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Promoting an Event – If Only We All Had the Nerve (Tee Hee!)

May 31, 2012 By Comments
black background with one spotlight

Photo courtesy of -Kenzie-

There is a great deal to consider when thinking about promoting an event. When it comes to event promotion, we want to get the most bang for our buck. To increase your chances of success, start with a plan and arm yourself with a bit of foresight and some social media tools and you are on your way to promoting your event.

First and foremost, know and set your goals. Before you begin, it is important to strategize and set not only your goals, but your approach and line of attack as well. And specifically, what is it you want to accomplish through this “happening”. Envision (what you see) how the ultimate success of the event will turn out. Then you will be able to establish what real tasks and undertakings have to happen to achieve your vision.

Ensure you design an “event” that is effective, interesting and worthy of attendance. Take some time to define the reason(s) you are bringing people together. And as the boy scouts say, be prepared! So research, research, research is the name of the game. Things will definitely change along the way but recognize your target audience and plot things out; you will be able to make adjustments as you go.

Having said all that, there are definitely some times when you do not, I repeat do not want to promote an event. Sometimes the element of surprise is an important part of the event. If you’re ready to chuckle and say if only, have a look at this and be prepared…to laugh!

 

 

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Contract Negotiation-and You Thought a Meeting Planner Had It Tough (Comedy Video)

May 30, 2012 By Comments

photo by listsmash.blogspot.com

Contract negotiation is a major part of a meeting planner’s job. Naturally, some meeting planners like doing these negotiations more than others. I guess it really depends on the personality type. One thing that’s certain is that anyone entering into negotiations any type had better be prepared.

Which got me thinking, for this post, imagine if God had to negotiate for the contract to create Earth. What would be his closing pitch? What areas would he be willing to walk away from in order to win the contract? Well, watch below as our friends from Funny or Die present us with a comical approach of how the contract negotiations would have proceeded.

 

 

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15th Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – The Quinceanera

May 29, 2012 By Comments
girls celebrating their quinceanera

Photo courtesy of Eneas

15th birthday party ideas for girls and this time something a little more unique. Sweet Sixteen birthday parties have been popular in the USA and Canada for several decades. A coming of age party (usually for girls) signifies a young lady’s first steps into adulthood. And while the celebrations may vary from a casual house party to a blowout black tie affair, they are generally the same. A birthday party, a milestone to be sure, but a birthday party nonetheless (not that’s there anything wrong with that!!). But there are not really any customs, rites or rituals specific to a Sweet Sixteen as associated with many other coming of age parties.

Many believe the Sweet Sixteen party evolved from the Quinceanera, a Hispanic celebration when a girl turns fifteen. While also a birthday party, the Quinceanera has both religious and cultural implications that a standard birthday doesn’t.

15th Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – What is a Quinceanera?

Quinceanera translates (almost literally) to “she who is fifteen” and is known as a girl’s coming out party, marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. And more than just a party, a traditional Quinceanera begins with a religious ceremony at her church.

Accompanied by her Court of Honor, her parents and godparents, la Quinceanera (the guest of honor) is garbed in a beautiful white gown to signify her innocence. And although customs differ from country to country, the Catholic celebration includes a thanksgiving mass. During the mass la Quinceanera is usually presented with a rosary or religious pendant by her godparents.

15th Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – Quinceanera Traditions

There are many rites that involved with a traditional Quinceanera. They may include (but are not limited to!):

The Court of Honor – Chosen from the la Quinceanera’s circle of friends and close family. The Court of Honor was traditionally comprised of 7 girls and 7 boys paired off but can be an all girl or all boy court of honor.

Changing of the Shoes – The father (or if the father is not present, a close male relative) ceremoniously changes la Quinceanera’s flat shoes to high heels. This symbolizes her transformation from a child to a young woman.

The Last Doll – Depending on the culture, the last doll may be part of the ceremony or used as a decoration. In other cultures the last doll represents the final childhood gift before entering adulthood.

15th Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – The Party

Although by definition a 15th birthday party, a Quinceanera includes the above traditions as well as some specific speeches, toasts and dancing (including a father/daughter dance and one by la Quinceanera and her court).

