12 Questions to Ask About the Arrival of Your Guests At Your Special Event

The beginning of an event when your guests arrive is one of the most crucial times. What your guests experience during their arrival will set the tone for the rest of the event. If your guests have a negative experience even before they get in the door, it will be hard for them to enjoy your event.

Asking - and answering - the following questions will ensure that your event gets off on the right foot:

1. What will the weather be like on the day of the event? Each season brings its own weather, and you should factor that into the planning of your event.


2. What is the arrival area like? What is will your guests' first impression be when they arrive outside the venue? Is it clean?


3. Is there a convenient drop-off point at the venue? Make sure access to the drop-off point is easy and suitable for everyone. Assume the weather on the day of your event will be bad and that your guests will want to drop off passengers. Are there any traffic or safety considerations? You may want to consider having someone control traffic. If you are using buses or limos, you should make sure the drop off point is suitable.


4. Is the entrance covered? Again, assume the worst when it comes to weather. If the entrance is not covered, should you have people stationed with umbrellas to keep your guests dry?


5. Whose responsibility is it to keep walkways clear of ice, snow, slush, or puddles? Make it clear to your venue that this is important to you. Ensure that non-slip carpeting is in place where it is needed.


6. Is the entrance wheelchair accessible?


7. Who will greet your guests? Does the venue provide a doorman? How will they be dressed? What will they say? Will they expect a tip? Don't rely on corporate volunteers. They will often be called away, and you really need someone stationed permanently at the entrance to your event. Rely on professional staff.


8. Are there adequate signs for the event? Will your guests know where to go? Where to park? Do the signs make it clear that it is a private party? Are the signs attractive and professional looking?


9. How will the suppliers of an event be entering the building? Will they be coming in and out of the same doors as your guests? Where are the loading docks and freight elevators? When will the suppliers be arriving?


10. Where is the coat check located? Will there be traffic flow problems? Will it be adequately staffed at the beginning and end of the event? How many coats can the coat check hold? What about umbrellas, briefcases, and boots? How secure is it?


11. What fanfare will your guests arrive to? Fanfare is more than a blast of trumpets. It is anything that impacts the arrival atmosphere. For example, a red carpet and search lights that sweep the sky create a sense of excitement at a fancy ball. Give some thought to creating energy in the arrival area.


12. Do guests have to register upon arrival? Where will the table be located? Who will staff it? How long will it take to process each guest? How can you make this process faster?

By answering these twelve questions, you can ensure that your corporate event starts off right and that your guests are in a great mood at the beginning of your event.

6 Tips to Plan a Spectacular Holiday Party

Holidays are those times of the year when people intend to spend time with their near and dear ones. To make your holiday a fulfilling experience you must plan it beforehand. A holiday party is mostly for people who like to indulge in various activities and have a good time. Let me now discuss some tips that will help you to plan a spectacular holiday party.

Defining the Goals of the Party:

The first and foremost thing that you need to do is to define why you want to organize this holiday party. By this I mean, whether the party will be organized for thanking employees, rewarding the efforts of certain employees or simply giving a chance to people to celebrate. Understanding the goals will help you to shape events accordingly.

Location and Venue

Deciding on the location and venue of the party is important. This will help you to make proper arrangements for your event. Moreover, since it is a holiday party so the venue and location should be selected in a manner so that it largely appeals your event attendees and allows them to spend a gala time.

Deciding On the Type and Number of Guests:

You first need to decide on who is going to be invited and have an approximate figure on the total number of guests that probably will attend the event. If you are planning to invite employees along with their families, ensure you book a venue that has facilities for children.

Scheduling the Event and Fixing the Budget

Selecting a proper schedule will have an impact on how your events will unfold. Like whether your party will be held in the morning, afternoon or evening or during the weekends will be directly proportional to the number of guests that will attend your party. Moreover, deciding on the budget is also important before carrying out all your activities. A proper budget will help you decide on the preliminaries of the event.

Seeking Sponsors

Does your event need any sponsors? Then you need to hunt for one who will provide you with facilities to absorb the cost of additional activities. You can check that out from the existing list of clients your company already has.

Deciding On Registration

Nearer to the date you need to send out the invites along with the appropriate registration details. It is recommended to have both offline and online registration systems in place. Allow your guests the convenience of registration by means that they are comfortable dealing with.

These simple steps will help you plan your holiday party successfully.

Conference Planners: 4 Ways to Increase Exhibitor Participation at Trade Shows

Convention and conference planners understand that with tight budgets, the advent of web meetings, and more companies than ever before hosting their own customer events, conference trade shows have taken a bit of a hit. Some conferences have vanished, while others have had to combine with other shows in order to stay alive. True, there are some conventions that are still robust, yet the footprint of many companies at those shows has been reduced.

Despite cutbacks, one concern that affects a company's decision to exhibit at a show is whether they receive a quantifiable ROI from their participation. While conferences do make money from attendees, they also make a huge amount from exhibitors via exhibiting fees, sponsorships, and advertising opportunities at the show. Therefore, it would be in the conference planner's (and conference management company's) interest to aid exhibitors in receiving that ROI. The following are a few things that meeting and conference managers can do to make that happen:

1) Non-Conflicting Show Hours:
Probably the largest complaint from exhibitors is having the exhibit floor open while there are sessions running. Oftentimes, the traffic is light to non-existent and exhibitors view this as a waste of time.

Conducting sessions concurrently during exhibit floor hours forces your attendees to choose between attending sessions (for educational credits, personal interest, etc.) and visiting exhibitor's booths. Depending on the industry, you may be required to supply a certain amount of educational hours. However, don't keep the hall open at those times. Instead, start the sessions earlier or open the hall later. Possibly hold a session or two in the exhibit hall. This gives attendees the freedom to attend the session, while others can visit the booths.

2) Lunch is Not Hall Time:
Some conference planners still insist on having lunch in the exhibit hall and then starting up sessions shortly thereafter. By the time attendees have gotten through the food line and have eaten, there needs to be time for those attendees to visit the booths. Try to keep the hall open - with no conflicting sessions - for an hour or more after lunch. This not only helps your exhibitors, but also aids your attendees, as they do want to spend quality time with exhibitors without being rushed.

3) Talk to Exhibitors:
Make sure your staff actually visits all of the exhibitors - not just the large booths - and asks them for feedback. Make sure that the staff listens and backs up those conversations with viable actions.

4) Trade Show Police:
While every booth should adhere to the rules, don't go overboard and run the show like it's the military. I have seen small exhibits attacked for minor infractions, while larger booths get carte blanche. Remember, this is a trade show where companies are competing for the time and attention of attendees. While some companies spend money and time creating ways to attract attendees, others do not - and these are the exhibits that do most of the complaining. Again, there are rules, but they need to be flexible. A trade show is not a library or a high level meeting room. There will be noise, contests, attractions, and attendees in the aisles. As long as the noise is not overbearing and the aisles are relatively clear, then let the companies do what they do, which is compete.

Following these simple steps will aid your exhibitors in realizing a higher ROI from participating at your conference. While they seem simple and logical, many conferences planners and convention planners do not take them into consideration. Hence, why many companies have lessened their footprint at trade shows or have decided not to go at all. As a conference or meeting planner, it's important to take all parties of your event - attendees and exhibitors - into consideration. After all, both are your customer, and part of your job is to help them to come together - so that all may benefit from being at your show.

DJ Event Planner

So you've organized a great DJ event planner, but you still need to ensure that everyone else arrives on the evening. Make sure that they get there and have a grand party by using web-based event management systems and online party invitations to promote and manage your event.

Unique Party Invitations

How do you promote a roofraiser event in a way that really makes you the talk of the town? Well, ensure that you have unique party invitations. Don't settle for those boring handwritten ones that get sent through the mail - create an exciting web page to promote your event and then send the link via email to all your party guests.

With new Web 2.0 technology this is really easy and doesn't require any technical knowledge. Even a child can use over 60 different multimedia applications to create a unique party invitation containing photos, video, music and more to create just the right impression.

Add a video of the DJ event planner who will be hosting your event, play some music that they like and be sure to include all the details of where and when this great event will be taking place.

Entertainment Ideas

Who says that great entertainment needs to be limited to that night at that place? Create a live video feed on the night so that those who were not able to attend can simply log in to the web page and listen to the music presented by the DJ event planner online and join in the party.

When the party is over be sure to go back and add more photos, video footage of the evening and keep people talking and networking to ensure that they come back next time.

You should also start even before the evening by getting other people involved in the preparations. Assign people tasks using the task manager and ensure that people have fun but still do their part. This will save you a lot of hassle and enable you to enjoy the evening more.

Organizing a great DJ event planner is only part of organizing a great event. You also need to ensure that people actually turn up and that means that you should send them unique party invitations that capture their attention and you can even allow others to take part in this event by having a live video feed on the night and post photos and videos after the event. You can do all of this for free (and easily) at Events Listed.

How to Conduct Efficient Event Marketing?

An event's success is the result of immense hard work put together by event organizers. The most challenging part however remains in strategizing and mapping out your events promotion campaigns and marketing activities. A greater part of your event's success depends on how you conduct these activities. Initially, organizers had to appoint external staff to help them in successfully executing the entire work flow processes. In spite of the amount of hard work invested, things may not work out as expected. However, the advancements in technology have blessed event organizers with various Cloud-based software products that have made event management absolutely effortless and streamlined. Besides, there are certain things that need to be kept in mind for conducting resourceful event marketing. Here's an at-a-glance view:

Designing a Good Website

Internet as a means of communication has contributed in overcoming all geographical borders. Designing a website dedicated to your event thus results in yielding better visibility and exposure for the concerned event and your organization as a whole. A properly designed website with an easy to remember domain name gives higher rankings on popular search engines and conveys the message to the audience at large. Your website must contain web pages dedicated to the event along with relevant contact information.

