Waking Up to a New Day at Infor

Infor, the third-largest provider of business application software with 70,000 customers and annual revenues estimated at nearly $2 billion (USD), is reinventing itself under the direction of new chief executive officer (CEO) Charles Phillips, who joined the company from Oracle in October 2010. Observers agree that Phillips has his work cut out to build a strong challenger to giants SAP and Oracle, given Infor's checkered past. But observers also agree that if anyone can transform Infor, it's Phillips, whose track record at Oracle was stellar.

A Look at the Beginning
Founded in 2002, Infor has developed a reputation over the years as the "place where ERP systems go to retire," as a result of dozens of hit-and-miss acquisitions. Despite its reputation, Infor actually started out as a neatly run company. Infor was frugal, paying less than two times revenue for acquisitions. It also added significant maintenance revenue streams and aggressively controlled its costs. As a result, the company enjoyed a strong cash flow and ability to pay down whatever debt it had.

However, Infor's disciplined approach began to go off track with the acquisitions of MAPICS (2005), GEAC (2006), SSA Global (2006), andWorkbrain (2007), which generally came with higher price tags but also brought a host of product quality issues, questionable management practices, and cultural challenges.

For example, SSA Global may have doubled Infor's size but it caused major heartburn and indigestion. The overall fit of the two companies was hampered by SSA's legacy management issues and certain practices that alienated customers, including those on IBM System i. In addition, the performance-draining practices that ensued among Infor and SSA exacerbated the situation. For instance, product teams got into turf wars, and the overall company goal seemed to be to subordinate growth and innovation, stop enhancing many products, and squeeze maintenance revenues from the increasingly agitated customer base.

Continued Transition and Confusion
In the late 2000s, customers were not pleased to be "nickeled and dimed" for hardly any new differentiating functionality from Infor, and neither were partners, who may have received much better treatment from the previously independent companies.

Next, the pressures of the 2008 recession led to numerous restructurings at Infor, with both quiet and not-so-quiet management departures. When cost containment and headcount cuts followed, product development inevitably suffered, and many industry observers doubted that the company could ever recover, especially without a focus on product innovation.

Infor's management attempted to achieve a breakthrough with a distinct value proposition, but it was without lasting effects. Even a marketing campaign touting how Infor was not like the "Big ERP" guys fell flat.

Meanwhile, product direction meandered. At first, Infor's ambitious Open SOA platform strategy was to do everything itself based on open standards, but that strategy was soon abandoned because it consumed too much time and financial resources. Then in 2009-10, Infor modified its platform strategy and declared Microsoft technologies as the preferred (which has since changed again). Of course, each failed attempt or abandoned initiative led to another wave of departures and more muddling through.

The Arrival of Charles Phillips
In late 2010, Infor CEO Jim Schaper found a successor who seemed fit for Infor's next phase. Indeed, former Oracle president Charles Phillips had orchestrated and overseen Oracle's growth from about $10 billion in the mid-2000s to more than $35 billion today. Phillips was at the center of blockbuster acquisitions, such as PeopleSoft, Siebel Systems, Sun Microsystems,BEA Systems, and Retek. He was also at the center of the Oracle Fusion Applications (OFA) convergence strategy and has probably seen what works and what doesn't in that major (and still ongoing) feat at the software giant.

With him, Phillips brought along other Oracle seasoned executives, most notably Duncan Angove, current president of Infor. At Oracle, Angove set up and ran full profit-and-loss operations for Oracle Retail, Oracle's first industry global business unit. Oracle Retail became the largest and number one provider of software to the retail industry (read more).

In addition, Pam Murphy, now corporate senior vice president (VP) of operations, has an extensive background in field sales and consulting operations. During her 11-year tenure at Oracle, she was responsible for a variety of operational and financial functions. Murphy has deep operational experience in global organizations and has worked in Europe and America in a variety of roles. Prior to Oracle, Murphy worked at Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen.

Stephan Scholl, now executive VP of global field operations, runs Infor sales, consulting, alliances, and channels globally. Scholl was general manager of the Utilities Global Business Unit at Oracle where he was responsible for sales, development, and marketing for the vertical. He was instrumental in generating significant growth for Oracle and a leader of the company's successful Green Strategy. Prior to that, Stephan ran Oracle's North American consulting group, the company's largest organization. Before Oracle, Scholl was in consulting and sales management roles at PeopleSoft.

In the spirit of innovation, Infor announced in November 2011 a relocation of its headquarters to New York City, now planned to open in the autumn of 2012. The new office will feature an Innovation Center where software engineers and graphic designers will focus on building out Infor10's intuitive graphical user interface (GUI), and lead the integration of social applications into the enterprise.

This move reflects a big shift in development strategy and even political power within Infor, which can only be a good thing. By tapping into the New York City creative mindset and potentially the financial community, Phillips can use the new Innovation Center to help drive Infor10 to become a leading-edge solution.

Infor's newly espoused strategy outlines a product-driven company with services for a complete application, containing localization, analytics, integration, industry-specific content, social media, and mobility. To back up that strategy, the company is making significant investments in product development, with more than 500 software engineers added in 2011 and announced plans to hire an additional 75 developers in its New York Innovation Center.

In 2011, Infor reportedly shipped 69 new products (e.g., Infor10 Sales and Operations Planning), 1,904 new features, and 2,001 customer enhancement requests-an increase of more than 70 percent from the previous year. Infor10 Financials Business (SunSystems), the company's global financial management system (FMS) saw a major new release in 2011, and was reviewed in Business Intelligence software solutions.

Blueprint for the Future: Infor10
Over the course of its history, Infor has acquired more than 40 companies, with more or less strategic importance. The company's latest strategy includes a common UI, analytics, reporting, workflow, event management, master data management(MDM), localizations, mobility, and packaged integration for all of its applications. Rather than having each product line development team work on these functions, a dedicated central team attending to all Infor applications works on each of these functions. The objective is to enable software from multiple acquisitions to function like one big application as much as possible.

To that end, in the fall of 2011, Infor unveiled Infor10, its next-generation enterprise software, which offers an enhanced user experience and industry-specific functionality. As indicated earlier, on the front end, Infor10 Workspace, which incorporates Microsoft SharePoint, provides customers with a single sign-on, common navigation, and common look and feel across multiple applications. Infor10 Workspace is designed to deliver a consumer-like user experience and change the way the average enterprise user has traditionally done his or her work. The UI unifies and presents all relevant information for each user on one screen, including role-based workflows, task and alerts, in-context business intelligence (BI), event management, social media collaboration, consumer-like search capabilities, and business activity streams.

ION: The Infor10 Workhorse
The Infor10 ION Suite is at the heart of Infor10. As a lightweight middleware technology, ION connects and integrates Infor and non-Infor applications, storing information in a common format and repository called Business Vault. ION allows information that flows among applications, analytics, and social media streams to be accessed by users from their desktops, laptops, or mobile devices.

ION software provides middleware (and open-source enterprise service bus [ESB]) for cross-application integration, workflow automation, machine-to-machine business process management (BPM), and shared data reporting. The tool thus enables new and existing Infor and non-Infor applications to work as a holistic solution, helping to create streamlined workflows and end-to-end business processes, while considering system performance speed and upgrades. It uses standard XML business document for data transfer.

ION Suite is a new generation of business middleware that is lighter weight, less technically demanding to implement, and built on open standards. It is designed to meet the needs of the business, and the needs of the chief information officer (CIO) in containing information technology (IT) costs. But there's more to ION Suite than just easy-to-use connectivity. With ION Suite, businesses get common reporting and analysis, workflow, and business monitoring with one, consistent architecture. In addition, ION Suite uses event-driven architecture (EDA), so it proactively pushes data, work activities, and exception notifications to users. Users don't need to go to the system to get the information they need-ION Suite makes sure the information comes straight to them.

What it Does
ION Suite includes the following four services that are easy to install and configure:

1. ION Connect-Allows applications to operate together easily, enabling the seamless execution of business processes, and allowing for quickly bringing new partners and customers onboard, as well as reusing business functionality to realize a quick return on investment (ROI).
o Easy setup. Infor applications operate with a standard business language so ION Suite setup is easy. Businesses don't need to do any translation or mapping-two of the biggest integration challenges.
o Easy operations. For those companies running a portion of their business in the cloud, ION Suite can exchange data working in a hybrid model. Companies don't need a second, separate integration stack to maintain this hybrid environment.
o Easy connections. ION Suite includes a library of "connectors" to integrate to third-party applications, so businesses can quickly integrate non-Infor apps into their system.

2. ION Business Vault-A single, optimized, unbreakable business repository where ION Suite stores enterprise data. This unifying source for all the data that flows through ION Suite makes it a robust platform for reporting, BI, and analytics.
o Up-to-date data. The Business Vault uses an event-driven model for synchronization, so that data is synchronized as soon as a transaction occurs in the originating system.
o Easier search. Enterprise search is easier, as data resides in one place-so there's no need for a business to index their transactional systems.
o Better reporting. The Business Vault features a master data reference for better reporting and integrations scenarios.