Once tradition has been adhered to, anything goes! Dictated by what kind of party la Quinceanera and her parents want, a Quinceanera is like many rituals, as big and grand, or as intimate and low key as the hosts and guest of honor prefer.

Through the ages we have celebrated rites of passage, marking the occasions with family, friends and food. A Quinceanera combines those with tradition, religion and customs, making for a memorable time for all!

 

 

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Boy Birthday Party Ideas – A Superhero Party for Your Super Boy

May 25, 2012 By Comments
cartoon superheros

Photo courtesy of marymactavish on flickr

Every parent’s goal is to make sure their son’s birthday is amazing, unforgettable and, well, just plain super. We plan and we plot and we go a little bit crazy trying to ensure that this one is the best party yet. And what better way to create a super party than to throw a superhero birthday party.

Comic books, and superheroes, burst on the scene in the 1930’s and have been a prominent part of pop culture since. And who, child and adult alike, hasn’t gotten lost in the adventures of Superman, Ironman or the Flash? Their popularity and staying power are a testament to our love of superheroes, usually just regular people with extraordinary powers.

Boy Birthday Party Ideas – Deciding the Theme

A great birthday party  theme that can be incorporated throughout the day seamlessly will help contribute to the success of the party. And the best way to ensure a successful theme is to discuss it with the birthday boy. You know he eats, breaths and sleeps all things superhero, but what kind of theme do you and the guest of honor want?

Is he batty for Batman or super excited for Superman? If he is absolutely crazy about one particular superhero you can theme everything around that one superhero. A general superhero theme is also a lot of fun and is a sometimes a little easier due to the broadness of the theme.

Boy Birthday Party Ideas – A Super Day for your Super Kid!

Your superhero invitations will inform your guests of the theme. They can be store bought or downloaded from one of the many online invitation sites such as evites.com. Since most boys (and many girls) are crazy about superheroes, have the guests dress up as their favorite hero or villain. Be sure to have extra costumes on hand for those kids who didn’t want to dress up but change their minds once they see how cool everyone else looks all dressed up.

Standard party games can be geared to your theme (pin the cape on the superhero) and decor is fairly simple. Every local party and dollar store has tons of superhero decorations and party favors. You can easily turn your basement into the “secret lair”….accessible only to super awesome superheroes. A little online research will fill in the details of your son’s favorite hero (if there are any details that you’ve actually missed) and allow you to add some fun and interesting tidbits to the day.

Boy Birthday Party Ideas – Capping off a Super Day

No matter how great a party is, every kid loves (loves, loves!) the cape to every party, the loot bag! At a superhero party the possibilities for a loot bag are endless. But in addition to all the super superhero gear you can include, a comic book is a great addition. If you’re looking to watch costs, plan ahead and visit thrift shops, second hand book stores and garage sales for mint condition second hand comics.

Every little boy (and most big ones!) dreams of being a superhero and having special powers. And now you can make your son’s dreams come true for the day when you throw him a super amazing superhero birthday party!

 

 

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3 Tips for Your Business Plan Outline

May 24, 2012 By Comments
business plan outline

photo by infobarrel.com

A business plan outline is crucial for anyone considering starting their own event planning business. Basically a business plan shows that you have an understanding of the process involved with getting your business up and running. And even more importantly into a profit position.

If You’re New to the Industry Consider Event Planning Internships

The good old American dream that we all can own our own companies. And for many people that dream does indeed come true. But ask anyone involved in their own event planning company and they’ll tell you that you need a solid business plan in order to help you grow. And you also need experience. I see many people fresh out of college just itching to start their own business. While I appreciate that energy and enthusiasm, sometimes a reality check is also needed. There’s nothing wrong with working for somebody else when you are new to an industry. In addition, there are many event planning internships that can help you. Very good grasp on how the industry operates.

The first thing that any potential investor will ask you for is your business plan. So it is crucial that your business plan outline accounts for the research that will be required.