Selling Your USP

While undertaking marketing campaigns you must be able to sell your event to your target audience. You can lure your attendees by accurately conveying how attending the event will be of benefit to them. If there is value additions ensure that you highlight them to the attendees. This will tilt their interest in favor to attend the event. If you are opting for Cloud-based event registration software then inform the registrants about the ease in registration and payments facilities. Also communicate how such activities can be performed from the comfort of their homes if a reliable internet connection is available.

Undertaking Email Campaigns

Instead of resorting to traditional printed forms of advertisements like pamphlets, flyers, etc, you can now undertake mass email marketing campaigns to reach out to a larger group of audience. This form of marketing is not only cost effective but is also hassle -free. Just need to click on the mouse and get email delivered to your prospective attendee mailbox in no time. Users of Cloud -based software products are facilitated with an email marketing tool that eases out such activities to a large extent.

Social Media Marketing

The popularity and scope of social media are increasingly prompting event organizers to use this as a marketing tool. These active networking platforms allow connection with millions of users in real time. Post a message on Facebook or tweet which helps to make an immediate link. Besides, these active interfaces also allow videos and photo uploads that creates better impact. Cloud-based software users can however resort to the social media connector tool.

A proper marketing strategy can not only enhance your event participation but at the same time manifold your event hosting experience too.

Corporate Events Companies - Great Services Towards Unity and Goals

Corporate events including holiday parties, picnics, and daily activities can really strengthen bond among employees. Particularly in London, there are several corporate events companies that cater this line of service in order to help organizations towards their path of success. Corporate events can help groups and individuals to improve their productivity in the workplace. Communication will also improve among employees of the company. Moreover, employee skills can also be developed through various activities and specific games designed especially for workers of the company. There are some corporate events that initially inspire people to learn and acquire new skills.

A typical individual working for a certain company may participate in different corporate events including mystery games or treasure hunting. These kinds of games can help an employee learn delegation, time management, organization, and whole lot more. For some sales representative, there are games and other activities that may develop their sales pitches and improve their performances, thus, helping them create a more successful job and a better stand in the company. In addition, corporate events foster unity in an organization. By being involved in various games, ordinary employees are able to interact with their superiors, and superiors to their subordinates. Co-workers will learn more about each and everyone as well.

Available events companies provide a full event management such as accommodation, location or venue finding, staging, creative themes and designs, decorations, catering, sound, entertainment, drinks, transport, hosting, logistics, and signage. Some also give emotional support for companies that would be needing it. Employers and business owners are secured that event organizers and facilitators will give them an excellent event experience that they will never forget. There are lots of events companies that offer services across the United Kingdom, such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, the Midlands, Leeds, and Edinburgh.

There are several event companies in Manchester that offer quick and reliable services in order to help clients to find the best possible option in organizing and hosting such events. Finding the best Manchester convention, meeting and conference for these companies is just an easy step, saving them time and money if they are organizing or planning a Manchester meeting or convention.

Planning an event is time-consuming and sometimes, frustrating. By taking some professional help from corporate events Manchester Company, finding the practical, fiscal, and logistical planning requirements can be nothing but a simple step. A successful management of events will begin by simply having a clear set of goals or objectives. Corporate event companies in Manchester will work with their client in order to establish the vision, then imagine it and look back, try to build that vision with success, and will likely make it happen.

Business people and employers should know that corporate events should be well-planned every time.

The Purpose of Corporate Team Building Events

The term corporate team building means different things to different people but in this instance it refers to a wide variety of actions with an objective of improving the performance of a team. This can take many forms from groups of people bonding behind a common cause or objective through to complicated role play scenarios. These situations tend to throw up leaders and followers, the optimists and the moaners and all thing in between.

Most businesses understand that the best businesses exist where the collection of people associated with the tasks of that business work as an integrated unit, looking out for each other, supporting each other, all believing in the common purpose. However, self development of the individual is an important part of any successful team.

It is no good having a collection of people whose only interest is the well being of the team. People need to feel self worth and personal development as well as a valued contribution to the collective.

Corporate team building is no easy task. You are dealing with a complex array of individual ego, aspirations and alliances and every team is different. Some of the most common objectives of team development is to improve communication, make people feel better about being at work, inspiration, better understand the needs and motivation of others in the team, cementing the common goals, using the diversity in the team to best effect, personal development of members, heighten productivity and getting better at collaboration.

Common exercises can involve plastic straws and plasticine, building towers with difficult materials. The purpose is to draw out the leadership of people, see how members interact, problem solving, whether leaders just like to hear the sound of their own voice or whether they garner all the skills in the room as well as the practical ability to problem solve in a short timescale

Why Strategic Planning Training Is Necessary for Organizational Leaders

In the current economic environment, organizations are slashing payrolls left and right to cut costs. It is therefore imperative that organizations find a way to to maximize the productivity of their employees to make up for the reduction in staff. One effective way of doing this is by providing organizational leaders with strategic planning training, so that they are more equipped to set and achieve long-term organizational objectives. Since change is the only constant in a business environment, an organization will benefit from having individuals on staff that can quickly notice and adapt to changes.

Strategic planning training will generally focus on teaching employees to answer three questions about the company:

• What do we do?


• For whom do we do it?


• How do we excel?

Another resource that helps companies answer these questions is facilitator training for organizational leaders. Since many organizations hold meetings or planning sessions that focus on strategic direction, it is beneficial to have someone on staff that can serve as a facilitator role. The facilitator is the individual who will oversee a discussion and work to have all employees contribute ideas, so that the organization is able to meet its objectives. While some companies prefer to outsource the task to a trained specialist, other companies find that providing facilitator training for organizational leaders is a great way to expand their skill set to achieve the company's goals. This type of instruction, combined with strategic planning training, helps set true leaders apart from their peers.

A leader who can develop organizational business strategies, put those strategies into action, and spontaneously change strategies, can mean the difference between a successful business and a stagnant one. Typical strategic planning training will begin with the basics of strategy formulation, and then focus on real-world examples.

When a business decides that it wishes to acquire this type of instruction, it will have a variety of methods to do so. Courses offered by colleges and universities can help bring employees up to speed. Online courses are also beneficial because they can be administered to employees on-site. However, many businesses opt to have a specialized leadership training organization appear on-site and provide several days of planning sessions.

These specialized organizations combine the benefits of facilitator training to create a strategic planning training alternative that uses facilitation strategies to leverage the knowledge that executives have about the company. As opposed to a consultant who comes in, makes suggestions, and then leaves, these facilitators will use specialized techniques to help organizational leaders arrive at an optimal solution. Most of these organizations will then include a check-in after a certain period, usually mid-year, to ensure that proposed changes have been implemented.

For lasting change that will make it easier for companies to identify a strategic direction for the immediate and long-term, and to empower organizational leaders to develop a sense of direction for the organization, reach out to a leadership training company that combines strategic planning training and facilitator training.

Holding Successful Corporate Events for Your Company

Organizing an event for the company can be really tedious because of all the preparation you have to do just to make it the best occasion for the business. You have to plan out everything really well to ensure that even the smallest detail will make an impact to those who will be attending corporate events you will organize.

If you are tasked to organize the event for the company, you have to keep in mind a few things that are vital for the success of it. You can even check online for the things you need to make any corporate events a blast for everyone. First of all, you need to think of a theme for the event. Although this is an occasion for the business, it does not mean that it will be a boring and formal affair. Gone are the days that everyone is dead proper and extremely formal. Right now, holding affairs for the company, more often than not, are loud and lively.

There are several themes that you can utilize for various corporate events. Depending on what is the trend for that month or for that year, you can base your event's theme there. For example, you can do a Glitz 'n Glamour theme where everyone will dress up fabulously, Cowboy theme, Masquerade theme, and a lot more.

Right after deciding what your corporate theme will be, think about the type of music you will use for event. You have to pick the right music that will match your theme. Aside from that, you have to be sure that the songs to be played in corporate events are those known by the people attending so they can fully enjoy the occasion.

Another thing you have to consider in holding events for the company is the catering service. Of course any event, no matter how big or small it is, will never be complete without food. There are a lot of catering services readily accessible online and on print ads. You just have to give them a call to find out if they have the perfect package for your event. Most of the time, these catering services will hold free tasting for the foods they will serve which will help you in deciding whether you like the food they well serve or not.

It is also recommended to hire live bands or musicians for the event. This will add up to the excitement and the fun moments during the event. With the live music that can be upbeat or relaxing, depending on your theme as well, will definitely give your affair more life and fun.

And last, but not the least, you should be aware of the budget the company is willing to spend. Certainly, you would not want to pay for all the expenses that will exceed the company's budget so be sure that everything is within means to avoid hassle as well.

There can be a lot of things that you can do to ensure that the corporate events that you will hold will be a memorable one for everybody. You just have to work on your imagination and creativity and for sure, it will be a success!

Catering Tips For the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010

With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games just around the corner, caterers, like the athletes competing, are preparing in earnest to make the best showing possible. However, catering companies differ from participants in the games in that they don't see their involvement as a competition with an uncertain outcome. They know that It's only by rigorous organization and anticipating potential problems beforehand that their success is guaranteed.

Here are some of the challenges for caterers

Heightened Security

Heightened security will mean road closures and restricted access to certain parts of the city. This will certainly present logistical problems and affect how we cater to our existing client base.

Supply and Demand

The rules of supply and demand will put pressure on pricing and availability of everything from the rental of glassware to securing fresh produce. Finding well trained staff will also present challenges for all catering companies.

