Saturday, September 7, 2013

Putting on a Business Conference


No one ever said putting on a business convention would be easy. In fact, even to the most skilled event planner, putting on a large business convention is hard to plan and even harder to execute. Such an endeavor takes time, money and resources that are always at arms reach. And in order for the event to be successful, it must be relevant- featuring content, exhibits, activities and participants that are conducive to the spread of innovative ideas and information, and ultimately, fostering long-lasting business relationships.

Unless you are a seasoned event planner who knows the ins and outs of putting on a sizable business convention, it might behoove you to contract professionals to handle all the logistics. A plethora of overwhelming details will need to be addressed, make no mistake about that. The kinds of things a business event consultant might handle can include everything from securing a venue to marketing the event to providing hospitality.

Production of a large-scale event will likely require a global-oriented team of personnel with a vast network of resources. A seasoned and well-connected agency might help you by:

- composing an activity agenda that features a variety of networking opportunities, resource booths and seminars on topics of interest to business executives and key decision makers. A successful conference will meet the needs of those looking to educate and spread new information in their field, network and acquire new leads, and drive their competitive edge towards sustainable growth in their industry.
-putting together a conference agenda in which speakers are scheduled purposefully. In a dynamic series of speakers, each speech should pivot right off the one before it in a way that is relevant and meaningful to the audience. The speakers should provide content that is newsworthy to the industry and relevant to event themes. Keynote speakers should compel and inspire and all other speaker slots should echo that excitement.
-finding a venue, acquiring permits/handling paperwork, ordering supplies, arranging equipment rentals, establishing a ticket-purchasing system, etc. These and other major logistical actions should fall into place smoothly and efficiently.

Smaller-scale, but equally critical details typically include:

-handling speaker contracts, transportation reimbursement, per diems/stipends, accommodations, etc.
-arranging for hosts to meet speakers at the airport, help them get settled, etc.
-making sure speakers are aware of time constraints and the need to allow time for questions.
-having a Plan B in case of problems or emergencies like flight delays, illnesses, or the need for a last-minute change of venue.

Depending on the resources you have at hand you might choose to go it alone when planning a business conference. Otherwise, you might opt to minimize stress and risk by working with a company that specializes in the planning and production of large-scale business events. There is so much to be considered in terms of planning, marketing, logistics and provisions that it can be a nearly impossible undertaking for a novice event planner, particularly one who already has their hands full.

Hire A Catering Service For Any Event


Hiring a catering service can help you offer your guests excellent food without you being bothered about it. When you organize a party, the biggest dilemma that a person faces is regarding food. This type of service helps you remain worry free as they take care of every aspect organizing and serving the food.

There are several companies you can find in your city offering catering services. There are also cocktail party caterers who can add taste to your cocktail party. These companies offer services for any type of events like birthday parties, wedding, anniversary celebration or corporate parties.

These people are specialized in the field and can take care of food as per your need and requirement. There are some caterers who specialize in a particular type of cuisine while others can offer you customize services and can offer you any type of cuisine you want for your event. If you know what type of food you want for your party, it can help you pick a company that specializes in that particular type of food. Hiring a niche company offers several advantages.

Some catering companies can also offer you some other services apart from food. If a company has liquor license, it can also act as a bartender. If you will enquire, you will find that some of the local caterers can also help you with other type of services like DJ and photographer. These people remain in contact with other such service providers. This way you can also get discounted rates from them.

There are several types of catering services available that can range in price from cheap to expensive. You should plan and fix a budget prior to searching a company. It is also important to book a company well in advance to save money.

The best place to look for a catering company is online. You can make a list of the companies that interest you and then inquire them about the type of services and the cost they charge. Looking at their website, you can get an idea about the type of company it is and don't forget to read the testimonials left by the people who have used their services earlier.

A catering company is a very good option when you think of planning an event. They will take all the responsibility to offer your guests excellent food to make the event memorable.

Company Picnic Or Team Building Planning


Are you in charge of planning this summer's company picnic or Team Building event? This article will outline some simple ways to get organized and get ahead of the curve in planning a company picnic.

Are you planning this party by yourself or do you have a committee? How many people are you expecting? On average you should expect about 1.5 times the number of employees you have on staff. Not everyone will want to come, believe it or not, and not everyone will be able to come. This number is assuming that you are doing it on a weekend and inviting families. If you are doing it during the week and only inviting employees then you might estimate 75% to 80% of your employees will attend. Weekday events are great for team building and camaraderie but generally weekend events are the employee's preference. Employees want a time where they can bring there family and treat them to a day out on the companies "Tab".

Next you need to find a date. The best thing to do is put together a choice of 3 dates, ones that are best for you, and send it to the key executives and management personnel. You want to be sure as many of these people as possible can attend. Go with the date that allows the greatest number of executives to attend. Of course it is mandatory for the CEO types to be there.

You now need to pick a place and secure your date. Before you can do this you have a decision to make, what type of party do you want this to be? Are you looking for something that is purely enjoyment for your team and their families with very little employee interaction or are you interested in building community, team spirit and morale with in your business. I recommend the later. You are spending the money it might as well benefit the company too. If you want pure entertainment for your employees you will want to choose a Theme Park with rides and attractions. If you want to build your team and encourage employees to get to know each other in a different light, then the best choice is going to be an "Old Fashion" picnic. This promotes mingling, conversation and a sense of community. In this type of setting people will automatically talk to people they might not normally talk to and also people will introduce their families to one another. This gives everyone a better understanding of their coworkers and develops a deeper connection which can foster better, more cohesive working environments.

Next you will need to figure out your menu. Good establishments will have an event planner to help you with those details and the rest of the details from here on out. Usually each venue will either have their own caterer or one that they will recommend and they will have a menu to choose from. Pick out the menu that sounds like it will cover the majority of your employees likes. Be sure to consider your vegetarians and make sure there is something special for them. It is nice to have a variety of salads, meats, sodas, and alcoholic beverages for everyone to choose from.

You are mostly set from here. All you need to do from this point is to promote the Corporate Event or Team Building Activity and hand out tickets.

On the day of the party you should be able to relax and enjoy the picnic like your guests, having complete confidence in the venue and staff that you have chosen.

5 Reasons to Hire an Event Planner for Your Next Event


"You can shave $5,000 off your 2009 budget AND hire Big Buzz as the coordinator," I explained to a prospective client in early 2010. It was the easiest project I have ever secured. There were no negotiations, no hesitations. We went straight to contract after a one-hour meeting.

It was a bold statement but one that I believed we could uphold. I was fairly certain that the company my client had previously worked with was less than reputable, and I was determined to prove that we could offer them a higher quality corporate picnic while saving a significant dollar amount. And we did: the 2010 project came in 25 percent under the cost of the 2009 event.

It is common for people to think that professional Event Planners are going to be expensive. But the reality is that planners know the tips, tricks and contacts that could save you time and money in the long run without sacrificing the quality of your event.

Here are five compelling reasons to hire an Event Planner:

•You Will Save Money - Event Planners build relationships with suppliers, and they receive discounted rates from vendors that a quality planner will pass on to the client. When you call the same supplier, you are likely to pay their standard rates, which can be higher by as much as 20 percent or more.

•You Will Save Time - Nobody has enough hours in the day anymore, so why spread yourself too thin doing something that someone else can do for you more efficiently and effectively? Planners thrive on this activity, and they can organize and execute your event in less time than you ever could, allowing you to focus on other responsibilities.

•Benefit from Their Knowledge/Experience - Over time, Event Planners gain extensive knowledge and wisdom regarding events and parties; they know the latest trends, newest venues, the hot colors, budget-saving secrets and details that you may not be aware of if you plan only one or two events annually.

•Capitalize on Their Contacts and Resources - A Planner's rolodex is a gold mine. From lighting to d矇cor to power and more, all the right contacts are at their fingertips. No more web-searching required when they can speed-dial the best canopy vendor to serve your location, or obtain a liquor application for a City park. Put their rolodex to work for you!

•Stress-Free Troubleshooting - Despite all the planning, preparation and management, almost every event inevitably encounters an unforeseen hiccup. You don't want guests aware of this snag and you certainly don't want to appear panicked....This is when you need a Planner at your side because they know who to call and how to remedy a situation quickly. Whether it's a missing limo or a fallen wedding gown hem, your Planner can secure the resources necessary to resolve an issue seamlessly and keep the event on track.

At the end of the day, the right planner will serve as an extension of you. They do all the "heavy-lifting" so that you can be a guest at your party or outing and provide you the opportunity to network effectively to make a favorable impression that will long be remembered by your guests.

How Do You Say Goodbye to Your Clients? (You Need a System)


The thing about businesses is that some are just trends. It can be very profitable while the product is still a hot item but the people's enthusiasm eventually dies down. That's why many businesses always try to innovate their products by changing the packaging or making a few additions to make it more appealing to consumers. However, not all efforts pay off and sometimes a business really needs to shut down and venture into another. But when you have a few more loyal clients relying on your product, how do you say goodbye to them? This painstaking task needs to be done properly and professionally, and here are some steps on how to do it while still saving face.

