Accredited Hospitality Schools Teach Four Important Planning Stages

Accredited hospitality schools teach students in event management four main components in addition to industry statistics and trends. Students learn planning, execution, coordination and then controlling the event. All four levels of learning are essential in event management, no matter the type of event planned.

Planning

This is the most important stage of event management. Planning is not just the date and the time. Every single detail is addressed even though the details will change from one event to another. Event managers plan weddings, parties, fundraisers, fairs, seminars and any other small or large gathering that requires professional assistance. Just these examples alone reveal the different aspects of planning for each event. Most of these events take into account food, refreshment, entertainment, speakers, finding the proper venue and making sure that each detail is in line with the policies held by each place. For example, if a host wants to serve alcohol, it is the job of the event planner to make sure it is legal to do so in the venue, get the proper documentation and perhaps hiring someone to prevent underage drinking.

Execution

Obviously this is the culmination of all the planning efforts and details converging into the event day. Planners and managers must make sure that all of the plans run smoothly and that everyone is happy that attends especially the person or group that is hosting the event. They must ensure that all aspects of the party are in place, from the food to the entertainment to the main event and as the event goes on, be ready to smoothly segue into the next part of the event. If the planning was good, then this should be easier.

Coordination and Control

These last two parts are where the leadership qualities of the manager need to shine through. They must be able to juggle multiple tasks at once. They also must be able to handle the vendors at the event, the guests, the hosts and all manner of people in between. If problems arise, they need to handle it coolly and quickly. A good event planner will be able to do all of these things through to the end of the event and even after the cleanup.

Most accredited hospitality schools, whether online or traditional, teach their students all the essentials for these main parts. Additionally, they also provide students with the experience they need either by getting involved with local businesses and charities, or planning and hosting events at their school. Hospitality students can learn the theory as well as anybody, but what sets them apart from others is the experience they need to acquire implementing and executing great events.

Wedding DJ Vs Event Planners

To understand the question "Can a DJ be an event planner?" you must first understand the overall theme of a wedding. The overall theme is to plan a perfect wedding. In the 1950's the brides didn't work, they didn't have a Facebook, MySpace account or better yet even a computer. Your typical bride was lucky to have a television that worked. All she did was cook and clean the house for her working husband. She can cook and clean the entire house in 4 hours max and still plan the perfect wedding and honeymoon for herself.

In the 1980's we experienced what some call the Reagan era. Televisions were common in everyone's household. Some households had 2 or 3 televisions. Inflation raised our economy and forced our men and women to work to cover the expenses of the booming technology. The 1980's was considered party years. Some compared the 80's to the Roaring 20's which is remembered as the best party era of all times. Along with the parties came sex, drugs and Rock n Roll. Then it became common for brides and grooms to already have kids before they get married which was contradictory to the brides and grooms in the 50s that waited to be married before they had children. Now we have a bride that has a full-time job, is addicted soap operas and TV shows and has to make sure she cooks and cleans the house. She has to make sure the kids eat, shower and gets to and from school while she helps pay all the bills.

Nowadays, the brides are just as busy if not busier than the men. They do not have the time to plan a wedding ceremony, reception more less her evening. If she does try to plan her wedding it wont be perfect like she planned since a little girl because here mind is exhausted from planning the household facilities. So to play a little part she plans which check she can use from her job to hire an event planner that can only concentrate on her wedding because she is too busy. Here is the problem. The event planner is usually a women that has the same responsibilities as the bride so how can the event planner concentrate only on the brides wedding. She can't!!! What she can do is use her knowledge and experience to take a few months to gather all the bride and grooms needs and make sure all the vendors are in place and able to deliver. This usually works for the most part. The event planner roams back and forth from vendor to vendor as a supervisor. She positions herself behind the DJ booth and reminds the DJ what announcement to make, what songs to play and when using the same written timeline that the DJ already has in his back pocket. You ask yourself. Is an event planner really necessary? I don't know. Maybe just professional vendors on the same page.

