Secrets to Making Your Corporate Events Unforgettable

Have you ever noticed how some events generate a lot of buzz among guests? While you may have mastered orchestrating a well-executed event, it is possible you are overlooking some great opportunities to create excitement.

Top event planners know the key to unforgettable events is logoed promotional gifts before, during and after the big day. The following tips are sure to leave your guests talking about their experiences long after your event is over!

Pre-Event: Get attendees pumped!

Whether your event is being held for participants who opt to attend or employees who are required to participate, you'll have many factors to consider (besides budget) when selecting a pre-event gift.

Is everyone eager to attend the event? Build excitement by placing an imprinted countdown clock on their desks (after hours) reflecting the days remaining until the event kicks off.

Will people be traveling to a destination event? Consider gifts that are certain to be useful, such as luggage tags, a rolling duffel or a brightly colored luggage spotter handle wrap. If your event will be held overseas, a debossed leather passport holder will be much appreciated.

Local guidebooks, maps or coffee table books about the destination, accompanied by a bookmark or book light, will often excite attendees. Be sure to include a "romance" card or letter with the gift explaining why you've selected this product. You may even wish to allude to the additional promotional gifts that await participants once they reach the meeting site.

Will attendees bring their family to the out-of-town meeting or conference? If so, think about gifts for spouses and family, like playing cards, travel games, or disposable cameras.

At Event: Wow Them On Site

Avoid empty chairs at afternoon sessions! Remind your audience that you appreciate their involvement - especially when a lush golf course or sparkling pool is nearby - by periodically surprising them with thank-you gifts. Here are a few opportunities to earn some favorable remarks:

On arrival, present attendees with a welcome letter and product they can use during the event - like pens, padfolios, or notepads. Will guests be staying at a hotel? Arrange for "pillow gifts" to be waiting in their room - a toiletry kit, flip flops, sun visor, custom chocolates, mints or gum.

During an afternoon break, provide "wake-up" gifts of custom-imprinted snacks or water. At the final session of the event, distribute a gift the recipient will use back at the office to remind them of the program's key points. Desk clocks, calendars, organizers flash drives with your presentations on it.

And don't forget logoed attire! You may want to consider giving out random prize drawings of high-end gifts such as apparel. Present participants with a jacket or shirt decorated with your company logo and it's likely they'll proudly wear it on their way home (and for years to come).

Two caveats as you consider these take-home gifts:

1.) Make certain that your selections are not cumbersome; if they won't easily fit into a suitcase, chances are they'll be left behind.

2.) Don't give a gift that won't make it past airport security.

Post Event: Create A Lasting Impression

Let's assume your company conference is top notch and attendees depart with a clearer understanding of how your organization can help achieve their goals. Equally important, however, is how attendees feel about the event once they're back in the office.

A "thank you for your participation" letter, written by upper management, accompanied by a post-event survey and a promotional gift designed to commemorate the trip will send a strong message about employee appreciation. And if you want attendees to approach the next event with gusto, be sure you take advantage of the opportunity to remind them of the value of the unforgettable event.

How to Select Products

Selecting promotional gifts for attendees at your next event will be even more difficult than choosing a vacation memento for yourself. The reason? More than 600,000 promotional (imprintable) products are available in the marketplace. A thorough search will yield countless products appropriate for your audience.

It's critical to define your target audience, objective, and total budget before beginning the process of searching for promotional gifts. It's essential to know the total budget (not just per-piece), because there may be peripheral costs involved such shipping or assembling kits/gift baskets comprised of multiple products.

Once you're armed with this information, you can begin your search! If you need help, be sure to choose a promotional products distributor that has experience not only suggesting suitable products but in finding creative ways of packaging and presenting them.

Convention Planning - Preventing Disasters - Step 1a - Convention Service Managers

To prevent "Convention Disasters", "Sleeping Rooms and Meeting Space" are the names of the game. Once you have them, you can do anything, but if you have not confirmed rooms and specific meeting space, convention disasters happen. So, you have negotiated your convention sales contract and finished "Step 1". Now, what is the next step? Your best move is to get to know your Convention Service Manager - "Step 1a."

You might ask the question, why? Because your Convention Service Manager or CSM can and should prevent disasters from happening. Their goals are to make sure your convention goes off flawlessly and make you happy in the process.

The Sales Manager does the contract, but the Convention Service Manager is the person that services your convention. While your Sales Manager is still involved with the convention, your file is turned over to the CSM to finalize all the details needed to prepare a convention resume. The resume along with banquet event orders are the main means of communicating to the hotel staff everything you want to accomplish.

Do not wait too long after that contract is signed to find out who is handling your group. Ask the question early. Start communicating with your Convention Service Manager and set up an appointment to meet personally. You have a contract that lists rooms and space, but your hotel service contact needs to know everything about you and your convention. Contracts do not tell all. They are a start, but most groups have something peculiar about them that needs to be passed on to the CSM.

Now, let's make sure you know what CSM's do and why it is so important to get to know your Convention Service Manager.

Convention Service Responsibilities - first, the Convention Service Manager will be your main contact from this point until the convention is finished. While they represent the hotel, it is their responsibility to make sure everything you have requested in the contract is successfully implemented. However, please do not take for granted that, just because you have a contract, everything including rooms and meeting space have been set up properly by your Sales Manager.

Let's go back to the contract and really think about a Sales Manager's goals and duties. They look at conventions and clients in a different light. Their goals are to sell rooms while maximizing revenue and they are judged on the amount of business they book. Hopefully they are doing it right, but many times they take risks by sliding in a piece of business when meeting space and sleeping rooms are very tight. Most of the time the space works out and the sleeping rooms become available, but not always.

Confirm Sleeping Room Block - in comes the CSM and starts working with you. Great Convention Service Managers review the contract once it is turned over to them and they confirm sleeping room blocks, suite requirements, special blocks for VIP's and any special needs that have been requested in the contract. They make sure that not only are the rooms set aside in the contract, but the rooms are set aside in Reservations and all specific arrangements for making reservations have been set up. Again, they don't assume that everything is correct. They double check to make sure all the sleeping rooms are confirmed. This is to protect you.

Confirm All Meeting Room Space - the CSM's next step is to confirm all convention and meeting space arrangements. Your contract lists a certain number of meeting rooms per day and those rooms are supposed to be able to handle your meeting requirements. But will they? Most contracts do not specify the names of meeting rooms. Your contract will state a meeting for 300 persons to be set classroom style from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. So, you assume your Sales Manager has blocked a room that will take care of your group. But, has he? Remember that the Sales Manager's goal is to book the convention and he gets credit for total room nights and convention rate. Hence, sometimes he takes shortcuts on the meeting space in order to book the convention. He might assume that you have over estimated your numbers and will only show up with 250 persons. So, if the meeting space blocked in the contract will only hold 250 persons, but 300 show up, you have problems. It becomes the responsibility of the CSM to prevent disaster and make sure it works. Granted, that is not fair, but it happens. Again, who is really protecting you from convention disaster?

So, now you realize "Rooms and Space" are the names of the game. You have completed "Step 1," and have a contract in hand. Now, you are ready for "Preventing Convention Disaster - Step 1a - Get to Know Your Convention Service Manager."

Granted, there are many, many more steps in the process to protect you from "Convention Disasters," and those will follow, but "Step 1a" starts with getting to know the person that will take care of you. Get to know, communicate and develop an understanding with the one person that will make sure you look good, your Convention Service Manager.

Planning a Weekend of Wedding Events

The wedding day has been replaced by the wedding weekend, which includes a jam packed schedule of activities. Some are fairly standard (the rehearsal dinner), while others are definitely popular, but optional (the golf tournament). This is a guide to get you started on planning a weekend of wedding events.

For a Saturday wedding, the wedding weekend will likely begin on a Thursday. This is the ideal time for the bride to host a ladies' luncheon, a lunch which she gives to show her appreciation for her bridesmaids. The guest list is small for this event: the bride, the bridesmaids, the flower girl, and the mothers of the bride and groom. During the luncheon, the bride will give out the pearl earrings, or whatever gift she selected for her bridesmaids. The ladies' luncheon is typically held in a nice restaurant, since the last thing the bride needs to be doing the week of her wedding is cooking and hosting a party at her house!

Once upon a time, the first party of the wedding weekend was the rehearsal dinner the night before the main event, but many couples are now choosing to have informal Thursday night gatherings as well. They are generally pretty loose affairs, with any wedding guests who are already in town welcome to attend. Relaxed dinners like barbeques and clam bakes work particularly well for the Thursday night party. If you are not up for organizing anything, just book a private room in a family style restaurant and spread the word that all are welcome to join the bride and groom for dinner.