Take note of your important clients and send them prior notice

Inform your clients ahead about what's about to happen. Explain to them the reason why the company needs to shut down operations. The information does not need to be too informative. Just provide a vague explanation. Some companies say that the company has decided to try out a new venture. Some say that they have to shut down for economic reasons or the source of raw materials for the product has become unavailable. Whatever the reason you need to disclose, it does not have to give too much information to the clients. The reason should just be enough for them to understand what's happening.

It would help to compose a letter that will explain to your clients what's happening. At the end of the letter, thank the client for their loyalty and hope that you may continue doing business with them again in the future. The notice can be sent via email or through post mail. Make sure to send in the letter several months or weeks before the company is scheduled to close, not after it has already happened.

Closing the books and pending transactions

It is important not to leave your clients hanging. If they still have pending orders, complete the transactions first before halting any further orders. If the product you have sold them still has a pending warranty, make sure to inform them on what to do regarding those privileges. Doing so will make them feel the good service you provided until the end and will leave a good impression. It also shows a great deal of professionalism that they will surely appreciate.

Close the books of the company properly. The work doesn't usually stop after the company closes. There will be documents to complete, permits to cancel and contracts to void. Doing things properly can help you move on to other business ventures, and allow you to start with a clean slate.

Event Planning - How to Plan the Perfect Event


In order to plan an event, you need to establish dates and alternate dates, budgeting, choosing and reserving venue location, obtaining permits and coordinating transportation and parking, along with event registration procedures and systems.

Some other tasks of event planning, depending on your type of event, may include interior design, choosing rooms, tables and chair design, contracting electric and lighting crews, audio/visual, etc.

For an outdoor event, security, parking, portable toilets, emergency and health professionals and clean up and sanitation are all things to plan for.

Event Planning Tools

There are event planning companies that provide meeting and event planning solutions, as well as online software tools that include multiple sub-programs like email blasts, invitations and reminders, and online help tips and suggestions as you go along the process.

If you are doing it on your own, there are some very important event planning tools you will need to help you, such as guideline sheets and checklists, forms such as Registration Forms, Budget Analysis Worksheets, Safety Guideline Checklists, Meeting Space Calculators and Meeting Supply Lists, etc.

Event Budgeting

In order to keep organized and prevent you from going over budget, use a spreadsheet with categories like Projected Expenses, Actual Expenses, Notes, etc. Track venue rental costs, catering costs, decoration and design expenses, transportation charges, etc.

Event Venues

Take a checklist with you so no important details are forgotten. Get phone numbers of venue management staff to communicate details for any reason. When selecting a venue, get familiar with the management team so they can help you determine if the venue meets your event's needs.

Event Design

Speak to venue managers to learn what options exist to help resolve possible design difficulties. If there is room in your budget to hire a design company, they are expert at coordinating design with event theme and guest needs.

If you are doing it yourself, and trying to make it on a smaller scale, then ask yourself if your event will be ceremonial or laid-back. Whether it's lighting, audio/video, or invitation printing, you need to know how thrifty you need to be. Many venues have ready-to-go props, lighting and podiums available since they host of all sorts of meetings and events often.

Event Supplies

Once you decide what type of event you want to make, this will determine what sort of supplies you will need. If it will be of a festive nature, you'll need a compressed air tank and some balloons, maybe rope, tape or cable, some paper towels, etc.

If you are having a business meeting, then pens, pads, bottled water and a white board maybe in order. If it's a party you're throwing, then gifts, party favors, food, drink and napkins would be on your list.

Event Catering

If you are throwing a fully catered event, taking the dietary requirements of your guests into consideration is a priority. There may be religious requirements such as Halal, Kosher, etc. Perhaps medical needs must be provided for those with Diabetic or Vegan diets, etc.

If your event will last more than two hours, you should have a variety of snacks available. If meals are in your plan, then make sure to have low-fat and vegetarian foods available.

Make sure your budget can afford the quantity and quality of food you are providing.

Some venues will have in-house caterers that can help out with all or some services like tables and chairs, decorations and waiting staff, even if they don't accommodate the desired menus.

If all you had in mind was a short meeting, have at least coffee and water available.

Event Registration

There are companies which provide these services online and onsite as well as software you can use to do it yourself. Important factors to consider when mapping out your registration process are: will it be online/offline, free or fee based, onsite automated or manual registration, how will tracking in/out traffic be done, etc.

Event Lighting

Depending on what type of event you are having will determine what type of lighting, power requirements and ease of access you will need. Once the type of event you have chosen is determined, you would make an accurate layout plan that complies with local ordinances.

You may want to light any areas that people usually take note of, such as floral arrangements or bar areas. Be careful to place ample lighting, setting a warm glow in which people and food can be seen.

A room can be altered by adding different colors on the walls and ceiling. Spot lighting and color effects can be added to emphasize performers and speakers on stage areas.

On a dance floor, adequate lighting allows the guests to feel like an important part of the event. Most likely, your event will have some sort of video projection.

In the future, lighting fixtures that double as video projections will become the norm. Lighting, landscaping, or decorating the exterior of the facility can have a dramatic affect on arriving and departing guests.

After all is said and done, the event planning job has been done well when all the pieces to the puzzle flow seamlessly together. Equipment and supplies arrive on time and in place, people are safely and soundly delivered to appropriate destinations, and everyone got what they came for. It seems overwhelming, but successful evens happen on a daily basis, and you can do it too!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Top Reasons To Hire An Event Management Company


Events take a lot of planning to be a great success. For the best event, it needs to be organised to run smoothly. This organisation could take a lot of your time. No matter what kind of event whether it is for business or personal, the way it is planned will determine how successful the event will be. A successful business event could be the difference between obtaining a new client or losing an old one. The money spent for an event management company is money well-spent when it leads to a new client. Personal events can be more enjoyable for you when you are not too tired to be there.
One of the top reasons to hire an event management company is because they will know how to plan and manage your event without wasting your time or money. They will know some hidden tips that will make your time extra special. They will have some contacts that you might not have. These contacts may be able to provide the items your spectacle will need. By them doing the contacting and arranging, you will save time. They have special relationships with other companies that have products that you might need for your showcase. Some of these products could be decorations, food and even paper goods. These suppliers may give the event management company discounts when they buy in bulk, which in turn saves you money.

Another reason to hire a management company to plan your event is for the knowledge or experience they have regarding these events. They will have the experience to handle any type of emergency. They have planned so many and have experienced the impossible happening so many different times that emergencies are not an issue for them. They are always ready for the unexpected to happen. An event management company will have the knowledge of where the best location is for your event. They have access to venues that you don't. They will know some secrets to save money on all the necessary items that you will need. They will know what is in style for events today. An event management company will have the knowledge and training to make your event the best one.

One of the main reasons for hiring an event management company is that they take the stress away from you. They do all the worrying so you don't have to. They plan and manage every detail of the event, and all you have to do is enjoy it. They are available to solve the problems, and to make sure the event runs smoothly at all times. An event management company helps with every aspect of the event; including any embarrassing moments. You get to just sit back and be a guest at your own event. This is really important if this is a business event. It gives you the opportunity to mingle and talk to clients that might be a big part of your future business success.

Hiring an event management company is one of the smartest ways to ensure you have a fun, relaxing and successful event. The event is easier this way.

Online Party Linen Rentals Make for a Fun, Affordable Event


Unless you run a large-scale event planning company and have access to endless storage space, chances are high that you'll have more luck saving if you get your napkin and tablecloth rentals online. In addition to offering a larger selection than locally owned party linen rental companies, you'll find that online linen rental is cheaper, simpler to order and, like all online shopping, much less time-consuming than looking for local businesses and dealing with people directly. While a number of local establishments that offer table linens for rent will provide you with great service, they can't match the selection of online vendors. Here's why.

For Party Linen, "Rental" Means No Cleaning and No Worries

Unless you have professional experience with large scale cleaning, you probably have no idea what cleaning a room's worth of table linens. For rentals, this isn't an issue. The vast majority of tablecloth rental businesses that operate online (or at least the majority of the ones who are worth the money) offer cleaning services and set-up. Smaller operations are often shorthanded, so even if you find table linens for rent from a smaller company, you may need to pay more and do most of the set up work.

You Can Come Up With Your Color Palette Far in Advance

Because online linen rental companies tend to post their entire inventory online, you'll have a much better chance to examine their offerings and decide on your preferred color palette weeks, or even months, before your event. By deciding on your tablecloth rentals online, you'll be able to make other critical decisions, including your cutlery, flowers, and even what to wear to the event. In many cases, online party linen rental companies even include algorithms that make suggestions as to which table linens you should rent, matching napkins to tablecloths and even to centerpieces. Compared to going to a warehouse and sorting through linen swatches, scrolling through a selection is much more efficient and allows more creativity.

