Monday, August 19, 2013

Company Function & Event Planning in Today's Corporate Environment


Functions and events are necessary for companies to reach their public-consumers, trade partners, investors, suppliers and employees. In the past, companies usually formed committees to handle and organize their functions and events.

With today's fast-paced corporate environment, however, companies can no longer afford to give select employees additional workload that would take them away from their primary responsibilities while the need to hold functions and events increases to generate publicity and launch information dissemination campaigns.

The Emergence of Function and Event Planners

Thus, a relatively new profession emerged--the event planners, otherwise known as function planners, event organizers, meeting managers, conference coordinators and special event coordinators.

The main responsibilities of event planners are to plan and organize events. From corporate functions such as trade shows, product launch, sales conference, and annual conventions to competitions, festivals and award nights to grand celebrations like anniversaries and Christmas parties.

Company Event Planning Requires Careful Preparation

Event planning encompasses conceptualization (motif and program flow), budgeting, logistics preparation and implementation. This career requires communication, organization and time management skills as this profession entails substantial coordination and management. Logistics, for one, includes selection and reservation of event sites, acquisition of permits, décor, manpower, entertainment, equipment, facilities, tables and chairs, security, guests, food, transportation, parking and cleanup.

With event planners, corporations are able to hold various events and corporate functions without having to handle the intricate details. Commissioned on a per project basis, companies do not need to retain employees for these specific functions. With the right event planning & event management techniques, these companies can save you time and wasteful funds, prioritising your essential requirements while broadening your opportunities to secure the right venue(s) and suppliers.

The key to a great event is a great function planner!

Hire an Event Planner to Host a Gala in New York City


New York is one of the most important places in the world. Being the Center for world trade and commerce, it draws large number of businessmen, corporate professionals from all over the world. Also New York is a very popular tourist destination with thousands of tourists crossing over its border every year. New York has some of the best hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, theaters and landscapes. It has an electrifying night life and a rich culture & heritage. Corporate events, wedding parties, product launches, fashion shows and social events are a regular in New York.

Event Planning has been a highly popular business in the recent times with many firms offering event planning services throughout New York. In fact one can find an event planning firm in every corner of New York. Planning an event requires detailed work on every aspect of the event in order to make it a success. Negligence on any part and there is every chance that the event may fall flat on its face.

A lot of tension, frustration and time are associated with planning an event. The event planners are the best people who can help you plan your event in the most efficient way and thereby ensure its success. The New York Event Planner offers the services of some of the world's best professional in event planning and management. Though these event planners offer services at a fee, it is worth taking the services of a professional. Everyone can find an event planning professional that suits his budget in New York. Some of the most well known and popular event planning firms in New York include: Bowlmor lanes, EMRG media NYC, Catering Guy.com, Steffan group, Crème de la Crème events and Maven Events.

An event planner professional has to very creative and must have a personality that must connect well with the clients and have a clear picture of the clients specific and personal needs for the event. The biggest constraint of organizing an event is its budget. Many a times, without careful and detailed planning, the budget shoots up beyond the expectations. The event planner professional has connections with the best vendors in New York and hence gets his client the best deal. The event planning professionals are in a much better position to negotiate with the vendors and get discounts.

Event planning professionals will help avoid disasters at the events because they would oversee all the operations of the day until everything is over. In the event of some crisis arising at the event, the event planning professionals are much better prepared to deal with it rather than having the client to deal with the situation.

Planning for an event requires a lot of dedication and time and the event planning professionals would ensure that there is no compromise on any part associated with the successful organizing of the event.

Event Planning Requires True Preparation


Although some people seem to fear it, great event planners understand that regardless of how much planning you do, there are always others things needed. Every event, every organization, every venue presents different challenges, and different conditions, and the greatest event planning occurs when the organizers prioritize planning. The great Olympic athlete, Jackie Joyner- Kersee said, "It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." As a professional negotiator, event planner, and event organizer for more than three decades, I have learned how true these words are when it comes to getting the optimal results from an event. There is no such thing as being over- prepared when it comes to an event, and while it may require more time, effort and commitment prior to an event, it invariably makes the actual performance of the event far easier to oversee and conduct.