Friday is when things really ramp up. A trip to the beauty salon is usually the first order of business for the ladies in the wedding. This can be a really fun time for the bride, her bridesmaids, and the moms to bond over manis and pedis (and maybe a few Champagne cocktails, if the spa is really posh!). If you did not host a ladies' luncheon, this would be the perfect time to present your bridesmaids with a pair of pearl earrings or other token of your appreciation. After that, you can leave some free time or get the group together for lunch somewhere fun. Friday afternoon is the usual time for the wedding rehearsal, and it is important that all hands are on deck for this event. Some couples like to line up an activity to entertain their out-of-town guests on Friday who will not be attending the rehearsal. A sight-seeing tour or trip to a local attraction like a vineyard would be a good choice.

Friday night is the traditional time for the rehearsal dinner. The customary guest list includes the bride and groom, their immediate families, the wedding party with their spouses, and the officiant and his or her spouse. Adding out-of-town guests to the rehearsal dinner guest list is optional, but very thoughtful. In recent years, some couples have opted to host a wedding welcome dinner instead of a rehearsal dinner. The difference is that the welcome dinner is open to everyone, which can make a lot of sense if a large percentage of your wedding guests will be out-of-towners. The rehearsal dinner or welcome dinner can be as formal or informal as you like. You could rent a yacht and serve a five star meal or have a picnic in a neighborhood park; there is no right or wrong. The only rule of thumb is that you don't want to have a rehearsal dinner which is more lavish than the wedding reception!

On Saturday will come the wedding ceremony and reception, of course, but that is not all. For ceremonies with a 4pm start time or later, it has become very popular to arrange a group activity to keep people entertained before the wedding. The golf tournament is a particular favorite, although you could choose any activities which you think your friends and family would enjoy. The comes the wedding itself, which is of course, the main event of the weekend.

The final thing to add to your wedding weekend is a post-wedding brunch on Sunday morning. This is always a fun and relaxed event, where guests can see the newlyweds one more time before they head off on their honeymoon. It is often convenient to host the post-wedding brunch in the restaurant at the hotel where the majority of the guests will be staying, though it could also be in someone's home. The brunch does not need to be fancy, especially if it is in your home. It is really just a great way to cap off a wonderful weekend of wedding fun.

First Steps in Medical Writing - Know Your Market

When would-be freelance medical writers connect with me, they often ask for help getting that elusive first job. To get a job in the field of medical writing, it's important to first determine what kind of content you want to produce. As a medical writer, you can write in any of three broad categories: Regulatory, promotional, and educational. Regulatory writing, which is highly scientific, involves creating documents for submission to the US Food and Drug Administration. An example of this would be a clinical study report, which summarizes the results of a clinical trial. Promotional writing includes creating content for materials, produced in any media, that are used to sell or promote a drug, intervention, or medical device. One example of promotional writing is a sales training program that is designed to teach sales representatives the important information about the pharmaceutical product they will be selling. Another example would be writing the scripts and advertising copy for direct-to-consumer radio, television, and print ads. Educational writing involves creating materials for the purpose of educating health care professionals or the general public. A patient-education brochure that explains a certain medical condition or disease and how to control it is one example of educational writing.

Why do you need to determine what you want to write? Because the content you want to create determines who will hire you. A variety of companies employ medical writers or purchase that type of writing. Hospitals often need medical writers to create patient-education materials or marketing materials, whereas pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) hire medical writers who are skilled in regulatory writing. Medical education, medical communications, and medical advertising agencies work directly with pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of biologicals and medical devices to develop creative products such as videos, DVDs, slide decks, and flashy print materials for multiple audiences that will communicate key messages about the drug or device they are selling. These companies are generally full-service agencies that can do it all, from strategic planning to website development, to event planning and implementation. Because they offer such a variety of services, companies that specialize in medical communications have a great need for writers to keep up with the demands of their clients.

Go to your favorite search engine and type in "medical communications company" or "medical communications jobs" and you'll find some of the big and small players in the industry. Go to their websites and look at the services they provide. Find out who their clients are and what type of media they specialize in. If you think you have something to offer, send the creative director or human resources manager an introductory email along with samples of your work. You'll also find a helpful directory of pharmaceutical marketing vendors at: http://www.pharma-mkting.com/pm-directory.html.

Reduce Your Administrative Cost With Non-Profit Event Registration

Most organizations seem to spend a good amount of money in organizing an event. In doing so, it is seen on many occasions the cost always exceeds the revenue earned through the sale of tickets. This difference becomes more prominent in case of non-profit organizations that runs on a limited budget. So they look for more cost effective solutions that can help them divert funds towards the core cause. Web-based event registration services seem to be the most lucrative option for effectively managing non-profit events.

The online registration reduces the company's internal costs by automating the entire process of event management. The software comes with embedded tools that enable simple and convenient registration process along with secure payment options and outstanding staff and logistics management facilities. This smart online solution enhances attendee participation and at the same time saves you valuable time and money. Presently, an increasing number of non-profit organizations are looking forward to this service for successful execution of their events at an affordable cost.

Let us now discuss some of the benefits of this web-based non-profit event registration service that you can enjoy whilst planning your upcoming event.

Completely Eliminates Manual Registration

You can completely eliminate the hassles of manual registration by resorting to this online service. The service allows you to create your registration page within minutes as well as customize it as per the look and feel of your corporate website. Moreover, to avail this service you do not have to be technically sound. Attendees can go through the registration forms online and sign up according to their convenience. The service being entirely web based saves substantial cost in terms of buying and printing paper registration forms. This is turning to be environment friendly

Increase Sale of Tickets

Payment processes have not been so simple, until recently. Prospective registrants can make payments online using various credit cards and standard payment gateways. There also option to make payments via offline methods like paper checks and cash. The online registration service also allows the organizers to have a separate merchant account where payments can be accepted directly. Also they can make payments through various international currencies. With this service you no longer have to appoint external staffs for carrying out these activities.

Extensive Promotion without Hiring External Staffs

Event promotion is crucial to the success of any event as well as ensuring maximum attendee participation. Unlike manual processes, online registration platform enables you to do that in a convenient manner without hiring any external staffs. The integrated emailing tool allows you to easily send mails and reminders to your prospective attendees about your upcoming events. You can even send automated notifications from time to time. Take the help of the social media connector to promote your event on various social media networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for free.

Creation of Precise and Customized After Sales Report

The software also prevents non-profit organizations from any further manual data entry requirements. Non-profits can now experience automatic tracking of ROI and precise and customized creation of reports based on sales and revenue earned by each event. Organizers easily download and retrieve these reports as and when necessary.

Non-profit event registration service is the most time saving and cost effective way of organizing an event.

Planning a Holiday Party: 5 Key Points

We all love partying at some point of time or the other in between our busy schedules at home or at work. To arrange a successful holiday party, you need to at first pay attention to details and create a checklist. There is no arguing on the vast amount of effort you need to invest to stay organized and have fun while hosting such parties.

Let's quickly glance through some of the highly effective tips for holiday party planning.

Create a Guest List

Most important, you need to finalize a guest list to avoid missing out on important names and see that their calendars don't get filled up with other invitations. Think on how you will invite them - going the same old way of posting hard copy letters or via electronic mails. I suggest you go for the second option, since it guarantees faster delivery of messages and a quick confirmation on their attendance to the event.

Budget

Fix the budget to keep or remove items from your party list. For example, do you have the money to spend to book a four-star or a five-star hotel room? How many guests can you afford to entertain? How much will you spend on decorating the holiday party venue? All these questions need to be answered before you make final preparations for your much awaited party. Try to keep the most important items on your checklist and remove the ones that you can do away with.

D矇cor

You need to spend some bucks on decorating the party venue. Depending on your budget, you can plan and buy flowers, colorful satin ribbons, white cloth to put on the dining tables along with white floral designed napkins to go with it, etc.

Save the Date

You should fix the party date that actually does not conflict with any important state occasion or national holiday. With so many holiday parties being organized throughout the year, you should better be cautious about selecting a date that is best suited to your guests' schedules to come and attend in large numbers.

Promotion & Sales

In case you have planned for a paid holiday party which needs people to buy tickets or register in advance, it is always better to promote such events at maximum number of platforms. For example, you can give printed ads on newspapers, jingles on radio, and television ads telling people how happy you will be to see people attending your exciting party arranged on a particular date. Another great way of promoting your party and increasing tickets sales is via social media sites. Also post your party details on your personal blog. It will help to generate an interest amongst the readers to register their names or buy tickets for the upcoming function.

Organize a Rocking Nightlife Event - Have a Robust Online Registration and Ticketing System

Online solutions feature robust registration and ticketing options for organizing a grooving nightlife event. While arranging a live music, dance, or a comedy show, we generally have to take up a lot of responsibilities that include renting staff, putting things together before the party night, and so on.

We must make sure all the arrangements are in place. You must rent a nightclub well in advance, for it's a holiday time, with Christmas and New Year approaching fast. You must also look into simplifying the registration process, for no one likes a lengthy procedure to enter your nightlife event. Then, why waste time on the manual registration process and bore your visitors when you can easily switch over to a far simple and easily managed online registration system?

