June 2012 - PlanAnEvent.org

Sometimes the Job of an Event Planner Feels like You Just Can’t Get to the Finish Line (Comedy Video)

June 29, 2012 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

event planner can't get to the finish line

photo by vnapolez18.blogspot.com

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you are trying to run away from something, or trying to catch something, and you just can’t seem to get there fast enough? I’m sure many event planners out there can relate to that.

Which brings me to the video below. From our friends at “Just for Laughs ” (similar to the old Candid Camera Show) we present a video where unsuspecting people think they are taking an elevator to a specified floor only to be frustrated when they seem to reach every floor but the one they want.

So take a break, sit back and enjoy a little chuckle. But I’m sure, as you watch the video, you can’t help thinking “this is sometimes a typical day for an event planner”.

Filed Under: Tools & Guides Tagged With: comedy video, eventprofs, videos

Wedding Planning – In a Word or Two: Be Prepared!

June 28, 2012 By Randy Markus Comments

Photo courtesy of Corinna A. Carlson

The big day has arrived. He proposed and you said yes and a rousing round of congratulations a waits! You are floating on cloud nine and you should be, but wait now the actual work begins. Let’s face it, most women (and some men) dream and plan for this most special day, the wedding day to arrive. It’s funny how some people long for this day; they start wishing and dreaming and planning for this time in life at a very early age. My sister just couldn’t wait; growing up it was all about the wedding literally all the time. I promise you by the time she was eighteen I (yes me) could rattle off so many of her wedding details; the venue, time of year, wedding size, wedding decor, dress, cake and even where she wanted to go on her honeymoon.

Wedding Planning – Wishing and Dreaming and Planning….

Whether you are a person that has longed for the wedding day to arrive or not, lots goes into planning this extra special day. And when the time does finally get here it will speed by faster that you can say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. The best way to have the day you dreamed of is as the boy scouts always say be prepared. The foundation to a great wedding is to be yourself, be realistic, budgeting, ask for advice, don’t be afraid to delegate and yes be prepared. It is never too soon for the wedding planning to begin and whether you are working with a wedding planner or spearheading all the details yourself, utilizing a wedding planning checklist will be a huge (HUGE) help. By writing down everything and tracking each and every single item, you will be sure to not miss any details.

Wedding Planning – Don’t Forget to Enjoy!

Once all those oh so important decisions have been made and the wedding planning and organizing has been completed that can mean only one thing - the big day is here. So now is the time to relax, enjoy and have fun, right! I know what you’re thinking, so, so easy for me to say. Relax…no way is that possible! As we have blogged here many a time, with so much that goes into planning a wedding something is bound to go south (and not in a good way). No matter how many times things are checked and re-check you just never do know what the day will bring. So take a breath, don’t blow a casket and really once the wedding is here there isn’t much you can do about it. Even my sister with all her pre wishing and dreaming and planning had some hiccups, the venue was tardy in setting up and the band was late, to name just a few. But she had it in her mind that no matter what happened she was going to go with the flow, not stress out and had every intention to enjoy this time. And you know what she did exactly that.

Ready for a chuckle? Thanks to our friends at YouTube this video proves you really just never do know.

The take away is things most always never go as planned. So remember to enjoy this special day and bear in mind that a wedding is only one day but a marriage lasts a lifetime! So be sure to take it all in and have fun during this extra special moment of joy!

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: comedy video, planning, wedding, weddingplanning, Weddings

What Makes Event Planning Companies Great? One Word, Integrity

June 27, 2012 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

photo by learningvoyager.blogspot.com

Let’s face it, there is no shortage of event planning companies. But are they all equal? Of course not. But how do you tell which ones are better than the others? Well sometimes that’s not so easy to ascertain at the event planning stage. But by following the advice below, you will be able to make informed decisions on which event planning company you want to work with.

Top Event Planning Companies Stand out

The role of an event planning company is to ensure that their client receives the best advice, venue negotiations, etc. with the overall goal of a successful meeting, conference or event. If you’ve read any of the articles on this blog then you know that an event planner wears many hats.