1. Event planning begins with first identifying the goal or purpose. Is this for social reasons, fundraising, or some combination of purposes? What is the desired price point, both for attendees and the organization? What are you trying to achieve, and what are the top priorities (are they emphasizing the food, the speakers, or raising funds?)? This information is invaluable for the negotiator to have in hand, in advance, so that he has maximum advantage and detail to negotiate what is needed. The negotiator must understand what his budget is, what the priorities are, what the deal- breakers may be? He must have the opportunity to comprehensively do his homework on his adversary's needs (the venue), so as to know what is and is not negotiable from their point of view. Most organizers fail to recognize how valuable and essential this initial stage is to whatever success the end product will witness.

2. One can never spend too much planning for contingencies. Things always happen, either because of unforeseen circumstances such as weather, economy, labor issues, etc., or because of errors made at the last moment. Great planners develop valuable relationships with the venues, so that every effort is made to be prepared. There must not only be back- up plans, but back-ups for the contingencies. An organization and the venue must be on the same page, and all aspects must be clearly communicated well in advance, as well as on an ongoing and continuous basis.

Don't depend on luck or happenstance to assure the success of your event. Isn't it better to be able to anticipate and be prepared, and hopefully many of these plans will not be needed, but are ready if they are. Remember that all event planners are not created equal! Select wisely.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

The New OTC Markets Pink Alternative Reporting Standard Guidelines


OTC Markets recently implemented changes to the OTC Markets Disclosure Guidelines for issuers quoted with the "OTC Pink Current" information tier. These changes became effective on January 3, 2013.

Under the revised, "OTC Pink Alternative Reporting Standards", issuers who provide financial statements audited by an accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") are not required to provide an attorney opinion letter. This revision will have minimal impact for issuers complying with the OTC Pink Alternative Reporting Standard since most pink sheet issuers cannot afford the costs or time commitment associated with obtaining an audit from a PCAOB registered accounting firm.

Another revision to the OTC Pink Alternative Reporting Standards eliminates the requirement that issuers provide quarterly attorney opinion letters. Under the revised OTC Pink Alternative Reporting Standard, issuers must only provide an attorney opinion letter when filing their annual report. For issuers, this revision may reduce costs associated with obtaining attorney opinion letters but will have little impact on the investing public. As demonstrated by the string of recent SEC enforcement cases involving lawyers, attorneys fail in their role as the gatekeepers for OTC Markets disclosures. These recent cases demonstrate that many securities attorneys not only fail to comply with the securities laws but also fail to comply with the OTC Markets Disclosure Guidelines and state bar authorities when rendering attorney opinion letters for viewing by the public at large.

The OTC Markets Disclosure Guidelines continue to have an absolute requirement that issuers report within four days of their occurrence, material events. This requirement is similar to that imposed on SEC reporting issuers to report material events on Form 8-K.

Under OTC Markets Disclosure Guidelines, material corporate events that must be reported include:

* Entry or termination of a material definitive agreement (this includes agreements involving convertible securities);

* Completion of acquisition or disposition of assets, including but not limited to transactions involving reverse mergers;

* Creation of a direct financial obligation or an obligation under an off-balance sheet arrangement of an issuer;

* Triggering events that accelerate or increase a direct financial obligation or an obligation under an off-balance sheet arrangement;

* Costs associated with exit or disposal activities

* Material Impairments;

* Sales of equity securities;

* Material modification to rights of security holders;

* Changes in issuer's certifying accountant;

* Non-reliance on previously issued financial statements or a related audit report or completed interim review;

* Changes in control of issuer;

* Departure of directors or principal officers; election of directors; appointment of principal officers;

* Amendments to the issuers articles of incorporation or bylaws;

Changes in the issuers fiscal year end;

* Amendments to the issuer's code of ethics, or waiver of a provision of the foregoing; and

* Other events the issuer considers to be of importance.

The OTC Markets website cautions issuers and shareholders about the duty to provide current information.

"Federal securities laws, such as Rules 10b-5 and 15c2-11 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") as well as Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), and state Blue Sky laws, require issuers to provide adequate current information to the public markets... Persons with knowledge of such events would be considered to be in possession of material nonpublic information and may not buy or sell the issuer's securities until or unless such information is made public."

Any issuer quoted on the OTC Markets should consult with qualified legal counsel concerning the disclosures required by federal and state securities laws.

For more information about this article please visit http://www.securitieslawyer101.com

8 Benefits of Maintaining an Online Events and Class Calendar


All the organizations, irrespective of their sizes, plan events for their target audience. Hence, attracting only a handful of attendees at an event is the last thing the organizer wants. You can use the online calendaring tool to do away with the problem of bringing in only a few attendees to your event. The tool can also help you keep your target audience updated about all your upcoming events and activities. This comprehensive online calendaring tool, integrated with the event and class management software, easily informs people about your business meetings, conferences, and classes, all with just a click of the mouse, thus ensuring maximum attendance!