Offer Your Guests an Easy-to-use Sign-up Process

Your guests will be very happy to find an easy-to-use registering process. No one likes to stand in a long line, waiting to get tickets to your nightlife party. Streamline your registration system by creating a page online. Your friends will simply log in to the page and start signing up for the party. You can choose your own format of the sign-up page, and likewise add barcodes to attract more visitors to your rocking night.

Hassle-free Collection of Tickets

You can easily collect your party tickets once you complete event registration. The online ticketing interface allows your registrants to pay online and book their tickets in minutes. The flexible party ticketing option lets you manage your multiple events in a hassle-free manner. Through this web-based ticketing portal, you can manage your ticket pricing and offer special discounts for the entire set or for individual seats.

Instant Connection with Your Customers

The online event management solution provides you a communication tool that includes emailing option, reminders, and invitation facilities. You can use all or any one of them to instantly communicate with your customers, residing nearby or far across the globe. Send lovely emails to your friends stating the date, time, and venue of the nightlife function. Send your friends a reminder mail to ensure they turn up on the day of the program!

Promote Your Events to a Larger Audience

In case you have planned for a paid event, you should find out appropriate ways to promote it to increase your attendee rate. Maximize revenues by publishing your occasion details on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Create a page on Facebook posting images of your past events, uploading your event videos, and those of live conversations and reaction with the audience after attending the occasion.

5 Creative Corporate Event Theme Ideas

Here are 5 "Out of the Box" Ideas for Corporate Events!

-A Talent Show Themed Day

Thanks to popular TV shows, talent shows are all the rage at the moment, AND a lot of fun. Think of just how many talented employees must be hiding their talents from the rest of the company. You may have a budding comedian, a talented guitarist, a juggler or a singer in just one department. This should be kept as light-hearted as possible and not take itself too seriously. It's a great way to encourage people to come out of their shell and have a laugh together. It's also low-cost, needing only a venue in which to erect a stage, chairs and some lighting/sound equipment. An award could be presented for the employee with the most impressive talent!

-Rally Cross Themed Day

Rally Cross is a team sport that encourages bonds between individuals.

Each team is made up of a driver and a navigator, who will map the course and alert the driver of upcoming turns in the course. If that sounds dangerous, it's surprisingly safe. Many of these tracks offer training days beforehand and the cars themselves are very robust and safe.

Above all, it's a lot of fun and like all of the other corporate event theme ideas on this list; it can have as little or as much participation as the employees themselves want to give, some may choose to just spectate.

-A Barbecue And An Improv Theme

Taking a cue from "Whose Line Is It Anyway" and comedy improv troupes like "The Second City" you could plan an outdoor "play" that involves a few professional actors and willing employees who will take their cues on "scenes" from the audience. This doesn't mean that all the employees have to act themselves, they could perform, or they could just enjoy the show! To lighten the mood, a good old-fashioned BBQ could be planned with drinks and delicious food.

-A 60's Beach Bum Themed Day

OK, so Sue from accounting may almost drown in a Kayak. But she could also sit on the beach in a bikini, turning a nice shade of lobster red.
Sometimes people don't want to be forced to have fun, but simply want to sit around on the beach, and it would be far more valuable to them than being forced into an activity. Why does sitting on the beach just have to be for your vacation? Can't we strengthen bonds between employees by spending the day on the beach together?

For the more active among us, water activities such as; surfing and kayaking could be on the "agenda". For those who want to take a slower pace they could just sit back and enjoy listening to the Beach Boys! The evening could be rounded up with live 60's music, and food and drink on the beach.

-A Silly Wimbledon Themed Day

Why not host a mini-Wimbledon tournament? But instead of being ultra-competitive, the emphasis is very much on clowning around and having fun. Tennis is a fun sport to play, and doubles Tennis requires a good bond to be formed between the teams.

To stop it from becoming just another corporate sports day, you could encourage fancy dress from the competitors. Try and keep an element of comedy running throughout. You could even hire a comedian to do the refereeing.

As well as the employees themselves, family members could also be invited. For those who want to take a more leisurely pace, a picnic could also be incorporated into the event.

These are just 5 corporate event theme ideas. They do not have to be followed religiously and you can mix them up a little. It really is important during your planning that you allow the people attending the event to get as involved as they want to be. Some elements of teamwork should definitely take place, but it doesn't have to be so rigorously enforced that it turns a fun activity into a mind numbing chore!

For your corporate event theme ideas, make sure you place fun higher than anything else. Keep them smiling and give them the opportunity to let their hair down and come out of their shells at their own pace. This will help the overall tone, and make the "business sections" of the corporate event more tolerable, and even make the employees more receptive to the key message.

Event Planning - Doing It All

"You can't do it all." These are some very wise words that were spoken by an instructor at a recent seminar in regards to planning events. Once those words were uttered, the debate was thrown wide open. The question wasn't can a person plan and executes an event of any size by themselves; it was should they even try.

In some instances, working alone to plan an affair is smart and very do-able. But even that doesn't always mean you are doing everything yourself if you use any outside sources.

Consider a surprise birthday party for a loved one. You will undoubtedly come up with the idea, plan it out, keep it quiet and hope that everyone you invite will do the same. In the end it will be a success if your loved one comes through the door and is genuinely surprised. Good for you. You have just executed a planned event.

Let's take another look at the same birthday scenario. This person is considerate enough to always be a help to you when you plan an event. If you are secretive or refuse their help they will think something is up. However, if you give them something to do you will be expected to provide information about the event which means you will have to remember every white lie told in order to keep the event hidden. The surprise will most likely be harder on you to plan and carry out than you thought possible.

This is the time to have a team put together to draw from. You get to be the coordinator or event planner and all of the family and friends that you bring on board to help you orchestrate the event are the team. They are the ones who will go to the bakery, make the canap矇s and make sure everyone on the list is contacted and have sent back a R.S.V.P. You have planned the event, kept on top of everything and in sharing the tasks the resulting event can then be enjoyed by you as well.

The same thought should be considered in planning a larger event. Realistically there isn't too much of a difference between the two types of events. One is on a larger scale but you still have the same options - do it alone or with a team. The results will be the same as well. Taking it all on by yourself and become frazzled and burned out by the time the event is over or put together a team that will work with you and jointly make the event a success.

If planning events is the career path you would like to travel, flying solo might work for a while; but, the wise words spoken by the instructor should be heeded. Surrounding yourself and your company with a qualified and reliable team of people and other companies will ensure the success we all strive to attain as event planners.

Corporate Catering Services: Help Build Healthy Business Relationships

With the changing phase of the corporate world, business dealings and relationships are tending to adopt hi-class business meetings to maintain and achieve long term relationships. We know that relationships are not only built through phone conversations, E-mails or through a sales conversion. Today many businesses are trying to introduce their product or service by conducting business events with a food reception, as they see it is one of the best methods to hit great opportunities.

However, to organize any event in a great manner, the caterer should be well acquainted with the recent trends and stay abreast of domestic as well as foreign related dishes to leave your guest with wonderful impact during the course of the entire occasion.

Organizing such grand events with high class business standards needs a lot of energy, quick action and great sophistication style. While food is essential for any event, it is equally important that you give personal attention to your customers, clients and other business friends. Therefore, on such prestigious occasions, taking services from professional catering services is the only best choice to handle your event in a well planned and well organized manner, as it gives a very good professional impression among your guests.

However, picking an expensive catering service does not fetch all your needs and goals to make your event successful. The efficiency in the service and the professionalism as how everyone would be pleased with the food, decorations and all in all, your care matters. So do some research and hire the best catering service, as quality ends up with everything that people watch at such events.

Business meetings with great lunches and dinner parties should be gorgeously decorated and well laid in a business class manner accompanied by sophisticated table ware and furnishings. With a professional caterer, your company and your business will get highly focused not only by the deluxe food and refreshment served by the corporate catering services but also with the entire arrangement made at the venue, as they design everything professional.

Therefore, for any of your corporate events and business meetings, to get an elaborate food spread and complete meals accompanied with lively decoration and humble serving manners, a homely treat for your business friends and partners, and finally for the most important fact that you have signed up with your business dealings; the best suited for this combined job is get contract with a professional business catering service.

The best Corporate Catering Services are well trained and skilled in preparing cuisines of all regions and are well groomed in serving the business delegates of all kinds. They elaborate food that they are specialized in, include everything, like breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, beverages, fruits, baked foods, salads, juices, soups desserts and many more according to your venue requirements. By choosing a corporate catering service you will not only taste their high class meals but also will experience a themed business venue adorned in professional attire and serving manners.

Remember, corporate events and business meetings differ from social functions, the success and the failure of any business event depends on the services of a professional caterer. This is the way you will have to organize an event for your business as it will reflect your professionalism, dedication towards the growth of it and your care for others.

Event Management Needs Both Innovation And Evolution

Organizations run a variety of different events every year. Some are quite effectively organized with great results, while others have far less than stellar performances. While many factors are involved in the potential success and viability of a particular event, two areas that event managers should continuously examine in depth are innovation and evolution.

