Events Management Ideas - Attention Grabbing Event Invitations Are a Must

Recent figures from industry sources such as the Bellwether Report tell us that marketing budgets have taken a pummelling in the first half of 2008 with Events and Direct Marketing being two of the worst hit areas. That is all the more reason why we must ensure that those reduced budgets are made to work hard to ensure that events are successful.

Promotional print plays a vital role in the success of any event and invitations are no exception. A company taking a stand at an exhibition will pay thousands of pounds for the space, the stand, staff accommodation, travel expenses and entertaining. It is vitally important that the exhibitor makes the most of this expense. The show organizer will be doing their utmost to attract visitors but the exhibitor should also back up this effort by sending out invitations to their own database of customers and prospects.

Sending a letter is better than nothing but only just. An invitation should be something that demands to be looked at; something that cannot be ignored and something that will help to persuade the addressee to attend. I always advocate sending out a chunky pack in a printed cover as opposed to a white envelope. A pack is always so much more inviting and it will be opened with keen anticipation.

The invitation itself should be a bespoke affair with clear association with the product or service that is being exhibited. It should also have an attention grabbing device to make sure that it doesn't end up being ignored. A nice chunky pack with an element of surprise is always a winner.

One UK company, Whitney Woods, has a range of promotional products which which can be custom printed as a trade show or exhibition invitation - pop up handbags for example would be an ideal way of getting buyers to attend your stand at a fashion exhibition such as Clothes Show Live. A product called the Happy Dogs Card would be ideal if your stand was booked in the trade section of the Crufts show. If your product is a little more obscure - such as engine parts or plumbing spares then an obvious choice would be to go for a universal product such as a pop-up cube which can be printed with just about anything but will capture the attention of your exhibition guest. If you want something a little less "in your face" then an item with a more sophisticated movement might be more suitable.

Whitney Woods welcomes calls from customers who are looking for ideas and will be happy to send out samples for consideration. The company's websites now feature videos so that you can see the products in action to help you make a choice.

A Tailor-Made Corporate Event

Trade fairs, conferences, and seminars are three types of events that are all great ways to allow people of the same industry to get together in a non-competitive atmosphere for mutual exchange of information, and to expand their professional network. It is important for people of business to occasionally put the bottom line of buying and selling on hold purely for the sake of the advancement of industry expertise. This way everyone working in the industry, as well as the average person who depends or benefits on the products of that industry, can count on a continual improvement of the quality of business and its fruits.

Event planners have a responsibility to understand these three different kinds of sponsored events. Trade shows allow companies and individuals to demonstrate and inform other industry people and the public to new developments in an open, market-place style atmosphere. Conferences have more of an academic feel as opposed to the market-place feel of trade shows, with representatives giving lectures, taking part in debates, and fielding questions regarding their subject. Seminars normally focus on one specific subject, and combines information sessions with exercises and trial periods.

But it is not only the three style of corporate events that the event planner must know. It is up to them to take the time and do their research regarding the specific industries hiring them to plan their events. Everything from the design of the space, the food being served, and the extra activities offered to the participants should be tailor-made to those attending. Here are some examples of specific industry events and what is done to customize the event.

- Trade shows for new machinery: This requires large exhibition rooms with high ceilings depending on the machines. Many power outlets should be safe and secure and well distributed throughout. Lounge areas nearby to escape the noise for more private conversations is a good idea.

- Teacher's conferences: Comfortable lecture rooms with good visibility to the stage or podiums. Access to projectors, photocopy machines, and internet is important. A lot of good available coffee is also recommended.

- Business motivational seminars: Large rooms for lectures with quick access to smaller rooms for group activities. Guests should also be housed in close proximity to further encourage team building during non-seminar hours, like meals and recreation.

- Food fairs: Well-ventilated rooms to avoid mixing aromas between booths. Lots of garbage receptacles and regular garbage removal is very important. There should be good mix of standing and sitting room. Access to bathrooms and other sanitation stations is also needed.

These and many more diverse and unique events make up part of the education one gets in event planning courses. Learning to respond to each event's custom needs is what makes for a great event planner, and a memorable time for everyone showing off their trade, lecturing on their skills, or simply learning about new developments in their industries.

Planning a Birthday Party - Fun and Enjoyment

Celebrating the date of birth of a person is a very special day that should be rejoiced through a birthday party, an event which everybody must have a total fun and enjoyment. Planning a birthday party can be a tough assignment, therefore this must be done at least a month before the big day. Without proper planning, the special occasion won't be successful and might turn into embarrassment. For that reason, here are some valuable ideas on how to organize a birthday party to make sure that everyone would enjoy the special gathering.

Plan Ahead

Plan ahead, at least not less than four weeks. This will be enough to arrange everything from selecting the theme, sending the invitations, choosing the location, and other tasks of planning the event. If the budget permits, you can hire an event planner that has enough experience in organizing a birthday party. Make a checklist or a planner for you not to miss any part of the assignment and to ensure that everything is being done smoothly.

Party Theme

Choosing the party theme is the very first part of the plan and this will depend on the preference and age of the birthday celebrant. Children, teen, and adult parties have different themes you can choose from. Pirate, Princess, Superhero, Fairy, and Tea party are the most popular birthday parties for young teens and children; while Soccer-themed, Festival-themed, and Tropical Luau are examples of adult parties. Since the assortment of themes is so vast, you can ask the person of which theme he or she prefers.

Setting The Budget

After selecting the theme, setting the budget is also crucial for planning a birthday party. Based on the theme of the party, list down all the things needed such as the foods or menu, party accessories (e.g. tables, chairs, balloons, banners, decorations, etc.), rent of the space or location (if it is not a house party), and invitation cards.

Location

Your next assignment is picking out the best location of the party, unless you want it to be celebrated just within the residence. Possible choices are beach or pool, hotel or restaurant, and other private venues. In finding the location, the space should be large enough to accommodate all your guests to avoid overcrowding. Therefore, creating your guest list is important so you can have an actual estimate of the people who will attend the birthday party. Once you have found the right venue, talk with the owner or administrator of the place as early as possible so you would know if they can provide accommodation on the date of the occasion.

Invitation cards

As soon as everything is settled, it is time for you to prepare the invitations. The invitation cards should show the theme of the party so the guests will have an idea of what to wear during the party. You can personalize the cards or if you don't have the luxury of time to design it then there are ready-made cards you can buy from the bookstores. Send out the invitations at least a week before the event.

Planning a Birthday Party will be easy and effortless once you follow these tips and party ideas we've given you.

Trophies and Rewarding Your Employees

Many companies reward their employees for a job well done. Some companies simply give out yearly bonuses to their employees while some companies have a yearly banquet or picnic to recognize their stellar employees. While everyone appreciates a yearly bonus, it can be really rewarding and motivating to be recognized by your supervisors. If you are organizing this kind of event or you are in charge of deciding who gets these rewards, you will want to decide on what kind of reward or trophy you will be giving to your employee or employees. Trophies are not just for sporting events, and you can find trophies that are appropriate for corporate awards.

Plaques are a great looking trophy to give to your employee. You can engrave nearly any plaque that you purchase. This means that you can add your employee's name, the name of the honor, and the date that the reward was received. An example of an award might be the Employee of the Year or the Salesperson of the Year. You can find plaques that are made primarily out of wood, glass, metal or acrylic. All of these options look nice, and a plaque is something very professional that any employee would be proud to hang in his or her office. Plaques are also very affordable, and they are a great option if you want to reward a number of employees, which can be the case in a large company.

Clock awards are also very tasteful awards that are useful as well as beautiful. You can find anniversary clocks, and clocks that are mounted in wood or glass. All of these awards can be engraved with details of why the award was given to the person who receives it. Other trophies that are cup shaped, which are also called presentation cups, can be appropriate for corporate events as well. They are very elegant, and anyone who looks at a presentation cup will know that the owner has won or accomplished something. Presentation cups can be more expensive than plaques and clocks, but they are a great option for someone who has really done a great job.

Many trophies are appropriate for corporate events, especially events like corporate picnics. In addition to recognizing your employees, many companies choose to have games or competitions at their picnics, and you can use trophies to reward the winners. Races and relays are popular picnic games, and it is fun to give the winners fun trophies. These trophies can be amusing ones or small ones that are often used for sporting events. These trophies are often inexpensive, only a few pounds, so you can afford to buy a few of these trophies to give out.

Trophies and awards are a great way to actually show your employees that you respect and appreciate the job that they are doing at your company. Recognition is a great motivator, and even the employees who did not receive anything will want to do better. Buying trophies is well worth the investment to motivate and to reward your employees.