Finding Coupons for Online Tablecloth Rentals is Easy

It doesn't matter what the occasion is-saving money is always welcome. The internet is known for its great deals, and searching for promo codes and other offers is incredibly simple. You can either do a search or simply go to the online linen rental company's website. During certain seasons, you'll be able to save quite a bit of money, leaving you with the means to go all out on catering and other event essentials. Look for bundle deals-discounted napkins for every order of party linen rentals, discounts when you order a certain number of table linens, or coupons for future rent services.

Custom Printed Insulated Bags for Corporate Events


Corporate events are very important occasions because they serve the purpose of giving a company internal rejuvenation, empowerment and sustainability while at the same time providing information and education to the general public. It is during these times that the purpose of the company is defined and the company curves out a niche for itself in its field of industry. Companies that regularly schedule team building corporate events, exercises and activities are able to stay focused and achieve their goals through a strong connection that comes from bonding.

Corporate events however will always come and go but the image of the company must remain and must always be enhanced. This is where customized products come in. With custom printed products as giveaway items during such events, not only does the memory of the event remain but also the company's brand is further enhanced. Custom printed insulated bags are quite ideal for corporate events. These customized insulted bags will keep the food that is carried for the corporate event warm while also keeping the imprinted area with the company's logo and message displayed especially because they have a very large imprinting area.

You can keep your food and beverages chilled with custom printed insulated bags during your corporate events especially if you are having an outdoor event or are traveling for your corporate event since they can serve as your portable fridge. With such promotional items, you will be giving your company the advantage of market exposure. There are a wide range of colors to choose from with superb quality and functionality at great budget prices.

Custom imprinted insulated bags can be used for corporate picnicking events. When a company plans for a promotional item it is essential that they look for a product that is useful and which people will want to use if not daily at least frequently. The more the item is utilized the more extensive exposure the company will receive. An excellent way to achieve this is to use customized insulted bags to carry the message out to the public.

A company would definitely benefit from using custom imprinted insulated bags. A picnic is one event that a company can use to bond. An insulated bag can come in practical during these weekend getaways as they help save the freshness of food and drinks. Custom made insulted bags also serve as an advertising instrument for companies that have limited funds when it comes to advertising.

Logo imprinted insulated bags can be easily tweaked to meet your advertising demands. With their wide printing area, you can imprint your company name and logo and transform the merchandise into a powerful marketing item. However, you need to check that the item you have in mind will really symbolize your advertising goals.

A good place to start looking for the perfect tote is if you look on the internet. You can compare and contrast all the different bags that are on sale. You will be able to look at a range of bags in different colors, sizes and prices. Once you have done your research, you will be in a much better position to pick the right bag to suit the situation. Take a look online today and you are sure to find the perfect insulated bag.

Getting Ready to Throw a Party? Use Event Planning Software!


Are you getting ready to organize a party at the beginning of this New Year? You must already be feeling the pressure of arranging a perfect event! Planning and managing an event is a daunting task. If you are new in this domain of work, the job is even more challenging. While you must have seen many organizations hiring experienced event planners to do the work for them, I feel nothing can match the satisfaction of performing the tasks yourself with the help of an event planning software.

You can be really smart by investing in an event planning software. Actually, the investment that you make to access such a software is negligible compared to paying the fee of an external event planner. Organizations of all sizes can utilize it to come up with a memorable event experience. Let's look into the features of such an event planning solution.

Registration Solution

Its built-in registration solution can be used at anytime to setup professional looking party registration forms. You can also create multiple registration forms if you are organizing a number of parties within a short span of time. You can browse through the registration portal to monitor the progress of every event registration status; you will automatically receive notification of every successful single or group registration made on the website.

People who find it difficult to go in person to register can log onto your online party registration webpage to perform the task of filling up and submitting the form from just about anywhere that has web connectivity.

Easy Payment Processing

The built-in payment solution makes the task of sending and receiving of funds a hassle-free affair. There are a number of methods through which you can accept online payments - credit cards, PayPal, Authorize.net, and many more. Such platforms ensure that the fee reaches the recipient quickly through a secure environment.

Email Communication

Gone are the days when people used to communicate solely via a telephone or through fax. In the age of the internet, you have access to a multitude of communication channels (emails, social media, blogs, etc.) Emailing application provides direct messaging opportunity; you can send invitations, reminders, RSVPs, etc. to individuals in an automated and scheduled manner.

Marketing on Many Platforms

You should explore popular social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote your parties and similar events. At just a nominal amount, you can purchase an external social media plug-in to use it with an event planning software for convenient publishing of your event news and updates simultaneously on Facebook, Twitter, and so on.

Corporate Team Building Techniques


Corporate Team Building generally refers to the selection and motivation of teams for fulfillment of organizational goals. Our society is increasingly becoming a multi-cultural one and you are required to work with different groups of people and expected to get along with them as a team. This is more in the case of transnational and multi-location conglomerates. Corporate Team Building Techniques are methods to help people adapt to these new requirements. Your corporate team building skills are critical for your effectiveness as a manager. Even if you are not a manager, your understanding of team building makes you an effective member of the corporate team. Corporate Team Building Techniques can make your team accomplish objectives as a team rather than working on their own.

There are certain factors that are critical to Corporate Team Building. You may have a strong fusion of individual contributions. Diversity of skills and personalities are quite effective in Corporate Team Building. When all members of the team contribute to their full strengths, they compensate for each other's weaknesses also. Different personalities and skills complement each other. Corporate Team Building Techniques involve good communication between the team members as well as harmony between the members.

Corporate Team Building - Versatile Practical Tools

Putting a group of people together does not automatically equal a team. Corporate Team Building starts with getting the people in the team to know each other. The technique involves in learning to get along with each other, develop interpersonal trust, and communicate well. This helps build team spirit. On a daily basis, members of a corporate team need to develop habits to function as an effective team.

There are a number of ways to Corporate Team Building. Each member of the team could take a course on how to work collaboratively. This is an individualistic approach and may, or may not, help in forming a cohesive unit. One other way could be to employ Corporate Team Building professionals to help train your corporate team in functioning as a cohesive unit. This is a great idea, but may not fit into your budget.

You could find your own techniques for Corporate Team Building. Put your corporate team members into new challenging fun activities that will require contact and communication between them. Organize events where they get together for fun activities, such as fly-fishing, sailing regattas, road rallies, snowboarding, interactive seminars, etc.

These activities go a long way in improving communication and interaction, and help Corporate Team Building.

Organising a Conference


Organising a conference is a big task. It requires finding a venue, speakers, coordinating the event and then managing it. Conference management requires a lot of organisation and some good contacts.

You may have the skills required for conference management yourself, but if not, there are specialist companies who do.

A budget will need to be set and stuck to and a venue will have to be found. Lots of potential venues will need to be checked out and factors such as venue size, parking and access will have to be considered.

The scope of the conference will need to be established, as well as the format. What topics need to be covered, by whom, and for how long will each section last? What will the order of speakers be and what time should each section start and finish?

Conference planners coordinate event staff hired for the occasion, as well as organising accommodation and transport for speakers. The planner will also organise refreshments, signage, printing and displays. There will be lecterns, microphones and other audiovisual requirements to sort out, and a registration desk with staff manning it on the day.

You may wish to use your branding on the conference literature or maybe create something new for the event. You may also want to create a website or a section of an existing website so that candidates can register and pay online.

Delegate badges are a common requirement. They can be designed with your company logo or the conference logo and then handed out at the registration desk.

An experienced event organiser will supervise every detail of your conference and work closely with you from the initial planning through to on-site management, ensuring your budget is adhered to throughout.

Using an event management company can be beneficial as they will have experience, can save you time and can compliment your existing team.

Whether you decide to organise a conference yourself, or consult or hire an event management company, a conference is certainly a lot of work. Saying that, if it is done properly it can be a huge success

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Why Your Online Events Management Software Must Integrate With Your Business Systems


For any company that uses an online events management software solution as an application to manage the planning of any event, no matter how complex or large it is, it is extremely important that it integrates with your business systems. The main reason for this is to ensure you have a seamless process so your finance, procurement, CRM, and HR systems are all working in sync with your event management software.

It is equally important that an event manager has access to the most up to date and accurate information at any one time. It can be very frustrating if one system has a different set of data to the next. Many event software authors provide a solution to this as the software provides a full end to end package so event managers can view and analyse information from just one source of data.

Integrating your event management software into your business systems also means that when a delegate visits your microsite and pays to attend an event, this secure payment is automatically sent to your finance system, as well as updating customer records and credit control records. This process ensures nothing gets duplicated, avoids errors being made and reduces times spent updating numerous systems with the same data.

There are number advantages to integrating your online event management software with your office systems. These are detailed in more detail below:

Ease of Use

Office systems such as Excel, Word and Outlook are used by the majority of companies. As technology is continuing to evolve, the use of IT in the workplace is becoming a vital necessity. Inevitably employees have become very comfortable and confident in using the more popular programmes from Microsoft. Since many event solutions integrate your event management software with Microsoft Office packages, staff are automatically less resistant to change and have the ability to start using the solution as soon as possible with minimal training required.