Innovation refers to how the event can be unique and attractive for people to attend. What has been done routinely by other organizations as well as yours, that is becoming "stale" and/ or "tired"? Are potential attendees getting bored with all these events, and do they need to be lured by something a little more intriguing, interesting and perhaps exciting? Does your event's invitation stick out? An event manager has to "step back" and ask himself, "If I was a potential attendee, would this invitation grab my attention?"

However, innovation has to be balanced with fiscal reality. Organizations must do things differently with a thinking outside the box mentality, while also considering what can be done within a realistic budget. If the purpose of the particular event is to raise funds, what can be done to make it seem to be different, and not just another appeal? How might social media be employed to whet people's appetites, and how might audio visuals be used to create an unique feeling for this fund raiser?

Organizations should look at what many lotteries do, changing the type of scratch off games, etc., so that people don't get bored. Most people, while often creatures of habit, still enjoy a certain degree of uniqueness, and individualism. Don't just go through the motions, but events should commit to a theme, and create an aura or atmosphere that drives attendees attention and participation. For example, recently, in order to create a feeling for attendees to a Welcome Event at a Convention, I realized that the hotel's "ballroom" was inside a permanent tent or pavilion. This gave me the idea of using a Circus Theme, with stilt walkers, face painters, clowns, balloon artists and close magicians. When you add to that certain themed items like popcorn makers, hot dog stations, etc., in addition to usual food items available, you create a feeling of friendliness and joy, and hopefully create a welcoming and interpersonal, warm tone at the beginning of the Convention. While this was somewhat innovative for this group, it would not be innovative if done every year.

Organizations and event managers should evaluate what works and what does not appeal when it is done from event to event. While many organizations must stick within certain parameters for certain of its events because of items that need to occur or be performed (for example, meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.), an organization can slowly adapt some of these functions and especially the structure in an evolutionary manner. When change is done gradually, it is generally well tolerated, and over time becomes the new norm, as opposed to when draconian or dramatic changes are made in a somewhat revolutionary manner, and event "regulars" resent the changes made.

Event managers that remember to be both innovative and evolutionary almost invariably have better long term solutions than those that just continue the "same old, same old."

The Pros and Cons of Becoming a Caterer

So, you've loved food all your life, and have finally come to the conclusion that you want to have a job that includes food. You're interested in becoming a caterer, but aren't sure of the details, the benefits, nor the negative aspects. Becoming a professional caterer, while exciting and enjoyable for those who have a creative eye and a love for food, can prove to include working long hours and having excellent customer service and math skills.

While no training is necessarily needed, having an Associates or Bachelor of Arts degree in Culinary Arts would definitely improve your skills, as well as any restaurant experience as a server or manager. As a caterer, you can often work from home; it's a great job for those who want to be self-employed, but keep in mind, the start-up fee is often $10,000+.

For those whom don't want to start their own business, there are catering businesses that require both experience in the food industry as well as some type of culinary training, usually in the form of a B.A. or Associate's degree. As a catering manager, you would oversee the entire facility, as well as work with each customer, planning their entire event, and contributing the best of customer service.

A caterer has to make sure that he or she works well with people and has great interpersonal communication skills because it's imperative to the job. As a catering manager, you might also be asked to have computer experience, team-building skills, as well as distinct attention to detail. Especially if you own your own business, you must have an eye for detail, in terms of bookkeeping, new ideas for party theme, and scheduling of events.

There are actually different types of caterers, and pros and cons come with each specialty.

1. Mobile Catering - This type of catering is the newest trend; food trucks are the latest trend in party catering. While being a mobile caterer has low start-up fees, this can be challenging, considering your limited space and lack of brand awareness. One must be sure to do plenty of social media advertising and marketing for the city (or cities) which the truck covers.


2. Business Catering - This is popular due to the fact that it's year-round, versus special event and mobile catering, which is limited to warmer months. Also, if you get in with a corporate giant, they usually stay with who they like, and you'll have a consistent flow of income.


3. Special Events Catering - This form of catering is for the creative type of caterer; you get to show off your artistic skills. They provide food for weddings, anniversaries, and any type of event in which you can show off your innovative culinary abilities. However, you must be able to be laid-back and accept constructive criticism.

When it comes to entering the catering industry there are pros and cons, but if you have the right skills and abilities, and the love for event planning, becoming a caterer is just the right niche for you.

Importance of Measuring Event Performance

Event managers are under considerable pressure to obtain metrics regarding their events and to ensure that they provide a return on investment. Being able to source these statistics and convert them into valuable information is something that many event managers struggle with. It can be difficult to know what to measure, how to measure it and then how to analyse the data.

The first stage in analysing an events performance is to understand why the event is being held in the first place. What are the goals and targets for the event? There are many reasons why companies host events:

繚 Build awareness of the company or product
繚 Generate sales
繚 Generate qualified sales leads
繚 Conduct market research
繚 To enter a new market
繚 To launch a new product or service
繚 To influence or build relationships with the press
繚 To educate or motivate partners and/or employees
繚 To help retain current customers
繚 To support the local community

It is a good idea to set one primary and one or two secondary objectives. Trying to set too many goals will dilute the main purpose of the event and will lead to mixed and confusing messages given to the delegates. Each event you hold may have different objectives, but it is important to understand exactly what this is, as without a clear objective you will not be able to identify and measure your event performance objectives.

Try and make your objectives and metrics as specific as possible. For example, if the primary objective is to create sales and the secondary objective is to generate qualified sales leads, some of the focused metrics will be:

繚 Revenue
繚 Number of transactions made
繚 Number of purchase orders received
繚 Expense to revenue ration (E:R)
繚 Return on investment ration (ROI)
繚 Number of new accounts/customers
繚 Volume of leads generated
繚 Quality of leads generated

Once you have identified the objectives and metrics, the next task is to obtain this information. This can be the hardest part of event performance analysis. It can be difficult to source this information, and difficult to convert it into valuable data.

Many event managers are turning to technology to help with this process. Event management software solutions aid event managers in the planning, management and analysis of events. They often come with build in reporting and analysis modules, making the measurement of event performance an easy task.

If generating leads is an important objective, event management software can help aid in the identification of lead quality and quantity. By understanding what makes a high quality lead, event managers can create tailored registration forms, capturing the delegate information that identifies poor and good quality opportunities.

Understanding the messaging that you're conveying to delegates is also a key metric that should often be measured, but one that can be difficult to obtain. By utilising information that has been collected on the day or post event, managers will be able to improve future events as well as enhancing customer relations with delegates. Again, event management software can aid in this metric measurement. By providing a comprehensive feedback management tool managers are able to produce surveys which delegates can complete on the day, or which can be emailed out after the events. The results from online surveys can be automatically populated into the event management solution, ready for instant analysis.

Understanding delegates and their responses to the event will also help managers to accurately quality the event leads. Event management software will provide analysis tools which will enable managers to quickly drill down to the data held on the system. Providing customised reports as well as standard management information reports will illustrate how well attended events are, how well booked they are and how successful the programme was.

It is generally recommended that managers use 5% of their budget on event measurement and analysis. By investing in a total end to end event management software solution, mangers can ensure that accurate results of the events are consistently produced. Not only do event management software tools aid in the analysis of events, but they also make the planning, management and promotion of events easier, more efficient and far more cost effective.

LCD VS Plasma Monitor: Differences Explained and How to Use Them in an Event Setting

According to PC Magazine, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is a flat panel screen that uses liquid crystal technology. This type of screen is usually connected to a computer and laptops use LCD screens almost exclusively.

According to Wikipedia, a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel common to large TV displays and the pixels (which determine screen resolutions) rely on plasma cells to bring forth the image.

So which technology is better? As in the case of beauty, it is often in the eye of the beholder. This blog is intended to help you show the technology differences between a LCD and Plasma Display, and possible uses for event meeting services and conference services planners.

Difference between LCD and Plasma Monitors, Feature, Plasma Monitor LCD Monitor, Winner
- Screen Size, 32 to 103 inches, 13 to 108 inches, Tie
- Viewing Angle, Up to 178 degrees, Up to 175 degrees, Plasma ever so slightly
- Screen Refresh Rates, Handle rapid movements very well, such as video Designed for static data, Plasma
- Brightness and Contrast Higher brightness and contrast -- have individual pixels that are either on or off Maintain same brightness and contrast, even in well-lit rooms Plasma Glare Yes, No LCD
- Thickness As thin as 3" As thin as 2" Tie
- Energy Use High Low LCD
- Shipping Need specialty carriers, No specialty carriers required and less expensive than plasma, LCD
- Product Life Span Up to 100,000 hours, Between 50,000 and 60,000 hours, Plasma
- High Altitudes Can affect image because of the gasses in each pixel, Not affected, LCD

If you tallied up the information on the right, you will see 4 clear winners for Plasma, 4 for LCD, and 2 ties. This is why it is so important to look at your event application, the city your hosting it in, total cost of the interactive tool technology rentals, including electricity and shipping costs.