Believe it or not there are also many instances where clients can save on their budget by hiring an event planning company. I know that sounds hard to believe because typically we believe that everything we contract or hire usually means an additional expense. But we also expect that event planning companies have established relationships with vendors and suppliers and thus are quite often able to negotiate better terms for their clients. And it usually these event planning companies that stand out. It’s those companies that work tirelessly towards ensuring their client has a successful meeting that start to gain the trust from their clients.

Key Factors That Make an Event Planning Company Stand out amongst the Crowd

I can remember meeting with potential clients and getting asked the, very common, question “what sets you apart from the rest?”. And let’s face it, many times you and your competitors are pitching the same venue to the same client. And, after all, a venue is a venue no matter who is doing the event planning. But back to the question that I’m often asked (what sets me apart). My reply is always that I believe the most important trait that sets any company apart from their competition is trust or integrity. And that’s something that takes a while to develop. So how do you know whether or not the company you are considering has integrity? Here are a few things that I always recommend;

Show the events price breakdown. In the proposal stage I would always break out the price by the various components of the event itself. For example, I would show an item line for transportation, food, beverage, service and equipment charges, my fee, if any, as well as taxes and gratuities. You have probably seen companies that show you a per-person price based on a minimum attendance. Now I’m not saying that if you price by a per-person price that you are gouging your customers. Rather, I’m just saying that, for me, I never had a problem explaining to a client where my fee would fit into their overall program. In other words I wouldn’t hide anything from my client regarding pricing or my fee.

Ask for references. You wouldn’t believe how many clients never ask a potential event planning company for references. It’s one of the easiest ways to verify whether or not the company is up to the task. Of course also bear in mind that any references you receive will probably be from friendly past clients of that event planning company. But, that’s still not a bad thing. I would suggest that you ask for references that are the same size as your group will be.

Networking. Check event planning companies out on social media as well as the old-fashioned face-to-face networking. A good reputable company will have made a name for themselves. So ask your colleagues if they know of the company you are considering. If they are good, chances are somebody in your professional circle has heard of them or has used them.

Choosing an event planning company to work with doesn’t have to be a stab in the dark. But you do have to take a little bit of time at the onset to make sure that you are establishing a relationship with a company that you can easily work with. Your main goal should be your working relationship. In other words do you trust the event planning company that you are about to work with. If you take a little bit of time, and do your due diligence, you’ll be able to answer that question without hesitation.

Promote Your Event with a Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB)
How a Meeting and Event Planner Uses a CVB
Event Planning-Why Can’t We All Just Get along (plananevent.org)
Event Planning Companies Are Getting Creative for Transportation (plananevent.org)

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: event planning companies, event planning company, eventplanning, eventprofs, top event planning companies

Planning a Wedding – I said YES!

June 26, 2012 By Randy Markus Comments

Photo courtesy of galeria_stefby

Congratulations! He asked, you said YES and then proudly announced it to all your friends and family. And only once you did all that was exactly the moment the terror hit. You’re engaged and truly happy about it and as we always hear, weddings are definitely exciting and fun filled. Though let’s not forget that organizing and planning a wedding is hard work, can be unbelievably nerve-racking and stress filled. Yikes!

So many wedding ideas, tips and details to consider and more importantly remember including budgets, themes, gowns, invitations, food, favors, flowers and the list I promise you will continue to grow as you continue to plan. From start to finish, truly there are so many things to ponder and remember when planning your wonderfully unique wedding.

Planning a Wedding – Say YES to a Wedding Planning Checklist!

Wedding planning checklists were created to help the bride arrange, coordinate and plan each and every detail needed to organize that oh so perfect wedding day. So first and foremost, a few things to keep in mind; starting with it is never, never too early to start your wedding planning, next be sure to utilize all available resources including the internet, books, magazines, family and friends and as I always tell my pals, there will be a blip, something is likely to go astray, so remember the wedding is only one day, the marriage is for a lifetime!

