Hiring A Function Catering Company For Any Occasion

Any special occasion usually calls for a gathering. And when there's a gathering, there's always food and drinks, and other fun activities with guests. The problem, sometimes, however, is finding the right caterer for the event. There used to be a time when specific occasions call for specific types of catering services. But nowadays, you can search for one that is quite versatile and knows the needs of various clients.

A function catering service is what's a versatile caterer is often referred to. This company has a manager and staff that handle all sorts of possible services within the context of catering and food service. The tie-ups with other companies such as equipment rentals, party suppliers, florists, and venues make it more beneficial for both caterers and clients. Of course, a busy client would love the idea of just contacting one person to accomplish all other aspects of the party being planned. As for the function catering manager, it is keeping a tight connection with the clients and the other companies that matter to his business.

For familial gatherings, such as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays, there's no reason not to call for the services of a function catering company. Many professional caterers can handle almost any type of family gathering and event, no matter the headcount and demand. These folks know how to please their discriminating clientele, especially those who truly knows their food and drinks, and matching ambiance.

For corporate clients, function caterers are the best to contact for the food selections, drinks, and other needs for certain company events. The clientele is quite diverse and there's often a challenge that comes with catering one company after the other. There's always an element of surprise and challenge on the part of function caterers because it is difficult to predict what the client may like or dislike. But once there's a connection and both are satisfied, it is more likely to see loyalty coming out of the corporate client. The idea is to deliver something with a 'wow factor' to always inspire clients and staff alike.

Function catering services know their networks and point persons, of course. By handling business ethically and professionally, your clients will be more than willing to seek your services regularly. Same goes with your contacts, as they too can benefit from your business. On the part of clients, it is the consistency and quality of services and products that truly count, no matter how well-planned or out-of-the-whim the events are.

Hotel Negotiating Is In The Details

The true measure of the degree of success of negotiations with hotels regarding events, conferences and conventions, is often measured in the depth of the negotiations, and assuring that as many details as possible are anticipated and negotiated in advance. In my over three decades as a professional event planner and negotiator, I have discovered that organizations that prepare in advance, understand their needs, articulate them fully up- front to the hotels, and have negotiators that maintain their integrity at all times, invariably get the best long- term results. Many inexperienced negotiators do not understand the need to prioritize their needs, and often fail to consider many aspects that will have potential impacts on the success and viability of the event. When having discussions with hotels, some of the items that need to be thought about and negotiated, include: guest rooms; food and beverage; audio visual needs/ requirements; service charges/fees; comps; and priorities. In addition, when negotiating, it is essential to use a win- win philosophy, so as to maximize the results for all concerned.

1. Will this event require securing guest rooms? Will the organization pay for these rooms, or the attendees? What is a realistic expectation for hotel nights usage? Has the negotiator fully considered the ramifications of certain attrition policies, and minimized these ramifications by prioritizing the negotiating down of, or elimination of, attrition requirements/ penalties? If attendees are paying for their own rooms, what is the price point that must be addressed?

2. How much food and beverage is the conference providing for attendees? What are the needs of the organization and its attendees? How are these functions being paid for, as part of the registration fee to attend the conference (if any), by the organization completely, or as a paid option available for attendees? What are the expectations? There are many methods available for reducing food and beverage costs, while maintaining perceived value, but it generally requires a carefully designed balancing act, as well as expert negotiations, combined with organizers willing to think outside the box to achieve optimum results.

3. What are the audio- visual requirements for this event? This is an area that perhaps is the biggest budget breaker when organizations do not adequately understand and negotiate to meet their needs. Many inexperienced conference planners become awe- struck, when they realize what hotel audio- visual departments are going to charge. The best example is when a group negotiates complimentary microphones, but does not realize that there will be charges for the hook up, amplification, labor, etc. All of these types of needs should be pre- negotiated in as much detail as possible.

4. How much are the service charges? Many people expect ten to fifteen percent, and are astonished when they discover that some hotels charge as much as 24%, or even more. Is the group sales tax exempt in a state that permits sales tax exemptions (while many do, California, for example, rarely permits sales tax exemptions). Organizations that are eligible must plan to have the necessary sales tax exemption paperwork in place prior to the event. Regarding service charges, it is important to find out if there is any flexibility (rare), as well as what is covered by the service charge, and what services are exempt from service charge implementation.

5. What "comps" (complimentary) are going to be needed? Who receives this (for example, speakers, organizers, officers, invited guests), and what is going to offered free? Organizations must have a clearly defined policy in place in this area. Will the hotel offer some sort of accommodations to assist the organization address this area? True expert negotiators put everything on the table during the negotiations. There will always be more flexibility from a hotel at the negotiating stage, than after the contract is in place.

6. What are the groups priorities? What is the greatest need, and the biggest concern? Be sure to address these during negotiations.

What has always astonished me, when working with organizations to assist in their events, is how many of those in decision- making leadership position seem to feel that there is no need to address all these details at the beginning. They seem to feel that the organizers should be allowed to do these things later. This is perhaps one of the costliest errors, in terms of money, resources, and result, that far too many groups seem to make!

Event Management With Furniture Rentals

For organizing a successful event, an event management company holds great importance, and equally important are furniture rentals. To ensure quality service and a warm hospitality service to your guests, it is important to ensure that all arrangements are up to the mark. One important aspect of this is to have appropriate furniture to suit the occasion and this can be achieved by approaching furniture hire companies.

Advantages of Hiring Furniture for Events

The presentation of every event is the first thing that is noticed by all present. A good-looking party has a lasting effect on all. The furniture and other materials present might appear to be insignificant, but they add their bit of impression. For this purpose, it is always helpful to hire furniture.

* Having appropriate furniture to go with the occasion is very important. You could be organizing a wedding, a company party, a business meet, or any other such event. Every event carries with it a mood of its own which is well reflected in the furniture. Furniture rental companies fulfill exact requirements making your event a successful one.

* Furniture available at hand is not always in presentable state. Those that are available for event hire should be well maintained and polished. They reflect good organization skills on the part of the host and make the guests feel comfortable.

* For any organized party or event, the number of invitees keeps fluctuating. Be is a personal party or a business one, the requirements of furniture quantities vary and it is not possible to always have the required number. Furniture hiring companies provide you with the appropriate number of articles needed at the desired time.

* The fact that the required number of articles are provided by hiring companies, a person can be assured of having uniformity in the products present. For example, all chairs made available for a wedding party bear uniform look, giving the occasion a presentable appearance.

* Many furniture rentals also specialize in catering equipment hire. Almost all events are followed by a meal; it could be lunch or dinner. When dining is involved there is also the need to have presentable cutlery, linen, and similar equipment. Along with furniture, you can hire catering to ensure a pleasant dining experience.

* All hiring companies offer a range of choices for their customers. Depending on the occasion, you can make your selection as to what furniture, kitchen equipment, and linen you wish to have at your place. Accordingly, everything will be delivered to you.

When using hired furniture, bear in mind that all the stuff you have got for hire are not your own and need extra care. See to it that no part of it is damaged or spoilt. When settling upon the terms and conditions of the agreement, go through each clause very carefully. Make it a point to get clear answers to the questions like what happens in case of damage, the security deposit, which delivers and collects items, and the like. Furniture rentals are a smart and easy way to make a party a successfully organized one.

Event Planning - Negotiating for That Best Deal

What is the "Best" deal when it comes to negotiating for a convention contract? ?Should it be entirely based on the sleeping room rate or are there other factors involved? Let's discuss a couple of factors that should help you determine "Best" deal for your group.

Rate vs Location - if a meeting planner starts the negotiation process with only room rate as the determining factor, attendees might not always be pleased. For example, a low room rate for members gets strained when the location of the event is on the other side of the United States and each guest pays high prices to fly to the destination. Then you also have to add lost travel time into account.

On the other hand, maybe picking a facility that charges a slightly higher room rate, but saves time and money traveling is a "Better Value."

Rate vs Space - let us talk about room rate versus function space. Some facilities have great meeting space, super AV and logistics between meetings makes for a better meeting. So, wouldn't it be better to sacrifice a few room rate dollars for the overall satisfaction of the conference? Would you rather be cooped up in smaller meeting rooms, with poor lighting and bad acoustics or sitting comfortably in a well lit, well air conditioned room that was conveniently located near everything? Rate is not the "End" all.