How can you use this technology? LCD and Plasma panels have many uses but here are a few ways they can be used in an event setting:

* At trade show booths, running a product demonstration or video about the company, product or service;
* Digital Signage, posting the event agenda, directions, or video clips about the event or speakers;
* Product Launching Events, creating a buzz outside the event room or at a large meeting having the displays positioned strategically around the room so everyone can see the speakers
* Replacing standard screen rentals, having the image go directly to the monitor vs. running it through a LCD projector and then onto a screen
* For display of videos and presentations
* For entertainment at a large corporate event

Get the Best Sporting Event to Raise Money for Charity

Sporting events can be a really good way to make money and can be a great way to get people involved in charities. To raise money you can host events for people to watch or you could even provide something they can take part in. Organising a football tournament can be great fun. Here are a few ways you can make money from this-

1.) Different companies in the area can enter their own team and pay to do so. Not only is it a great way to create a team bond and friendships amongst employers but it can also be great advertising for the companies.

2.) You can charge companies and business's to advertise on the football kits, this can be the companies who's teams are playing or others. By organising the printing yourself you can make a profit from it.

3.) If you play to have boundaries around the pitch you can charge people to advertise on boards, you could also charge people to leaflet drop whilst the event is taking place.
People will be more than happy to pay a little extra for advertising if it's for charity. Not only are they getting something out of it but it also looks good for the company if they're giving money away to a good cause.

It's difficult to get a fine line between spending money to make sure the event is nice enough to charge people more and not spending all your proceeds. I would strongly recommend sorting out Astrograss hire.

Astrograss hire will allow you to host the event regardless of the weather and will allow you to keep the sport going all day without worrying about the quality of the ground. It will also entice more people to watch the sport, which is all extra cash.

I'd also be inclined to sort out staging hire as this will not only help you present the winning teams to the audience so that everyone can see but you could also get a band or singer to perform so that you create a better event. People are more likely to stay around for longer if there is music and therefore spend more money but it will also sound more appealing to people and may drag more people in on the day who can hear the live music.

I hope my few suggestions have helped and will allow you to throw the perfect sporting event.

Wedding Limousine Planning - Best Time

Unquestionably, your wedding is the most important day of your life so far. In all likelihood, you will spend the better part of a year planning for the perfect celebration, and just one part of that planning is your wedding limousine. Most professional car companies offer limousine services for weddings and wedding parties, so you probably have a lot of questions. These tips should help you navigate wedding limousine planning so that you get the best service at the right price.

Budget

Speaking of price, many couples will have certain limitations to their wedding and limousine budgets. Depending on the number and type of vehicles you plan to rent, your costs will vary drastically. One of the best ways to save on wedding limousines is to limit service to the wedding party; but even an extravagant wedding with limousine service for family, the wedding party, and special guests can still find great deals.

One thing to keep in mind is that most rental companies will have a minimum rental time, and this is usually around 3 hours. Exotic vehicles tend to be more expensive than standard limousines; for example, a standard white limousine with seating for 8 will cost considerably less than a stretch SUV that seats 12-15 people. When budgeting for your limo service, remember to factor in the type of vehicle, the number of passengers, and the total time required.

Book in Advance

Preparing in advance for your limousine service is incredibly important. You do not want to wait until a few weeks before your wedding, because your options may be much more limited. In general, it is best to start shopping around at least 6 or 8 months before your wedding. You'll have a greater range of choices when it comes to vehicle and price. Alternatively, most professional car services cannot be booked any more than a year in advance.

Consider a Contract

Any time you are booking a service well in advance it is advisable to get a quote and/or contract of services in writing. A contract can help you avoid any problems and will provide easy solutions if the services you require are not delivered. In the rare occasion that legal problems arise, a written and signed contract would be extremely helpful.

Wedding Discounts

Some limo companies may offer discounts for weddings because they are big business. Not only are weddings a great opportunity for the company to attract new business, but weddings are large events and generally a minimum of two limousines will be rented - one for the bridal party and one for the groom's party. Speak to different organizations to see if you can get a discount on your wedding day.

The Best Time for a Wedding

Although your limousine rental is not likely to impact your wedding date, it is helpful to know that spring season tends to be the busiest for car services. Proms and spring wedding make this peak season for limousines and prices tend to be highest.

Most importantly, when booking a limousine take some time to do your research. Compare companies, get recommendations, and check references. A bit of time spent in advance of your wedding day can help make your transportation as perfect as your actual wedding.

Starting a Children's Party Planning Business

Event Planning is a business for adults, everyone knows that. As an Event Planner who has done my fair share of Corporate Event Planning that are usually themed towards adults, I have been mistaken in the assumption that the "Kids" market is mostly left towards those stay-at-home moms with lots of time on their hands.

To say that a themed Event aimed towards a segment of the sector that seeks to raise funds for children is not a Children's Party. It is still usually an adult themed Event that serves to get adults involved with some aspect of raising funds for a children's charity. Trust me, I have come across Event Planners that see it in that vein.

So, I have turned my idea around as of late, as I have gotten to know some in the Children's Party Planning business fairly exclusively, or at least, those who do a fair chunk of their business in the kids market. I guess the biggest drawback I always saw as a Children's Party Planner was that most parents didn't want to spend that much for Kids Party Planning.

I was wrong.

There are plenty of parents, and not just "Rich Folks," who want to give their kids a memorable experience for one reason or another. It doesn't really matter the reason. As a fantastic Party Planner, it is your responsibility to give the best Event you can plan no matter who is your client.

So what are the basics of setting up a great Party Planning business? Well, as I have mentored others to do, the basics are fairly similar to setting up any Event Planning Business; Niche, Operations, Marketing and Execution.

So, your Niche. Well, you have already decided to be someone who does Children's Party Planning. That is all well and good. But really take the time to discover what aspect of that market will you do. What I mean is are there certain Party themes that you love to do? Are there certain monetary limits that you must insist on to make it profitable? You see, you have to ask yourself serious questions or you will be running around doing a bunch of small events that you end up hating to do.

Operations comes from the question I ask most who are starting an Event Planning Business. How are you going to operate your business? Where? In your home? An office of some kind? There are a myriad of scenarios that you could do, but please be very careful if operating from home. It is imperative that you carve out a space that is solely for your business and nothing else. This may be hard to do, but make it so. If your family knows that the area is your "Work Space" and when they see you in it, they will come to know when you are "Doing Business." You have got to set the groundwork for that mindset to happen.

The Marketing aspect is usually a monetary one at first glance. People always equate how much money they have to what and how they can market. That is a terrible approach and one that should be avoided. You have to be creative at the outset and there are fantastic ways to let the people know that you are doing what you do. Now, notice that the Marketing is third on the list as you can not Market until you have a pretty clear picture of who you are and how you will operate.

Finally, Execution is paramount and funds everything else. Face it, if your Execution is lacking, the rest does not matter. This is why it is clear who you are, how you will do business and how will you Market yourself.

Eventually, your Execution will be that part of you that will be the true measure of how you interact with your clientele. This will be your "Calling Card" and will get you countless opportunities to do more Event Planning.

One thing that I must advise you on due to the nature of Children's Party Planning. Be as professional as if you you were Planning a Corporate Event. People will appreciate you for it and you will be considered the "Pro" for what you do.

Remember...Every Event in Your Life Should Be A Party.

Successful Trade Show Strategy - 3 Common Mistakes in Trade Show Marketing and Planning

Every exhibitor large and small wants their trade show experience to be problem free and achieve a significant return on investment (ROI). Let's take a look at some common mistakes some exhibitors make whether they be show savvy or just exhibiting for their first time.

No Specific Game Plan

Having a solid game plan when planning your exhibit is a must when it comes to event marketing. When asked why you are exhibiting in a show, many respondents will simply say "to increase sales" or "gain more sales leads." While these goals may coincide with your overall marketing strategy, it takes a detailed plan of attack when converting your strategy into a 3D face-to-face environment. This is where a competent trade show planning design and build company can help and make all the difference from a bad show experience to a good show experience. A smart business event planner will ask you what you want to accomplish with your upcoming show and specifically design a brand space environment for you that really works. But that is just the beginning.

No Pre-Show Marketing or Public Relations

Wow is this important! Strategic & effective event promotion may be the most important thing to consider when planning a show exhibition. Contact your customers to see if they are attending a show. Retain a public relations firm (if possible) to get the word out about your firm to educate the press about new, current, or prospective products & services. Consider pre-show e-mails to prospective and current customers (direct mail can get expensive), issue pre-show press releases, and consider show sponsorships or advertising on the shows' home page to build brand recognition before the show. Your budget will determine just what is doable, but it cannot be stressed enough how important pre-show marketing and public relations is to an exhibitors' success.

Booth Staff Training

Training your booth staff before the show ensures that everyone understands the mission, that everyone knows their role, and that everyone gets their questions answered. While your employees may know your company's products or service, it can be a whole new ball game when it comes to representing your brand via a trade show exhibit.?

Think of a trade show as a job interview. Every visitor to your booth is deciding whether to hire you (or not). A lack of preparation can cost you sales and thereby decrease your ROI. Remember the 80/20 rule. Listen 80% of the time and you do the talking 20% of the time.