Access to Accurate Finance Information

By incorporating your online event management software package with your financial systems, management of your finances becomes much easier. If payment is required by a delegate to attend an event, payment details can be passed seamlessly between the two systems, working in sync with each other.

Payment is secure and pain free for both you and your delegates. Invoices are generated automatically and the payment details are automatically updated as soon as a delegate pays which saves the embarrassment of sending reminder letters to those delegates that have already paid.

Event software solutions should offer a suite of reports to check payment histories and outstanding debtors, allowing you to see who pays on time and who is consistently late.

Communicating with Delegates

Online event management software gives you the ability to get closer to your delegates. Integrating your event solution with CRM platforms allows you to gain a 100% view of your delegates. Working in an efficient and effective manner you have the option to analyse delegate data such as; what events do they attend? What communication has been made with the delegate?

Having an integrated online event management tool makes the planning, management and analysis of your events far easier and far more cost effective.

Become a Successful Event Planner With These 9 Tips


Event planning is a multi billion dollar industry. If you are looking for a career change and become your own boss and you have what it takes, event planning may be just the career for you. There are always events to be planned and this can be a successful home based business. Events are part of being human. Become a successful event planner with these 9 tips documented below.

Becoming a successful event planner who is committed to being a success and running a successful business requires the right attitude and putting forth a lot of time and energy. You have to be able to pay attention to the fine details in order to offer your clients the best service possible. A lot of your business will be derived from word of mouth so providing excellent customer service is key.

9 Tips for Success as an Event Planner

1. Personality is key. Having a great personality allows you to interact with all kinds of people that you shall meet in an event planning business. Your personality and how you handle different situations will make a huge difference in whether you are a success or not as an event planner.

2. A successful event planner has access to the best suppliers for his or her business needs and cultivating positive relationships with these suppliers is very important. Research different suppliers for your various supply needs before you select who you shall work with.

3. Communication is very important. You need to convey your thoughts effectively to clients and your employees if any. It is also important that you are a good listener to pay attention to your clients' needs, wants and concerns.

A successful event should always make the client happy regardless of what you think. The event is about the client and not about you.

4. You have to be able to provide various options to your clients to be a successful event planner. Having a number of vendors that you work with shows variety and allows your clients to make a choice from the various options available. The availability of options allows your clients to feel involved to some extent in the planning.

5. Think about the types of events you would like to plan. There are multitudes of events that you can specialize in or a combination of two or three such as corporate functions, weddings, dinners, birthday parties, club promoting, etc. You can keep up with trends and activities at various events as you continuously research. Learning should never end.

6. Ask your clients to take pictures of the various events that you successfully plan to show to prospective clients the quality of your work.

7. Keep in touch with your clients that are pleased with your services. Call them every now and then to see whether they know anyone that they could refer to you who may need your services for various events. Keep in touch with them through various corporate emails or newsletters, etc. Ask to use them as references to prospective clients who want to inquire about the quality of your work.

8. Location, location, location. Addressing this is so important to your success or failure. Your location needs to be easily accessible and somewhere that your clients will feel comfortable visiting.

9. Always consider the budget for each event that you discuss with your clients with the various options available for each budget. It is possible to pull off a great event within any budget set forth. You may need to be resourceful.

Using Twitter Tools To Announce Events


Whether it's a birthday party for the wife, a grand opening, or a new product roll out, Twitter is rapidly becoming the way to announce and invite. You could simply send out 140 characters to announce your event, or you could do so much more. Here are five tools that can help you learn how to use Twitter to announce your events.

TaWidget lets you create a customized widget announcing your events, and provides the code you need to add the button to your website or blog. TaWidget integrates with the events calendar Taweet, which publishes your Twitter posts including a description and the starting date and time.

DailyMile is a social training log for athletes. One of its many features is an events page. You can search for functions to participate in, categorized by running, triathlon, or cycling. If you are planning an event, add it to the page including a location. DailyMile is supported by Google Maps, so you can pinpoint the locale and publish the route in advance of the meet.

BigMapple is dedicated to the 5 boroughs of New York City. Add an event to show other New Yorkers what is happening in your neighborhood. Once the party starts, people can add tweets and photos. Search by address to check out the action in the area you're in. This is a boon to the NYC community.

PlanCast is where people and plans come together. This social calendar is easy to use and easy to search. Adding an event is a snap; just answer what, when and where. You can even invite some of your friends to attend. If you're looking for things to do, you can explore by category and location.

Hooopla is an Android application for planning gatherings on the spur of the moment. Just create, share, and enjoy. After all, you're not always sitting at home waiting for an invite. The newsfeed range can be set to global, or zero in on a 5 mile radius.

Upcoming events can be as frivolous as a pillow fight, or as newsworthy as a major press conference. Getting the word out is an important part of the success of any gathering. Once you learn how to use Twitter to announce your events, you can relax, knowing your event planning is right on track.

Advantages of Corporate Team Building


If you look at companies making excellent profits, you can always find a good, hardworking and dedicated team behind all the success. The advantages of team building events are so many that almost all corporations have incorporated team building strategies and schedules to their standard training curriculum. Almost all advantages of corporate team building are noticed on a long term basis. Corporate team building ensures a contented workforce devoted to the company.

Corporate team building is beneficial to all sorts of companies, small, medium or large. In small scale companies, workers often have to perform more than one task; therefore the training and building of teams attains more importance. In large scale companies, individuals cannot achieve the best results, unless they are incorporated in a good team and work environment. Corporate team building minimizes the expenses and time consumption of recruiting and training new staff.

Team building always ensures increased productivity, competence and increased profit. The advantages of corporate term building include improved morality and leadership skills, ability to tackle barriers, clearly defined objectives and goals, and better understanding of processes and procedures. The newly achieved team spirit will not allow the team to be let down. The team members will fight obstacles and challenges as one unit.

All corporate team building events are great entertainment providers, just as family vacations or pleasure trips. These events provide realistic experiences that empower members to contribute to common goals. Corporate team building events also provide a great opportunity for team members to know each other and establish effective working relationships.

These team building practices can also improve a member?s personal life as he has an improved ability to think and adjust to surroundings. Enhanced communication skills, concentration, decision making, stress minimization and self confidence give a great sense of well being to all team members.

An effective corporate team building ensures more support to the company and project management efforts, better communication, faster and better conflict resolution, a sense of purpose and personal job satisfaction.

Planning a Quinceanera? Let's Get Stated


Arranging a large celebration like a Quinceañera can seem to be an overwhelming project. Unless, you spend time in the beginning to outline your entire celebration the same way professional event planners do.

Professional party planners have their own methods and secrets on how to have a great event and stay in control of the entire planning process. .

The most important secret for having a great celebration is to make sure you use good planning and organization methods and tools. It might sound boring because celebrations are supposed to be fun. However, the best way for you to make sure you have your dream Quinceañera filled with only beautiful memories, avoiding the nightmare stories you hear people talk about. Follow the recommended steps and go for it.

Let's Get Started:


  • It's a good idea to use a planner especially designed for a Quinceañera celebration. It will help make your planning work much easier. When you use a specially designed Quinceañera planner it will help prevent costly and embarrassing mistakes from happening.


  • Next, set up a meeting with no distractions for the immediate family to share ideas, the budget, the size of the celebration, and most important what does the Quince celebration mean to each person in the family. (Incase you didn't get your Quinceanera planner yet- take notes during the meeting)


  • The Quinceañera rite-of-passage celebration tradition dates back to over 500 years ago. Getting the family involved with the planning of the Quinceañera celebration will assist each family member to appreciate their heritage more than ever before and enjoy being part of the planning process.


  • Once the budget, the amount of money available to spend on the celebration is decided. Then it's time to calcualte how much money should be allocated for each category. Refer to the guide below.


  • Many Latino families follow the tradition of honoring God Parents, family members and friends by having them participate in your special day by gifting either money or items to be used your Quinceañera celebration. This tradition of sponsorship is helpful in today's economy. However, be careful when asking people to be a sponsor. More than likely they have their own budget challenges too.


  • Use the following chart only as a guide as to how much money should be allocated for each category of your Quinceañera celebration:

52% - Food, beverage and banquet hall.

18% - Photographer and/or Videographer.

5%   - Flowers

3%   - Cake

5%   - Quinceañera dress and accessories.

 3%-18% - Music (depending on whether live band, DJ or both)

3%   - Invitations

5%-10% - Miscellaneous.

Each category can be changed. It all depends on your choices and services you decide upon.

Tips:

A great party isn't about how much you spend on it. It's all about how well everything comes together in the end. Careful planning is important, especially with a limited budget.


  •  Good planning and good choices eliminate: disappointments,   heartache and wasted money.


  •  Once you have your budget in place and you have an idea as to how much money you can afford to spend in each area. It's now time to set up meetings with vendors you want to check out.

Following and maintaining your Quinceañera planner might seem more  like a homework assignment. But, you will be very proud of yourself when your guests are leaving after your party is over.  And each guest says to you, 'your Quinceanera was the best celebration I have ever attended'.