Three Tips You Should Include in Your Business Plan Outline

We’re not outlining all of the sections that should be in your business plan in this post. Check the related articles below for more information regarding business plan sections. For this post, we’re providing tips on three of the key components of a business plan.

  1. Executive Summary. While this is at the beginning of your business plan it doesn’t mean that you should write it first. Actually it’s strongly suggested that this section is written last. The reason is that you want to provide your reader with an overview of the information that is contained within your business plan. And a good overview of the information can’t be written until the information itself completed.
  2. Financials. Of course the financial section is the place where any potential lender will probably flip to first. They want to know that you have made realistic projections for your growth. I’ve seen a lot of people that provided financials which showed a very rosy growth picture. My advice is that you want to show your potential lender that you understand the risks involved with a startup or new business. Do three financial projections. You want to do one for best case scenario, worst-case scenario and one for probable scenario. Your probable scenario will not look the best on paper but it will give any potential lenders a comfort level as you have demonstrated that you have also planned for the worst. Don’t forget, lenders have been around the block and are really looking for your management ability to steer, direct and grow your business. And by the way, those people that I know that overestimated their growth projections never received any financing.
  3. Your Competition. An analysis of your competition is usually in the marketing section of your business plan. What I recommend for competition is that you do considerable research. And by research I don’t mean goggling them and copying information that is readily available for anyone to see. You need to have a solid grasp on your competition’s strengths as well as weaknesses. Having a detailed analysis of your major competitors proves to people that you know what you’re up against when it comes to winning business.

Compiling a business plan outline is a crucial step when starting a new business. Perhaps you work for a corporate event planning company and have been considering starting your own event planning business. The three tips outlined here are all crucial components to your overall business plan. The one main item for any new business is to make sure that you do your homework ahead of time. Not only will potential lenders appreciate it, you’ll also have a better understanding of where your challenges lie.

 

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Infographic – 5 Helpful Tips When Planning Your Wedding

May 23, 2012 By Comments

5 Helpful Tips When Planning Your Wedding infographicAre you planning a wedding for you or someone close to you? Not sure where to start? What do you do? Don’t get overwhelmed! This chart cleverly shows the top 5 key attributes to consider when thinking about the details involved in planning an amazing wedding. Let our planning experts help you look like a professional. Click here for more info on wedding plans.

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5 Helpful Tips When Planning Your WeddingPlanAnEvent.org

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Event Planning Companies Are Getting Creative for Transportation

May 22, 2012 By Comments
Event Planning Companies Are Getting Creative for Transportation

photo by jaunted.com

First there were the additional fees charged by airlines for; boarding early, watching tv, having a meal on board, and checking luggage. Now event planning companies are learning that airlines are looking at adding extra fees for their preferred seats. Billed as a way to combat the ever increasing fuel costs that airlines are faced with, additional fees are becoming commonplace with most airlines. As an airline spokesperson indicated, we got used to the menu add-ons in the food and beverage industry and now many customers are content with airline add-on fees. The reason, they contend, is that many travelers are happy to decide for themselves what they’re willing to pay for and what they’re not willing to pay for.

Transportation is a Large Component of an Event Planning Company’s Services

Transportation is one of those logistical components to an overall conference or event. You see, getting all of your delegates to the meeting’s location on time is the number one goal to launch a successful conference. And when you’re dealing with many different airlines and many different airports those planning logistics can sometimes become a nightmare. Add in weather and have a whole other can of worms.

The good news for event planning companies is that many of these airlines are setting aside more window and aisle seats for their frequent flyers at no extra cost. After all, it is the frequent flyers that tend to pay a higher per ticket price compared with many other passengers on the same flight.

