Saturday, August 17, 2013

Consulting With an Event Planner to Make the Most of Corporate Events


Because a company sometimes has well over a hundred employees, it's really difficult to get them all together in one place at a certain time. Different schedules and shifting priorities make it hard to organize a general assembly that can be attended by everyone, although there are corporate events that require every employee to be present.

Some might think that corporate events are dull, lifeless functions that force employees to mingle with people they don't even know and would care less about. The thing is, event planners and facilitators who specialize in these types of gatherings are slowly changing the way a corporate event is held and perceived by a lot of people.

Corporate events can be acquaintance parties for new and regular employees who haven't had the chance of meeting each other due to conflicting schedules. This type of party may include some activities that would allow people to mingle with each other and in the process be familiar and comfortable with the people they are working with. A good guessing game might be in order to promote teamwork and cooperation among employees as well.

A family day on the other hand allows the employee's family to meet and greet the people of the company their parent or spouse works for. Corporate events planners in this case will want to include a number of activities and food variations for all age groups to promote participation of all the families who attended the event. This projects a family-friendly atmosphere in the working place, therefore encouraging better job performance.

Unusual though it may seem to some, corporate events can actually include either a concert or theme day. Concerts will allow employees to showcase their talents in singing, dancing, and performing as a band. Moreover, this will boost self confidence in employees, making them more productive in the work area. Theme days on the other hand will have the employees' creativity challenged since they would have to come to the office dressed appropriately to the theme that was given beforehand.

There are a lot of event planners that can certainly make short work of bringing employees and top executives together in one venue. They pride themselves in paying attention to each detail and having a network of contacts to rely on. Caterers, coordinators, even security is well-thought of before the actual event takes place. Everything is continuously checked and double-checked to make sure that everything goes off smoothly and any untoward incident prevented.

In corporate events, it is always the event planner who works the hardest in making it a memorable experience for the participants. No matter what type of occasion and regardless of the number of guests, a good event planner will always be ready with the necessities and other things that may contribute to the success of any given gathering. If you are planning of hosting corporate events that can bring people together, you may want to consider getting in touch with an event planner or facilitator to make things easier and more fun for everybody attending the function.

Event Photography - If You Enjoy Parties and Photography, Here's a Free Guide to Earning From It!


If you are considering becoming an Event Photographer this guide may be useful. I spent a long time researching all the kit needed to be a successful Event photographer, testing and costing carefully. It's all current gear available now so it's up to date unlike some of the guides I read.

I've been on training courses and I've done quite a few different Events now, so this is to help others avoid some of the common mistakes. This guide to Event photography is based on my personal experience and you are welcome to reproduce it as long as you credit this article with the website address

I do recommend anyone interested in Event photography going on the excellent training course supplied by Systems Insight, speak to Mike Orr, Stuart or Darren at systems insight. I've also found the Event Photographers Society really useful.

It is divided into sections as follows:

1, Camera Equipment needed for Event Photographers;
2. Lighting equipment for Event Photography;
3. Printers for Instant Event Photos;
4. Mitsubishi Click system for Event Photography;
5. Green Screen Event Photography;
6. Starting an Event Photography Business.

1. Camera Equipment for Event Photographers.

You don't NEED the latest high-end professional DSLR with pro glass lenses to shoot an event! It's nice to have good kit but that should be a given for any Pro Photographer. In reality the customer at a football tournament, school prom or black tie event doesn't care what kit you have as long as the results are good, and you don't want to be carrying a heavy camera with fragile glass in an environment that is often boisterous and busy!

You don't need to shoot huge resolution RAW files and won't have time to post process or mess about with hundreds of settings.You are aiming to get a sharp, vibrant and well lit photograph of enough resolution to print at your final output size. Concentrate on making the people look great!

I do recommend a wireless work flow which I cover later, and again you need the files to be small enough to send quickly. I use a Nikon D700 but that's only because I have one for Property photography as I need the full frame and low light capabilities.

I shoot jpg at just medium resolution for most events, and use a Sigma 24-70mm HSM lens so I can quickly zoom between individuals and groups. A Nikon D40 with a kit lens will do just as well. and I always carry one as a backup. It also takes my Nikon flashguns and is much lighter than a D700.

It is important to have a backup camera, I've even made do with a Nikon Coolpix P6000 when my D700 was being used pitch side at a Cricket Event. With proper lighting (see lighting section) I got almost identical results shooting people in front of a green screen. You must have at least one fully charged spare battery for each camera at an event, a couple of spare and preformatted memory cards, and spare batteries for your flashguns. I use the new Duracell rechargeables for the flashguns as they stay

So don't go mad on the camera kit, it will get bashed around at an event! As for settings, indoors I shoot at around f7.1 to f8 for groups so I get good depth of field, I use shutter speeds of around 125 to get sharp shots as I don't like a tripod, too restrictive, and I use ISO 400 to get enough sensitivity. White balance is easy on a Nikon, see lighting but the flash setting will do. For individuals and couples I open up to around f5 and shoot full length, head and shoulders and a close-up. Outdoors events are more dependent on the available light and the lens.

One tip, using a wireless transmitter to send the images straight to your PC, Mac or Click system avoids the pitfall of people (the ladies mainly) wanting to see each shot on the back of the camera as you take it! That gets them through quicker and lets your team at the workstation show the images properly at full size. I do actually keep the images stored in the camera as a backup though in case the wireless system stops working.

Another tip, if you are shooting groups at a School Prom or Corporate event, take a stepladder! If you get above them and shoot down it changes the angles and stops the people at the front looking much larger than those at the back! This lets you squeeze bigger groups in as well, especially useful if you are shooting in front of a green screen at an event.

Also, if you ever get a large group of girls at a School Prom or Sweet Sixteen event, take LOTS of shots! It is very hard to get a single photo where every girl is happy with how she looks, guys really are not as fussy. The girls will buy the photo that they look best in.

We tend to charge the standard rate £10 per shoot including a 6x9 mounted photograph, but do offer incentives for groups such as discounting copies of the same photograph, or offering 3 for the price of 2 if they are different shots that need processing.

2. Lighting Equipment for Event Photography

I don't use studio lighting for indoor events! Initially I used the standard large softbox above the camera and shot in front of a grey, back or white backdrop. But that's boring and old hat nowadays, the lighting is very flat and there is always the risk of people tripping over cables and the hassle of finding a nearby power socket.

At School proms, Bar-Mitzvahs and especially Sweet Sixteen parties it gets very busy and although we carry full insurance I don't want a heavy studio light falling on a guest. It's the same at Corporate events and Black Tie dinners, there's usually a huge rush after dinner for photos and even a taped down light can get pulled over by an inebriated partygoer!

So now I use a Nikon SB-900 on the camera with the wide-angle flap down and the soft diffuser fitted. This controls two other Nikon SB-600's also with the wide-angle flaps down using Nikon's excellent CLS lighting system. The two SB-600's are mounted on sturdy but portable stands and shoot through white umbrellas for lovely soft lighting.

At an Event you don't want to be messing around changing lighting when you have queues, but this setup is flexible and light enough to be safe to move quickly if you need to. The Nikon system lets me control the brightness of each flash directly from the camera without having to touch the lights.

As we use Green Screen backdrops at most events to add effects and digital backgrounds, I have to ensure the backdrop is evenly lit to avoid problems when chromakeying out the green. By mounting the umbrellas high up at either side and shooting through them, the green (or blue) backdrop gets evenly lit where it matters. The guests get a nice flattering lighting setup which I can easily adjust for large groups or closeups. I

I shoot on full manual with the on camera flash at about 1/32 power to give a little fill light, but mainly to trigger the two mounted lights. These are usually on about 1/8th power which is plenty! Recyling is very fast and I've never had to change batteries yet at an event, although I have charged spares on hand.

If I get a large group like a football or cricket team at a sporting event I can quickly move the two sidelights back and up the power.If it quietens down and we get a guest who wants some special shots, the lights can be moved so one acts as a keylight and one as a fill for classic Rembrandt lighting. We have professional makeover software running on the workstations so can enhance pictures quickly if someone wants portfolio shots.

The SB-900 on the camera can also be removed and used as a slave for hair lighting or other effects, triggered by the on canera flash. So we can do a three light setup easily! White balance is crucial, on Nikon cameras just stand where the subjects will be, set the white balance to "pre" then hold down the wb button for three seconds. When the display flashes, point the camera back between the lights and shoot. If it says "good" in the display, you are set to go. If not, try shooting again straight at one of the sb600, it will work!

The real beauty of this system is that it all fits in one calumet rolling case and is easily portable! It is very flexible for other types of photography. These flashguns are just as powerful as studio lights, and we even carry Fong diffusers and softboxes just in case we get a chance to do some glamour photography. (and yes, you can book us for private shoots!)

3. Printers for Instant Event Photos.

I used to to run a large independent company selling calibrated colour printers, scanners and displays into the corporate design market and previously worked with Canon, Xerox, Mitsubishi and Tektronix as a colour consultant. So choosing the best Event printers was an interesting exercise!

