Event Planning Checklist Tips

The key to successful event planning is being resourceful and avoiding uncertainties. The more you research your available resources, the simpler it is to overcome any obstacles to your objectives and pull off the perfect social function.

When putting together any social function, business party, special event, or mini festival, you can't begin advertising or producing promotional material until you have chosen and contracted a fitting location. Likewise, it would be putting the cart before the horse, to sign up a speaker or book your entertainment before your event visions have been brought clearly into view.

Event Planning Tools

Preparing lists for the many planning stages is an excellent way to stay organized and accomplish your goals. A check list is an important tool for planning any event. Having one will increase your productivity and the chances of meeting your objectives. Some useful headings to use for your check list may be: Tasks, Notes, Due Dates, Activity/Items, Cost, Actual Cost, Questions, Completed, etc.

Whether your check list is on your website, laptop, PDA or or legal pad, it is important to constantly update and amend your list to comply with your changing needs.

Event Budgeting

It is important to scrutinize your actual costs as they emerge, and compare and prioritize them to reach your projected goals. Crucial to the process is having a budget. A budget is a written projection of your expected income and expenditures for a specific time frame. Such a tool is a dire necessity when overseeing financial projects, and a precise budget is your most valuable resource for making intelligent choices. Be sure to update your budget frequently.

Identify your profit sources so you can plan how and when the profit should be spent. Generally, there will only be a few sources of revenue: participants, sponsorship, reserves, and possibly your own private funds.

Event Venues

There is a large selection of event venues to choose from, so feel free to be creative! The hospitality industry thrives on meeting the specific needs of many different types of groups and individuals from all over the world.

When choosing a location, keep in mind that just because a site may seem quite impressive, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's out of your price range. Don't be intimidated. That classy location could end up being the perfect one for your special event.

Event Design

If catering to the upper crust is your intention, you might want to consider hiring one of those companies with the reputation for "doing it right". If this is not your objective, and you're planning a social or festive event, be sure that your theme design transforms the mood of your participants upon entering your affair.

To give an example, clowns riding on unicycles and handing out balloons would certainly put smiles on the faces of the guests to your festival. If you're planning an evening social affair, soft jazz and hors d'ourves might set the mood and encourage mingling and networking and so on.

Event Supplies

Remember that the quality of the supplies you choose for your event should befit the occasion and the caliber of the attending guests. At the same time, you have to stay within the constraints of your budget. This may require some shopping around. There are many items which can be rented for your occasion, such as tables and chairs, linens, audio visual equipment, portable toilets, etc.

Event Catering

Do not underestimate the importance of the culinary department. If catering is required for your event, give it your utmost attention because doing it correctly is so crucial to your success. For a black tie affair, fast foods would be out of the question, but for an outdoor picnic event or amphitheater show they would be quite appropriate.

Event Registration

If you use a third party vendor for registration services, be sure to check their references. Make sure that your contract provides that you own all of the collected data, that it is secure, and that nothing will be shared without your permission.

Protection of personal information is of primary concern when planning your event. Secure socket layer encryption for online information, and document shredders for actual paperwork, are key to the protection of privacy.

Many registration companies charge in the area of $4 per attendee, so sound judgement will certainly benefit your budget.

Event Lighting

The purpose of choosing appropriate lighting is to not only draw attention to show pieces and focal points, but to also provide a welcoming atmosphere at your event. There are many different types of lighting which can be employed to create the desired effects when lighting backgrounds and walkways, dining tables and buffets. Colored lights next to white spot lights can make clear distinctions, while holiday lighting, applied to landscaping and entrances, can create dramatic effects as well as insuring that the pathways are attractively lit.

If you plan meticulously, and pay close attention to details, your event is sure to be a success!

Basics Of Event Negotiations

Although it is often the most important single aspect to assuring a successful event, quality negotiating is often an overlooked and neglected art. Professional negotiators understand that negotiations require a combination of integrity, knowledge, homework, priorities, preparation and planning, and must be followed by follow through. In my well over thirty years of involvement in hundreds of events representing many millions of dollars, I have observed how anything other than quality negotiating is often the death - blow to having a successful event. Far too many times, individuals who have limited experience and even less expertise convince others that they are capable of negotiations, and almost invariably, that results in something being overlooked, misaddressed, or somewhat disastrous to the organization.

