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A Hot Trend – Event Planning Webcasts

February 6, 2013 By Comments
event planning webcast

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If you’re a member of an event planning association then you’ve probably had emails inviting you to attend a webcast of some type. And I’m sure many of you have simply scanned the information and thought that you would take a look at a later time. But you never have taken that “second look”.

Well, you may want to re-think that.

Event Planning Courses Online are Becoming Increasingly Popular

If you’ve never attended event planning courses online, or an event planning webcast, then you may be in for a pleasant surprise. There are many webcast to choose from. My advice would be to find webcast that address topics that are of interest to you. Many are free.

Webcasts, like event planning courses, are designed to provide you with the necessary tools to do your job properly. And quite often the webcast is presented by a professional within the industry who is consider an expert in the topic. Many topics include communicating with clients in order to help them better understand the event planning process. All of which are designed to increase your productivity and present you as an expert in the industry. After all, for most of you, your goal is to keep on top of the latest and greatest trends. Now there’s no excuse for not being “in the know”.

A list of upcoming Webcast to Check Out

event planning courses online

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For this blog post we’re going to highlight a couple of websites where you can peruse a list of upcoming webcasts and register for those that are of interest to you. In addition to the two sites that we list below, I also recommend that you check with any industry associations that you are a member of as quite often they too will offer event planning webcasts.

  • Click here for a list of upcoming webcasts by Successful Meetings

  • Click here for list of upcoming webcasts offered by Meetings and Conventions (M& C)

Event planning webcast, like online event planning courses, offers you the luxury of continuing your education from the comfort of your computer. No matter where your travels take you, as long as you have an Internet connection, you are able to access your scheduled webcast.

 

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Event Planner Diploma Courses

November 14, 2012 By Comments

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By now many of you know that we put a special emphasis on event planning education. Here at Plan an Event, we continue to be encouraged by amount of students, and younger people in general, seeking to enter this industry. Event planning technology is on the increase. Or, perhaps, I should say the use of event planning technology is on the increase. Why so? Well without any scientific backup my pulse tells me that it is due to the younger generation and their interest in conference and event management.

Event Planner Courses Are on the Rise

Last week we wrote an article about event planning degrees. In that article, we highlighted the importance of education in this industry. We presented an overview of institutions that offer event planning degrees in Europe, India, Canada and the US.

To review the article, click “Event Planning Degrees; an Investment in Your Career and Yourself”.

For this article, keeping to the educational theme, we’re going to highlight an institution (this one in Canada) where you can obtain diplomas in conference and event management.

Event and Venue Management by the Trebas Institute

The Trebas  Institute, a college in Montréal and Toronto, was established in 1979 as a private career college. The college’s focus was on the music and entertainment industry. And, in particular, the need to train skilled professionals for that industry. Today the institution has expanded that focus to include audio production engineers, event planners, entertainment managers or event and venue managers.

Event and venue management diploma courses

The diploma courses for event and venue management have a duration of 48 weeks, full-time. They offer a couple of different start dates throughout the year. This is ideal for those that cannot start their education in the typical September month that schools start.

The event and venue management course offers students the necessary knowledge and skills that are required for the industry. As their website says, the course focuses on event planning, marketing, budgeting, contract negotiations, as well as advertising and venue operations. A full rounded diploma course.

As education plays a vital role in the conference and event planning industry, there are a few choices that are offered. For some, a degree course is best suited for their career path. Others may look at what diploma courses can offer them for their career enhancement. Whichever path you decide to take, there is one common outcome – more and more fully trained and skilled individuals are entering our industry. And that, my friends, is a very good trend indeed.

 

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What Resources Do You Use When Looking for Event Planning Jobs?

July 11, 2012 By Comments
finding event planning jobs using social media

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So, if you’re reading this blog, you are probably one of the many people out there that utilizes social media in your daily routine. And, if you’re reading this, there may be a chance that you’re also looking at what job opportunities are available in the event planning industry. It’s no secret that we are still struggling to get our economy rolling again. However, that’s not to say that there are no event planning jobs available. Whether you’re looking for a job in NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia or Timbuktu, social media can be a great medium to utilize for your search. However, with this economy, it does mean is that you have to become a little smarter and perhaps quicker than the next guy.