Failure to Deliver on Promises.

The temptation for small catering businesses is to say yes before doing their due diligence.

Tips for a Successful Winter Games in 2010

Realistic Expectations

Having realistic expectations about what your company is able to deliver is your strongest asset. Smaller companies should think more along the lines of strategic partnerships or sub-contracting from larger companies that win catering contracts from VANOC. Think niche.

Look Outside for Answers

For most small Vancouver businesses, catering to the olympic games represents a once in a lifetime opportunity with potential pitfalls. It's important to look to those companies that have been there before. Consider contacting other business from past olympic games for their advice directly. Also, if you're a member of an international professional association for your discipline, look for a question and answer forum on their website. Submitting question is easy and remember that people love to give advice to others from personal experience. (just think of your parents)

On-Site Catering

Consider contracting your services to one group or government body as their official in-house caterer. With established numbers and set meal times, you'll be better able to plan menus and order supplies well in advance of the start of the contract

Gather Info

It's a good idea to regularly check the VANOC website for changes and updates that might affect your plans. It's a given that security will have road closures in sensitive areas. You can also search on-line for the most recent press releases from the City of Vancouver as well as the Province of British Columbia.

Think Beyond 2010

You want to be in business after the end of the games, so pay attention to your core customers. It's a good idea to contact them first and see what they might be planning of the Olympics. You probably want to offer your catering services to them first.

How Event Planners Can Reduce Stress

Stress is one of the major debilitating emotions facing most individuals in decision making, influential and important positions, where their actions and abilities impact not only them, but many others. Those who plan events offer face stress from many different "sides." There is often stress from the organization that hires them, from the organizers and the organizing and planning committee, from the venue, and from attendees. Those planners who are best able to cope with stress find event planning a far more enjoyable activity than those that do not.

My background and prior activities have provided me with a somewhat unique perspective about how stress and successful event planning are related. Having been a successful event planner, organizer, negotiator, etc. for about thirty years,. and having worked in the area of stress relief and authored a book, I believe that often stress can be quite useful, especially if handled properly and effectively. The Nobel Prize Winner, Hans Seyle coined the term 'Eustress' to refer to stress that is handled in such a constructive manner as to make someone stronger, more resilient, and better able to cope in the future. When we refer to stress, therefore, we are referring to an often debilitating, weakening conditions that often paralyzes certain individual's ability to act in an effective and viable manner. I have witnessed event planners crumble from the stress, and have seen their events nearly fall apart with them, while I have noticed that the best and most effective event planners handle the stresses, and their events come off as planned.

Some of the ways that event planners might best prepare for the stresses of their position include:

1. Preparation to the "nth" degree is essential. There will always be something that challenges your plans, but the better one plans and has contingencies (backup plans), the less stress occurs.

2. Event planners must be certain they have clearly understood the wishes, desires and needs of the organizers as well as the organization and the attendees. Before "taking on" an event, a planner should discuss the event in detail, and share ideas. Event planners should get these desires and needs in writing so there is no misunderstanding or any of the "He said, she said," that occasionally occurs. If organizers or attendees do not have their perceived needs met, the event planner has failed.

3. It is essential to create an efficiently organized group of committees, who clearly understand what their "charge" is, and what they are responsible for. That way there is far less confusion and needless anxiety. The planner should also schedule regular meetings or discussions with the committees (or at least the chairs of the committees) to make sure that all areas are addressed properly.

4. An event planner needs to be properly trained, and must have done his homework on the organization, the event, the potential and actual attendees, etc.

5. A clearly delineated budget should be created and agreed upon from the onset. Projections should be extremely conservation on the revenue side, and worst case scenario on the expense end.

6. The planner must build into his schedule "me time," so that he can escape and relax, and depressurize. Otherwise there is always the risk of burnout.

These are just the "tip of the iceberg," yet must be the starting point to assure both a successful event and a sane and healthy event planner. It may sound somewhat simplistic, but it startling how rarely these items are considered as part of the whole process.

Insulated Lunch Bags A Trend In Corporate Promotional Items

Insulated lunch bags are one of the most corporate exceptional promotional products and are especially wonderful for giving away at sporting events that have been sponsored by a company. The lunch bags can be used very effectively to bolster the company's marketing campaign and to build a business brand. If you are holding a company picnic for your employees and their families, insulated lunch bags would be a great giveaway idea.

Insulated lunch bags are very popular and if you look all around you, you will see people carrying them. When you need to carry food and keep the food cold, an insulated lunch bag will come in handy. With this bag you can carry your food to anywhere you want to go. You can also carry your beverages or your favourite drink. It's difficult to go wrong when you choose to promote with these bags because they are the perfect giveaway for themed corporate events such as company picnics, fundraisers or retreats.

When you use insulated lunch bags for corporate promotional campaigns, you can be sure that your brand will get maximum exposure. This is because the bags are durable and will be used for very long. This ensures that your company gets lots of visibility for a longer period of time. Because these bags can also be used for very many purposes, their functionality will ensure that your recipients, be they customers or employees, will find them to be very useful for their home and for other matters just as you find them useful in your business for promotions.

If you host corporate sporting events, insulted lunch bags would be a great giveaway idea. The trend for many companies is to use other promotional items. Imagine however giving away insulated lunch bags that are filled with food or with beverages at these sporting events. If you are having a corporate function, the participants will be glad to receive these bags and will be appreciative of the food or the beverage that the bags come with.

By taking advantage of the opportunity to sponsor an event, you also take the opportunity to gain maximum exposure for your company. When all participants leave with an insulted lunch bag that has your company name, logo and themed message, you will undoubtedly gain lots of visibility and your marketing message will reach the masses. Insulted cooler bags are especially great for marketing because they have a very large surface area that can be used exclusively for printing the company name, logo, message that will be viewed by many.

An insulated lunch bag is a great corporate promotional item and when you brand with these bags, you can be sure that your logo and name will be seen repeatedly. There are quite a variety of colors and sizes to choose from and you can have hem made in many different ways to suit your promotional campaign. With these lunch bags, your corporate identity will be solidified and you will beat off the competition. These bags are practical for people of all ages and all walks of life. Promoting with them also encourages safe environmental practices because instead of using paper bags that are unfriendly to the earth, these lung bags can be used.

Make Your Corporate Event Super Successful

When planning an event you should always be clear on what the purpose of the event is. Why are you holding the event? What is your single biggest goal or intention? Write this goal down and refer to it often. A good idea is to include a written statement of this goal as a signature or footer on all emails regarding the event.

Make sure the goal of the event is important. Don't squander time, energy and money on an event that the attendees do not think is worthwhile. And certainly don't hold an event simple because you think you should.

Your goals and objectives will shape the planning and content of your event. For example, if the goal of your event is to get media attention for a product launch, then you should focus on ways to get the attention of journalists. Teaser emails, attention getting invitations, mystery gifts could be sent before the event. An exclusive "media only" reception could be held for reporters, their guests, and celebrities. Assign someone to meet each media personality, greet them, show them around the event, and introduce them to key people.

Avoid setting too many goals or objectives for an event. I always recommend having one single goal for an event. If you try to set more than one, you risk not achieving either. For example, with a non-profit agency, you may say your goals are to raise money and raise media awareness for your cause. It is important to know which is most important. Ask yourself, if I could achieve only one of these goals, which would it be? Focus on that goal and leave your secondary goals for a later event.

Once you have the objective of your event clearly established, you should begin visualizing you event.

Visualization is the most important factor in holding a successful event. You should mentally walk through your event step by step from start to finish. In your mind's eye, you should see every single detail. The clearer you can imagine your event, the better your event will be.

Visualize your event from different perspectives. First, imagine you are a guest:

• Think about the invitation you receive for the event. Are all the details clear? Does the invitation make you want to go to the event? Are you excited? Is your curiosity piqued? Is the purpose of the event clear?


• Consider your guest's arrival. Is there room to be dropped off? Is there adequate parking? Are the parking areas well-lit and safe? What will happen if it is raining or snowing?


• Walk through the reception process. Do they have to register at a desk? What if all of your guests arrived at the same time - can you get them into your event quickly and comfortably? Do they have to check their coats? How many lines will they have to stand in and for how long? How can you make this process faster? If you can't make it faster, how can you make it entertaining?


• First impressions: Once they have checked their coat, registered, and entered the event proper, what is their first impression? First impressions are crucial for an event. They set the tone for the rest of the evening. What do they see and hear? What will they smell? What will draw them into your event and break the ice? What will cause them to socialize with other people rather than simply talking with the people they came with?

Continue to walk through the event step by step in your mind from your guests' perspective as they get their drinks, to when they sit down for dinner, etc. Think about each stage and how you can make it special. Remember, your event is a reflection of your company's image. Look to add "wow" factors wherever you can. Think about what memories of the event you want your guests to take away.

After you walk through the event from your guests' perspective, walk through it from the perspective of those working at the event. Make a list of each person that is volunteering at the event. Go through the event from start to finish from their perspective. Do the same with waiters, bartenders, musicians, photographers, entertainers, and other staff working the event. Understand exactly what they will experience. This allows you to see potential problems before they occur. It also allows you to try and make the experience a positive one for them too. Remember, many events have been spoiled by cranky waiters.

Keep the primary goal of the event uppermost in your thoughts when you visualize your event. Make sure every stage of your event reinforces your goal. By doing this, you will have a truly successful event.

What is Project Management Approach?

Project management (PM) is a well planned approach for a process from start to end. It is concerned with the planning and guiding of the project from start to finish. Any process needs to be guide in usually five stages. They are initiation, planning, execution, controlling and closing. PM can be applied to almost all type of projects but especially it is applicable in software development projects to control the complex process. It is an organized effort and it is planned very carefully. To accomplish a specific project, PM is essential.