1. Successful negotiations begin with absolute integrity, combined with true knowledge, and carefully understood and considered priorities. Before negotiations should ever begin, a negotiator must truly understand what an organization both needs and wants, what the purpose of the event is, and what the highest priorities are. Priorities should be rated from absolutely required, to helpful, to wanted, to wished for, to would be nice to have. Negotiators must begin with a carefully prepared and realistic budget, so that the maximum can be achieved within a certain set of restraints. The chief negotiator must not only have experience, but must be master of negotiating, using his meaningful experience alongside numerous other characteristics, to be a true professional. Many untrained and/ or unprepared negotiators try to ask for the world, and make unreasonable demands, while also claiming to be able to deliver more than is realistic. This is far different than being merely unrealistic, but rather comes close to lying, which in the end result, creates disharmony and distrust when the event eventually occurs. A negotiator with integrity maintains a meaningful relationship, and often can achieve extremely important modifications, changes, tweaks, or adaptations when the event nears.

2. True professional negotiators also realize that they must do considerable homework, to enhance their negotiating advantages/ strengths and disadvantage/ weaknesses, as well as those aspects as it relates to their "opposition's" bargaining power and strengths (or weaknesses). Once this is done, the most effective negotiations come about because a negotiator understands how to be creative, and to help the venue, thus reducing the venue's costs. When a negotiator can find savings, he is able to convince someone to share that savings, thus creating a win - win situation. Negotiating takes painstaking, careful, fastidious planning and attention to detail. Only when the individual in charge of this process is well versed on all aspects of this process, and uses all of them, will an organization end up with the optimum results.

Don't ignore the details. It is the savings in minor areas that often make the major things possible and even grander!

How to Plan a Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party for Adults

If you have never participated in one, you may wonder how to plan a scavenger hunt birthday party for adult guests? The age of the guests allows the planner to create an event that is not limited to one location. Planning a memorable birthday party requires three simple steps:

1. Choose a location

2. Determine the type of scavenger hunt

3. Create the list

Complete these steps and the rest of the party will almost plan itself.

Choose a Location

Scavenger hunts are a great activity because they can be done almost anywhere. If the party is being held at home the participants can work the neighborhood or nearby areas. If there are enough drivers attending a larger area such as a 5 mile radius can be included in the allowable search area. If the event is being held at a restaurant or other location use the surrounding area as an acceptable search location. Often there is an area where many restaurants, clubs or entertainment venues are within walking distance. This is an excellent place to have a scavenger hunt for adults. They can wander around to find the items on the list and return to a designated location within the time limit set to claim their prize.

Determine the Type of Scavenger Hunt

Not all scavenger hunts are the same. Some require individuals to gather specific items, others may require photos of items or a signature of a person who meets a specific criteria. When choosing the style of scavenger hunt consider the location. Some places, such as an art museum, may not allow photos to be taken while. Other places, such as a mall, don't want people grabbing things without paying for them. Be creative and require participants to gather signatures of people who meet a specific criteria.

Create the List of Items

The list of items should be between 7 and 12 things. This will take participants about 45 minutes to an hour to locate all of the items. When possible use a theme for the list and the party for example here is a list of 10 items for a 50th birthday party theme:

1. A Happy Birthday sign

2. A 50 mph speed limit sign

3. 50 balloons (this works if there is a party store nearby)

4. A birthday cake ( can be found at a bakery, grocery store or party store)

5. A 50th birthday card

6. 50 different kinds of pop (the pop aisle at a grocery store)

7. 5 gold rings

8. Size 0 shoes

9. McDonalds sign 50 billion served

10. Number 50 displayed on a computer screen or media device

This list works for an area that has a department store, grocery store, and party store close together.

It is important to be creative when making a list. Brainstorm around the theme first and then narrow the choices down by what is easy to find in the chosen location.

Follow these three simple steps to plan a scavenger hunt birthday party for adults and the party will be long remembered as a fun event. Hosting a scavenger hunt has the added benefit of providing common ground for conversation at a party where not everyone knows each other.

What is Corporate Hospitality and Why Use It?

What do we mean by Corporate Hospitality?