7 Useful Party Favors for Girls


Choosing the right party favor can make your event memorable. Even though there are millions of products to choose from, you have to find something that the cuties would love to receive and use. Go beyond the classic goodie bags to make your party unique and memorable. Present the kids with some useful girls party favors that they have rarely received. Some of the best girls birthday party favors are:

- Jewelry: Girls, by nature, are fond of jewelry. Buy attractive themed jewelry sets for the girls attending your princess' birthday party. Every time they will wear it, they will recall your party! If you don't get themed jewelry, go for the generic ones that you can get at your nearby store or buy them online. You can also gift bracelets, gem rings, clips, bands, party purses, multi-color bow hairbands, and much more. These items are always a better option for girls than the candies.

- Tiaras: Have a royal celebration by giving tiaras to the girls. If you are having a princess theme party, this can be the ultimate option. However, the popularity of tiaras makes them the ideal girls birthday party favors for all themes. You will love to see the little ones looking like cute princesses.

- Books: Story books, coloring books or activity books are wonderful options. They are educational and therefore, will be appreciated by the parents. Buy books that match your theme, or else, make a list of guests and figure out who loves what. Give them books according to their choice. The kids will love to take home a book that is on their favorite topic. This educational gift is an excellent party favor.

- Miniature kitchen sets: Double the fun by giving them their own kitchen set. There are many adorable miniature kitchen sets available in the market. They are every girl's favorite toy! Let them be imaginative.

- A photo frame with a picture of the guest and the birthday girl can be a creative party favor. Buy some lovely looking photo frames that may match your party theme. Hire a photographer to take pictures of the birthday girl with each of the guests. At the end of the party, gift everyone a photo frame having their picture with the birthday girl. The photo frame will remind the kids about the fun they had on your daughter's birthday.

- Coloring book: Encourage the artistic spirits among the cuties by giving them coloring books along with some crayons. This simple, classic, and budget-friendly party favor will add a lot of adventure to your party. Buy coloring books that match your party theme.

- Change purse: The girls will love this. They can carry this in their pocket, backpack, etc. and can keep their change for snacks or lunch in school. If you don't get something relevant to your theme, buy any cute piece probably in pink, their favorite color. You can also gift them fancy kid's handbags but that will be an expensive option.

Choosing creative and useful girls party favors can be time-consuming. However, when carefully chosen, the party favors can serve as beautiful memories of your special occasion.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

How Online Event Registration Helps in Reducing Event Management Cost


With the increasing popularity of internet technologies, the concept of event management has been changing continuously. The Web has now become the preferred platform of communication with your attendees. Hence, event organizers are extremely dependent on the online event management solutions to streamline the pre-programmed administrative jobs. Using the services of online event registration, you can attract your target audience in large numbers. Moreover, the online registration solution assists in promoting your events extensively. Spreading your message through social media builds up your professional credibility to the public, thus enabling you to maximize ROI. At present, it is the most cost-effective device supported by an excellent platform of sales.

A competitive event management solution not only speeds up your work, but also automates all manual processes. It ensures effective management of the event with improved organizational capacity. In this way, you can save on a good amount of funds, which otherwise would have been spent on additional back-office workforce.

Online event registration system helps in reducing costs in a number of ways. Check out, how you can organize events in a cost-effective way by adhering to these guidelines.

Using the system, you can host important information about your event on your website. Online viewing option allows your visitors to gather important information just with a single click of your mouse. As a result, you can reduce costs required for printing brochures, leaflets, registration forms, invoices, and so on. With the convenience of online registration, attendees can sign up online, 24x7, from any location. This additionally reduces the number of walk-ins. In this way, you can cut down on a huge printing bill.

The online event registration system comes with the facility of purchasing tickets online. It helps in diminishing postage and courier costs. With online ticketing, you can completely do away with the traditional mailing system. Moreover, all the information regarding potential attendees are stored online. Hence, event organizers can generate invoices and receipts directly online. It eliminates printing costs as well as the postage costs required for sending invoices through courier.

Apart from these, the online event registration system automates the process of signing up attendees and helps in reducing added expenses on manual labor significantly. Hence, you do not need to hire additional staff for handling back office jobs, such as registration, faxing, walk-ins, and data entry. Converting these operations to the online sphere ensures highest efficiency and an uninterrupted workflow.

Use online registration today for reducing event management costs and administrative time.

Indoor and Outdoor Event Planner


If you are planning for a business event, you need to take care few things to make it a success and attracting crowd. It is imperative as when planning an indoor or outdoor event that involves exhibition setup or trade booth counter, many people are unaware of the proper management, look and feel which your product or company vision or exhibition theme requires. Most important is the time spent in setting up a stall or booth or canopy or any other promotional media. Therefore, plan your event in such a manner which ultimately turns a center of extraction for the crowd. If you have ample amount of time, which is a rare case, go for big hoardings, big budget and big size banner stands along with canopy and hefty counters. However this situation is also not the ideal case for many businesses. Only a few business houses can afford it. For the masses, the budget is less, time is less and effect expectation is high. For such businesses, moderately priced banner stands are the ideal choice.

Retractable banner stands make a great choice if you wish to use them year after year for all your promotional needs because these can add an extra mile to the aesthetic look and give a professional touch to your event. Compared to traditional wooden or MS stands, the latest banner stands can resist damage from rips and tears easily. They are turning up as highest selling commodity globally when we talk about business promotion events whether it maybe a product launch, a service startup, or company policy or slogan campaign. These are affordable, easily transportable and less in weight. Banner stand display systems can be setup in few minutes, saving considerable time for you. Latest trends in banner displays have completely eliminated all the hassles in untangling ropes, rods or threads or screws as was the case in earlier ones.

When you are away from your office or business, they still serve the purpose of your office. They continue to conduct business silently. They can easily be fit into their own carry bag and can easily be taken out at any point of time making you comfortable to reach to next business venue or event. Lot of colour and material choices are possible in Retractable banner stands. You can select black, white, silver, grey or combination of these colours. You can select Aluminium structure or chrome finished structure or bamboo structure. As more people are resorting towards natural items, with its natural look and feel, bamboo banner stands are more in demand. The shape and style is available in X banner base or L banner base. They have strong structure base to resist any wind flow when place in open space or ground. As per your size of graphics, you can select the stand which suits the size. You can even select a flexible stands that is capable to hold different size graphics.

These trendy look banner stands give your company instant name recognition and turn a major tool for promoting your company branding. Make an impact with these low budget promotional tools with style and professionalism.

The History of Fashion Week


Fashion, the world without it would be so bland, so dull, so colorless. Fashion is defined by many to be the trend or just anything stylish. It is the hip looks youngsters wear. Well, it may be all of that, but now it has emerged as a multi-million dollar industry. The fashion industry comprises of designers, models, photographers, magazines, makeup artists, event planners, and what not.

Fashion has captivated modern society in a stance. Everyone wants to know the latest trend and own the most fashionable item. They do so mostly by firstly following fashion and keeping themselves up to date about the latest style, and then avidly adopting the trend. Some of the methods to keep up to date with fashion is to watch celebrities and other fashion icons, go through the fashion magazines and keep track of the latest collections by designers. But by far the quickest way to see the new trend coming is by attending fashion shows.

A fashion show is an event where models display a designer's latest collection on the ramp. A fashion week is nonstop extravaganza for a whole week cramp packed with the latest fashion collections by multiple designers. It is most awaited event in the fashion world. Now, the fashion capitals of each country hold their own fashion weeks. The most popular, more commonly known as "the Big Four", fashion weeks are held in Paris, Milan, London and New York twice a year.

So, we wonder, from where does this fashionable affair start? Like all other inventions, in this case too, the mother happens to be necessity. As war waged across Europe, and stopped many aspects of life, it also hindered fashion. It dates back to 1943 when the World War 2 was at its fullest atrocity. Fashion gurus from around the world were unable to come to France to see and appreciate Paris's latest designs. This was thought as an opportunity for designers elsewhere to showcase their collections. Thus, the first fashion week was arranged in New York by Eleanor Lamber. It was called the Press Week and after it there was no looking back.

This idea became very popular and since then fashion weeks are becoming the most awaited event of the fashionista world. Designers from clothes, to accessories, to shoes say that events such as the fashion week, not only give boost to their business but also provide an opportunity for displaying their aesthetic obsessions on the ramp.  

Special Events and Corporate Meetings are Becoming Environmental


Planning for the Environment - Changing the Way We do Business

At any given moment there are thousands of business meetings and special events going on with millions of guests traveling to and from different locations throughout the world. The event and hospitality industry is perfectly situated to have an extraordinary environmental and ecological impact by planning events with better awareness and by greening up their decision making process. Green planning is a responsible way of doing business that includes energy conservation, minimizing consumption of natural resources, reducing waste, reusing resources, recycling, and using earth-friendly products.