You Use Social Media to Interact, Why Don’t You Use It for Job Hunting

Part of the reason why I’m writing this post today is that I had a recent encounter during a networking event. The person that I was speaking with has had considerable experience in the meetings and event industry. She was also looking for a new job. It struck me as odd when I asked her what resources she was utilizing for her job search and social media wasn’t mentioned. The reason it struck me as odd is that this person was very adept at social media and was using it for other aspects of her job tasks. And using it rather correctly as well I might add. So I asked why she wasn’t considering her various social media accounts for her job search. I got a puzzled look in return.

From my networking conversation I then reached out to many of my colleagues who had changed jobs within the last 2 to 3 years. I asked them how they went about finding their new careers. I was surprised at how few utilize social media for their job search.

Here Are A Few Simple Techniques That You Can Employ When Searching for Careers on Social Media:

Twitter. Login to your twitter account and simply enter job opportunities in the search field. The return will provide you with suggested followers that are involved in career placement. There are many to choose from. Of course make sure you take the time and ensure that people you start to follow are relative to the event planning industry.

Facebook. Very similar to the way that you searched in Twitter. Here’s an example of pages that I was presented with when I entered the search term “job opportunities”. A hint here is to look for how many likes the pages have (in addition to the industry that they are representing). Not that pages have to have a lot of likes to be reputable, however, it does say a bit about their longevity.

LinkedIn. Very simply, when you login to LinkedIn select the category “jobs” from the top of the page. From there, can narrow your search for the type of event planning job were seeking. You can also set up LinkedIn to present reminders and updates it is a nifty little feature.

 So for any of you that are considering event planning jobs, I strongly suggest you turn your search to your social media accounts. You will be surprised with the outcome.

 

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

June 15, 2012 By Comments
Green meetings can be easier than you think

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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.

 

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Event Planning Jobs-Where to Start?

June 13, 2012 By Comments
event planning jobs

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This is the time of year when many meetings and conferences are underway. Shortly, there’ll be a lull as the bigger associations and conferences take a bit of a break in the middle of the summer. By break I mean that they won’t necessarily be meeting but the event planners will be very busy coordinating and orchestrating the upcoming fall conferences. No doubt many of you are wondering what jobs will be available in the industry this year. If you follow the 24-hour news cycle, well then let’s just say you must be worried sick. First things first. Turn off those news channels. While I’m slightly joking here, the meetings and events industry is still hiring. You just have to be smart as to where to begin your job search.

Consider Event Planning Internships to Get Your Foot in the Door

Of course networking can play a vital role when seeking employment. By networking, you meet potential contacts in a non-threatening environment. However use networking properly. Don’t jump into discussions about opportunities available etc. Rather, develop a bit of a relationship or rapport and the opportunities will tend to materialize from there. Internships are another great way to get your foot in the door. Typically internships are awarded to students or graduates that are entering the industry. But, don’t rule them out altogether even if you have been in the industry for some time and are just seeking a career change.

Social media plays a vital role today in the meetings and events industry. There are a couple of social media sites that stand out for their role in promoting industry jobs.

LinkedIn. There are many groups that have been created in LinkedIn for the sole purpose of promoting jobs. In fact I was so impressed with LinkedIn’s “jobs you may be interested in” widget that I added it to a related site, Welcome To The City. If you are logged in to your LinkedIn account and you come across their widget, it tailors the jobs it displays to you based on your account’s preferences. Certainly worth checking out. I would also suggest that you spend a little bit of time on LinkedIn searching for groups that deal with employment opportunities and then join those groups.

Twitter. On twitter, there are countless accounts that deal only with job opportunities. If you start following these accounts you’ll get updated opportunities delivered directly to your feed. Click here to see a list of twitter accounts that deal with job opportunities.

Is Now the Right Time to Become Certified?

Employers, when hiring people, look at the person’s skill set and education first and foremost. While the job of an event planner doesn’t necessarily require specific certification, a recent study by PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) indicated planners with event planning certification were paidhigher than those without. As I have always stated, it is never a bad idea to invest in yourself. Potential employers will typically interview those that have industry certification before those who do not.

There are event planning jobs in the industry today. While they may not necessarily be all that visible, they are still there. You have to become diligent and be smart about where to look for the job you are searching for. And even though you may be using social media to make first contact, it never hurts to be old-fashioned and pick up the telephone to make sure that they have received your information.