Corporate Hospitality can be described as any event where an organisation entertains clients, prospective clients or staff at the organisation's expense. This includes spectator sports, participatory events and activities, art or cultural events, and any other events.

The most popular events for entertaining guests are horseracing meetings, football matches, concerts and the major sporting tournaments such as the 6 Nations rugby, Royal Ascot, Test Cricket, The Open, Wimbledon and many more, too many to name here.

Corporate hospitality is usually sold in the form of a package which includes a good quality ticket or seat for the event along with drinks, a meal and sometimes a gift. This is a typical package but it does vary to cater for different events, facilities and budgets. Some packages, for example, would only include a drinks reception or buffet or, particularly at football events, simply the use of a corporate facility with drinks being paid for on the day.

Why use Corporate Hospitality?

The basic idea behind corporate hospitality is to strengthen relationships. Hospitality really targets the individual rather than the company as, for example, a purchasing director being invited by a sales director is of more benefit to the invitee than his/her company.

Hospitality could be seen as a form of bribery - a way to treat the individual in return for their custom but there is often more to it than this. Often these people would only ever speak on the phone or, at least, meet in a work environment. An invite to a corporate hospitality event offers the invitee the benefit of attending the event whilst offering the inviter, or host, the opportunity to get to know his customer.

A hospitality event has a much greater appeal than, say, inviting someone for a meal as it is often a highly prestigious event where tickets are not readily available. The event itself also serves as a focus for conversation - an easy ice breaker.

Justifying the cost

Hospitality packages can often seem highly expensive when compared to the broken down cost of a ticket, a meal and a few drinks but this is not a fair comparison. The hospitality package is an exclusive opportunity and should be likened to other forms of marketing rather than socialising.

Imagine that you have a contract worth several thousand pounds or dollars. Spending a few hundred on a hospitality package is as close as you can get to a guarantee of retaining this contract and, in the longer term, can be far more cost effective than cutting the customers' prices by a few percent.

Top 10 Most Profitable Cut Flowers for Small Growers

Cut flowers are one of the most profitable plants for small growers all across North America, with sales of up to $30,000 per acre. Most growers start part-time, selling flowers at local outlets like the Farmer's market, florists and restaurants.

Cut flowers are a perfect cash crop, because they are easy to grow, produce quickly and can supply a good income throughout the growing season. Also, startup costs are low, as most gardeners already have the basic gardening tools needed, and only have to buy seeds to get started.

Local Farmer's or Saturday markets are the best place for the beginning flower grower to get started. As most are one or two days a week, you'll have more time to devote to growing flowers. Instead of setting up your own booth, consider sharing a booth with another grower selling compatible items, such as vegetables or herbs.

It's best to stick to proven cut flower varieties when starting out, so you have a better chance of selling out on market days. According to seasoned flower growing pros, the best flower choices to insure profits include:

1. Ageratum. Clusters of long-lasting flowers in red, white and blue add color to bouquets. With successive plantings, ageratum can produce continuous blooms from early summer to frost.

2. Scabiosa. Also called the pincushion flower, scabiosa is excellent for cutting and comes in a wide variety of colors, from white to dark. As with most cut flowers, plant every 2-3 weeks until mid-summer for extended bloom harvest.

3. Larkspur. This relative of the buttercup has complex flowers and comes in a wide range of colors. Most seed suppliers offer color assortments so you'll have a rainbow of blooms to harvest and mix into bouquets.

4. Snapdragon. Best to start indoors and transplant. Snapdragons take 120 days to mature. Most growers plant a mix of 8-10 colors for variety.

5. Peony. With hundreds of varieties of this popular perennial, the hardest decision may be which ones to plant! The large fragrant flowers are always a hit at the Saturday market.

6. Zinnias. Nothing fills out a bouquet quite like zinnias, with their brilliant colors, shapes and sizes. The giant varieties are bestsellers at the market.

7. Sunflowers. The early-blooming varieties - at under 60 days to harvest - are popular market sellers. Some growers prefer to sell individual stems at $4-$6 each.

8. Verbena bonariensis. This popular flower produces lilac colored flowers on long, thin stems.

9. Salvia. Produces an abundance of flowers on it's elongated stems. Many variety choices for a wide choice of colors, from scarlet to white.