Green meetings and events are not main stream today but will be mandate before we know it. Times are evolving rapidly in that direction and event planners, venues, suppliers and participants are responding. They are beginning to follow ecological practices and implementing environmentally friendly processes and programs into the way they design their events. The more an event planner requests and ultimately hires green services, the more suppliers and vendors will begin to incorporate green practices as well. They will have to keep up with the times and the requests of their clients.

These suggestions listed below are for you if you gather people for any reason what-so-ever! It doesn't matter what type of event you plan. Whether you are coordinating a special event, planning a corporate event, are part of the team planning conventions, involved in conference planning or business meetings and seminars. Maybe your are in charge of planning a company party, a sporting event, grand openings, a reception, a charity event or a fundraiser, or have volunteered to do your daughters wedding or son's school play or bake sale. You might be planning festivals, rock concerts, reunions, retreats, or book signing events. Or perhaps you are just having the family and friends over for a holiday get-together. The list is endless - thousand of events are being planned as you read this! ALL of them could use environmental practices.

Listed below are a few simple choices you can make today as you plan your special event or corporate meeting that will make an immediate difference with little effort. Do just one or do them all. The more you integrate into your planning practices the easier they become.

10 Easy Steps to Put into Practice Today

Here are ten simple steps that you can take right now to lessen the impact of any event:



  1. Create Standards. Establish environmental standards in writing and get buy-in from your clients, the organization's management and/or your clientele. Share your standards with suppliers, vendors, speakers, and participants.


  2. Use Technology. Use new media and electronic technology to cut down your paper needs. Create an informational web site, offer electronic registration and confirmation, and advertise using the web and use various forms of email. Create podcasts, webcasting, and video streaming to alleviate travel for and accommodate those who cannot travel.


  3. Choose a Local Destination. Picking a local or close venue will reduce distances traveled by speakers and participants. Choose the host city that is the closest to participants' locale. Choose a venue and hotel that are near the airport and within walking distance of each other or close to public transportation.


  4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Ask your hotel or event venue to provide visible, accessible reduction, reuse, and recycling services for paper, metal, plastic, and glass. Also if food is involved in your event, ask them about their composting regime or give away programs.


  5. Volume Up. Have the food and beverage provider serve sugar, salt, pepper, cream, and other condiments in bulk dispensers. Use volume serving verses individual packaging. If you are using hotel rooms, find a venue that does not use individual shampoo and lotion bottles rather large dispensers. Also one that that offers a linen reuse program.


  6. Use Less. Be aware of what you use and how you use it whether it is food or product. When you order food or drinks for any occasion, try to order only what you will be using. And think about your give away items, are they really necessary. These are just a few areas where using less will help.


  7. Eat Healthy and Locally. Plan meals using local, seasonal produce and free range meats. Include vegetarian meals and order only what you need. Also use local flora in your decorating and keep the flowers in pots verse cut so you can use them as gifts and prizes.


  8. Use paper wisely. Published all printed materials on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks and print on both sides of the pages.


  9. Save Energy. Coordinate with the event venue to ensure lights, audio visual equipment and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are empty.


  10. Spread the News! Tell participants, speakers, and the media about your success. You will be surprised. Green efforts are contagious.

Some of these suggestions may seem obvious and they are, however, if you were to make the changes listed above, you would be way ahead of the game in becoming an environmental planner. The bigger event you produce the more these suggestions matter. For more information on how you can become more environmental, the Chapter Planning for the Environment in my book, The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning. Visit my web site at www.successfuleventplanning.com to purchase the book.

Online Fundraising Tips For Events


Online fundraising is quickly overtaking direct mail as the preferred method of collecting donations for charity events and non-profit organisations. As the younger "wired" generation grows up, we can safely assume that they will prefer to donate online almost exclusively. Are you doing enough to offer your donors and fundraisers the latest in online giving tools?

Here are some of the benefits to online fundraising:

• Immediacy - The donor can learn about the cause and is enabled to make a contribution immediately while the thought is fresh in their mind.

• Administrative Efficiency - The non-profit organization receives the funds immediately along with donor contact information.

• Instant Gratification for the Donor - An acknowledgement is instantly sent to the donor by way of automatic confirmation email.

• Analytics - The key to successful fundraising is knowing who your donors are and what interests them. Collecting donations online allow you to observe their behavior in navigation of your website, track what they are reading prior to making the donation and what type of call-to-action resonates the most with them. Using this information to parse your contact lists will enable you to optimise your fundraising campaign by tailoring your message and call-to-action to different types of donors.

Here are some tips if you are just getting started with an online fundraising campaign:

• Consider All Marketing Channels- Reference your online giving option in newsletters, brochures, your website, signage and radio/TV advertisements.

• Leverage Social Media - Sites like Facebook are cheap and effective ways to cultivate a word-of-mouth marketing campaign and grow your fan base.

• Your Website - Include your mission statement, goals, objectives and what work your organisation has accomplished to further your cause. Explain how you will use the funds you raise and include photos and testimonials from your fundraisers, donors and beneficiaries.

• Provide lots of ways to Donate...but focus on pushing the online channel. Collecting as many donations online as possible will automate your workload and minimise volunteer staff time and resources needed. Make your 'Donate Online' button large and above the fold (top half of the page). You have the attention of your audience and they are looking for a way to contribute as quickly as possible - don't make them hunt for a way to give.

• Reward Your Donors - Offer a gift or incentive in return for a donation. Consider something as simple as a subscription to your organisation's monthly newsletter or an invitation to a gala dinner for those who donate over a certain amount.

• Find a Robust Online Giving Platform - Choose an online donation service that allows your fundraisers to build a personalised fundraising web page. Enabling your fundraisers to build a personalised space online where they can add photos, their own personal story and blog about their experiences raising money for the cause will really get them excited to share with all their friends and family.

• Encourage Your Fundraisers - Offer prizes to fundraisers who collect the most donations. Many online donation services offer a way to track the total amount each fundraiser has gathered on their personal page from friends and family.

Make it fun and get creative! With all of the relatively cheap (many times, free) online tools and marketing opportunities available nowadays, any organization can optimize their fundraising campaign.

Preparing Everything For Your Party Needs


The best way to properly and successfully organize a party or a special event is to look for a party hire to handle your needs. They can provide you anything from folding chairs to wine glasses and table napkins. The major advantage of hiring someone to prepare everything you might need for your party will save you the hassle of doing it yourself. You can even hire sound and lighting equipments from them and they can set it up easily for you. Here are a few advantages and things you can hire from a party hire company.

Tables and chairs - A party is not complete without tables or chairs so simply rent some at a party hire company. They'll be able to provide you with any kind of chair you might need to make your guests feel more comfortable and at home. They have lawn chairs perfect for garden weddings, cocktail parties and other functions. Plus they can provide their clients with chair covers that would match any color motif there are planning. Even the tables can be matched with different colored table cloths that will perfectly accent the overall them of the event.

Glasses and other catering equipments - One of the most important things in an event is the food and drinks. Party hire companies rent out this catering equipment in order to serve you food and drinks in. They can provide you with wine glasses, brandy glasses, coolers, and food utensils like plates, forks, knives and spoons. You can even choose the design of the silverware you wish to rent out as well as the design of the different glasses you will be using when serving out the drinks. This will make sure that you can truly accent the overall theme of your event by choosing the right utensils.

Marquees - This is an important structure to rent from a party hire company should you be organizing an event, function or party outdoors. It has a capacity to hold weddings and other major events in so it more or less could hold a minimum of 30-40 persons inside. Great for outdoor weddings and cocktail parties to shelter your guests from rain or direct sunlight, there are even marquee hires which have air conditioning to cool your guests in case the weather is hot outside. Also perfect for those cocktail parties where you need some of your food or ice sculptures to be in a cool surrounding.

Lighting and sound equipment - Also one important thing to rent out from a party hire company is the lights and the sound equipment you will need for your event. They can provide you anything from spotlights to disco lights and lasers should you wish your party to become much awesome. Having the proper lighting is important as having the proper sound equipment in order for your guests to be truly entertained by a band or a singer or perhaps in order to hear someone speak in front of everybody.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Event Planners Must Never Settle


As an experienced event professional for well over thirty years, who has been intimately involved with hundreds of events, meetings, conferences and conventions, with groups ranging from about fifteen to thousands, I often find myself observing what inexperienced individuals do with the events they organize or run. A true event professional thoroughly plans all aspects, from intensive negotiations based on the needs of the organization he represents, through extensive planning of every detail from the initial planning stage, through the marketing, promotion, and implementation stages, to being on site to oversee that everything is implemented as planned. There is probably nothing as frustrating or disappointing to a true event professional that observing others overlook and seem to not even consider essential details. There is no place for excuses in event planning, and planners and organizers must commit to doing their very best.

1. Some venues are easier in terms of pleasing attendees than others. For example, cooperative and nice weather in a resort venue often lets attendees overlook certain oversights, while, of course, if the weather were not so cooperative, attendees often develop a less accommodating attitude. Regardless, an event planner must never simply adopt the attitude of praying for good weather or letting a beautiful resort help woo attendees, but rather must strive to enhance every attendees experience by thoroughly planning.

