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Promotional Events – When Marketing Meets Planning

August 24, 2011 By Comments

Photo courtesy J from UK on flickr

Whether launching an exciting new fragrance across the country, or a customer appreciation event at a local level,  a promotional event is a great way to gain exposure while building relationships with your clients, both existing and new.

It’s still a difficult financial climate out there and everyone is competing for the same consumer dollars, which there are now substantially less of. Things are pretty competitive and everyone is looking for a different way to get the buyers attention and  promotional events can be a great attention getter.

Promotional Events – Who’s Planning Them?

Pretty much anyone, company or individual, with something to sell, advertise or launch. It could be a major record label with a big name star launching a new album. But it can also be your local yoga studio holding a “Bend it for Breast Cancer” fund raiser. Either way the planning takes time, money and the flexibility of an Olympic gymnast!

Promotional Events – Why?

Generally promotional events create three different marketing opportunities … gain attention, increase awareness and maximize sales (or donations for a charity event). Occasionally, someone will sermonize and try to give a deeper or more altruistic reason. The truth is, business is business and everyone needs to make a living. So yes, they may “be driven, with a purpose of bringing…” art or literature or fabulous food to the masses. But they also want to make a buck doing it.

Promotional Events – How to Make it a Success

Regardless of size, a lot of planning goes into a success promotional event. It may be a little easier for a larger company due to an existing department or budget, allocated specifically for the event. But you can still accomplish everything the big guys are doing. You just need to be organized and creative to maximize the benefits.

You’re going to have to promote your event and there are a lot of effective, low cost ways of doing it. Utilize social media, but don’t depend 100% on it. Traditional media such as local TV stations and newspapers are a great way to reach your community. Remember, not everyone tweets! A well crafted press release can not only introduce you to the local media, but also be the first step in building a future relationship with them.

Last year a local bakery changed their format. And while they were doing okay, they were just squeaking by. They invited a local morning show, who shot several live segments. Throughout the morning the crowd in their shop continued to grow with repeat and first time visitors.

Now they got lucky. Most businesses or events don’t get that kind of free publicity. But they took their opportunity and really capitalized on it. They sent a press release to the community paper, which garnered them mentions prior to and following the event. They put up posters, sent out flyers and featured the upcoming shoot on both Facebook and their website.

That event is the gift that keeps on giving because their visibility, both locally and beyond, has increased and business has gone through the roof.

No matter the occasion, a promotional event is a great way to increase awareness while building goodwill within the community.

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Party Planning Ideas – Summertime!

August 23, 2011 By Comments

Photo courtesy of gliuoo on flickr

Are you one of those people who absolutely love party planning? Do you get excited at the thought of plotting out your ideas and visions of the who, what, where, when and how while planning the next great event for your family and friends? Do you have the need and desire to apply your creative juices and make sure every party is unique and exciting each time? Well, you’re in luck! There are so many fun party planning ideas for these “dog days of summer”. We all wish summer could last forever… well it can! Throw caution to the wind and try some of these great warm weather party planning ideas.

It’s Always the Perfect Time for a Picnic – Let’s Eat!

After making it through the cold, snow and rain, it’s the time of year we’ve all been waiting for. Nothing shouts warm weather loud and clear like a Picnic Party. Whether you’re planning for an adult or kid’s party, there are so many ways to create the perfect picnic party.

First, start with the food. When throwing a picnic party one of the easiest areas to shine is the menu. Unlike the days of our youth, we can simply avoid the long line of uninvited ants and other creepy crawlies by setting up picnic tables (or portable tables and chairs) and throw on a checked tablecloth. Ta-da, now you have a picture perfect (and bug free) place to feature all the delicious picnic food.

Having and eating yummy foods are the highlight of any party. The word picnic comes from a French word that’s basically defined as “pot luck”. Utilize the outdoors for your food matching ideas and create a menu that will please everyone’s palates. Summer brings to mind fresh, in season foods and when planning your menu there is a lot to choose from. Scrumptious fruits and vegetables, delectable party sandwiches, fresh salads and barbecue make for some mouth-watering options. Delicious food always adds to the party!