Inkjets and colour lasers were instantly dismissed as I needed portability, reliability and photographic quality. Plus I needed to know exactly what each print would cost. An inkjet will produce the quality with a bit of tweaking but will never match the quality, speed or durability of a dedicated dye-sublimation printer.

I don't believe in compatible inks as I've seen first hand the amount of R&D that goes into a manufacturers own ink. So ink-jet prints are going to be too expensive for event printing. Lasers are fast but lacking in colour quality, and extremely tricky to transport. After testing all the current offerings I decided on the Mitsubishi 9550 DW linked to the Mitsubishi Click system as our basic workhorse for producing large 9 x 6 inch photographs.

As I use a full frame camera this is exactly the size the camera shoots at, so no cropping needed! The photographs are fast and very accurate thanks to the dedicated colour profiling we use supplied by Systems Insight and fine-tuned by me!

The dye-sub process basically involves heating the ink on a ribbon until it turns into a gas and sublimates into the special paper. This is a true continuous tone process so the colour gamut is much wider than other processes, giving smooth and accurate skin tones with no dot patterns.

You can actually roll a photograph up and stand it in a pint of coke, leave it for hours and then wipe dry without any signs of running or fading, as demonstrated on the training course by Stuart! These photographs really won't fade and are fingerprint proof thanks to the special coating. They will last longer than any other photograph!

The fixed cost per photograph allows us to offer discounted pricing for pre-paid events like weddings or school proms as we know exactly what our costs will be per photo regardless of how much of each colour is used.

But we also offer a unique digital make-over service for events using a very special PC with professional retouching software so needed a printer we could connect directly. And we wanted to be able to offer instant 12" x 10" photos and other large sizes for Sporting Events like football and cricket events where team shots are popular.

So we decided on the larger format Mitsubishi as well as we have now found out it also works on the Click! Consumables for the Mitsubishi Event printers are readily available and therefore discounted prices help bring the costs down. Some of the more obscure brands like Shinko and Olmec are often tricky to source.

We are happy with the speed, quality and reliability of our printers, but more importantly, our customers love the results.

4. Mitsubishi Click System for Event Photographers.

My background is in colour technology as mentioned, but prior to that I was a DEC system manager, I have a HND in Computer Science and am a qualified programmer. Yes, I'm old enough to have done all that and spent 7 years in the Army controlling Artlillery fire by computers and by slide rules and log books when those systems were taken out.

So I'm probably more of a technical geek than most photographers. So why did I choose a dedicated turnkey solution for producing event photographs rather than use my expertise in PC and Mac solutions?

Laziness really, why re-invent the wheel! I quickly realised that to make any money at all in Event Photography you have to produce very good photographs to a very high standard very quickly! Work flow is very important. Initially I was either going to use a big 27" Mac with a studio display for quality to handle all the incoming pictures, or go down the Windows 7 route with a couple of fast Sony Vaio AW notebooks with their gorgeous Adobe RGB 18" monitors, with either system linked to a dye-sub or two.

But once I started looking at the workflow and software required I realised the Mitsubishi Click would cover all the bases. Yes, I could run either system quickly and use dedicated green screen software and professional retouching software to produce stunning results. But then who would take the photos? I needed a system that was streamlined and simple to use so I could train others to use it.

My first event was a corporate Xmas dinner and the only person available to do the green screen effects, printing, mounting and sales was my wife! The Click system is very straightforward, you set up a new event and pictures are sent wirelessly from the photographer. Selecting them by just touching the screen allows for full screen previews, once the customers have decided which photographs they want it is quite easy to drop in a green screen background and print, all by touch!

Camera cards and CD's can be easily read or burnt, multiple printers are supported and the whole system runs smoothly and look very professional. We've even had customers connect their own cameras or mobile phones by bluetooth and print their own photos! My wife managed well on our first event, and we had over thirty satisfied customers that evening, in a very short period of about 2 hours from when the meal ended to going home.

Many purchased multiple photos, with different backdrops and effects, but she handled it all while I took the shots. Now we have more trained assistants as it did wear her out a bit:) But I still wanted the flexibility and power to use more specialised green screen software to drop in overlays and fine tune some of the more tricky effects.

So with a bit of help from the techies at System Insight I worked out how to access the system directly, and underneath the smooth software front end is a powerful windows PC. So now if we get a really special request (like "put me in the Oval Office with President Obama") I can jump in and alt tab to Photokey or Portrait pro running in the background! And yes, you can print directy to the dedicated 9550DW by dropping jobs straight into the queue, email for details:)

You can also boost the processor speed, add more RAM, put in a HDMI graphics card to support external displays, even change out the motherboard if you are brave enough and don't mind voiding your warranty!

I'd recommend this system to anyone starting out, and would also recommend you buy it from Stuart or Darren at Systems Insight as they know the system well!

5. Green Screen Event Photography

To be successful in Event Photography as in any business you need a key differentiator, something to make you unique. We all provide basically the same service, photographing people having a good time and offering prints or downloads. Some specialise in niche markets like weddings or school photographs, or certain types of events like Equestrian or Motorcycling. I chose Green Screen Event Photography for a variety of reasons.

I like the portability of our lighting system and didn't want to spoil that by having to carry around various huge coloured backdrops for different occasions. I find it boring having dozens of people shot the same way, and I'm sure most people who go to events are getting fed up of the same bluey grey backdrop, or the "ultra modern" white or black high or low key shoot.

I want to have fun at an event and want the guests to experience something new. So we shoot everyone in front of a blue or more usually a green screen and then our special software can replace that colour with any of our 2500 digital backgrounds! This gives us the flexibility to add classy studio backdrops to Black Tie and Corporate Events, and lets us choose appropriate colours to enhance what the guests are wearing.

For School proms and Sweet Sixteens we can get the guests flying through space, on stage with their favourite rock bands or in the latest movies. Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs are great fun as we can transport the guests anywhere in the world, and for all events we offer free personalised overlays and designs so the event is memorable and unique.

The secret to Chromakey Event Photography is keeping the workflow fast! If you offer a guest 2500 choices, expect a huge queue or a lot of disapointed people. We tend to design 10 choices for each event and will print an example of each so they can decide before we shoot. That way if they are going to be posing alongside a Twilight Vampire or on the dance floor with John Travolta, they can strike an appropriate pose! It does slow things down having to add backdrops but we prefer the interaction and the guests enjoy the experience.

It's not all about getting them shot and printed to us, some event companies work like a slaughterhouse concentrating on quantity rather than quality, that's what the auto cameras at theme parks are for, we would rather spend a little time earning our money!

We prefer green screens to blue screens as less people wear the actual shade of green we use. Blue clothing, eyes and jewellery are more common and can cause probems unless you know how to mask out those areas. We use very special green screen material now, direct from the film studios. This is a special white backed material that absorbs light and glows evenly. Ordinary green muslin will reflect light and cause problems especially with very blonde hair. Contact me for details, it's twice the price but worth it!

Don't worry about evenly lighting the backdrop as many claim, that will just cause more spill and you need more lights power and cabling! You can't get your guests the recommended 10-12 feet away at an event, which you need to if you light the backdrop! Imagine if you were shooting a group and they all had to be 12 feet in front of the cloth!, how big would it need to be! Using pro software lets you quickly adjust for spill and reflected green light.

The trick is to light the people not the backdrop, that should only appear in the gaps anyway and if you have a light enough green it will work. Less is more, light from the sides and above so any shadows are still green and they will disappear.We use overlays and backgrounds to get realistic Magazine covers and special effects.

People don't notice that usually the models on magazines go in front of the title heading but behind the informative text! And watch out for copyrights, design your own magazine covers that are similar but not identical, you can buy these from the USA as overlays..PNG files are best but won't work on the Click, you need to do what we do and switch.

The President Obama shot is a good example, He is in the background, the guests are dropped in on top, then the desk is added as an overlay in front.

6. Starting an Event Photography Business.

Don't believe some of the salesmen out there who claim it's a licence to print money! That is their job and they do it well, but like any business you need to really work at it. Most pro photographers woudn't dream of doing a photoshoot AND supplying a framed large photograph for a tenner! And don't think just because you get a booking at a black tie event for example with 100 people that you are going to sell 100 photos!

30% of those people won't even want a photo taken! That's just the way it is. There won't be many single people wanting a photo on their own, and there's always a large group who want just one shot of all of them, but will buy additional copies at a discounted rate. That leaves the couples, so that brings you down to around five singles, a large group and twenty couples.

You will earn about £300 at an event of this size. Ok, that's a small event but just about possible for two people to cover so that's only one assistant to pay. Then there is the cost of the prints, mounts and bags, travelling costs, insurance costs not to mention an hour to setup and an hour to pack down plus sometimes many hours of waiting for a dinner speech to end.

Don't forget the website you need, the adverts to get bookings, the expense of all the gear, marketing your website, the admin and post production work to get the images online. The usual business costs of stationery, phone bills, promotional gear and all the insurance.

Also remember there are a lot of excellent photographers out there, and anyone can buy a good camera, lens, and a fast printer and go out and do this. The big companies will already have the big events sewn up, So you need to use your contacts, ask around, advertise and promote. Offer to do some small events free for the practice, but still charge the going rate. Even if you only sell 10 shoots in a night, the experience is invaluable before you tackle a busy event.