Business Event Management in a Nutshell

This is not an article on how to organize your next company party or sales event. Business event management (BEM) is a method on how to detect deviations of the effectiveness in your business and pro-actively reacting to changes.

Forrester defines business event management as:

"Business event management (BEM) is the process of capturing real time business events from multiple sources and assigning them to the appropriate decision maker for resolution based on the business context of the events"

The main focus is on the terms real time and multiple sources. This is the only way to intercept business processes that are out of control or are about to miss their target. Business process management is the method to ensure that a business process has a clear definition form start to finish with checkpoints along the way. Business event management is also known as cousin to workflow. Workflow management ensures that a single business process completes successfully and in a timely fashion. Whereas business event management combines multiple business processes, monitors its progress and lets process owners know when things are about to go wrong.

Another term that is frequently used in combination with business event management is complex event processing (CEP). As CEP implies, business event management is a complex method to detect patterns that are exceeding a certain threshold or are about to exceed them. To boost the effectiveness of BEM, the pattern detection must be done in a timely matter to stop a bad situation from getting worst.

As an example, in the restaurant industry, fraud detection is a big problem. Detecting these fraud patterns as they happen would save an immense amount of money. Without BEM the detection happens after closing the books, a long time after the potential fraud happened, and a lot of man hour is spend to scan the transactions for irregularities. This is a good example on how BEM can apply complex event processing in real time to detect situations that exceed a predefined threshold. The timeliness of the detection is the real money saving factor in this example.

BEM doesn't need to be a messenger of bad news. Monitoring positive situations is as important to a success of a business as preventing negative situations. Identifying positive situations initiated by an employee and recognizing this employee will not only boost morale, but ultimately boost the bottom-line.
There are many vendors that are offering their implementation of BEM. Most of these products are vendor centric, meaning that they are not capable of correlating multiple sources of event data. This defeats the primary objective of Forrester's BEM definition. Other vendors went too far with their BEM implementation and made it overly complicated and unnecessarily complex.

I came across one tool that lives up to Forrester's BEM definition without being too complex. It is called SmartScore. With the ability to connect to most known database flavors and even monitoring ftp servers and file folders, this tool has the power to combine many data sources for an effective pattern detection, which is the primary objective of BEM; monitoring multiple sources in real time.

This is what the industry has to say about BEM:

"Through 2010, the adoption of BEM platforms will grow at least 200 percent from 2006."
Source: Gartner Report

"BEM's real potential is at the business level, helping to enable new strategies, reduce operating costs, and improve process performance and other tangible areas of management attention."
Source: Gartner Report

"The Business Event Management market will grow from $1.2B in 2005 to $2.7B in 2009."
Source: Forrester

In my opinion, BEM is absolutely crucial to detect real cost saving opportunities and then constantly and consistently execute these saving measures. Especially in a down economy it is a question of survival if your business is able to minimize the cost to do business. Sometimes the only way to do this is with the use of additional software. This additional expense is OK as long as the ROI is fast enough to benefit the cost savings in the long run. I believe SmartScore is the tool that can deliver.

Effective Cancer Awareness Giveaways Maximize Budgets

Organizations that support research and fundraising for causes such as breast cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer and other initiatives use events such as walks and runs to raise awareness and funds. Usually working on a limited budget, event planners are forced to scrutinize every dollar spent. Between venue costs, insurance and public relations, the budget can be strapped when it comes to distributing thank you gifts to participants and awareness reminders to attendees. Custom printed promotional products allow planners to maximize their budgets, making the most out of the allocated resources. The value of promotional products is based on a number of factors; sponsor advertising, viral marketing and donor reward.

Sponsor Advertising - Promotional items used for cancer awareness events can be custom printed with slogans, logos and most important of all, sponsor advertisements. Organizers can supplement the purchase of items such as t-shirts, tote bags and other large format promotions by selling off portions of the imprint area to sponsors. The revenue generated may even surpass the cost of the promotional giveaways, creating additional budget for the event or enhance the contribution from the donors.

Create Billboards - Custom promotional products can carry a design that can elevate them into trendy accessories. Themes such as cancer awareness ribbons and slogans such as "Fight Like a Girl" are popular visuals in popular culture, making a simple promotional gift into a well used item. These "billboards" can become viral, piquing the interest of others who see them and inspiring them to inquire as to where they can get them. The popularity of items such as fashion tote bags, t-shirts and umbrellas featuring an awareness organization logo can find its way into celebrity events, red carpet interviews and other public appearances, resulting in the cause gaining viral mobility.

Reward Donors & Volunteers - Event though the participants and donors contribute to a cause for philanthropic reasons, it is a nice gesture for organizations to say thanks with a small gift of appreciation. This gift can be a low cost promotional product that becomes a cherished souvenir of the awareness event. Custom printed jackets, polo shirts and key tags will live on long after the event as a constant reminder of their generosity and good will. Although these volunteers and contributors do not look for anything in return for their efforts, a budget friendly promotional giveaway will be appreciated with pride.

Investing in promotional products may seem to an organization as a needless expense, but when the positive impact of these giveaways is weighed into the equation, they far surpass the cost. Custom printing an awareness ribbon or logo design on a giveaway creates a far reaching impact that will make the event even more effective, spreading the message and inspiring others to get involved.

Special Event Planning - Party Planning

Event Planning - Party Planning needs special efforts and creativity to organize the best. All the arrangements about any event or party depends on the specialty of event. All depends on the importance you attach to the special event and the results you expect as the out put.

Before making any arrangements you need to know the type of event. What is the theme of party? A party or event may have any type like a birthday party, Anniversary party, theme parties, star nights, kitty parties, music events, fashion shows, ramp shows, DJ nights, Rock show Disco parties, Orchestra bands, laser shows, magical shows, get-together parties, corporate parties, personal parties, annual days functions, new year parties, any concert or seminar etc. All arrangements should be carried forward by keeping in mind the kind of event.

You will need to look into the matters of fixing a proper date, arranging the entertainment that suits the theme of your party, inviting special guests, preparing invitations to invite all the guests, catering matters, transporting your guests, decorations, the logistics of rentals and equipments etc. You will also need to arrange the parking facilities for your guests and cleaning up of the venue.

These days there are number of event planning companies that can help you in organizing your special event. Party planners can make all the arrangements as per your taste, requirement and budget. They will listen to the purpose of your special event. They can give you a complete evaluation of you're your event like its budget, venue fixing and arrangement of rentals and catering affairs. They will keep in mind the purpose of your event and can make all the arrangements accordingly.

Budget for event plays an important part in organizing any event. So, to start anything first set up budget. How much you want to spend on your special party or event? An event planner makes all the arrangements within your decided budget. Always explore all your ideas and themes in front of the event management company you are going to hire and also discuss about budget so that the event planner can provide you best services as per your taste, requirement and budget.

How To Come Up With Different Event Planner Logo Design For Different Events?

We are living in such a fast paced technological world that people don't get time to even think about themselves.

Certain celebrations provide them a relief from day to day hectic activity which is why there is a notable boom in the recent event management industries. Organized occasions are not only the source of entertainment but infotainment as well.

This industry is so lively, glamorous and exciting that every person want to be the part of it today and the increasing competition have increased the need of implementing various marketing strategies to help these companies stand out from the rest. One of such marketing techniques includes even planner logo.

There are tremendous benefits that one can reap from such brand mark identities provided that they should be designed in accordance with the nature of the business you are running. Most of the time companies also provide the services for arranging different kinds of events and occasions which forces them to create a separate business identity for each occasion as it will help them to differentiate one service from the rest.

There are certain factors that one has to keep in mind while designing such brand marks for different events because they all belong to the same company.

First of all they all should be simple enough to be memorized by the viewers because you are dealing with different types of logo which has to present the same company. So, the more they are simple to understand, the more it will fork up the desired results.

Secondly, they should all be different with respect to the nature of the event while also a bit same so as to reflect the business you are running because all these brand marks belong to a same company.

Possible problems that you may encounter...

Don't you think to incorporate everything in such small piece of graphical representation would be difficult for a graphic designer.

So, what could be the solution for this?

Better is that you head towards a professional graphic design service because he will handle your event planning logo more efficiently than the others and try to avoid doing it by yourself in order to save your hard won cash.

So, if you have your corporate identity along with all the secondary brand marks in your hands then you must give them some time to flourish as these brand marks are not created overnight. A single corporate identity takes so much time to establish the name of a company so who knows how much time your sub -corporate identities would take.