Convenience to Activities - what will make your attendees happy? Obviously, they come to meetings to learn and network, but what about after the meetings are finished for the day? What happens when it comes time to ask the question "What can we do now?" Is that isolated hotel with a low room rate now the "Best" deal? Is there anything close to do or eat? Is there entertainment close or is room service partnered with an "in-room" movie the only choice? Or, if the location does have something of interest nearby, what will it cost to get there?

Good deals may be great in the eyes of the meeting planner, but will that good deal be seen in the same light by each and every attendee?

Let's look at it at it another way and define "Best" deals by types of meetings.

Corporate Meetings - are primarily command performances where attendees are scheduled to attend and the corporate "Best" deal is that low convention rate. Since corporations pay the bills, budgets alone may determine where and what hotels are booked.

Association Meetings - are normally meetings of choice. Everything from agenda, to location, to convenience, to external options comes into play, in addition to room rates. "Best" deal is not really considered by the attendees unless there are more factors in favor of going to the meeting versus staying in the office.

So, what is the "Best" deal when it comes to a sales contract? The answer depends upon "all" the factors involved. Just remember to think about the purpose of the meeting, who will be attending, what is the ideal location and is this meeting a "command" performance. When a meeting planner says "I got the Best deal," what do they actually mean? Was it only the convention room rate that determined "Best?"

Maximizing Innovations in Special Event Transportation for More Efficient Event Management

Corporate events organizers are all too familiar with the logistical nightmare that results from moving large numbers of employees from one location to another, and within a specified time frame. This process can be streamlined through the innovative special event transportation solutions offered by leading transportation firms.

Conferences, training sessions, and charity fundraisers are only some of the events that will require companies to move employees on a mass scale. Finding the appropriate number and type of vehicles for these events is not the only factor that needs to be taken into consideration. Event organizers also need to consider the potential traffic, speed, road conditions, fuel, and general performance of these vehicles. By factoring all these in, companies ensure not only the timely arrival of employees, but their safety and comfort as well.

Established transportation companies are typically one step ahead of their clients. By adopting intelligent solutions, they are able to account for all of the above in order to proactively address client needs. Through the use of state-of-the-art GPS technology, their dispatch teams are able to identify traffic patterns, receive flight updates, and monitor speed and idling.

Top transportation companies also use innovative approaches for training their staff. For instance, some use BIT smart technology on vehicles to depict the results of certain scenarios, such as when G-force parameters are exceeded.

As for the vehicles themselves, those of leading special event transportation providers feature a high level of fuel economy and produce less carbon emissions through the employment of hybrid, CNG, propane or bio-diesel engines. Not only that, but these vehicles also use sophisticated technology to deploy gears for appropriate shifting based on the vehicle's load and speed, as well as road conditions. In addition, these vehicles can also be equipped with Wi-Fi and AVR recorders.

Companies can also benefit from services such as real time ridership reports, which include details on the number of employees who have boarded and at which pickup points. Some service providers even enable clients to check the arrival of the next bus through their cell phones.

For greater value for their investment, companies are advised to seek out service providers that also offer event planning and management services in addition to transportation. This enables them to focus on more pressing matters while their service provider takes charge of the ground transportation plans. Professionals can also factor in details such as additional passengers or stops while adhering to their client's time frame and budget.

Event Planning Courses - Things To Keep In Mind

Event planning industry is growing rapidly these days and many upcoming event planners have realized the importance of event planning courses to have a successful career. If you are a social person, friendly, fun loving and have esthetics then you should also consider event planning as your career and groom your inner skills by attending a good event planning course.

Many people are working in this industry without having any degree, diploma or certification so why should you go and waste your time and money in attending such courses? The answer is simple that now it has become a necessity because once there were no professional event planners and people used to arrange their events by them, but now as the industry of event management and planning is booming, new and fresh techniques are also being introduced which are taught in event planning courses. So it is better to learn the basic etiquettes and step into the field with a confidence to face the competition. But before taking any course you must keep a few things in mind.

Your field; event planning covers many areas and there are different types of courses which you can attend specifically for example wedding planning, event management, business meetings etc. so you should have a clear mind about your interest and opt for the suitable course. You can not work properly unless you have an aptitude for that because event management and planning is totally based on aptitude and interest.

Area:you can find many institutions that offer planning courses while searching on the internet but make sure that the institution should be in your city or near your city so you would be able to attend the lessons without any worries as it is a practical work the more you see the better you learn. So instead of finding '' the best'' you can depend on a good and reasonable institute which is within your reach.

Reputation of the school: make sure the school you are selecting has a good reputation; inquire about the teachers; they should have a good background and have established themselves in event management. Many companies hire new people by seeing their institution so invest your money in better institution instead of finding a cheap one.

Time schedule: watch your time schedule before getting admission in the event planning school; if you are employed somewhere and can not attend the class on the specific time, you have the option distant learning as well; there are many institution that offer distant learning courses on the internet.

Just keep these things in your mind before taking any planning course and polish your hidden talent before starting your career.

Simple Steps on How to Become Your Own Event Planner

Although many times in your life you will feel that the event you are trying to put together such as a party or a conference requires an event planner, you are not able to arrange one. This could be because of a number of factors. For example, the event planners you are contacting may be very busy and you might have given them a very short notice. Or, it might not be in your budget to hire an event planner. In such circumstances, whether you like it or not you have to become your own event planner. Fortunately, the process of event planning is not rocket science and most of the times it is also a rewarding and fulfilling experience. First step that one can use as an amateur planner is start writing. List up everything you can think of whether or not it is in a certain organized manner or not. Ask other people involved in the event if you are missing a certain category.

After that is done, subgroup the list by putting relevant subtopics into relevant major topics so that you have a list that looks similar to one with a guest list, party supplies, location scouting, food, decorations, music, and also a cost list so you can keep track of your budget. Next thing is to start making calls going from the more general subtopics to the more specific ones as the general ones have been knocked down. For example, if food is a general category, call your mother first to argue what cuisine is preferred for that party.

After you have an agreement, then call up all the Chinese restaurants to get rates per head for you party and see if they are available to serve on the day of your event. After you have reached a price and date agreement, then go down to specifics on which food items are to be ordered. This was just an example but I hope you understood what I meant by breaking it down by tackling the more general to the more specific pointers on your list. Multitasking is also an important part of event planning so have your self prepared for that. You cannot wait to completely finish a task before starting another- not during the planning of the event and neither at the day of so make sure you at least have personal helping hands like family and friends to make the event happen.

How to Have a Fun Company Picnic

Company picnics can provide a great opportunity for bonding, team building and camaraderie among office employees. If done right it can be an occasion where the employees of the company have the chance to intermingle and interact in a different way so that when they come back to work they will know each other better and will have a stronger relationship.  Here's how to have a fun company picnic.

Just like any other event it is paramount to keep in mind the tastes and likes of the people attending a company picnic to make such a group event successful. Ideas on company picnics range from the traditional to the all out extravagant and even theme picnics.  People usually tend to enjoy all of these equally. But it is vital to decide the kind of picnic that would suit your organization, the activities, entertainment, food, beverage and the budget requirements before organizing a fun company picnic.

The first thing you need to consider is your budget.  You should not start the picnic planning project until you know exactly how much you have to spend.

Next you need to decide where the picnic will take place.  If there is room, will it be on the company property or will it be at an off site venue.  An off site venue can often be more fun.

For an off site venue for a company picnic you should keep in mind that most venues need to be booked in advance and some of these come at a high premium during the peak season. Some picnic sites may also require transportation to the site besides meticulous planning on the arrangement of food and entertainment.

Additionally, for family picnics that are usually held in the weekends employees require prior notice so that they can fit the picnic into their weekend plans and activities.

After deciding on the location and the venue, other decisions will need to be made on the theme and food items and fun activities.  These will require the proper planning and imagination to make a company picnic a fun filled experience for the employees and their family members.

While considering the items to incorporate in the list of activities you need to keep in mind that it must be simple and have something to offer to all age groups.  Simple fun activities such as dunking booth games, tossing balloons and snow cones are some of the popular activities that many people of all ages enjoy.