Once you get a booking, splash out on some pop up banners showing what you do, flyers and business cards. When you get there and setup, take a few test shots of the bar staff, waitresses and event organisers to test everything. Frame these up and give them out as gifts, asking them to show the guests! Great advertising! Get the DJ to tell guests where you are and what you are doing. Work the tables if it's quiet. Above all enjoy it and be polite and professional as you are representing us all!

That's enough secrets revealed for now, if anyone wants to ask any questions feel free. This is just my opinions and experience so far, I'll add more as I get time. If you find this at all useful, please tell others, I'm not charging to write all this, nor am I selling anything, but links to my site will really be appreciated, or a mention in any blogs etc. Cheers, Paul Harrison

Should I Start a Party Planning Business Or an Event Planning Business?


Samantha wanted to start a party planning business in Las Vegas. Actually, she told everyone she was starting an event planning business. "It sounded so much classier," she told me.

Well, classy or not, it didn't work. A party planner is not an event planner. Samantha was getting calls from people who wanted her to arrange corporate getaways, group cruises and month long grand opening events. Those are all very legitimate business niches, but not for a party planner. Those belong to an event planner.

Let's look at this way. An event planner like Jenny O'Neil will plan a large convention in Las Vegas. She will manage the hotel connection, plan the kick off bash, arrange for VIP treatment, ensure that all permits are in place, that all electrical wiring works, and keep the whole kit and caboodle running smoothly. Samantha, the party planner, will plan some of the individual parties going on all over the place, making each and every one of them a unique success.

So the event planner made more money, right? Not necessarily. Jenny has probably been working on this event for many months, perhaps a year or more. She has hired a staff to handle a lot of the detail work. She has set up a whole computer system to track expenses and billing for this event, making sure that the right people are billed, and that they pay on time. She actually lives in New York, and has had to make several trips to Las Vegas herself, as well as transport and house her staff.

The party planner was probably brought a month or two ago to plan the individual parties. Samantha is local to Las Vegas, and knows the caterers and party supply places and staffing companies to use. She may have brought in a contractor or two to handle some of the work, especially if she is doing a number of parties at the same time. But basically it is a one woman show.

The event planner's bill was a lot higher. But so were her expenses. The party planner sent out smaller invoices to a lot more companies, and had much lower overhead.

So it is probably a toss up on which one made more money. It is probably safe to say that the better negotiator did better. More importantly, they both enjoyed what they did.

Samantha didn't travel. She stayed near home, and operates her business from home - many party planners do just that. Taking on shorter term assignments gives her a lot more flexibility in her personal life, and still allows her to stretch her creative side.

Our event planner enjoys the international travel, and the opportunity to meet some very high profile people, so that really is the job for her. She is incredibly detail oriented and works well as a ring master to all that is going on.

Whether you plan to start a party planning business or an event planning business, focus on what aspects interest you. What works for your way of life? Neither is better or "classier" than the other. Both fields are dynamic, creative careers, with tremendous profit potential.

Business Planning Can Be Conducted Successfully Through A Management Consultant


Have you ever wondered if there are any easy ways to achieve a successful business plan? Business planning is a science that requires the achievement of business goals and objectives. The achievement of these business goals and objectives can be done by the successful execution of the set objectives. That is the main objective of the manager preparing a business plan.

What is a business plan and what is its structure?

Business analysis is not an easy task for a novice entrepreneur. As it involves a detailed amount of research into the cost, time and scope of the business plan. A thorough analysis of the market is also required by the business analysis professional in order to analyze the success of the business report. Novice entrepreneurs and companies who are venturing into newer markets require the assistance of business analysis professionals to guide them on these aspects:

• A study of the Business environment analysis
• A complete industry background analysis
• A thorough competitor analysis
• A efficient and achievable marketing plan after conducting a market analysis
• A fool proof operations plan
• A financial summary after analyzing the finances.

Most companies have several departments who have had experience in preparing business documents, yet, to study newer environments requires the assistance of professionals or consultants who are aware of the market trends. They have the ability to study impartially the implications of the organization planning objectives vis-?-vis the current market trends and industry trends. Industry trends and market trends are constantly upgraded as the economy continues to grow. The company is not always capable of having an analysis across industries and markets for achieving a successful business plan. There is no better way to execute the objectives, be it financial or operational, of the business report than with the aid of a management consultant.

Business Planning Research with a Management Consultant

Business planning research is a thorough science that cannot be undertaken by all companies who are involved in day-to-day activities of their existing business models. So, in order to impartially achieve a successful business report, a research needs to be conducted by an outside body. This outside body could be a management consultant whose job is to be aware of the market trends and industry trends. The management consultant is an experienced professional who will be able to immediately identify the scope, budget and timeline for the completion of the business research. Since, they conduct researches for several organizations, they are aware of the needs of the company, no matter what industry or field they belong to. The management consultant keeps himself/ herself abreast of all industries in order to have a bird's eye view of the company vis-?-vis the industry, unlike a manager of the company who is only keen to ensure the goals of the company. It is no wonder that the management consultant is more successful in preparing a plan that encompasses all the necessary aspects of the business.

Thus, the management consultant will conduct a thorough business planning research and help the company prepare a business report. This business plan will be executable keeping in mind the current market trends and the strategies used by the most successful companies in the world. The management consultant can guide the company on these strategies as they are professionals in the field who are aware of the successes and failures of the companies in the world.

Event Management Services - Vital Guidelines to Choose the Best One


The presence of event management companies delivers you genuine rights to shift all your apprehension and anxiety to whosoever accepts such important managerial chore. Nevertheless, is the company worth considering to take up your whole burden? There are rafts of companies in the industry. How will you select the company that will live up to your expectations? To evaluate different event management services, following are some guidelines you may comply with.

First of all, you need to classify your event. Different events have different requirements.

There are companies that concentrate on specific kinds of events like corporate events, weddings, award ceremonies, exhibitions and fairs, stage performances, etc. Therefore, classify your occasion and get in touch with a service provider that boasts proficiency in organizing such type of events. As mentioned earlier, each event has specific requirements and hiring specialized event management services is the need of the hour. When you have a specialist overseeing your particular needs, you can feel confident about the smooth progress of your impending occasion.

One vital issue the majority of individuals neglect is budget. In pursuit of the most excellent service, they time and again forget that the best service comes at a substantial price. Even so, it doesn't imply that your event must be compromised. There are event management companies that offer high quality services at affordable rates. Be rational while arriving at this decision. Although the company is looking after all the organizations, it is just one blunder and you will be the first one at whom your superiors and colleagues would point a finger.

After you have shortlisted the companies that conform to your stipulated budget, further narrow down the prospects on the basis of number of years in this business, magnitude and variety of events handled, quality of work offered (take the help of previous clients), atmosphere of the event conducted, problem-solving capability and ability to deal with minuscule details.

In addition to personal capabilities, select a management service that boasts the most excellent contacts in the city. Possessing direct contact signifies that no middle man is involved. It indirectly signifies that you will not be shelling out additional money for the flowers and decorations or amusements.

You might question how to discover a company that has all of the above qualities. Nevertheless, to your utter surprise, you will numerous event management services that meet this description.

Clearly define the precise outcome you seek. It is your responsibility to communicate your ideas and needs appropriately so that the event managers can replicate the same and organize it to their best of capacities. Keeping these guidelines in mind, employ the finest managers for your corporate events, weddings or fashion shows.

How to Plan Successful Corporate Events


A corporate event could be any of a number of activities. Some of the common activities are seminars, exhibitions, conventions, conferences, seasonal parties, dances, annual dinners, celebrations for shareholders, or client entertainment.

The purpose of the event could be to celebrate a significant client acquisition, to thank employees for achieving milestones, to improve client achievement, improve business image, form new business relationships, increase public knowledge about the business or even to launch a new service or a product.

No matter what the activity or the reason is, planning corporate events takes considerable effort. After all, you would not want to cut a sorry figure in front of clients, nor would you want the event to turn out to be a failure. Therefore, when the role of corporate event planner has been cast upon your shoulders, use the following steps to ensure that it is a success.

1. After you get all approvals for the event, share information to other departments within your organization. Publicity is what drives the success of most corporate events, and you should therefore try to get as much publicity as possible. Publicity also helps out with the costs involved in an event.

2. Ensure that you have enough time to plan the event. The best events are those which are planned at least six months in advance. While this might seem a very long time line, you will find that when it comes down to making actual arrangements such as confirming venues, placing orders and issuing invitations, six months tend to fly by.

3. Follow an organized sequence of steps to plan the event. Start off by identifying objectives and identify costs. If there is a budget, you will need to consider it. Consider your target audience and client base, and fix up a theme. Once the theme is chosen, think about whether you require an internal sponsor, entertainment or any extra resources from an event management company. If you are going in for external resources, shortlist a few of these based upon their past performance. Plan for additional attendees, which could include competitors and clients. Once you have this planned, document your plan and get it approved.