Hence, if you will follow the above told two ideas for creating a brand mark for your event management company then surely you will be able to effectively market your business to beat your competitors. Moreover, if you want to get the best results, you should opt for a professional graphic design company which is experienced, reputed and most of all affordable.

Site Selection - Where to Have Your Event, Workshop Or Boot Camp

So you have decided to host your own event. It could be a workshop, a training intensive boot camp or even a multi speaker summit. After you have established your vision, objective and strategy, the next item to plan is your location. Here are some helpful tips for the site selection process.

The first thing to narrow down in the site selection process is the area. This will mainly depend on where the attendees are. If you are planning a local workshop, it is easy. You will want to stay in the town your customers are in, or close to it. If you are in a major metropolitan area and you want to draw from different areas of the city, you may want to do a series of workshops and advertise in the local community papers.

There are a variety of facilities to consider when you are planning a meeting. Each has their own strengths and purpose. Many beginning event planners immediately think of hotels, but there are also conference centers to consider. We will discuss the differences in hotels, conference centers, convention centers and unique venues and the purpose of each.

Hotels
There are many hotels that are geared towards the business and leisure traveler and have limited meeting space. Even with limited meeting space, they may work if you are hosting a small workshop. However, there are many hotels that have catering to business meetings as a large source of their revenue. You can find them in all different sizes and in the metropolitan and suburban areas, as well as near the airports.

Conference Centers
Conference Centers are specifically built for meetings. Many are smaller and are perfect to accommodate meetings for 30-75 people. However, there are some that can handle meetings that are substantially larger than that.

If you consider a conference center, you want to make sure that they are a member of, and accredited by IACC, the International Association of Conference Centers. The accredited centers have to meet stringent standards for business meetings, including dedicated conference rooms, ergonomic swivel chairs with arms, tables with hard writing surfaces and walls that are suitable for tacking up flipchart paper.

Conference centers also offer a Day Meeting Package, which includes your meeting room, standard AV, continuous break stations (snacks and drinks), as well as lunch. A Complete Meeting Package includes all of the above, plus a sleeping room and breakfast and dinner. This makes it easy to budget for your meeting.

Convention Centers
Convention Centers are designed for very large meetings, trade shows and conventions. They are typically owned by the city or by a public/private partnership. Although some also have smaller meeting rooms, you really only want to consider a convention center if you have a very large meeting, need quite a bit of exhibit space or need to have your meeting coincide with a tradeshow or meeting that is already booked at the convention center.

Unique Venues
For workshops you can also use a unique venue. These encompass everything from your local library, to restaurants, to community centers, banquet halls, museums and other event venues. If you have a short workshop and do not want to provide any food and beverages, a venue like a community center or library might do the trick. You do have to check what kind of facilities they have. Do they have enough tables and chairs? What is the environment like?

Remember your vision and your objective and keep your ideal attendee in mind. If you have a vision of comfortable and lush environment, you do not want to set up in the local elementary school cafeteria, no matter how much money you can save.

Event Planning Careers - What It Takes To Be Successful

While the recession may be viewed negatively, now is also the perfect time to branch out on your own if you have the entrepreneurial spirit. Many major companies were started during recessions. Whether you are currently employed but are not getting any fulfillment from your job or you are unemployed, whatever your situation, event planning careers are a growing sector and this is the perfect career choice for the right individual.

Event Planning Careers

This industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with enormous growth potential which also makes this one of the best home based businesses if you are interested in being able to work from home while also being there for your family. Event planning careers can allow the right individual to be able to match or exceed their previous income and being your own boss is another of the positives.

This industry has enormous growth potential because people, corporations, etc, need events planned every year recession or no recession, which makes this a wonderful opportunity. You can specialize with certain event planning jobs such as corporate events, weddings, kids birthday parties, baby showers, etc, or you can perform various events.

With event planning careers, you cannot go wrong if you have a good reputation in the industry which will allow you to enjoy the lucrative financial rewards in addition to being able to enjoy what you do in this exciting field.

Event Planning - Keys To Success

1. You need to be able to strategically evaluate things. To keep from being overwhelmed with an event, you need to be able to break things down to small tasks until you accomplish everything you need to get done. One thing to remember with successful event planning is that nothing ever goes according to plan but a plan is still necessary but you need to be able to adapt when things go wrong without getting overwhelmed and giving up.

Remember that your reputation is on the line and you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done and to satisfy the client and the attendees. Good word of mouth is the difference between success and failure with event planning careers. Have a backup plan if things don't work out the way they are supposed to and have a backup to your backup pla! For instance, if you are planning an outdoor wedding, weather can change even the best plans so you need to have a contingency plan if rain occurs on the wedding day that will still ensure a successful wedding despite a change being made to accommodate the weather.

2. When you are planning an event, think on a large and small scale. How do you want people to respond to the event you are organizing? Do you want the attendees to socialize or network, have fun, purchase items, donate, get educated about something, etc? With the goal in mind, you can determine how best to execute the event from the decorations, food, drinks, music to the overall theme. What is your intention with the event? Once you answer this question, you can then get down to the details of planning the event.

3. With event planning careers, a successful event planner has to think of the big items and well as small details. It's usually the small details that can derail an event and not the big stuff. Don't think that no one will notice that the flowers look a little wilted, the restrooms do not have enough paper towels, etc. If mishaps or accidents occur as they usually do with most events, you need to remain calm and provide a solution.

4. Some of the most important factors about an event are food and entertainment as well as the overall look of the venue. You need to make sure that the food is good. Bad food will leave people talking. The entertainment will need to set the mood so plan accordingly as there are many entertainment options to choose from. When using music, make sure that it is very appropriate for the event and the attendees. Consider the decorations and how someone else may view them. Do they elevate the venue or do they look cheap and tacky?

5. If it is a fundraising event or an event featuring items for sale, you need to set the atmosphere so that it is conducive to money changing hands. Items to consider include ensuring that the lighting is soft, that the music level is not too loud so that announcements can be easily heard over the music, etc.

Why to Hire Event Planning Services

Nowadays, event planning has become very popular. People hire planners to get their work done as per their requirement. This reduces stress and people can perform their day to day duties without any interference. Individuals are given education on event management and they are then hired by organizations to provide quality services to their customers. Not everyone can plan and organize an event, for this purpose event manager is available. However, it is a better option to hire the services of a well established event planning company in the Bay Area to get the best results. A well established company will have the necessary equipment and experience to make your event a real success.

Event planning companies in the Bay Area are starting to offer a number of new and exciting services because of the growing number of events in the Bay area. You can find a number of event companies and individual planners who will offer to plan and organize your event, but finding a trustworthy one is quite difficult. You need to find a company who has experience in managing all kinds of events including birthday parties, weddings, corporate events, retirement parties, etc.

A good event company will work in a certain way to fully satisfy their client's requirement. When they are hired they first get all the required information from their client and plan and perform their duties accordingly. They first need to get the right information in order to execute the work assigned to them. Everything should be mentioned by the client before the job has begun so that there is no hold up during the event.

Event planners in the Bay Area can easily be found nowadays thanks to the internet. You can visit the office of the respective organization or you can log on to their website. They know their job well and provide tips for smooth planning of an event. They study the area they are working in and ensure high performance in their area of expertise.

Event planners make a step by step preparation of the task to be performed and divide the people in teams to execute a task that they are best suited with.
Event management not only involves hosting parties but also road shows, promotional activities, etc. The basic rule of a good event management company is to keep the customers satisfied and happy. They make sure that the needs of the people are taken into consideration. They also ensure that when a party is thrown people enjoy to the fullest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Importance of Having an Event Planning Certification

Ten years ago, event planning was something people considered an easy job that they could just start off with and start making money. Although event planning does not require a lot of education, it is no longer a business people can just sit at home and do. This is because of a number of different reasons. First of all, there is a lot of competition out in the market.

Unless you are planning your little sister's birthday party, most events take up a lot of time and effort and critical planning to get everything right. I am talking about bigger events such as planning weddings, banquets, business conferences, concerts, music festivals, film festivals, entertainment shows, presentations etc; when it comes to events and occasions that are big and professionals, people throwing the event would want to work with an experienced planner. Because of this a person with event planning certification would be chosen over someone who has just started throwing events together at home.

Planning events is no longer just a business where a quick call to a cater and location manager can solve everything. It requires specific skills in marketing, advertising, communicating, multi tasking, and a certain professionalism of dealing with people whether it is persuading them or bargaining for a prize or even greeting guests at the actual event or hiring employees to work the little tasks for the event planner. These techniques need to look and feel professional in order for the clients to trust their event planner.