3. ION Event Management-Allows users to monitor the status of tasks in relation to promised completion or established service level agreements (SLAs), and automatically receive alerts about exceptions and potential non-compliance.
o Make the rules. ION Event Management detects exceptions based on business rules that users define. Notifications and alerts can be triggered by Event Management and directed to the appropriate users with ION Workflow. Also, ION can detect exceptions within a single source system.
o Detect non-events. Event Management can also detect non-events-things that should have happened, but didn't-for example, a shipment to an important customer that missed its due date or time. Sales or Operations Management can be immediately alerted, so they can address the business issue.
o Provide better service. Event Management can also be used to monitor SLAs, so businesses can meet their performance levels and maintain good customer service.

4. ION Workflow-Allows for directing work activities, events, and business documents to any user so that business processes can be executed quickly and accurately.
o Create quickly. Workflow modeling is graphical and based on Business Process Management Notation (BPMN 2.0) standard. This makes it easy to create even complex workflows, and know that they'll work across applications.
o Automate approvals. Allows for creation of simple to more sophisticated workflows to automate document routing and approvals across departments and office locations worldwide.
o Manage centrally. All tasks and alerts generated by Event Management and Workflow are managed through the Tasklist, which features an Activity Stream-based UI. And because ION Tasklist can run stand-alone or in a portal, users can work the way they want to work. Infor will be adding support for mobile and tablet devices at a later time to enhance flexibility.

The Infor10 release also provides flexible deployment options, including the Infor10 CloudSuite platform (formerly Infor24), to increase business speed and agility. Customers can run their entire solution on Infor10 CloudSuite or can keep core enterprise systems on premises, while running other applications or services in the cloud. The Infor10 CloudSuite platform features a unified user experience and security, and enables two-tiered, hybrid cloud and on-premises deployments. Whether customers access functionality from a software-as-a-service (SaaS; cloud) model or on-premises deployment, they should get the same functionality and look and feel. The only difference is in how users connect to core applications. Customers can even move from one deployment model to another, as the same application code is used for all deployment models.

The Infor10 Motion Platform
For the cloud and mobility, Infor recently launched Infor10 Motion applications to provide fast and reliable connections to back-office systems, regardless of location, through smartphones and tablets, such as the Apple iPhone and iPad. The idea is to accelerate productivity and help users work smarter and faster. Infor10 Motion is built with a loosely coupled architecture on the Infor10 ION framework, meaning that Infor10 Motion applications can plug into different back-office systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), expense management, and supply chain management(SCM).

Unlike the tightly packaged solutions on the market today, which often require customers to buy more products in the hopes of extending solutions, Infor10 Motion provides native rich applications that leverage the data that already exists in enterprise deployments. Security is built into Infor10 Motion to help address the threat of theft and data loss, allowing customers to retain control over critical business data.

Infor10 Motion applications take into account differences between devices, such as tablets versus smartphones. Because it is core product independent, Infor10 Motion is able to adopt a consistent user experience across back-office applications. Infor10 Motion applications are further differentiated by being "app aware," which means that they enhance the user experience by detecting when another app on the device could provide additional functionality, including consumer apps that would work in the context of the enterprise. An example of this is the Infor10 Road Warrior app, which incorporates Skype and FaceTime within a customer's contact record so salespeople can more seamlessly access consumer collaboration tools.

Infor10 Motion is cloud based, and the Infor10 Motion App Manager (IMAM) provides a single location for companies to deploy Infor10 Motion applications quickly within their existing IT infrastructure. In contrast, many other mobile platforms require an add-on solution to centralize the effort of multiple deployments. Once a company has gained access to IMAM, it is ready to begin using Infor10 Motion applications. IMAM also allows managers to determine which users have access to specific information and to be able to change those settings at any point.

Infor has immediately made available two applications-one is Infor10 Road Warrior, a mobile CRM application with embedded BI. Infor10 Road Warrior empowers sales productivity by sending mobile alerts, approvals, and tasks-allowing users to make decisions faster and turn what was previously considered downtime into a tool to outpace the competition. This connectivity is coupled with embedded BI to provide an overview of data-heavy screens, helping users make sense of data more rapidly, highlight problems at a glance, and compare current and historical order volume-reducing the amount of time spent searching for information (including voice recognition).

The other application is Infor10 ION ActivityDeck, which helps solve critical problems that arise when users are on the road and have no visibility into pressing issues going on in the office. ION ActivityDeck provides users with the ability to remain connected to the back office so they are able to respond to important tasks, receive real-time alerts, and approve pending requests-keeping the business in motion. Similar in function to Twitter, ION ActivityDeck provides the ability to define filters based on almost anything, helping users address questions before they become issues.

Infor10 Road Warrior and Infor10 ION ActivityDeck are available for secure installation through the Apple iTunes Store. Additional Infor10 Motion applications are expected this year and will serve a variety of critical office functions, such as creating orders or quotes, approving expense reports, and reviewing key business metrics from anywhere.

The Infor10 Motion mobility platform, which is based on Java and some open-source tools, could be used by even Infor's ancient ERP solutions, as those apps are already available in the cloud. In contrast, the Infor10 Workspace UI cannot be deployed until the old ERP system is Web enabled. Workspace is a shell, aiming to unite Infor's multiple products into a solution using their existing UI. Motion is about creating consistent UIs that draw from style and technology for a consistent (solution) approach. For more intricate mobility tasks in the field service and asset intensive industries, Infor has established relationships with Blue Dotand ClickSoftware.

It's About Industry Focus, After All
ION software also makes it possible to connect the rich functionality of leading ERP and best-of-breed solutions from Infor and affiliate Lawson Software for specific industries. Infor10 suites are targeted for aerospace and defense; automotive; chemicals and life sciences; distribution; equipment; fashion; food and beverage; health care; high tech; hospitality; industrial manufacturing; and the public sector.

Infor10 is nothing like a converged (single-code) uber-suite of applications, as seen with OFA or Epicor 9. Namely, all major Infor ERP products remain on their tracks and codes, and are just rebranded, e.g., Infor ERP LN is now Infor10 ERP Enterprise,SyteLine is Infor10 ERP Business, VISUAL is Infor10 ERP Express, Adage is Infor10 ERP Process Business, and so on and so forth. As LN, VISUAL, SyteLine, and Adage still have large install base and development teams, and most of the heads of development or technology are from these platforms, these products have been selected as horizontal discrete or process ERP platforms, depending on the customer size. Lawson and other industry-specific ERP products in Infor's arsenal will be deployed within Infor10 industry solutions.

Through its acquisition of SSA Global in 2006, Infor acquired the PLM8 solutions for discrete manufacturing (which came from the former Baan ERP system). On the process manufacturing side, Infor acquired Formation Systems in 2005, which became the company's Optiva PLM process solution set. Today, within Infor10, both discrete and process product lifecycle management(PLM) solutions have become Infor10 PLM Discrete and Infor10 PLM Process, respectively. Via acquisitions of former Geacand Lawson, Infor also gained fashion and apparel PLM solutions (a future TEC article will zoom in on all of the Infor PLM products). The Infor10 enterprise suite also includes industry-specific enterprise asset management (EAM) solutions (from former Datastream) and SCM solutions (from multiple acquisitions).

With Infor10 as the strategy, all these products on diverse technologies will be able to leverage ION, CloudSuite apps (as they become available), and Workspace for new user experience. Workspace has also borrowed some enhancements from Lawson Smart Office (i.e., mashups), and it looks modern, with all the social (Infor10 ION Pulse is a Tweetdeck-like application for alerts and feeds), mobile, open (in terms of interconnectivity) themes, etc. Companies need to be on the latest two versions of Infor ERP and/or EAM products to be eligible for free downloads and for Infor10 compatibility. Companies with older product instances can get these pieces for a fee, as well as their maintenance contracts reinstated.

Stellar 2011 Results
After the first full year with new strategy and management team and major investments in industry-specific business applications, Infor was able to report accelerated growth in licenses, subscriptions, support, margins, innovation, and customers. In early January 2012, Infor reported 17 percent license growth for the 12 months ended November 2011. The company also reported 16 percent organic license growth for its second fiscal quarter, which ended November 2011. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margins improved to 27 percent, and new customer additions and support subscriptions accelerated. Growth in Infor's core ERP business in the second fiscal quarter was up 25 percent over the previous year.

Infor (including Lawson, especially in its health care stronghold) added more than 2,500 new customers in 2011 and expanded its relationship with more than 12,000 existing customers. Infor also saw growth in support and consulting, with more than 500 customers re-engaged with Infor for support. New or existing customers that made significant investments in Infor products in 2011 include Ferrari, BAE Systems Military Air and Information, Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc., Grief, and Liberty Mutual.

The EAM business continues to grow at a healthy rate, as many of the aforementioned large customers are still rolling out additional plants. Many legacy ERP customers on System i are continuing to add (implement) modules or roll out implementations to other plants. PLM was another product line with stellar growth in 2011. A great portion of new sales came via the reinvigorated channel, Infor Partner Network (IPN), which saw many new deals for SyteLine, SunSystems, and VISUAL. Infor ERP LN continues to lead in terms of existing install base and also does well with new license revenues, albeit outside the United States (where negative sentiments dating back to 15 years ago [and former Baan Company's wrongdoings] still linger).

Getting Cozy with salesforce.com
While Microsoft and IBM remain solid technology partners for obvious reasons, in 2011 Infor partnered with salesforce.com, a leader in enterprise cloud computing, to offer three new Inforce applications. These Force.com-based solutions by Infor bring the power of the back office to the front office, and throughout the social enterprise-to help customers collaborate and drive growth. In addition, salesforce.com made a multi-million dollar investment in Infor as part of the agreement (and Infor's endorsement of Force.com).

