures detailing the packages you offer AND the economic reasoning to invest in your services

  3. Network with your local businesses

  4. Profit from your new clientele!