Because of this issue, a person with an event planning certification will be picked even if their experience is lesser than someone who has been planning small-scale birthday parties, weddings, and throwing brunches all their life. Also, it is easier to get a job if you are a certified event planner through a trade school or event planning institute. When it comes to big wedding planner corporations or event planning corporations, just a resume filled with how many parties you successfully pulled off is not enough to get you the job.

What will be important is that professionals of the industry - in this case the professors at the institute who have taught you - are able to vouch for your abilities in order for an already established event managing company to hire you. Therefore it is very important for a person trying to pursue this business professionally to go through the process of an institutional degree (which usually doesn't take longer than one or two years) to be able to work and make lots of money in this now very competitive field of planning occasions.

8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Event Registration Process

Did you know that your registration process can dramatically impact your attendees? A smooth, comfortable registration process can change the way they look at your organization. It can decrease complications and complaints at your events. It can even lead to higher attendance and lower no show rates.

Use this report to uncover the simple things that make life easier for your attendees - while greatly reducing your own workload.

#1 Get Rid of Paper-Based Processes: Event organizers often worry that high-tech registration options will alienate a portion of their target audience. Yet you'll be surprised how quickly even your most traditional users will adapt to online registration. In fact, many event organizers have found that removing paper registration all together has led to higher attendance, happier attendees and much fewer complications at events.

Case in Point: The Religious Conference Management  Association worried that its traditional, faith-based group would struggle with online church event registration. Yet it knew that its lengthy and arduous paper registration process was frustrating for attendees and costly for the organization. Last year, however, more than 85% of its annual conference attendees registered online - and the organization was flooded with compliments on the new, easier registration process. In addition, RCMA chose to eliminate paper surveys after its event and move all post-show follow up online, which increased its response rate from 5% to 32%.

#2 Encourage Groups: More than 30% of attendees register as a group, and  research shows that attending events in a group improves the experience. Yet most event organizers fail to encourage groups. In fact, most registration systems fail to even automate group registration, leading to lost opportunities and frustrated group leaders.

There are two important things you should be doing to encourage group registrations: Provide discounts for people who register as part of a group. This practice not only increases attendance, but increases attendees' satisfaction at your events.

Second, make group registration as easy as possible by handling it within your standard registration process. Make sure it's easy to add group members by streamlining the process and auto-inserting information where possible. Also, don't make the mistake of failing to communicate with individual group members. Make sure your system is set up to send confirmations and reminders to the group leader and every member of the group.

A single miscommunication can destroy an attendee's experience at an event.

So, why do 80% of event organizers still rely on manual processes to manage things like meal preferences, room blocks and nearly every attendee preference? Take the time to set up a way for your attendees to choose their own preferences and make self-service changes to those preferences before the event. The best registration systems will make this process easy for attendees, and a select few will even provide reports that can be shared with hotels, caterers and event organizers in real time. These shared reports ensure that all preferences are updated and accurate at all times, leading to happier attendees and smoother events.

#3 Put Your Attendees in the Driver's Seat: A single miscommunication can destroy an attendee's experience at an event. So, why do 80% of event organizers still rely on manual processes to manage things like meal preferences, room blocks and nearly every attendee preference?

Take the time to set up a way for your attendees to choose their own preferences and make self-service changes to those preferences before the event. The best registration systems will make this process easy for attendees, and a select few will even provide reports that can be shared with hotels, caterers and event organizers in real time. These  shared reports ensure that all preferences are updated and accurate at all times, leading to happier attendees and smoother events.

Case in Point: Washington State University's extension office coordinates five large events each year for its Area Health Education program. Each year the university handled more than 1,500 registrations with varying payment options and preferences -- and each year there would be a long line of confused attendees at the registration table. In 2008 Washington State moved its registration process online. In so doing, it shaved more than 400 work hours from its process and nearly eliminated the customer service issues that had plagued its events for years.

#4 Do the work for your competitors Many event registrants are frustrated by the length of time it takes to fill out a registration form. Yet many of these same registrants are previous customers of the organization holding the event. That means there's no reason these event organizers should require them to re-submit every piece of personal information.

Instead, all event organizers should be using auto-recall to pre-populate personal and business information whenever possible. Not only does this practice dramatically reduce time spent in the registration process, but it also decreases the number of people who abandon the process and reduces errors in your reporting. This simple feature can improve the attendee experience while making sure you always have accurate contact information for follow-ups and promotions.

#5 Re-Confirm to Eliminate No Show: Are you sick of dealing with no-shows at every event? If you're like most event organizers, seeing a stack of unused name badges at the end of an event is frustrating. But in  many cases, it's not the attendee's fault. Instead, the failure to recognize no-shows before events falls on the shoulders of the event organizer.

The good news is there is a way to identify no-shows before your events - yet it's one of the least-used features in event registration. It's called "click-to-confirm" reminders, and it allows event organizers to send a series of triggered email reminders leading up to an event, asking attendees to confirm that they will be attending the event. This practice allows organizers to weed out people who have changed their minds and open up spaces for sold out events. In addition, the extra action taken by your attendees reminds them about the event and reaffirms their commitment to attend.

Case in Point: Grant Writing USA, a leading provider of workshops and educational materials that focus on grant writing and grant management, had a big problem with excessive no shows at its workshops. The organization now sends click-to-confirm emails for all events, and that practice has reduced its no show rate to nearly zero.

#6 Make Networking Easier with Directories: As social networking becomes more important to attendees both before and after events, event organizers increasingly depend on good networking opportunities to make their events stand out. Those opportunities start during the registration process.

Make sure you're providing a quick link to a directory of event attendees both during your registration process and in your confirmation email. The kind of information you provide on that directory will vary, but many organizers include names of attendees, email addresses and even a list of sessions people are attending. This technique immediately engages your attendee with your event, allowing her to reach out to friends or set up meetings.

#7 Build Better Badges: A badge is a badge, right? Nope. Not anymore. In fact, top event organizers are realizing that badges can play a crucial role in tying registration information to the event. Most sophisticated registration platforms will allow you to enhance your badges with group information, color coding and even an agenda.

Make sure you're branding your badges, agendas and signage to match your registration form. In addition, provide your attendees with a complete list of their session selections and preferences when they receive their badge. This practice will immediately address any issues before confusion sets in, and it will remind your attendees of the selections they made during the registration process.

#8 Make Every Question Relevant: If you confuse attendees, you lose them. Usability studies show that attendees struggle with long registration forms, particularly when those forms contain information that isn't relevant to the attendee. More and more event organizers are using something called conditional logic to avoid that pitfall.

Conditional logic is based on statements, which use triggers within the registration form to dynamically display appropriate information. So, for example, if I have a golf networking event, I may ask an attendee if they would like to attend. If that attendee answers "no," they will never see information on tee times, t-shirt sizes or transportation. On the other hand, if that attendee chooses "yes" he will automatically see the appropriate questions.

Very complicated events are using conditional logic to dramatically streamline the registration process, but even small events can use this technology to greatly reduce registration headaches for attendees while reducing workload for event organizers.

Do's and Don'ts of Corporate Event Planning

Do get approval for your plans.

This is a basic do, but well worth mentioning. Before you start planning your event, get the budget approved and clear a list of recommended speakers and event entertainment with management. This way you can avoid any surprises down the road. Meet with your planning team early on and get approval for your budget so you can begin finding the right vendors.

Don't forget about your attendees.

Your organization may have its own agenda for the meeting or event, but you need to think about things from your attendees' perspectives. What do they want from the meeting? What impression do you want them to leave with after the event is done? This is where corporate event entertainment can play a big role in your planning. By including appropriate meeting entertainment, you can ensure that your attendees will enjoy themselves.

Do create a theme for your event.

Your theme will make planning much easier and will give your event a "wow" factor. Your theme should coordinate with the purpose of your event. Incorporate your theme into your venue decorations, your invitations, your marketing collateral and other items.

Don't let your attendees sit in silence.

During the downtime in your events, use light background music to avoid the sound of crickets. Music doesn't have to be the centerpiece of your event, but some background music can help give your event a touch of professionalism.

Do hire professional event entertainment.

Event entertainment is another way to increase excitement about your event and ensure that people come back again next year. Your event entertainment vendor should be experienced with corporate events so they know how to maintain professionalism and be entertaining at the same time.

Don't put off promoting your event.

Promotion is the key to making sure your event is well attended. Once you've got the date, venue and theme in place, start spreading the word. Use press releases, social media, industry magazines and other avenues to promote your event and pre-register attendees.

