Saturday, September 14, 2013

Party Planning Checklist - What Goes on the List?


If you've never put a party planning checklist together or even if you are a seasoned event planner, here's a suggested list of items to include on your party planning checklist.

1. First, what type of celebration are you hosting? Is this a formal party? Holiday party? Casual get together? One you have decided the type of party, deciding on a theme and selecting other party details will easily fall into place.

2. How many guests will be at the party? The number of people attending is very important because for most parties, the host is expected to provide food and drink, unless of course it is a potluck or the invitation notes to "B.Y.O.B". Also, it is important to have enough space to accommodate everyone. If your home is too small, select and reserve a party location, such as a local restaurant, hotel, or county club.

3. Guest need to know when and where the party will be. When sending out the invitations, be sure to include the date, time and exact location of the party. Make sure to note any details, such as attire, gift registry or "this is a SURPRISE PARTY."

4. The people are the main attraction of any event, but food comes in a strong second. Food is very important to all social gatherings, so prepare the menu is advance. Ideally, the food should compliment the party theme. If possible, you will want to prepare your main dishes and appetizers in advance, because the last few days before a party are usually quite hectic. Also, have extra food on hand in case there are surprise guests. You want to make sure there is plenty of food for everyone.

5. Decorations are not only fun, but help create a festive environment and add to the party theme. If the party is in your home, make sure all the public areas are clean and well stocked (think toilet paper!) so your guests are comfortable. Add flowers, candles or party decorations from a local party shop to transform your home to party central.

If the celebration is held at a rented venue, make sure to ask about decorating restrictions. Some places do not allow thumb tacks, tape, open flames and limit how late you can have music.

6. If you are renting tables, chairs or other party supplies, make sure to place your reservation in advance, especially during traditional party times of the year, such as June, November and December.

Planning and organizing a party is quite a bit of work, but a party planning checklist does make the job much easier. Keep your list handy and you'll find party planning can be lots of fun and very rewarding. Enjoy your party!

A Deeper Look At Social Media Marketing Services and Consultants


As the Web continues to dominate the world market, social media marketing services are now in demand. If you have a business and you need it to grow, it is best to know what these services can do for your success.

What are social media marketing services?

These services refer to activities promoting products, services, or content using various platforms. Social media marketing services and corresponding strategies commonly combine various elements of online social interaction, technology, content, and brand image management. These mostly target Web users who participate in a common action.

Social media marketing is a strategy focused on social network users. Companies create accounts on Facebook, Twitter and others to attract followers and promote products and services. The strategy here is more personalized and targets large audience base--friends, peers, business connections or acquaintances in a network. Posts and updates on these pages provide links that will drive traffic to a company's main website. As social media enjoys huge popularity among web users, they have become marketing vehicles for many companies and personalities.

Popular social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are typical platforms for this marketing strategy. At face value, these sites may appear nothing more than profile sites. Upon closer inspection, however, you will note key differences.

Facebook, for example, is often a common denominator among all ages. This site remains well known in large circles and has a varied user base. Teens to adults subscribe to Facebook as this has online games and many other interesting features.

Twitter and LinkedIn, on the other hand, have their own appeal. LinkedIn, for instance, is for potential job candidates and recruiters. People who post on this site usually want other professionals to take notice so they can get better job offers. Twitter also has a diversified user base since many register for it to follow their favourite celebrities.

What is a social media marketing consultant?

A social media marketing consultant provides advice on the best possible sites for promoting products and services. These people will be in charge of setting up accounts and creating a general plan. This plan may include strategies on how to increase brand following. It may also involve how to handle customer interaction properly for a company's advantage. They can also provide overall pointers for policies.

Although the marketing requires some knowledge about the Internet and computers, an IT degree may not be necessary for this job. Many practitioners and consultants have varying degree backgrounds with some people having business-related majors. Business degrees usually have extensive marketing subjects and courses on brand management. These topics closely relate to social media marketing, as the job also entails market analysis and business acumen.

As the services clearly help brands, you should be looking to hire a company providing these soon. In hiring a company, you get to improve your online presence and efficiently deliver information to your target audience.

Use the Net to find a business involved with the services. The Web will provide possible leads and consumer reviews to get this started. Contact the companies and request quotes to study their packages and rates. These steps will help you hire the right company for your marketing efforts.

Wedding Planning Certification - Know Your Options


The wedding planning industry is growing by leaps and bounds. In all regions of the United States more brides than ever before are hiring wedding planners to assist with the thousands of details that go into planning their wedding. If you are considering a career as a wedding planner it is imperative that you gain proper training before taking your first client. The industry looks very glamorous (and it can be) however, the job requires patience, persistence, long hours, attention to detail and several other skills that will take years to develop. In short, it is not an industry for the faint of heart. If you feel that a career in wedding planning could be right for you or you are already working in the hospitality industry and you would like to gain your wedding planning certification then there are several resources available to make sure you receive the training you need to be successful.

In this article we will explore online programs, event planning courses at universities or community colleges, and Wedding Planning Certification programs offered by independent certification organizations.

A simple internet search will reveal a list of hundreds of online or correspondence programs available for wedding planning certification. To receive your certification through an online course you are required to pay a fee for each section of information which is typically sent to you in electronic format or mailed to you in a booklet. You review each section at your own pace and are given open book quizzes along the way. After completing the quizzes based on the information in the booklet and completing other course assignments you are awarded your wedding planning certification. Receiving the information in this format means that you can complete the program at your own pace. This process can take between six weeks to over a year depending on your study habits. Online or correspondence programs typically cost between $1,000.00 to $1,500.00. Some may charge additional fees to have your certificate printed and mailed. Others require you to pay a yearly fee to maintain your certification.

Some colleges and universities offer event planning courses in conjunction with their hospitality or business management programs or as independent certificates. An event planning course at a college or university will typically focus on the planning of corporate and social events from the perspective of the hotel, resort, or other facility that is hosting the event. The instruction received in this type of course is ideal for an individual who plans to work in the hospitality industry as an employee of a hotel or resort. The course may briefly cover weddings or other social events but the majority of the material will tend to focus on events as they relate to hotel and resort operations. Many hotels, resorts and other venues who host weddings are now requiring that at least one staff member per property receive specialized training and certification in wedding planning.

There are a few independent organizations across the United States and Canada that offer Wedding Planning Certification courses in a classroom setting. Some of these programs can be completed in just one weekend, others can take up to 6 weeks to complete. Any organization offering Wedding Planning Certification does so based on their own criteria and designation and the course material can vary widely. The cost of these types of programs can range between $395.00 to $2,000.00. Some of these organizations will require you to pass a test in order for you to receive your certification. Some also require that you participate in ongoing education in order to maintain your certification. This can end up costing thousands of dollars throughout your career. There are programs available that do not require you to pay for ongoing education to maintain your certification.

Make sure you read reviews from students who have gained their certification from any organization before making a commitment. Also find out who the instructor for your class will be and research the kind of experience they have as a wedding planner. You will want to consider the initial cost of the program and the ongoing cost of maintaining your certification if any. Try to find an organization that offers ongoing education but does not require you to keep paying them year after year in order to maintain your certification. Look for a program that will give you a complete picture of the wedding industry from the perspective of every vendor who is involved in a wedding. In the end you will want to choose a program that best fits your budget and time constraints.

Promote Your Company Event With Business E-Cards


In the field of business, a great product or service is just a part of successful business. After all, in this modern age and cutthroat competition, everything comes down to marketing. The more creative you are in your marketing efforts, the more successful your business is bound to become. There are many ways to promote your business without spending a fortune. When it comes to online marketing, one of the most powerful tools on the Internet are business invitation cards. An e-card or an electronic greeting card is a great example of an efficient and a profitable way of marketing on web. For a corporate event invitation, an e-card that is sent from your site will undoubtedly contain promotion for your company, its products or services. You will find various online sites allowing you to design your custom business invitation cards.

Corporate party invitations created through attractive well designed e-cards are excellent advertising tools because they are immediate, inexpensive, and personalized. This form of Internet marketing is extremely effective. Marketing professionals are trying all the tactics to get new clients and to retain old ones. Client relations are one of the most important functions of a marketing professional. In business, you need to delight and honour your clients for a great business endeavour. By using e-cards, you can increase sales by getting new clients and re-capture the old ones' attention.

You will find various e-card websites on the Internet. They will provide you with unique business invitation templates out of which you need to select the best one as per your client's preference or your company's nature. A well designed card will grab your client's eyes and make him read the entire detail about the invitation retaining his interest. With the help of these online websites, you can design special business invitation cards by yourself for sending to your customers. You will be able to choose among a gallery of professionally- made and beautiful company invitation templates. E-cards on websites are available in various categories: business invitation, company anniversary, and corporate event are some examples.

Clients should be pampered regularly. Other than business invitation cards and business anniversary cards, it is a must that you send your clients festive e-cards regularly. One of the most important factors that affect the client's relationship is communication and making the clients feel that they are highly valued. During every festive and holiday season, you need to drop an attractive e-card in their inbox. Clients yearn for this type of communication in business. No other marketing tool can be as powerful as this wonderful way to keep communication lines open. In every business, you need to be a step ahead in the competition and with business invitation cards you can retain your relations.

Though you provide the best product or service, some kind of pampering will yield you much in business. Browse the net and you will find various e-card maker websites on web. You just need to select a design, customize it according to your preference and send it to your customers and prospects. Recognizing and adopting business e-cards as the valuable resource they are is definitely something companies must consider for their marketing plans.

Fun Team Building Event


Casino parties add exciting fun for all kinds of corporate events.

Create a Casino Night that your employees and/or customers will enjoy and remember for months to come. Every corporate event is an opportunity to build a stronger and more connected team.