2. One of the most overlooked aspects of an event is often as simple as making attendees feel welcome. One of the priorities of event coordinators must be making attendees feel that you care about them, and letting them feel personal warmth, so that weather the weather is warm or not, attendees still have a positive experience.

3. While no event professional has control over the quality of food served, the best ones conduct tastings in advance, and tweak menus when something doesn't work. Great event professionals always emphasize providing both value and perceived value for attendees. Amazingly, I have overheard some organizers actually saying that the great weather compensated for the less than optimum food and service. There is never an excuse for accepting inferior service, and true event planners discuss in detail with the management and staff precisely what their expectations are, and what challenges they anticipate. They then create back up plans or contingencies, so that if something occurs other than originally planned, there can be a seamless transition to an effective and worthwhile contingency plan.

A great event requires thorough, effective and great planning, so that luck becomes less important, and the overall experience is enhanced. True event professionals are like Boy Scouts in that they are always prepared, and never settle for less than the best possible product. Does your organization need a professional event planner, or at least some professionally designed event planning? Most that do end up saving time, money, resources and aggravation, and please far more people than those who haphazardly go with the flow!

iPhone Apps for Event Planners: The Top Six


Event planners on the go need to find a convenient way to stay organized, connected and informed. Here's a list of the top 6 must-have iPhone apps for event planners.

Quickvoice
The award-winning voice recorder has finally made an app. You can record everything from voice notes to interviews to entire lectures. Its coolest feature? You can email using your voice.

Google mobile app
Search Google for free using your voice, pictures and location! This powerful information tool gives you instant access to the information you need. To get it, go to m.google.com/search on your phone's web browser and they'll send it to you.

A Personal Assistant
This little genius brings all your online accounts into one location so you get all the necessary info quickly and easily. If you're okay with storing all your passwords on your iPhone, you have to get this one.

Eventbrite
Now you can manage your guest list on the go! Eventbrite's mobile app also ties into the main dashboard so you can view ticket sales from everywhere. Hopefully a barcode scanner is next on their to-do list!

Evernote
Winner of the Best Mobile App Award from TechCrunch, Mashable and the Webbys. With Evernote, there isn't much you can't do. Use it to synchronize with your Mac, PC or web, take photos, search text in photos (really!) or record voice memos.

Skype
Who doesn't love to save their precious cellphone minutes? With Skype's mobile app, you get an easy to use interface with unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and IMs.

Are Scene Setters Right For Your Next Event?


Looking for a creative and inventive way to completely transform your living room or party for your next special occasion? This hot decorating item may just be the backdrop you need to make any room into a fun and festive party destination.

What Are Scene Setters?

Also commonly referred to as insta-themes or party murals, scene setters typically consist of an oversized cardboard backdrop (sizes can vary depending on the specific scene setter) and add-on props (think palm trees, ski slopes or animal props) that can be used to tailor the scene to your liking and specific theme.

Why Use a Scene Setter?

Ideal for themed parties and events, these festive backdrops can be used to instantly alter a party venue and enhance or even craft from scratch a particular party theme, such as a luau or annual Christmas party. They can also be used in classrooms, as theatre scenes, or placed in any room you'd like to transform. Scene setters are available from most party supply stores (both online and brick-and-mortar locations) for virtually every type of special occasion.

Creating the Perfect Scene Setter

Once you have chosen the appropriate scene for your party theme, it can be easily set up usually in just two simple steps. Most scenes have a top and a bottom section and can be attached to walls using pins, thumb tacks, or double-sided tape. You can mix and match additional matching props and decorations to create the exact scene you want.

So Many Party Themes to Choose From

From Halloween to the Fourth of July, to princess parties. disco-themed parties and virtually everything in between, you can find a scene that will compliment virtually every kind of theme party, annual holiday, corporate event, or special occasion.

4 Tips for Event Videography


Before you go cover any event, you need to make your own preparations so that you don't miss any moment worth covering! The events that you cover differ in their nature and their layout.

For instance, while in a wedding, many things might be happening simultaneously and hence you might need two or more cameras to be set up at different places, in a corporate event of a day-long workshop, you may not need to place so many cameras. Even so, some basic guidelines can be followed for event videography:

1. Know the schedule of the event
There could be nothing worse than not knowing where to be at a particular moment and missing a scene for video coverage! If you are a wedding videographer, you will need to develop a schedule outlining the day's events from the bride getting dressed, to the bride's arrival to the reception. You will know where you are expected to be at different times of the day.

Likewise, if is a corporate event you are covering, you will need to know when the corporate guests are arriving, when they will be taken on stage or when the floor will be open for questions. Since you will know what to anticipate next, you can beforehand, decide the placement and position of your camera and coordinate with the organizers for hassle-free coverage.

2. Consider yourself the only videographer
Videographers tell beginners to think as if they are the only videographers covering the event even if they aren't!

For instance, you might not be able to get the close-up of the host presenting the award to a guest and you might think that your assistant will take care of it from their camera. However, what if your assistant was unable to do so? In somewhat informal functions such as weddings, you can carry out a reenactment to make up for any missing elements. However, this may not always be possible in a corporate event.

3. Arrive early and leave last.
This will be for your own convenience. It takes more time than anticipated to set up the equipment. Similarly, leaving last will allow you to capture as much footage of the event as possible.

4. Length of shots
For the best possible shots, keep the average shot length between 5 to 10 seconds and keep a shot steady for at least 10 seconds. This will make the video fun and enticing.

5 Creative Corporate Event Theme Ideas


Here are 5 "Out of the Box" Ideas for Corporate Events!

-A Talent Show Themed Day

Thanks to popular TV shows, talent shows are all the rage at the moment, AND a lot of fun. Think of just how many talented employees must be hiding their talents from the rest of the company. You may have a budding comedian, a talented guitarist, a juggler or a singer in just one department. This should be kept as light-hearted as possible and not take itself too seriously. It's a great way to encourage people to come out of their shell and have a laugh together. It's also low-cost, needing only a venue in which to erect a stage, chairs and some lighting/sound equipment. An award could be presented for the employee with the most impressive talent!

-Rally Cross Themed Day

Rally Cross is a team sport that encourages bonds between individuals.

Each team is made up of a driver and a navigator, who will map the course and alert the driver of upcoming turns in the course. If that sounds dangerous, it's surprisingly safe. Many of these tracks offer training days beforehand and the cars themselves are very robust and safe.

Above all, it's a lot of fun and like all of the other corporate event theme ideas on this list; it can have as little or as much participation as the employees themselves want to give, some may choose to just spectate.

-A Barbecue And An Improv Theme

Taking a cue from "Whose Line Is It Anyway" and comedy improv troupes like "The Second City" you could plan an outdoor "play" that involves a few professional actors and willing employees who will take their cues on "scenes" from the audience. This doesn't mean that all the employees have to act themselves, they could perform, or they could just enjoy the show! To lighten the mood, a good old-fashioned BBQ could be planned with drinks and delicious food.

-A 60's Beach Bum Themed Day

OK, so Sue from accounting may almost drown in a Kayak. But she could also sit on the beach in a bikini, turning a nice shade of lobster red.
Sometimes people don't want to be forced to have fun, but simply want to sit around on the beach, and it would be far more valuable to them than being forced into an activity. Why does sitting on the beach just have to be for your vacation? Can't we strengthen bonds between employees by spending the day on the beach together?

For the more active among us, water activities such as; surfing and kayaking could be on the "agenda". For those who want to take a slower pace they could just sit back and enjoy listening to the Beach Boys! The evening could be rounded up with live 60's music, and food and drink on the beach.

-A Silly Wimbledon Themed Day

Why not host a mini-Wimbledon tournament? But instead of being ultra-competitive, the emphasis is very much on clowning around and having fun. Tennis is a fun sport to play, and doubles Tennis requires a good bond to be formed between the teams.

To stop it from becoming just another corporate sports day, you could encourage fancy dress from the competitors. Try and keep an element of comedy running throughout. You could even hire a comedian to do the refereeing.

As well as the employees themselves, family members could also be invited. For those who want to take a more leisurely pace, a picnic could also be incorporated into the event.

These are just 5 corporate event theme ideas. They do not have to be followed religiously and you can mix them up a little. It really is important during your planning that you allow the people attending the event to get as involved as they want to be. Some elements of teamwork should definitely take place, but it doesn't have to be so rigorously enforced that it turns a fun activity into a mind numbing chore!

For your corporate event theme ideas, make sure you place fun higher than anything else. Keep them smiling and give them the opportunity to let their hair down and come out of their shells at their own pace. This will help the overall tone, and make the "business sections" of the corporate event more tolerable, and even make the employees more receptive to the key message.

Planning a New Year Office Party With Party Planning Software


The holiday season has already begun. There are celebrations and festivities all around. Soon the year 2012 will come to an end and 2013 will begin. Why not celebrate the New Year with a fun filled party at office? After the holidays, almost everyone has to fight their individual workplace blues to get back to the normal working mode. So this makes it a great idea to reinvigorate employees with a post New Year party. However, given the enormous amount of work that is associated with planning an event such as this, most people often tend to avoid taking up the required initiative and its related responsibilities. If you are assigned with a similar task this year, zero in on party planning software that will be a perfect aide in order to streamline all the back-end jobs of event management for you.