PM is handled by project manager to implement the project successfully towards its goal. For successful completion of any project it is necessary to have a proper PM. The main objective of the PM is to attain its goal successfully.

Numbers of approaches are there to manage the activities of the project. They are:

The traditional approach-This approach aims towards the completion of the project in sequence or in traditional manner. For the completion of the project there are five stages in this approach. They are:

* The stage of initiation
* The stage of design or planning
* The stage of production or execution
* Monitoring and controlling systems
* The stage of completion

Extreme PM- To execute project task, the critical chain project management give more emphasis to human and physical resources. By this method of planning and managing projects all the constraints are exploited and priority is also given to it. In critical chain project management all the projects are planned and managed only when the resources are ready.

Extreme PM- Complex type of project is handled in extreme PM. In this PM experts always try to identify the different models which is 'light weight' such as Agile Project Management.

Scrum techniques and extreme programming for the development of software are used in this method. It is the combination of management of human interaction and process modeling.

Event chain methodology- The complement to the critical path method and the methodologies of critical chain project management is another method that is Event chain methodology. This PM deals with the model of uncertainty. The main focus of this management is towards identifying and managing the events or the chain of events which will affect the schedule of the project. Event chain methodology follows the following principles:

* Event chains
* Tracking with events
* Probabilistic moment of risk
* Tracking with events
* Event chain visualization

Your Free Halloween Party Planning Guide

Get a free and easy Halloween Party Planning guide to give you some simple, but fun party ideas...you won't have any nightmares trying to plan your Halloween party when you read our Halloween celebration planning guide. It will be sweet dreams all the way. And these guides are free.

It can get so busy when you are trying to plan a party and you will find these tips and ideas so helpful. Find easy suggestions and free ideas so you can organize and prepare for your gathering in a timely and efficient manner.

These free guides will show you the steps of party planning along with check off lists of the supplies you will need and you will also find a manageable timetable to show you when to do what. These free party guides will help to keep you organized and that's half the battle when you are planning a party.

Pick your party theme, pick the time and date of your event and finally choose a location to have your party. Then get no nonsense food ideas and recipes. Find simple menus to serve up delicious food that is quick to prepare. Get some fun and scary Halloween food serving ideas to thrill and chill your guests.

Decorating Ideas? Decorating is not a problem when you have a decorating supply list. Check off each item as you get it. You can see at a glance what supplies you still need. These check lists help you keep what you have and what you still need right in front of you. No confusion or frustration, just a clear and easy to read check list. Halloween decorating ideas are simple as can be with this free Halloween party guide.

Party activities...what fun is it to plan an event without any fun games, crafts or activities? Find the kids craft projects, fun activities like free coloring pages and activities like a ghost hunt or Halloween scavenger hunt using your theme to entertain your guests. Keep those kids entertained the entire afternoon and you will have successfully planned and hosted the most fun kids Halloween party of the season. It will be all tricks and treats at your get together when you use our easy to print, free guide books and the ideas in them. There are several party guides for you to choose from so whether you are celebrating a birthday or a holiday, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, you will find just the right party guide for you.

Services Provided By Event Companies

The three most important elements of a great event are beautiful lighting, quality sound and creative decor. There are a number of companies who provide event lighting in the bay area. You could rent lights that would transform your venue into a magical and colorful wonderland. These companies have very talented and highly trained lighting and sound designers who can make your event an audio visual experience guests would not forget for a long time. These companies have come up with imaginative and beautiful ideas for lighting and sound arrangements. Lighting has become a very important aspect in weddings as well. These companies provide event lighting in the bay area at very affordable rates. In this article I am going to discuss the services which are provided by these companies for your wedding and social events.

These companies would take care of everything. Here are a few services they would provide.

Lighting -They would provide lighting right from the sublime to the outrageous. They ensure your event is a visual spectacle providing a vast array of lighting for your wedding or social events.

Site Selection - These companies would help select the perfect venue for you based on your needs and budget. They have a huge database of venues with over a thousand to choose from. They would take care of venue management and negotiation. This makes choosing the venue hassle free.

Production Design - These companies would take care of all your decor needs. I personally suggest leaving the theme selection to them as they have come up with a number of creative themes we would never dream of. But they would customize the decor based on your needs and requirements if required.

Professional staffing and entertainment - These companies would take care of all your staffing needs. They have many performers and entertainers for your guests. They have professional bartenders to security guards. You don't have to worry as they have thousands of entertainers and lots event staff for your needs.

Logistic Management - These companies would make sure you event is perfectly legal. They would take care of coordination of permits and licensing issues. Your venue management would be taken care of as mentioned earlier. Logistics would also include choreography of all event elements. They would even provide registration services as well as housing.

Catering - These companies would take care of all your catering needs. They have a number of top of the line chefs who aim at high end presentation and taste for your guests

Event lighting in the bay area has become a competitive business which is why you can be assured that you would be provided with quality customer service. Not only would companies manage your event flawlessly but also provide the best possible lighting, sound and decor for your event.

Choosing the Right Planner

The event planning companies in the Bay Area these days have very talented event planners that can change the entire outlook of the event with just a few basic changes that are necessary. Minute changes in an event can change and make the entire event look like a beautiful and magical wonderland. Event planners are masterminds behind successful events. The planners that are hiring for weddings are some of the most talented planners as planning and organizing weddings is definitely one of the most difficult tasks. A wedding as to be perfect, every couple wants it to look like a marriage made in heaven so a wedding planner needs to satisfy the clients by making the event very exclusive and memorable one.

Event planners in the Bay Area have to take care of number of elements like the catering, the lights and sound, the d矇cor, the transportation other elements of the event. They can assign their tasks to people who will be working under them and reporting to the planners. The event planner needs to plan and also execute the event to perfection as the sum people are spending is huge and they cannot be disappointed. Getting the right event planner is definitely the most important element when an event is being organized.

Here are some tips in getting the right event organiser

1. Referrals help to quite a great extent and must be preferred over unknown planners. When a planner is referred it is definitely due the good work or tasks the planner has carried out. So referrals are definitely good to go with.

2. Ask the wedding planner if you could drop by to one their events to see how they are carrying out their tasks, this will definitely be a good way to judge a planner as it will be a right in front of your eyes.

3. There are a number of hassles that take place during events like sometimes the transportation or the catering is not organized well or the DJ does not show up on time, so question the planner and ask them how they will be handling and sorting out the event if these troubles occur.

4. There are a number of event companies in the Bay Area these days so get hold of a good reputed company and ask them to assign a good planner who will make the event a success. Decide the budget and make not of how the payment of the event planner is going to be done whether it is by the hour or a whole package. The Event Planner Bay Area are great to work with and cater to all their services well.

Going online and reading reviews on different Event Planners in the Bay Area will surely help you choose the right one. Finding the best one doesn't necessarily have to mean finding the most expensive one. There are a number of affordable event planners in the Bay Area who will do a decent job for a good price.

Event Planning - Planning A Corporate Event - Some Tips

Corporate events are always arranged on very large scale and need much effort in preparation. These events are organized for different purposes. Some big and renowned companies plan much before the time, for the event. People from out of the city come and attend the function and expectations of the people from the event become stronger.

Event planning for such corporate is a huge responsibility; it needs multitasking coordination with people of different set up. But if you plan properly you can achieve a successful result. So if you are planning an event like this, note down these tips.

• Plan much before time; yes, it is very important to take proper time for preparation of the event, it takes time to coordinate with different companies, different people for good arrangements. Start meeting participants, sponsors, and caterers. Book speakers, decorates, media advisor and all the relevant people. Make list of the equipment and props that would be needed in the event and start collecting them.


• Agenda; call a meeting of the members and contact the people who are going to participate in the event and discuss the agenda, ask the team about new ideas in their minds, how to create excitement and magic in the event.


• Guest list; make a list of invitees, and check their schedule and availability.


• Theme; set a different but creative theme, which would develop interest in people but keeping the age group, status or gender of the invitees in mind.


• Stick to your schedule; remember to stick to your time table and schedule, even if you are prepared much before time, still keep checking the grounding which you had in your event planning.


• Invitation cards; invitation cards should be sent on time, it is very important to check the spelling of invitees names, really, some people are very sensitive about their names.


• Booking of the hotel; the guests who are coming from out of the city, book their rooms in the same hotel where the event is being held for the convenience of the guests and you can get rooms on discounted rate like this.


• Recall some previous events; this will really work, just recall some previous events and think where and when anything went wrong? And then focus on those points, so you will be well prepared to face any kind of mishap on the time.

Now keep all these tips in mind, you can start your event planning for your company.

First Steps For Planning Your Event

One you have decided why you are holding your event, and have investigated its feasibility, as an event manager, you have to start putting a plan together. There are many factors that have to be taken into account when planning even the simplest event, there are staff to arrange, venues to find, equipment to source and tickets or invitations to send out.

First things first - all good event managers make lists

Over the years - one of the most effective tools I have come across when planning for an event is a simple, handwritten list. Although these days I use my computer to schedule my tasks, sometimes it is still easier to collect my thoughts together with nothing more than a sheet of blank paper and a pencil. It doesn't really matter how you organize these thoughts, it may be chronologically or it may be by section of the event.

The Event Management Framework

Once you have established the initial plan of action, you should start to fill in the gaps and add detail to each of the sections. At the same time you can start to put the action points into an order of priority - with the most important elements first, followed by the less important ones.

This planning document will start to form the framework which will help you through the event planning process, and will guide you through how you are going to run the event successfully. This plan will be with you through the entire event planning process, the live event and the evaluation stages.