What is a Casino Party?
A casino night is a great way to have a company holiday party or corporate event. Casino tables straight from Las Vegas and real casino weight chips by the best casino companies. They set up the event to look like a Las Vegas Casino.

When your guests arrive they are greeted by dealers who are friendly, and fun! Each of your guests will be handed a "funny money" voucher that they are invited to cash in for casino chips. The chips can be used at your favorite casino game table or you can go back and forth between tables. You don't have to be an experienced casino player to have fun. Professional staff will explain everything and entertain you in the process! Unlike casino gambling in Vegas, the house doesn't always win at our casino nights, you do!

Why a Casino Party?
Casino nights for any holiday or company party produce team building in a fun and exciting atmosphere. It is the great answer to the age old question every boss or human resources person has. "Okay so we take the crew out to dinner, now what?" Your guests can enjoy a private dinner at a reception hall or hotel/resort where casino tables and dealers are already in place and ready to go.

During the event, employees can sit together, cheer each other on, and laugh with their boss. While Las Vegas and other casinos are designed to take the player's real money, our events are designed to make people feel like winners! No one loses any money and the team building camaraderie is huge!

Affordability - Casino Night Events are competitively priced with many other types of entertainment. If you think you can't afford a casino night, please check with a local, reputable casino entertainment company.

Fun - Dealers make the difference. Dealers are first and foremost there to entertain your guest. They are always dressed up and super friendly. They love people and will be there to make your casino night event enjoyable for everyone.

Team Building Atmosphere -Dealers are trained entertainers as well as casino party dealers. They will be there to work as a unit to help your company enjoy your event. Share our magic and excitement of "vegas" casino at your next corporate event.

The Importance of Using Images in Your Event Sales Presentations


Sales presentations are required to help the clients understand your approach towards a product that they will be buying from you eventually. While presentations are supposed to serve the purpose of educating the customer about your product and creating awareness, it must meet other significant criteria. It has to be visually stimulating and perceptually grasping. Photos, images and graphics are the selling point of any presentation today and sales presentations are no exception.

What does visual stimulation have to do with a sales presentation? In sales, you may not have the opportunity to show how well other people received your product or service, and the effort that went into it. Nevertheless, certain pictures and images capturing the emotions of your previous clients can create a magic that simple words can never do. For example, while presenting event services in Cancun, we like to put snapshots of our previous events. Whether it be a wedding or themed parties, we make sure that our clients are able to visually relate to our services before actually availing them.

As experienced corporate event planners, we understand the client's needs to perceive the right atmosphere. Right from the event décor to the kind of audiovisual companies that we deal with, the client is interested to know it all. In other words, the customer wants all the information about your partnerships and ancillary services. This is much easier to show him through visually appealing photographs while explaining the scenario.

The use of graphs is always necessary to show your customers the competitive edge in your event services. The very reason why everyone looks at different options before making a decision is mainly due to the relative tendency of perception. We perceive our surrounding through a series of relations. Hence, every thought is controlled by a comparison with other information. As such, graphs provide the perfect method of comparative analysis to the client to get a favourable reply from him/her. The example below will clarify further.

As event planners, our clients expect to get the best services from us as compared to other event services in Cancun. Therefore, if someone is planning an event, their desire is to see how well we can live up to their expectations. When we provide them with a statistical and pictographically suited data on our services in comparison to others, they can easily understand our worth. This is the power of graphs in selling your services to the client.

Through our experiences, we have tried to present the various advantages of imagery in sales presentations.

Have a great event!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Tent Rental Companies - Knowing These Facts Will Help You Choose the Right One


Your event structures play a big role in the success of your special event. Knowing critical information about your tent rental company and the way they do business can help you choose a company that is compatible with your expectations and meets your event requirements.

Customer Satisfaction: History is not perfect, but is often a reliable predictor of the future, and if past customers are pleased with the job the tent rental company you are considering has done, you are more likely to be satisfied as well.

Request a complete list of all the projects the company has completed in the last six months that are similar to the event you are planning. Consider the number of guests, type of event, type of structures (frame tents, high peak tents, clear span structures) and location type. Ask for the event planners' names and contact information. Call a significant number of these clients until you are comfortable with the responses you are receiving. Ask for specifics and take notes. You can review these later to identify recurring themes and issues.

Terms and Conditions: The agreement you will eventually sign with your tent rental company will be filled with terms and policies that you should fully understand and negotiate as part of your due diligence process. These legal points can have a significant impact on your final invoice and govern major aspects of the service provided by the company.

Cancellation Policy -- This will establish the obligations of the parties if an event is canceled and may differ based on the reason for the cancellation. Refunds generally vary based on the timing of the cancellation. It's reasonable to compensate a company if they have incurred costs associated with an event, even if it does not take place. Make sure you understand these terms and they appear reasonable relative to the costs the company is likely to incur.

Rental Period -- How is the tent rental period calculated and what can trigger unanticipated additional costs? It is often advantageous to begin construction several days before an event and sometimes circumstances prevent the timely removal of the structure. It is always good to have some cushion in the time elements of your rental agreement to allow for unforeseen circumstances. Negotiate sufficient safeguards in the rental period from unanticipated costs that are beyond your control.

Payment Terms -- It is a common industry practice to require a significant deposit at the time you book your event. This allows the company to reduce the risk associated with reserving your equipment and manpower. However, retaining a significant amount of the charges associated with the project until construction is completed helps reduce execution risk for the customer. A reasonable rental agreement should balance the needs of both parties based on the services and equipment that is being provided.

Damages -- There can be several items in the terms and conditions of a tent rental agreement that deal with responsibility for damages based on when they occur, how they happen and whose assets are damaged. This is a complicated issue and beyond the scope of this discussion but I strongly recommend that you involve your risk manager and/or insurance representative in this analysis to ensure there are no gaps in coverage that can leave you exposed to unnecessary liability.

Insurance -- Always request certificates of insurance for liability and workers compensation coverage and anything else you believe is necessary based on your event. Your risk manager or insurance representative can advise you on coverage limits but our opinion is that even the smallest events should be covered by no less than $1,000,000 of liability coverage and larger structures and events will require more.

Emergency Preparedness: Dealing with the unexpected is always a consideration when you are planning special events that are subject to weather fluctuations and accidents of all types. How prepared is the tent rental company to respond to such a situation? Do they have sufficient manpower and equipment that can be deployed on short notice to respond to a crisis? Do they have a 24 hour emergency answering service to respond to customers issues? Ask them to explain their policies and resources so you understand their capabilities and make sure they include this in their rental agreement as part of their service guarantee.

Size and Condition of Inventory: Access to a large tent inventory means you can choose a tent based on the specific requirements of your event and not be persuaded to compromise based on a limited selection in the warehouse. Size is important but style can also be critical in making sure your fabric structure complements the traffic flow and audience viewing options, placement of tables, chairs, staging and additional equipment and the overall appearance you are trying to achieve. Choosing from a range of sizes in frame, high peak and clear span structures gives you additional planning and design flexibility. Having a large inventory is also great insurance for responding to the unexpected weather or man-made calamity that occasionally damages temporary fabric structures. You are much more likely to find a suitable replacement from a large tent inventory.

The condition of the tent leaves an immediate impression upon your guests and either enhances or detracts from the overall impact of your special event appearance. Ensuring your tent is clean and not in need of repair is as important as any decoration that you plan.

Request a detail of the tent rental company's inventory in the size range you are looking for. Make sure they include specific sizes and styles of tents. Do they offer a good selection in all the tent styles you are considering? Ask them about their cleaning and repairing procedures and the quality assurance measures they employ. Most people are unwilling to admit to an absence of appropriate quality assurance processes but asking the questions will alert them to your concern and set the proper expectation.

Experience: There is no substitute for experience and this maxim is never more evident than when dealing with special events that are time sensitive, involve comfort and safety issues and don't allow for second chances. If you've ever had to rebuild a structure on short notice that has been flattened by a microburst or vandalized the night before an event, you know the value of experience. Even the unexpected, less catastrophic issues are dealt with more efficiently and with less anxiety for everyone, if you're working with an experienced tent rental company.

Experience is also a good indication of how familiar a company will be with different jurisdictional regulations and codes, permitting processes, life safety issues, evacuation planning and all the other specific requirements involved in constructing temporary fabric structures. This experience can prevent regulatory violations from threatening the smooth preparation and operation of your event.

You should know how long the company has been in business managing your type and size of event. And you should also know about the experience of the senior managers who are planning and coordinating the company's resources as well as the experience levels of the construction supervisor and the construction team. It is a good practice to know who will be the project manager and who will be supervising on site construction and be very familiar with their qualifications and experience level. These are the people responsible for a foundation element of your special event and their expertise will be called on to ensure its success.

An acceptable level of experience is probably dictated by the complexity of your event and fabric structure construction as well as the type of experience the company and key individuals possess. Something in the five to fifteen year range of relevant experience is likely to satisfy most event requirements for key company employees.

Acquiring the knowledge outlined above will help you select a tent rental company that matches your needs and allows you to be more comfortable with your choice so you can focus on the countless other issues that will lead to a successful event.

Organizing Bowling Parties and Corporate Events


Companies have parties every now and then, and sometimes planning the event can be troublesome. Many companies simply organize corporate bowling parties, which are fairly easy to plan. Such parties tend to be more entertaining than formal or conventional events. They encourage more interaction, socialization, and camaraderie. Companies of all sizes can plan bowling events in place of traditional corporate gatherings and for their employees to create cohesion in the organization.

Reservations of bowling alleys can be made online. Many bowling lanes can provide a variety of food and beverages, depending on the type of party.