How Does it Look?

Decor can be effortless and stylish. If you just think picnic party a multitude of ideas come to mind.

You already have your tables dressed with checked table cloths and most people have on hand or can easily pick-up picnic “like” décor items that can quickly be put in to action. Take those picnic baskets, colorful towels and fabrics, vibrant balloons, streamers and decorations and use them to beautify the party area. And don’t forget the stand-by and always great fun for, adults and kids alike, the piñata. Regardless of age, a piñata adds that extra bit of sugar and spice to your picnic party.

You Say Games, I Say Diversions…Tomato, Tomatoe

I love nothing better than one thing that counts as two. A piñata is both décor and a game. A twofer if you will. Every time I showed up at my niece’s picnic birthday party with a piñata, I became the star of the party. I don’t know anyone, child or adult, that doesn’t love getting out all their energy and frustration by bashing a piñata filled with goodies. And scrambling to become the one with the most loot collected is part of the fun! Definitely a good time for all.

For a picnic party, interactive games are enjoyed by kids and adults of all ages and are a must. They get the guests actively participating and, most importantly, having fun. Use the outdoors to put on some of the most fun, entertaining and amusing games. Don’t forget about the good old standards (the names say it all) like spit the watermelon seeds, water balloon toss, three legged races, sack races, bubble gum blowing contest and the always popular ice cream licking contest. Depending on the ages and number of guests, you can easily organize and set-up sports games like volleyball, badminton, team Frisbee or even baseball. There is so much to choose from that will add to the joy of the party!

There are so many party planning ideas out there that can and will assist in the party planning process. Be sure to utilize your surroundings to elevate your party to the next level. There are some great websites available to help you in a fun and efficient way! So don’t forget the sunscreen, bug spray and lots of water and get out there and plan a picnic party before the summer is just a memory!

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Selecting Event Planning Companies

August 23, 2011 By Comments

So you decided to work with an event planning company. By looking at your local Yellow Pages or visiting a Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) website you’ll see that there are many event planning companies to choose from. But don’t think that just because they are in the Yellow Pages or on the CVB site that these event planning companies are great. It’s always best when selecting event planning companies to interview a couple of them. Like every industry there are good ones and there are bad ones.

What to Look for When Selecting Event Planning Companies

The first thing you want to do is meet with the event planning companies – whether it be in person or even over the telephone. You want to get a feeling of how you are going to work together. Remember you be working very closely with the event planning company until the conclusion of your event. You really want someone that you can work with not someone that makes you pull your hair out. Ask for references and actually call them. One telltale sign is if the event planning companies are not comfortable providing references. That should be a red flag right away. Walk or run away and don’t look back. Remember when selecting event planning companies you’re looking for someone that obviously has experience doing what it is you need them to do. Plus you need to have a comfort level with the person that you’re going to be working with.

In the video below we take a satirical look at how some event planning companies promote themselves. But the message is clear. Apart from having a good laugh (most likely at your expense) hiring an inexperienced event planner will make your life more stressful than if you hadn’t hired one in the first place.

 

 

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Party Planning Ideas

August 22, 2011 By Comments

Photo courtesy of caribb on flickr

For some, planning a party is a walk in the park. And for others, it’s more like walking through the dessert on broken glass! Some have the knack and some don’t. Whether online or in print there is an abundance of party planning ideas out there to help. You can find information including theme concepts, food and beverage ideas and recipes, entertainment, games and more.

But for those who party planning does not come easy, the question is how to develop the more intricate details. Should you work within a budget? On average, how many drinks are required per person? And once you know what you are doing, how do you stay on top of things and track them?

Party Planning Ideas – How Many Drinks are too Many?

I think we can all agree that parties, no matter the occasion, are full of fun, fun and even more fun. From the moment the invitation is received, to the moment we arrive at the shindig, it’s all about anticipation and looking forward to the fun. But not so much for the person planning the party.