What functions can be performed with the party planning software?

Creation of an online party registration form:

To start off with the ground work, the software application lets you create and publish an online party/event registration form using a pre-built template within a few minutes. You can incorporate your company logo and tagline in the form design to make it look like a part of your official website. Additionally, you may integrate various interesting graphics in the form that you think will fit in with the upcoming party theme. To spruce it up further, you may also share the online calendar, so that whenever your co-workers view a snapshot of it on their desktops, they are reminded of the event date. This will further boost participant excitement.

Online acceptance of party registration fees:

It is really awkward to request your coworkers for contributions for the New Year office party. Instead, it is much easier to let them pay via payment gateways of their choice. The online payment management solution of the party planning software supports a number of secure offline and online payment channels. You can collect the registration fees via any of these modes. Subsequently, track all transactions in real-time and follow up accordingly if there are any dues to be collected.

Sending out email invitations

When there is a party at office, everybody gets to know about it since the news has already been posted on the notice board; but how can you reach out to your coworkers when the majority of them are on leave? Then it is best to notify them via email invitations. This will enable anyone who is on vacation to be aware of the forthcoming office party by simply opening the inbox through his/her tab, laptop, or any mobile device with internet connectivity. You can send out bulk email messages in this way by using the automated email messaging tool.

Promoting the New Year party:

Another good way to reach out to the maximum people at office when they are on holiday is by promoting the event on the social media networks. Today almost everyone is carrying a web enabled mobile device. So, whenever there is a notification on someone's personal social networking site home page, he/she can instantly check it to and be informed about the party at office. Social media promotions can be done conveniently using the social media connector of the software application.

Planning a party is easy with the party planning software. You have to avail of it to realize its full benefits.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Corporate Event Transportation


Transportation can be so much more than just a means of moving from one place to another. When you can sit back and not worry about traffic or directions you will find that some transportation can be a comfortable and pleasant way to socialize with your coworkers, sort of like a pre-party before the event. When you plan transportation the right way, you will comfortably arrive at the event on-time and with style.

Plan Ahead

Planning a corporate event? Whether it's a weekend company retreat or a reception event for your executives from overseas, be sure that the transportation plan is prepared. Transportation is one of the most over-looked aspects of corporate event planning, but where would you be without it?

The first thing to think about when planning the transportation for a corporate event is the number of people that will be in attendance and from where each attendee will be arriving. For example, at a reception event for incoming executives or guests, there will be several people needing to be picked up from either an airport or hotel. If your office is planning a retreat, you may just need a vehicle or two (large enough to accommodate all of the employees) to arrive at the office. If people will be driving themselves to an event, consider a valet parking service for the guests.

Next, you will need to consider the event's itinerary. Is it a weekend corporate convention full of travel from one activity to the next or just a one-night, one-stop event? After you have built a complete itinerary of the event's schedule, don't forget to factor in transport to and from each location for all members.

Lastly, but definitely not least important, keep in mind the theme of the event. If the event is formal, consider using formal transportation (i.e. limousines), but if the event is a casual team-building outing, a party bus may be more fitting. Sounds like a lot of work just to plan the transportation of your event, huh? In order avoid worrying about the timing and coordination of transportation; call a transportation consultant to accommodate all of your travel needs.

Transportation Consultants

All the planning is done, the itinerary is scheduled and the transportation is booked. Finally, you can rest easy. But what if a plane gets delayed, an activity runs long, or a meeting finishes early? You need to find a company that can adjust to the last second changes in the transportation schedule. Choose a transportation consultant that understands the importance of a good impression and guarantees an excellent and customized service at an affordable rate and let them take care of the rest.

Useful Tips for Successful Party Management With Party Planner Software


No matter if it is small birthday party, an office event, or a grand dinner gala we all organize an event at some point in our lives and wear the hat of a party planner. So, we all have a basic idea about how to plan an event or a party. Still, we do tend to mess up everything at times simply because we do not schedule the tasks properly. Our approach to the entire aspect of event management is often disorganized. Let us look into some useful tips on how to schedule the back-end jobs of party planning with the comprehensive party planner software:

1. Do not expect your prospective attendees to take the trouble to come down in person to register for the party. They are a busy lot these days. Even if they are aware of the party and are thoroughly interested to attend it, they expect some form of online registration service to be in place to make their task of party registration easier. So, if you want your party to run a full-house, offer an online party registration facility. Create a form using the customizable template of the party planner software and upload it online so that your guests are able to access it anytime, anywhere.

2. Collecting funds for organizing a party is a big task. Simplify it by providing your guests with online payment options. The online payment management solution of the software application supports numerous PCI-secure payment gateways. Request your registrants to pay via these means by using their credit cards. As they make their payments online you can track them in real-time and address any issue that may arise in relation to the transaction.

3. Sending invitations to your guests is another time-consuming affair. Expedite it by resorting to an emailing service. The party management software boasts of a robust email messaging engine; use it to send out bulk email invitations, RSVPs, and notifications in advance. This will help you reduce postage related costs as well.

4. To make your upcoming party the talk of the town, you need to promote it well on social networking sites; but it often becomes difficult to do that amidst other important works. However, this seemingly less significant job can get you large number attendees for your party if you have a strategic plan in place. So, avail of the social media connector in addition to the party planner software, and publish your party related news updates directly from this interface to the social networking platforms.

5. To further promote your party, avail of the free marketing tools of the software application that includes online event calendar and the latest mobile applications.

You can even build a private community networking forum with people who normally visit your parties and other events. You can add more members to the forum from time to time and manage it efficiently by using the member management feature of the software application.

Scheduling a party becomes easy on availing the party planner tools. Take advantage of them to organize a great party this holiday season.

How to Start a Kids Party Planning Business


Those people who enjoy event planning and party planning are a natural to start a party planning business. But if you truly enjoy working with and understanding kids, then party plan business can really be narrowed to a specific niche market for children. There are number of steps to complete before starting a business.

Steps on How To Start a Kids Party Planning Business

The first important step will be the least fun but will be very important and should never be skipped. The first thing for any business to do is to establish its legal structure. This entails doing things like incorporating as a separate legal entity, getting a tax identification number from the IRS, and opening a checking account for the business. If you do these things yourself, in most states, you can do them for under $100. Because you're doing a kids party planning business, there is a lot of potential for the children to get injured that you will have no control over.That is why it is vital that you have a legal entity set up to protect yourself in case anything goes wrong. It would also be a good idea just before your first party to get business liability insurance.

Another legal item on how to start a kid's party planning business is to have a contract. There will be a fee to have a business attorney write a fill in the blank contract form between you and your clients. However, you do not want to do all of this work and get stiffed at the end of it. The contract should spell out payment arrangements, legal rights to photographs, your cancellation policy, a waiver of liability, and a place to list all the services you will provide for a particular party. The contract shouldn't be too long but thorough enough to protect yourself and make sure you get paid. It will also be a good tool to use to close the deal, because once a person signs they know they're committed to having the party. The silver lining is that once you have all of this done and established, you will know that you are truly in business, you are truly an entrepreneur.

The second step in how to start a kid's party planning business is to get clients. You'll need to start to establish your track record as a party planning business. It would even be a good idea is to perhaps do your first one to three parties for free or at a special reduced cost, with the idea that the client will be an awesome and enthusiastic to give you references.

Also, you should take a lot of pictures for marketing purposes. That means you want to have full permission to show their children and the party's guests faces in your marketing material. Therefore, it would be a good idea to get a professional photographer to take pictures at your first one to three parties. You could even have your client pick up the cost of the professional photographer as they will want photos also. On subsequent parties, you'll want to take photos with a high-quality digital camera. But if you do not have them sign full rights to use, you will not have permission to show faces. You will be able to show your party set-up before the guests arrive.

The third step is to start developing a portfolio. This portfolio will be of the different types of kid's parties that you can plan for the client. This is where the fun really begins! The first part of your portfolio will highlight parties that you've actually done and have high-quality pictures of. Following that can be parties that have not planned yet but would like to someday. This means you can begin to brainstorm theme parties and put them into your portfolio so that parents can see them. The last part of your portfolio will be add-ons like party favors, cakes, fun limousines, etc. It would also be a good idea to develop a good vendor relationship with providers of party supplies, bakeries, limousine services, because these types of vendors can make or break your party. They can also help your business by giving you referrals and/or giving your business a commission on any business you bring their way.

The final step in how to start a party planning business is to get your portfolio in front of as many people as you can. That means networking and setting appointments because not everybody that you talk to will become the client. However, the more people that you do talk to the more clients you will have.

Following these steps will get you on your way to having a kid's party planning business.

Get more information on planning parties and for becoming a professional party planner by visiting The Perfect Party Plan. Your clients will be impressed, and it will be a party they will remember for years to come.