4. Once you get the approval for you plan, put it into action. You can also run a direct mail campaign for corporate events in order to get more publicity. You can even get ideas from colleagues as publicity increases, and you could implement these ideas if they do not deviate from the objectives.

5. Hire the services of a good and reputed caterer. If alcohol is served, ensure that there is a way to keep a check on over-indulgence and drunken brawling.

6. Once everything that you have planned has been done, go over the list again to ensure that nothing is missing. On the big day, ensure that all AV equipment is set up and is working without hassles. If there are handouts, make sure that these are printed and ready to be distributed.

Once all your plans have been put into action, you can sit back and watch as the event that you have planned unfolds to perfection. Planning successful corporate events is not easy, but it is not impossible, either.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Planning the Right Menu For an Event


Events and occasions should always provide the best possible sensory pleasures. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste...each of these should be catered to equally, leaving attendees with a lasting impression of beauty and harmony.

A key part of event planning is the menu. Food to be served at an event depends upon several factors -

1. The time of day - Snacks or full meal? Drinks or not? These are all crucial decisions that can be made based on the timing of an event
2. The time of year - seasonal vegetables can bring down costs by a large margin
3. The specific occasion - for example, one must have wedding cake at weddings, turkey and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, etc.
4. The expected attendees - for example, a seminar on lactose intolerance should have a menu completely devoid of milk and milk products.
5. The budget.

No matter what the occasion, refreshments for the guests must be provided. Tea, coffee and juices are popular refreshments, and drinks - wine, beer, spiked punch or hard alcohol - are also very welcome if the occasion demands it.

For food, the menu is divided into starter items and appetizers, main course and dessert. It may be served in buffet fashion or as a plated meal. Buffets are generally easier to manage, and result in less wasted food at the end of the day. It is also easier to cater to a variety of food preferences in a buffet. However, sometimes a plated dinner is necessary due to space constraints or other reasons.

The meal begins with starters. Starters are appetizer items, usually finger food. They may be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, and are usually baked or fried. These starters may be set up at a counter, or may be passed around among the invitees. Typically, no more than four rounds of starters are served, so that appetites are whetted rather than getting stomachs filled.

After starters, guests can progress to the main course. This will typically consist of salads, meat dishes and their accompaniments. Needless to say, both salads and meats come in infinite variety - from Russian salad to Waldorf, and from grilled salmon to beef vindaloo. Just remember to make provisions for any vegetarians who may land up in your midst! Roasts, sandwiches, canapes and mousses... nothing goes amiss, as long as you don't end up broke as a result.

Finally, dessert. This can be as simple as ice cream with chocolate sauce, and as elaborate as French pastry can get. Alternatively, you can take the healthy/healthier route with a fruit spread, yoghurt, dark chocolate and cheese platters.

The only rule while setting up a menu is this - provide variety, but make sure the items go well together. Make sure that every cuisine featured on the menu - whether European, Lebanese or Japanese - has everything from starter to dessert. If you see an item that doesn't pair with anything else on the menu, strike it off. And if you aren't sure of food planning yourself, request your caterers for a tried and tested menu. Adding in the person-of-the-day's favorite items couldn't hurt, of course.

How to Manage Trade Show Exhibitions in Tough Economic Situations?


As the recent economic scenario is witnessing a sharp meltdown, there is a significant need to focus on marketing and sales activities in almost all organizations for renovating and reassessing the management and administration process. The marketing techniques must be identified and evaluated for determining the effective and efficient ways to encourage sales, which will ultimately expand the business.

Exhibitor management for a trade show is a prolonged and expensive process comprising of varied activities as well as expenses, which must be dealt with utmost care for avoiding surplus budget. Any trade show exhibition will surely have to incur immediate expenses on space of exhibition, materials, labors, transportations, accommodations and other such important things. Managing all these activities as well as expenses is not a simple job, particularly in a difficult financial situation.

Being a trade show organizer, you must consider your expenses and act accordingly so that you do not have to compromise with your business in the near future. Here are a few suggestions that can help you in dealing with the expenses and will offer more opportunities to manage the process, effectively.

繚 Cut down the exhibition space:

There is no doubt that your people will serve business as usual, even if you cut down the space of exhibition. There might be queries from the customers end regarding the smaller space as compared to the preceding years. You can give a smarter answer and make them believe that serving their requirements and needs are always given the foremost preference rather than size of the exhibition.

繚 Make use of simple materials:

The light- weighted exhibit materials which are recently available in the market offers easy and simple set-up that can open up various opportunities for thrifty exhibitors. Thus, they can easily use these materials and curtail the expenses for conducting a great trade show. As these materials can offer you a professional exhibit environment, they are worth using.

繚 Put up Local stalls and booths:

Bringing people from all over the world to the trade show might require huge expenses. Try to put up local stalls and booths with their services and products, targeting the local customers. Doing this will not only save your money, but will also give the local stall owners, an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents through their products and services.

繚 Offer discounts and benefits:

By offering discounted prices, extended warranties, free technical support, free transportation and such other innovative ideas, you can certainly add value to the trade show presentation which will grab the attention of increased customers. Thus, it will help in generating more ROI, without spending extra expenses.

As a challenging economic situation is not a permanent phenomenon, smart organizers who are focusing on customer requirements and are constantly regulating the exhibitor management process, will survive till the end.

A Beginner's Guide to Sponsoring Events


As an advertiser, sponsoring events is a good way to get a company name associated with a worthy cause or event with strong interest to the public. One look at the name brands splashed over major sporting events like the Masters, US Open, World Cup, World Series, NBA Play-Offs, Indy Racing, and many other major sports activities makes it clear that brand association is a powerful tool of advertisers.

Everyone knows that the most expensive television advertising is associated with the Superbowl. Why? Attention and association---each advertising sponsor is trying to get the public watching to link its company to the event in a positive way.

There are a few things most advertisers need to consider when taking on sponsorship of the event, no matter whether it is a local charity event or a major Red Carpet happening. The questions and issues are merely ones of scale.

Among the questions that those hoping to sponsor an event should consider are the following:

* How many other advertising companies are also laying claim to sponsorship?
* What advertising will occur before the event, and how will the sponsoring company's logo be featured in that advertising?
* What are the costs, and what does the company hope to gain by sponsoring the event?
* What signage, programs, and auxiliary advertising (such as promos, giveaways, sponsor-led tented areas, or activities within the major event's parameters) will be available?
* Is the crowd attending (or watching) this event the core consumer group for the company's product?

Of course, the essential question for the sponsoring company is

* What is the budget, and what can the company get for that amount of money it is willing to spend for its sponsorship?

It is not surprising that cognac companies sponsor polo events while beer companies sponsor baseball. Targeting the intended consumer base is key to the success of sponsored events. No matter how great the advertising, if the targeted consumer is not at the event, it's money wasted.

Frequently, sponsored events provide the opportunity for the company seeking to advertise its product the opportunity to provide special incentives for favored guests. Giving away tickets, providing VIP tented areas for attendees, and offering valuable swag (high-end giveaways) that will linger on long after the sponsored event is over are some of the ways advertising companies get their messages across.

Key to the success of any advertiser is the campaign conducted throughout the sponsored event. How easy or difficult event planners are to work with, how involved the sponsoring company's own personnel are in planning, and the amount of "bang for the buck" are all major considerations in having a successful advertising result from a sponsored event.

Planning, oversight, and imagination are all key to a successful event, both from the advertiser's and the event group's points of view. A well thought-out campaign with full integration of a company's branding and advertising messages can make sponsoring an event a win-win for everyone.

Event Management Guidelines


Events are our presentation to the world; it tells everyone who we are. Undermining such a fact would affect us dramatically, in this article I will take you through the general steps of how to plan for your own event. For a better understanding I will be using an example, an awards night event.

Planning an event involves 2 stages: Purpose and Process. These stages will affect the whole event going forward.

Purpose: why are you having this event? what are your goals? What do you want your guests to get out of the event? Who will attend it?. Here you need to know the why, is this a private event or public, birthday party or corporate event or a concert, casual or formal!!! Out of that you will know what kind of guests you will have. Here it will be good to use some of your imagination to visualize the event. For example a birthday party can be a casual party where guests can come in shorts, or even formal if it was for a VIP like company CEO. Within our example of the awards night, the purpose is clearer, this is about honoring some guests, and this will be a formal event. But is it international or national event?

When you identify the purpose, you need to specify a starting budget, be reasonable of course. If you have done this before you know some information but if you haven't and you are an earth living human being, go back to the purpose and try to imagine a cost and have an open mind, as it might grow or reduce. Within our awards night, this is a formal event so your budget should include the venue, event setup, awards, event contents... etc. if we are talking about 300 pax your event cost will range between at least USD 100,000 within a 5 stars hotel for a local event to up to few millions if this is an international event.

Now comes the process, this is how you will want this event to come to life, here you have to choose a role, do you want to enjoy it or run all over the place when a small thing is missing like more water is required? Do you want to manage it or operate it? Within our example you will need to hire an event management company to bring your event to life. You also might need to hire a PR company and a Media company.
The purpose of your event will show you the way, the process is your ride on the way to reach your target.