By following these DOs and avoiding these DON'Ts, you'll be able to create an event that helps you make your mark in your industry and will keep your attendees coming back year after year.

Event Planning - Time Management For Professionals

Time management is an essential part of event planning. Event planning is not a casual affair; you need professional training for proper planning and management of the event. Time is very important. We keep wasting a lot of time and at the end of the day we realize that time has passed away and nothing has been accomplished yet. If we would have used this time in a proper manner we would achieve more in less time. Time is a tool which can either help you in making your career and it can even break your career.

Stress is a part of job; people feel stressed out due to working for long hours. Working for long hours is actually not the real issue; in most of the cases managing time is the real problem. You have to manage your time properly in order to remained relaxed and stress free.

Time management is a simple process. With proper time management you will recognize that you achieve more in less time. This will help you in doing extra work and providing time to other important jobs. When you try to get a job in an event planning company; you can easily get a job if you have taken event planning courses. This is because the employers feel that you are well aware of the important of time management. Here are tips for managing time in an effective manner:

1. In time management; you have first identify the most important jobs and the least important jobs. You should focus on the important ones and you should give the least important ones to your subordinates. This way the most important jobs will have all your attention.

2. You should be more focused on results and less focused on tasks. People develop a do list. They feel that if they have this list; they will never miss out on any work and they will be able to manage time. Do list is of no great help; instead it wastes your time because too many jobs are listed on one paper and you waste a lot of time on identifying which one is the most important job.

3. Balance is very important; entertainment is as important as work and sleep is as important as work. If you do not rest and keep on working; you will figure out that the quality of your work is deteriorating.

Time management is the core of event planning. If you have mastered this art then you can become a successful event planner and will be able to manage all affairs in the least possible time.

Become a Top Wedding Planner - 4 Ways to Handle Competition

As a new wedding planner, you may be worried about having to fight competition for clients. But the presence of competition is actually a good sign, it means there are potential clients in the area.

Here are 4 ways to handle your competition fears:

1) Learn all about your competition

• Who else is offering wedding planning services in your area?


• What niche do they market to?


• Who are their ideal clients?


• How do they market to them (mailers, online, referrals, exhibit at wedding fairs, etc.)?


• What are their marketing messages (for example, low cost, eco-friendly, etc.)?


• What services and products are they offering?

Remember that your competition may not be just wedding and event planners but also caterers, florists, and party rental stores who offer planning. Places of worship may offer the services of a wedding coordinator who also does wedding planning. Knowing what they are all offering will help you determine how to differentiate yourself from them.

2) Evaluate your own company

• What is your niche and who are your ideal clients?


• How do you market to your niche?


• What marketing messages are you sending out to your niche?


• Do your marketing messages clearly explain your uniqueness?


• Have you developed services and products that are specifically for your niche?


• Or, are you offering the same services that all other wedding planners offer?

If you are unclear about your niche, your marketing messages are probably also unclear and brides are having trouble seeing how you are different from your competition. Take the time to learn the services the couples in your niche need and would be willing to buy. Then make sure your marketing messages convey your understanding of their needs so it is clear that you are the right wedding planner for them.

3) Consider partnering with people who are not in direct competition

You may want to network with wedding and event planners who handle clients that you do not, and vice versa. Ask if they would be willing to exchange referrals with you. You may approach caterers and florists to see if they would like to to partner and offer joint packages to make it easy for couples to work with all of you. Places of worship might be willing to refer you or have you work as their wedding coordinator.

4) Establish your uniqueness and concentrate your time and energy on your own business

Now that you know what your competition is doing and you've evaluated your own business, take what you have learned and, if necessary, make changes in your marketing plans and set new goals. Remember to emphasize your uniqueness in all of your marketing efforts. Next, concentrate not on beating out competition but on being the best at what you do and offering your clients the best services and products that you can give them.

Party Planning Checklist - What Goes on the List?

If you've never put a party planning checklist together or even if you are a seasoned event planner, here's a suggested list of items to include on your party planning checklist.

1. First, what type of celebration are you hosting? Is this a formal party? Holiday party? Casual get together? One you have decided the type of party, deciding on a theme and selecting other party details will easily fall into place.

2. How many guests will be at the party? The number of people attending is very important because for most parties, the host is expected to provide food and drink, unless of course it is a potluck or the invitation notes to "B.Y.O.B". Also, it is important to have enough space to accommodate everyone. If your home is too small, select and reserve a party location, such as a local restaurant, hotel, or county club.

3. Guest need to know when and where the party will be. When sending out the invitations, be sure to include the date, time and exact location of the party. Make sure to note any details, such as attire, gift registry or "this is a SURPRISE PARTY."

4. The people are the main attraction of any event, but food comes in a strong second. Food is very important to all social gatherings, so prepare the menu is advance. Ideally, the food should compliment the party theme. If possible, you will want to prepare your main dishes and appetizers in advance, because the last few days before a party are usually quite hectic. Also, have extra food on hand in case there are surprise guests. You want to make sure there is plenty of food for everyone.

5. Decorations are not only fun, but help create a festive environment and add to the party theme. If the party is in your home, make sure all the public areas are clean and well stocked (think toilet paper!) so your guests are comfortable. Add flowers, candles or party decorations from a local party shop to transform your home to party central.

If the celebration is held at a rented venue, make sure to ask about decorating restrictions. Some places do not allow thumb tacks, tape, open flames and limit how late you can have music.

6. If you are renting tables, chairs or other party supplies, make sure to place your reservation in advance, especially during traditional party times of the year, such as June, November and December.

Planning and organizing a party is quite a bit of work, but a party planning checklist does make the job much easier. Keep your list handy and you'll find party planning can be lots of fun and very rewarding. Enjoy your party!

Professional Conference Organizer

If you are on the hunt for a professional conference organizer and are not sure where to start looking, consider the internet as a source of valuable information, and a good method to find a company specializing in conference and event management. On the internet you can search for chosen event management companies websites, peruse the information found on these sights and take the time to discover their experience in the event management field and whether they will be able to meet your individual needs and requirements.

For your particular needs you need to find a highly reputable company with event management experience. A suitable company should be able to deliver top event management services from highly skilled and motivated conference planning and conference production staff. With many good event management companies, you should find the talented event management team to be motivated and passionate about their business. You will find that your chosen conference planning and production team will be able to handle all aspects of the conference or event, allowing you to relax and be re-assured that your conference will be a success.

An event management team will be able to handle the design and implementation of your custom conference initiatives, your chosen company will plan and manage your corporate event, ensuring a successful operation time after time. A good event management team will be able to offer you all the necessary skills along with equipment to ensure a productive and successful conference. The equipment you may need are design facilities, audio visual communication, script writing, film and video, logistics and more.

Your chosen event management company should be able to supply you information regarding sutiable venues for your conference, benefiting from their industry knowledge, contacts and experience to ensure your conference is held at an appropriate venue for your conference type. A professional event management company will have the skilled staff to ensure the planning and production of your conference is a success, including an in-house team of film, TV, writers and video producers, set and graphic designers, communication designers, engineers, theatre and lighting designers, photographers, production managers and more.

So, for professional conference planning and production choose a professional, experienced event management company to ensure your conference is a success. Get an expert corporate hospitality company to deliver a productive and beneficial conference.

The Balance of Corporate Events

All types of business require the health, trained skills and creative talents of their employees in order to perform the growth, stabilization, or retrenchment strategies required to remain in business. Therefore, many corporate events are set in place to keep employee abreast of their industry in both professional and relaxed environments. They are also utilized to keep the employees connecting. After all, every aspect of a business's functions with the movement of their products and/or service requires team effort in order to produce the level of ideas and processes that keep them competitive. For example, in this article, we will discuss three of the most common professional development experiences and three of the most common employee development experiences for the improvement of both.

Corporate events are important to strengthening management and employee performance because they are given an opportunity to present company products and services. They are also given an opportunity to become aware of what other companies in their industry are doing. Or, most importantly they pick up tips and tricks of where their industry is headed in the coming year, which is based off of their contributions and contributions of competing companies. A few of these gatherings include annual conferences where projections and progress are documented and explored. There are also trade shows where the company can present and exhibit their latest products or services to buyers and general consumers. Lastly, there are also annual seminars that represent the bridge between the company progress and manager and employee training. These corporate events combine academic, leadership, and interactive teaching and tasks in order to help prepare the employees for another year and greater responsibility.

Second to seminars where managers and employees in a particular field have an opportunity to bond are the team building days or weekends of any corporate event.