The three new Infor-salesforce apps, dubbed Inforce apps, have a strong focus on collaboration. The first one, Inforce Everywhere, brings ERP data into Salesforce solutions and offers a 360-view of invoice, contacts, quotes, shipments receivables, orders, and return merchandise authorizations (RMAs). The application offers
• a way for salesforce.com users to view orders from Infor ERP applications,
• access to customer information and transactions from the Salesforce Sales Cloud and Service Cloud,
• connection to ION, Infor's standard integration platform, and
• integration to Salesforce Chatter to make data more social.

Inforce Everywhere also gives Infor's current 600 channel partners the ability to resell bundled Salesforce CRM products. Meanwhile, Inforce Order Management will offer a comprehensive quote, order, and proposal management application built on Force.com, and will integrate with Salesforce CRM to give Sales Cloud and Service Cloud users a view of pricing and availability. Finally, Inforce Marketing will leverage the Infor10 CRM Enterprise (Epiphany) recommendation engine for global marketing automation technology that includes inbound and outbound campaign management and lead maturation.

Given that Epiphany is a CRM solution for large customers, Infor now has a plausible CRM solution strategy for small to medium businesses (SMBs)-i.e., start with an outstanding, proven, well-respected CRM solution for SMBs and develop functionality and integration for Infor customers. This should make Infor more competitive in new deals, while filling a big functional gap would eliminate the need to replace an existing Infor ERP system. This partnership is badly needed by both Infor and salesforce.com in their fight against SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft.

As in the case for Infor10 Motion apps, many more applications on Force.com are on the horizon. For example, Inforce Marketing will be a new application designed to offer optional integration to Epiphany for inbound marketing execution for those customers for whom it makes sense and for those who desire that level of advanced marketing. As the Inforce solutions will be inherently cloud based, they will ultimately be part of Infor10 CloudSuite.

Looking Behind the Numbers
In conclusion, it is difficult to dispute Phillips' statement:
As we look to the future, 2012 will be just as exciting for Infor. We have a strong, motivated team, a market looking for new alternatives, and a customer-centric strategy that is working well and generating growth.

In the past, Infor's strategy appeared to focus on managing the acquisitions as "cash cows" for profitable service and maintenance revenues, with only the necessary investments in product development. Now, with new management and a product strategy that includes several common utilities that allow the multiple acquisitions to function as a more coherent solution, Infor has become vibrant. In addition, its applications focus on specific vertical industry solutions with services and support.
Without trying to rain on Infor's parade, we might want to note here that, during their best days, combined "Old" Infor, SSA Global, and Lawson Software revenues were much larger than current "New" Infor's revenues, which still indicates a loss of market share to SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics. Also, maintenance and services still remain the biggest revenue sources, but growth for new licenses is nonetheless encouraging and refreshing.

If SAP is moving to in-memory databases (SAP HANA), analytics (BusinessObjects), and mobility (Sybase), Microsoft Dynamics leverages its parent's ubiquitous technology, and Oracle is a one-stop-shop from hardware to applications, what then is Infor known for? Even though Infor's new strategy is indisputably better than the old one, is it a game changer?

Well, Infor is talking industry-specific software that is deeper and yet cheaper to roll out. By focusing on standards-based integration, ION is easier and cheaper than Oracle Fusion Middleware (OFM) or SAP NetWeaver. At a large enterprise, SAP or Oracle might still win out the new deals owing to their brand recognition, but at a SMB prospect or existing Infor customer, Infor has a good shot owing to deep industry-specific solutions that are easy to demo and implement and/or not that easy to replace with another solution. The Syteline, LN, LX, SX.e, Adage, as well as Lawson S3 and M3 ERP solutions have vertical depth or the ability to have division-specific configurations that roll up into a corporate umbrella. SAP still struggles with this requirement, while Oracle is not universally focused on manufacturing industries.

As the cost of migration is high, few companies that buy into ERP system standardization companywide will achieve an ROI with SAP or Oracle. In fact, some of the biggest SAP shops may use SAP financials centrally, but plants or divisions still run on Infor ERP. SAP HANA is a cool concept, but at this stage it is unclear as to how many enterprises, especially midsized ones, really need HANA. Infor can counter with deeper functions such as in Infor10 Advanced Planning and Infor10 Advanced Schedulingfor process industries.

Trust but Verify
While, in general, the Infor10 "upgrade, integrate, and sell more modules" strategy is sound and compelling, the "trust but verify" attitude is needed when treating ION as some universal integration and messaging panacea. In one press release, Soma Somasundaram, Infor's head of global product development said:
We say ION is unbreakable architecture because extensions don't break during upgrades.

Well, the question is: Does ION work out of the box for most Infor products and most customers? (An estimated 60-70 percent of current Infor ERP users are on obsolete or unsupported releases.) If it does work for a particular advanced Infor ERP product (say, LN or SyteLine), will it allow it to integrate with all of Infor's products (let alone to non-Infor legacy products)? If ION still requires users to configure each solution set and support multiple underlying infrastructures (Oracle, Microsoft Windows, IBM System i, Progress OpenEdge, even the arcane Ingress OpenRoad), one should be a bit more cautious about using strong sounding words such as "unbreakable."

We have repeatedly heard of how hard it is to integrate ERP systems with other enterprise solutions. With service-oriented architecture (SOA), we really started to see the issues come up with MDM, SOA governance (transaction integrity), and overlapping or conflicting application rules. For example, inventory allocations in ERP, warehouse management system (WMS), and SCM typically have different logic, and one has to use the least common denominator approach (i.e., with the lowest overlap). Namely, to deal with likely application conflicts in the industry packs in the following case of allocations:
• Infor10 Advanced Planning does inventory cost-based and some key attribute-based optimization as soft allocations across all orders and lots.
• Infor10 Advanced Scheduling does soft allocations to optimized throughput (by schedule conflict) as soft allocations.
• Infor10 ERP Process Business (Adage) does hard allocations by First In, First Out (FIFO) to the sub-lot level (this does not change-no matter what the other apps do).
• Infor10 Supply Chain Execution offers the following:
o Transportation management and warehouse management combined into a single solution on a single database
o Powerful tools to help you achieve advanced supply chain collaboration
o Built-in best-practice management to improve supply chain performance

Not only does each system have some overlapping features, but also their logic is not consistent. How can one turn on/off features as required? For some companies, Advanced Planning is the best place for allocations, while for others it's Adage, etc. As a response, Infor says that Infor10 Workspace is aware of all of the applications that are installed and operational. The system can be used to prevent users from running overlapping planning applications (or any other kind of overlapping application). This is really no different than what Infor does today when a customer decides to run an advanced planning and scheduling (APS) application instead of the built-in planning function of the ERP Software system - except that this has now become built-in capability rather than an implementation decision.

4 Common Errors - That Can Affect Your Event Registration Process

Being a good event planner, you will never want to frustrate your prospective attendees or registrants with an intricate and inconvenient registration process. If you are opting for online forms to register for your event, you as well as your potential attendees, are in the advantageous position, as your entire process gets simplified, saving time. But there can be some common mistakes or errors that can have a vivid influence on both the registration process and the event success.

Below mentioned are 4 common mistakes committed by an event planner, which might bother the event attendees:

繚 Creating confusion using shopping cart software:

You might confuse your registrants by using customized shopping cart software, for collecting the payment. Most online shopping cart software is designed for products, with facilities of shopping carts, including shipping and handling. This software may be used for the event registration, but it may not serve as the most specialized solution and can make your event participant frustrated while registering, as they might get confused with the payment process.

繚 Overlooking the inclusion relevant information:

Online forms for registering are customized self serving process and are well designed, where the user can add up information, as required. But sometimes there may be mistakes like overlooking or missing out the important information. If the concerned attendee fails to find any relevant contact number or information related to the event, they may become frustrated. They might have to click back for searching contact number or address and this might result in losing data that they have entered, making the participant unhappy.

繚 Making unnecessary information mandatory:

The compulsory fields will be helpful for you in completing the registration forms. But making your participants fill up the information that are not relevant and related to the event, may bother your attendees, especially if the information is personal in nature. Thus, people will ultimately enter vague or incorrect information.

Authenticating or validating is where the registrant has to enter codes, phone numbers or other related data in a definite format. But if you are overlooking or not thinking about all the probable combinations like country codes, extensions, postal codes of other countries, you can irritate your attendees.

繚 Forcing to create account before registering:

The entire idea must be to make things easier, and not to force your attendees to create account and enter password, before registering. No attendee will wish to remember yet another password for sake of just entering information and submitting the forms.

These are some of the common mistakes committed, while dealing with the event registration process. Avoid the mistakes and execute the process smoothly.

Choosing The Right Entertainment for a Memorable Event

No matter what the occasion, choosing the right entertainment can turn a good evening into a truly memorable event. Despite a glamorous location or delicious food it is usually the entertainment that guests remember. You may choose to organise everything yourself with the help of a party hire company or you can hire an event organiser to handle the details for you. There are many different types of entertainment to choose from, so it is important to pick the right entertainment to suit the type of event.