It is important to cover as many areas as possible in this first instance, as the more thought you give to the event at this stage, the more successful and stress free your event will be.

Have you managed this event before?

Many events occur on an annual basis, or are at least similar in some ways to events that have happened in the past? A conference for one client will have many similar attributes to a conference for a new client.

Unless you really have never done an event of this type before (in which case I seriously suggest you find a freelance manager who has) you should be able to look at the planning that took place and use many of the ideas and techniques from the last event.

Not only will this help you to save time in the initial planning stages (as you will have a pre-determined list of all the things you have to do) but it will also help you to ensure you do not miss any of the elements.

At the end of every event you should evaluate what you did - which will allow you to learn lessons from previous events.

These lessons should be both positive and negative - remember for every one thing that went wrong, ten things will have gone right - so learn from the good as well as the bad.

Who is going to do what?

Once you have decided which activities have to take place, you need to decide who is going to do them. For a small event, it may be that you manage many of the elements on your own - but on the day of the event it is usual for many more people to get involved.

When planning for you event, you need to see which skills you require, and recruit the right people for the right tasks.

Once you have the right people in place, you not only need to let them know what they have to do, but when they have to do it, where they have to do it and why they have to do it - so that they can see where their part of the planning process fits into the overall event planning process.

Planning is one of the most critical elements of event management - and the management of the planning process is even more important. Knowing that every aspect of the event is covered will make the event run a lot more smoothly, and be a lot less hassle for all event management and production staff.

Corporate Planning

Corporate planning is a term describing an approach or a style of management, an attitude of mind, which uses a systematic and integrated approach to all aspects of a company's activities. The idea is to treat the company as a corporate whole instead of a collection of departments. Treat a company on a long-term basis instead of a short-term one. The company is studied with precise definitions of its objectives functioning in its past, present and future environment.

Corporate planning is defined by Drucker as "a continuous process of making entrepreneurial decisions systematically and with the best possible knowledge of their futurity, organizing systematically the effort needed to carry out these decisions and measuring the results against expectations through organized systematic feedback.. "

In a study of hundreds of international companies, the reasons these companies introduced corporate planning were;

• effective diversification;
• rational allocation of resources;
• improved coordination and anticipation of technological change;
• increased profitability and the rate of growth.

Although annual profits are important, they are short-term factors in corporate plans. Manpower and new product development are examples of factors influencing the survival of the organization in the long term. Better results are obtained by companies adopting corporate planning methods. In reality the adoption of a style of management suitable to work in an atmosphere of change is the key to successful application of corporate planning.

Management systems and practices in all types of companies like banks, local governments and industries need to be revised to give more weight to strategic considerations. Competition may not be so much in products or markets, but through conflict with government and pressure groups in society in relation to matters such as pollution, safety and welfare.

Corporate plans are therefore needed to cope with social and political change. This needs careful thought in setting social objectives, policies and plans to ensure the gain of social and political acceptance of the company's ideas. The idea behind this is the strategic problem of adapting the organization to its environment and this will usually mean fundamental changes in management and the organizational structure.

The whole of the industry of which the company is part of should be examined like the supply and demand factors, possible future trends and new opportunities, threats or problems. A comparison should be made between the company's performance and that of its competitors. Trends in economic and political areas should be taken into consideration like government controls on mergers. Certain key factors should then be identified which appear likely to improve the company's position.

The final assessment would cover specific areas and their problems and opportunities:

• research and development necessary for the need for new products and product improvements;
• human resources necessary to ensure the availability of staff in line with the desired quantity and quality;
• sales and marketing which reflect the relevance of sales policies, share of market, suitability of quality, design and price of products, marketing mix;
• production which is needed to ensure adequate production capacity and other facilities and costs of production are acceptable.

From the above analysis the possibility of reorganization, merger, diversification, etc., can be considered.

The essential need is for the plans from the various areas of a business to be integrated so that functional plans are interlinked to form an overall corporate plan. A corporate plan, however, is more than just an interlinking of functional plans; it can be considered as a systems approach to achieve the aims of the business over a period of time. An interesting account of the various strategies which can be adopted and classifications of opportunities and risks is given in managing for results by Peter Drucker.

He points out two important strategies which have to be decided:

(a) To decide what opportunities or wants the company wishes to pursue and what risks it is willing and able to accept:
(b) To decide on the scope and structure and the right balance between specialization, diversification and integration.

His classification of opportunities (additive, complementary and breakthrough) and of risks are interesting and practical guides to help the formulation of strategies. One large company found out for the first time in such an analysis that 75 per cent of its profits came from one product and this market was slowly declining. Many other important factors can come from such an analysis like underutilization of financial assets.

A final point regarding this aspect is the measurement of 'synergy' which has been defined frequently as the 'evaluation of strengths and weaknesses'. The concept of synergy can best be explained by using the following example. If, for example, the return on investment of the company as a whole is just the return on the existing activities plus that of the new activity, there is no synergy (2+2=4). But where the new activity makes use of existing resources, the return for the company as a whole will be greater than average of the new and existing activities (2+2=5).

Plans range from those of a broad scope concerned with a long time span, which are the concern of top executives, to short run, day-to-day operating plans which are the concern of managers at lower levels in the organization. As the amount of innovation increase in a given period, the time available for new product exploitation diminishes. But it still takes the same it to develop and test new products; money has still to be spent on promotion and selling activities ands, as the life span of a product falls, profitability will be reduced. Long-range planning (LRP) enables management to anticipate difficulties and take steps to eliminate them before they arise and can help to bring about a more unified approach to the various factors in a problem. Plans, though, must clearly state which manager is accountable and for what results, i.e. it must be management by specific objectives.

The length of plans varies from industry to industry. The more fortunate can plan a few years ahead, like the car industry. Others may plan only six months ahead like the fashion industry. Different aspects of the plan will cover different periods of time like loans to cover certain expenses can be planned a year ahead while plans for a new car cover at least four years ahead. The LRP will of course contain the short-range plan (SRP) which for convenience will be assumed to cover one year. Freedom to change the SRP is limited and may be broken down into monthly commitments. It is important to realize that assumptions made in LRP must be specified and any change in them examined carefully.

Corporate planning is simply a formal, logical method of running a business, which is comprehensive or covering all activities of an organization. Individuals are responsible for planned results. Corporate planning is a tool of management to guide the business towards its agreed goals. Corporate planning can be said to incorporate long-range planning and management by objectives and has developed in status since its beginning in the USA in the 1950s.

The position of the corporate planner in an organization can indicate the status of the activity. The person usually has a staff role, to advise management; he generally reports to a senior person, sometimes the chief executive. He is responsible for:

• organizing the section;
• preparing an agreed planning system;
• ensuring all roles are known and everyone is fulfilling standards agreed;
• acting on behalf of chief executive in preparing, coordinating and controlling the corporate plan;
• preparing reports on progress.

His special responsibilities include the following:

• considering opportunities for growth and devising objectives and strategies to exploit growth;
• keeping abreast of business trends and developments in management techniques.

However, the corporate planner is also faced with limitations:

• only responsible for members of own staff;
• advises chief executive of events affecting corporate plans.

There are many advertisements for corporate planners and qualifications required usually include a degree with a good knowledge of mathematics, statistics and management techniques. In addition, he has got to have at least eight years experience in companies, or more than one industry and a personality that is acceptable to most people. Their role is to install and maintain a system; corporate planners do not plan the system; if they do, this will lead to many problems.

source: http://en.articlesgratuits.com/corporate-planning-id1432.php

What to Look For In an Off Premise Events Space

Whether you are planning a training seminar or a business conference, hosting a presentation for potential investors or unveiling new marketing strategies for important clients, choosing the right venue for your event is critical to the success of your gathering. Off premise venues offer more flexibility and greater services than can be found at most business headquarters. Finding the right venue will help you to send a positive message to employees and clients alike. Namely, that yours is a company intent on professionalism and geared for success.

Matching the Venue to the Event

First it is necessary to determine the type of event you are planning. This will help you decide on the kind of event space you will need. Business conferences and training seminars require a structured environment, preferably with multiple rooms or partitioned areas that can be used to isolate smaller groups for workshops and discussion groups. If you are courting potential investors or clients, you will want a more attractive venue that is comfortable and elegant. Presentations for clients and investors should be held in an environment that is clean, inviting and decorative, offering ample space for mingling, networking and enjoying refreshments.

Setting a Date for Your Event

Before booking any venue it is also important to have the dates and times for your event set and finalized. Having this information at your fingertips will make auditioning possible venues much easier. Availability is a large factor in booking any off premise event space. During peak times it may be harder to find the venue you require, so set your dates, and plan ahead to secure the space that will best suit your needs.

What Can the Venue Offer You

As you consider different venues for your event, it is important inquire as to what the prospective event space has to offer. In some respects, size does matter, and you will want to be sure that any venue you are considering can comfortably accommodate all of your guests. It is also important to match the size of the space to the size of the group. You want to avoid booking large gatherings into cramped quarters, as this leads to restlessness amongst your group. Equally, smaller groups gathered in overly large spaces tend to leave guests fidgety and uncomfortable. When auditioning any event space, be sure that it adequately suits the size of your group.

Before booking any venue, you will need to know what facilities are available. Look for the event space that can provide the necessary A/V equipment needed for any presentations, including sound systems and video capabilities. Also, don't overlook the mundane when auditioning prospective venues. Take note of the rest room facilities, available parking and ease of access for all of your guests, including those that may have disabilities or mobility issues.