Tips on How You Can Be Creative When It Comes to Booking Transportation

  • book as far out as possible to ensure that, in addition to availability, you’re able to pick a seat without an additional charge
  • consider your route. If you have to schedule a connection flight as part of your travel plans consider using a less traveled airport for your hub. Flight availability and cost can be drastically affected by flying through less traveled airports.
  • Flying days. Many event planning companies are now starting to look at the days of the week that they could schedule their conferences. It is a delicate balancing act as their goal is also to make sure the delegates don’t miss too much time in the office. However, by adjusting the days of your conference you can have dramatic impact on flight availability and costs.
  • Check with your gate agent regarding seat moves. Even if you have exhausted all their traditional means of selecting your ideal seat with no lock, still check with your gate agent regarding a move. Quite often they are trying to accommodate other passengers with seat changes and your request may assist them.
  • Dress appropriately. Yes a picture is worth a thousand words.  How you look can have an impact on where you can be moved.  An agent is not going to move someone that has pants hanging down to their knees beside a frequent business flyer. But if you dress in business casual you may be pleasantly surprised.

Airlines, like many industries today, are always looking for ways to add additional revenue to their bottom line. Like so, meeting planning companies today need to be creative when providing transportation for their clients. There are ways to keep additional costs to a minimum, you just need to be creative.

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13th Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – Time to Get Started!

May 21, 2012 By Comments
cake with tall burning candles

Photo courtesy of robokow on flickr

Some say planning a 13th birthday party for a girl is a hard task to undertake and accomplish. To that I say a rousing pish posh. Sure, your little girl is no longer a baby but she is not yet an adult. However there is no hiding the fact that she is definitely growing up, becoming her own person and on her way to adulthood. Just for a minute, think back to the good old days, we’ve all been there. Turning thirteen and planning that perfect “it’s just what I wanted” 13th birthday party for a girl is all about leaving behind your childhood and childlike stuff and planning a more grown up. But at the same time it has to be a totally fun celebration. So take that minute and just think back…

Imagine a fun and easy going scenario where your almost teen and her friends can kick back, be a grown up (in their minds anyway)and enjoy a moment in time filled with fun and laugh after laugh. Sounds like a perfect joy filled birthday celebration, that won’t soon be forgotten.

13th Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – 1, 2, 3 First Things First!

When planning birthday parties it really makes no difference who you are planning it for; yourself, your child, a spouse or a friend. And the number thirteen is no different. When planning that extra special thirteenth celebration there are a few things to remember.

Conversation – Have a conversation with the birthday girl. To ensure that not only Mom and Dad are happy, but the guest of honor is as well. It really is necessary to have that sit down and find out what she really wants for her special day. Depending on the tween, some go with a full out party, others want a planned unique activity while others opt for the day to involve going somewhere out of the ordinary. By taking the steps to finding out what she wants, (what she really, really wants) you can simply let her ideas and wishes be your planning guide.

Budget – It is imperative to come up with the big picture budget. The bottom line dollar value of the budget should encompass and cover every single item required for the successful party you want to throw. By actually coming up with a workable budget and then actually sticking to it you, you will be able to throw the party that not only you want but what your soon to be thirteen year wants. The end result will be a successful meeting of the minds without breaking the bank.

Guest List – Before getting started with the birthday party planning process, it is extremely useful to decide on the actual number of invited guests that the budget is meant to accommodate. Sometimes bigger isn’t always better and the more the merrier really aren’t that merry…well you get the picture. So even if the birthday girl is aching for a birthday party or experience of a lifetime but you don’t have the budget, have no fear. Stick to the budget, breaking the bank is never a prerequisite to throwing the most enjoyable and memorable party of the year.

So whatever 13th birthday party idea and/or direction you ultimately go with, as long as you remember to include the hopes and dreams of the birthday girl, you will end up throwing a party that will please every single invitee, most especially the guest of honor. Have that fact finding conversation and let the researching begin. You will then be on the road to finding all those unbelievable 13th birthday party ideas for girls that are right at your fingertips.

 

 

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Transportation Costs Can Get out of Hand for Meeting Event Planning (comedy video)

May 20, 2012 By Comments
meeting event planning transportation costs

photo by merrimentdesign.com

Meeting event planning involves many components. There are the hotels, the meeting rooms, speakers and transportation issues that all need to be addressed in order to ensure the meeting is a success. Ask any meeting planner and they can tell you how easy it is for any one component to get out of hand and exceed its budget.

Transportation is often a major part of the meeting event planning. After all many of the delegates and attendees have to travel from other cities just to get to the meeting itself. And once you’re in the city were the meeting is occurring, you still have to worry about transferring your guests around town.