Weddings

The type of entertainment that is appropriate for a wedding depends on the wedding itself. With couples choosing between formal and more traditional weddings, to holding their ceremony and reception at the beach or in a garden, the atmosphere of their wedding is largely determined by the location. Once a couple has decided where the wedding is to be held all other decisions are generally influenced by this choice. A couple might also have more than one set of entertainment, as they may have musicians at the ceremony as well as at the reception. A more formal day could involve having a string quartet at the church and then a jazz band at the reception. Depending on a couple's budget they may have a soloist at the ceremony and a DJ later on. For a couple to choose entertainment that their guests will remember they should match the type of musicians to suit the style of wedding.

Corporate Events

A corporate event can range from a lunchtime picnic to a formal black tie evening. Not only will the style of event influence the choice of entertainment but also the guests themselves. A formal evening with important clients might not be the place for dancers in skimpy outfits, nor would you choose an evening of classical music for the Christmas party of the teenage staff of a fast food outlet. Entertainers at corporate events don't have to just include musicians. A whole range of entertainment can be hired to impress your guests, from magicians, dancers, ice sculptors, comedians and even acrobats. Find something that will stand out and make the event stand out in your guest's memories. If they don't forget your event they won't forget your company either, and that makes for a successful evening.

Parties and more

Choosing entertainment that is original can be a challenge but the key is to pick something to suit your audience as well as something that will stand out. Fund raisers could have anything, depending on the venue, whether you hired a band, an animal farm or a celebrity MC. After a run of attending friend's twenty-first birthday parties the DJ's may be wearing a little thin, so why not try something like a bush dance or hire a karaoke machine. A clown at a children's party is fairly standard, as is hiring a fairy entertainer for a little girl's birthday, so how about getting the snake handler? The children certainly won't forget that one.

You're Hosting a Corporate Dinner - What Will You Need?

A corporate dinner can be an occasion to mark any number of things. It can be used to solidify relationships between clients and your company, introduce you to new clients or be introduced to new movements in your particular industry. What doesn't change is that it takes an awful lot of money and time to put on a successful event. Successful planning is the key to a memorable night. Hold a brainstorming session early on in the planning stages, thinking about what you'll need and what you want out of the night. Here are a few things to remember when planning your corporate event.

Theme your event. This can be uncomfortable if to forced, so keep it light on the theme, have a general idea behind the event, not a strictly-enforced dress code. Your clients and staff will not want to turn up to a corporate function dressed as a fairy, no matter how much you might want them to.

Mixing business and pleasure. Your event is for the enjoyment of your guests, don't make it a dry affair with constant business talk. Have some fun elements to your function.

Food and beverages. This is the reason most people stay at events as long as they do. Have this sorted out by professionals. See if the venue can sort it out for you or if they can recommend a good company to use.

Food. Planning food carefully can save time and money. Using set menus will eliminate the risk of running out of food like a buffet may.

Beverages. You should decide early on what kind of beverages will be served at your event. Alcoholic or not? What percentage. Consider if there will be children or young people at the function.

Audio visual production. What really makes an event is the entertainment you can offer your guests and that is all channelled through a good audio-visual system. Here's a few things to consider: PA. This is the bare bones of any audio visual set-up. If your event involves awards, speeches or (heaven forbid) karaoke, you will need a PA. This is simply a set of speakers with an amplifier and mixer. Microphones can be run through the PA along with background music and soundtracks to visual components of your night.

Projectors. If your event has a visual element to it, the best choice to go for is a roof-mounted projector. This can be synced up to your PA system and will provide high-quality pictures projected onto a large area.

Lights. Nothing sets a mood better than a good lighting set up. Consider the theme of your event and try to organise a light setup that matches it. Remember that people want to eat their meals without lasers flying about, so be sure you have the lighting for the evening planned out.

Corporate events are an fantastic way to grow your company's profile and put the message out there to existing and potential clients that your company is the best at what you do. They are cost-effective ways to impress, entertain and introduce, and it pays to invest the right thinking into planning.

How Can You Arrange a Meeting at a Very Short Notice?

Well, many a times, you might face the situation when you need to organize a meeting within an extremely short time. For example, you just can't help it when your boss calls up on a Friday and tells you to fix a meeting on Monday! To worsen your condition, you find the guests' list really long, consisting at least of a hundred or more invitees.

I know how difficult it is to arrange a meeting at such a short notice. You have to quickly send invitations to all your guests, requesting them to attend the event. In case, your boss wants you to host a public event, for example a fundraising concert where anyone and everyone can participate, you have to promote the same in various ways to sell all your tickets and gain higher attendance.

However, you can always come out of this situation in a triumphant way, if you resort to an online solution. These web-based solutions will help you meet all your needs in a beautiful manner. Online solutions have gained tremendous popularity because of the following reasons.

Easy Registration

Online event management solution does wonder in beautifully managing both private as well as public events. Especially, public events can be organized in a very successful way using an online event management solution. All the year round, different small and large organizations keep on hosting fundraisers to support a cause. In case you happen to own an organization or are working for a nonprofit, you can get hold of a web-based event management service to raise money through easy registration and payment transferring facilities. You can collect money on any day from any person residing at any location of the world once you start using the Cloud-based registration and management solutions.

Collect Money Easily

One of the prime reasons for organizing these fundraising concerts is to collect as much funds as possible. Online fundraising tools help you raise lump sum amount at no extra cost! Your donors can easily pay through a simplified process of submitting donations and pledges. You can seamlessly handle your donor database through an online member management application. Moreover, many online solutions come with a private community management system that allows you to share fundraising information and interact with persons by setting up a secured private community only for the members.

Provides Powerful Communication and Marketing Tools

Online event management solutions also offer communication tools in the form of emails, invitations, and RSVPs. You can send invitations to your target audience asking them to be present on the event day. You can use the marketing module to offer special discounts, promo codes, and gift cards to visitors who wish to attend your occasion.

How to Start a Travel Agency Business

There are a lot of people who love to travel and who love making business out of it. For this reason, they study ways on how to start a travel business ranging from the requirements to the basics of the business. If you are that kind of person, then you should consider the following tips to help you start your own travel business. But before I go into the details of starting a travel agency business, I want to emphatically state that the information provided in this article does not in any way replace the need for you to conduct a feasibility study, write a business plan and do your own due diligence. Secondly, the information shared in this article is applicable to any locality; be it USA, Canada, UK, Nigeria, Ghana, etc. Without wasting your time, below are creative ways on how to start your own travel business with little or no money.

How to Start a Travel Agency Business: 4 Things to Know Before You Start

Before you move on to the business basics, you should first know what things are required in order for you to successfully start a travel business.

1. Consider the start-up costs involved
Where you decide to set up your business office will greatly have an effect on how much capital you would need to start. This is an important element to consider when starting a travel agency. Home-based travel businesses usually get by their first days with only a computer and a phone. If you prefer having an office, then you should be aware of the additional costs such as the electricity, furniture, and rent.

2. Responsibilities
One of the most essential requirements in learning how to start a travel agency is to know the extent of your responsibilities. Though the usual knowledge lies in booking of cruises, airline tickets, and hotel rooms, there are also additional services which can be rendered to clients. These include help with obtaining of passports and visas; arrangement of airport-to-hotel transportation; conducting research on different retreats for companies and groups, conferences, or business meetings; and even the participation in event planning for events like birthday parties or weddings.

3. Client Knowledge
In the business of traveling, you should know that there are two main markets you should target. The first market includes consumers and customers that travel. The second market is the business or corporate category.

4. Financial Potentials
As a travel agent, you are handling a job which is based on performance and the amount of people you successfully book for traveling. As long as you know how to handle the business well, you might possibly earn about $100,000 annually.

The Basics of Starting a Travel Agency Business

a. Make sure that you have fair knowledge of the different aspects of travel. This includes cruises, air travel, and popular vacation destinations.
b. Decide whether you want to sign up for a travel business franchise or start independently.
c. Make sure you have an office which would be able to accommodate your business and your clients well.
d. Advertise your business by creating your own website. People should be able to book over the Internet or via phone.
e. Make sure you have already opened a business bank account. This includes credit card and checking account.
f. Aside from your website, you can advertise your business through ads put up in newspapers, magazines, or through other websites online. As a final note, make sure to consider the points listed above because it will help you get your business off the ground. This would not only make you know how to run the business but should also serve as a guide to prolong and raise your business to the top.

Business Development in the Event Management Industry

Business development involves identifying new business opportunities, marketing opportunities, partnership opportunities, new markets, after sales follow up as well as generation of orders, sales and leads. The key to successful business development in event-industry is to stay abreast with the latest news in the industry and to keep a close eye on what your competitors are doing in terms of business development and marketing strategy.

In this industry, event-managers generally get business through outsourced work. This work can be an outsourced social-event, corporate-event, charitable-event etc. For e.g. if I run an organization and I wish to organize a product launch to promote my product, then I will prefer to outsource my work to an event-management-company as they are better experienced and equipped with logistics required to organize an event in the most effective and efficient manner. If event-management-activities become an integral part of a company, then it may open up an event-management-department to cut down the production and marketing cost.