Slightly older people tend to enjoy activities like karaoke or a magician or simply sitting around under the resting tents chatting and watching other younger people at play.  The young prefer something like face painting or games which requires a bit of running around and prefer shooting baskets games such as pop a shot. Field games such as the children's three legged race or playing with water balloons are fun activities that are sure to bring out those smiles and cheer among the employees and their family members. You may even want to consider renting an inflatable bounce house for the younger kids.

There are numerous event management companies  operating throughout the country that specialize in organizing and planning unique company picnics to fit any budget needs. This is something you might want to consider if your budget allows.  These companies appoint a fleet  of highly skilled professionals, planners and event organizers with specific expertise and experience to plan out a fun company picnic that can be customized to your company's needs and requirements.

Predicting a Positive 2011 for the Event Industry

Meeting Professionals International (MPI), IMEX, and the International Special Events Society (ISES) are all predicting that meeting volume, the number of attendees, and increasing value and ROI will be the priority throughout the global event meeting services industry in 2011 versus 2010.

For FutureWatch 2011, MPI garnered insight from more than 450 industry professionals in 20 countries and from 67 MPI chapters. "After two challenging years for the business of our industry, we're back with FutureWatch 2011 responses indicating material growth in activity of 8 percent. FutureWatch 2011 also indicates that this is the year where recent industry forays into virtual events and collaboration through social media will become increasingly mainstream. Thinking outside the room to drive performance through connectivity is becoming entrenched," said Bruce MacMillan, President and CEO of MPI.

Year-to-Year Trend in Projected Meeting Statistics
Year to Year Trend in Projected Meeting Stats

FutureWatch 2011 predicts the following:

* An 8% Increase in the Number of Meetings;
* A 5% Increase in the Spend Per Meeting;
* A 2% Increase in the Number of Attendees;
* A 2% Increase in Planners' Budgets.

The other interesting note regarding international travel is the following:

* US Organizations plan to have 87% of their meetings in the US. The 2nd choice, with only 6%, is Europe.
* Canadian Organizations plan on having 82% of their meetings within the Candian borders. The next place they are likely to travel to is the US, with 11% of the meetings.
* European Organizations plan to have 82% of their meetings in Europe. 10% of their meetings will be planned in the US.

IMEX Global Insights Report

IMEX surveyed 45 senior event meeting services professionals to gain their input regarding the state of the industry for 2011. Optimism is high with these survey participants who thought 2011 will bring a rise in events and budgets, green initiatives, and more virtual meetings.

Here is a summary of some the report results:

* 58% of the respondents said the number of meetings will increase this year.
* 42% said they are fully committed to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
* 25% said demonstrating Return on Investment (ROI) from meetings and events, in detail, is their most important priority.
* 18% expected a significant increase in their budget this year.

ISES Forecast 2011

Penton Media, conducts an annual survey on behalf of the ISES Advisory Board. They divided their respondents into In-house Event Services Company Professionals and Independent Event Professionals. Below, are the results of the survey from the in-house event professionals:

When asked about the number of events said the following:

* 41% will stage more events in 2011 than 2010
* 40% will stage about the same
* 10% are unsure and
* 9% will stage fewer events

When asked "What are the greatest challenges facing you this year?" said:

* 64% are projecting reduced budgets
* 53% feel an uncertain economy will affect their events
* 25% will be dealing with shorter lead times
* 23% will need to demonstrate ROI and/or value
* 21% are uncertain about their own company finances

Start Your Own Event Planning Business

The event planning service business is a $500 billion business worldwide today, with lots of growth opportunities. The profit margin has gone up from 15% to 30 to 40%. People hire event planners because they don't have the time and expertise to organize events themselves. Some of the events for which event planners are hired are:

• Celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries)


• Education (conferences, meetings, graduations)


• Promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows)


• Commemorations (memorials, civic events)

Qualifications: The best way to set up an event planning service business is to start as an apprentice with an event management company. This gives you useful exposure to the industry, and you learn the tricks of the trade without investing anything. You may also acquire knowledge about the industry by getting an event planning or management degree or certificate from a local university and also become a CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional) or CMP (Certified Meeting Planner).

Target Market: The target market for event planning service business is huge. Companies as well as charities and non-profit organizations host gala fundraisers, receptions and athletic competitions, among other events, to expand their public support base and raise funds. Companies also organize trade shows, conventions, company picnics, holiday parties and meetings for staff members, board members or stockholders. Besides this there is a large social market. This includes organizing of weddings, birthdays, anniversary parties, Sweet 16 parties, children's parties, reunions and so on.

Start-up Costs: The start up costs of an event planning service business depends upon your business profile. A low-end event management business can be started for $8,000 while a high-end may cost $30,000 to $50,000. The main expenditure is on three heads: equipment, number of employees and office space.

Tasks and operations: Social events generally involve more weekends and holidays than corporate events. Some events have "on" and "off" seasons. The main tasks of an individual running an event planning services business are:

• Research: Find out everything about vendors and suppliers, talk to other planners who have produced similar events, read about issues of custom and etiquette. Ask your client a lot of questions and write down the answers.


• Design: You need to sketch the overall "look" of the event. To get good ideas you should have brainstorming sessions, either by yourself or with your employees. Consult your notebook for client's answers to the questions you asked in the research phase. These responses will help you thoroughly check each idea for feasibility before suggesting it to the client.


• Proposal: The production of a proposal can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if you include photographs or sketches. You should receive a consultation fee, which can be applied toward a client's event if he or she hires you.


• Organization: During this phase, you'll rent the site, hire vendors and take care of many more details. Make sure to discuss all major decisions with your client or someone acting on client's behalf, but avoid consulting many people.


• Coordination: Ensure that everyone is on the same wavelength, that all vendors have a general idea of the overall event schedule, what's expected of them, and when. Make sure all your staff members know their roles.


• Evaluation: Ensure your customer satisfaction so that your client will provide a great word-of-mouth advertising for you. You may also hire an event planning consultant to evaluate your work.

Earnings: There is no fixed fee in the event planning service business. The fee varies from event to event, and is proportional to the volume and quality of work involved. Generally, you can expect to make 15 to 20 per cent on every event. Given the size of the industry, part-time event planners can gross around $20,000 annually while full-time event planners can hope to earn $100,000 or more.

Marketing: The best way to promote your business is by word-of-mouth publicity. Encourage your clients to refer their friends to you. However, this will happen only when your work is good. You can also consider advertising in yellow pages and trade journals. A website is another useful place to give details about your event planning service business.

How to Make Your Event Look Professionally Arranged?

Arranging any kind of event is a huge responsibility. Any event whether it is a birthday party, wedding ceremony or a business meeting can only become a success when a good and suitable ambiance is created. Many people get help from event planners to make their event arrangements look beautiful and to make it successful. People may seek professional event planners and stay out of these worries but it is not possible for everyone especially when you have a small budget.

Some people are very selective and do not like interference from others. Such people always want to arrange the entire event in their own style and with their own ideas. Sometimes people have different ideas to arrange their event to make it unique and they don't need to get help from any professional.

For these reasons event rentals are the best option. You can find plenty of event rentals in your area working to make your event much better. If you are going to arrange any event and want to make it look professionally arranged without spending a lot then this is a very good option for you. You can create a perfect atmosphere and ambiance in your event by hiring equipment from such rental companies and use your own ideas to arrange it.

In any event you need to have different things like furniture, d矇cor, tents, lights; music system and many other things and purchasing such stuff can be very expensive for you and it is not a sensible thing as well. You can get the required stuff for your event and arrange it according to your own style on rent.

If you want to get different ideas you can get them by searching on the internet. There are different websites that provide new and unique ideas. You can get the information on latest trends or unique ideas to make your event memorable. You can get the ideas and information through internet and also find what you need to make the arrangement along with their market prices. You can compare the rates of different event rentals and go further.

You can even visit there store and see their stuff for your satisfaction. Good and reputable event rentals always provide good service so you must find a good and reliable service to keep safe from any trouble at the eleventh hour.

Therefore if you are going to arrange your wedding, your child's birthday party or any type of event you can get new and fresh ideas from a website or magazine and arrange it professionally with the help of event rentals.

Corporate Events - 6 Ideas to Increase Morale and Business

Corporate Events can be held for large or small groups and can can achieve many objectives.