Different types of events can be conducted at bowling alleys near your place. Holidays, birthdays, promotions, anniversaries, and other types of parties can be celebrated at these venues. But such events should be planned well to make sure they end up successful. You can hire an event organizer to plan the event properly if you cannot organize it yourself, or if no one in your company can handle it. How you conduct the party depends on the purpose, number of participants and guests. One objective is to make the event memorable.

To save cost, some companies simply assign their own people to organize the party, instead of hiring professional event planners. If you should assign your own employees, make sure they are willing to handle the planning. Big companies may hire people from different departments to handle the event preparation. This will allow people in the company to get to know each other. It is common for employees of huge companies to not be familiar with the other employees. Certain details have to be discussed, like the budget, venue, theme, decorations, food and beverage, and other details.

Corporate bowling parties usually include tournaments played by employees. The aim is to generate healthy competition. The good thing about bowling is that it is an easy sport. Players do not have to be buff to participate in the game, nor have prior experience. Scoring is also very easy. Moreover, bowling is fun and that's the only thing that matters. Prizes are usually displayed to motivate players to go for the win.

Bowling parties are not that difficult to organize, actually. The main part of the event is the tournament. The flow of the event largely depends on the type of gathering. For instance, company owners may throw birthday parties held at bowling alleys, and such parties are usually informal without stiff outfits and lengthy ceremonies.

Controlling the number of guests is important. Company events are usually for people within the organization only. The owner, however, may want to invite friends, family, or associates aside from employees. To ensure budget for the food and services are followed, the number of guests should be planned from the beginning. The cost of the party largely rests on the number of people who will attend. It is recommended, though, that the budget for the party has an allowance for possible number of added guests and visitors not part of the original list.

Planning A Fund Raising Event


Planning a fund raising event can be an overwhelming task to carry out, but if you have the will to do it, everything is possible. You also have to know that fund raising is a win-win situation, because people generally like to take part in any activities that involve helping worthy individuals or causes that will benefit from those efforts.

You can name a lot of reasons to raise money and there are as many fund raising ideas available for you to choose from. But, selecting the best idea alone takes careful planning, which means half as daunting as planning a fund raising event can be. However, if you have to follow certain steps during the organization of this event, you might get away with it with a successful result.

There are several steps that you can take in planning a fund raising event, by which you can simply perform such as:

-Pick a worthy cause - you should first know who you want to help. Of course, you have to contact the organization you are planning to raise money for to make sure they are willing to accept your donation and see if they can help out with your plan.

-Set a time frame - in planning a fund raising event, set a time frame from planning up to the big day and stick to it.

-Look for a place to hold the event - looking for a venue for your fund raising event takes few consideration such as you have to consider the possible number of people to come, the types of activities, etc... and see the location first to make sure the place can accommodate the event.

-Organize your fund raising team - no matter how much you want to get the things done, face it that a few extra hands will definitely help. You can't be superman, you know? You can ask your family members, friends, or anybody who wants to volunteer to help run the event. This is also another way of knowing other people.

-Promote and advertise - if you want your fund raising event to be swarming with supporters, you might as well make plenty of flyers and distribute or post them in your community, make announcement at church and schools. You can also have your upcoming fund raising event announced on a local radio station. This is one of the things you should not miss in planning a fund raising event; the most people know about the event, the more people will come, and the greater you sales resulting to a bigger profit.

-Prepare for the big day - it is best if you can gather as many volunteers as possible to help you out throughout the event. It's going to be hard if you fell short of man power. Also, make sure that each member of the team knows everything about the areas as to the areas they are assigned to, to avoid misunderstanding and confusion.

Planning a fund raising event after all is not as difficult as you thought it was if you follow careful planning steps. This will allow you to have time to organize everything.

New Career for 2011? Event Management


It may seem as though the worst of the recession is over, although the employment arena is now a very different place to how it was a few years ago. With many private companies and public services working under tighter conditions, the threat of redundancy is still there for many, and although there are jobs out there, they may not offer the job satisfaction you are looking for.

Many young people are choosing to further their education during these turbulent times, with record numbers heading to university. Gaining additional qualifications is something which can open the door to a whole host of opportunities, and could help you find a rewarding career in these challenging times.

One area which looks set to do well in 2011 is the event management industry. In the UK there are many towns and cities which thrive on tourism, and with 'stay-cations' looking probable once more for a number of Brits this year, many local tourist boards and councils will be looking to attract visitors. One way of doing this is through staging events such as Art Weeks, Literary Festivals or Historical Tours.

Event management is an exciting career, fast paced and varied. It will most likely involve working unsociable hours at times, and can be stressful, but if you perform well under pressure then event management could be the perfect industry for you.

Whether you have years of experience working in a completely unrelated field, or are fresh from college or university, there are event management courses for you. It is a competitive industry to get into, however with the right qualifications and experience, and some hard work, it is possible.

There are a huge number of event management courses available, and choosing the right one may seem a little bit daunting. There are general courses, corporate courses, wedding planning courses, some are full time, some part time, some end with a certificate, others with a diploma...

Firstly you need to decide the type of events you want to manage, and ensure that the course covers that. Next you need to ensure that the course will suitably qualify you for the job. Ask to read some testimonials from previous students, and ask about what they have gone on to do. Check to see if the course is accredited. The Institute of Commercial Management (ICM ) accredits Management courses, and is recognised worldwide.

Next you need to find a course at times and places to suit you. There are full and part time courses on offer, and the part time courses are often scheduled to permit you to keep a 9 to 5 job whilst completing your studies. Some courses will also offer an unpaid work placement, which not only will offer you the chance to put your newly learned skills to the test, but gives you some industry specific experience to add to your CV and will allow you to provide a valuable reference once you are applying for jobs.

Team Building Events - Build Productivity and More With 5 Important Guidelines


Team efforts are an integral portion of any successful company. Whether it is a company with ten employees or a Fortune 500 corporation, teamwork builds companies. Without effective teamwork, productivity and profits suffer. While almost every business owner and corporate executive realizes the importance of team building, making it happen is often an elusive task.

Human resource departments are often the creators of team building events. Effectively creating these events is a task that sometimes has difficult parameters. There are no specific numbers or measurements to be placed on the results and there are no set venues for creating them. Key elements of successful team building events involves activities indoor or out that requires creative energies, innovating thinking, and tasks to build camaraderie. Results of effective experiences are felt throughout the participating groups and can last the life of the company.

So, how do you generate, plan, and coordinate effective team building events? There is no simple answer. Using creativity to come up with an original idea fosters unique activities bringing a team together for tasks at hand. Consider the following 5 tips when designing your team's activities:


  • 1. Establish a business purpose and goals before planning your event.

  • 2. If possible, hold your event offsite.

  • 3. Mix up team members.

  • 4. Provide opportunities for teams to compete against each other.

  • 5. Consider using a professional team building service to build your event.

Let's look at the specifics:

1. Establish a business purpose and goals before planning your event.
Creating a business purpose before the event will work best. Determine your goals, and then structure the activities within the event so they help to accomplish the goals. If your company is already structured so employees share visions, purposes, and missions on a regular basis then an occasion to work together in an entertaining setting will naturally improve employee contributions at work. If you are ready to build employee relations, improve productivity, and establish more company loyalty, giving your employees an energetic, fun experience of working together will help in each of these areas. There are a number of ways to generate ideas and you can test the waters by having your own in-house event.

For example, create teams to come up with stress reliever breaks. Have each team implement their stress relieving methods for one month. At the end of the two months have employees vote for their favorite. Provide rewards for members of the winning group.

2. If possible, hold your team building event offsite.
One thing is certain, recent studies suggest that building an effective team with a specific activity occurs at locations other than the company facilities. Even when company directives are involved, to get together to plan strategies, assign team functions, and build team spirits, taking your people off-site works best.

3. Mix up team members.
As you assemble teams make sure to mix up the members. Don't use traditional managers, and groups to create the team. Make sure you have members of each team that don't normally communicate with each other. This helps to build bonds between departments.

Generating activities that are not centered on specific job descriptions helps to create anticipation and excitement. Creating fun, yet challenging objectives for these events gets even the most traditionally somber person into a different mode of action. While some of your employees may seem a bit hesitant at first, once they see other members of the team taking action, they will become more involved. The goal is to generate actions and input from every member of each team.

4. Provide opportunities for teams to compete against each other.
Teams competing against each other helps foster a winning attitude. This winning attitude automatically carries over into the normal workplace. Try planning a program that is easily followed up with meaningful workplace activities once the event is over. Implementing the use of newly acquired behavioral changes within the workplace is crucial to long-lasting successful change.

5. Consider using a professional service to build your event.
Another solution for planning a successful event that will meet your goals is to use the services of professional companies that specialize in hosting and planning team building events to suit your needs. This can often be the best solution to quickly improve production and relationships between employees. Companies specializing in these types of events can work with your unique needs to provide just the right mix of activities for the results you require. Don't expect dull and boring. More and more companies create motivating, challenging, and exciting events that get immediate action from team members.

Some popular events designed to get the most from employees are scavenger hunts, games, culinary activities and even a new trend called philanthropic team building. Events can be anywhere from lighthearted to more serious training session games. Whatever your needs, experts can help plan just the right event.

Leadership qualities, management skills, and the ability to work with others are the concerns of all companies. Giving employees positive, fun experiences motivates them, thus maximizing out-put. Developing goals for the event, finding an offsite location, mixing up team members, providing competition scenarios and hiring a professional are 5 guidelines that lead to successful events and ultimately more cohesion and teamwork among your employees.

Event Management Jobs - A Huge Scope of Careers


Many different industries and companies offer opportunities of employment in event management jobs. Corporations and even small companies host a variety of functions that require handling by someone with skills in planning and exceptional organizational habits.