Decor considerations will largely depend on the type of event you are planning, and a good event coordinating service should be able to offer room dressings to match any contingency. If you are hosting a presentation for investors you may want a more refined decor for your venue, with matching tablecloths and tableware, and accompanying room decorations. Training seminars, on the other hand, will demand a sparser environment. A good event space should be able to provide both, depending on your needs.

Consider Your Catering Needs

Whatever manner of event you are planning, you may want to consider offering some level of refreshment as the day progresses. Once again, the type of refreshment will largely depend on the kind of event you are hosting. All day training sessions benefit from a few breaks during the day, and offering a catered lunch helps to keep your employees on site, and serves to keep the momentum going. Full scale presentations for clients and investors also benefit from offering refreshments, and catered meals or an attractive buffet helps to make potential clients feel relaxed and welcome. When considering an event space, find out what they can offer in the way of catering services. If they can not supply the level of refreshment choices you need, it may be time to consider another venue.

Reputation is Everything

Finally, before making any final decisions regarding a venue, you should investigate the event service itself. Find out what their reputation is in the business community. Ask their representative about their experience in the field, and find out how long they have been in operation. Remember, a poorly run event hosting service will ultimately reflect poorly on you. Potential clients, investors or employees will remember this as your event, not the hosting company's.

Following these simple steps can help you to find the perfect venue for any event. Remember, an event hosting service that can offer a high level of professionalism will reflect well on your business, and that is the first step to a successful event.

The Advantage of Having Corporate Hospitality Events

Doing business is always tough, and one way to let your best customers know that they are valued is by spending quality time with them at exclusive and memorable event. The event is an excellent way to spend quality time with your valued clients. They event offers huge benefits, and differentiates your business from that of your competitors. These events create a long-lasting influence on your clients and provide you the chance to win prospective clients. Hiring a company will allow you to manage your corporate event even in a number of countries. The advantages of hiring a corporate hospitality company are as follows:

Quality Time.

Hiring the services of a corporate hospitality company at a sports event or any other big event is important. This gives you a chance to spend quality time with your client and let them know how much they are important to your business. Now if you would have sit in the regular crowd then it would have been impossible to converse with them.

Creating Loyalty
Now, if you take your clients to special events like the high profile sporting events or to some glamorous parties, it will surely show how valued they are by your company. This will allow you to create a lasting memory, which will finally create loyalty between them and your company.

Opportunity to Network

The corporate events are not only stylish but they also give you ample opportunity to network with not only the valued clients but they also give you enough possibilities to meet like-minded people and companies. They provide you with innovative and valuable business contacts. A hospitality company provides numerous corporate hospitality events, which provide ample networking opportunities.

Launch New Products.

The event is perfect places to launch new products. A stylish event, can create exhilaration and engage the guests as well. It will maximize interest and create greater impact.

Motivate and Reward.

The hospitality event is a way to give incentive and rewards to the employees. Give your top performer an opportunity to enjoy a vacation from a corporate hospitality room. This attracts high performance from other individual in your company.

It does not matter what event you are running, it can be a training days, team building days, parties, or award ceremonies. Outsourcing is always a better option and they have handled the professional way. By employing the services of a professional, you will be able to get a lot of free time to concentrate on the core business activities. You will also have the peace of mind, and your day will be a success. You can outsource your conferences and meetings as well as your Christmas parties and holidays as well as other corporate events. They are aware of the venues and host parties within your budget. A corporate hospitality company can do wonders to work towards your reputation and can result in increasing revenue.

Top 6 2012 Holiday Event Planning Tips

Chilly weather says it all; the holiday season is just around the corner, and you can't wait for the parties & holiday events to start. It's fun to be an attendee at these holiday events or parties, but when you are the organizer, the picture is hectic. You have every reason to be stressed out with looming deadlines and limited budgets. Gloomy economic climate and reduced corporate spending are dampers to your plan. Well, here are the top 6 2012 holiday event planning tips, to trim costs and elevate ROI for your forthcoming events and parties:

1. Restaurants As Party Venues: You've got to admit that hosting holiday events at popular hotels in this peak season is actually an expensive proposal. Why not consider your friendly neighborhood restaurant which will probably offer you a fantastic deal, will have lower pricing points, recommend various themes with efficient staff. Most of these restaurants are already decorated for the holidays, thus will largely reduce your venue d矇cor costs further.

2. Host the Parties in January: Hosting parties in January are a new trend and they are equally enjoyable for your attendees. Dates are easier to book and venues are more affordable, as it's just after the holiday season. Companies and event planners like you should shift the focus from 'end-of-the' to 'beginning of a great year' theme. Clients are going to appreciate it as well; everyone will have something to look forward to in the new year.

3. Party During the Day: In 80% of the cases, lunch menus are less expensive than dinner spreads at popular eateries, especially during the holiday season. Attendees would also find it more comfortable to attend them, as compared to 'time crunched nights and weekends'.

4. Why not party at work? - You can also host corporate parties at the office venue, department wise, that would reduce the requirement of additional organizational resources for a large gathering. Employees would relish the break; in fact partying at your workplace holds a different charm altogether.

5. Customized Menus- Generally standard menus by popular caterers are more expensive than a customized buffet. It is easier to plan and control costs if you choose the menu personally, instead of relying on caterers. Alternatively, copy the menu of a recommended chef by requesting your caterer to suggest similar, affordable alternatives.

6. Online Holiday Event Registration- Avoid using manual registrations and payment management systems that are costly and error prone. Avail of the leading online event registration software to invite, register and accept payments, that's also convenient for your attendees.

Following these simple tips would help you to get much more out of your limited budget and would also reduce the extent of manual paperwork. Here's a lucky toast to your rocking holiday events and parties this session!

5 Ways to Promote Seminars to Approving Managers

Having companies, associations and other organizations as your main seminar clients is good -- and bad -- for your business. On the downside, if organizations cut their travel or training budgets, your registration levels will be impacted.

On the other hand, organizations represent a potentially long-lasting revenue stream. An individual usually will attend your seminar one time, but an organization can send multiple employees to you for training. As those employees leave or change jobs within the company, new hires are brought in to replace them -- and they'll need the same training.

To capitalize on this opportunity, the first thing you should do is pull out your registration form. Do you ask for the name of the attendee's approving manager? If not, add it to your form immediately.

Next, ensure that you're capturing and segmenting these names in your database. Approving managers are worth the effort of creating additional marketing materials that specifically address their desires and needs.

Here are five tips for marketing to approving managers:

Address the organization's needs. Explain how the organization will benefit by investing in an employee's education. Describe how your training will help employees boost their productivity, close more sales, reduce costs, etc. Companies want to see a positive return on the investment they make to train staff.

Create a "letter to the boss" that attendees can use when seeking approval to attend your seminar. This letter will address the supervisor's concerns - basically, how paying for an employee to attend your training will help the company. Providing this letter can be helpful, as some prospects don't know how to sell their supervisors on investing in their education.

Give thanks. Send approving managers a thank you note after your event. Your gesture will help to create a memorable impression of your company. You might even want to acknowledge that they have many training options these days; then describe how your training helps them get the most bang for their buck.

Pitch on-site training. At some point (the number varies depending on your seminar pricing), it becomes more affordable to bring the training to the company vs. sending multiple employees to your seminar. Highlight the benefits of private training in your seminar brochure or even in a separate mailing.

Send separate marketing materials to approving managers. Acknowledge that they've sent employees to your event in the past and suggest that they send new hires to your event, as well. You may even want to offer a discounted price as a thank you for their past business.

Marketing to approving managers separately requires extra work and planning. But the additional registrations and revenue you'll generate make it a worthwhile investment of your time, energy and money.

How to Plan a Party - Event Themes, Designs, Party Ideas and More!

Whether you are planning a party for your birthday, baby shower, engagement or wedding the actual preparation can be quite overwhelming! You will want to make sure that you invite the right people, pick the right venue and choose the best party supplies - after all everyone wants to throw a party that people will enjoy and remember!

The first step is to think about the venue, where you are having the party will have a big influence on your guests, how many you will invite and what sort of party it will be, you may choose a house party, beach party, your favourite restaurant or the local town hall..?! Once you know where you will be holding your party you can firstly set the date - you are likely to have this in mind before you choose the venue so that you can make sure that you get the right time etc. Once you have it all booked then start picking a theme; this will help you to come up with the ideas for your invitations, decorations entertainment and more.

Make sure that you set a budget for your party before you send out the invites that way you will know what to tell your guests, e.g BYO drinks or Food and Drink Provided. Once you have tackled the theme you can then concentrate who you will invite, arrange to have your invitations sent out and await the RSVP's from those would love to help you celebrate!

When you know how many people are coming you can then start to think about food preparation whether you will seek the help of your family and friends or if you will need caterers - bear in mind that these should be booked as far in advance as possible. Plus if you are organising it yourself don't forget the serving ware such as plates, bowls and cutlery!

Your theme may influence your choice but make sure you spend some time thinking about the music you will play at your party. This is important as it will help to set the mood and vibe of the event. Then come the decorations, these should reflect the theme of the party and could include table gifts or party favours for all of your guests! Make sure that the colours match in with your chosen scheme so that the venue is perfect for the arrival of your guests!

The hardest part will be to pick the theme, there are so many fantastic ideas out there and your choice will of course depend on your personality, who you are inviting and what sort of party vibe you are after. Here are some pretty cool themed ideas to help you plan a memorable party that your guests are sure to enjoy.

Why not choose a 'Year Theme' that means something to you - Here is our selection of party ideas from the 1920s to the 1980s...

1920s

Also known as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age, the 20s saw an art deco style that represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity.

1940s

With World War II taking place in the first half of the decade and lingering well into the late 40s, why not base your party on a wartime theme; hang up your bunting, wartime posters and pictures of spitfires and camouflage!