In 2010, what was once a theme "The Perfect Wedding", is now an art and happens to be a huge business filled with professionals survive off of producing perfect weddings for brides every weekend. Since 2000 couples get married every weekend in California, you can see how such business can be lucrative. I have another question for you. Is a wedding ever perfect? No, never, no wedding is ever perfect but a professional makes sure that when things do go wrong nobody either notices or cares. Present brides do have Facebook, MySpace, Reality Shows and cell phone habits that doesn't even leave them enough time to take a chance on an event planner. Our brides today are planning the wedding themselves, taking the time out of there busy schedule to meet each vendor in person to interview and see who is the best fit for there wedding.

Today this is how it works. In a wedding there are several wedding vendors. A photographer, make up artist, DJ, Florist, Cake and Caters etc. Every vendor has a certain job. The most important job is the Wedding DJ. He runs the music for the ceremony and the reception. When the music or announcement stops then the reception stops. All the other vendors work within the DJ to dot the I's and cross the T's of the event at hand. Although the Caters are important because everyone must eat. The Wedding DJ is working for the bride and groom every second of the wedding from beginning to end.

The bride of today take ample time to select the right DJ organization. She interviews and hires a professional DJ that can not only play music and make announcements but is knowledgeable and has a lot of experience in DJing. A professional that has had success DJing weddings for years. That person becomes the DJ and Event Planner of the entire Wedding. That is how how brides and grooms are saving money on there weddings in this tough economy. Not everybody who is a good wedding DJ can act as a DJ and an event planner. It takes professional DJ's who have been trained by successful organizations to run events, plan them and correct any technicality that my occur in every area of the actual wedding.

A good example of a Wedding DJ company that houses great DJ's that are also used as event planners is Extreeme Entertainment (extreemeentertainment.com). This company has been running for 15 years and has so much business and reoccurring business from happy brides that they are able to provide the best wedding entertainment on the West Coast at prices that are so low they look like a misprint. These company sends out the best wedding DJ's you will see for an average of around $600. These DJ gives the most elaborate announcements, keeps the dance floor busy and plans all the activities in the same show.

I hope I made your outlook on Event Planners VS. Wedding DJ's a little easier. Now it is time to Select your professional Wedding DJ and pick his brain so he can plan great weddings like he does every weekend.

Event Planning Business Marketing

Here are some tips on marketing your event planning business:

1. Take Advantage of Social Networks - There are many networks and groups online that you can connect with to find potential customers. When you focus on local advertising, you can find customers that are conveniently close, but you can really expand your business when you open yourself up by marketing to surrounding areas through online networks.

2. Start Small - Test each marketing technique before you do a full blown, expensive campaign with it. If you are just starting out, avoid marketing with big, expensive ad campaigns like magazine ads and radio. Stick with the marketing techniques that you can test first, before you do a full blown campaign.

3. Build a Website - If you build an identity online than you will have a place for people to find you online. You can really sell yourself here to. If you link to your website from your social networks, then people who are considering working with you can go to your website and be sold on your services there.

4. Attend Weddings, Events & Other Related Expos - It helps to be able to meet new people who might be potential clients. It also helps to meet other event planners and find out what they are having success with or what isn't working for them.

5. Ask Past Clients for Referrals - Sometimes even satisfied customers will forget to refer business to their friends and family. Send past customers an email and thank them for their business and tell them you would be grateful for any referrals they could provide you with.

In recent years, with the economic downturn, the event planning industry has felt the squeeze. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to success for an event planning business to get online and start being aggressive about marketing through all the different venues that online marketing has to offer. Don't be afraid to invest a little money into getting your business online. Local advertising can go far, networking can go far, but internet technology can explode the amount of leads you can get for your event planning business.

If your marketing budget is tight, make sure you test each marketing method carefully before you begin pouring money into one method. If attending an expo is going to be too costly, consider running some ads online that are related directly to the services you offer.

The Best Managed Trade Show Exhibits Use Online Event Management

Before the displays are set up, before the promotional materials are unpacked, before a single person walks the show floor, the ability to have successful trade show exhibits often comes down to one important factor-good organization. For a professional managing participation in multiple shows a year, there's a lot of juggling that goes into making sure everything gets to the right destination at the right time and that the goals of each show are met.