A few ideas:

1. Outdoor summer events ideas: Since its outdoors, choose really fun stuff such as virtual hang gliding and rock climbing walls. Golf simulators are usually a big hit; even massage therapists add to fun and relaxation. You can hire DJs or live bands.

2. Family events: Make sure you have games for both adults and children. Kids love face painting and races. A grand gesture would be to have carnival rides and concession stands. The ideas are endless.

3. Indoor parties and celebrations: Video arcades are great for the younger crowd. There is always the thought of having live music and even entertainment with character actors, magicians, unique performances such as acrobats, etc.

4. Social Gatherings for employees or clients make a nice evening. A good choice would be to award employees on their successes. Acknowledge their team building efforts.

5. Food: Customize your menus and buffets. Create an ambience with the decor. Possibly hire waiters and a full staff to complement your event. If your budget is tight, possibly you can invite spouses just to the evening meal.

6. Improve communication between staff and management: Take advantage of multimedia presentations along with interaction and feedback. Do a segment on FAQs. Make sure you keep their interest and keep segments no longer than 20 minutes each.

Events will be successful only if excellent planning was involved.

Note: In order to capture the attitude and personality of your employees within a visual content, it is of the utmost importance to hire a professional photographer to document your social events. The first thing a new client notices about your company is the photography. Choose a photographer with prior experience in shooting corporate events.

Important Steps to Follow in Hiring a Casino Party Company For Your Next Casino Fundraiser

7 important casino fundraiser steps and pitfalls to understand when planning your next casino fundraiser.

Having been in the casino party and planning business for many years I have heard from customers some very sad stories of what occurred at their casino fundraiser and I would like to pass to you the 7 steps you must follow to ensure you have a successful casino fundraiser and hire the BEST casino party company for your event.

Step 1. The planning committee. This is the most important step in your planning and you must assign a person to each of the specific tasks that must be accomplished for your event, which include the Law and getting the appropriate licenses, finding the location and catering for the event, getting sponsors to help with the costs, getting gifts donated, finding the correct casino company, and who will be handling the money. It is impossible for one person to handle all of the above items. The only successful way is to have one person responsible for each item, leave them alone to perform the task, but having them report their progress every so often to the person assigned in charge for the event. You will need plenty of time to accomplish all the tasks I a good time frame to start is 4-6 months before the event date.

Step 2. The Law and obtaining your fundraiser license and township permission. Always remember that gambling is illegal, and having casino games at your fundraiser is gambling. This is important because a casino fundraiser is not the same as holding a car wash to raise funds. Because gambling is illegal there are state authorities in charge of stopping illegal gambling which means your casino fundraiser will fall under an exception to the gambling laws. Let's take New Jersey as an example. The state agency ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control)is responsible to find and prevent illegal gambling, unfortunately their own handbook does not say illegal gambling, or exceptions to the gambling laws, it only says gambling, and there has been an occasion where one of their investigators attempted to stop a casino fundraiser claiming it was gambling. The situation was resolved before the event date because of the second point I want you to remember. Even though your casino fundraiser is gambling and gambling is illegal, you fall under an exception to the gambling laws by state statute. In New Jersey the state legislature created a statute to allow casino gambling and created the Casino Control Commission to oversee the activity, they also created a statute to allow casino fundraisers and created the legalized Games of Chance Control Commission to oversee casino fundraisers. The point I want you take from all this would be to make your casino fundraiser legal, you must understand the law and get the proper licenses and township permission for the event. Just because you are a 501(c)3 non profit organization and used to having a car wash to raise funds doesn't mean you can have a casino fundraiser simply because it sounds like a good idea. So at this point you should understand it is a good idea to call your states Office of the Attorney General to find out the laws in your state to have a casino fundraiser.

Step 3. The Best casino company. The licensing requirements needed for you state may also require the casino company to be licensed. There have been occasions in New Jersey where a non profit organization called a casino party company and neither of the parties knew the laws resulting in the event being stopped and fines. Each state is different and in New Jersey the casino company and all the dealers must have a casino fundraiser license. So the important point here is to first learn the requirement on your own by calling the state authorities, then you start calling the casino companies and ask them what is required to have a casino fundraiser. A good casino party company will ask you if you have your license and be able to email you the forms needed to obtain the license. They should guide you through all aspects to obtaining your license and getting the township permission. If they do not assist you or explain the rules then they may not understand them and that could be a disaster waiting to happen.

Step 4. Who is really doing your event? Understand there are casino party companies who advertise locally and some who do it nationally. In my experience the local companies are the best for you because the national companies may not know the laws for you state. Even worse is the national companies will not be doing your event. What they do is call the local companies, get a quote from them and add hundreds of dollars to the bill just for answering your phone call, and the local company is who will be doing your event and they will have given you a quote that is less than the national company. As you look at each company you will see some that have photographs of movie stars and people having fun in a casino on the front page of their website. Forget all that material designed to attract you because it is not important. When you receive price quotes from the casino party companies you may get 3 or 4 that are in the same general range and 1 or 2 that are much higher than the others. Let's give an example and say you received quotes for $1000, $1100, $1200 and $2000. It doesn't make any sense that 3 quotes were in the same range and one quote was much higher and that is because the very high quote is from a national company who will not do your event because they are going to call the local company who gave you the lower quote in the first place, then add the extra money to the bill.

Step 5. The casino tables. There is a general rule to follow which is you want approximately 70 percent of you guests to be able to play. You can modify this rule, but I would not go below 50 percent able to play. The casino company should advise you on this. They should also stay in constant contact with you in the week leading up to the event to revise the tables if needed. Let's assume your event was 300 guests, but in the last week you realize only 200 will show up. A reputable casino company will suggest you reduce the number of tables. A poor casino company will want you to stay with the original suggestion because they will make more money. Simply stated, the BEST casino party company would rather you have the correct number of tables and not too many or too few, and they should not put their profit above your fundraising needs. Now let's discuss the casino tables that will be used for your event. This is my opinion as a licensed dealer, but the best casino companies have new equipment which does not have folding metal legs and/or use skirting under the table to hide the metal legs. Ask yourself why a real casino doesn't use metal folding legs on their tables. A craps or roulette table is very heavy with up to 14 people all leaning and shifting their weight on the table. Maybe that's the reason you shouldn't have metal folding legs on the table because you do not want to take the chance the table collapses. I will never deal craps or roulette on a table that has metal folding legs. The point I want you remember here is that you should have the casino party company put in writing that they will be the company doing your event and will not subcontract to another company. You should also require the casino company to provide photographs of the actual tables they will use at the event. It is fine if they can show you the tables on their website, but I would ask myself why a casino company does not have photographs of the tables on the website. Do not accept the company having a photo showing the top of the tables with people having fun because that does not show the legs of the table which I consider the most important part.

Step 6. Cost from the Casino company and suggestions. The casino party company should be making suggestions on the proper casino tables and the number of each table to have for your event. They will follow the general rule of 70 percent of your guests being able to play, but they should also be in constant contact with you leading up to the event and be willing to reduce or add tables if needed. Remember the casino company is there to help you but also want to make money. A great casino company will advise you if needed to reduce the number of tables originally suggested based on the number of guests, allowing them to be a great help to you and still make a profit. The Poor casino companies will want you to stay with the original plan because they will make more money. The point here is that if you have too few tables then your guests can't play meaning they can't donate money to the event, and if you have too many tables they will not be used and you are spending more money than you should, and you could run the risk of losing money for the charity because of it. The last point I want you to remember is some casino party companies that do fundraising want a percentage of your profits. Never hire a company that wants a percentage of the profits because that is your money. Look at the casino company as you would a caterer or DJ. They are being paid for their service a flat fee and not a penny more.

Step 7. Who is going to handle the money. There is a cardinal rule in casino fundraiser that you never allow the casino company to touch the money. Keep in mind there could be thousands of dollars out there and you want to remove all temptations and possible accusations. A great casino company will advise you how to set up a "bank" and how only your representatives will touch the money. There are certain aspects of the evening where the casino company pit boss will do things to help encourage additional donations by making chip specials to your guests if they donate more money at each table, but this should only be done one table at a time with one of your representatives standing next to them.

I hope the discussion will help guide you to having a successful casino fundraiser. If you ever have a questions you may always email me at cardsordice@verizon.net or visit my companies website www.cardsordice.com and I will get back to you and answer your questions because I want to ensure you hire the BEST casino party company and make a lot of money for your charity.