1950s

Rock and Roll dominated the popular music scene in the late 1950s. It saw artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richie and Elvis taking to the stage! So think American Diner and select your music carefully and 'rock around the clock' at your 50s theme party.

1960s

The Swinging 60s - think Summer of Love, Woodstock and Psychedelic influences! Peace, Love and the rise of the 'Hippie' culture make this a very colourful theme for a birthday party.

1970s

Create your own Disco - Boogie Nights experience with a 70s theme party! Think John Travolta, bright lights and disco balls!!

1980s

Think Marty McFly- Back to the Future or Madonna & Boy George! Whatever you plan for your 80s style party you can be sure that there are some pretty cool ideas for your party decorations, gifts and favours.

You could also consider a theme from the following list:

Back to School

Black and White

Caribbean or Hawaiian

Masked Ball or Mardi Gras

Tarts and Vicars

Hollywood

Murder Mystery

Beach Theme

Wild West

Winter Wonderland

Nationality Themes;

Spanish

French

Irish

British

Australian

... There are so many styles and themes to consider but with whichever you choose the golden rule is to make sure that you simply enjoy yourself, whether it is a party for you a family member or friend, all of your planning efforts must be rewarded with a little bit of fun!

Enjoy.

Trade Show Display Success Strategy

Americans are known for their short attention spans, and this is certainly true at the trade show exhibit hall. With a crowded trade show display floor bursting with hundreds of trade show exhibits, the essential job of the exhibitor is to attract immediate attention with a compelling trade show exhibit display.

Finding a fast way to capture visitor interest with an exciting trade show display booth is quite a challenge. Trade show attendees want a quick fix. Catchy trade show graphics can give a bold deliverance of message and humor can be used effectively too; but the trade show exhibit also has to be consistent with the exhibitor company's marketing message.

To be successful, the trade show booth design must answer the visitor's three key questions -- who the exhibitor is, what they do, and why a visitor should spend time inside the exhibitor's trade show booth.

According to Karla Krause-Miller, Director, Cappa and Graham, Inc., a professional event planning company in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the psychology and strategy of trade show booth messaging is the key to success at a trade show. She advises that one follows the guidance from experienced account managers to stay on track for achieving a successful trade show display. Here are a few of her tips for exhibitors:

Focus on the big picture of what you want to have happen at the trade show. In other words, keep your company's trade show marketing goal in mind when planning a trade show display booth.

Avoid common trade show graphic mistakes, such trying to explain your new product by putting too much information in your trade show graphics -that is the job of your trade show booth staff.

Make sure your trade show graphics are readable from a distance of 10' away and from 8' above. Be sure to design your trade show booth with people in mind - what people will see when they approach from the aisle, what they see when they step inside the booth, and at the back wall.

Add excitement and pizzazz to your trade show graphics by using color and movement. Avoid boring graphics.

Use appropriate models and messages that match your industry standards.

Pay attention to lighting - have a clean, well-light trade show booth as people are attracted to light.

Make your trade show booth the place to be - people want to be where the action is -and they want to be part of the action.

Avoid being too product focused. It is best to highlight the application of what your product does, rather than relying on an unknown product name. The former Nellcor Puritan Bennett medical equipment company wanted to feature their new product, N1000, at a trade show. But instead of using the product name, N1000, they showcased graphics that featured its application--capnography, a noninvasive analysis of Co2 saturation. Visitors were better able to understand what was inside the trade show display. Nellcor was smart to focus on N1000's application rather than rely on a product name unknown to potential visitors.

Remember, it's up to you to decide what your trade show exhibit display will do to relay your company's message. If you follow the above rules, you can have a successful trade show experience; whether you have a pre-owned trade show exhibit display, a custom trade show exhibit, a custom modular trade show booth, a portable or pop up trade show exhibit display, or a trade show display rental.

This trade show exhibit advice holds true wherever you have your next trade show --whether the show is in Orlando or the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Santa Clara Convention Center or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

Corporate Event Planning - Tips To Help To Stay In Budget

Staying within the allotted budget is important when planning any event. There are so many things that need to be taken care of. So here are points to help you stay within the allotted budget and maybe even below it!

Controlling the Budget

Event planning budgeting is the most crucial component of event planning. Think about all the aspect and components of the event before deciding the budget. Here is couple of tips to help you set up a budget and watch the expenditures.
• If you are following an older budget that was used for a previous then increase by 10-15% to account for higher prices. Also add 10% to the final budget to deal with contingencies.
• Keep a daily tab on the expenses so that errors and over expenditure can be corrected.
• Stick to your budget when it comes to the venue. Discuss your budget restrictions with the venue and the contractors. Since they will want to keep your business most of them will try to work something out.
• Ask for discounts if you pay in cash. Since the vendor won't have to pay the credit card charges you are saving them money. Ask them to reciprocate and give you a discount.
• Limit the money decision to a limited number of people. Too many cooks spoil the broth. This old adage applies to this situation. If you have too many people making monetary decisions, you will have financial chaos.
• Be flexible with your event date. For example, holding the event on a weekday will ensure you get better service
• Give a history of the previous events when talking to possible venues and vendors. This will get you better service as the contractors will try to secure your future business.

Location

Choosing the right location is a major part of making the event a success. So here are some tips to help you get the right venue at the best possible price.

• Do the venue research online. This will save you the time you would have spent visiting venues. Get in touch with your local Chamber of Commerce about possible venue options. The administration tries to keep as much business as possible within the city and they will help you find a suitable venue in the city. In fact, they have a database of venues in the city and they will do most of the calling and legwork for you.
• Keeping the event local will lower your costs considerably compared to organizing the event in some distant city.
• Take a camcorder or camera along when you go location scouting. Take pictures of all the venues you visit. This will help when you sit down to decide on a venue.

Following these points will help you stay within your San Jose Event Planning budget.

How to Do an Adorable Party Decoration for Your Daughter's Pinkalicious Birthday Theme Party

If your daughter loves to relish cupcakes and wants everything in pink, a Pinkalicious birthday theme party is the best way to celebrate her special day. Whether its invitation, decoration, or the party food, this theme demands a lot of pink that needs to be creatively incorporated into everything. Here is how you can use the store-bought Pinkalicious party supplies to transform your home into a pink castle for your daughter's birthday celebration.

Balloon arch entry

A pink and golden balloon arch is an inexpensive but influential way of welcoming the little Pinkerbelles and Pinkerellas. Place a huge cupcake cutout at the center of the arch to tempt the guests for a lot of exciting fun and mouthwatering treats that are waiting for them inside. Instead of the cupcake cutout, you can also use a signboard with a message 'welcome to (your daughter's name) pink castle' or 'Come on Pinkerbelles; let's have some pink fun!'

Pink tulle drapes

Beautify all the doors and windows with pink tulle. Such a decoration will add an elegant look to your Pinkalicious birthday theme party. Instead of simply draping the tulle fabric, you can try innovative curtain draping styles.

Pink cupcake decorations

• Hang a lot of pink cupcake cutouts from the ceiling. You can buy these Pinkalicious party supplies or make them at home. Ask your daughter to help you with this, if she is old enough to use a scissor safely.


• A Pinkalicious party demands a special cupcake table. Use a hot pink colored table cover to protect your table from any potential damage and place a large cupcake stand on it. Do not mix this with the main party table; instead, arrange a separate cupcake station so that it gets undivided attention.


• A cupcake pi簽ata is unavoidable for your daughter's pink party. Fill it with lots of delicious treats and hang it at a place where it gets everyone's attention.

Venue decoration using Pinkalicious party supplies

• Hang pink pom-poms from the ceiling along with the cupcake cutouts.


• Blow out a lot of pink, white, and golden balloon with helium and let them float in the air.


• Use Pinkalicious theme tableware to give a coordinated look to your party table.


• Tie a bunch of Mylar balloons the cupcake stand. Later, you can give them away as party favors.


• If your daughter loves fresh flowers, you can use some pink rose bouquets as centerpieces.

To give a vibrant look to your party, use multiple shades of pink.

The Role of the Wedding Planner at Your Event

For a grand occasion such as a wedding, you require a lot of expertise to enable you plan, organize it. In many instances, family members, friends and associates have helped with wedding planning but there are limitations with this approach. The helpers may not be able to devote all their time to the event because they have something to do. Again, since it is not their line of business, they may not be able to obtain the best services for the benefit of the couple. This is the reason why you may need to get a wedding planner to oversee your wedding vent.

The wedding planner will save the couple a lot of headaches. He will be doing the running up and down whilst the couple take a rest towards their day. He will also be able to locate the best vendors who are reliable and proficient enough to handle the wedding. But most importantly, the consultant is able to negotiate for lower prices as he does repeat business with the vendors. A wedding coordinator knows what causes weddings to fail and can offer the couple protection against all these common occurrences. Wedding planners are also advisors. They can help the couple to choose their bridal wear, accessories and shoes.

The role of a wedding consultant in the planning of the bridal event is paramount. They are able to obtain very low prices and advise on what will work best. From years of experience they have been able to strike better relationships with vendors so they are able to offer couples low prices. The most important role that the coordinator plays is one of an organizer. He assumes a central role over all the aspects of the wedding and ensures that each vendor or service provide provides timely services and assures quality. Investing in a planner will therefore save you time, embarrassment and high cost in your wedding planning.

Want To Know More About Wedding Planners?

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel and Bookpleasures is pleased to have as a guest Judy Allen. Judy is the author of Your Stress Free Wedding Planner (Sourcebooks, Inc.), as well as five professional books on event planning (John Wiley and Sons).