Fortunately, the world of trade show displays, like any thriving industry, has seen impressive technological improvements in recent years. Chief among these has been the creation of online exhibit and event management applications. Some event management companies now offer online solutions to create a seamless system that helps clients organize their trade show displays and allows the event management companies to better meet client needs.

Inventory Real Time, Anytime

The most basic online event and exhibit management tools allow users to manage their inventory of trade show displays. It's an easy way to see at all times which displays, graphics, literature and promotional materials are available. The schedule of upcoming events can be viewed, which can be helpful when evaluating availability for new shows or other opportunities. Users can track where items are and when they are scheduled to ship.

When there's a new commitment, users can conveniently use an online system to schedule the necessary trade show exhibits and materials to be moved and set up where they are needed. If new graphics or hardware are needed, they can be ordered on the same site. Repairs to trade show displays might also be ordered online.

Improved Team Communication

Some of the more powerful online event and exhibit management systems offer useful applications to improve team communication as well as organization. There are tools to notify sales staff of details about upcoming events, which users can utilize to create and share staffing schedules.

There are also lead management applications that allow users to set up lead banks. The lead bank might be general or it might be specific to a show. Tools to create lead reports and lead surveys can be invaluable for evaluating the success of trade show exhibits or participation in a particular show.

Useful Planning Tools

Other planning and evaluation tools are also available in some event and exhibit management suites. There are budgeting tools that allow users to create budgets for shows and then track expenditures against a spending plan. Some programs provide historical information on events including layout, costs, and show details to easily compare shows. There are even tools to assist with travel planning.

The new online event and exhibit management services give companies the power of inventory management anytime anywhere. Beyond just the obvious organizational benefit of inventory management, these systems can create time and money savings. Everything from better lead management to improved budgeting and evaluation are possible, with the right application. For anyone who must manage multiple trade show exhibits and participation in multiple shows per year, an online event and exhibit management system can be beneficial.

What Did He Say? Why Sound Is So Important to Your Meeting

In producing an event, sound quality is of the highest importance. It takes a lot of time and attention to coordinate all the audiovisual elements of a successful business meeting, presentation, or corporate event. Great sound services during an event or conference can improve the interaction between the presenter and the audience.

The sound equipment most frequently used for events consist of microphones, mixers, and speakers for amplification of sound in the room. The microphones used most often are either (or mixture of) the following: lavaliere, wireless, or cabled. These mics send their system to the mixer. The size of the mixer depends on the number of microphones or sources of sound expected during the event. A mixer allows the audio visual technician to adjust the volume and characteristics of each sound input, mix the signals, and resend them to the speakers.

The basic objective of a professional sound service is to "amplify" the:

* Voice of the presenter,
* Music playing,
* Presentation services audio visual,
* Video,
* Internet demonstration or
* Video conference.

The intent is to make it easily audible to all persons present in a meeting, conference center, or event room.

If the event takes place in a small room, that has no or little outside noise, the speaker's voice is loud, and there are 25 or less attendees, a sound system rental may not be necessary.

However, if the room is large, there is a lot of environmental noise, the speaker is soft spoken, and there are more than 25 persons at the meeting, a sound system should be considered.

Additionally, if the meeting is large and Q & A is expected, your event or meeting should have at least 1 wireless microphone for every 40 participants. It is also possible to use wired microphones placed throughout the room in strategic areas.

The main question event meeting planners need to ask is this: "Is what is being said, or listened to, important to be heard by all"? If so, use a microphone! The event audio visual company can inform microphone users -- where to stand, how to use the mic, and set up microphone stands exactly to the height of their mouths. The presenter needs to take the time to adjust the mic stand if necessary and speak clearly into the microphone. Many novice speakers think they are speaking too loud and back away from the mic which causes more problems because people cannot hear them.

It is very important that sound systems provide clear, clean, and reliable amplification. Feedback or noise in the signal may go unnoticed by the presenter, but can be very uncomfortable and annoying to the attendees if it is constant. The equipment and the advice of the event services company can provide resources that event planners should leverage to avoid audio atrocities.