Reduce Your Event Budget - Hire a Freelancer!

Planning events can be a costly business, with one of the largest costs being the people to run it! If you are planning an event a great way to spend lots of money is to employ someone to organise it. It will often be more cost effective to hire a freelance event manager to manage your event - not to mention that they will often have a lot of experience and be able to bring a lot of fresh ideas to your event.

The first thing that often scares an event organiser is the daily cost of a freelance event manager. A good freelancer will cost somewhere between £150 and £250 a day, with more specialist roles (such as health & safety consultants, content producers or specialist technicians) being made considerably more.

Although the daily cost is often quite high, when you consider the bigger picture, hiring a freelancer will be cheaper. For example, if you hire a freelancer to organise your event, they won't be 'employed' directly by your company, but will be self employed or even employed by their own company. This means that you won't have to pay their tax, national insurance contributions or payroll fees on their behalf. And because they are separate to your organisation, you should expect them to provide their own equipment and tools. This should be everything from their own email accounts, mobile phones, computers and equipment.

Often freelancers won't even work at your office location, but will work remotely, so you don't need to pay for their desk space, tea and coffee, or even their desk! The best is that they will only bill you for the hours that they are working on your project, so you don't have to pay them for days off, checking their own emails, holiday or sick pay.

So when you are looking for a resource for your next project, consider a freelance event manager.

Playing Nicely in the Event Planning Playground

Remember dodge ball and other fun, silly games we played as children on the school playground? There were days I am sure we all remember we witnessed or participated in arguments on the playground or temper tantrums and on occasion a dodge ball thrown in another kid's face.

Unlike an elementary school playground, event planning requires patience, understanding of others and the ability to go after what you want without upsetting others...unless you want repercussions.

4 Actions to Take the Sting Out of Event Planning

1. Create Friendly Playmates


2. Share the Toys


3. Develop Bragging Rights Strategy


4. Get Sponsors to Spoil You

Finding Friendly Playmates

Passionate people are attracted to event planning. Passionate people may try to take control of your event. Play to event partners' strengths and give up control when it appropriately benefits the event.

You need at least four business partners to help plan an event for say 1,500 people or more. Bring playmates to the schoolyard that offset your weaknesses.

A great event example of partnerships is Howl-A-Day Jubilee, a pet shelter fundraiser in Naples, Florida, which I created with the shelter in 2005. While strong on promotions, I was weaker on event site plan creation. By allowing event partners take over the site layout and many other responsibilities, efforts paid out with five thousand pet owners attending the 2006 event donating nearly $12,000 to the shelter.

Find event partners outside of your regular circle by contacting professional affiliated groups, churches, non-profit organizations and nearby businesses.

How To Share the Toys

Disagreements will arise. Prevent event committee members from throwing their toys at each other by remaining in charge as the committee chair.

Never let committee members argue. Compliment each partner for their enthusiasm and then ask to discuss all ideas. Talking it out generally works to refocus passionate board members.

Sharing event responsibilities is at the heart of sharing your toys. Give board members important jobs, not the ones you don't want to do. Finally, compliment all of your partners repeatedly and meet offline with those under performing.

Developing a Bragging Rights Strategy

How to promote and when is the question.

Event partners must create a strategy behind the event's slogan, logo, tag line or promotional text and what marketing materials will be printed. Strategy includes a delivery plan for all your marketing materials.

Most affordable, promotional handout: 3 inches wide by 8 inches tall bookmark style point-of-sale handout. 90,000 of this type of handout costs between $1,500 and $3,000. Why this? Black and white flyers do little to catch consumers' attention. A 3 inch by 8 inch handout is smaller and more convenient than a flyer. It's easy. It's cheap. It's fast. Stores will agree to hand it out to their patrons and sometimes your libraries.

Too many event planners forget about the importance of follow through with a promotions plan. A distribution plan is key. Without it, you can't maximize your promotions.

Getting Sponsors to Spoil You

Every event need sponsors to spoil it with riches.

Sponsors make the difference between making money and losing it. Call friends. Send social media alerts. Ask others to share. Develop a sponsorship kit with a cover page, 3-4 sponsorship level choices and ask your event partners to earn at least two sponsors each.

Call local media outlets who may expressed interest in your type of event before.

Summary: Make It Simple

Event planning isn't brain surgery. All you need is reliable playmates, orderly assignments and a solid strategy behind your event promotions.

Quality Banquet Tables For Event Planners & Facilities

If you are an established facility or just getting started research for your business and buy commercial-grade products. Too often I hear I bought it at Wal-Mart or Costco, not a problem for the occasional home user but event planners should always buy industry items.

Do your research and find companies that cater to the event trade when looking to purchase products. Tables are just one example of when not buying wisely can cost. Commercially made products are not designed around price they are designed around long term usage and durability.

Tables may look to be the same but soon the quality come through in how it performs, wooden tables with either plastic or metal bullnose is the best, lacquered top and bottom provide a smooth surface so cloths won't snag when put on the tables. Try to purchase the same tables so if you won't be covering your tables they will have continuity.

The edge of the table is important too. While some newer tables have wider lips the standard is 3/4" which can accommodate the least expensive clip size for skirting.

But the most important thing is the legs and strength of the table. If you set up a table with dishes, flatware and serving trays and it collapses a lot more than a spoiled event is at stake your business maybe in jeopardy. You have to make sure that the tables will stand the test of time because you will be using them daily or weekly.

Ask an expert for information on all products and services that will offer you both value for your money and peace of mind during events.

The Wedding Planner's Journey

Wedding planning, also known as the blissful stress can be as painful or as joyful as you make it. There is a lot of work that goes into becoming a wedding planner but before that, a planner has to be someone who is sensitive to the needs of others, an empathy of sorts who is sensitive to both the bride and the groom. Someone who is intuitive and quick to understand, react and adjust or change gears quickly. Brides are not the easiest people to work with as they have a vision of what they want and it is a vision they have had years to mold, shape, and plan into something that is almost unattainable and a wedding planner must be able to attain it for them. Even better, a planner must take the bride and groom on this voyage with them and allow them to experience the joy that wedding planning can be while absorbing most of the stress. This is what a good wedding planner should be.

There is a difference between a wedding planner and an event planner but the difference is not huge. One should have experience as an event planner before going into wedding planning as this will provide much needed experience and lay the groundwork in how you deal with vendors, caterers, and people in general. An event planner or Hospitality event planner starts in the hospitality industry booking events and planning the curriculum for large conferences and/or small corporate meetings. Taking such classes as business management, hospitality and leadership courses and a strong set of math skills is necessary when developing your eventual wedding planning career.

Many bridal consultants find wedding planning so much more fulfilling that hospitality event planning simply because of the joy factor. When you book and plan a conference, you are generally not changing someone's life or making a lifelong dream come true. You are not affecting someone's life in an emotional way as when you are part of a process that brings two people together who are in love and want their day to be unique and special. That is why many planners go beyond the call and delve into aspects of the wedding planning that may seem trivial to an outsider but mean a great deal to the couple getting married. Even the minor details like picking out wedding gifts and wedding accessories are not out of the scope of the professional planner as he or she are caught up in the emotional ride and actually become friends with the bride and groom.

It can be difficult to maintain that professional distance that is so vital in other positions but can benefit the wedding planner. There has to be at least a small amount of comfort between the wedding planner and the customers they work with for the event to be successfully planned and the plan instigated. You do not find that level of trust and, in fact, do not need that level of trust from most of the people you will hire in your lifetime. You do not have to like your photographer in order to appreciate the professionalism of their work. With the wedding planner, it is different. You are putting your dream in their capable hands and saying, I trust you with this.

At the end of the day, the wedding planner will be someone you trust and even come to care about and if you manage to find one that does not become at least a little emotionally involved in your dream, let me know because I do not think they exist.

The Seven Best Skills Necessary for a Corporate Event Planner

Corporate event planning services are getting popular in every passing day, as big corporate have understood the impact of a successful event or seminar in terms of branding and reputation. The job of a corporate planner is that of a specialist and requires multi-dimensional skill, interpersonal, time management, technical, and organizational skills among others. Planning and executing all details meticulously and catering to client's wishes is a demanding task.