 

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3 Tips for Your Business Plan Outline

May 24, 2012 By Comments
business plan outline

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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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Has Stand Your Ground Had an Impact on Event Planners Decisions

April 13, 2012 By Comments

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Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you have heard all the news surrounding the tragic Trayvon Martin shooting. We’re not going to get into the political debate surrounding this controversial law but it did get me wondering if all this attention has had an impact on whether or not event planners will hold meetings in states where this type of law exists.

Event planners walk a fine line. Their main objective is to successfully execute and host meetings and conventions where all the delegates are satisfied. And let’s face it that’s probably a pretty tall order to execute. You know the old saying – you’ll never please 100% of the people 100% of the time. So I’m sure there are always those that will approach meeting planners with some type of an issue that needs to be resolved.

Event Planners Do Not like Controversy

But there’s also another side to event planners. The last thing they want is for their meeting or event to be held in an area where controversial issues are taking place.

With all the negative news coverage that we’ve been seeing around Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, Convention and Visitors Bureau officials are raising alarm bells. After all, tourism plays a very large role in the Florida economy.

In a recent Tampa Bay Times article, it reported that Nikki Grossman, director of the Broward County Convention and Visitors Bureau, would be the first person to present to a state task force on the negative impact that the law has had, or is having, on Florida’s tourism.

Are Politicians Making Life Difficult for Event Planners?

There is no doubt that the Stand Your Ground law is having a political impact. Obviously laws are often legislated as a result of the majority party making good on promises that they have made to their constituents. That, in and of itself, is understandable as an elected official will need those constituents to be on their side for the next election. But are our elected officials implementing the right laws that will help their states economies? Well, judging by the reaction from the state’s tourism officials, I would have to think the answer is no.

If any event planners reading this article are currently planning meetings or events in states where Stand Your Ground type laws exist I would be interested to hear how they plan on proceeding. I guess time will tell as to whether or not there will be a dramatic effect on meetings and events where event planners feel there’s too much controversy to host a successful meeting.

 

 

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Planning a Conference Checklist Items

March 25, 2012 By Comments

For anyone planning a conference, a checklist is important for a number of reasons. Of course the most obvious reason why you would use a checklist when planning a conference is to keep track of all of the small details that are required as part of your planning. After all, it is all about the details.

Which begs the question – when planning a conference what checklist items should be covered? Well of course it does depend on which type of event you’re organizing (i.e. corporate conference, an incentive trip or a wedding). But, generally speaking the graph below outlines the major checklist items that are often covered when planning a conference.

 

As you can see, there are many areas that need to be covered when planning a conference. Planning a conference checklist items are based on the type of conference that you’re planning. But the one thing that is certain is that a checklist is an important part of the planning process.

 

 

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Meeting and Event Planner App-Check In Easy

March 23, 2012 By Comments

Here at plananevent.org we’re always looking for innovative ideas and technology that helps a meeting and event planner do their job. Luckily for the meetings and events industry there is no shortage of creative people. We’ve often talked about event registration being a major component when planning an event. Trying to keep up with the logistics as an event is unfolding is a tough challenge that faces a meeting and event planner.

I recently got in touch with Justin Baer, the founder, of Check in Easy. Having been personally involved in the registration process before, I was impressed with Justin’s latest product, or rather app. It is a guest list and check-in app for iPad’s and iPhones.

So for this post we asked Justin to provide us with an overview of his Check In Easy app and how it will help a meeting and event planner.

Plan An Event (PAE) – Justin, what is the problem that your tools seeks to solve?

Justin Baer (JB) – The overall goal of the Check In Easy app is to make paper guest lists and those cumbersome clipboards a thing of the past. After all who wants to spend two hours after their event reconciling Excel spreadsheets to see who attended the event. As the app is a real-time application, anybody working the event will have instant information as to which guests have arrived (which is especially crucial for your VIP guests) and which guests you are still waiting on. Check In Easy’s guest list iPhone and iPad app makes it very easy, not to mention lightning fast, to check-in your guests. The notification feature will automatically send a text message or e-mail to the meeting and event planner when their special VIP guest arrives. It also makes reconciling an easy task with the touch of a button.

PAE – Who have you found to be the best audience?