Importance of Team Building in Corporate Environment

Like other very important concepts such as team building, corporate events etc; team activity is also very much important in today's world that is full of cut throat competition. With the evolution of new paradigm the world has seen different revolutionary changes in which the old paradigm shift was completely changed, in the old paradigm shift the human was considered to be the one of least value but in this new paradigm organizations have realized this fact that human is the source of all the resources and that is why they are giving full importance to their employees and are arranging different sort of activities to get their full attention and that is why instead of considering normal routine activities they are more focused on team based activities.

Due to the revolution in different areas specifically in communication has given recognition to different firms globally but due this globalization the competition has also reached its peak which means that more quality oriented activities are required to increase the involvement of the employees in the works of organization which will certainly lead to the fulfillment of the organizational goals and in these quality oriented activities the most common and efficient activity is called team activity. The reasons behind performing team activities are many like; such activities are performed to inspire the members of the team, such activities are aimed at making the work environment more pleasant and more workable, such activities are done to enhance the communication and coordination among employees, such activities enhance the personal relation among manager and his subordinates which then lead to a very pleasant environment in which no one hesitates while working or helping other and thus face every challenge very efficiently and such activities are laid down to flourish the inner ability of the employee in order to take best out of him and to give him full chance of exploration.

Some of the team activities are given as under

• Activity called Roller coaster: It is sort of indoor activity in which personal coordination among employees is increased. In this activity a roller coaster track is built by the members of the team in which the main theme is that track is traveled by the gravity alone and is made for football.


• Activity called together we can: The nature of this activity is out door it is done to enhance the cooperation between one another and it is done through the method of building informal team based activity, in this method one team after performing its large task transfers it to the other team for further fulfillment and this all carry the time span of one day.


• Activity called drumming workshop: it is also an indoor activity in which the teams are taught the playing of drums as well listening. It is a psychological sort of activity and done to increase communication among employees.

Corporate Sports Team Building Events

Historically team building activities have usually been undertaken indoors with the boring old role plays and the traditional case studies. However there are many other unconventional ways to develop team spirit with your colleagues and subordinates. Healthy competition and a little sweat builds comradeship like nothing else. So why not explore the outdoors for your next team building day.

A Beach Olympic day can provide hours of fun. The activities that could be included are beach volleyball, a hundred meter sprint, beach soccer, a water relay or even a kayak league and much more. The teams can be split up into smaller groups and maximum involvement should be encouraged by giving bonus points for group involvement. Ensure that you stay safe in the sun by taking sunscreen, hats, beach umbrellas and drinks to ensure that all stay hydrated.

White water rafting is an adventure packed activity which encourages team building. This activity involves building trust as the teams are reliant on one another in an extreme situation. This sort of team activity suits those who have a love of adventure and adrenalin. It is not for the fearful and squeamish. As there is an element of risk in this sort of executive team building day, the company needs to make sure appropriate precautions are taken to maintain the safety of the staff.

Corporate triathlons are another way to build corporate morale and team spirit. It is an exciting way for those who are competitive to represent their organization against other companies. Staff can set up training groups to prepare and build their fitness and at the same time building rapport with one another. It should be supported by senior management as it allows people from all parts of the company to participate and get to know one another. It also encourages a healthy lifestyle, work life balance and shows that the company has a social responsibility and cares about their employees.

Executive adventure packed weekends complete with activities which include, paintball, clay shooting, mountain biking, skydiving, dirt bike riding, horse riding, hiking and much more are but another way of building team spirit and company morale. These weekends are exciting and give the employees the choice of activities to complete. Maximum participation should be encouraged. These suggested activities are excellent at building trust among staff. The challenges faced can also build strength and help individuals work toward outcomes. Team performance should be monitored feedback provided.

Whilst some of these adventure packed activities are not suitable for all staff of all workplaces, they are exciting, innovative and fun. Unconventional and dynamic, your employees will be experiencing something new and exciting. The last thing you want is for your staff to approach your next corporate team building day with cynicism and boredom. So challenge them with something new and try an outdoor or adventure packed day or weekend you staff won't expect. They will be rejuvenated and inspired and appreciate your innovation.