Today, a large part of party planning includes the beverages. You have to combine being a responsible host with ensuring your guests enjoy themselves at a party with an open bar. Although there is no exact science to it, the first rule of thumb to remember including alcohol at your party is – drinking and driving is a humongous no, no.

Smart Serve is an online site that educates, trains and certifies career and bar professionals including those working a single party or event (non-profit, corporate or a home party). Smart Serve’s goal is to provide the tools to deliver responsible alcohol service and encourages “good times and good judgment”. In Ontario, Canada, anyone that serves alcohol in a licensed establishment must be Smart Serve certified.

If you aren’t able to go the Smart Serve route, there is a useful online drink calculator. The online drink calculator will help you work out how much alcohol to have on hand for your party. Just by entering the number of guests along with the number of party hours, it will provide you with the basic information to stock the party bar.

Party Planning Ideas – To Budget or Not To Budget?

To budget or not to budget, that is the question. And the answer is a rip roaring YES! Setting a budget (and sticking to it!) is a really good way to keep your party on track. Whether you’re planning a corporate party or home party, there is nothing worse than going over budget. There is an on-line budget estimator that will help you determine the approximate cost of your party.

By making a realistic budget, including all of your line items, you will put yourself one step ahead. So when you do the party postmortem (solo or with the entire corporate board) you will be able to pin point any problems or over spends, and avoid those situations in the future.

Party Planning Ideas – We All Love a Checklist, Don’t We?

Another really good party planning idea is the ever present party planning checklist. Along with the party budget, a very important part of party planning is the checklist. A party planning checklist will enable you to keep track of all the responsibilities, purchases and deadlines, all in one convenient place. Utilizing a party planning checklist, will ensure you accomplish everything that is required, track the items and meet your deadlines. A party planning checklist is like the assistant you never had!

Determine what works best for you. The checklist can be an elaborate, multi-page spreadsheet or a basic handwritten outline on a sheet of paper. Regardless of the style, it will help keep you organized and add to the success of the party.

Party planning can be easy or hard, fun or a chore, depending on who is doing the planning. But using these party planning ideas, they will put you on the road to planning a successful party.

 

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Choosing the Right Party Planner

August 21, 2011 By Comments

Choosing the right party planner can sometimes be a daunting task. You want to make sure that any party planner knows how you want the event to unfold. Common sense is a good characteristic for a party planner to have. But believe it or not that’s not always an easy trait to look for in a person. References are always a good idea. I repeat references are always a good idea – I can’t say that enough. But just getting references is meaningless unless you actually call them and get feedback on the party planner.

Here’s a comical look at a young couple trying to select a party planner for their child’s birthday party. While I’m sure you’ll get a chuckle as the scene unfolds, don’t forget the take away message – selecting the right party planner can be the difference between a memorable event or an event that might just end up on YouTube for all the wrong reasons.

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Party Coordinator – We All Need a Little Motivation

August 20, 2011 By Comments

Photo courtesy of robbed on flickr

Are you ready to make a change? Feeling like you are at a crossroads in life? Thinking of a career change? You’ve always been a social person and can plan a party like nobody’s business. Everyone thinks you should make the move and would be an amazing Party Coordinator. But you’re not 100% sure and lack the motivation to make the change. Motivation is a funny thing and can come from all sorts of people and places.

Motivation… To Make Changes…

We all need motivation, in life and in work. When I was in college, I was given advice that I have never forgotten. These morsels of wisdom have helped motivate me over the years through my various jobs and career changes.

In my first year of college a professor pulled me (a young woman with little confidence and self-esteem) aside and told me “You can do anything you want and succeed at it”. Besides my mother, no one had ever said that to me. He helped me understand that if I put my mind and energy to it, I could handle anything that came my way.