As we know now how to proceed, you need to avoid two common mistakes.

First, based on the size and purpose of your event, do not undermine the size of the task in hand, if you are not an event professional with experience in the field, do not think it is an easy job, this is your presentation, you do not design your cloth, you shop for it. You will need to hire an event management company.

Second, some people would hire 2 or more than one company to execute one event, although I would not recommend this at any level, but if you do so, you will need to identify a company to be the manager of the event and it would be a good advice if their role is only managing the event and nothing more.

These are the Event Planning Guidelines and the common mistakes to avoid.

4 Important Things to Keep In Mind-Being an Event Planner


Event management, as the term itself suggest, involves strategic plans and research and must be properly executed for any kind of event. Events can be of various types ranging from personal and social events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and reunions to professional and corporate events which includes business meets, product launch parties and also brand promotion parties. There are also special events like live concerts and award functions, which needs to be managed in a proper and organized manner. Being an event planner, you must possess versatile skills to make your event unique.

Following are the 4 important things to be kept in mind, while you are organizing an event:

繚 Comprehensive knowledge:

For making an event successful, you must have a complete understanding, which is very important. Events differ from one another and understanding each and every aspect of a particular event is crucial. Events have their own expectations and procedures and meeting up to their requirements is essential. So before the commencement of the plan, ensure that you are clear about what needs to be done. Coordinate with people who had previously attended or managed such events and try to keep yourself updated about emerging changes within each type of event.

繚 Identify the requirements:

Likes and preferences may differ from man to man. There may be things within the event that are liked by few whereas turns out to be a bad experience for hundreds. First of all it is important to track the number of expected attendees and then ensure that the requirement of each customer or attendees is clearly mentioned to you. Depending on this factor, choose the venue. A good cooperation between you and your customer will ultimately result in a good selection of venue for your event.

繚 Plan today and implement tomorrow:

Once you have a complete knowledge about the pros and cons of the event, you need to make an appropriate plan. Note down the activities that need to done and mark up the deadlines. Assign different responsibilities to your team according to their skills and specialties. Track the progress within each plan and figure out the loopholes. Also if possible, make a demonstration program before the big event to find out if any addition is required. This will eliminate the chances of unpleasant surprises.

繚 Maintain Rules:

Rules and regulations are a vital part and cannot be ignored easily. Organizing an event requires prior approvals and permissions and must follow procedures accordingly. Police permission, approval from civic authority and environmental clearances are some examples. Ensure that you, being an event manager, have all the clearances and approvals within your hand, prior to the event. Never try to break the rules which may ultimately lead to serious problems.

As an event manager, you must consider the above mentioned things, to make the event, a success.

What is Corporate Entertainment?


When a company wants to show its staff, clients, or stakeholders some appreciation, they put together a corporate entertainment event. These events are a great way to not only show appreciation for those involved with the company in some way, but it is also serves many other purposes. Some of these include:

1. They build morale among the staff in the company. When employees are able to get out of the work environment and have fun, they become friends and that increases morale within a company. Increasing morale does something else within a company as well.

2. It builds productivity and that is very important if a company wants to make money. When a company is productive, there is very little waste and the less waste there is the more profit there is. That is what makes corporate entertainment so good for a company.

3. It helps staff, clients and stakeholders network outside and within the companies. Some companies are so large that many employees do not even know each other. Corporate entertainment events can help employees who would have not known each other, network with each other. It also helps clients network with the people they do business with on a regular basis.

Some private events that companies will hold include:

繚 Conventions

繚 Conferences

繚 Retreats

繚 Private Concerts

繚 Christmas Parties

When a company holds these events, it helps the entire company and it helps those within a company get to know who they work with, who they do business with and who works for them. It is a perfect way for a company to build morale, productivity and more. In the end, something like a corporate entertainment event can be the best thing for a company that has become stale and stagnant over time.

Hold a Green Event and Save Money


The first thing that often comes to peoples' minds when they think of going green is that it's going to be expensive. Of course there is some truth to that perception but there are ways to hold a green event and, also save money.

Go Local
One of the highlights of any successful event is the food. Good food makes for happy guests. When you hold an event, one way to go green and save money on food is to go local. Pick fruits and vegetables that are in season and grown locally. Often, locally grown produce saves you money since you are not paying for high transportation costs. This also helps the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of the food item as well as helping a local business. In this scenario everyone wins.

Reduce Waste
It would be wonderful if all events could be held using silverware and stoneware, but that isn't always practical. When this happens we often turn to paper goods. The ideal scenario would be to use paper goods made from sustainable materials such as bamboo or recycled goods. However, this can be more expensive. If you can use bamboo goods that is wonderful, if not, there are still some other ways to reduce waste.

Use a marker or stickers on paper goods so guests can identify their cups. Using a marker will reduce consumption of cups since guests can identify their beverage. Try using water from a pitcher or water cooler which guests or the host can pour into cups, instead of bottles of water. Also, have a separate bag that you can throw empty plastic or paper cups that can be recycled. Some of these measures will also save you money. In fact, an event planner saved $50,000 for Microsoft on one event by using water coolers instead of water bottles.

Use the Internet or Social Media
Use e-invitations. You can use websites such as Evite to send invitations to your guests. You can also market larger events through social media such as Facebook. By eliminating paper, electronic invitations will save you money on postage and printing cost as well as reducing the environmental impact of your event.

Decor
You can also save money and go green by using flowers that are local. Tell your florist that you want arrangements that are as local as possible. If flowers are not part of your event you can instead use edible decor. You can use food that is part of your menu, snacks, or desserts. Perhaps, even make edible arrangements. If appropriate use potted plants that can be given to guests or give as part of a raffle. Dominic Phillips, an event planner for Swissotel, uses items from local parks and makes centerpieces using medicine bottles or pails.

Going local, reducing waste, using the internet for invites, and being creative with decor are some easy ways to reduce the carbon footprint of an event together with save you money.

Resources:

"Affordable and Green," Meeting and Conventions magazine, October 2009, by Kaylee Hultgren
"Greening Events without Breaking the Budget," Special Events, February 2009, by Christine Landry

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Corporate Event Ideas for Maintaining a Corporate Event Planning Budget


Recently, I produced an event for a long time client and thought I would share some corporate event ideas that I used during the process of planning this event. I find planning corporate special events just as challenging as planning any other type of event and here are a few tips to think about when considering corporate event planning.

Like any other event, determine a budget when planning corporate events and follow it through. It seems across the board corporate event planning budgets have decreased, and in the case of this event, I suggested to the client that we even cut the budget more than in previous years as a start and then if need be, add to the budget later. Our strategy worked since it seems that vendors as well as event planning providers understand that there are less events happening and are more willing to work within the budget you provide and still help create an outstanding event.

One of the corporate event ideas I discussed with my client and which also helped keep our budget costs down was to bring in our own wine. We weren't crazy about the list of wines offered at this venue and thought why not buy the wine and pay the corkage fee. Thus, we would be serving wines to our liking while saving money (we saved over $500 plus sales tax).

Other event ideas we used to keep our budget costs low were to shorten the length of our cocktail hour from an hour to 45 minutes and also to hold the event earlier in the evening on a Sunday night. By shortening the cocktail hour time, we didn't serve as many appetizers which were charged on a piece-by-piece per person cost, and we also cut down on the amount of cocktails served during the shortened time period. Holding the event on Sunday can save you money when planning corporate events because at most sites, especially restaurants, Sunday is a slower night especially early Sunday eve and you might be able to negotiate a better rate.

When planning your event, think about the timing of the event itself and how to use the time period of the dinner portion effectively. This is another one of the corporate event ideas we put to good use. Since we held the event at a steak house and all dinners were cooked to order, we had quite a delay between our first course and the main course. Thus, we used this extra time by honoring those people in the company who were receiving promotions. Keep in mind with event planning, you still want the event to move thus be sure to set time limits with your speakers.

Summertime company picnics are near, and I hope you can implement some of these corporate event ideas during your corporate event planning process. Planning corporate events still require careful consideration especially with budgets, and there are many creative ways to help you keep those budgets in check. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, stylish, fun and economical to all!

All Event Planners Are Not Created Equal


Most not - for - profit organizations hold a variety of events for a number of reasons. Amongst these are for fundraising purposes, administrative, informative, public service, social, etc., or some combination of these. Many groups have come to realize that they can often benefit from the services of an event planner, but few realize that all event planners are not the same, in terms of approach, expertise, and/ or results. Some individuals that call themselves event planners are actually party planners, with a flair for design, theme and decoration. Others are actually event administrators, who specialize in inviting guests, follow through, and coordinating the smooth operation of the event itself. Few, however, have the training, experience, expertise and judgment to listen carefully to the needs of a specific organization, and the self - confidence to objectively analyze what needs to be done, and then create a specific plan and course of action to create an exemplary result.