The experts say that most women have thought about and dreamt about this day for … well ever. And the majority of brides I know don’t have an open-ended, unlimited budget right at their fingertips. But if planned with a bit of imagination, mixed with some creativeness and some resourcefulness thrown in, poof a wonderful wedding is in the making. By utilizing a wedding checklist or wedding to-do-list, you are putting yourself two steps ahead of the game. A wedding checklist will assist in guiding you in the right direction as well as assisting in keeping all those wedding plans, timelines and tasks in check. So basically it will help you to keep on top of all the details involved in throwing your perfect wedding.

Planning a Wedding – When Planning, It’s All About the Wedding Planning Checklist!

No matter how much or how little time you have to plan your wedding as the day gets closer you do not want to be the one in a mad, panicked rush. An agitated, flustered bride, trying to get everything accomplished at the last minute is not good. By using a wedding checklist, where you can remove and add items as you plan, will enable you to list all the details in priority order along with the timeline they must be accomplished by. Like a snowflake, wedding planning is very different for each bride and varies based on so many factors starting with the bride and including wedding size, season, location and so much more. A wedding checklist not only becomes your right hand woman, top assistant it really does help in keeping the bride and on top of and accountable to all things wedding!

By utilizing a wedding planning checklist when the big day does finally arrive the bride will be able to take it all in and truly enjoy the fruits of her labor. And really experience this special day in the best way possible!

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: events, planning, wedding, Wedding Planning, Weddings

5 Best Uses of Twitter at Conferences

June 22, 2012 By Plan An Event Guest Comments

If you’re an event organizer, you’re too busy to set up engaging twitter feeds for big screens, filter them, and promote the feeds to all the folks who couldn’t attend in person.

If you’re a conference attendee, following along on the fast-moving Twitter streams can be overwhelming, especially when there are too many retweets and off-topic conversations.

These 5 tips may help you keep up, whether you’re an attendee or an organizer:

Start watching the official hash tag (example: #adobeMAX) at least 7 days prior to the start of the event. You can start following people you may want to meet, learn about the latest conference-related news, and make some early connections before you even get on an airplane. If you’re feeling brave, join in give your opinions about the conference, which sessions you’re looking forward to, and start a conversation with a “celebrity” in your industry. If you’re a bit shy, there’s nothing wrong with just following along and “listening”.

See if the event has an official Twitter Dashboard, like the ones Refynr produces. For conference organizers, the benefit of a Refynr dashboard is that a) Refynr does all the custom work of designing the dashboard, b) the Refynr team manages and filters the feed for you so that you can concentrate on all your other tasks, c) and remote attendees can follow along virtually. Refynr estimates that for every 100 attendees, 20 additional will follow along on such a dashboard, because with the photo slideshow they feel almost like they are there in person. For attendees, the advantages are that they don’t have to figure out the best Twitter search on their own, and don’t have to waste time sifting through the extra retweets and spam that ofter occupies an unfiltered Twitter feed.

Follow interesting tweeters and the people they follow. If someone tweets something relevant to you or your industry, follow them. Then, dive deeper by seeing who they follow on Twitter. Twitter.com and the official Twitter iPhone app has the best interface, in my opinion, for viewing who someone follows. Go through that list to read the bio and Twitter stream from each person in the list to find people/companies worth following.

Create reports on the usage of the hash tag. Refynr can create custom reports for event organizers, or you can use free tools like HashTracking.com, which will analyze the tweets on the hash tag quickly and easily, but keep in mind that the free tools may not include all the data that Refynr curates, and so the data might not be exact. Either way, finding trends on who tweeted the most, which tweets induced the most engagement, and some key demographic information can be valuable to planning the next event and improving engagement with your various audiences.

Follow up with all the Twitter connections you made. Make sure to follow your top people/companies of interest from the hash tag stream, and then tweet or DM them a short message to connect. It’s best to do a little research about each person before initial contact. To do so, read their Twitter bios and follow the links on their Twitter profile. You may be able to find their professional website, blog, or LinkedIn profile. Those websites are better than a personal twitter or Facebook account because it gives you insight into how their business and professional life may be connected to yours, rather than some personal information which may not be relevant.