Certain Interests

Anyone applying for these event management jobs usually need to have some experience in the industry in which they are seeking employment. Applicants should also choose events with environments that match their own personal knowledge in order to be able to perform their duties well. Any references or testimonies from previous clients are always a plus in the eyes of an anticipated employer. There a wide variety of opportunities from business functions to sales promotions.

Weddings

Some individuals begin their careers by seeking event management jobs planning weddings. This enables them to get some experience and possibly some great references. Those planning weddings can work part time but most plan weddings on a full time basis and have many different weddings to plan at the same time. This makes the skill of multi-tasking a great asset to possess. In order to get start it is often possible to get a job working along with one of these planners as a means to gain knowledge of the field. The main duties in planning a wedding include small detail organization for many times more than a year ahead of time. Searching for the best prices on the items needed for the event will also be one of the responsibilities. A wedding planner will also need good communication skills as they will be receiving as well as relaying large amounts of information to their clients.

Fashion Shows

Fashion shows offer a great way to promote one's work. Managing and hosting a smaller event successfully can open the door for opportunities to bigger events. A fashion show will have many levels of planning involved from the ground floor of planning where the event will be held to the arrangement of seats on the show's floor. Event management jobs first and foremost demand that a person be very independent and able to demonstrate by some means that they can function well on their own and meet deadlines.

Business Events

Event management jobs in the business industry are just as demanding as any other. Some people are more comfortable in a business environment and may work in planning meetings or the events for opening day of a business. Many event managers are used in this industry to plan learning seminars or product demonstrations as well as large business conventions. These types of positions are usually filled by those within the business and not regularly advertised.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Numerous Benefits of Entering Into Live Event Video Streaming


There is much more to do than watching video streaming online that had been on the internet as a pre-recorded video. Now, a new era has entered the world of technology, i.e. live event video streaming. Through streaming live videos, people can watch the event on a real-time basis through live videos. This has been possible because its signals can be switched to compressed signals. These signals are transferred through unique web servers.

Businesses as well as individuals can benefit a lot from the presence of live streaming video events. Some of its advantages are mentioned below.

Convenience for Viewers
Many people still use video streaming mainly because they do not have a lot of exposure to live video streaming. However, some really do and enjoy the most from it. One of the reasons behind this is that they do not need to waste time in terms of waiting for the video till it is fully downloaded. You just have to visit the relevant website and start watching live streaming without any fluctuations.

Low Cost
Streaming live events online does not mean that you have to incur a lot of expenses. The cost of streaming a live event depends on various factors. Some examples of such factors are the event's duration, number of viewers, etc. Therefore, you can estimate the costs by contacting the provider of live event streaming service.

Real-Time Streaming
It can be an ideal channel for promoting businesses. Since it is all about real-time streaming, you can easily broadcast any business event to your target audience on a real-time basis. Furthermore, it has an indirect effect on the increase in your company's sales. In order to broadcast any corporate event, you can use your webcam.

Increased Media Exposure
Live event streaming helps you increase media exposure to your selected target audience. This indicates that the chances of increasing your customer base are high.

Educational Communication
Besides sports and entertainment, it has educational benefits as well. If your business deals with educational services such as, higher education consultancy, tutoring, online coaching, web-based learning or specialist training, then live video streaming can be utilized effectively. No matter how distant the trainees are located, you can provide them education through your live videos.

Personal Uses
A lot of people have personal events that they want to share with others who are physically not there. Live event streaming serves the purpose well. A wedding event or a sports event can be shared online through live video streaming services.

Live video event streaming not only gives viewers the opportunity to enjoy the event in live but also helps businesses achieve their financial goals through reaching their target audience.

Top 9 Tips to Make Your Next Event Successful


Planning a successful event is a daunting task. As an event planner, you need to take care of a lot of things, including all the back-office and administrative workload well in advance to avoid the last-minute glitches. Moreover, you need to appoint staffs accordingly, so that they can help you plan an effective program. Hence, an increasing number of event organizers are looking for a highly effective and functional way to streamline the planning process. The online event registration system offers the same, thus making it one of the most sought-after solutions among the organizers. Here are the top 9 tips for planning a successful event.

1. The event organizer should have a clear understanding of the purpose of your event. Be it a corporate one or a social gathering, such as birthdays and anniversaries, a fair knowledge about the program helps you plan it accordingly and anticipate the outcome as well.

2. Setting realistic goal for your event is extremely important for its success. For social events, there are no such specific goals; however, when it comes to corporate events or fundraisers, you need to set some specific targets to make it successful. For setting your goals, you need to consider how many people you expect to attend your events. Be realistic while calculating the expected turn out, as it allows you to plan a winning event.

3. Setting a specific event budget can help you eliminate the financial discrepancies cropping up in the final stage. Hence, you should do this on a priority basis. Create a chart calculating all the potential expenses involved. According to that, you can decide how much you are willing to spend. All the more, you also need to decide how much revenue you can feasibly earn from your registrations.

4. Selecting the date of your event plays a significant role behind its success. Check out if there is any important event scheduled on the same date. If it is so, then it is better to avoid that date.

5. You need to check out all the available options. You can choose local clubs, banquets or public places to hold your event. It is better to visit the site in person before selecting it. While considering a venue, you need to keep several things in mind:

- Capacity of the room
- Lighting and electrical supply
- Parking features
- Phone hook-ups
- Computer and internet access
- Price of renting the venue

6. Start planning from months before, so that you are perfectly ready to execute your plan on the scheduled date. It is better to set up a project timeline with specific tasks that must be accomplished within specific dates.

7. Make a list of the vendors you will need to work with. Working with local vendors can help you reduce your expenses. The vendors, who are going to support you plan your event includes caterers, florists, photographers, printers, registration assistants, audio-visual suppliers, and so on.

8. In case you need any special licenses or permits to host your event, try to get it as soon as possible.

9. Check out your public relations network carefully, as your PR skills are going to play the main role in making your event successful. You need to decide how to publicize your event. Are you going to the local card shop to get pre-printed invitations, or, do you need to develop a promotional brochure for mailing your potential attendees?

Use these tips to plan your next event successfully.

Business Event Planning: Golf Outings and Tournaments


A golf outing is a fun event to host. However, planning it is not an easy task. Planning and executing a large-scale event like this will take time many months. This is why many organizations and corporations hire corporate event planners to take care of the process. With the help of these professionals, hosting a golf outing becomes much more enjoyable for you and the golfers.

One of the first steps in planning any event is to identify your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with this outing? Do you want to raise money? Are you trying to build camaraderie among your staff? Would you like to promote your brand? No matter what your goals, it is important that you clearly identify them with your planner so that she can design an event that will meet or exceed your expectations.

The next step is to determine a date and time for your golf event. You will need to decide whether or not your dates are flexible. Often, you will receive a better price for your venue if you sponsor an event during the week rather than on a weekend. When determining a date and time, you will want to choose days and times that will allow the most people to participate. After all, without participation, you will not be able to fulfill your goals.

Next, you will want to choose a golf course that will be appropriate to the ability levels of all of your players. Choosing a course that is too challenging may intimidate some of your guests and keep them from participating. Be sure to pick a golf course that is centrally located and easy to access. Your event planner will need to speak with the facility coordinator to determine if the food and beverages they provide on-site will be sufficient or if an outside caterer is needed. She will be able to negotiate those contracts so that you get the best price possible.

We have all heard the old adage "image is everything". Take time to visit the golf courses you are most interested in. Be sure that the facility looks appealing and is up to your standards. You are the host of the event so you will want to do everything you can to promote an image of professionalism. Early spring and late fall tend to be the time of year you want to avoid because the greens are not as pretty as other times. Your planner will ask about maintenance schedules so that it does not conflict with your outing or tournament.

As you set your budget, you will want to consider the various expenses involved in this type of event. Most golf courses will charge on a per person basis. A greens fee as well as a cart fee will be charged. Food and beverages are another large expense at these events. You will need to take into account other expenses including prizes, decorations, transportation, marketing/advertising, gratuities for the staff and more. Your event planner will be able to assist you in determining an appropriate budget and will guide you toward choices that will help you stick to that budget.

A golf outing or tournament can be a fun and exciting event for your organization or business. Be sure to enlist the assistance of qualified event planners so your golf event runs smoothly and all of your goals are met.

How to Make Your Event Memorable


Crystal was looking forward to this weekend. Her company had given her the task of organizing this year's big corporate meeting and the event was nearing. Many of Crystal's colleagues had sarcastically commented on "How lucky she was to be stuck with the enviable job of organizing this year's corporate drudgery", but Crystal was excited. She was determined to make this year's meeting a bit different and memorable; an event, she felt, would change the attitude and atmosphere where she worked.

People are...People

If you are taking the time to read this, you are probably much like Crystal. The people you work around are no different than any other workplace; they dread going to organizational gatherings. Your fellow employees (or those who work for your clients) can't stand the idea of being stuck in meeting rooms all day then forced to mingle and network with people they don't know while knowing they will eventually be forced to listen to that same old speech that has been given for the past 5 years. Blah, Blah, Blah! In all fairness, who does want to go to a boring corporate event? Nobody! (well, maybe there are a few we know)

What makes an event Memorable?

Back a few years ago I worked for a company as a marketing director, while I was there, the company experienced a tough financial run. As the holidays neared, it was obvious there would be no bonuses for anyone; the money just wasn't there. The small holiday gathering, which was initially planned to take place at a local hotel, had to be cancelled. The CEO of the company walked around the building like the Grinch himself telling all the employees "There won't be a Christmas this year. We don't have any money so there is no party" I immediately called a meeting of all employees and put together an in office gathering which each person contributed some sort of food dish to. What occurred that day is memorable, the uplifting, internal and external human emotion of the people that gathered in spite of the grumpy CEO. What makes an event memorable? The feeling of good will and excitement!