Critical tasks offered by event planners such as location hunt, on site monitoring, logistics, seminars, and trade shows should be performed very carefully so as to give the best experience to their guests. Certain skill sets are essential in corporate event planning which would help you to sail through the grueling execution phase.

Multi-Tasking Ability

A corporate event planner needs to be working on multiple projects. For example, a planner may have to handle two different seminar or conference on consecutive days. So, multi tasking ability and ability to handle pressure is must in this profession.

Technical Skills

Computer proficiency is must in this profession as corporate event planner may need to run automated corporate event planning to streamline the entire process. He or she should know how to update and delete event related information using a software platform.

Time Management Skill

Time is money and more so in event planning profession. Prior scheduling and advance planning is the key to a hassle free event or conference. Keeping a good track of time and using an event's calendar could make life easier for professionals handling big events.

Interpersonal Skills

The bigger the event, the more the number of people you need to deal with as a planner. An excellent interpersonal skill is required to handle people from different backgrounds and working as a team. They need to work with a photographer, as well the person delivering flowers for the same occasion.

Organizational Skills

Good organizing capability would ensure successful execution of a corporate event without any last minute glitch. Preparing a checklist helps, especially to prevent over scheduling and deadline violation.

Communication skills

An effective communication skill is required to effectively manage a diverse team for an event. Poor communication can lead confusion and delay in deadlines.

Financial skills

Proper budgeting and financial skills would help a planner to plan and execute a hassle free event. Going over budget is a symbol of poor planning.

Corporate event planning these days have become a lot easier with robust and intuitive event management software. A successful planner is one who would fulfill a client's wish regardless of an event's size or location.

2 Convincing Reasons Why You Should Use A Wedding Planner For Your Wedding

Getting married is often a very exciting thing for all the parties involved. Though it usually costs a lot of money these days, the excitement leading up to the event is usually high, and most people are often happy being able to host a wedding that is successful.

However, one thing that you may need to contend with when you are trying to have such a wedding is how to arrange it. There are many things that often have to be thought about, and it is often a good idea to make sure that you go through them in order to have a successful one. In many cases, the sheer number of things that one has to think of leads to a lot of stress on the part of the people planning the wedding. This usually occurs even when you delegate some of the duties to some of your friends and relatives.

One way of avoiding such issues is by making use of a wedding planner. There are many companies that offer such services these days, and you can use one of them to make the process of planning a wedding much easier. In most cases, people think that paying for such services is a waste of money since the wedding planners essentially do what you can, but then charge you for it. However, there are many compelling reasons why you should consider getting one of these to plan your wedding. Some of the reasons why this may be a good idea include:

• You are bound to benefit from professionalism. Most of the wedding planners have been doing this kind of thing for a long time, and this means that they are more than skilled at it. The fact that they have a lot of experience means that they are more likely to know of the things that typically go wrong during such events, and they can then avoid them. This means that you are going to have a wedding that is more of a success.

• They may also make the wedding much cheaper for you. Though you usually have to pay them to offer such services, there are many things that they can do which will result in less cost for you overall. For instance, some wedding planners have links with other wedding contractors such as car hire companies. This means that when you use them for the wedding planning, you can benefit from lower rates from some of these services, which in turn means that you will end up saving a lot in the long run. In addition to that, the fact that most of them are usually in business for a very long time means that they can identify the people who are most effective at providing wedding related services. This means that you would not waste time paying for people who are not good at such work.

These are just two of the many benefits of using a wedding contractor for your wedding. The next time you are planning one of these, always try to find a high quality wedding planner near you and ask them to provide these services. It is something that you are unlikely to regret!

3 Creative Ideas to Make Your Corporate Event More Special Using Promotional Products

Are you planning a corporate party? Can't think of ways to excite your guests about it? Here are 3 creative ideas that can help you rock everyone's social and personal experience through promotional products:

Make your corporate giveaways yours and theirs.

Of course, we have to make the party souvenirs symbols of our brand identity. But to make our guests more engaged and less estranged during the event, it will help if we make the corporate gifts theirs as much as it is ours.

How can we do that? We can do it by giving promotional products that are personalized according to the guests, or by making the items "customizable". For example, you can rent a photo booth for the event and let people take their pictures there for free. And to come along with the free photo is a promotional photo frame with your company name and logo imprinted on it. If you do this, you make corporate souvenirs more personal and more memorable for your guests.

Involve an experience to the corporate tokens.

Human beings naturally relate experiences to objects. This is why when you have a box filled with memorabilia about your past affairs, people will call you a "sentimental" person. This is also why we keep gifts given to us by special persons. More than the experience, we also attach an emotion to the objects, making them more unforgettable for us. Apply this principle in your giveaways and you will soar high in your promotion. You can hold some exciting contests where people can get promotional awards as prizes. Something earned will always be something special for people.

Give promotional products that are unique.

Corporate gifts that are new, innovative and can't be found anywhere else in the planet instantly wows people. Oftentimes, it makes the party more interesting and unforgettable too. But of course, although unique, make sure that the promo gifts are still logically related to the theme of the event and to your brand identity as well. Also, never forget to still make the personalized items functional, though rare because you're still after brand visibility, and you can't have full exposure if your customized merchandise cannot be put to use.

Marketing is about doing the same thing in a fresh way. The great party ideas above using promotional products are actually nothing new, but just tweaked and updated marketing tactics that were improved to fit the needs of the current generation.

Leaders And Event Planners Can't Please Everyone

Perhaps the first reality of leadership is that a leader is never able to please everyone. Tied for first place, however, should also be that a true leader must understand that he shouldn't even try to. Leadership is about taking actions that drive one's vision, and in doing so, a true leader must prioritize motivating others to follow and help take needed and timely actions in order to reach important goals. Great leaders realize that they must not concern themselves unduly about their personal popularity, but rather about doing what they feel needs to be done for the best of the organizations, and its membership in general. Leaders must view things from short- term, intermediate- term and long- term perspectives, and take all things into consideration when taking decisive, well thought out, timely action. Human nature and the dynamics of any group are such that one can never please everyone. Bill Cosby wrote, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

1. Let's take for example the decisions that need to be made by an event or conference coordinator. When certain events are run on a regular and/ or repeat/ cyclical basis, while the objective of the event and indeed the need for the event may remain nearly the same, certain change is often necessitated because of changing times, evolving needs, group dynamics, demographics, competitive forces, financial considerations, etc.

A true leader must understand the need to prioritize and to think outside the box, and maintain the integrity of the event, while making certain tweaks or alterations to enhance the event's attractiveness or possibility for success. Invariably, when this occurs, certain "regulars" to these events end up comparing it the "good old days," and it is impossible to please these individuals. A plan is generally ineffective if you pick and choose details rather than thoroughly plan all aspects and details based on needs, goals, objectives, finances, and the organization's present day needs and realities.

2. Organizers of fund raising events often find certain events extremely risky based on factors such as economic reality. Effective not- for- profit fund raising professionals and event planners must analyze things on a risk/ reward basis, and see what can be done to maximize their results and eventually get the greatest success. This often upsets certain individuals, who may have liked some of the features that needed to be changed. That factor, however, does not mean that the changes are not essential to make!

3. Event planners must manage their budgets carefully, and make sure that they get the most bang for the buck, and provide maximum perceived value. That means that certain changes might be needed, based on priorities, because tweaking often creates enhanced value. Obviously, some people will resist these changes.

4. Leaders of organizations need to periodically review their mission, and assure that it is evolved to reflect today's world. Organizations that lose relevancy generally cease to exist. Obviously, there are always some that resist any sort of change.

Organizations and their leaders must make often difficult decisions regarding how they operate, budget, communicate, etc. Effective leaders always understand they will not always be popular, but they must take essential timely decisions.

Choosing The Right Entertainment for a Memorable Event

No matter what the occasion, choosing the right entertainment can turn a good evening into a truly memorable event. Despite a glamorous location or delicious food it is usually the entertainment that guests remember. You may choose to organise everything yourself with the help of a party hire company or you can hire an event organiser to handle the details for you. There are many different types of entertainment to choose from, so it is important to pick the right entertainment to suit the type of event.