1. True full - service event planners first listen to the needs of an organization. What is the purpose and objective/ objectives of the event? What is the heritage and values of this group? What aspects of previous events have been most successful, which ones are the group willing to modify, and which is the group steadfast to keep as they have been. Where most events gets off to their weakest start is in clear - cut identification of objectives, and a realistic created, detailed budget. With that in mind, a quality, professional event planner must also demonstrate his superior negotiating skills, and assure that the group receives the most "bang for its buck." Great events occur because of attention to detail, and the realization that it is a combination of creating true value, as well as perceived value. Many organizations become disappointed in their results, but fail to realize that to a very large degree, the success of any event is based on well - spent, quality, directed promotion and marketing. This must commence significantly in advance, especially when a group hold the event during certain peak demand periods, such as holiday periods, and late March to mid - June.

2. Professional negotiating is both an art and a science. It takes a negotiator that both understands the needs, desires and priorities of the group he represents, as well as doing his homework to fully understand what he can and cannot ask of a vendor. Negotiating is understanding strengths and weaknesses, and involves experience, expertise, knowledge, wisdom and a directed can - do attitude, combined with absolute integrity.

3. Before bring on an event planner, an organization should examine its needs, and why they feel they need professional help. It is incumbent on an organization to select someone that will best serve their needs, and knows how to get things done. There can never be a place for excuse making!

Beware who might refer to himself as an event planner. Best results occur when you hire someone that can handle every aspect of the process. That individual must be able to guarantee that whatever he charges is significantly less costly than the benefits gained and savings acquired.

Significant Ways to Manage Elementary School Fundraising Donations


One of the primary reasons for holding elementary school fundraising event is to collect dues and donations for various future activities of the organization. The money accumulated from such fundraisers is used to buy computers and text books for children, sponsor school trips, and so on.

Manual handling of payments can really be a daunting task, especially for the elementary school children. It includes excessive administrative workload and is a time-consuming task. In such a situation, schools can start using the online payments management solution to streamline the procedure.

The web-based fund management system can be used by elementary, middle, or high school to bring in greater transparency in managing donations. The PCI-compliant online payment service can be used to authorize and process funds from diverse fields.

People who wish to donate using their credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express) are welcome to do so. Similarly, real-time processing of checks and Purchase Orders is possible using the highly scalable web-based payment management platform.

This online payment solution also accepts payment through the standard getaways, such as PayPal Payflow Pro, PayPal Express, CyberSource, and Authorize.net. People can even use their own merchant account for giving dues and donations at the elementary school fundraising events.

This type of payment managing system also offers schools the provision of tracking, reporting, and controlling registration data, payment status, revenues, refunds, and credits. All this can be done 24X7. The Cloud-based payment organizing service also assists you with transaction reconciliation. Besides, it proactively monitors and prevents fraudulent transaction, if any. This payment management solution also allows easy processing and clearance of all refunds and chargeback requests to attendees, as and when required.

Apart from using the web-based payment management service, the elementary schools can also use the comprehensive online event management solution to enable instant online registration. The online registration platform can be accessed 24x7 from any part of the world. The registration pages can also be customized to bring in them the look and feel of your fundraising event or school website. You can also send emails, RSVPs, and invitations to your acquaintances for participating in your school fundraisers.

Thus, the online payment management solution is likely to help you enhance your donor relationships and empower them to donate funds more conveniently. Finally, the web-based event management solutions, coupled with the payment administrative system, promise to make your elementary school fundraising event a grand success.

The Best Team Building Idea Secret Is to Create Lots of Energy and Enthusiasm


If you are looking for a fantastic team building idea or a secret to conducting a great team building event, the best piece of wisdom I have ever come across is the importance of energy and enthusiasm. Often times, event planners or people who are organizing a convention or annual event will hire a professional team building expert to facilitate some type of team building activity, but if you have a smaller group of people, how can you get the same type of results without breaking your budget? The key is to create a team building activity that does three things. First, the activity has to insert energy into your meeting. Second, you have to facilitate in a way that everyone stays active and involved the entire time. And finally, the activity or event must create some type of emotional response from the participants.

Team Building Events Must Insert Energy into Your Meeting

The easiest way to insert energy into an event or meeting is to get the audience involved in some type of physical activity. The longer that participants are standing around (or worse, sitting down) doing nothing or listening to the facilitator speak, the more bored they will become and the less energy will be in the room. Many facilitators will try to use questions to the audience as a way to get them involved, but this can backfire pretty quickly (especially in a larger group). The reason why is that only one participant at a time will be able to respond, so most everyone else is still just listening. One of my favorite ways to push energy into the team building activity is to use the dividing into teams as a way to get people moving around and communicating. For instance, if you have a huge group of people, instead, planners will often put team numbers on nametags, etc. so that dividing into groups is much easier. Most often, the planner will then number all of the tables so that as participants enter the room, the organizer themselves by table numbers. You can do something similar, though, and insert a lot more energy by hiding the numbers and just letting people know when they enter the room that they can move to any table. Once everyone is in the room, just announce that their first challenge is to find their group, so, "Go find the team mates that have your same number." The energy in the room erupts immediately, and the group is now more open to doing more activities.

Keep Everyone Involved and Active

Once you have the energy up in the room, you will want to keep everyone involved in the activities in order to keep the energy (and fun) high. This is absolutely the hardest thing to do throughout the entire program, but it is also the most critical. The key to making this happen is to create activities that require the participants to work together. For instance, philanthropic team building is very popular now, and one type of team building event is where participants build bicycles for needy kids. Quite often, organizers will think that the building of the bikes is the most important part of the event, but they mistakenly forget that building bikes (or really doing any type of physical activity) by itself is not much fun. If you just organize your teams into small groups and tell them to build bikes, one or two people in each group will jump in and start putting the pieces together, while the rest stand around and watch. So, at any given moment in the event, two-thirds to three-quarters of all of the people in the room will be standing around doing nothing. Instead, you'll want to combine activities that involve more people such as adding in some type of task that groups need to complete to earn each part. The key to making this work is to scan the room during the event and look specifically for people watching versus participating. If you have a lot of the former, make sure and add additional tasks to the activity.

Create Some Type of Emotional Response from the Team Activity

Interestingly enough, the type of emotional response doesn't really matter as much as the presence of the emotion. For instance, in the charity team building event mentioned above, the giving of the bicycle to the kids at the end of the event creates an incredibly emotional and memorable ending to the event. However, sometimes the emotion that facilitators are trying to create is pure competition. A race or a contest can add energy to an event. (Although, this is tricky because competition among teammates can often hamper team building versus building teamwork.) Sometimes, anger and frustration can increase the energy in a surprisingly positive way. For instance, in some team events, the rules are not always known to every participant so as teams keep trying and not succeeding, the frustration builds. But just like any challenging puzzle, once it is conquered, a feeling of pride and satisfaction replaces the frustration.

Think about the old Rubik's Cube from the 1980's. That one puzzle caused a lot of frustration, but once people started to solve it, they got fantastic pride out of sharing the "secret" with their friends who were unaware of the solution. Every time the secret was passed from one person to the next that pride of accomplishment passed with it. The same thing can actually happen in a good team building event as well.

Regardless of what type of team building activity you decide on, make sure to focus most of your time on keeping the energy high throughout the event. Use activity to insert energy into your meeting. Organize the activities to try to keep everyone involved all of the time. And finally, create some type of emotional memory during the event so that at the conclusion, participants say, "That was a lot of fun! I'm glad I participated."

Event Management


Event management is comprised of the study of the complexities of brands, identifying target audience, creating event concepts, and planning the logistics. It also includes coordination of technical aspects before getting down to truly implementing the modalities of the planned event. Event management implies the application of management science to the creation and development of festivals and events.

Event management is one of the strategic advertising and communication tools used by businesses of all sizes. Right from product launches to press conferences, businesses develop promotional events so that they can communicate with clients as well as potential clients. They may target their audience by using the news media, wishing to generate media coverage, which will reach thousands or millions of people. They can also invite their audience to their events and reach them at the actual event.

Event management company services areas include corporate events such as product launches, corporate seminars, and forums. Services also comprise of retail advertising programs such as road shows, training programs, event promotions, television-based events, special events such as concerts, fashion shows and more.

Event managers are the people who plan and execute events. They are involved in the planning, execution, brand building, marketing, and communication strategy of events. Event managers are experts in the creative, technical, and logistical fronts that help an event succeed.

Event management is an industry that is growing quickly, with mega shows and events hosted regularly. Considering the professional side, event management is a glamorous and exciting profession that requires a lot of hard work and enthusiasm.

Only a few universities offer diplomas in event management. The study includes organizational skills, technical understanding, public relations, marketing, advertising, and catering. The course also includes study of logistics, glamour identity, human relations, law and licenses, risk management, and budgeting. Knowledge of related industries such as television, cinema, and other media also form a part of the curriculum.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Trade Shows and Corporate Events Use Interactive Displays and Data Cameras for Post Event Marketing


Whether you are generating leads or measuring the performance of your upcoming event, trade show or marketing campaign, you need to capture correct data from your audience for effective post promoting. This is a very vital task to set as a precedent while planning your company's advertising event: People can engineer a wonderful occasion, but once the crowd leaves, the final success is truly based on how you will be able to regularly communicate with them about your services or products.