The following year, while working my full time job (to put myself through college), a customer shared a condensed version of his story with me. In his mid-forties he went back to college so that he could change his career. He emphatically told me that it is never, NEVER, too late to make a change in life, both in your education and career.

This was extremely hard for a twenty year old who was working as hard as she could to make her way through college and embark on what she thought would be her one and only career. Though I can’t remember either of those wise men’s names, those motivational words of wisdom have really encouraged, driven and motivated me and even precipitated my career change to the event and meeting planning world.

Have a Look at This…

We all find value in different places, from the different things that we see and hear. Have a look at what may be the best motivational clip out there. It will inspire you. Not only in your event and meeting planning career but in all areas of your life.

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Tips on How to Plan a Party

August 19, 2011 By Comments

Whether it be a birthday party, dinner party or a good old-fashioned BBQ, we’ve all been involved at some point in time in organizing a party. Here are a few tips on how to plan a party that will help take the stress away.

How to Plan a Party-Budgets

One of the first things you need to determine is how you are going to pay for the party. Will you be footing the bill alone or will you be asking people that are attending to help pay for some of the cost? Generally speaking birthday parties and dinner parties are usually paid for by the hosts. Keep in mind with dinner parties that most guests will bring a host gift and/or wine that you can serve. But if you have your budget determined ahead of time it will be easy to add the other elements based on their cost alone.

How to Plan a Party-Location

Factors to keep in mind when selecting a location are; is it easy for people to get to, how much it’s going to cost you to rent, and the overall appeal of the location. If it’s a casual party, i.e. a BBQ, chances are you can host that in your backyard or in a city park. For kids parties it’s often fun for the location to be at an attraction, a movie house or perhaps even a beach (make sure you have plenty of chaperones on hand for beaches).

How to Plan a Party-Attendees

How many people you invite to your party will usually depend on your budget (if you’re footing the bill) and your location. One thing to consider with attendees is how they will mingle with each other. I’ve been to several parties where people tend to congregate in groups because of their familiarity with each other. Your goal is to get the attendees to mingle with each other. So having a common goal like everyone’s children in the same school would be one way that mingling is likely to happen. For dinner parties don’t sit couples next to each other. Spreading the group around the table will help ensure new conversations and ones that are likely to include several people.

How to Plan a Party-Theme

Of course birthday parties themes are generally dictated by the location selected. If your party is for grown-ups (perhaps a Halloween party) make sure you set a theme that’s easy for the attendees. A couple of decades ago murder mystery parties became very popular. Party attendees were sent their characters information ahead of time so that they would have a chance to enhance their role. The rule of thumb with themes is not to make it too complicated for people to participate.

How to Plan a Party-Invites

This is the nervous part. You’ve done all your planning, selected your venue and you’re now ready to invite people. I always recommend that the invitation process occurs in stages. First you want to send out the general invitation informing people of what exactly it is that you be doing. Asking for RSVP’s is recommended. But bear in mind very seldom will everybody that said they were going to come actually show up. Next schedule a couple of reminders. The first one could be a couple weeks prior to the event with the last reminder being a day or two from the event. Again always ask for confirmation of attendance. I’ve talked about EventBrite in previous posts. It’s a free web-based event management platform where you can set up your event and actually send invitations out automatically. It will also track the RSVPs.

How to Plan a Party – The Role of the Host

For most birthday or casual parties the role of the host will most likely be you. So it’s important for you to remember that you will have duties and responsibilities to carry out throughout the event. Not that you won’t be able to have a good time and socialize with your attendees. But if you intend to partake and perhaps consume alcohol throughout the event then you might want to consider having someone else oversee things as they unfold.

Of course there are many more tips on how to plan a party and the ones above are intended to give you a general framework. Basically the message here is organization. Don’t leave things to last-minute and don’t expect that just because you sent an invitation to someone that they will automatically attend. Know your budget and what you need to do to keep things in line. Following a few of these tips on how to plan a party will help you create a successful party and have a bit of fun doing it.