How To Make Your Events Memorable

How will you make your next sales retreat, association meeting or corporate function an event your guests will always remember? The answer is quite simple...make it unique, fun and exciting, offer outstanding and interesting forms of entertainment!

This is why Crystal was so excited about the corporate event she planned. For years her company had a dinner and then a DJ that hung around and played music for a few hours. Some of her co-workers would sit at their tables talking business and having cocktails while most would just leave, go to the bar or retire for the night to their hotel rooms. Crystal wanted to "keep the group together" while still being able to craftily offer up her boss's corporate message. She had something really different and special planned...

Initially, Crystal worried, (like many planners) concerned about hiring entertainment for their functions. She was justifiably concerned that the material covered by the act she hired would not be corporate friendly and appropriate.

She had the considered a magician and worried that he would be pulling quarters from behind the guests ears and making bad jokes. Juggling would be cool, but how long would that keep the attention of the guests and is a flame throwing baton act really completely safe? Since it was an indoor event she felt that would not work. Crystal had been to boring events and had previous experiences with an unprofessional performer as well as horror stories from colleagues.

However, she knew it was important to keep in mind that the right entertainment would add tremendous value to her event and make it a fun, memorable positive function.

The right entertainment gets your group involved, working together as a cohesive team. It will get them laughing and feeling good about the event you carefully planned. Quite possibly, the most important thing that providing the right entertainment will do for you is allow you to creatively relay your events message to your group.

When creating a positive event with entertainment, it is important to remember the following:

1. The entertainment should be corporate friendly. The performance should be clean and free of inappropriate comments.

2. Your guests should not be humiliated in any way, shape or form.

3. The act should have good intent. Getting your audience laughing together is a wonderful thing, but the laughter should not be at the expense of others.

4. The entertainment you hire should be novel and creative. No one wants to see the same thing they have seen before! You want to bring your audience something that is new, something which to hold their interest.

Keeping these four things in mind, as Crystal did, you can make your next event a memorable function that not only succeeds in entertaining your audience, but if you decide, can also support your events message and objectives! What s great return on your investment!

Russ Clarke is President of RLO Productions LLC. RLO Productions provides outstanding entertainment for corporate events with the Russ Clarke Comedy Hypnosis Show. Russ can be contacted at 866-570-3544.

Become a Top Wedding Planner - 4 Ways to Handle Competition


As a new wedding planner, you may be worried about having to fight competition for clients. But the presence of competition is actually a good sign, it means there are potential clients in the area.

Here are 4 ways to handle your competition fears:

1) Learn all about your competition


  • Who else is offering wedding planning services in your area?

  • What niche do they market to?

  • Who are their ideal clients?

  • How do they market to them (mailers, online, referrals, exhibit at wedding fairs, etc.)?

  • What are their marketing messages (for example, low cost, eco-friendly, etc.)?

  • What services and products are they offering?

Remember that your competition may not be just wedding and event planners but also caterers, florists, and party rental stores who offer planning. Places of worship may offer the services of a wedding coordinator who also does wedding planning. Knowing what they are all offering will help you determine how to differentiate yourself from them.

2) Evaluate your own company


  • What is your niche and who are your ideal clients?

  • How do you market to your niche?

  • What marketing messages are you sending out to your niche?

  • Do your marketing messages clearly explain your uniqueness?

  • Have you developed services and products that are specifically for your niche?

  • Or, are you offering the same services that all other wedding planners offer?

If you are unclear about your niche, your marketing messages are probably also unclear and brides are having trouble seeing how you are different from your competition. Take the time to learn the services the couples in your niche need and would be willing to buy. Then make sure your marketing messages convey your understanding of their needs so it is clear that you are the right wedding planner for them.

3) Consider partnering with people who are not in direct competition

You may want to network with wedding and event planners who handle clients that you do not, and vice versa. Ask if they would be willing to exchange referrals with you. You may approach caterers and florists to see if they would like to to partner and offer joint packages to make it easy for couples to work with all of you. Places of worship might be willing to refer you or have you work as their wedding coordinator.

4) Establish your uniqueness and concentrate your time and energy on your own business

Now that you know what your competition is doing and you've evaluated your own business, take what you have learned and, if necessary, make changes in your marketing plans and set new goals. Remember to emphasize your uniqueness in all of your marketing efforts. Next, concentrate not on beating out competition but on being the best at what you do and offering your clients the best services and products that you can give them.

Event Ideas - What To Do At Your Next Event


Some of the most common events are Conventions, Festivals, Corporate Events, Event Seminars, Business Meetings, Fundraisers, and Charity Events. Whether you are a beginner or veteran events planner, you still need to start on the right foot. The event ideas we mention here are intended to help guide you to success. Although there are many ideas, we will stick to a few popular ones.

Business Meeting Ideas

Creating meetings around various themes helps to give participants a sense of direction. Since a business meeting is supposed to be more work than play, music may not be a good idea, but a short documentary could crystallize company focus.

Building Something Great Together - Makes everyone involved feel needed and a part of the company's future. It opens the floor for constructive input enhancing company goals.

Please the Customer - have participants focus on what makes the customer happy and how to improve in service with a smile.

We Shall Overcome - Encourages attendees to persist and reach for success despite perceived obstacles.

Be creative when kicking off meetings to motivate and inspire.

Dart Board - Start off the meeting by allowing some shots at a dart board. Best shot gets to start off the meeting, appoint the moderator, or make the first suggestion about the topic at hand.

New Vocabulary - Ask your group to bring seldom used or obscure words to the next meeting. Have them use it in a way that applies to your business.

"If I Ran the Show..." - This can provide some insight into feasible changes that can improve things in important areas. Ask your staff what they would consider the perfect job, location, and work environment. Now that you have them thinking without boundaries, ask them what project would they work on or what special thing would they do if they ran the company, office, or department.

Fund Raising Ideas

Consider the following suggestions:

BBQ's - Everyone loves a BBQ, they can be a fun way to rally support for your cause.

A Raffle - There are many fashionable products that would strongly attract customers.

Car Wash - When the price is right a car wash is a valued service that can easily raise funds.

Charity Event Ideas

Promoting awareness as much as possible is paramount to your charity event success.

Dinner - Awards are distributed to honorees that helped to achieve landmark milestones for the organization. Tickets can be sold commercially or through your network of friends and supporter. Invitees attend a dinner where presentations are made regarding the organization's accomplishments and goals.

Bake Sales - A prize is awarded to the baked item voted as first place, second place etc. by attendees. Every one of the organization's members and their families can participate in producing their favorite specialties and these can sold at a profit to the organization at the "bake-off event".

Auction - Many favorite goods or services can be auctioned off to raise money for your non-profit organization. Another approach is to involve local businesses to donate merchandise, time or even money to start your auction with a bang.

Corporate Event Ideas

There are some interesting twists to freshen up the atmosphere with entertainment. Motivation is very important in a corporate environment, so celebrating anniversaries and achievements will boost inspiration on all levels.

Comedians - Comedians use specific appropriate topics that help put the audience in the right mood.

Live music or Professional sound system - It is essential to select entertainment that is suitable for your guests and your business personality.

Magic Shows - Can be a pleasant introduction that provides a playful atmosphere.

Seminar Ideas

There are various styles in which a meeting can be conducted. Choosing the one that fits the current working climate can help propel everyone in the right direction.

Human Resource Seminars - Offer all sorts of employee performance training, management, and career development seminars. Help build up the proper work environment in your business or company by coaching, succession planning, key employee identification, and organization development.

Sales Training Seminars - Can assist your sales force to hone their salesmanship abilities and educate them about new software or tools to become more adept in their sales role.

Management Seminars - Refine leadership qualities and exercise management abilities to help your executives and managers increase their performance.

Festival Ideas

These are entertainment-only functions, and can be geared to provide fun for families and groups of all kinds. Themes can be tailored to make any social event exciting and interesting.

Fun Foods - Pizza, Popcorn, Potato Chips, Snow Cones, Cotton Candy, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, French Fries, etc.

Prize-Winning Games - Ring the Coke Bottle, Basketball shots, Shoot down cans w/water gun, Gaming wheels, etc.

Ride Rentals - Large and small Bounce houses, Choo-Choo Train, Ferris wheels, Roller coasters, Spin rides.

Convention Ideas

Conventions bring vendors and customers together in an open forum where contacts are made, new products are introduced, big ideas are discussed and new sales leads are developed.

Entertainment - Sound systems playing appropriate music, Live musicians or even stage performers.

Promotional Products - Key Chains, Picture Frames, Award Gifts, Bags, Pens with logo, etc.

Exhibition Tools - All shapes and sizes of displays are used to share space and provide maximum visibility.

Conference Ideas

A conference can be quite intense and needs slackening of tension at regular intervals.

Participants meet in order to discuss, consult, or exchange information about related fields.

Give Prizes - Prizes should be awarded to the people who have done something that helped the conference to be a success, whether something funny, silly or just plain helpful. If your conference is small, contributions to success can be rewarded after the conference.

Reception - Should have pleasing interior decoration, door prizes or gifts, etc.

Stand Up/Stretch Breaks - Play some music, have someone lead the break showing everyone how to twist, do aerobics, dance, or just a good march in place. Keep people energized and attentive. Have breaks between speakers.

Keep Up the Momentum - If you put on a grand finale it will make a lasting impression and may influence your participants decision to come to your next conference.

Plan surprises for attendees at least on par with your welcoming reception. Don't let the conference lose color towards the finish - even if the staff has to fake it, keep things going. Have entertainment and 'walk out' music. Organizers should be present at the door to thank the participants.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Thirteen Mistakes To Avoid When Planning Your Event


Familiarizing yourself with these common mistakes will help you become aware of problems you can avoid when organizing your event.