Today's technology offers a great wealth of promoting solutions, but one must carefully select proven components to combine and then hold a highly visible and successful event, trade show or promoting program. The event must create attention and capture an audience. Secondly, the next important and most crucial phase is keeping the product or services you are promoting "alive and exciting" and in the client's minds during the following months and even a year after the occasion is over.

Before we continue, let us outline the first steps: The key to successful trade show, event campaigns.

1) What design can we use that will draw people to our event and captivate them?

2) How do we gather valuable data from our visitors without being intrusive or aggressive?

3) What type of visuals must be added to create "staging" and strong appeal?

4) How do we get visitors to participate, "connect" & "engage" with our team passively?

5) How will we manage the data we receive from our clients for post merchandising and communications?

At present, a great deal of trade show promotion is "hit and miss"- hoping that your company and its presence along with brochures, etc. will make some type of impact on the customer... hopefully they will read your brochure or contact you later - odds are quite low using this dinosaur method.

Traditional techniques of email accumulating typically results in a list of unreadable scribbles or false names and addresses. It is imperative to capture, collect, organize and analyze all data. It is also very important that you find a creative, entertaining method to integrate proven data capture programs at your next occasion. There are many data capture systems and we will discuss this in this article.

Many promotions or trade show events have utilized various methods in "engaging" customers using games, magic, music, prize drawings, the wheels of fortune, etc. However, people are bored by these methods and their motivation to involve themselves is usually weak as the prizes are the same old - pens, trinkets, magnifying glasses and other useless promotional items not worth standing in line for or talking to a sales representative to get one of them.

Times have changed and jaded people want something uncommon if you want them to stop and listen. Plan to appeal to their emotions and or needs. If you can present an entirely unique and exciting occasion you will be successful in gathering a crowd while being excellent and memorable. Without solving this first step, the ability to grab and stop potential clients to easily gather data will be next to impossible.

The use of "interactive displays" is one of the most unbeaten tools used in the front end of occasion data gathering. Once you "engage" your clients with an interactive display, you can set in motion the data gathering process that will be non-intrusive and passive all at the same time.

New hi-tech, special data gathering cameras that take photos of people "interacting" with the fun displays you have are highly effective and proven to work in gathering accurate emails and other data. Once the specialized, data camera takes the unique, interactive, staged photograph of the person - surfing down a 30 foot virtual wave, a business card is given to them with a code that they enter when they go to your website to download their unique, fun image.

If you carefully map out the interactive, creative demonstration in which they participate in, the motivation to acquire their picture from your website will increase - most studies prove that 70% of the people who use the data camera system combined with a unique interactive show results in great rates of return from their trade show or occasion with post promoting campaigns.

Here is a perfect and proven example of a highly, winning occasion with "interactive shows" that includes data gathering potential: " Virtual Video Interactive Surfing Displays". The Hawaiian, tropical paradise theme seems to be a very popular designed occasion that never gets tiring. The colorful, laid back party theme meets the psychological needs of today's trends - people love the vision of Hawaii as it is laid back, relaxing and fun. So how do you bring a Hawaiian beach to any event with an interactive wave of action? Easy. There are several "interactive displays" that a business can rent and set up in minutes.

One specific company from Hawaii rents interactive displays and surf simulators to locations worldwide - comes complete with backdrop wave and a highly specialized photo camera assists in collecting client data. Clients like Microsoft, Nike, ABC Television, CBS Television, Sony Entertainment, Cisco Systems and many more have used these video surf simulators for their highly successful events, trade shows parties, team building or promotions.

Here is the scenario: Imagine the sounds of beach boy music and the peaceful rhythm of waves breaking on a white Hawaiian sandy beach. Then as you get closer to the event, you notice someone standing on a real Hawaiian surfboard in front of a large screen television. You will also notice the crowd watching this "video surfer" laughing and sometimes screaming in exhilaration - trying to surf a large wave on the video monitor and get points by not "wiping out" all while avoiding great white sharks and other obstacles in the water.

Off to the side of the surf simulator you also notice a line and of people waiting to take a memorable picture. People stand on a mini-surfboard positioned in front of a huge eight foot wave mural with a palm tree. A special camera marks each photograph with a digital code and time stamped for later ease of retrieval - gone are the days of instant printers, etc. The code allows the holder to log in and go directly to their photograph for downloading or pasting on their desired social network. Of course, before they get the memorable download, they enter their exact email address which you use for post advertising.

Case studies have shown a 70% accuracy rate for emails provided due to the motivation to get their unique photo. As you can easily see and comprehend, the mixture of an interactive exhibit plus the special digital bar coding camera, offer the perfect model for an event that pays off in the end for post advertising. If you are planning to spend any money for any occasion, trade show or party, you will have to use this proven combination of components to better guarantee your overall trade show, party, event or marketing efforts..

Eight Things Event Planners Must Budget For


In my over thirty years of planning many hundreds of events, conferences and conventions, I have discovered, often the hard way, many of the pitfalls and potential pitfalls involved in successfully planning effectively. One of the areas that has the greatest amount of ramifications involves meaningful budgeting, so as not to be unhappily surprised during the event. While there are many other factors that a professional event planner with negotiating expertise plans for during the early and continuing budget phases, these eight seem to be perhaps the most continuously overlooked.

1. Never assume anything will be done, unless it has been specifically agreed to. While you might assume that something is obvious and necessary, when it comes to event planning, doing so is often dangerous and potentially disastrous. One example is many inexperienced planners assume that if their contract reads that there is a complimentary microphone, that means there is no cost for audio- visuals related to the microphone. In most cases, that is anything but true, and organizations find themselves billed for microphone hookups, audio- visual personnel monitoring, hookups to central system, etc. Make sure the language in the contract is crystal clear, even if it might otherwise seem unnecessary. Another example may come from the area of bringing in outside contractors versus using the hotels services. While the rate may appear lower, the add- on charges imposed may end up not making it worthwhile.

2. Planners must evaluate data from previous events, to enhance their understanding of what they need. What does this group use a lot of, and what seems less important? By doing so, a planner and negotiator may effectively prioritize their demands/ requests.

3. Remember that everything is negotiable. Always ask because either you may get it, or if not, you can treat it as a giveback that then permits you to let the other side feel like they've won one!

4. You must take into account breakage/ attrition. While effective event planners usually end up with considerably less attrition than inexperienced ones do, because they take measures to address that area (and are better at accurately forecasting and estimating), professionals always budget for attrition to be on the safe/ conservative side when it comes to their budget. In the industry, the rule of thumb is generally to budget with a ten percent (10%) attrition rate built into the numbers.

5. Negotiate to pay for actual usage or consumption in areas where there is generally high costs and ways to actually measure. Pouring iced tea or lemonade at the table (or having pitchers available on the table) can often be negotiated, either as a complimentary item, or minimal cost. On the other hand, when sodas are included, costs go up quite a bit. In that case, organizations should create a system and a pre- negotiated discounted rate per soda, and a measuring system in place.

6. Beware of over charges or surprises. If a contract has not been properly negotiated, there is often a flurry of little unexpected charges. In a multi- day event, event organizers should have a review system in place on a minimum of a daily basis, to review the previous days charges. Never be afraid./ embarrassed to ask for details/ explanations about any charge you may not understand.

7. Expect contingencies and plan for them. There is always something that comes up, so the better prepared and ready for them, the better off you are. I generally recommend at least a five to ten (5- 10%) "fudge factor" to be prepared from a financial/ budgetary perspective.

8. Remember those extra/ additional charges that hotels invariably charge. Have all additional charges spelled out in detail in the contract, and have language prepared that these are the only additional charges that will apply for this event/ conference. Often, taxes and service charges alone, for example may account for close to 30%. Be sure to adjust your budget to include those costs, because imagine how difficult it is to address that amount of unexpected costs.

These are only the very basic types of items to consider in preparing a budget for an event. Those planners who create a meaningful budget consistently have more successful end results!

Using the Best Corporate Events Caterers For Maximum Business Impact


There are hundreds of corporate events caterers in the UK, and a huge variety of services offered by them. Some event caterers may just supply fresh sandwiches, salads and cakes for lunches in the office or at offsite meetings. Other companies specialise in director's lunches, in offices or headquarters. And even more high end corporate caterers design and deliver every aspect of glamorous canape receptions, lavish five course banquets, and cool corporate garden parties, all aimed at wowing clients and colleagues alike.

The best corporate event caterers can of course deliver everything from one end of the spectrum to the other - a delicious freshly toasted sandwich for a clients' driver and personal assistant? Not a problem. Stunning seafood ice bars in designer marquees or remote French chateaus? Easily done. The finest vintage champagnes, the most incredible caviars, the freshest oysters and the rarest cuts of Kobe beef? All possible if your corporate organisation can afford it!

Corporate events (and indeed corporate events budgets) are now absolutely crucial to the world's big corporate hitters, and as the industry gets more and more competitive, the companies that really wow their clients are the ones that stand out from the pack.