Judy has created-produced-orchestrated special events in over 30 countries for up to
2,000 guests.

Good day Judy and thank you for agreeing to our interview.

Norm:

Judy, could you tell us something about yourself and how you became involved in wedding planning?

Judy:

I started out in travel and managing one of the highest producing offices for a national chain. As part of my office's growth, I developed corporate business, which evolved into handling all of their corporate events such as incentives, conferences, conventions, product launches and social corporate branding events.
Subsequently, I joined one of the leading incentive houses to design custom one- of- a kind events around the world for corporate clients.

Over ten years ago, I opened my own special events company. As a result, I have created-produced-orchestrated corporate and social special events around the world for over fifteen years, including the gala theatrical opening for Disney's Beauty and the Beast and the co-ordination of Oscar winning director Norman Jewison's 25th Anniversary Celebration of Fiddler on the Roof.

In addition, I am also the author of five best-selling professional books on event planning that are being used around the world by industry and business professionals, and as teaching tools by Universities and Colleges.

The foreign rights for my second book, The Business of Event Planning, have been sold to China and Russia, and Harvard has deemed my third book, Event Planning Ethics and Etiquette, a "must read" for event planning and small business professionals.

The event planning series of books came about as a result of my being called "to run and rescue" non-profit gala events days before an event was scheduled to take place.

I noticed that many charitable organisations were clueless as to what to be aware of and wary of when planning events. I found this most disturbing.

The same situation occurred with wedding planning. Clients or their friends began to consult with me regarding their personal wedding plan needs. I kept hearing from them as to how stressful they found the process to be- the hidden costs and surprises they kept encountering along the way. Because of the direction I am taking my company, I do limit the number of weddings that I personally become involved in.

I wrote Your Stress Free Wedding Planner as a means to provide couples with what they need to know from a design, budget, implementation (logistics) and orchestration perspective - not etiquette - when they go to plan their wedding. I wanted to give them a wedding planning tool that would held them enjoy the process, lessen the stress and show them how to create a wedding day that is meaningful, memorable and magical.

Norm:

Could you tell us something about your book Your Stress Free Wedding Planner?

Judy:

I have shared with readers the ten key planning steps, that when followed in sequential order, will allow the bride and groom-to-be to create and co-ordinate a wedding that will exceed their expectations and stay within their wedding budget guidelines. It does not matter if a couple has six weeks to plan their wedding or a year or more, the event planning principles I have designed and the order of the steps which be followed for optimum results, remain the same.

Your Stress Free Wedding Planner simplifies the wedding planning process and allows everyone involved to relax, and enjoy the festivities that lead up to this very special day, secure in the knowledge that everything has been attended to.

What is unique about Your Stress Free Wedding Planner is the wedding design questionnaire that will show the bride and the groom how to combine their individual wedding visions and take them their personal idea of a dream wedding to one that will become "our" dream wedding. I also show couples contract red flag areas - that can cost them thousands of dollars more than they expected - that they need to be aware of before they sign on the dotted line as well as areas of negotiation and terms and conditions that they need to have amended on their contracts.

Norm:

If you had to choose 5 of the most romantic wedding destinations in the world, which ones would you choose and why?

Judy:

For me 5 of the most romantic wedding destinations in the world would be

· Greece/Greek Islands for their beauty, ambience and history - you can relax, sightsee, and have fun exploring as a couple:

· South Pacific (Bora Bora) - getting married on the beach and honeymooning in an over the water thatched bungalow with glass bottom floors - perfect setting in a romantic paradise

· Bali - staying at the Four Seasons that come with private plunge pools and secluded outdoor showers - a romantic hideaway from the world:

· Egypt (getting married with Pyramids as the backdrop) then on to the Valley of the Kings/cruising the Nile (honeymoon) exotic and a trip of a lifetime:

· Italy - Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Capri, Florence - so many romantic choices to choose from. You can hold your wedding reception in a castle, rent a private villa in Tuscany, hold the wedding and reception there (and honeymoon for the rest of your stay), take-over a medieval hamlet or be married or hold your wedding reception in a winery. Italy just has the air of romance.

Norm:

You have indicated that you have sailed on all types of yachts/ships. Which yacht or ship did you find to be the most romantic?

Judy:

Failing to afford chartering your own private yacht and set your own course, I personally found Windstar Cruises to be more romantic than larger cruiselines. I liked the more intimate feeling aboard ship.

Their guest count ranges in the low hundreds (148 to 308) as opposed to the in the thousands and they are not geared to having children onboard. I also like that you have the luxury of eating meals at your leisure and not at set times, summoned by a bell.

There are no formal seating table assignments - you can dine or your own or with couples you have met, there are no jacket and tie requirements and should you chose dinner can be served to your cabin. I also like the tucked away ports of calls available to you - due to being on a smaller sailing vessel -- and the easy on and off of the ship. And sitting out on deck, under the stars when the sails are unfurled is extremely romantic.

Norm:

What is a wedding planner and how do you separate the good ones from the incompetent?

Judy:

What is a wedding planner and how do you separate the good ones from the incompetent?

In the planning industry there are two types of planners: Event Planners and Wedding Planners.

Generally, event planners handle designing and producing corporate, social and non-profit events. The types of events they are involved in can be quite diverse -- from complex one-day entertaining events strategically planned to meet business objectives to corporate learning, performance, motivational events and elaborate arrangements of incentive or product launch theme productions that take place over the course of a week around the world. Some event planners handle not only event design, but also education and entertaining components (transportation, accommodation, food, beverage, decor, entertainment, themes) but also multimedia stage production. This is the type of event planning that I have been primarily involved in.

Wedding planners work with newly engaged couples to help them create the wedding of their dreams. They take over all the wedding planning and operation requirements, consulting closely with their clients along the way. They are compassionate, caring and adept at handling the emotional elements that are tied to planning a wedding when nerves are frayed, couples get jittery and help find areas of compromise between couples and their families when there are opposing ideas on how the wedding day should unfold. Wedding planners co-ordinate the weddings from beginning to end and are on hand on the wedding day to oversee that all goes as planned. Some wedding planners also handle social events as the two event planning styles are closely aligned whereas event planners who mainly work with corporate and business related social events generally do not cross over into wedding planning as juggling the needs of these two very different clients does not tend to mesh.

If couples are considering hiring a wedding planner, I suggest they first read Your Stress Free Wedding Planner.
With this in mind, they will immediately be able to spot the level of competency of a wedding planner, and they will be able to discern if the wedding planner is experienced or not.

Experienced wedding planners are able to fully answer questions pertaining to the budget, contract and logistical problems.

Check references- not only other wedding couples that have hired them. Also check the venues in which they have held their events.

Find out their level of ability e.g. if the wedding planner has only done events for 50 guests or less and your wedding is for 500 or more, there will be a learning curve for the wedding planner - don't let it be at your expense.

Norm:

Have you ever planned weddings for any celebrities?

Judy:

No, not weddings, but social events with Oscar winning guests and celebrities in attendance, such as the theatrical gala premiere of Beauty and the Beast and the co-ordination of Oscar winning director's Norman Jewison's 25th Anniversary Celebration for Fiddler on the Roof.

Norm:

Could you tell us which wedding celebration you had planned that was the most memorable and why?

Judy:

They are all memorable - each is different and unique.
However, the one that was most memorable was one where I was a guest but got involved when there was a slight glitch.

It was an outdoor reception and the staff carrying the wedding cake out to garden for the cake cutting ceremony, tripped over one of the small children that was attending the event.

The child was okay as was the wait staff but the wedding cake landed upside down. Luckily a cloth had been placed over the cake for the reveal and guests were not aware of exactly what had taken place.

The cake was carefully righted and I went into the kitchen to meet with the chef to see what the damage had done. The top of the cake was totally smashed. I quickly gathered the bridesmaids' bouquets that matched the flowers the bride was carrying and with the chef's help, some plastic wrap (to protect the cake from flowers as flowers were not edible etc.) and icing.

The flowers were artfully arranged on top and fresh icing was skilfully applied to mask the dents and damage. The cake was made picture perfect without guests being any the wiser and raves were given to the floral topping on the cake. The bride and groom had been advised of what happened and were trilled with the results.

Norm:

What is your idea of a unique romantic destination?

Judy:

The amount of time it takes to get to the Seychelles can be quite daunting with airline connections and layovers (depending where you are travelling) but after arrival, there was never one moment that I regretted the travel time. What is a wonderful romantic combination is doing an African safari first and then flying to the Seychelles for the rest of your stay.

Norm:

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about wedding planning, romantic getaways or wedding destinations?

Judy:

Should you decide to combine your wedding with your honeymoon, there are now bridal registries that handle weddings and honeymoons at upscale hotel properties around the world.

Instead of giving a toaster as a wedding gift, family and friends celebrating your nuptials can contribute to your destination wedding. As an example: the activities on your honeymoon stay, or a couples' massage or a private romantic dinner for two after the wedding.

These individuals work with wedding specialists at the location to pre-arrange all the wedding and personalized honeymoon details.

They also advise couples on the legal issues that being married in a specific location will entail.
If couples are planning a destination wedding they need to make sure that all is in order for them to get married and to file their marriage papers after their wedding.

One couple that flew to the Caribbean for their wedding did not check into residency requirements for weddings. They did not allow sufficient time and were unable to extend their time on the island, as they had to return to work. Unfortunately, they ended up posing for wedding photographs on the beach and then getting married at home.

One last comment, I have a second wedding planner coming out in 2006 called Engaged to Married in Three Months or Less (Sourcebooks, Inc.) and I will be covering destination weddings in the book. Stay tuned!

Thanks Judy and good luck with all of your future projects.