We all know that costs tend to go up from one year over the other. In this expensive taxi prank video below, watch as unsuspecting  riders get a shock as they see the cost of a taxi ride climbing faster than seconds ticking away from a clock.

 

 

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Children’s Birthday Party Ideas and Games – Looking for Fun!

May 18, 2012 By Comments
birthday party kids game playing with tolet paper

Photo courtesy of Kwbridge on flickr

Is your child’s birthday rapidly approaching and you find yourself needing to come up with some great children’s birthday party ideas? Are you looking to make your kid’s birthday and birthday party the best one ever? When party planning for that super special birthday celebration for kids, there so many important party factors to mull over and consider. A gathering of kids for a party is meant to be fun filled and enjoyable for all, those attending as well as those planning and hosting. But frankly, children’s birthday party planning can be extremely challenging and at times can also be filled with stress and anxiety.

There really are so many important decisions that go in to planning your child’s birthday party. To theme or not to theme, budget, guest list, location, timing, food menu, loot bag; literally the list seems endless. When planning any child’s birthday party we feel every single decision is a significant and vital one. And of course they are. Nevertheless, as the parent and the planner of said celebration, we want each and every single element, choice and execution to be perfect (or as perfect as possible). And yes, it can all seem extremely intimidating. But have no fear; there is help available and right at your fingertips.

Children’s Birthday Party Ideas and Games – Let the Games Being!

While birthday gifts, cake and loot bags are tons of fun, party games are all the rage and in a good way. They are an excellent way to keep the invited guests busy and entertained, while at the same time burn off some of that sugary birthday energy. So once you have decided on that terrific, just right party theme, the other great details will follow to making this party the best one ever (or says the birthday kid).

So having said all that, for today’s blog we are going to concentrate on the fun and oh so amusing party games, truly always a party favorite! There are a wide range of great and fun classics to keep the kids active and help to bring the party to life! And don’t forget a couple of things when deciding on party games; keep in mind the age of the kids, supplies you have on hand and ensure the games are basic enough for everyone. By doing so you will be well on your way to laughs, joy and some super-duper birthday fun!

Children’s Birthday Party Ideas and Games – The Proof is in The Fun!

So let’s get started!

Musical Chairs – We all know it and love this game and really, who among us wants to be the only one standing. So set up chairs less one, start the music, the kids start walking around the chairs, when the music stops, they find a seat and the one left standing is out. Take a chair away and repeat and when there is only one standing you have a winner.

Egg and Spoon Race – Have the guests’ line up each with an egg on a spoon, start the race with the kids racing to the finish line without dropping the egg. First to cross the finish line is the winner.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey – A real classic. Each kid is blindfolded and gets the chance to place the tail on the donkey and the one closest to the right on spot is the winner. Note: This game can be customized to any party theme or favorite.

Pass the Parcel – The kids sit in a circle passing a parcel that has been wrapped over and over and over in many, many layers of newspaper. The music starts and when the music ends the kid holding the parcel gets to unwrap a layer and then repeat the process. When the last layer is removed there is a prize and a winner. In the end a great time is had by all.

Simon Says – A perfect activity to keep the kids busy and amused. The kids listen to a “caller” and follow the “order” provided. When a kid misses the order they are out of the game and the last player standing is the winner.

Balloon Toss – One of my personal favorites! Provide each kid with an inflated balloon and to win they have to keep it airborne by tapping the balloon with their hand. The one that keeps the balloon in the air the longest wins. This is one of the best birthday party laughs and energy burners.

Hot Potato – Entertainment is the name and hot potato is the game. Again the kids sit in a circle, music is playing and each kid passes the potato to the kid next to them. When the music stops whoever is left holding the potato is out. The last player remaining in the circle is the winner.

When choosing birthday party games keep in mind the age range of those participating. While deciding on the actual party games to ultimately go with can be challenging, by taking time sprinkled with some creativity and planning you will end up with the right games and a fun time will be had by all. And really, once the party is over all that will be remembered is the activities, fun and laughter.

 

 

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