This gives all of the entire company, departments, and divisions of a branch to be motivated in their contribution. They are able to realize their strengths and get to know each other at the same time. This is also related to theme activities such as golf tournaments or holiday parties where managers and employees are also encouraged to connect and relax with or without current or perspective clients. Lastly, after all of their hard work, some companies also offer incentive travel for their level of performance. In the end, corporate events help to keep the clients connected to the company's products or services, help to keep the managers and employees at peak performance, and help the managers and employees know that they are appreciated by the company. With corporate events everyone learns and earns.

Corporate Cooking and Team Building

Strong, connected and effective teams are a vital support in creating corporate success and many organisations have looked to traditional team building methods to assist them in bonding their staff together. However, recent research has suggested that such traditional methods of team building could be doing little towards improving group coherence.

A survey of 100 people who played team sports revealed that there was no link between how often the team activities took place and the bonds that they developed within their group. These findings suggest that traditional workplace team building strategies, which include such unusual activities as walking over hot coals or playing paintball, are of little or no value.

Dr Moira Lafferty, from the University of Chester, who led the study with colleagues from Liverpool Hope University, said: "Our findings suggest that, despite there being no positive relationship to team cohesion, team building activities... are still conducted. "

While the team activities investigated in this survey may seem to do little to improve cohesion it does not mean that all group bonding tasks are ineffective. A more unique and enjoyable, yet traditional, team building activity like cooking could be a much more effective relationship strengthening solution.

Cooking has long been known to bond groups of people together. Research in the US reveals the benefits cookery can bring to families who regularly share mealtimes. These can include better family relationships and improved academic performance. There are even greater benefits for those families that also include the children in the preparation and cooking of the family meal.

We can therefore see that cooking is great for bonding people together, teaching them new skills and giving each member of the group a better appreciation of what it means to work as one to create something fabulous.

Cookery is the ideal activity to strengthen bonds between those who need to communicate effectively in the working environment. There are now dedicated cookery schools available that offer short cooking courses and workshops to those interested in a team building activity that really does makes a difference.

Brand Activation Process - Give Your Brand a New Life

An event management company is engaged in planning, managing, organizing and implementing Business events and Entertainment events, brand activation and promotional events for consumer goods and services. Whether you want to motivate, entertain or innovate, they offer outstanding outcome, which will take your event to a next high level. Events planned by these companies are meticulously planned, creative, efficient and successfully implemented.

Brand Activation, which is nothing but giving your brand to life or in other words it is the evolution of the brands. A trustworthy company understands the importance of your brand's needs and requirements. Our basic aim is to take your brand into an unexceptional level and give your brand to life. In today's world, merely offering the product features is not sufficient. Today everybody is extremely competitive, and each individual brings competence with valuable and creative ideas for every kind of commercial business. Developing and maintaining unique product features has become hard and costly. Technical progress does not assure commercial success or competitive advantage.

An Event Management company keeps this thing in mind and accordingly plan out things. They have a unique insight into the market. They realize that merely campaigning is not sufficient, and the team does the brand activation that actually brings the brand to your life by translating the concept into the on-site reality. They have access to hundreds of outdoor events who are eager to have your brand associated with their event. They make sure your brand gets maximum visibility with the help of our highly experienced and professional team. A reputed company will provide you with an in-depth analysis of post event sales and trends, which will help, you understand the effect of Brand Activation.

To bring the brand to your life, they promote it in all possible ways. They realize how valuable Brand Activation is for you and so they take all possible measures to bring life to your brand. They launch, implement, plan, Communicate and promote your products and services. The company believes in bringing meaning to your brand. Whether the project requires mobile marketing, street promotion or sponsorship activation, they are equipped to do it all. The dedicated efforts backed by innovative concepts, visionary approach, and ideas will result in the promotion of the product. Under Brand Activation, they provide a complete solution from conceptualization to execution. They are experts and have built a reputation for providing first class creative brand activation. Come to a reputed company for brand activation and they will literally bring the brand to your life.

What Are the 5 Critical Factors When Hosting a Successful Sales Training Seminar?

Sales training seminars help you tap into the potentiality of your sales team (including that of your sales managers, executives, and supervisors) to increase the company's profit margin. They need to understand well the various principles, procedures, and practices so that they can make the best use of available time and resources as provided to the sales force.

Planning

Plan your sales training seminar properly by creating a list of guests you wish to invite as well as choose the venue wisely with efficient transportation connectivity. Try and involve everyone in the administrative team to work on the event timeline. It is important to provide vital venue information to each individual guest to make it easier for them to locate the site. For example, you can attach a map with the email displaying the route from the official event accommodation. Most importantly, you need to formalize upon the budget to be spent on individual administrative tasks.

Promotion

Promote your sales seminar in the maximum possible ways to get high attendance. Besides inserting ads in newspapers and business magazines, why not utilize the various social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, etc. to reach out to the maximum number of people. Additionally, send emails to your prospective audience requesting them to be present on the event day.

Production

Once you are through with the promotion aspect of the event, you need to focus on the production campaign that includes daily tracking and monitoring attendee confirmation emails to the seminar. You also need to concentrate on the lightning and decoration aspects, seating arrangement, food and beverage menu, entertainment, etc. and see to it that everything is in place before the guests start to arrive.

Evaluation

After the completion of the seminar, the next big thing is to evaluate its performance. Did the attendees like your sales training seminar? What did they have to say about the presentation? Was your event profitable? You can distribute survey sheets amongst the guests requesting them to fill them up and submit in a glass box next to the exit gate.

Post Seminar Follow Up

You must follow up with your prospects interested in your company and its products. Over time, call them up or email them introducing yourself and the purpose behind the call. In this way, you can build up a long-lasting relationship with the attendees and accordingly set up appointments with them.

Thus, sales training seminars can help the sales professionals improve upon their performance over time. Many corporate organizations are now taking the help of online training and event management software's to conduct and manage meetings, conferences, seminars, and other similar types of events as they are simple, dependable and affordable!

Event Planning And Design

If you have hidden talents like being social, systematic and creative and you want to pursue a career that utilizes all of these talents then event planning is the most suitable option for you. If you love doing this work then you will enjoy life a lot because this particular field has become so rewarding nowadays for people like that.

There are number of event organizers who have become so popular and are earning in millions. Therefore, there is no doubt if this type of profession has value in future or not. Dedication is the key to success in event planning business. It is not an easy job to organize the whole programs that not only cause mental stress but also physical stress. Nevertheless, if you develop your interest in it and work by heart then you will reach a point where everyone will recognize you by your work.

To enter in this field you do not have to acquire a particular college degree so anyone can do it. Some institutions are offering courses in event managing; you can acquire that and polish your skills. They will teach you marketing and management techniques and guide you on how to make bongs with other important services needed in this business. You have to be in touch with all the latest news and trends so that you organize modern events or at least according to the tastes of the people.

It does not matter what resources you have to run this business. If you have computer, telephone and connection to internet then you can successfully run this business. Then with the passage of time, when you will gain experience and make larger profits, then you can expand your business and outsource it.

Like all other businesses, there are many risks involved in this type of business. Many people like your investors and clients have spent a lot of money and are dependent on you. If you are systemic only then you can handle this job or else you cannot. So begin from volunteering in little events around your neighborhood so that you can experience and knowledge.

Nowadays people prefer hiring event planners to arrange their meetings or other occasions because they do not have enough time or resources to plan it quickly. Event designing starts from deciding the venue to food menu for the guests. The clients just provide them the money and they have to adjust every expenses plus their profit in that same budget whether it is small or big.

Corporate Event Entertainment: 7 Dos and Don'ts

The little things that make big differences to event success.?

The corporate event has such potential - to bring employee's together, to foster a culture of sharing and openness, to create good memories that will tide employees through hard times at work and help create a far more stable workforce. However, there's a reason that most people groan when they open an office Christmas party invitation! Competing interests and demands often lead to corporate event entertainment, activity choices and outcomes that really don't match the hype over corporate event possibilities. Today we check out some do's and don'ts for choosing everything from your corporate event entertainment or Melbourne corporate band, to a venue, an activity and a theme.

Do: Ask the people what they want

Many corporate event entertainment organisers feel that if they ask people what they want, there will be so many competing interests that they will only have to disappoint some people anyway. This is quite true - but you can get around it by asking your employees to negotiate an activity amongst themselves. At least everyone has the opportunity to speak and argue for their choice, then!

Don't: Pit departments or employees against each other

It's very tempting to make a competition out of corporate events, saying that it's 'all in fun'. However, competitive corporate event entertainment that creates teams and names a winner is only guaranteed to foster dissent in the ranks. There may be greater team spirit within small teams, but the overall loss is greater than the gain.