The very best corporate event catering companies - such as The Admirable Crichton, Alison Price, deWintons and "rhubarb" - can make every corporate event a real theatrical production, with the best glasses and china, the most professional uniformed and corporate logo-ed staff, and of course the best, freshest and most seasonal food, served in the most stunning ways. If you work in events for a big corporate company, and if your corporate events budget fits the bill, then using this kind of event catering company means you can be sure your business strikes exactly the right notes. If you want perfectionism and professionalism, if you want to impress with attention to every little detail, if you want your corporate event catering to reflect and mirror your company's business image and reputation, then this is the way to go!

Of course if your event catering ensures maximum impact for your company, then every single one of your guests leaves your event feeling that they have been looked after in the very best of ways. Not only will they have eaten the most fabulous food and sampled the finest wines, but most importantly they will have been impressed. A memorable corporate events like this, with superb catering, can simply make or break the biggest international business deals.

Event catering companies such as Food Show, "rhubarb" and Alison Price have catered for numerous events for some of the UK's biggest corporate hitters, such as HSBC, Barclays Capital, De Beers, KPMG, Royal Bank of Scotland, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Deutsche Bank, Sotheby's, Citibank and Rolls Royce. And events for these kinds of companies can take place in some of the most amazing venues such as The Royal Courts of Justice, The Natural History Museum or The Design Museum. And of course with the best corporate caterers being accredited and recommended at certain venues, there is always fierce competition for the best corporate jobs. The companies that win are those with the very best product, the very best service and the most impeccable reputation - just like the corporate companies that win in business too!

Making Others Happy Brings Joy To Real Leaders


Although many individuals want to be leaders, far less become really effective ones. One of the primary qualities that differentiates great leaders from the rest of the pack is the individual's true motivation to want to lead. While a great leader must be dedicated to his organization and its mission, and have a clear cut and vital vision, unless his primary motivation is to help others by providing valuable leadership, he rarely achieves true greatness. Far too many individuals' desire to lead stems from their own ego or a desire for some sort of perceived glory, when greatness only arises when the primary consideration is service and providing real value. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it." As this applies to leadership, true happiness must stem from bringing joy, happiness, satisfaction, and joys to the organization one serves, and its members, donors, supporters and sponsors.

1. If you wish to be an effective leader, you must first examine your true motives for wanting to serve in such a position. Are you willing to put in the time, effort, and get whatever training and knowledge you need, or do you want to be in charge but have others take care of the necessary details? Do you realize that effective leadership is not a part time endeavor, or even a nine to five endeavor, but rather an often time consuming, sometimes energy sapping effort, where you must not only lead but must simultaneously motivate others to sharing your vision, and upgrading and enhancing their personal actions, as well? Are you able to clearly articulate your reason for wanting to lead (in honest straight- forward terms rather than in jargon or rhetoric)?

2. Do you understand the difference between value and perceived value? Great leaders must consistently pay attention to both of these and realize that merely providing what they consider to be value, without taking into consideration what others see as being of value, creates a huge divide between the one in charge and his constituents. Nowhere is this more obvious than when it comes to event planning, where professional event planners painstakingly negotiate to achieve value (cost savings, efficiencies, better ways to achieve the desired result), but unless they are able to effectively communicate this to attract participation by motivating potential attendees (demonstrating effectively the value creates the perception of value), the event will invariably under- perform and disappoint.

However, a true leader only feels satisfied when he is convinced that he has done all that can be done to make his organization attractive to others, and to make others proud and happy to participate in. The joy and happiness of constituents is what, in the end, creates a leader's contentment and happiness.

Proactive Time Management


There is no such thing as time management. We all have the same amount of time available each day. Event involvement requires that we block out an allotted amount of time for its completion. Therefore, instead of time management, let us consider event management to be a more reasonable approach to scheduling.

For each of us, time is valuable. For young people it passes slowly and for the more mature it passes way too fast. Time is priceless. Think for a moment about the last 2 minutes of a football game. For the coach whose team is behind by 1 point, time is that precious commodity that if used correctly, contributes to the win. For the horse that runs second in the Kentucky Derby, .02 seconds is the difference between $500,000 and $50,000 in prize money. If you lose your money, you can earn more. But, if you lose a week, you cannot purchase another no matter how much money you have. There is no substitute for time; it is irreplaceable.

Charles Spezzano in What to Do Between Birth and Death says, "You don't really pay for things with money. You pay for them with time." In summary he explains that exchanging time for money is the basic definition of a job. People trade their time for money and then they use their money to pay for their lifestyle. Everything in life can be traced back to an investment of time.

As a leader, event (or time) management is one of our greatest responsibilities. Maximizing each minute should be an ongoing goal. Even though we may never successfully reach total event management, we can use time wisely by following these guidelines.

#1. Focus on your talents. Recognize and understand your talents. Spend time each week improving your talent skill levels. Do not be tempted to work on your less talented skill sets thinking improvement will increase your leadership effectiveness. As John Maxwell once described; if on a scale of 1 to 10, your skill level is a 2, do not waste substantial time trying to improve since you will likely never grow beyond level 4. However, if you are a 7 in a specific area, sharpen that skill, because when you become a 9, you will have reached a rare level of expertise.

Look inwardly and identify four areas of strength. If you cannot complete this task on your own, ask a close friend or family member to help. You might consider areas like creativity, communication, teaching, writing, relationships, networking, and public speaking. These then become your focus points. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in those areas that are outside your four talent areas. You will get the greatest return on your time investment by narrowing your focus and improving your strengths.

#2. Identify your overall purpose in life. Most people hate this topic because they have no clue where they want their life to go or what their purpose in living might be. Each of us can remember and celebrate our own birthday, but how many of us can actually state with clarity why we were born? Identifying purpose in life is personal and private making most people uncomfortable when called upon to discuss or reveal it. Event management requires that leaders spend time on activities that advance their life purpose.

It is impossible to reach peak performance without a clear understanding of purpose. Increasing the horsepower of a racing engine means nothing without first understanding that speed is the overall purpose of increased horsepower. By identifying purpose, a leader gives birth to passion, effort, understanding, knowledge, accomplishment, and ultimately achievement. By harnessing events, daily, weekly, and monthly, leaders can continue to lead their organization forward avoiding stagnation or failure.

Most experts suggest that in order to identify your purpose in life, find a quiet place and meditate on what you feel is important. You will, with time and effort, arrive at an answer. But this answer may be incomplete. In order to arrive at a deeper and more meaningful purpose in life, answer the following questions and then bring all of these ideas together to create a full picture.


  1. What is it you do or do not do that you hope no one finds out?



  2. What current events seem to irritate you?



  3. What faults do you most often see in others?




3. Organize according to core values. The driving forces behind your overall purpose in life are your internal core values. They are the beginning points of inspiration for all you attempt. Your core values direct your thought patterns and those thoughts guide your actions. Without solid, well grounded core values life becomes monotonous and instead of striving for excellence in all you do the daily objective becomes only existence.

Without objectives, a person seems to drift through life attempting to survive with whatever cards they are dealt. With objectives, a person becomes the dealer and therefore dictates the game. Without guiding core values, ups become mountains and downs are bottomless pits. Much like a lighthouse guides ships in dangerous waters; core values guide leaders through the twists and turns of life.

Organize your month, your week, and your day not according to what's urgent or pressing but in accordance with your core values. Then, your day to day activities will have meaning and each day will end with a sense of accomplishment and personal fulfilment. The greater your sense of fulfilment, the more you will accomplish.

4. Choose to smile. It is a fact that when you smile at someone, they smile in return. Happiness is a choice, not a state of being; it is an inside job. No one else can make you happy. You must decide to be happy and only then will you experience its joy. At its most basic level, happiness can be found to always include relationships and friendships. Valuing relationships seems simple, yet most leaders downplay them and instead try to prove their own significance or validate their worth. In pursuing importance and power, most leaders allow relationships and friendships to dwindle away leaving only a hollow achievement with a feeling of emptiness.

Exercise wisdom here. Cultivate friendships and solidify relationships at every opportunity. In doing so, you will find peace and joy. Surround yourself with loyal friends and family. Prioritize your time for them and their needs. By creating healthy relationships, you will experience fulfilment and ultimately the happiness you deserve.

5. Duplication is the key. One person properly managing daily events can accomplish enough of the basics to be successful. Hundreds properly managing daily events can create a dynasty. Equipping others to do what you do compounds your efforts and your results. If you are the only one that can do what you do, then when you stop doing it, the income it creates ends. If you can teach others how to do what you do, then not only can you compound your results, you can eventually stop and the income continues.

Real leaders recognize that dynasties are created by people, not events or accomplishments. A leader will invest all of themselves in others only when and if they understand the power of duplication. By pouring themselves into the lives of others, duplication must occur just like the ripples seen when a rock is thrown into a pond. Schedule mentoring time and you will find that duplication takes over creating a team with impact and power based on relationships and commitment, not obligation.

No matter how hard you try, you cannot manufacture time. Time travel is not yet possible. You must learn to invest time rather than spend it. In order to manage life events; learn to focus on your talents, identify your life purpose, organize according to core values, smile, and practice duplication.