Sure, at any given conference you’ll still meet people face-to-face and exchange business cards the old-fashioned way, but technology is changing rapidly. With new social media tools, event organizers and event audiences alike can engage in interesting, industry-focused conversations days or weeks before, and after, an event. And the connections made from Twitter, LinkedIn, or a Facebook Fan Page can be more powerful and permanent than a business card that will probably be lost or forgotten in your suit pants pocket anyways. Make lasting relationships, have a ball, and feel like the next conference brings a higher RORI (Return on Relationship Investment) for everyone!

This post was written by guest blogger Aaron Longnion,Founder & CTO of Refynr

About Aaron: Former senior engineer at Adobe, HomeAway (employee #12), and Lynda.com, who started Refynr in 2010 to clean up the Twitter streams, but found out that conferences and events need this technology more than your average twitter user. Aaron wants to see the event industry join in on to social media’s underutilized ability to easily connect like-minded people and businesses in a genuine and long-lasting way.

website: refynr.com, FB Page: facebook.com/refynr

Meeting and Event Planner App-Check In Easy
Do You Use Meeting Planner Software?
Conference Planning Software – How Technology Has Changed the Industry

Filed Under: Tools & Guides Tagged With: conference attendee, conference planner, conference planning, Conferences, event planner, event planning tips, Refynr, Twitter

Being Green is Easier than You Think; Eco-friendly Green That Is…

June 21, 2012 By Randy Markus Comments

Photo courtesy of Will Merydith

Recently I was invited to an eco-friendly green wedding. Instead of the standard moans and groans I was actually really looking forward to attending and yes celebrating a friend’s special day. But truly I was also hoping to discover some additional ways to incorporate being eco-friendly and green into party and event planning.

An eco-friendly wedding is where by way of the wedding planning, the bridal couple attempts to reduce the effect and impression their wedding has on the earth. When planning all those wedding details bridal couples will organize and arrange eco-friendly options for green wedding invitations, decorations, the dress and everything else on the ever growing checklist.

With average wedding costs sky high that in turn leave behind an enormous footprint why not take planning to a new level. A place where you still have that oh so special event of your dreams while at the same time reduce all that not needed excess and consumption.

Planning a Green Wedding, Where to Start…

My friends were already living an eco-friendly green life and wanted to reflect that on their special day. First thing that struck me was by throwing an eco-friendly green wedding it didn’t mean that the wedding lacked in love, splendor or beauty. The key to planning an eco-friendly green event or wedding is to not only remember the three Rs, reuse, recycle and reduce but to use them.

Incorporating Green Wedding ideas, Let the Planning Begin…

Eco-friendly green weddings do not automatically mean expensive but they certainly can increase the work load. While I truly had a blast at the wedding I also came left with some easy to apply takeaways. So here are some really great green wedding ideas to reduce your wedding carbon footprint.

Instead of receiving a save the date card we received a save the date email. Now I know most wedding etiquette experts say that paper invitations and not electronic ones are the way to go. And the actual wedding invitation did come in the mail on 100% recycled paper. The invitation then directed us to a website to RSVP and find directions.

The ceremony and reception were held at the same venue. And the ceremony was held outdoors and that way they not only saved money they used Mother Nature for the ceremony decorations. After the ceremony we moved indoors for the reception. All and I do mean all the wedding décor was recycled. The bridal couple spent the year prior getting in touch with various brides and grooms and collecting gently used wedding decor. Each table centerpiece was equally special but differently unique from the next. The limited amount of flowers used was locally sourced, organically grown and truly beautiful.

The bride didn’t compromise on her dress and really what bride does, she wanted to look stunning and she did. The dress was purchased second hand, with a slight alteration here and there, you couldn’t even tell. In the interest of eco-friendliness the bride plans to ensure her dress has a third life and will be passing it on to another eco-friendly bride.

Wedding experts say these days a wedding favor, whether an eco-friendly wedding favor or not, is really more an option than a must. At the wedding I attended instead of handing out favors they donated money to an eco-friendly green cause very close to their heart. It was a win-win situation.