10. Yarrow. Also called Achillea millefolium, this popular annual comes in a variety of colors. It can be direct seeded or transplanted, and is ready to harvest in around 90 days.

Mixed bouquets are the best, as they allow you to blend in a variety of cut flowers so you don't end up at the end of the day with too many unsold stems of individual varieties. Most growers use gypsophila (baby's breath) as a bouquet filler, as it's easy to grow and blends well with other flower varieties. Gypsophila is so widely used by florists, they've nicknamed it "florist's hamburger helper."

Be sure to time your plantings so your cut flowers are ready to harvest when prices are highest, as your customers celebrate the holidays - Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and Christmas. In addition to selling your cut flowers at your local Saturday market, consider these seven other selling venues for your harvest:

1. Restaurants and Hotels. Upscale restaurants and hotels use lots of cut flower arrangements to decorate tables, rooms, lobbies and for special occasions such as banquets or special events.

2. Florists. They are most likely to buy flower varieties that are hard to find through their wholesale suppliers, such as the old fashioned flower varieties.

3. Grocery Stores. Chain stores, such as Safeway or Kroger are hard to sell, as they usually have to buy through central purchasing or company approved vendors. Local independent grocers are your best bet. The easiest way to sell to grocers is to stock cut flowers or bouquets on a consignment basis. Growers report 90 percent of consigned flowers are sold within four days.

4. U-Cut Flower Patch. U-pick flowers have grown in popularity because customers can create their own flower or color blends and be assured the flowers are fresh picked. A roadside stand with already-picked flowers is another option if you prefer to keep customers out of your growing area.

5. Subscription Sales. This is a great way to create a steady income from flowers. Anyone who works in an office is a prospect for regularly scheduled - typically once a week - delivery of a fresh bouquet of flowers to brighten an office, cubicle or reception area. One enterprising grower, located in an area with an abundance of office buildings, built her floral subscription business to over $500,000 yearly!

6. Weddings and Events. This can be a very profitable, but time-consuming, business. To find customers, contact local wedding planners and event planners and let them know what you offer.

7. Edible Flowers. Prominent chefs have used everything from geraniums to roses to create new and exciting garnishes for a special meal. At top restaurants, it's quite common to use specially grown flowers to enhance the taste and visual appeal of a fine meal. To explore this niche market further, read "Edible Flowers: From Garden to Palate" by Cathy Wilkinson Barash, or "The Edible Flower Garden" by Rosalind Creasy.

Hot Party Franchises For the Fun Entrepreneur

People have a tendency to draw a stark line between who they are in their personal lives and who they are in business. While many businesses operate this way to create a high level of professionalism at the work place, some businesses function better when the atmosphere is more casual and relaxed, and it can often be very lucrative to choose a job that utilizes your natural personality and passions. One great example is the party industry. The person who is instinctively able to see the big picture for an event, organize people, and throw an exceptional party is not at all restricted to only doing so for friends and family; their services are in high demand in the marketplace, and not just in the specific business of party planning. There are a few different avenues with plenty of business opportunities for someone who loves having a good time and ensuring that other people have a good time too.

Party Planning

Obviously, there are party franchises opportunities in the realm of party planning, because folks of all walks of life enjoy a good party, but not everyone has both the time and talent to organize a fun and functional party. There are two franchise businesses in this $500bil industry that have made their mark by organizing the best events.

One such business is Plan Ahead Events, a franchise opportunity that is known for organizing everything from simple meetings to conventions and trade shows with a solid sense of both professionalism and style. This work from home business takes people with the natural focus and ambition necessary for a good event planner and teaches them all they need to know about finding clients and orchestrating resources to make a great party. Depending on the city you want to operate in and what resources you will need access to from the outset, prices can range from $26,000 to $33,000, which is a reasonable price for entry into what is one of the 50 best industries, according to CNN/Money Magazine.

One Hour Parties is another exceptional name in party planning, in part because they specialize in a corner of the market that few do: the one-hour office party. Birthdays, successful business deals, expansions, promotions, there are a number of great reasons to throw a quick party in the middle of a work day. It keeps up morale without costing anyone a good deal of time, except for the person who has to organize the party. But if a company can outsource that part of the event, business-as-usual is not interrupted. That is precisely where this home based business steps in, arranging the party on the company dollar, not the company time. Very low overhead and shorter timeframes for events make this the perfect opportunity for an entrepreneur who likes to be able to bounce quickly from job to job.