Over the last two decades, the event-management-industry has grown exponentially and turned into a 500 billion dollar industry. To voice the concerns of the event-planners and help them in producing outstanding results for their clients, many event-management-associations like ISES (International Special Events Society), IFEA (International Festival and Events Association) etc are there. These associations can also be used to get businesses. Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Orkut etc can also be used for business development. Since not all events are of same size, it is possible to manage only those events which you can afford to manage both in terms of budget and manpower. Event-management is all about networking. More contacts you have, higher is your probability of getting clients.

Eight Things to Consider When Buying Reunion T-Shirts

If you're planning a reunion (or any event) for the coming year, there are a million decisions to make. One important decision is what you will provide for a keepsake item. The goal is to make the reunion a fun, relaxed, carefree time, (with high attendance and participation) enjoyed by all. Making keepsake items as meaningful and personal as possible can be a motivator for participation so it's important to give attendees something that is stylish, functional and affordable.

Custom printed reunion t-shirts and caps are popular choices for keepsakes because they are all of the above. When ordering for a large group, it's important to keep costs down while obtaining quality merchandise and planning is the key to success.

It doesn't take much imagination to think of issues that can occur when ordering custom t-shirts for a large group. Talk to any reunion planner and they will probably agree that ordering shirts for a large group can be a challenge. I'm sure that if you talked to enough planners, you would hear stories about misspelled names printed on shirts, or ones where planners didn't order enough shirts to go around. You could hear even more about planners who waited until the last minute to order, who pulled their hair out trying to find a "fast" printing service with overnight delivery.

Each group has their own way of selecting and distributing these items to members. The most important message is to plan as early as possible and look at more than one factor (not only price) in selecting shirts for your group. Here are some tips; especially if you're new to reunion planning, that might save you both money and headaches.

When looking at t-shirts, first consider your group and your budget. What does your group like, in terms of style, quality, colors, etc? How much can you afford to spend per shirt? Check catalogs and online for shirts that you think will fit your needs.

When looking at shirts, consider fabric weight, colors and sizes available, delivery charges, quantity discounts, production costs (which includes artwork costs) and the base price.

Fabric weight. The weight provides an indication of the number of ounces per yard of material. For example, you may see a 5.4 oz. 100% cotton shirt. That means that the shirt provides 5.4 ounces per yard of fabric and will be a lighter material than a shirt that's say 6.1 ounces. The 5.4 oz shirt will be a good quality, middle weight shirt that works well in hotter temperatures. The 6.1 ounce shirt is considered a premium weight shirt and will be absorbent, while holding more heat. For a cotton shirt, it's good to make sure that it's pre-shrunk so that when it's washed there is minimal shrinkage.

Colors and sizes are important in terms of price. Shirts in colors are generally more expensive than white shirts. Some shirts have mid level pricing for "heathered" colors, like heather gray, ash etc. So if you're looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality, look at purchasing white (or heathered/neutral) shirts. In many cases, shirts that are larger in size than an extra large (XL) will cost more per shirt. Tall sizes are also extra in many cases. Also not all shirt styles are available in plus and tall sizes.

If you need to provide shirts for a wide range of sizes there are some shirt lines that carry "companion" shirts for men, women and children that are available in a range from youth to plus and tall. Don't mix brands if possible, choose shirts in the same brand with a wide range of sizes to keep colors consistent. Look at the available sizes and any additional costs for sizing when choosing your shirt.

Delivery time and charges can add tremendously to the cost. Planning ahead and ordering in plenty of time makes delivery a snap. Most companies provide expedited shipment that includes overnight and 2 or 3 day delivery... for a hefty fee. The shorter the delivery time, the more you pay.

Don't assume that the minute you hit the send button on your online order, or when you hang up from your phone order, that the delivery clock starts ticking. For example, if a company says the production time is seven days, don't assume that you can order seven days before your event and have shirts in hand to distribute.

Production time is the time it takes to print the item, and it's totally separate from delivery time. Production time is in working days and does not usually include weekends, holidays and peak times when the printer has more items to print. Once the item is produced (printed), it then leaves the factory via UPS, US Mail, FedEx, etc. for delivery to your location. Depending on your location and the service you select, it could take up to an additional ten days for your packages to arrive.

Also, it may take time for the printer to make any changes needed to make your art file camera ready. Plan to order t-shirts (and other custom printed items) at least 2-3 months before the date of your event. If in doubt, ask your printer.

Quantity discounts commonly apply for larger orders. The more items you order, the more you save. This is the tricky part of ordering t-shirts for a group that most people don't think about until they are actually ready to order.

How many size adult small, medium, larges, etc do you order? How many youth small, medium and larges do you order? How many plus and tall sizes do you order? Do you estimate the quantity and sizes and hope for the best or do you survey your group to determine what they want?

A rule of thumb in ordering for a group is to plan (there's that word again) in plenty of time to obtain information for decision making. It's important to know as far ahead as possible how many people will want t-shirts, how many and what sizes for each person, including any children (teens, youth and infants) that might be participating in your event.

Sending out surveys or order forms early in the process, will give you hard numbers that make it easier to determine what is needed and allows you to take advantage of quantity discounts. It also keeps you from being left with a large number of shirts after the reunion is over or worse, not having enough for all attendees. You can order a few extras for any unplanned guests that may show up at the last minute. But at least you won't order 200 shirts and be left with 100 or vice versa.

Production costs include the base price of the item (the shirt), the cost to set up equipment, run charges and art charges.

Set up charges are the costs associated with setting up equipment to print artwork onto your shirts or other items. There is usually a set up charge associated with each color and each location in your imprint. That's because as part of the printing process, multiple colored designs have to be separated into four colors (CMYK) Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). You're charged for the resources needed to set each of those colors. This process also has to happen for each location in your imprint. In selecting a shirt, look at the set up charge for printing your items, the number of locations you want for your imprint and the number of colors in your imprint (up to four) and start adding. The cost for multiple color, multiple location imprints can add up really fast.

To save on printing production costs, you might consider having a one color imprint or reduce the colors to fewer than four. You might also consider having your imprint in one location.

Artwork can be your own design, as simple as your reunion name and date to a complex graphic design, logo, family crest or emblem. Most printing companies will have stock designs or graphic design services available, from supplying basic lettering to full service design. If you have an artistic person in your group, solicit their services or have a logo contest and select judges from your group to determine which design to use. Another option would be to hire your own graphic designer.

Artwork proofs. It's best to ask for a proof of your imprint before your artwork is finalized (if using a paid professional) and after it is received by your printer, before your shirts go into printing production. Some companies will provide proofs for free and others will charge a fee. Most firms will fax or email a proof, which shows the layout and wording used in your imprint. In my opinion proofs are worth every penny you spend for them, because you can make sure that everything is spelled correctly and arranged the way you want.

With most printing companies, it is your responsibility to make sure the artwork is correct and they won't be responsible for any misspellings or layout issues after the fact. Don't assume that they will offer a proof, but make sure to ask for one. To make sure that your imprint turns out the way you want, have several people from your group to proofread to make sure it's OK before giving the go ahead for printing the final product.

T-shirt funding. How are you going to pay for your t-shirts and other reunion keepsake items? One option is to take orders and receive payment before the reunion, in time to place your order. Upon arrival to the reunion, everyone gets the shirt (probably along with other goodies) in a nice little package with other reunion information like programs, maps, etc. This option provides the best way to determine the correct number of shirts and sizes needed, and it will allow you to take advantage of quantity discounts.

Another option is to include the shirt pricing in reunion dues for the year. Make the dues enough so that you have enough money about two or three months ahead of the reunion to order shirts. Everyone that pays the reunion fees or dues gets a shirt.

You can always use money from fundraisers held throughout the year to pay for the shirts. As a matter of fact, t-shirts, caps, videos of past reunions, cookbooks, key chains, buttons, and other items are excellent fund raising tools. They can be sold before, during or between reunions to keep cash flowing. Put nostalgic photos from the "good ole days" on items and sell them for a small fee. The key is in finding items that are low enough in price to purchase so that you will make a profit, and an attractive design that will sell.

Sometimes local businesses and even national chains will buy ad space in programs or on t-shirts in exchange for advertising. If your reunion group is large enough, it might be worth it to talk to businesses that cater to tourists. They may place an ad with your group and offset some of the cost of printing your shirts.

These are some ideas for planning and saving money on t-shirts and other custom printed items. We have a number of quality shirts and other items available online right now. Use our site, that's packed with reunion apparel and other promotional items for every need. It's never too early to start planning and ordering.

How to Get Music Festival Volunteer Jobs This Summer

There are a lot of reasons why working at a music festival is a good idea, and only one of them involves getting into the concert for free. Check out why working at a festival this summer is a great way to get ahead in your events jobs career and why it's more than worth working for free.

Summer music festivals are put on all over the globe especially between May and September. Some of the larger events include Bonnaroo, Coachella, and the Glastonbury Music Festival. The calendar is extensive.

1. Concert Event Access

Some of the best ways to find work at a music festival is through volunteering. Sure, getting paid for the hours you're at the festival is more appealing than working for free, but finding paid positions with minimal work experience can be difficult. Music festivals however, almost always need volunteers. Even though event volunteers might not get the coolest jobs like putting up the stage or helping the band, the jobs volunteers do perform are important for the success of the festival. Of course, the biggest perk of all is that by working a shift as a volunteer, you gain free access to the concert. What could be better then seeing your favorite bands for free? Although most event planning companies require volunteers to work a shift in order to see the show, for some of the bigger festivals, there is more than enough time to complete your shift and still enjoy the concert. Become a volunteer and gain free access to your favorite summer concerts!