Easily Accessible

Your probable event and class attendees can easily access your events calendar from any part of the world. To view your online events and class schedules and other relevant features covering your events and activities, all they need is a computer connected to the Internet.

Quickly Browse through the Calendar

Anyone interested to attend your function and classes can quickly get the following information, among others, using a single integrated platform:

•Timings
•Date of commencement
•Venue
•Whom to contact
•Registration details

Easy Registration Right from the Calendar

This web-based calendaring tool offers on-spot registration for attending your events and classes. In other words, individuals don't have to search for your events-class registration page, as they can easily find it right on the calendar itself. Hence, it makes a lot easier for interested candidates to instantly sign up for your event, without the need to search for the form elsewhere.

Create Ample Number of Calendars

This online tool will offer you the opportunity to create as many calendars as you need for various organizational activities. In addition to generating a main calendar, you can set up more than one sub-calendar to categorize your events and academic classes.

Easy Moving of Information

You can easily move an event or class information from one calendar to another. For example, you can copy all your fundraising campaign details from a sub-calendar to the main one, as and when required.

Use the Configuration Tool

The Cloud-based calendaring module helps you easily create a color format to give it the look and feel of your business website. Additionally, you can also insert a header and menu to the online calendar with the help of this configuration tool.

Add Photos and Videos to the Calendar

You can add your past event and class photos, videos, speaker's comments, and such related information and course materials (handouts' presentation slides, and so on) for easy viewing by logged-in users.

Easily Categorize Public and Private Events

The online calendar lets you easily segregate events and classes on the basis of public versus private. With this tool, you can easily tag the events as public, for anyone to view the details, as against private, for restricted viewing.

BMX Bike Show Features For Corporate Entertainment


Those seeking corporate entertainment can now search a new venue by way of BMX bicycle stunt shows. Not a common portal for the corporate entertainment field, this newer facet is quite versatile allowing for the best shows to be performed during fairs, public events, private parties, fundraisers, conventions, and many other corporate functions. What sets BMX entertainment events apart from any other type of show is that there is an element of dare devilry, as these stunts can be quite amazing, and there is a new action put into the corporate world that is hard to pass up.

As potential prospects and clients see that you have a knack for flair and providing the best show, they will be very interested in getting you on their side. What is better than someone that can leave a life-long impression with a crowd of hundreds, maybe even thousands? If you can book the best show, give a special interest to BMX stunt show ideas that could create the best show of the century.

You will now have competition in getting the best as some of the largest corporations are seeking an event of the same stature, however, with the right team behind you, you can really shine. With these special BMX stunt shows, you will receive various features such as:

· Various ramp stunts

· Extreme sound system with up to 1,000 watts and two speakers

· Complete stunt show set-up and take-down

You also receive several other features with the show including t-shirts and posters that you can opt to sell during the stunt show, as well as a generator that runs quietly for energy needs you may have and wish to handle without issue.

These BMX stunt shows are comprised of a team of professionals that are highly experienced and know several tricks and stunts that are sure to knock the crowd out of the park. What more could you ask for when seeking corporate entertainment?

Plan Ahead Events Franchise Review


Plan Ahead Events is a franchise business opportunity that helps organize meetings, conventions, trade shows and a host of other get together social and business events do just that... get it together. Here is a simple review of the franchise business and opportunity.

Plan Ahead Events is a franchise business opportunity in the business of helping everyone from family members to clubs and businesses literally plan and host there events. Whether it is a trade show, convention, family reunion or a large business meeting, this opportunity will training you to put it together. The cost to start this franchise business is a liquid investment of $17,000 and up to $25,0000 depending on the city and region you are from and will be providing your services too.

This full service management opportunity will come with full training and ongoing support to help you maximize your return on your large investment. This event planning business will come with the requirement of at least some natural and learned skills such as time management, organizational and ATTENTION to details. PAE does provide help with the management with your local suppliers, vendors and sponsors.

The Plan Ahead Events is a legitimate franchise business opportunity that some could find success with. This particular opportunity would be most suitable however for those in larger urban areas with the possibility of a large clientele. For those looking to start this business should also consider creating and branding this business online through dominating their local search engine as this is becoming the most popular platform for many to search for services of this particular business and industry.