Food glorious food… The menu was vegetarian based, locally sourced and organically grown and truly delicious. The food was set up buffet style and instead of a traditional wedding cake, a wonderful cupcake cake was available, so guests took only what they wanted saving on food waste. The wine served was organic and as we all know in the past organic wines have had a less than stellar reputation. Well I’m here to tell you, times have definitely changed and now there are some pretty tasty organic wines available.

Now is the time to take care of our planet and it can be done! Start with small changes and before you know it you will have stopped some of the unnecessary and needless consumption, while still creating a wonderful, loving wedding that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: event planning, events, Green, green wedding, planning, Weddings

Finding the Right Wedding Venue to Fit Your Budget

June 20, 2012 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

If it’s summer it must be wedding season. And if you’ve been around your town on any given Saturday recently, you’ve probably heard the car horns and the tin cans being dragged as the bride and groom celebrate their special day. There are also many bride and grooms that are trying to find the right venue that fits their budget. Certainly no small task as many couples want their special day to be extraordinary. But many are finding out that extraordinary can sometimes mean out of reach as far as budgets are concerned.

Finding the Right Wedding Venue for You

Of course who wouldn’t want their wedding at The Plaza. The Plaza, of course, is a fancy-schmancy venue in one of the greatest cities on the planet, New York City. But a quick call to that hotels catering department may put the brakes on. Many of us simply cannot afford that type of a wedding reception venue. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a fantastic day without offering your firstborn as collateral.

Over the course of my event planning career there’s one thing that I’ve come to realize. Many of us have champagne taste but we’re on a beer budget. What I quickly realized was that there are venues that are perfect for your special day. You just have to know that there are certain factors that can make renting venues more expensive.

Here are a couple of ideas, for you, when considering wedding venues in and around your city:

Hotel ballrooms. If you’re going to be utilizing a hotel for out-of-town guest then you may want to consider looking at the hotel’s ballroom. Quite often, many hotels (including the Plaza I’m happy to say) will offer you special deals on venue rental fees if you are having food and beverage. By waving the ballroom rental fee you could be saving yourself thousands off of your budget.

Reception venues with an in-house caterer. Stand alone venues, as I like to call them, often come with an in-house caterer in addition to a list of outside preferred caterers. And, quite often, the in-house caterer is less expensive than utilizing an outside caterer (due to related service and equipment charges that of side caterers sometimes have to charge). I have advised many clients to consider using the in-house caterer and many have been very pleased with the quality. Not to mention the price difference.

Wedding halls that have their own kitchen facilities. Quite often stand alone venues do not have full kitchen facilities. This can increase your per person cost by about as much as the food menu cost itself. Talk about blowing the budget. On the plus side, there are many wedding halls and venues that have full kitchen facilities. You’ll notice the difference in price when you’re talking to the caterer. If they’re using a venue that has kitchen facilities, your service and equipment cost is greatly reduced.

Many Couples Are Combining the Ceremony and Wedding Reception in One

I’ve also noticed today that many couples are having the ceremony and reception in the same venue. I have to say that as a guest I have really appreciated this. I attended had a a wedding recently where the ceremony literally was less than 10 min. And the reception was about 50 feet away from where the ceremony took place. For the person paying the bill, not only will you save an abundance of time, you’ll also save on the cost of having to locations.

Wedding season is now in full swing. And for those bride and groom’s that are still in the planning stages of their wedding, where to host is a big part of your decision. Wedding venues are crucial part of your big day. They can also be a crucial part of your wedding budget. But with a little insight and a little investigation on your part, there are venues that will satisfy your needs and not blow your budget.

3 Tips for Wedding Planning on a Budget (plananevent.org)
When It Comes to Planning Weddings Love Is in the Eye of the Beholder (Comedy Video) (plananevent.org)
5 Key Items for a Conference Planning Checklist (plananevent.org)

Filed Under: Planning An Event Tagged With: eventplanning, eventprofs, wedding venue, Weddings

Boy Birthday Party Ideas – How to Survive Your Son’s Birthday Party…

June 19, 2012 By Randy Markus Comments

old fashioned black and white of a boy and his birthday cake with candles

Photo courtesy of Slightly everything

It’s all about boy birthday party ideas and surviving your son’s birthday party!