Weddings

The type of entertainment that is appropriate for a wedding depends on the wedding itself. With couples choosing between formal and more traditional weddings, to holding their ceremony and reception at the beach or in a garden, the atmosphere of their wedding is largely determined by the location. Once a couple has decided where the wedding is to be held all other decisions are generally influenced by this choice. A couple might also have more than one set of entertainment, as they may have musicians at the ceremony as well as at the reception. A more formal day could involve having a string quartet at the church and then a jazz band at the reception. Depending on a couple's budget they may have a soloist at the ceremony and a DJ later on. For a couple to choose entertainment that their guests will remember they should match the type of musicians to suit the style of wedding.

Corporate Events

A corporate event can range from a lunchtime picnic to a formal black tie evening. Not only will the style of event influence the choice of entertainment but also the guests themselves. A formal evening with important clients might not be the place for dancers in skimpy outfits, nor would you choose an evening of classical music for the Christmas party of the teenage staff of a fast food outlet. Entertainers at corporate events don't have to just include musicians. A whole range of entertainment can be hired to impress your guests, from magicians, dancers, ice sculptors, comedians and even acrobats. Find something that will stand out and make the event stand out in your guest's memories. If they don't forget your event they won't forget your company either, and that makes for a successful evening.

Parties and more

Choosing entertainment that is original can be a challenge but the key is to pick something to suit your audience as well as something that will stand out. Fund raisers could have anything, depending on the venue, whether you hired a band, an animal farm or a celebrity MC. After a run of attending friend's twenty-first birthday parties the DJ's may be wearing a little thin, so why not try something like a bush dance or hire a karaoke machine. A clown at a children's party is fairly standard, as is hiring a fairy entertainer for a little girl's birthday, so how about getting the snake handler? The children certainly won't forget that one.

How Quality DJ Services Turn Events Into Parties?

Any event could be interesting and enjoyable with some thumping music or soft melodious background music. Music is the rhythm of the soul or so to say, it brings your mind fine tuned with the occasion or an event. You tend to enjoy your company, take interest in the proceedings and let yourself "just be" when there is good music in the air.

DJ Services

The latest addition of DJ services to weddings, birthdays, parties have given a completely new angle of entertainment. Social gathering can be fun and enjoyable if there is a quality music service added to it. A competent DJ is the one who plays through the party or ceremony as per the request of the guests or the host and keeps the party alive, in a way! One can also have this option for reunions, corporate events, proms, etc. A professional service provider needs to be the choice for the day (or the evening) to make it a success.

Wedding DJ Services

Amongst the most popular options is the one that is available for weddings. Dubbed as the wedding DJ services, they bring fun and frolic to the event. There is participation by every guest, be that the groomsmen, bridesmaid, close family, relatives, and others. Even the groom and the bride have a crucial role to play in the selection of the right song for an occasion and with synchronized lighting.

Party Rental Services

Choosing a right party rental service expert is the key to the quality of service on offer. A relatively experienced and seasoned tent and party rental company ensures that there is availability of good staging set up, lighting, sound system, music back up in CD and MP3, and the service provided in a thoroughly professional manner.

Qualities to Look For

If you are finding an apt choice to add music and fun in wedding, then some quality checks are necessary before narrowing down on your final result. An interactive set up is the first step towards creating the right mood. Whether it is the best music back up, quality sound equipment, lighting effects, fog machine, dance floor, stage set up, or the tent itself, quality service options are available in compact packages from the professional service providers.

Therefore, the next time that you plan for your wedding party, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions or other celebrations, do not forget to get quality DJ service provider in town.

Save on Costs With an Online Event Management Solution

If you are not online, you don't exist. That's your attitude, that's my attitude and that's the attitude of your target audience. As an event organizer, you are well aware of the perceptions of your target audience and have already taken measures - hosted information about your event online on your own website and on social networking websites to spread the word and build awareness. The online medium can do more for you than just spread the word. It can be an excellent sales medium and cost saving device. All you require is an online event management solution to get you started.

An online event management solution can speed up your work processes, automates mundane tasks, improves efficiencies and reduces timelines. It can also help you save on cost and increase your budget for other activities.

The New Process
1. You host information about your event on your website, so people can learn more about the same without having to call your office multiple times.
2. Interested parties can register instantly online.
3. They confirm their seat or ticket by paying instantly using the online payment facility.
4. The registration information is stored electronically and an invoice with all relevant details is automatically fired by email.

Each of these steps eliminates an expense, saves on costs and frees up funds for other purposes.

Step 1 & 2 reduces your printing costs. As you know, every event generates a multitude of paper and printing - brochures, leaflets, registration forms, invoices and more. When you host your event information online, interested parties learn about the event directly online, thus reducing the number of brochures and leaflets required. Similarly, when people have the convenience of registering or booking online, you will see a reduction in the number of walk-ins, thus reducing the number of printed registration forms required. Both these reductions will reduce your massive printing bill.

Step 3 & 4 reduces postage & courier costs. Here two cost saving aspects come into play. The first, since there is less to be printed (brochures and leaflets), there is less to send by snail mail or courier. Thus, you will see a reduction in courier charges and postage cost. Also, since all information is stored electronically, you can generate invoices and receipts directly online. This eliminates the need to print and send invoices and receipts by courier.

In addition to these cost saving features, you also save on labor. What activities used to require 4 or 5 individuals to complete, now can be handled by 1 or 2. It used to be that you had to hire extra temporary staff to handle the registration calls, the faxes, the walk-ins and the data entry. By launching your event online, your entire registration process now happens directly online. The registrant registers directly online at his own convenience and the information is directly stored in a secure database that is accessible by you from any PC with an internet connection. Moreover, since the registrant delegate enters his own information, it reduces the chance of data entry errors and there is no need for extra staff.

Event Planners Increase Participation with Recognition Awards

People are competitive. They like to win or at least feel like they have won. Activity organizers have long known that giving people the chance to win something is a great way to generate more participation.

Look at online auctions. You don't buy things; you "win" things. A basic commercial transaction has been transformed into a game. It's like going to a casino except that if you don't win, you get your money back!

Not only do people like to win, but they like to have something tangible to show for it. Inexpensive acrylic awards are a great way to give participants a unique symbol of their victory. The desire to win a fantastic recognition award can drive up attendance and make your event even more successful.

Here are some examples of how using acrylic awards can turn an average affair into a huge success.

Company Parties

The ongoing dilemma of employee morale is: how do we get people to participate? Giving the option of attending results in a handful of people showing up and an anemic celebration. Forcing people to attend may mean that you get a bunch of guests who watch the clock more than they watch the speakers.

Instead, give people an incentive to show up. Plan some kind of competition with recognition awards for the winners. A karaoke contest is a fun and popular way to get people to relax and have fun. Or try an office Olympics or a baking competition. Any way that your employees can compete in a friendly way can provide the fun factor that makes them want to be there.

Community Efforts

Trying to get locals to help out in programs like recycling drives, graffiti cleanup, or canned food collection can be frustrating. People mean well but they are busy and make lots of excuses not to help out.

Turn it into a contest with a prize for whoever is most successful at whatever task you set for them. No matter what your budget, there are spectacular acrylic awards you can hand out to the winners. People appreciate the recognition and you'll be surprised at just how high the turnout is.

Fundraisers

Schools, charities, and hospitals have known for years that giving people something to win drives up donations. Good fundraisers appeal to our desire to help, but the best fundraisers also appeal to the "what's in it for me?" part of our character.

During a fundraising drive, have a prize for the top fundraiser in the organization. Spending a few dollars on acrylic awards for your top performers pays off in a big way. The drive to succeed translates to increased donations well beyond the cost of the award itself.

No matter what type of event you are planning, appealing to the spirit of friendly competition drives up interest and participation in your cause!

How Writing Vision Statements Can Help Companies Become Successful

Vision, mission statements and strategy are often confused terms at business terminology. In reality all of them are quite different and are complementary to each other.

A vision statement is basically what the leaders of an organization want the organization to become. It typically is forward looking to 10-15 year period.

On the other hand a mission statement explains why a company/organization exists. It defines the core role and the purpose of the company. Mission statements almost never change throughout the life of a company.

Finally strategy is the roadmap that defines how a company is going to reach its vision. Strategy is action oriented and lists the major initiatives that a company has to implement in order to reach its vision. Strategy is typically a 3-5 year roadmap and it may go through annual revisions based on changing market conditions, competitor reactions etc.