  1. Short marketing cycle. Be sure to give yourself ample time to promote your event. A good rule of thumb is at least 90-120 days for a medium-sized event with about 75 attendees.

  2. Competing with yourself. Many promoters become their own competition by putting on multiple events occurring close together. When your audience receives marketing for different events they are confused.

  3. Not delivering on your promises. Being true to your word will maintain your credibility and ensure future success. Create checklists of each offer you make in your marketing so you will not forget to follow through on your promises.

  4. Overpaying. Keep your costs down by shopping around for hotels, etc. Make sure the audio-visual team is aware of the specific hours for each day so there are no surprise charges. Keep your staffing to a minimum; you should be able to run a 4-day/75-person event with yourself and 2-3 others. Negotiate ahead of time to get the meeting room free when you satisfy your room block.

  5. Losing control of the room. Maintaining control of your audience is necessary for staying on schedule and running smoothly. Holding questions until after will help.

  6. Not running on schedule. Controlling the schedule helps control the room. Start on time in the morning, continue promptly after breaks, and end when you say you will. If you are behind schedule, stop and ask whether they'd like to stay longer to finish the material or end on time.

  7. Poor scheduling at your event. The order in which you place your speakers has a big impact on the success of your event. Other factors are involved, but in general it is better to place speakers selling less expensive products before speakers selling higher priced product. Consider when certain topics are covered and make sure refreshments are not served while speakers are on stage.

  8. Being cheap. People paid good money to attend your event. Make sure they get what they expect, like complimentary refreshments.

  9. Hiring the wrong coordinator. It is best to work with someone who specializes in information marketing.

  10. Close your office. There is no good reason to close down your office; you are only losing money and frustrating your clients who are not at the event.

  11. Miscalculating. Be accurate with your calculations and have realistic expectations. If your list includes 1,000 people you should not expect to get 500 of them at your event.

  12. Mismanaging the event. Good management ensures a successful event. Things like time management, traffic flow, and having enough order forms are small things that can be overlooked by poor management.

  13. Not selling enough. Many promoters think they should just educate the attendees; they feel bad about selling. Bottom line: you are there to make money. There are ways to give valuable information and sell product at the same event.

It's easy to become overwhelmed when planning for event. Staying organized and thorough will help you avoid mistakes, but expect to make some. Small mistakes are inevitable even if you are a seasoned event planner; learning from your own experiences and talking to others about their experience will help you become effective at this process.

Events Insurance Explained


If you are holding a special event of any type which involves people outside your immediate family, home or business premises, you will require an events insurance policy to cover your liability to others and any property that may be used for the event.

Events insurance is a type of specialist commercial insurance that is usually sold as a policy package of liability, property and cancellation cover options.

Cover is available for individuals or companies who are either organisers or participants in the event. Nearly every type of event is catered for including sporting events, club meetings, fetes and fairs, festivals, exhibitions, parties and anniversaries, weddings and special events.

All polices will offer a minimum basic cover of public liability insurance which protects the event organisers against any costs or damages awarded, resulting from being sued for injury or loss to third-party members of the public. This includes claims from the event's attendees.

In the United Kingdom the minimum level of public liability cover offered is one million pounds, which can be raised up to five million for large events.

If an organiser is arranging an event where a licence is required from the police or local authority, such as a street party or gathering in public, the usual minimum requirement is two millions pounds of cover.

Unless you are Superman it is highly likely that you will employ people to help contribute to, run or organise the event. Even if these people are unpaid, it is still a legal requirement that the event organiser has employers liability insurance cover in force to protect against claims from workers and helpers who may be injured.

All events insurance policies include options for both types of liability cover for organisers, participants, performers and exhibitors.

A popular option for which an event insurance policy provides cover is that of event cancellation. This covers the costs of having to abandon, cancel or postpone the event due to unforeseen circumstances. For example a policy will cover cancellation if caterers fail to provide food, entertainers or performers do not show, your staff are unable to attend or even if the venue has become unavailable or double booked.

An expensive additional cancellation cover against extreme bad weather for outdoor events, called 'pluvious' cover, may be available for certain types of event such as weddings at certain times of the year.

The third type of cover offered by events policies is that of property cover. This is insured on an indemnity basis where the organiser declares the replacement value of property used for the event. This could be cover for anything that is hired in, such as marquees or dinner services, or against damage to property loaned or leased for a day, such as a local village hall.

Trade Shows & Event Marketing - Current Trends in Event Promotion & Networking For Business


With the current upswell of marketing activity through online channels, we're often asked by clients, "How's the trade show business? Are companies still investing in event marketing and promotion?" The answer is that face to face marketing is alive and well. It's important to remember that personal connection and networking still has a place outside of Facebook and Twitter. For many companies, attending trade shows and conventions is a vital part of a multi-channel marketing strategy. So what do we see going on in the world of face to face marketing? Glad you asked!

  1. Companies are choosing wisely. There are still scores of opportunities out there, and companies are picking through these to ensure that their investment of time and expense delivers. The focus here is on quality, not quantity - by removing the shotgun approach when deciding what to attend, and ensuring that their best people are on the floor, companies are looking at ROI much more.

  2. Attendees want real information. Similarly, event attendees are looking for solid information and substance, not 2 days of sales pitches. Stand out and maintain top-of-mind by delivering engaging, interactive displays, innovative product exhibits, and unique & valuable information.

  3. Lots of businesses are attending more shows. But the trend is towards smaller show footprints, smaller exhibits, and more specialized events.

  4. Dynamic, interactive displays. At the minimum, consider adding an audio/visual element to your exhibit environment. Don't go for glitz and discard substance, but remember that engaging your audience and delivering your message may best be accomplished through an innovative custom trade show display or adding interactive components to your exhibit.

  5. The bar has been raced for event & trade show organizers. As companies and attendees become ever more selective when deciding which events to attend, organizers have responded by harnessing the power of social media. With relatively low costs and potentially high returns, social networks and virtual trade shows are a great channel for bringing in qualified attendees.

  6. Concise, powerful branding. Your brand and message have to make an impact in an increasingly short amount of time. This forces marketers to ensure that their communications are short, simple and powerful - again, raising the bar for how companies reach their audience.

These current trends have one thing in common - they will reward innovative, fast-acting companies. As audiences become ever more selective and companies focus increasingly on high-ROI initiatives, the best firms will respond to this and adapt their marketing communications. Face to face promotion is very much alive and kicking; but like many other marketing channels, it is incredibly fast-moving and will reward those companies that can stay ahead of the curve.

How to Buy Wholesale Flowers Easily


Wholesale flowers play an important role in decorating the wedding event, birthday parties, valentine's parties and many other events. Buying flowers wholesale have become a common practice in current days and similarly the price range of these flowers has increased a lot too. Wholesale flowers give you the opportunity to buy the flowers at low price and in bulk quantity. The businessmen of wholesale flowers usually establish long-term relationships with the customers and most florists buy large quantities of flowers from them. But there are times, when customers approach the wholesale dealer on own and buy the blooms at reasonable prices. Some of the clients and customers of the wholesale dealer includes: wedding planners, caterers, event planners, florists, funeral parlors and corporations. Thus there are numerous buyers of flowers from wholesalers.

The wholesalers provide you with different types of flowers like fresh-cut flowers, plants and floral accessories at low prices. Well some of the florists also sell the flowers to general public in certain hours at low prices. From such shops, even if you don't get the wholesale rate, you can get discounts. Such flower shops are useful when you have to buy the flowers in bulk quantities. If you have a party or wedding ceremony, then you can buy from such markets and can save money. Well there are some people who are not aware of buying tips. There are some instructions which you need to follow for buying flowers from wholesalers. The first thing you must do is to look up in the yellow pages for finding the florists. Moreover you can have internet facilities which can open numerous websites in front of you. You just have to conduct thorough web search and find the wholesalers. On the other hand, you can find wholesale florists in your local area. The next step is to contact your friends and ask if any of them contains wholesale prices.

One of the important tips for you people when you have to buy the flowers is to get up early in the morning as fresh flowers get sold quickly. You need to conduct the survey of the entire market in order to know the prices of flowers. You must be aware of the market rate of the flowers before buying them. Well you must know that vendors who are closest to the entrance charge high prices because if you buy through them, you do not need to enter into the market. Mostly people who are in hurry buy from the entrance vendors. You must check out before buying the flowers that their stems are neatly cut down and the buds and leaves are dense. Avoid buying from the shopkeeper who is having brown flowers and withered flowers in the mix. Try to not to switch the vendor every time, as if you buy from one vendor again and again it would increase the chances of price negotiation with him / her. You should contain sellers badge in order to save tax cost. If you won't be having the discount coupon, you would not be able to get rid of taxation payments. One of the healthy tips for making your flowers clean is you need to fill up your bathtub with few inches of cold water and put the flowers in it, in this way the newspaper wrappings will get removed off. You must make cuts to the stems before arranging them in a bouquet. If you are having roses, you must cut its stems underwater. By following these few instructions, one would be able to buy wholesale flowers easily.

Event Management Across the Corporate World


Event management is an age old concept in the corporate world but its success has been recently visible in the last ten to fifteen years. Earlier though it was part of the business world many companies and organizations used to ignore its significance. As businesses across the globe are rejuvenating in all its form the acceptance of event management has tremendously increased. Infact it has become extremely viable when it comes to organizing an event for any big corporate firm.

Earlier firms and organizations used to conduct events managed by their own team of professionals who may or may not have any experience or hint about organizing an event. Apart from that it is a very stressful and time-consuming activity that actually cuts down effective work time of the involved employees as well as their performance to a certain extent. But now it has become much easier for firms to conduct events through event management companies.