2. Volunteer Hours

The second best reason to volunteer at a music festival is the volunteer hours. Volunteer hours look excellent on any resume and can often be the selling point behind college and graduate school applications. Volunteer hours show potential schools and employers that you're serious about working in events jobs and that you've already had valuable experience. Working as a volunteer can easily take the place of work experience on a resume and is a great place to start any events job career path.

3. Experience and Knowledge

Although we've hinted at it before, working as a volunteer provides you with valuable experience in the events job industry. When you're applying for an entry-level job consider how you will look against someone who has never volunteered for an event. As an applicant you already understand how live events work, where problems arise and have direct experience and knowledge in dealing with those problems. As someone applying for a job, having volunteer hours on your resume shows dedication, experience and knowledge in the career path you're working towards.

4. An Insider Look

If you're not sure about working in the music festival or concert industry, try volunteering first. By acting as a volunteer you will get a first hand look at what working at a music festival is like and it acts as a valuable way to test whether or not you will like working an events job. The time and experience behind volunteering at a music festival not only makes you more appealing when you apply, but gives you an insider's look at what working in the music festival industry is really like.

5. Networking

It doesn't happen all the time, but on occasion volunteers will be asked to take on a roll that involves more responsibility. This often involves working directly with events coordinators, event managers, bands, talent buyers and agents. Regardless of what happens during your time as a volunteer you will be in and around the people who are already getting paid to work in the industry. It will be your time to shine and and excellent way to build up relationships and references as a volunteer. Sometimes those references can be used to find current or future job openings. Other times, working as a volunteer is also a good way to show people in the industry how dedicated you are to doing a good job while working on an event. Networking is a valuable part of any job and meeting people who are working on a similar event, even as a volunteer, is a good place to start forging relationships.

4 Simple Planning Tips to Ensure Your Birthday Party Success

Early planning is by far the simplest most effective way to ensure your birthday party is a success. Millions of birthday parties go on all around the world everyday and it is not surprising at all that many fall down on a number of key planning tasks. It is in fact one of the most noticeable aspects of any party. Like yourself, I have attended quite a large number of birthday parties, most of which were remembered clearly as a great success and a smaller number that were unfortunately hailed as an absolute disaster. One memorable birthday party failure that I attended was of a very close friend of mine. The organizer of the event completely forgot to book a DJ for the event and so was left the day before the party frantically ringing around DJ rental companies looking for a quick fix. As you can imagine, a home CD player did not quite have the best effect and the one aspect most noticeable to the guests was the very poor planning.

To ensure your party goes off without a hitch and that it is truly enjoyed by all who attend, there are a number of high priority tasks that must organized and completed two to three months before the big day.

Delegate responsibility
Doing everything by yourself can be considerably frustrating and it can lead down the path of forgetting tasks when you have a lot on your plate. A very simple yet effective way of ensuring a task gets completed is to delegate responsibility to a number of people. If the organizing parties involved know exactly what they have to do and the time frame they have to complete it within, a party plan begins to take shape. Furthermore, people are subconsciously encouraged to complete their tasks when other people are completing their tasks. It has a simple effect of getting the ball rolling.

Establish a Theme
Establishing a birthday party theme is one of the most overlooked birthday party ideas and when done successfully it will not only ensure an enjoyable day for everyone but a very memorable occasion for all who attend. The Internet is packed full of birthday theme ideas, do your research and remember to check the theme is acknowledged by the birthday boy or girl.

Send Birthday Invitations Early
Guests are the focal point of all parties. Without the people to attend it will not matter how well everything else is planned. One primary task that should be completed early involves preparing a list of possible guests. Doing this early leaves time to add people who may have been forgotten and it generates the anticipation factor for all family members are friends. When the list has been compiled, send the party invitations to each guest on the list. Be sure to outline whose birthday party it is, the theme of the party, the location of the event, the date and time of expected arrival and a vital contact number for those who will not be able to make it. Simple guest planning can go a long way.

Birthday Supplies and Accessories
When the three tasks above have been set in motion, it is now the right time to begin organizing the aesthetics of the party, such as the birthday party supplies and accessories. Order the party DJ early, agreeing the time and date of the party. It will also be necessary to contact the DJ a week before the big day to confirm his attendance. At this stage you may provide the DJ with the genres of music that he should play, whether it be rock music or commercial pop or dance music, every person has their own tastes. Hiring a DJ for the occasion will not only ensure music is played, but in most cases these hiring companies also provide fantastic lighting that will greatly amplify the atmosphere on the big day.

Next on the list is to select and order a birthday cake. Most organizers tend to buy a birthday cake that has some form of custom personalization on the top layer. I've seen cakes with footballers, pop stars to fully fledged pictures of the birthday boy or girl. Custom cakes may take days to build, be sure to get in contact with the cake supplier or bakery early so as to avoid disappointment.

To complete the perfect setting on each table at the birthday, you may wish to buy birthday hats, streamers and balloons. People can nuts on party supplies as they are by far the cheapest elements of the party and can be picked up online from near to nothing. Adding randomly placed whoopee cushions under seat cushions is also being used to get that kick and early bit of fun for the kids, even before all of the guests arrive! Buying an electric balloon pump will save you a lot of time and hassle on the important day. Typically, the last thing you want to be doing on the day is pumping balloons, have some fun and enjoy the great build up to your birthday party.

5 Things Event Planners Need to Know Before Going Green

Sustainability is here to stay. So what information do event planner's need to know before making the commitment to 'Go Green'? Read on to find out what our top 5 suggestions are:

1. Many shades of Green

First of all, you need to understand that there are many shades of 'green'. i.e. people have different expectations of what exactly classifies as 'green'. While one client may be satisfied using recycled paper, another may demand an entire stage set built of sustainable material. Ensure that you do your research and understand what ethics and values are important to your client or key stakeholders, and ensure you are able to meet their needs.

2. People are not mind readers

If you make the decision to go green, you need to make it known! Be sure to include this fact in your event marketing. Show your stakeholders what you are doing to be more greener and how being more sustainable is of value for them! But make sure you follow it through. According to The Drum, 81% of consumers place more importance on what companies actually do rather than what they say.

3. Prices of premium green products are decreasing

A major obstacle for most companies in the past has been the extra cost associated with these green products. Well good news is, there are already some green products cheaper than the alternatives - such as branded paper products. A 2009 Mintel survey forecasts 19% growth for green products by 2013 based on this factor, making your goals to go green more affordable and attainable.

4. Be aware of the benefits

There are various benefits associated with going green. Some of these include; - Reduced environmental impact - Cost savings - Competitive advantage / promotional benefits - Stakeholder satisfaction. Bottom line - going green has economic, cost saving, environmental and social benefits.

5. Process makes perfect!

When going green it is important you establish commitment. Develop realistic guidelines / objectives (eg. all of our events for 2010 will use recycled conference bags) and communicate these promises to your staff and stakeholders.

In summary, it is a known fact that the events industry is often criticised for it's tendency to create waste. Therefore it is inevitable that the issue of sustainability is becoming more than just a trend for our industry, but rather a necessity.

It seems that green is the new black. By going green, you are not only ensuring the longevity of our planet, but also that of our profession.

How to Plan a Successful Corporate Event?

A successful corporate event is very important for your company. When it leaves a memorable experience for your guests, it can help to increase your company goodwill and branding. Therefore, it is very common to see corporations investing their money to hold annual events to help boost up their branding awareness.

So, suppose you have been chosen to organize your company's corporate event. What are some of the things that you need to do in order to plan out a successful corporate event?

The first thing that you will want to consider in the planning process is the food. Food is an integral part of any event. Often, the potential success of any event is determined by the quality of the food. You should hire a professional catering service company to help you handle this process. With the help of a catering service company, you can channel your energy and focus on other important details when planning a corporate event.

Before you set out to hire a catering service, there are a few important things that you need to take note of. You need to know exactly what the mood of your corporate event is. Is there a theme? Is your event elegant or casual? These are important information that you need to let your caterer know so that the theme of your event can be reflected in your cuisine.

You should also find out whether your caterer provides you with amenities such as tables, chairs, decorations, and linens. A quality catering service should provide all of these amenities so as to make your event as successful as possible. Another thing to note is the number of people who are attending your event. It is very common for people to not turn up on the actual day itself even though they have already registered for your event. Therefore, ask your co-worker to do an attendance check so that you will not over-order the amount of food needed.

Some points to consider when planning out your corporate event are:

1. What is your event's intention? Is it a thank you party for clients and vendors? Or are you planning to reveal a new service or product to your potential clients?

2. Set the time of your event. Often, 3 hours is appropriate for a corporate event. Then, prepare your guest list and send out invitation to them.

3. If you intend to serve alcoholic drink, you should hire a bartender.

4. Think about your menu options and discuss with your caterer. Are you preparing a buffet style or a sit down dinner for your guests? Also, consider your guests that may have special dietary needs.

With early planning, you will be able to organize a successful event for your guests to enjoy.

Methods of Presenting Ideas at a Corporate Event

Wouldn't it be wonderful to develop your own style for presentations? You can and you should. We may not all be Steve Jobs when it comes to charming a crowd but we can learn some lessons from him.