 

 

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Event Planning Supplies – The Components of a Successful Program

August 18, 2011 By Comments

Photo courtesy of AJC1 on flickr

It takes a lot to plan an event. Ideally, you need the creativity of an artist, the stamina of a marathon runner and the calm of a Buddhist monk. And don’t forget the multitasking abilities of a parent of six! Not too much to ask for. But no matter how well you plan it, without talented, reliable and amazing suppliers, everything that can go wrong…may.

Event Planning Supplies – Catering

Food bonds people. A romantic dinner for two or appetizers for two thousand, people have always enjoyed breaking bread. It offers the chance to savor, discuss and drink. And no matter what the event, the food will always be talk about.

Although delicious and well prepared is always at the top of the list, it’s important that the menu be appropriate for the event. A casual affair should not have high end, frou frou hors d’œuvres that no one will recognize. And on the flip side, attendees are expecting something beyond pigs in a blanket at a black tie affair!

After planning the event to the smallest detail, you have a pretty good idea of what you want. But if you’re not sure of your final choices, a good caterer will help you create a menu that will both dazzle and delight.

Event Planning Supplies – Transportation

Not all programs require transportation. Perhaps the venue is all encompassing, or everything is planned within walking distance. Sometimes they’re responsible for their own transportation. But usually some transportation is required; shuttles, airport, dine-arounds or tours. And when transportation is your responsibility, you want to ensure your delegates are receiving a certain level of service.

First and foremost, ensure any vehicles being used for your program are clean, modern and in good repair. It may seem basic but a few years ago there was an extremely high-end, VIP group in town. The event coordinator and client were to be picked up in a luxury coach and taken to meet the delegates at the airport. The luxury coach, exclusively booked for the five day program, was running late. The dispatcher sent a standard passenger van with bench seating as a replacement. The issue? The van was old, dirty and had a cracked windshield! And although the lux coach met them at the airport, the client was furious with the “crap-mobile” sent in its place.

The meeting planner was informed immediately and called the dispatcher. When the response was denials and a condescending brush off, she knew she was not receiving the service she expected. After a few calls, she found another luxury coach (from one of her other suppliers) and pulled the contract immediately. Although the delegates were unaware of the situation, the client appreciated her quick response to the less than stellar supplier.

Event Planning Supplies – Welcome Gifts

Although more common in the past, a welcome gift awaiting delegates in their room is a great touch. Usually something local, it doesn’t have to be extravagant to be effective. A small gift bag filled with some local goodies is a welcome sight after spending several hours traveling. A couple of bottles of water and some tasty treats are appreciated by your tired and hungry delegates.

Welcome gifts are a small detail, but one that gets people’s attention and sets a nice tone for the rest of the meeting.

They say we are only as strong as our weakest link. By utilizing strong, reliable suppliers, you can ensure the strength of the individual components of your event.

 

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Using Twitter to Promote Your Event

August 18, 2011 By Comments

Pretty much everyone you know has a twitter account. And pretty much everyone you know uses their twitter account incorrectly. Why on earth anyone would think that people give a darn about what coffee they are drinking or who they just saw walking in the coffee shop is beyond me. But those are the tweets that we keep on getting minute after minute. Well as you can tell I’m about to tell you there’s a right way and a wrong way for using twitter to promote your event.

Don’t Use Twitter Just to Promote Yourself

The number one thing you can do on twitter to turn people off is to use it as a sales tool. It really should be thought of more as a marketing tool. What I mean by that is that rather than telling people about this special or this deal why not give them some information that they’re looking for. Answer questions and relay interesting news articles that relate to your industry. Generally speaking if you provide your twitter followers with information designed to assist them then you’re more likely to keep their interest. As I said earlier if all you’re using your twitter account for is to promote the sales aspect of your company you’ll soon discover you’ll have fewer and fewer twitter followers. Just look at your own twitter account. What tweets caught your attention? I’m willing to bet you that it wasn’t a restaurant promoting its steak special for this evening rather it was probably a tidbit of information that you found interesting. And you’re more likely to retweet those ones.