Do: Cover up the silence!

Getting everyone together in one spot only to listen to the twittering of birds is guaranteed to mean your event flops. Music doesn't have to be the focus of an event, but background music from Melbourne corporate bands is essential to helping people loosen up and feel ready to talk about things other than work. Utilising an actual corporate band in Melbourne rather than an iPod on shuffle means that you get help creating an appropriate playlist, and also create an attention focus for quieter times.

Do: Feed the masses!

Providing food is a fairly standard requirement that goes along with event entertainment in Melbourne. Hungry people are not happy people!

Don't: Offer alcohol on tap

Drunkenness uncovers a side of everybody that is better left at home! Don't encourage people to do things that they'll regret later by offering free alcohol as part of your corporate event entertainment.

Do: Match your entertainment to your audience

Most workplaces up to a certain size have a fairly definite demographic profile. You should choose Melbourne event entertainment that matches the demographic of your staff members - consider the level of physical fitness required, generational interests etc.

Don't: Make interaction difficult

If the aim of your corporate event is to bring employees together to have a good time, don't make it difficult for them to interact! Choose a Melbourne corporate band that is happy to tailor their volume to your needs; leave plenty of room in the schedule for people just to chat; and allow people to choose their own seating etc.

There are so many choices for corporate event entertainment in Melbourne, there is bound to be one that suits your workplace perfectly. Remember, if in doubt... grab a Melbourne corporate band and put on dinner for an easy-please function!

Become a Top Wedding Planner - 5 Unique Abilities You Can Market to Brides

In a discussion or interview with a bride, she will most likely ask you "What makes you unique?" or "Why should I hire you instead of another wedding planner?" Saying you are detail-oriented and will give her a "magical day" will not be enough, brides have complained that most wedding planners say these very things.

You need to take some time to assess your abilities and services and know how you are going to answer this question, even before a bride asks.

To help you with your assessment, here are 5 ways you may be unique:

1) Your experience

It's not just years of experience that counts, it's also the type of experience that you have had. For example if you've spent a few years working as an event designer for an event planning firm, interned with a florist who does the high-end weddings in your area, worked as a bridal consultant in a bridal boutique, traveled extensively and are doing destination weddings, or coordinated all of the weddings for your place of worship. Or, maybe you were in management and have experience negotiating contracts and leading teams. These are all experiences that may be unique to you and can be of benefit to the brides in your niche.

2) Your education

Not everyone has taken the time and invested the money to get an event or wedding planning certification from a reputable association or institution, so if you have, let potential clients know this. Or, if you have completed a program in floral design, hospitality and catering, or interior or fashion design, you have valuable knowledge and unique skills that are helpful to brides.

3) Your connections

Brides covet the names of high-quality vendors, which is why you need to develop a wide network. You don't want to give specific vendor information out before a bride is your client, but you can market the fact that you have good relationships with vendors, have access to fabulous venues and can negotiate good rates with them, if these things are true for you.

4) Your services

If you offer services that other planners may not, for example, if you created services that you know brides in your niche need that no one else offers. Or, if you plan weddings that follow a particular tradition or culture that is important to the brides in your niche, these services would make you stand out among other planners.

5) Your customer service

If you give your brides full access to you via phone, text or email. If you create customized checklists for them, if you offer them a personal assistant on their wedding day, anything you do that goes above and beyond what is expected and that other wedding planners don't offer, are unique benefits.

Once you have a list of your unique qualities and how they benefit brides, don't wait until a bride asks you about them, incorporate the information in your website, blog and other marketing efforts.

Toilet Hire For Your Event Planning: Facilities Provided

Several events need careful planning and organizing every little detail. This makes a party or any other official and personal event a complete success. If you are planning an event on a big scale like a wedding followed by a reception, sports meet for an office or school or college, a camp for scouts and guides or a military training camp, there will be a need for open area spaces as well as the other necessities for a comfortable time.

One of these necessities will be the arrangement for a bathroom and a toilet. For every event, there is the possibility of a large number of people, guests consisting of both adults and children. There will be a regular and periodic need for the toilets and a bathroom. As a host or an event planner, there is a responsibility to make appropriate provisions for such regular requirements.

Portable Toilets

There are portable toilets that can solve your problems pertaining to arrangements and organizing facilities for your guests and visitors. These are modern toilets and bathroom shower arrangements in state of the art designs that are also completely mobile. They have wheels attached to them that make movements easier. They can be installed anywhere you plan to.

The toilets and bathrooms have full arrangements of toilet and shower facilities on the latest modern trends and designs. There are items like towels, soaps, liquid cleansers that are provided within. Bathroom disinfectants and deodorants are also provided and so are tissues and toilet paper rolls.

There is inbuilt water supply facility that provides the water when you flush the toilets or take a shower. There is also an inbuilt storage for the sewerage. It can store up to 7 days sewage for at least about 10 people. There are even the uses of chemical powders in some cases that are added to the sewage disposal bags. This helps to turn the sewage into gel form for convenient storage and disposal.

Apart from toilet facilities, there are also arrangements for shower bathing if it is needed. There are modern fixtures and arrangements that make it easy and comfortable as well.

The companies only undertake the maintenance and cleaning of portable toilets. Depending on the period of your usage, they will come in between and clean the toilets and bathrooms completely. There will be a sanitization and disinfecting the toilets with a fresh supply of all the accessories.

Portable Toilet Hire Service Companies

There are companies that are engaged in the business of hiring out portable toilets to event planners and individuals that require these for their events and outdoor parties. These companies are available all over the UK, the USA and different parts of Europe.

There are comprehensive package fees charged for the portable toilets that include delivery and pickup of the same from the venue itself. The package also includes supplies. Cleaning and maintenance will also be included within the package itself.

Benefits of Using an Online Reporting System

Creating company reports manually on paper can take a lot of your time and energy. It also results in high expenses and requires involvement of substantial workforce. Besides, the reports are also needed to be updated on a daily basis. One of the most efficient ways of coming out of this problem of report creation and management is to use an online web reporting platform. These programs are expected to save your time and enable you create and update an unlimited number of reports at your convenience.

The benefits of using an online reporting system are listed below:

Easy Access - The Cloud-based reports provide the opportunity of accessing them anytime and from anywhere. Management no longer needs to wait for the weekly reviews, as the reports are always available online.

No Hardware or Software Installation - You do not require installing any hardware or software to use the system. No monthly subscription fee is needed as well. What you need is only an internet connection to open the online reporting portal and start creating customized reports.

Cost-effective - This type of reporting service is highly cost-effective as well as eco-friendly, as it does not involve the use of paper. You will get to save cost on papers, stamps, stationery, and so on. Moreover, this reporting system helps to reduce the manpower needed to do the work.

Real-time Feedback - After the completion of an event or workshop, you can immediately make reports and provide feedback to the participants.

Flexible Reporting Option - Companies can create customized reports at their free will. They can add or delete data as and when required. You can thus generate, download, and print different kinds of reports to guide your company's decision making.

Easy Photo Uploading Option - Enterprises can easily upload photos of different sizes on the reporting file. This helps all your quantitative and qualitative reports to be kept in one place.

Storage Facility - You can produce informative reports anytime to enable access by anyone or selective people in future. Simple reports containing data ranging from employee contact details to highly confidential reports outlining the company strategies can be stored securely using this web-based reporting system. Reports can be kept safe and password-protected for restricted access.

Instant Report Sending Facility -You do not have to wait for days to get a report. The Cloud-based reporting solution helps you send and receive reports on sales, wait lists' check-in' monthly or semi-monthly activity statements, and so on in minutes through emails or faxes.

Thus, utilize the online reporting system to save quality time and reduce workload in your next meeting, seminar, or trade show. This web-based reporting portal provides a highly scalable and comprehensive program for all your events and activities of any size and complexity.

The Importance of Running Efficient Events

In the current economic climate, it's vital that event managers work as efficiently as possible. Managing successful events is a time consuming and complicated process. It can take many years of training and on the job experience for an event manager to become extremely effective at what they do.

One of the issues event managers face is the vast number of activities and processes that are involved in planning and running events. Having the ability to multi-task and being well organised are traits that event managers need to develop and hone as they gain experience in the field.

The benefits of working efficiency are basic:

繚 Time savings
繚 Cost savings
繚 Improved event performance

Drilling down into these areas we can see the details of how and where the efficiency gains can be made:

Saves Time:

It's important that the event manager has clear and efficient processes they adhere to when running events. Creating processes that others can follow also means that other team members can assist or take over the management of an event with ease. Team members are able to understand quickly what stage of planning the event is at; cutting down on meetings and training sessions.