Event management companies have a team of professionals whose expertise in the field is commendable and are known for their genuine, reliable, and remarkable efforts. The team of experts has their own contacts with the decorators, caterers, and other professional individuals or organizations required for organizing an event. Be it in a ten year celebration of company's existence in the corporate world or an accomplished milestone, these companies are masters in transforming success and celebrations to cherished memories. Whether a gathering of 500 people or of 5000 people, no stone is left unturned to conduct a memorable event. These companies organize a range of events for various firms and organizations depending on their needs and strategies.

During the course of an event, event management companies also take care of various other issues like award ceremonies, product launch, introduction of services, announcement of new business ventures, and conferences. This leaves the owner of any business firm completely free from the pressure of organizing and managing an event.

Now the question arises why corporate companies feel the need to conduct events? Why has it become a significant part of the corporate world? The simple answer to these questions is 'Corporate Tussle'.

These days' businesses across the globe are facing tough competition with each firm running hard to touch the sky. With this it becomes important for companies to stay in limelight through retention of customers, increased revenue generation, strong goodwill, and increased credibility. All this is possible through making people think about the company every now and then. And the best way to do so is by organizing events at regular intervals. This will strengthen the customer base and will always keep the company's name on the hearts and minds of customers as well as associates. These are very much imperative in nature as it leaves a very long-lasting impression on the audience. These events eventually become strategic tools for reliable and effective corporate communication.

The Essential Event Planner's Business Marketing Tips


Events planning are a people business and there is no better way to get people involved in your business than by the right ways of marketing it. The methods outlined in this event planner's business tips don't need to be expensive, but you do need to use your creative streak to make sure that it comes out right.

There's nothing that says you have to forgo the traditional marketing mix of TV, radio and print in order to bring your company front and center. But instead of just taking out ads, why not do something different? Market yourself directly to these companies and actively campaign to do their events. Not only will you get paid, but you'll get insider promotion that will be worth much, much more.

Don't forget the internet in your campaign mix. Make sure that your website and professional blog are attractive and updated frequently, and that you have a social marketing face on face book or my space, and create a following on Twitter. It may be more work but create an article at least once a week to be submitted to online lists. Keep your professional name and face front and center.

In this regard, you may not have the time or expertise to carry on a full-on marketing campaign. There's nothing wrong with outsourcing this type of work. You can hire someone to maintain your blog and website for you, and also supply them with topics to write on that you can submit after reviewing and editing to your liking. A dedicated online marketer will also have the know-how on creating a great campaign for you using the latest SEO techniques to make sure you're kept on the first page of search engines.

Keep a close eye on your personal marketing apparatuses as well. Make sure your logo is well designed and memorable, the colors are eye-catching and your slogan catchy. Have these on everything from your calling card, your folders, as a bumper sticker on your personal vehicles, and on your personal stationery. If you hand out corporate giveaways, make sure that they're on it, too. A nice and memorable touch is to put it on your thank-you package after the event. Just that in itself is unusual - how many planners thank their clients for giving them an event to handle?

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

How to Effectively Plan For Your Green Event?


You can now stand out from your competitors by planning your event in an environment friendly and sustainable manner. Going green can not only enhance your company's reputation, but also brand value. The increased preference of people towards a more environment friendly approach has nowadays forced companies to go green especially when organizing events. Lately, it is seen that, the worlds of cost effective and eco-friendly are gradually converging in terms of cost cutting and time saving. No matter the type of event you are organizing, it is easy to go green with proper planning. Here are some steps that can help you to organize your event in an environment friendly manner.

Come Up With Something Creative

To leave an ever lasting impact, you need to come up with something creative in your promotions and marketing campaigns. You can sit with your staff and strategize on how to cut down on printing flyers and advertisements and come up with something innovative that is more environment- friendly. You can opt to market you event on various social media networking sites that allow you to promote your event in a cost effective manner and thereby connect you to hundreds of online users. You can also undertake carefully strategized email campaigns to reach out to your potential contacts. Make sure that the technology you adopt is absolutely paperless.

Creation of Your own Website

You can also enhance your event's visibility by designing of your very own website and customizing it with colorful graphics and videos that can easily draw attention. At the same time you also need to make your site immensely informative by prominently displaying your contact details. Try to achieve a balance between the two extremes so that your prospective attendees that they have all the relevant information that they need whilst surfing a user-friendly and interesting interface.

Ease of Registration and Ticket Availability

Instead of the conventional manual registrations, you can adopt various Cloud-based software products that give you the ease of online registration and ticketing. These products allow you to create as well as customize your registration page in less than 20 minutes. Prospective attendees can sign up by filling in their personal details and then purchase the tickets online.

Ease of Payment

If you are opting for Cloud-based software products then you do not need to worry about your payment norms as it comes embedded with payment management facilities. Your attendees can make their payments either through multiple credit cards or standard payment gateways. You are also able to create your own merchant account and accept payments directly. These payment norms are quite secure so attendees are prevented from any kind of fraudulent transactions.

Post Event Promotion

You can also undertake post event promotion by recording videos and photos and uploading them on various social media networking sites. This allows you to convey the nature and experience of the event to people who did not get a chance to attend it. For those you have attended, can share their experiences and feedback regarding your event which helps you in quantifying your event's impact.

Go green and make your events innovative so that it is remembered by all those who attended the program.

Event Photography - The Digital Workflow


The latest digital photography equipment makes the process of photographing an event a lot easier that in the pre-digital era. So what exactly is the modern day workflow for shooting an event.

If it's an indoor event such as a school prom or black-tie dinner then the studio will first be setup. Once the backdrop and lighting is setup and tested then it's time to take the pictures. You'll need a subject obviously and when they're posed in a relaxed and smiley manner then it's time to click the shutter.

Now the digital magic starts. Once the image is in the camera it needs to be transferred to a central computer system. Effectively the camera becomes part of the computer network either through an physical Ethernet cable or, more conveniently, over a wifi connection. The image is transferred to the central computer and it can then be displayed on a computer monitor where the guests can view the images almost instantaneously. Specialist event photography software is usually used for displaying these images. This software is specifically written to enable the images to be viewed and selected quickly. The software is usually operated by an assistant or sales person but separate viewing stations can be used that work with a touch screen and let the guests browse and select their images themselves as well.

The event photography software is also able to overlay graphics or text onto the photographic image to produce a wide range of finished images if required. Magazine cover styled images are popular as well as graphics relating to sports. Corporate logos can be incorporated into an image to brand a photo for corporate events.

Another popular function of the software is the ability to shoot green-screen. This is the same technology as used in the film industry where the photo is taken against a green or blue background and then an image is inserted into the background, you could walk on the moon or be on a beach without leaving the building.

After the photos have been viewed and an image has been selected by the guest it can be purchased. Again this is where the magic of digital comes into its own. A digital image could be put onto a USB stick or burned to a CD. If an old fashioned print is required it can be output to the digital printers. The latest Dye-Sublimation printers offer lab quality photographs, indeed most of today's high street photo kiosks use Dye-Sublimation technology for print output. An event photographer may use two or three printers that allow different sized prints to be produced, right there at the event and printing can take less than a minute. Slip in mounts complete the process to produce a quality printed product.

Other products such as mugs or mouse mats can be created given the correct equipment although this equipment is bulky and not usually taken on-site, these are more of an after event sale item. This leads us onto the next step that's been made possible by digital photography, that of putting the photos onto the internet where they can then be viewed and purchased after the event. Special gallery software to display the images on a website and allow the images to be purchased is the last step in the digital workflow for event photographers. Unfortunately, if a print is ordered, we have to rely on the good old analogue postal system to deliver the final product. Unless the guest chooses to purchase a digital version of the image that is.

Going Portable


These days a lot of people invest in portable set ups to save money on the permanent infrastructure. Thanks to the recent advancement of technology, having portable garages, party tents, and car shelters has become a very popular trend amongst people constantly complaining about lack of space. Yes! Portable set-ups come across as one of the most cost effective solutions for such people. Your reasons to use such portable set-ups may vary. You may prioritize the cost saving feature, the alternative space arrangement or simply the portability, depending on your convenience. But portable set-ups find many supporters.

Portable wedding tents

In fact the use of portable tents is not limited to garage and car workshops or parking places. The portable wedding tents, pop up canopies, instant canopies, etc. can become the perfect venue to celebrate grand occasions as well. Yes! Even weddings can be held in portable tents. This portable set-up doesn't require you to compromise any of the other features. You can host a thousand people get together in a portable wedding tent with all the fancy decorations, best of food and seating arrangements without any discomfort. These tents are portable as the name suggests but are also equally durable in harsh weather conditions like rains, storms, etc. After all, weddings are a grand occasion and you wouldn't want anything to spoil them. You can also ask your event planners to look after everything from setting up the tent, lightening, decorations and the hospitality.

Car canopies

These portable car shelters come across as a perfect solution for those looking at alternative car parking arrangements. Many of us might not have heard about portable car shelters but they are totally worth the investment. At a minimal cost, you get a portable car space that will protect your automobile from the harsh external environment. Many of the automobile mechanics also opt for a portable garages or portable service shops. The portable garage is a popular concept in many areas. This helps the garage dealer to reach out to a greater number of customers. Such car canopies come in multiple sizes to match the varying budgets of customers.

Party tents

Hosting a party is a cumbersome task. Apart from the fun element involved, there is a lot of work that goes into organizing the entire event. But hosting an event or celebration in portable set-ups like party tents saves the organizers a great deal of effort. The party tents are available in various sizes, colours and patterns. Their convenient shape and aesthetically pleasing outlook makes them a hot favourite amongst regular party organizers. You can choose a good one to suit your taste and budget.