The magic of Jobs was that he created a simple style of presentation that perfectly suited him and his product. He simply took the stage and presented his product. He didn't even need to dress up!

Here's what I take from his lesson and from sitting in way too many halls listening to dull presentations:

1. Know yourself. Think about your style and your comfort level. When are you at your best? Ask those who have to listen to you when they find you the most compelling.


2. Know your company. Think about the basic mission of your organization. Jobs created a company that beautifully married the best in design with the best in technology. His "stage set" and his presence personified that.


3. Know your product or service. Be proud of what you do/make and be prepared to share that with the audience.


4. Use props only when they add. Jobs unveiled an amazing technological advance. OK, we can't all do that. But don't fall back on PowerPoint. Explore other ways of showing and sharing.


5. If you do project your presentation, make it good and professional. Where the idea that ordinary folks could create great PowerPoint presentations came from, I don't know. They can't. Treat a presentation like any other professional marketing piece. Have it designed.


6. Practice. Practice again. Get really good and speaking and telling your story first. Then practice with your props. Get help if you need it.

Now let's explore some good presentation ideas.

Start strong. Enter ready to grab attention. Carry something (relevant). Give a rousing greeting. Say something funny (only if you can pull it off). Barbara Corcoran, the New York real estate giant, started a talk by revealing something quite personal about how she got started in business. She had our attention!

Look good. Wear what you are comfortable wearing. Don't change your style or wear new clothes. If you need reading glasses, have them at the ready.

Get comfortable. Stand still, move around, perch on a stool. It doesn't matter as long as you are comfortable doing it. You'll find out in your practice which works best for you.

Don't bore them. Deliver your message and leave it at that. Better that they'd love to know more than that they heard too much.

Wow them. Remember Steve Jobs, he only took to the stage when he had something great to say and show. Do the same.

Event Planning Careers - How To Start An Event Planning Business

Do you daydream about starting an event planning business? Well, today it is one the most highly paid profession. Event planning careers are gaining awareness with the speed of the wind and people find them so interesting. Whether you want to organize small events or big events if your foundation is strong then you can make every event successful.

Introduction:

Many families and corporations do not have enough time, to arrange their events, that is why they seek help from event planners. These planners can perform their duty well enough to satisfy the hosts completely as they have all the resources and proficiencies.

The event planning careers have many areas of specialization. Some are birthday parties, wedding, funerals, business meetings etc. People can choose in whichever they have interest.

An event manager has to plan an occasion according to the requirements of the client. Sometimes, the client has a tight budget or less time span to make the event come alive so the event manager should be trained enough to manage all of that.

Investment:

Although there is not much cash needed in the beginning of this business, however, it will be a good idea if you have plenty back-up cash that can cover the cost of some parts of the event in case something goes wrong.

The things important for this job are skills and quickness. Various institutions are offering courses regarding event management. You can acquire them and enhance your skills. Through these courses, you will get education and training in this field so you will have a strong portfolio. The other thing is that you have to be systematic. Usually the events take place on holidays or in evenings so you need to have high stamina and be multi-tasking so that you can handle everything efficiently.

Marketing your business:

Once you have gained some experience in event planning careers then you need to market your business so that you can get a hold of clients. Start creating banners and business cards. Later on, you can advertise your business in yellow pages or newspapers.

Networking:

Event planners need to have good connections with other services like caterers, decorators, power supply etc so that they can quickly make the arrangements of the event and indulge in bigger projects.

Conclusion:

These are some simple steps, through which you can start your very own event-planning business. Event planning careers are very fruitful and there importance is going to increase more in future.

How Important Is an Event Checklist for Organizing a Business Event?

If you are planning to host a corporate event in the next couple of months then you must thoroughly plan for it. Preparation and mapping out can be a real hard task for most organizers. However, if they can execute all their pre-event planning in an organized manner, then work process flow from that point onwards becomes much easier. Here, comes the need of preparing an event checklist that helps organizers to host events without getting too stressed about it. Before an event what happens is that most organizers miss out on the last minute details that need to be taken care of. The event checklist helps them to keep a tab on each and every activity related to the event. Let me now give you a quick insight into the fact as to why the event checklist is so important.

You must prepare your checklist in a manner that helps you to keep track of all your event related activities. So it is better to divide your checklist into three different stages which also makes your job a lot easier.

Initial Stage

A checklist at this juncture will help you keep a tab on the initial preparations like deciding on the venue, budget and food to be served, whether there is any need for audio visual equipments, whether you need to provide security service to your guests, etc. If your event is a multi-day affair then you need to arrange for lodging as well as transportation. A checklist will help you to keep a track of that.

Mid Stage

In today's world, with cut- throat competition, you need to be different in order to draw in the maximum number of attendees. You can however do so by offering an automated registration and payment system. In that case, you need to know the companies that have put forward such event registration platforms or software to facilitate you with the service. A checklist will help you to narrow down the list of companies that have the best deal in event registration. Giving a competitive edge to your event does not end with just embedding automated registration and payment facilities. You also need to think about promotion and marketing strategies that allow you to approach hundreds of users. For doing this, you can choose the web based medium. Nowadays, there are various Cloud computing interfaces offered by a number of event registration websites, that offers the unique social media connector tool for easy integration with the key social media platforms

Final Stage

A checklist at the final stage helps you to keep everything on track on the actual day. It allows you to confirm with the venue manager, caterer and transportation service (if any). Preparation of a checklist creates no confusion and helps you to execute your event successfully with enhanced exuberance.

Irrespective of the event you organize, you must prepare a checklist which will help in streamlining your event in an organized manner. If you are however unsure of preparing a checklist then you can easily follow the above steps and make your event a more fulfilling.

Outdoor Movie Events Are Used by Business For Customer Appreciation Marketing

Customer Appreciation events are a great way for business owners to show current customers their patronage is valued, and to attract new customers. If you are interested in hosting a Customer Appreciation event that is sure to be a hit, consider an outdoor movie event.

A top fast food chain, located throughout the country, show appreciation for their customers each year by hosting a Customer Appreciation event featuring free food and fun family friendly events. Recently, many of the stores have added an outdoor movie to the activities. The restaurant's parking lot is transformed into an outdoor movie theatre with a huge inflatable movie screen. Customers of all ages can come together with family and friends, eat, and enjoy a movie. The restaurant's customers enjoy chicken nuggets as a movie snack rather than popcorn, of course.

Restaurants are not the only business type that can use an outdoor movie to make their Customer Appreciation event special. Childcare Centers often host yearly festivals to thank enrolled families for their business and market the Center to potential new families in the community. A family friendly outdoor movie makes a great addition to this type of event.

A Daycare Center can transform the parking lot or playground into a movie theatre with an inflatable movie screen. Inflatable movie screens come in a variety of sizes to match any space and accommodate a variety of groups. A daycare center can partner with local family and child oriented business like dance studios and Martial Arts schools to help lower the cost of production for the event. Local family friendly business can set up a booth to help promote their business; the Childcare center as well as partnering businesses all benefit by sharing the cost and marketing opportunity. Opening the event to the community is a great way to bring new families in to tour the facility.

Any type of business can benefit from hosting a Customer Appreciation event to thank existing patrons and attract new customers. In addition to offering great products and services throughout the year, it is important to take occasional opportunities to thank loyal customers. Offering something new and special at your event is a good way to show current customers you value their business, and to grow your customer base.

Family outdoor movie events are perfect for private schools, children's dance studios and any other type of business that serves kids or families. If your business serves a different customer base; adults, teenagers or senior citizens, for example, an outdoor movie event can be an equally good choice. An outdoor movie makes a great addition to a Customer Appreciation event for almost any demographic because of the varied nature of movies themselves. From cute kids and family movies, classic older films and popular new releases; there is a movie that will appeal to any crowd.

A Professional Event Planner Will Make Your Event More Memorable

An event can refer to a birthday party, weddings, a personal party or something similar. When thinking about hosting a lively and captivating one or social gathering that you can also enjoy, think about hiring a professional event planner. Planning any such activity requires focus, good management and much work, whether it a low-key personal affair or a large corporate event.

Hiring a professional planner to work out the details of an event will often precipitate the best possible outcome, with very minimal or no mistakes. When deciding from among the available event planners, look out for the following features. Any good event planner has resource knowledge of materials and goods, as well as knowledge of prices for such things. They know the highest and lowest market prices and they know where to get quality goods and services.

For example, a wedding planner will literally purchase and plan for everything, from the wedding cake and flowers, to transportation and honeymoon reservations. All you and your guests have to do is show up. This saves a lot of time and money. They also relieve stress from the party host by making them feel relaxed and totally stress free, providing exclusive management from beginning to end.

A professional event planner also offers great and unique ideas to make any of this type of activity memorable. They usually have original, imaginative and creative ideas for all events. A good, experienced planner will have more than enough experience to bring the party to fruition.

When scheduling for the different components of the party, a good planner is time efficient, knowing how much time the pastry chef, caterer, florist and decorators are likely to need. They can look for suitable indoor or outdoor venues to host special events and will have a back up plan in case of inclement weather. They intricately understand the set standards and are familiar with party contracts. This can really save a lot of money.