Many event managers will create and update their processes with each event; learning from their experiences to make the process of managing each event more effective and efficient. Having a set procedure that is written down means the events can be planned and managed far easier - important areas are never missed out and realistic timescales can be easily produced. Having dedicated processes saves time because event managers do not need to create plans from scratch for each event. They can replicate each event process again and again, building on in and improving it with each event.

Being efficient in the event planning process also helps with event analysis. This includes analysing the performance of suppliers - knowing who has been used in the past to supply goods and services and having details of the relationship can help analyse if this relationship is working at maximum efficiency. It's vital to understand if suppliers standard are falling, and this can only be done if the event manager is working efficiently and monitoring the relationship with each event. It is hugely beneficial for event mangers to be able to use the same suppliers over and over again - sourcing new suppliers is an extremely time consuming process. Additionally having suppliers that let you down can be a huge drain on time as event managers try to resolve the issue at the last minute. So understanding and staying on top of existing supplier relationships is a vital part of efficient event management.

Post event, it's important for event mangers to be able to quickly and efficiently get management information on that event to analyse the success of that event; was there an increase in delegate attendance, did delegates rate the event highly, did you get a good return on investment (ROI) etc. These are important event metrics that must be analysed quickly and efficiently. A common issue event managers have is that they are so busy planning multiple events, that they do not have time for this important event analysis stage. However, it is only by analysing events that you can help to improve the performance of future events.

Saves Costs

The common phrase 'time is money' is extremely applicable in event management. Having an event manager who is efficient at their job, who understands and follows best practice event management processes and who has good relationships with efficient suppliers is a vital part of generating a high and fast ROI. Poor event managers can cost an organisation huge amounts of money through their poor efficiency and organisation.

Working with suppliers and building good relationships can also save money - the better the relationship, the more likely that supplier discounts will be involved. Running efficient events also means paying your suppliers on time - a vital part of gaining supplier discounts and bonuses.

An ineffective event manager will cost an organisation through the mistakes they make. Doubling up on orders, missing vital parts of the process and other mistakes can be costly in terms of the time it takes to resolve, but also through being forced to purchase items at the last minute.

Improved Event Performance

Being able to efficiently run events also has an impact on the performance of the event. Delegates will have an improved experience if it runs smoothly and without errors. Being efficient ensures that delegates have an enjoyable and error free journey - from the point of booking, to payment, registration on the day, experiencing the event and providing feedback.

Events with efficiency issues are likely to be poorly managed, with errors and mistakes causing delegates to have unsatisfactory experiences. Ensuring that you provide the best possible experience for delegates is vital for the success of future events.

Increasing delegate attendance is something many organisations struggle with, and if an organisation has issues over its reputation, due to their inefficiency, that will have a knock on effect on future registrations. A key part of successful events is building up reputation in the industry and generating a long list of loyal, repeat purchase delegates.

Finally, being an efficient event manager also means that they are able to organise more than one event at a time. For companies that are based solely around event organisation, or for companies that just happen to host many events, this is a vital part of the management process. Managers must be able to successful organise the planning and running of multiple events and this can only be done if they are working to best practice, efficient processes.

Improving Event Efficiency

Event managers can help to improve the efficiency of their working practices by making use of event management software. Event software is able to take best practice processes and automate and manage them from one central platform. Removing inefficient spreadsheets from the process and working on a software solution designed specifically for event management had proven to have huge cost and time saving benefits.

Event management software solutions are able to manage all areas of event planning from:

- Website Integration
- Online Registration
- Communication
- E-Invite
- Email
- E-Survey
- Badge Production
- Resource Management
- Management of Financials
- Reporting and Analysis

With the industry being hit with rising costs and lower delegate attendance, it's vital that companies organising events fight back by being as efficient as possible and continually improving their processes. It is the companies that tackle efficiency issues head on, and employ the use of technology who will ensure their events are successful now and in the future.

Coffee Mugs As Event Promo Items

All year round, many companies have certain events or occasions that they observe. During such events, companies like to take advantage and reward their employees or gift their clients with promotional items. Coffee is one of those beverages that many people cannot do without and is very popular in workplaces and at home. Because coffee is very popular, coffee mugs are widely used and this makes them one of the most ideal items for promotional campaigns.

Coffee mugs can be used very effectively for promotion at events because of their versatility and durability. Coffee mugs are a great way to add color to your event and advertise your business and you can give them to your vendors in conferences, trade-shows and are promotional items that can be designed very quickly unlike other items. The advantage of promoting with coffee mugs is that this is a promotional item that will keep your company logo in front of your clients for a whole day every day of the working week.

Mugs are handy and functional and apart from the fact that they are used everyday, they are items that can easily be transported from place to place conveniently. Thus using them as event promo items is a great idea because of the above factors. They also come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and this makes them very suitable for any promotional event that a company might want to host. A company can use giveaway promotional coffee mugs to observe a specific occasion so that the guests will recall the event and the affiliation with the company will result in business for the company.

Giving away mugs at company event promos such as tradeshows, product launches, company corporate events and exhibitions is a great way to build a brand image. Such giveaway gifts will always create a positive impression in the minds of clients. This always gives any company leverage with present and future clients. While the cost of such promotional campaigns should never be a factor, they are actually not expensive and the fact that they are cost effective makes them much more viable for use in advertising and marketing a company.

Companies can take advantage of the wholesale prices available to purchase coffee mugs in bulk and cut costs further. This is because the cost of purchasing the coffee mugs and having them customized largely depends on the number of mugs you order, the quantity and how many colors you will use to get the coffee mugs customized to your liking. What is important is that you will not lack a price that fits your budget and whether you go for the more expensive brands or the cheaper brands, coffee mugs will serve you well as event promo items.

When you giveaway mugs at event promos, they serve as a symbolic souvenir of something precious that will not just be kept away after being it has been received as a gift. Instead it will go ahead and give your company lots of publicity and this will gradually but steadily build you're the image of your brand because a coffee mug is an item that has to be used quite regularly. With your company name and logo on the coffee mug, when a customer picks it up at the event promo, it is not the end of acquaintances. It is in effect the beginning of a mutually beneficial business relationship that will last a long time because anytime the customer thinks about a business that you are engaged in, they will first think of you because the coffee mug is always in front of them.

What to Know About Hiring a Venue for a Party or Event

Hiring a venue for a party, corporate get together or other reason can turn an ordinary event into a truly memorable occasion. Choice of location is an integral part of the planning process and more and more venue spaces are available to enhance one's gathering. Here are some important things to keep in mind when looking for a space.

One of the firs things to consider when looking for a venue is the type of gathering. There are a wide variety of party and event spaces available, ranging from sleek, modern urban locations to rural outdoor settings. Look for space that is appropriate to the event and tone one would like to set for the occasion.

Of course the number of guests is a major factor to consider. It is important to get an estimate of attendees as early in the process as possible. This can help eliminate some venue options quickly, saving time and effort.

Depending on the time of year, one may want to consider holding some or the entire event outside. Even in chilly weather portable heaters can make an outdoor terrace or patio warm and inviting. If holding the party in warmer months, be sure to inquire about air conditioning for guest comfort.

If planning any activities, make sure the location can accommodate both the space requirements and any other special considerations. Corporate events often require a dais or other arrangement for presentations and speeches. If dancing or children's activities are planned make sure there is suitable space.

Ideally the site of the event or party will be conveniently located to the majority of attendees. If this is not possible, be sure to inquire about transportation options. Also note parking areas and proximity to public transport. Also, if one is unfamiliar with the area be sure to check the safety and security of the venue.

While reviewing the actual venue location, think carefully about the event and how it will flow; from guest arrival to exit, try to imagine how guests will enter and then integrate into the gathering. In some cases a large room sets the tone, where in other cases, smaller more intimate space is better. Also think about where entertainment or activities will be set up. It is also important to consult with the venue representative and get his or her ideas on set-up and arrangements.

Food and drink are what guests most remember about a party. Explore fully all the options available and don't settle for something that is not appropriate. Most places will accommodate outside options and it is most important to get this aspect of the gathering right.

Go into the search process with a budget in mind and get written estimates. Getting an estimate in writing allows one to fully review what is and what is not included. If there are questions about services, make sure they are clarified before signing a contract. Also inquire about deposit and cancellation fees. It is also wise to reconfirm specifics with the venue a week or two in advance of the event.

Keeping these things in mind when looking to hire a venue will make the process simpler and help ensure the location works with what one has in mind for their event.