Party Facilities

Party planning is great for some, but others prefer something a little more regular than a business that varies greatly from party to party. For such a person, opening an entertainment franchise for people to come and party on your terms is a great alternative.

Most of us have been to some form of a kiddy play land, designed to engage and entertain children of all ages with various games and attractions. It's a profitable business because kids are always interested in having fun, and parents are always interested in throwing birthday parties without having to clean up afterward. With a Recess franchise, parents, kids, and the franchisee get to "go bananas." There are three different investment levels to choose from that represent different designs that each include a wide array of inflatable attractions, redemption games, and even toddler entertainment. Depending on what will work in your area and what you're capable of investing, there is sure to be a right choice for you.

Sometimes, however, party facilities are a little more specific as to the kind of entertainment they provide. Laser Nation and Monster Mini Golf are two such examples. Laser Nation franchises take advantage of the growing trend of laser tag. The concept is simple: people come in to a location and pay money to play various games built on shooting each other with high-tech laser guns, which is surprisingly fun. With the franchisor helping throughout the establishment of the business and continuing to give marketing resources, a franchisee could easily be set up to schedule birthday parties and family outings for people every week. As fun as laser tag is, though, some people find no party more fun than a classic round of miniature golf, or putt-putt, and none is more fun than Monster Mini Golf, the only place that mixes ghouls and goblins with golf balls. The family entertainment industry is one of the largest and most steadily growing markets available, and with the balance between self-determination and oversight that only a franchise can offer, this may be the perfect way for you to enrich the community, entertain the masses, and make your money all at the same time.

Party Retail

Finally, if actually planning parties or providing the space for them is not your idea of fun business, perhaps offering the equipment and tools for them is. If so, a Discount Party Store retail franchise is an excellent choice that brings parties and retail together. Considering themselves the "Cadillac" of party stores, Discount Party Store helps you make your business all that it can be for the needs of your particular area. Depending on what you can afford and what your store needs, there are plenty of options in size and merchandise that you can choose from, and the merchandise is always second to none, because the franchisor keeps in constant communication with product providers to ensure quality. The words franchise and franchisor here are somewhat deceptive though, because this is not truly a franchise: from day one, the owner is completely in charge of the operation and never has to pay royalties. By and large, it's a good deal.

Whichever aspect of the party industry is your personal favorite, there is a franchise that undoubtedly works with your natural propensity to prepare and throw noteworthy parties. Anything can be a money-making tool, and nothing more so than the business of fun.

Integrating Calla Lily Centerpieces Into Your Event Planning

When planning an event there are a lot of things that need to be considered besides the calla lily centerpieces. The number of details involved can be overwhelming to say the least. The best way to approach this type of project is to start out organized. When planning an event you need to start by knowing how many people you intend to invite. This will help you in deciding on many other factors as well. You will need this information when deciding on a venue and a menu.

If you have a general theme for your event you will want to keep that in mind as you make your way through the details. This is where the calla lily centerpieces come into play. They may be the center of the design of your event. This may spark your decision making for the table clothes, seating and other decorations throughout the venue. These things should flow seamlessly and be simple and uncluttered so that the event remains the focus.

Another aspect that must be considered when you are working on planning an upcoming event is the food. You should choose foods that represent the atmosphere of the event. If the event is intended to be light and fun you may choose to go with simple elegant finger foods instead of a meal. This gives a fun feel to the event. You may even find that the cost is much less with this type of food service. You will need to decide if you will be brining in the food or having it prepared on site by a caterer. And you also need to decide if the caterer is going to serve at the event or just put out the food. The same goes for all of he vendors you may use. If you are using a florist for the design of the calla lily centerpieces, you will need to decide if you want them to come and place all of the other flower accents as well or if you will simply have them deliver all of the centerpieces and arrangements for you to place yourself.

The intricate details of planning an event are sometimes more than one can handle. Complete organization and a list of every thing that you are working on is the best way to keep on track and not let anything fall through the cracks. Be very careful that you are keeping all of your information regarding the event in a detail notebook that you can reference in those moments when your mind goes blank. This will be the savior when you can't remember if you ordered the calla lily centerpieces.