JB – Basically any event that has more than 10 guests would benefit from our app. Special events, corporate parties and galas are some of the types of groups that have utilize our tool. I’ve even heard someone that is organizing a baby shower has used it. Basically it covers a wide range of groups and because our pricing model is scaled it allows a meeting and event planner for any size of group to take advantage of the app.

PAE – Justin what does your tool help a meeting and event planner do better?

JB – It allows a meeting and event planner to check-in guest in record speed as well as reconcile the attendees instantaneously. Our clients are also telling us that they can now eliminate staff at the door because the guest list app facilitates a much faster check-in.

PAE – I’m sure you get this question a million times but tell us how you feel your tool is different and better than the competition.

JB – First and foremost we pride ourselves in that our company servers are based in the US and their security protocols are the Fort Knox of guest list apps. Our clients, such as Google, the Guggenheim Museum and Tory Burch, are very sensitive about their proprietary lists. And I’m very pleased to tell you that they trust Check In Easy’s stable platform and servers. For example, when we checked in 2,600 Google employees for their holiday party this past December, we had 11 iPad’s all signed in to the same event and they scanned over 200 guest per minute. All with no download or app freezes. We’re very proud of this feature and we promote some of their testimonials on our website.

Our app is also very easy to use. Uploading the guest list and being ready for check-in can take less than 60 seconds.

Our pricing model is also about half of what our closest competitor charges.

Larger events may choose to use our boarding pass feature. This is where a meeting and event planner can upload their guest list and send attendees a boarding pass with the unique QR code that can be scanned at the door with our built-in scanner on iPhone or iPad.

PAE – Justin, what would you say is the single, coolest feature of your product?

JB – That would be the e-mail and text notification feature when a special guest arrives. As you know, it’s very important for a meeting and event planner to be kept up to date on their event and more specifically their VIP attendees.

We want to take this time to thank Justin for sharing this information about his company.  So for a meeting and event planner that has an upcoming event, large or small, Check In Easy can help you make the check-in process the easiest part of your event. For further information, please visit Justin’s company site, Check In Easy and check out the demo video below. We’re sure that any meeting and event planner will find this app a valuable part of their event planning process.

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What Do You Look for in an Event Planning Guide?

March 22, 2012 By Comments
caricature of a door opening on a book

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Of course everybody has a preference for what information they want to get from an event planning guide. But that got me wondering – is there an event planning guide that is considered to be the top in the industry? Well, at this stage of the quest, I’d have to say there is not one type guide that stands out from another. That’s not to say that there are better event planning guides out there. It’s just that I’m finding out that meeting and event planners are very unique in their work styles.

An Event Planning Guide Should Be Customizable

If you’ve read a few of our blogs here, then you know that we often talk about event planning guides and checklists. It is our quest, through our research for our blogs, to always be on the lookout for what is considered the top in the industry. But what we are finding out for an event planning guide is that people want different information based on the types of groups that they are working for.

Microsoft has an excellent event planning resource where you can choose and customize templates to match your workload. You can also find valuable resources on Amazon as well that reference event planning guides.

What Information Do Planners Look for in an Event Planning Guide?

For planners, what they are looking for depends on their clients’ needs. The customization usually comes at the event planning checklist side of things. The feedback that I get from a lot of planners regarding an event planning guide is that they like to get as much information as they need to make an informed decision by glancing at the guide. For example, let’s say a planner is trying to book an off-site venue for 100 people. When they look at an event planning guide what they’re looking for are venues that; would be able to accommodate their numbers (so capacity would be important), whether or not they have private facilities, an indication of the price range, whether or not they are allowed to bring in outside caterers, times that the venue can be rented, and the distance from where they are staying (a reference map).

Another important aspect for an event planning guide is that their contact information is as current as possible. For print guides there will be a little more tolerance for outdated information. But only for a period of several months to a year maximum. For an online guide, updated contact information should be relevant. As a matter of fact it would have a negative impact on the venue if their contact information was out of date online.

For a meeting planner, an event planning guide should provide an “at a glance” overview of the venue. It should be enough information that allows the planner to make an informed decision on whether or not the venue is a right fit for their group. The more that a meeting planner has to research, thus taking up valuable time, the more likely it is that the meeting planner might look at other venues.

 

 

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