Tips on Throwing a Party - How to Keep Costs Down While Not Losing the Wow Factor

It's impossible to count the number of times I am asked questions about pricing for an event. How much will that cost? How could it cost so much? What can I cut? Whether you're a seasoned hostess or planning your first event, it doesn't hurt to brush up on the costs involved in having a party.

Proposals:
If you're working with an event planner, that planner may be handling all aspects of your event from concept to completion (that's what TPG does.) This means you'll write only one check and your proposal will be detailed and all inclusive. If you're acting as your own coordinator, make sure to get written proposals from every vendor you're going to use. Assume nothing. Unless it's in writing, you have no guarantee that the dj will really play for four hours or the tarot card reader will be there for two. Proposals are as individually written as the people typing them. However, there are some consistent things you should look for. If all of these points aren't covered in the proposal you receive, get clarification and then get it in writing. Proposals can be written as a bottom line price for any of a number of services based on the total number of guests, type and quantity of food, rentals, beverages, décor, etc. This kind of proposal is dangerous because you really don't know how things are being priced and what costs what. With everything lumped together, it is easy for you to end up paying all kinds of hidden charges or worse yet, not get certain services included that you thought were part of the package.

Per Person Prices:
At The Party Goddess, we write our proposals and price everything out line by line. For example, you would see a per person amount for:

o Food: Pricing is based on the number of guests (the greater the number, the deeper the discount) type of item, time of day, quality and quantity of food.

o Beverages: Pricing is based on the number of guests, variety, duration of the party and quality of the brands served.

o Disposables: The caterer uses a formula to determine how many of each item to bring so that you don't run out.

You Would Then See Separate Line Items For:

o Staff: Look for the job each staff person will be performing, number of staff, the estimated number of hours the staff will be working and their rate per hour.

o Rentals: Look for per item prices, quantities and separate delivery, set up and strike charges. Often some sort of damage waiver will be included to protect the rental company against breakage and shortage.

o Entertainment : Look for the number of hours the price includes and make sure setup and drive time are included in the price or quoted elsewhere.
o Venue: Look for a set venue fee which may or may not be based on the number of guests expected, a refundable security deposit and extra charges for things like security, on site coordinators, set up and clean up.

o Décor: Look for line item prices for centerpieces, buffet décor, overall décor and installation and strike charges.

o Lighting: Often quoted as an overall package price. Ask for a schematic or some kind of specific proposal that details which areas will be lit.

o Service Charge: Most of the time the service charge is a percentage of the total bill. This charge is not a gratuity and generally covers planning time, workers' comp and liability insurance. Make sure all of your vendors carry their own insurance and name you as additional insured.

o Sales Tax: Every state is different, but in California caterers are required to charge sales tax. Expect to see it on your bill.

Payments - What You Should Expect:

As with all aspects of planning a party, paying for an event has a million variables. In general, you should expect to put down a deposit, usually 50%. This deposit confirms that your vendors will be working for you on a particular date. Typically the deposit is nonrefundable, so make sure you're really committed. Depending on the size and scope of the event, you may be asked to make progress payments and then a fi nal payment on delivery or even 7 days prior. It is also likely for caterers and planners to ask for a credit card to guarantee the final balance of an event.

The Bottom Line:
Information is power. Get all of your quotes in writing, sign your contracts and stay on top of your vendors.

Which Cake Stand Do You Need?

Let's face it: any party---be it a simple children's birthday celebration or an extravagant wedding party---wouldn't be complete without a lovely cake, the most popular dessert of choice for festivities. Over the years, pastry chefs and bakers have creatively improved cakes in order to match them with a certain event theme, or make them unique in their own way. However, the beauty of these cakes don't always just rely on how they are designed, but also on how they are displayed, which is why one should also take into consideration the kind of cake stands that should be used with certain cakes or events.

Thanks to the genius of event planners and vendors nowadays, we are presented with a lot of new and different ways to display our cakes. There are lots of lovely cake stands which can easily be bought from department stores, and there are also those which can easily be made at home. Let's look at some of the more popular types of cake stands and determine when and how we can utilize them properly for an event.

Pedestal:Probably the most popular of all types, the pedestal cake stand is the type one would normally see in a caf矇 or bakery, or even a normal household. It has a pillar (usually around three to six inches long) which supports the main base (with a diameter that ranges from six to twelve inches) where the actual cake is placed. A domed variation of this type includes a clear glass dome that serves as a cover for the cake on display, which is a useful option for an outdoor celebration. This is usually the safest option when displaying wedding or birthday cakes, and is available in crystal, porcelain, and even wood.

Tiered / Pillared: Working with levels is a great idea when displaying cakes, especially if you want them to stand out among the other types of food or dessert present on your spread. To achieve this type of presentation, you will need either a tiered or pillared cake stand.

A tiered stand is pretty much like a pedestal cake stand but with more than one base where you can place cakes in, and is usually the best choice when cupcakes are involved. The bases gradually grow smaller as the stand grows taller, creating the illusion of a dessert tree or pyramid. Cupcakes are placed on the bigger bases, and a small actual cake is placed at the top-most base, or sometimes the entire stand is filled with just cupcakes. In place of cupcakes, petit-fours or other small pastries can also be displayed in this type of stand.

Meanwhile, a pillared stand could usually display around three small cakes at the same time, each on different levels. It consists of smaller versions of the pedestal cake stand, but grouped together in such a way that a stair-like effect is achieved. Having your child's first birthday party? Use a pillared cake stand to separate your baby's smash cake from the cake your guests are having.

Floating: The floating cake stand is a variation of the tiered stand, but with the supporting bars situated on only one side so that when the cakes are placed on the bases, it creates the illusion that they are actually floating. Ornate wedding or debutante cakes can be displayed beautifully in this type of stand, and as a practical note, there are now floating cake stands which can be disassembled for easy storage.

Plateau: A very basic stand, the cake plateau is something one could use at a simple housewarming party, or perhaps a regular family dinner. Usually made of silver or porcelain, it somewhat resembles a pedestal cake stand, but without the long pillar supporting it underneath. Sometimes though, it has three or four short "legs" that give it a small height advantage compared to the other dishes on the table.

These different cake stands can actually be used for any type of event when decorated accordingly, but you need to take three things into consideration: 1) the kind of event you're planning, 2) the kind of cake you're having for the event, and; 3) the 'look' you wish to achieve with your display. Once you figure these out, you will then get a clearer picture of what cake stand you need, and what you can do with it to achieve the look you are aiming for.

Good luck, and happy cake stand hunting!

How Popular is an Event Planning Course?

An event planning course is very popular in the present conditions due to the increasing number of vacancies being created in the event management sector. To excel in the field an event planning course would be highly helpful.

There is a drastic increase in the number of vacancies being created in companies of different types. In comparison with the earlier days, more and more people worldwide have stared appointing them for conducting different events such as wedding, birth day parties, corporate parties, conferences, baptism etc to name a few. Candidates who have successfully completed an event planning course would always be in demand. The job of planning is not an easy one as it may seem, there is a need to include various strategies for ensuring that the event takes place successfully.

If you participate in an event planning course, you would be able carry out your duties well. An event would be inclusive of various things such as beverage and food services, security, promoters, technicians, decorators etc and there is a need to plan all of these works in advance. The requirements vary based on the customer events. In some types of events what happens is that the entire job is assigned to the event planners starting from finding a venue to see to it that each and every guest is given satisfactory attention.

This is where an event planning course from reputed institutes becomes important. There is a need to study and analyse each and every details of the event and certain situations have to be anticipated. A course would make you capable of handling different types of situations which can arise at any time during an event.

You would be having all the skills required for surviving in the field but attending such a course would make you more efficient since professional advices on various aspects of the course would be provided by experienced professionals. There will also be guest lessons. The information on new technologies to be used in the modern event planning would be obtained with help from such courses.

You would also be provided with practical training on various aspects of event planning thereby enabling you to get adequate experience before joining a firm. These practical experiences as part of courses on event management are offered by prominent institutes worldwide. Try to make maximum out of it during your course so that you would be able to utilise these skills later.

Event Planning Facts

Event Planning or management is most probably similar in analogy to planning a typical birthday party, where the preparations need to be set up in the most effective ways. However, there are more intimate details in event management that needs to be paid close attention to.

Nowadays, the term Event manager seems to refer to an easy yet sophisticated and chic profession. Yet in actuality, there are consequences and accountabilities that are attached to this classy title of being a service provider. The name suggests the job profile of an event manager involves organizing a special affair. Concepts have to be visualized, planned, budgeted, and executed in events that are often highly regarded such as fashion or beauty shows, concerts, corporate seminars, exhibitions, wedding celebrations, theme parties, product launching, etc.