Get a professional event planner that comprehends your budget and can easily allocate the available money to host a stunning happening. The majority of professional event planners are grouped into an event management company and have affiliates that provide other different party planning needs, such as music, photographers, DJ's and caterers. Good planners listen first, and then act. They run the show but understand the host has the final word. Make sure to book at least 6 months before the special activity to get quality services and value.

Evacuations: 10 Logistics Tips for International Evacuations and Emergencies

Introduction

If you have international operations or business travellers, then you need to read this article. Following years of experience and numerous practical tests, here are the top 10 logistics issues associated with international evacuations that determine the success or failure of any evacuation plan due to international or transnational crisis.

This article will analyze and discuss the logistics considerations in order to assist planners and managers in developing the best possible and adaptive evacuation plans.

By the end of this article, you will immediately be able to add the priority logistics elements into existing plans or commence the process to create your own safety and security evacuation plan.

I have written, reviewed and implemented numerous evacuation plans over the years and have significant experience in what works and what invariably frustrates the evacuation operations unnecessarily.

Through this extensive theoretical and practical experience I will seek to distill the primary stages and priority tactile issues that must be considered or included in any plan to ensure a successful outcome.

Logistics relates to all the resources, cost, support and administration required to come together during an evacuation.

Accommodation

Accommodation requirements fall into three broad categories.

Private accommodation, as usually occupied by the traveller or expat in country.

Evacuation accommodation, such as the pre-identified and planned accommodation to be used in the event of an evacuation that may or may not be part of your existing/routine accommodation plan.

Ad-hoc accommodation, such as taking immediate refuge at a school, shelter, shopping complex or embassy as was necessitated by the sudden onset of events that forced personnel into non-planned accommodation options.

All required, and likely ad-hoc accommodation, needs to be both identified and documented in the plan.

These locations need to be independently documented in the appendices as a lift out guide/review and put into the continually updated evacuation mapping support tools.

Maps

By having each location as a lift out guide, they become more readily accessible in the event of an emergency, easily shared and updated between planners and traveler/expats and they may already be or become part of your routine accommodation plans within the area.

Muster areas, assembly points and channels for movement must be scripted where possible.

Emergency services and support must be evaluated and integrated into the plan.

Identification and mapping of relevant and proximal government and emergency services is required.

Ambulance, police, hospital, government shelters, embassies and the like constitute possible ad-hoc accommodation options, highly dependent on the nature of the threat, access, language and cultural elements.

Transport

Transportation choice for individual and group moves are required.

Private vehicles, buses, protected vehicles, government shuttles, military convoys and other options need to be considered during

the planning phase but also captured in the resources guide.

Redundant options, transfers, escorts, guides, drivers, spare parts, navigation, emergency stores, actions on, supplies, speed, traffic, road condition, luggage and first aid requirements should also be addressed in support of both static and mobile logistic options.

Much like the appropriateness of an evacuation plan, the logistics are dependent on planning and change management.

Providers

Vendors and support resources may appear to be ideal in isolation but fail on the day or time of activation because of poor planning, lack of understanding or over dependence on any one solution.

They may also fail because everyone wants to use them and they lack the surge or scale to accommodate everyone's demands.

Attempting to put together an alternate or ad-hoc solution in the midst of an emergency situation is always less effective than pre-developed "channels" for choice and activation.

Finances

Payment of services and even retainers are a matter for consideration.

Do you have a direct relationship or payment system in place?

Do you have the correct currency or cash reserves for payment of services?

How do you secure and manage such liquidable assets during unrest or emergency?

Is there likely to be profiteering or acts of piracy to increase prices significantly when demand significantly outstrips supply?

Ensure your financial management and response is measured and controlled but allows for change and circumstances beyond your control.

Financial compensation and insurance must also be addressed.

What are your limits, guidelines, standards and buying options that are pre-defined by your insurance policy or internal policies?

Some of these areas may be confidential (kidnap and ransom) but knowledge and access should be clearly identifiable to those charged with managing and implementing the resulting plan/s.

Location Specific

Resources are likely to be highly customized to each-and-every location.

No two countries, cities, suburbs or circumstances can be replicated nor will the choice of resources be the same either.

Cultural adaptations or simply making do with the best available options may end up being the order of the day.

Do not forget that logistic support and resources are not limited to the location of incident and point of departure but also the point of arrival, transit, diversion and end locations too.

While the plan and focus may be on the narrow concerns on the ground, much consideration and focus is also required for where your going to, where all or some of the evacuees will spend time, any counselling or administration that will need to be conducted before people arrive at the final stage of the evacuation.

Government facilitators, guides, translators, nannies, medical support personnel, specialists and administrators must be inclusive of this stage and clearly identifiable and contactable.

Tools

Tracking formats and criteria such as manifests, evacuee bio data, report lines, contact details, next of kin and other management tools need to be accessible and pre-formatted.

Mode of transport is optional but all points of contact, planning considerations/limitations, contingencies, owners, agents, brokers and captains need to be identified.

Fuel, load capacity, configurations, clearance, crew rest, back up crews, country of origin, civil or military, serviceability, cost, handling, range, weather conditions/limitations, runway/port access and the possibility of every affected individual swarming to your chosen means of evacuation in the absence of an alternate solution need to be considered and detailed as to how they will be managed, utilized or overcome.

Government Assisted Evacuations

Some governments offer support or free evacuation support.

This is highly dependent on high level relationships, events of the day, politics, economic sensitivities, official view of the situation and response/scale capacity of the responding government.

Despite these options or offerings, independent plans should always be in place or accessible should these "free" government options fail, be delayed or present greater threat than your own discreet alternatives.

Having been involved in government evacuation planning and operations I can assure you that they are not the well oiled machines that one might expect and they can/do fail outright.

Additionally, from experience, it may not be your best option to be transported on a military aircraft as you pass through hostile airspace in which ground forces see opportunity to target foreign military aircraft.

If you are to use such resources or end up on such a transport choice you also need to consider your supporting logistics to a location or destination that was never within your planning considerations but now the location in which evacuees disembark and you need to support.

Supporting Agencies

Medical, administration, safety and security all have a role to play but do they mix well or do they have competing agendas?

Beware circumstances which leave you with difficult or avoidable choices where a medical/security imperative splits your evacuee group/s because an insurance policy or support provider recommends to do one thing and your policy dictates another.

Know all the terms and conditions in advance and likely stressors that may occur and be prepared.

Never discount professional advice as all your planning may be for naught if your have made the wrong assumptions, chosen the wrong resources or even plan on heading in the wrong direction/country only to discover on the day that it all has to be abandoned and a new/ad-hoc plan developed on the spot due to such failings.

Formatting

All resources should be added to the appendices in a ready-to-remove and access format.

Elements or the entire section can then be quickly disseminated or updated without the need to read the entire plan from beginning to end.

Logistics forms a vital and major portion of any evacuation plan but it does not dominate the end product that must be both accessible and actionable by decision makers and evacuees alike.

Conclusion

In this article we addressed the key logistics issues associated with international evacuations and transnational crisis.

This article analysed and discussed the logistics considerations in order to assist planners and managers in developing the best possible and adaptive evacuation plans.

You will now be able to add the priority logistics elements into existing plans or commence the process to create your own safety and security evacuation plan.

Simple Tips for Effective Baby Shower Planning

A baby shower is a simple yet important event that many first-time mommies should experience before giving birth. Since it has to be a memorable event, there must be a creative and well-organized baby shower planning. In order to do this, there are some important tips that a planner should take note to deliver a wonderful shower for the mom-to-be client.

To start with, it is best advised for the shower planner to have an interview with the client to determine their preferences and to give them idea about the best things that can be done in order to achieve a successful party. Some of the important preferred things that must be finalized are the theme, venue, and the schedule. If the client has not yet decided for the theme of the party, the baby shower planner may show some pictures of previously held parties that can be used as examples. For the schedule of the party, the ideal date is on a Saturday or Sunday that is 2 to 4 weeks before the due of the baby's birth. It is also important in baby shower planning to know the number of people to be invited so that the planner can help the client choose which venue is suitable for the event and determine whether it is available on the chosen schedule.

Upon finalization of those preferences, the focus of the planner can be given to the processing of the invitations to be sent 5 or 6 weeks before the date of the event. An ideal invitation should at least include the date, time, and venue of the event. It should also indicate that it is a baby shower and the design must be related to the theme of the party.

After that, the baby shower planner can start giving attention to the decorations, activities, foods, and party gifts. As a suggestion, it is better to start planning with the food because giving priority to the food budget will significantly help the planner to determine how much should be spent for the other expenses for the party. About the decoration, an effective baby shower planning should involve creativity in making use of various baby stuff such as alphabet blocks, baby pillows, crib and extra-large safety pins as decors. Colorful balloons and rainbows are also good decorations but all of them must be arranged according to the party theme. It is also necessary for the planner to exert effort in organizing the technical aspect such as the sounds and lightings.

There is no standard itinerary for a shower program but the planner should make one that is well-arranged according to the given conditions. An example of a baby shower program itinerary starts with a welcome period, then to the mingle period and some ice breakers and games. The meal is ideally at the middle of the event and at the end, there should be something that will surprise the client by presenting some touching messages and videos or slideshows.

Moreover, an effective baby shower planning is not just about having too much expenses. The main concern should be on how the first-time mommy will be touched by the people around her and be prepared for the upcoming giving birth.