Ask any parent and they’ll tell you, boys and girls are different (and we’re not just talking about the obvious biological differences). When they are younger, for the most part (gross generalizations aside) boys are a little more energetic with shorter attentions spans. And while that makes for a great day at the park, it adds a whole different set of challenges when planning a birthday party.

Party wise, girls can be a little easier; they’re more content to do crafts, sit at a tea party or watch a movie. Boys need a little more engagement and when possible, a little more physical activity. So when it comes to planning a birthday party for your son, there are a few different options to consider.

Boy Birthday Party Ideas – Planning to Plan…

In a lot of ways a party is a party is a party. You have to have invitations, food, games, decor and loot bags. And when it comes to boys and girls birthday parties, that’s pretty much where the similarities end. But the very best way to plan any successful party, regardless of gender, is to find out what your child wants. Talk to them about what kind of theme, activities and location they would like. The more tailored to your child, the better the party will be.

Boy Birthday Party Ideas – Keep them Busy, Keep them Happy, Keep you Sane

So the thought of your son and his friends tearing your house apart fills you with dread. No worries! There are lots of great options (regardless of the season) for you to consider.

The Indoor Sports Party – There are so many venues available for parents today. When we were kids the closest we ever got to any kind of `sports` party was bowling. And while it was always a blast, after the fifth or sixth one of the season it got a little old. There are so many play centers, bowling alleys, swimming pools and sports centers that are thrilled to rent out their space for birthdays. Not only are the kids well supervised while being able to run and jump, they`re not doing it in your home! A great option to consider for inclement months.

The Outside Sports Party – My nephew use to choose this one every year. With a summer birthday, it was a perfect option. His dad would go to a local park early and stake out a great space for a party. We would show up and decorate and set up the food. A little more free flowing and less structured, there were always different activities for the kids to enjoy. Baseball, soccer, badminton, mini putt, even sitting under a tree relaxing, were all options. And because they kept the menu pretty basic (hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips) my nephew could invite as many kids as he wanted. Family, friends and the birthday boy always enjoyed the party and we still look back on those parties with fondness.

The Pirate Party – Currently one of the most popular boy’s birthday party options around right now. And with good reason…it`s a lot more flexible than you think. For the younger kids you can theme the party around the pirates from Peter Pan and with the older kids it can be a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. Either way, you can’t go wrong. A treasure hunt, musical pirate ships and pin the feathers on the parrot are just a few ways of keeping the swashbucklers busy!

With a little imagination and a lot of energy, planning your son’s birthday party will be a breeze! With the right theme and venue combined with plenty of activities, your son and his friends will have great time and be looking forward to next year’s bash.

Filed Under: Planning Parties Tagged With: Birthday, birthdayparty, parties, party, planning

Hesitant about Green Meetings? Two Easy Steps to Get You Underway

June 15, 2012 By Andrew Maxwell Comments

Green meetings can be easier than you think

photo by blogs.softchoice.com

Are you an event planner that has been considering hosting a green meeting? And is the reason that you haven’t done so already, is that you think that it involves a lot of planning and execution? Well, you would be surprised at just how easy it is to turn your meetings green. And the beauty of it all is that you can even do it in small steps, working towards your overall goal.

Implementing Green Meeting Ideas Is Easier Than You Think

At most conventions that I attend there are always green components nowadays. As our governments continue to point fingers and be pretty much in denial of environmental changes, it’s nice to see the meetings and events industry taking its own initiative. Lord knows if we wait for our government to act today then we could be in for a very long wait. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do whatever we can to help preserve this wonderful planet of ours.

Two green meeting ideas that you can easily implement

One suggestion that I always offer a meeting or event planner is to suggest that try not to think of green meetings as one overwhelming task. Rather, break down the various components to your meeting and then review which ones you can easily apply sustainability ideas to.

Tip # 1) Go Paperless. Going paperless, especially today, is easier than you think. Do you really need to print a brochure for your meeting or conference? Can you host it on your website? There are also a lot of event planning software that is free to use that helps you communicate with your attendees electronically.