What is good about this career and its gaining popularity is the minimal requirement for financial investments, yet it allows the planner to be independent and flexible. Personal traits, character and attitude are of more importance in event planning. The planner of events must possess a real passion in holding or conducting affairs, they need to be organized and able to work in flexible and often extended hours. Although this exciting career among the younger generation may have been seen as a sensational one, it also demands a substantial amount of hard work and effort. Perfection is a major quality that must be achieved in any event management and therefore requires a great quantity of patience, good communication skills and comprehension to be practiced by an event manager. Duties must be discharged with efficiency, challenges must be confidently faced and situations must be given due attention and reaction. Team spirit, leadership and organizational skills are as well required in event planning. Every detail no matter how minute must be paid close attention to.

There are also courses available to be taken by anyone who decide on taking a career in event planning. Eligibility courses usually requires to have a bachelor's degree in any discipline but most preferred are management-related fields, social sciences, liberal arts and humanities. Individuals who are of interest simply have to finish these courses that are offered in many academic institutional and universities. Short term certificates as well as post graduate MBA courses may also be taken. Major areas of principles and techniques must also be mastered to effectively perform and execute the duties of an event planner. These principles include public relations, organizational development, communication and implementation.

Training and experience also contribute in becoming an adept and qualified event manager. While at school, the aspirant may work as an event staff personnel for sporting festivals and leagues. If there are local music shows to be held, assist in the preparation. Internships also play a major role in molding a successful planner.

Upon completion of qualifying courses, the event planner can join established companies in event planning or they may choose to set up and start their own business. Employment are available from corporate and public sectors, government agencies, tourist agencies, hotels, banks and other financial institutions, private consultancy firms etc.

Corporate Karaoke Party - Give Your Best!

It's going to happen, one of your co-workers will call you up on stage and thrust a microphone in your hand. Knowing you have a corporate karaoke party coming up, be sure to prepare. You train and prepare for everything else in your life, why not train for your upcoming event.

Songs

Choose three of your favourite songs AND, choose another two classics that even the most Spartan of song lists will include.

Typically great songs to get the crowd with you include

• Bat out of Hell, Meatloaf


• Twist and Shout, Beatles


• Rock Lobster, B52's


• Summer Nights, Grease

And so, on. Once you have chosen these songs you should download them on your computer or iPod, as mp3's and practice them in your spare time, perhaps in the shower.

Fancy Dress

Too many singers miss the opportunity of dressing up. Corporate karaoke means you need to put in that little bit extra. By hiring at least a wig, you are well on the way to stardom. Typically the mullet or the long hair of the 70's, is a popular choice, though if you have a truly creative moment, go the Afro.

For those who do not prepare, the simple handing of the mike will make them go weak at the knees, their hands will become sweaty and their minds turn to mush. And, if they refuse to sing, who knows what fate awaits them back at work.

Remember, everyone at the party expects you to at least get on stage and try. Don't forget, this work function is not the only potential karaoke moment lurking, you might be asked at a dance, a wedding reception, or a Sweet Sixteen party, so be prepared!

Performance

Once you jump up on stage the audience will expect one of two scenarios, if you are a male, they hope you transform into Michael Hutchence of INX fame, men in the audience hope to see a steamy sex siren with the voice of an angel.

Other typical thoughts of your audience, though negative, might be that you create a sound similar to the scratching of long fingernails running down a blackboard. No matter what, give the crowd everything you've got, go crazy. Find the clown within.

There is no guarantee that your performance will win you an Oscar or win a recording contract, but so long as you have fun, the crowd will love you for it. And not to add to your anxiety, but because it is a corporate karaoke party, the bosses will be watching!

Great Event Management

Event management has gained special importance in the 21st century. It is something that requires finesse and expertise and is therefore best handled by professionals. With the media focusing on event management and planning, and with conferences and symposiums becoming major platforms of learning and discussion, event and conference management have come under the spotlight.

A conference requires serious event management. Along with the goal of the conference, you have to concentrate on the presentation aspects of the conference. Selecting a proper conference room or a meeting venue is thus vital for the success of your conference. Conference rooms and meeting venues vary in their designs and styles. Business conference rooms and meeting venues are generally large and come equipped with the following facilities:

• Flip charts or whiteboards with markers
• LCD projectors or screens, VHS video player, DVD players
• High speed, WiFi connections
• Audiovisual gadgets
• Computers with Internet connections
• TVs
• Web conferencing facilities

Conference venues and meeting rooms in fabulous hotels are also equipped with separate Business Desks. These Business Desks employ the services of secretaries, typists, translators and photographers. When a conference is hosted in a seminar room of a premiere hotel, the hosts can avail of the services of the secretaries, typists, photographers and translators of the Business Desk for better meeting and event management. Large and renowned hotels almost always have event managers of their own who are capable of assisting the conference presenters in the field of event management. Trained event managers are so professional that you can assign them the entire task of event and meeting management and rely on them totally to help you present or conduct a convention that's sure to be appreciated.

The seating arrangement in a seminar room is also a very significant aspect for successful event management. Conference rooms are generally styled in the following ways:

• Theater - When a conference room is styled this way, the audience faces a podium. The chief speakers and the VIPs generally sit on the podium and deliver their speeches and present their discussions from the stage.

• U Shape - The U Shape style is very popular in meeting rooms. Here, people sit and confer around a long rectangular table. There is much scope for interaction and brainstorming if people sit in the U Shaped style in conference rooms.

• Classroom - The Classroom style is pretty similar to the Theater style. Here too, the audience faces a stage from where the event is presented.

• Cocktail - This style is used in meeting rooms when the conference ends with a lavish dinner and drinks.

• Banquet - The Banquet style, like the Cocktail style, is used when dinner is served at the end of a conference.

• Boardroom - This style is similar to the U Shaped style and is used in conference rooms when managers of the same rank meet to thrash out issues.

• Cabaret - The Cabaret style seating arrangement is most commonly used in a meeting room when a business meeting ends with an award ceremony.

Event management for hosting events successfully in business conference rooms requires judicious, strategic thinking on the part of the event manager. While the seating arrangement in conference rooms plays a crucial role, the significance of the event plan can't be undermined. Detailed meeting planning is hence critical for great event management. Strategies and tactics can be devised through thinking but they can also be set effectively by means of an authentic online diary planner. The online diary planner is an online diary and an event planner that shoulders most of the burden of the meeting management process. You can record all your data in a reliable online diary planner as well as retrieve meeting data from the application in the flash of a second. According to most event managers, the online diary planner is a must-have for successful event management. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_diary_planner to understand which online diary planners are best for event management, meeting planning and conferences because Wikipedia always provides authentic information on everything.

Critical Path for Event Planners

Hearing words such as decisive and crucial combined with the likes of charts, diagrams and plans all sound like part of an engineering class. However, if their dictionary meanings are added together it becomes easy to see these words equate to an all important part of the event planning formula known as the Critical Path.

There is no doubt that all parts of planning an event are crucial to its success. The Critical Path is the place to keep every detail listed and in sync with the flow of planning, ideas and protocols that are needed to produce an event.

Some might say, "I don't need a Critical Path. They take too much time and are a lot of work." A successful planner might grumble these words under their breath but experience and especially lack thereof should dictate otherwise.

The thought of not including this document, running by memory and to do lists, could very well mean disaster at any event. Consider this. When the event is over and everyone has gone home, there are cattle still in the stock pens. This is the result of someone not ordering the cattle liners to pick them up. Why did this happen? A communication breakdown occurred because of lack of information. Was this an oversight? Possibly. However it is one that may end up costing the event planner a lot of money to fix. This problem could have been alleviated had there been a Critical Path in place and subsequently a Script had been prepared and distributed accordingly to the appropriate people.

The Critical Path is a manuscript that coordinates every level of the event. It should be organized to provide data, timelines, completion dates and contact names. The information in this report is used in part for guidelines and structure in preparing the very important Production Schedule needed on the day of the event. It also helps to define the Scripts for those that require direction in specialized areas such as photographers, caterers and yes, even cattle handlers.

This report is not a scrap piece of paper with reminders jotted down in point form. It is a record to be used as a comprehensive itinerary of every task to be completed by those involved in the event. It is an administration manual that will encompass everything from the inception of participation to the day before the event and the days that follow in finalizing and closing out the project.

A Critical Path is decisive. It gives direction to charts, diagrams and plans. It is a map of what needs to happen, what will happen and who will make it happen. It is the behind the scenes life line of an event. It is a needed crucial and necessary piece of equipment that every event planner should use.

What An Event Professional Does For You

Many organizations end up turning to event professionals, often reluctantly, because they finally come to the somewhat obvious conclusion that their events need upgrading in at least certain aspects. They realize this because of indications such as dwindling attendance numbers, skyrocketing pricing, negotiation inefficiencies, lack of preparedness for the inevitable contingencies, onsite challenges, marketing and promotion errors, etc. At that point, many organizations who have attempted, some quite successfully in the past, to run these themselves in- house, decide to take the leap, and consult with professionals. It is important, however, for these groups to realize that all event planners and professionals are not equal, and often do much different things, have varying specialties, etc. Organizations must realize that there is far more to effective and professional event planning than simply being a glorified party planner.