Advantages of going portable

So far, we have talked a great deal about the benefits of many times of portable canopies for garages, parking areas, and parties. But opting for portable set-ups has some generic advantages as well that make it a popular trend amongst people. Firstly, portable set-ups ensure zero or minimal investment for construction. Secondly, at a lesser investment, you are able to gather greater advantages by using portable set-ups. It's clearly a money saver and the mobility feature adds to its effectiveness.

Footprints to Success: The Five Priorities of Strategic Planning in Wholesale Distribution


Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction - to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization's direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.

Discipline is a prerequisite to this process because it requires laser-like persistence to bring about a productive strategic planning initiative. The process raises a sequence of questions that helps planners examine current reality, test assumptions, gather and incorporate information about the present, and perform trend analysis on the future industry environment.

Fundamental decisions, actions and choices must be made in order to develop a plan that provides the "Footprints to Success." The plan is ultimately no more, and no less, than a set of decisions about what to do, why to do it, and when and how to do it.

The scope of the strategy development process for any distributor is dependent upon individual business needs. The strategic planning process is a time and resource-consuming endeavor that involves many people in the organization. This process includes both tactical and strategic application.

A critical factor in developing a strategic plan is looking at the end game first. Just exactly what do you want your company to be when it grows up? Ask yourself the following questions from the perspective of looking five years into the future.

1. What markets will your company be serving five years from now?

2. What products will you be distributing?

3. Who are your primary competitors?

4. What are your strengths?

5. What are your competitors' strengths?

6. How has your marketing strategy changed?

7. What are your core competencies?

8. What is the size of your revenue stream?

9. How is your revenue stream segmented?

These are just a few sample questions, but don't stop there. After you've tried to visualize your corporate profile five years in the future, the next step is scenario planning. It's the old "What If" analysis. What if you lose your major product line? What if your three biggest competitors become part of a consolidator roll up? What if you dramatically change your product offering so it doesn't even resemble the industry you represent today? How will e-business impact your strategy? Recognize that an e-strategy should not exist in isolation from your overall company strategy. Remember that e-anything is only a tool while your company vision is the guide on how you use your tools.

Follow the Strategic Thinking Process

Strategic thinking by a strategy team leader provides a platform for the distributor that identifies the "end game" vision, determines core initiatives to achieve the vision, develops associated SIPs (Strategic Implementation Plans), and coaches the executive strategy team in preparing a presentation of their strategic document to the ownership or Board for approval. After approval is granted, this document becomes the basis for launching the total company planning process.
Tactical issues such as sales strategies, performance accountability and compensation issues may also be included.

The Strategy Development Process

Phase I: Company Internal Survey

Preparation

A web-based survey is developed focusing on all aspects of the organization. This generates valuable, precise feedback from the employees. This survey is synthesized, analyzed and discussed at the strategy kickoff meeting.

End Game Definition

Through the use of brainstorming and scenario planning, the CEO and ownership create a picture of what the company will be and how it will function 5 to 10 years into the future. This process can be as simplistic as developing a well thought out visionary mission statement to doing actual "what if" scenario analysis identifying specific desirable future objectives.

Phase II:

Kick off Strategy Development Meeting - End Game Presentation

The CEO/Owner presents the end game analysis developed to the strategy team. Open discussion may or may not occur at this juncture. However, further discussion will take place after the CEO excuses himself from the meeting. This discussion will be moderated by a facilitator to get consensus of the end game by the strategy team. The end game may be challenged only if another alternative is offered.

Survey Presentation

A copy of the completed survey is handed out. A facilitator presents the analysis of the survey identifying key issues. A discussion of the issues is conducted but the discussion is controlled and kept informal without trying to solve world hunger at this one-day meeting.

Strategy Development Kickoff

A brief 60-minute strategy planning presentation is conducted by the facilitator to walk the participants through the process. The end game exercise is discussed and defined. This is meant to explain the beginning of the process. After the plan is completed a presentation will be made to the ownership, President and Board, gaining approval of the strategic plan prior to actual launch and execution of the strategy.

Doing nothing is not an option

As we've discussed, strategic planning involves anticipating the future environment and creating an end game analysis so the decisions are made in the present. This means that over time, the organization must regularly perform trend analysis in order to make the best decisions it can at any given point - it must manage, as well as plan, strategically.

Strategic planning is not a substitute for the exercise of judgment by leadership. Ultimately "the buck stops somewhere." The strategic planning process does not make the organization work - it can only support the sound judgment and reasoning skills that people bring to the organization.

Strategic planning is a creative process. The fresh insight it engenders might very well alter past initiatives. Planning also consumes resources which are precious commodities. It can be an overwhelming and daunting task, but it is a process that eventually defines the direction and activities of the organization. Despite its overwhelming nature, the benefits of planning can far outweigh the hard work and pain involved in the process.

I cannot emphasize enough that the true value of a strategic plan is not in the document itself. It is in the process of creating it, involving many of your employees from the bottom up. This empowers them to be more effective and better-informed leaders, managers and decision makers. The time devoted to the planning process varies from organization to organization and you must decide how much time you will devote to the kick off planning process meeting. This can take the form of a two-day retreat or it can be an extended process. The organization will begin to realize benefits from the start. Fundamental benefits to the planning process include:

o A framework and a clearly defined direction with unified support

o A clear vision and purpose that is owned by all employees

o Commitment to the organization and its goals by the employees

o Set priorities that match company resources

o Trend analysis that creates confidence in the ability to take risks

o Accountability

Readiness Factors

The planning process is a major endeavor and timing is critical. There are certain organizational elements that must be in place in order to ensure that the planning process will provide the maximum benefit to the organization. You must clearly understand the organization's current state and readiness to engage in the planning process. There are a number of preparatory steps that should be concluded prior to the start. An internal honest-gut-check assessment is recommended. Preferably an outside consultant with a fresh pair of eyes does this. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, third party customer, vendor and employee surveys should be conducted. Other items to secure at the onset include:

o A commitment on the part of executive management and ownership

o Resolution of all crises and life threatening issues

o Ownership and board support

o A commitment of necessary resources

o A willingness to think outside the box and to look at new approaches to performing and evaluating the "business"

o A basic understanding of scenario planning

The key resources required for planning include staff time, executive management time and finances (e.g., market research, consultants, etc.).

Staffing demands include:

o Collecting and analyzing data

o Scenario planning

o Engaging key stakeholders

o Gathering historical financial information, projecting future budgets and cash flow projections

o Analyzing options and consequences for potential organizational and program strategies

o End game analysis

Project Management

Project management becomes critical to the strategic planning process. Execution is the key to success. People have different expectations when they hear the word "planning."

Everyone must understand and share the same set of expectations. It is very helpful if one or two key staff members are skilled in project management.

A team leader will facilitate the development of a work plan which is an outline of the steps and activities that will take place during the planning process. The plan specifies the tasks, outcomes and resources to be expended, as well as the people responsible for each phase of the process.

How do you get started?

1st Priority:

If you have determined your readiness factors through assessment and you have performed the necessary preparatory research, then you are ready to launch the process. The following items should become your first priority.

o Create a Planning Committee

o Assign a team leader

o Identify specific ongoing initiatives

o Clarify roles (who does what in the process)

o Identify any additional research or outside resources necessary to assist you during the process

2nd Priority:

The second priority is to create the end game vision with clarification from ownership and the executive staff. The core strategy statement is an introductory paragraph that clearly defines the end game in understandable and measurable terms; it lets the reader know where the company intends to go. The end game must communicate the essence of the organization. Articulating the end game indicates your focus and purposefulness. The end game and its clarifying core strategy statement should contain:

o Purpose - why the organization exists and what it seeks to accomplish

o Business - the main method or activity through which the organization tries to fulfill this purpose

o Values - the principles or beliefs that guide an organization's members as they pursue the organization's purpose

o Specific-long term financial objectives

The core strategy statement summarizes the what, why and how much of an organization's objectives. It presents an image of the character, the culture and the core values of the organization.

3rd Priority:

The third priority entails performing the S.W.O.T. analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). A S.W.O.T. analysis means obtaining current information about the organization's strengths, weaknesses and performance information that will highlight the critical issues that the organization faces. These become key issues the strategic plan must address. These could include a variety of primary concerns, such as funding issues, new program opportunities, changing regulations or changing needs in the client population, and so on. The point is to choose the most important issues to address. Critical constraints should naturally emerge from this process. Identifying critical constraints is the primary reason for doing a SWOT analysis.

4th Priority:

The fourth priority is to begin to develop departmental initiatives required to support the end game.

Strategies, goals and objectives may come from individual inspiration, group discussion, formal decision-making techniques and so on - but the bottom line is that leadership agrees on how to address the critical issues.

This can turn into a negotiating process and eat up considerable time and flexibility. It is possible that new insights will emerge which change the thrust of the end game. It is important that planners are not afraid to go back to an earlier step in the process and take advantage of available information to create the best possible plan.

"Changing the end game is not a crime."

5th Priority:

The fifth priority and conclusion to this explanation of the process is producing the completed, documented plan. The end game has been articulated, the issues identified and the goals and strategies agreed upon. This step essentially involves putting all that down on paper. A planning consultant can be used to draft the final document and submit it for review to all key decision makers (usually the board, CEO and ownership). This is now the beginning of the process of developing individual departmental business plans congruent to, and supportive of, the strategic plan. These business plans should include departmental budgets.

Conclusion

Strategic planning involves looking at a longer time horizon, identifying future trends and developing action plans based on the highest probabilities. A good strategic planning process will enable a business to anticipate changing trends and implement actions that will enable them to gain or maintain competitive advantage. Add scenario planning and they can be ready for just about any consequence the market may throw their way.

Developing a well thought out strategy that involves much of the entire organization provides the "Footprints to Success." It is now up to the executive team to lead the organization along the path these footprints follow.