If you find you have to arrange flights or any other means of transportation for your attendees then make sure all ticketing is done electronically. Why not even take it one step further and encourage all of your attendees to download their boarding passes to their smart phones. Set up a twitter account where you can provide all of your attendees up to the minute updates as well as any changes that you need to communicate.

Tip #2) Energy. Nowadays, most hotels and meeting venues utilize environmental light bulbs. When you are booking your meeting make sure to request that this is the case for the room where your meeting will be held. It’s also not a bad idea to ensure that all of the lights are turned off as well as the heating or cooling is set to minimal levels while you are not utilizing the room.

Going green does not need to be considered simply added responsibilities to your job. The two tips above can be easily implemented. The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) is an excellent resource for the convention industry on green meeting standards as well as additional ideas that you can implement. Green meetings also show your delegates and attendees that you are serious about sustainability. Our planet will love you for it.

Green Meetings Are Easier to Plan than You Think (plananevent.org)
Sustainable Meetings, Conventions and Events Planning
Information for the “Green” Party Planner
Case Study: A Sustainable, Sustainable Event (mpiweb.org)

Filed Under: Planning A Conference Tagged With: event planning, event planning resources, event planning tips, green meeting industry Council, Green meetings, meeting planner, meeting planners, meeting planning, Sustainability

Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – Planning Your Daughter’s Best Party Ever!

June 14, 2012 By Randy Markus Comments

black background with heappy birthday written in white

Photo courtesy of Dave Hoefler

We all need birthday party ideas for girls when planning your daughter’s best party ever! That time of year is approaching. It’s your little darling’s special day and you want to make sure she has a party to remember. But as you start to think about yet another birthday that has to be loads of fun, you start to get nervous and aren’t sure where to start.

Some parents look forward to planning their kids birthdays and some enjoy it about as much as a trip to the dentist…not something they really want to do but rather something they really have to do. For the parents who look forward it’s actually a lot easier (It always is when we have fun). But for those moms and dads who fall in the latter category, never fear! We’ve got some great tips to help you along.

Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – The Basics

The basics stay the same from party to party, child to child. Your best bet, to avoid the cold sweats when planning, is to stay organized. Keep a file (both hard copy and electronic) to keep all of your party planning in one place. You don’t want to have to waste time riffling through your papers looking for a confirmation number or a name.

Organization is the key to a smoother party planning experience. So use a party planning checklist. Everything (and I mean everything!) goes on the list. It will help you meet deadlines and know what has and hasn’t been done yet. Don’t plan a party without one!

Yes, money does make the world go around. But that doesn’t mean you should break the bank on your daughter’s birthday party. Set a realistic budget and stick to it. Never get caught up in trying to outdo the other parents. It’s not a competition. A great party doesn’t have to be over the top and expensive to be a hit.

Birthday Party Ideas for Girls – Themes, Glorious Themes!

You don’t have to set a theme for the party, but it does make things a little easier. If you and your daughter can select a theme, everything else just falls into place. Decor, food, games, invitations. Every detail of the party can be geared around your theme if you so choose. Most party stores and online sites have a wide range of themed decor, games and loot bags available.

Pool Party – Summer is here and the living is easy! And (depending on the age of the attendees) it’s a great time for a pool party. Some water toys and a BBQ and you’re pretty much good to go. You can play games in the pool, decorate your backyard and serve BBQ and easy finger foods for snacks. Our biggest suggestion with any pool party – ensure there is sufficient adult supervision!!

Tea Party/Garden Party – A real live tea party is so much fun for the little ones. Invite your guests to “dress for tea” and see how adorable they look when they show up. A great idea for a craft/activity at your tea party is to decorate hats. Not only are the kids kept busy, but it’s a great party favor that the end of the day.

Princess Party – Every little girl has their favorite princess and now you can make your daughter one too! You can announce the arrival of each little princess (Please welcome, Princess Stephanie) and even adjust the hat activity above with a crown. Pin the crown on the princess, bobbing for (non-poisoned) apples and find the glass slipper are just a few games to keep the little princesses busy and happy.