1. A professional should make the entire process easier. He should be able to meet with the organization's event committee, and fact- find to discover exactly what the purpose of the event is. A true planner does not use a one size fits all system, but rather customizes his planning to the needs of the organization.

2. Before a planner begins, he must know and understand the group, its needs, requirements, and create an organizational flow sheet to assure all details are planned optimally.

3. One of the biggest challenges to many events potential success is the degree of thorough and professional negotiations. A truly professional event planner must be a superb negotiator, and have the ability to maximize the results of negotiations to the needs of an organization. He must have the ability, and be willing, to do necessary research and homework to create a win- win negotiations plan that achieves the best possible pricing while also maintaining perceived value, and thus enticing attendees.

4. The planner must be able to create a number of flow sheets, one used for marketing, one as an internal document, and one with assignments and timetable requirements. Planning must maintain the integrity of the event, while creating some sizzle to differentiate the event from the rest of the pack. I recommend that events be promoted on the basis of being value oriented and enticing.

5. The professional planner must be willing to offer an organization a no net cost guarantee. That means that regardless of the planner's fee and charges, the organization receives benefits, savings and verifiable advantages that far more than offset any expenses. If a planner is indeed professional, he should be more than willing to offer this guarantee. Doing this offers the group peace of mind, while proving that the event planner is confident in his skills and abilities.

6. Event planners must have predetermined and expert contingency or backup plans. The reality is that something generally does not go exactly as anticipated or planned, and often the difference between success and failure is contingency planning.

7. An event planner must create a marketing plan, and have the group organizers agree to it, in advance. This plan must rely on numerous ways to market an event, and not to over- depend on one form or medium. Too many organizations today have come to over- rely on digital or electronic marketing, and that over- reliance often has detrimental impacts on the marketing efforts.

8. A true event planner should be available on- site when the event takes place, to assure that everything runs smoothly, and that everything agreed upon is in fact received.

There are quality event planners out there, but an organization should use the above needs as a preliminary guideline to assure it receives what it needs. Some groups do not need all these services, while others need even more. Make sure that the event planner listens carefully to both your needs and the organization's heritage, before it offers you a recommendation. True event planning must always be customized.

3 Year End Strategic Business Planning Guidelines for Companies And Entrepreneurs

Does everyone have a good pair of glasses? - Because we have officially and undoubtedly entered the review time of year! As this year ends, it is time to reflect on this year's accomplishments and incorporate them into next year's strategic business planning.

Here is a short checklist of activities in which I routinely engage to ensure that my strategic business planning remains on path with my long term business goals.

Each year, my strategic business planning begins with three big themes: a look back, a look ahead, and what is next? Please review this checklist, and add your own goals to create your own checklist.

3 BIG Year-End Review Questions for Successful Strategic Business Planning Goals

1. What worked?


2. What did not work?


3. What is my business vision for the New Year?

In each category of your strategic business planning, use the following rubric to assess what worked, what did not work and what you would like your New Year vision to include. Give serious attention to this process and you will be rewarded favorably in following year.

FORTUNE, favors the PREPARED.

SALES - Within sales, you will want to assess:

• Create and evaluate a process for lead capturing


• Product and service performance, sales systems as well as new product / services R & D


• Evaluate your follow up systems and interactions with clients

MARKETING - There is an old saying that goes, "Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise." Advertising provides your business with a constant flow of new clients as well as repeat business. In addition, marketing promotes brand recognition.

To determine how well your marketing efforts have paid off, look back on the following marketing avenues:

• Advertising


• Professional Organizations, Affiliations & Strategic Alliances


• Speaking Engagements


• Website Development


• Marketing Collateral


• Other

ACCOUNTING- Review expenses, profit and loss statements, etc.

BUDGETING- Based on your yearly budget, are you on mark? Do you have excess funds? Are there major expenditures pending?

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - Are you ready to launch a new product or do you need to add a development plan to your strategic business planning process?

SET UP ANNUAL CALENDAR - Decide what key events will be added to your calendar such as national conferences or professional growth for the year.

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH - Identify three growth initiatives to stretch personally next year. These are mine:

1. Accepted President's role for International Coach Federation Central Ohio Charter Chapter position


2. Recruited new team members for business development responsibilities


3. Find one training program to take for professional growth

As you make your way through this strategic business planning process, remember to reflect with honesty and kindness. Be honest with yourself about your growth and be kind to yourself about your shortcomings. They are simply opportunities for improvement, and a New Year is a PERFECT time to strive for the best business and the best you!

Event Planning Course - Where Can I Learn To Do Event Planning?

For stepping into the world of event planning you need to have a few things for example interest and aptitude for the business, a little knowledge of different kinds of events and a lot of energy to handle the event, but the most important thing is the right education for the event planning.

There are many kinds of event planning courses available in high and well reputed institutions and you can even get online courses for your convenience and all of them give different offers but it depends on your requirement and how you avail the opportunity.

First of all, you have to determine yourself for this education. Find out what your interest is and what field of event management suits you better for example you like to organize parties and weddings or you are more towards serious kind of events like business meetings and conferences, then join the institution accordingly.

See your time schedule, what time suits you and see would you spare time for that event planning course? So check which institution suits your time schedule. If you can't get any higher learning institution then you can go for distant learning classes by online services. But before taking distant learning classes, get information like does the company or institution assign you to a personal tutor? If there are any assessments, how you are going to take them? Check your budget as well, and see if any financial aid is available for the event planning course? Or the prices of the course include the materials you will need during the course and if any books or study guides are with the course.

See the curriculum of the course, like what is included in your studies. Some curriculums cover the topics like budgeting, time management, creating guest lists, invitation cards, hiring dealers, getting permits, music, marketing etc and some cover the topics like how to start the event planning business. Now it is up to you that what kind of curriculum suits you. Make sure you get a diploma or any credit by the institution.

While searching the institution for event planning course get complete information about the reputation of the company or the school. You can meet the people who have studied from such institutions and ask them about their experiences as this will help you to decide that which institution would be better for you. You can explore on inter net and get more information regarding your requirements.

Plan Before Negotiating Events

Many organizations hold numerous events, for any number of reasons. Sometimes, these events are held as member benefits, while at other times the intent is fundraising. At still other times, the event may be educational or training in nature, and often an event may serve multiple purposes, or entirely different purposes from what I just listed. Sometimes events are for small groups, while other events may be massive. Events also vary significantly in their budgets, etc. For more than three decades, I have been professionally arranging, organizing, coordinating, and/ or consulting regarding events. I have been involved with events for as little as about twenty five attendees, and as large as several thousand. What I have come to realize is that any chance of success is always dramatically impacted by the quality and nature of the negotiations.

1. Before negotiating, organizations need to know what they want, what they need, and what they can afford. They must examine their goals for the event, and their priorities. What are they happy with from prior events and what are they less than thrilled with? If this is an annual or periodically repeated event, such as a conference, convention, fundraiser, etc., has their attendance and their results been improving, stable, or have they seen diminishing returns? If their success rate has been decreasing, to what do they attribute this? Everyone involved with planning and organizing this event must be on the same page in terms of their vision for the goals and purpose of this event.

2. Great events have themes that attract people to take notice, and feel welcome. The theme of the event must be incorporated into all pre- marketing for the event, as well as carried over into the event itself. This may include decorations, colors, foods served, etc.

3. What is the budget for the event? Creating a budget should serve as a method of prioritizing and organizing activities, programs, and concepts. Projected revenues should always be done on a conservative basis, and must include any fees charged for attending, subsidies, advertising, sponsors, etc. Expenses should be looked at from a worst case scenario, because it is always better to err on the size of caution when creating a budget. This helps to determine what needs to be negotiated, what is the greatest priority, and what are the options.

4. What's needed to make this a great event, and what needs to be negotiated? Which items have the highest priorities and are thus determining the game maker versus game breaker approach to effective negotiating. A negotiator must fully understand in which areas there is more flexibility, and which there are less.

5. Professional negotiating includes all aspects. No area should be left without negotiating! If this event is being held at a hotel, and guest rooms are needed, planners must understand the price level that is needed to attract attendees, and further avoid deterring attendance by being too highly priced. If this is a multi- day event, planners must take into consideration any complimentary or subsidized rooms that need to be provided, as well as the costs of meeting rooms, etc. Far too many organizations overlook items such as audio- visual costs, only to be shocked when they realize how high these costs may be. Like everything else, audio- visual is also negotiable. Negotiators must address the costs of food and beverage, and know how to work with banquet/ catering departments to come to a mutually agreeable solution that works for both sides.

The most important message I am trying to send is that planning is vital to successful negotiations. Negotiators must be armed with as much pertinent information as possible before commencing negotiations, so as to be as well prepared as possible. It is vital to remember that it is always easier to negotiate before a contract is signed, than it is after one is signed, and far more advantageous to pre- negotiate as many items as possible. Organizations should either fully explore their needs, or utilize the services of a professional event negotiator, so as to put themselves in the best possible position for success.