Target the Right Followers on Twitter

Twitter, like all of your social media accounts should not be all things to all people. You will not tweet to your friends the way that you would tweet to potential clients. So make sure when you’re looking for people to follow and in turn getting people to follow you it’s very important that you have a clear idea of what you’re going to be using that twitter account for. There is nothing wrong with having one twitter account for your friends and a completely separate twitter account for work.

Building Good Twitter Followers Takes Time

As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. Well neither will your twitter account. The purpose of establishing yourself on twitter is really more about you or your company – the brand. Your goal should be for people to have an understanding of what you offer and what you do. Not necessarily what you’re selling. It’s important to keep those two separate. Provide relevant information that people can use. Use hashtags to get noticed when speaking about relevant information. But make sure you use hashtags properly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people just put a # in front of any word and think they’ve created a hashtag. Hashtags don’t work like that. Twitter has some very good information on hashtags and how to use them. I strongly suggest that you take the time and understand hashtags before using them.  Bookmark Hashtags.org as well. You’ll use this site often to research what hashtags to use.

Twitter is an excellent social media tool when used properly. Like I said at the beginning all too often we are bombarded with totally useless tweets. Using twitter as a marketing tool is an excellent idea but it is a slow build. But then again anything worthwhile is well worth the wait.

 

 

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A Day in the Life of an Event Planner

August 17, 2011 By Comments

Many people that I talk to have said how exciting it must be to be an event planner. When people say that to me I’m often left wondering exactly what aspect of an event planner’s job are they referring to. First I want to say that they are right to a certain degree. The job of an event planner can be very rewarding. However for those of you that are considering a career in event planning there are a few things that you should understand about what an event planner’s job entails.

The Travel Schedule of an Event Planner

At first glance many people think how great it is to travel to all the different cities that many event planners go to. Usually they are major cities that offer the very best that their region/country has to offer. However that novelty will soon wear off. I’ve worked with many event planners that quite literally did not remember what city they were in. The reason? Usually it’s because during a conference or meeting the event planner is extremely busy making sure that every and all aspects of the program is being executed. Therefore many do not even see the outside of the hotel that they are in. So if you’re selecting travel as a reason to become an event planner I strongly suggest you rethink that reason.

An Event Planner’s Work Schedule

As I mentioned above when talking about the event planners travel schedule, the same can apply to their work schedule. During programs it’s not unheard of for a planner to be up before dawn making sure the morning activities are ready. And their days can literally go past midnight. I’ve often said this job is for young people. And it’s for this reason that I say that.

The Event Planners Interaction with Delegates

During my hotel days I would always joke that if I ever interviewed anybody who said they liked working with people that I would never hire them. I always said anybody who made that statement has never really had an opportunity to work with people. Now of course I’m mostly joking here, but the point I’m trying to make is that when you do work with people there are lots of personality types that you will be dealing with. And an event planner knows this firsthand. During a program an event planner is bombarded with questions and requests ranging from; what restaurant would you recommend, I need to change my flights, my luggage was lost and I need toiletries, and the list goes on and on and on. It takes a strong personality and a multitasker to be able to deal with all of these requests, with a smile, while making sure that the overall program is running smoothly. Now you know why many event planners higher local professionals to assist them with executing their programs.

So if you do think you have the right stuff to become an event planner then I encourage you to look further. One suggestion would be to volunteer to be an ambassador for your city. Generally speaking, being an ambassador for your city means that you’re available to help welcome large groups to your city. If you’ve ever been to an airport when a large convention is getting underway then you have most likely seen people mulling about the airport welcoming and answering general questions. Quite often these are volunteer positions. It’ll give you a little exposure to the industry and a fair amount of exposure dealing with convention delegates. Kind of like a test drive before you buy. Check with your local colleges and your convention and visitors bureaus for courses and recommendations on how to become an event planner. Just make sure you’re doing it for the right reason.

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