One thing that all successful companies share in common is to have a vision. Some companies make it official and call it vision statement while other successful companies don't make it official but they still have a vision. A company with a vision knows where it wants to go over the long term. Many business leaders and CEOs engage too much in short-term priorities and forget to take the actions that will help them realize their long-term goals. A vision statement and a strategy defined to achieve the vision ensures that a company is organizing its activities around achieving its long term goals.

One good example of vision and strategy in action is General Electric (GE) during the leadership of Jack Welch. When Jack Welch became CEO of GE which consisted of dozens of very different businesses, he developed the following visions for GE:

"Become the number one or number two in every market we serve and revolutionize this company to have the strength of a big company combined with the leanness and agility of a small company"

Of course having vision without strategy would not work. Then he rigorously implemented a strategy that divested businesses that weren't either market leader or number two. He implemented "6 Sigma" initiatives across all GE to drive efficiency and make GE a lean and agile organization. A strict performance management system was implemented and everyone at GE had numerical goals. Success of an individual was measured strictly by his achievement of personal goals.

Successful leaders are great not only at setting visions but also at "walking the talk" which really makes them successful.

5 Ways for Destination Management Companies and Event Providers to Become Local Area Experts

Succeeding as a Destination Management services provider or Events Services company and handling large groups requires a special set of skills - expert people-management, superior organization, an altered sense of timing (things take longer with large groups), and the desire to achieve the best experience for each and every participant, no matter how large the group. And while there are many companies that handle large group logistics, relatively few have dedicated the time to become local area experts and really delve into all their local region has to offer. Doing so will not only set your services apart and add to your company's credibility as a logistics expert, but will also enhance marketing opportunities by allowing you to offer new excursions and activities for all of your groups.

Becoming a local area expert and developing the personal relationships to back that up is a time-consuming quest and requires a commitment to stay on top of things, but some pre-planning and organization can go a long way toward maximizing your time investment. Here are 5 ways to get started in your local area:

1. Set up Google Alerts - This service allows you to monitor the web for interesting new content about a subject matter of your choice - a great way to stay current on activity trends, or be informed about what your competitors are doing. (Be sure to use quotation marks around your search term if it's more than one word - otherwise the search engine will give you any results it finds for any of the single words you type in)

2. Subscribe to your area's top Events Calendars - most have a feature now that allows you to select your areas of interest, then subscribe to e-mail postings/alerts. And while you're at it, set up a new e-mail account that is just for these notices so it won't clog your regular Inbox, but you can still have handy access to the listings at any time, without having to search each Calendar every time you need to know what's going on locally.

3. Harvest the local associations and Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) websites. For example - have a wine region nearby? Chances are there is a vineyard association or a winery marketing association with a wonderful website full of great events info for groups. Don't rely just on your local Convention and Visitors Bureau for info, since most of them now use a paid advertising model for their listings and you could miss some great local venues worth discovering.

4. Become a local tourist. Get out there and drive around! Go see things in person, take a guided tour if any are offered in your area, and personally check out the local events and activities - there is no better way to see if you can recommend something for your clients than to experience it yourself.

5. Meet & Greet. New people, not the same ones over and over! Make appointments with new venue managers, go see the local wineries, make it a point to dine out at a new restaurant each month. Meet the people and establish new relationships - you'll have fun doing it, and your business and your groups will benefit from all of your efforts.

Wedding Centerpieces - Get to Know About Wedding Event Planner

Wedding is a special event that needs attention in decorating the party hall, wedding centerpieces, designing invitations, ordering cakes and much more. There are lots of event management companies that perform these activities for a nominal cost. You can choose the help of these services either to take up one service or all the services that are offered by them. The cost of the event planning service is based on the type of services you opt.

If you are planning to save cost on your wedding, then you have to organize the wedding in an efficient way. You have to pay close attention even to intricate details. Doing so will save you time and cost. Many individuals don't have enough time to organize a large wedding. So they often take the services of event management companies to plan the wedding event.

The flower centerpieces play a important decorative part in an wedding. Choosing the right set of flowers will give an elegant look to the wedding hall. There are certain things you have to consider while deciding on the flowers for the wedding centerpieces. Decide on a budget that you can afford for the flowers. If you are having an event planner, tell them well in hand about the budget that you can afford for flower centerpieces. It is always better to use flowers that are sold out in the current season. If you try to import flowers that are off season, it will cost you heavily.

If you are planning to have your wedding in a different locality, then you got to buy the flowers in that locality rather than having it transferred from your place. This way you will be able to save on the flower transporting cost. Invest in unique containers or vases that will intensify the beauty of the flowers. If you are running short of money, then you could rather choose to buy artificial flowers than buying real flowers. You can buy artificial flowers from any crafts store. When you buy flowers, choose a color combination that goes well with the theme of your wedding.

If you are very good at organizing events, then you can better pursue a career in wedding plans. The career of a wedding planner is lucrative. However, you need the essential skills to become a wedding planner. You can search online to find courses on wedding management. Some companies require you to plan for several wedding events simultaneously.

You have to be very organized and efficient to do your best as a wedding planner. You have to talk to the wedding couples and organize events according to their interests. You should be prompt in responding to the wedding couples at the time of need. You should possess strong multi tasking and follow up skills in order to plan a wedding efficiently. As a wedding planner, you may be asked to perform a variety of services like arranging for catering and concierge services, travel reservations for guests, decorating cakes, wedding centerpieces and much more.

How to Organize a Successful Seminar Event?

Professional events like seminars need special planning and preparation to ensure that every critical aspect is being taken care of. Successful events also enhance your company's image and branding. Some steps should be considered while organizing a seminar event to give it a professional touch and create a lasting experience among attendees.

Establish an Apt Theme

A proper theme is of prominent importance that should serve your purpose and drive the event set-up. A theme helps you to decide on the target audience, and the promotional tactics. In general, a business event like international conference should appeal to professionals in the same arena, as well as the sponsors who would gain mileage by publicizing their products. The theme of your event should reflect your company's personality and enhance its public image.

Selecting the Venue

Proper place or venue selection is of utmost importance to draw targeted participants. It is also dependent on the scale of the event to a large extent. Choose a proper venue after carefully considering participant list, presence of any guest of honor, and the budget of the event seminar. A convention center, ballroom, large hall are some of the popular seminar venues that can be booked.

Event Marketing and Sponsors

Seminar marketing is by far the most critical and most challenging task for an event planner. Right marketing strategy along with right positioning of your event would help to attract both targeted participants and sponsors. Various marketing mediums such as print and electronic options should be assessed as per your budget and also the possible impact of that medium. Getting reputable sponsors also upheld credibility and publicity of your event.

Managing People

A seminar would never be successful without the people managing it, as well as the speakers sharing their knowledge. Choosing speakers of high reputation and caliber would enhance your event popularity. Other important aspects like PowerPoint presentations, systems, projector and more should be taken care of beforehand to avoid any last minute hassle. Managing other people and to act as a team is the prerequisite for success of a critical event like seminar.

The Last Minute Work and Feedback

There would be invariably some work or other that would pop up in the last minute. You should be equipped to meet those challenges. On the actual day, you should visit the venue in advance to ensure everything is in order and as per the requirements. Little things can bring in big headaches, so always check that microphones, microphones, projectors, video systems and more are working properly.

A seminar is not complete without participant feedback. It would help you to gauge the satisfaction level. A turnkey event management software can take your event seminar to a different level by automating and streamlining the entire process.

Future Proofing Your Online Event Management Software, Part Two

Interviewer: What sort of things do you need to consider when you're choosing the right kind of event management software system?

DL: It's important to consider what would you like to do - what would be the ideal model today if you had a green field site that could do whatever you wanted it to do, and then look further down the track if you can; five years time/two years time, what's it going to look like for your business? Then come up with a list of key points that you need your solution to meet in order to get to that end goal. Then you can start looking at products and solutions. Get products in, making sure to ignore the tinsel and the glitz around the products; they all look good, they'll all demo well, they'll all look fantastic in an hour's presentation, because all event management software companies can do good presentations! Look at the company behind it, look at the how seriously they take your business processes and look at how much time they're willing to invest in working with you to understand what you do. If they're just going to sell you a box with a bit of software in it and a support and maintenance contract, that's probably not the company for you, if you've got a long term view of how you're going to take your event management solution. So look for a company that's going to work with you, that's going to be there for the long term, that's going to take your ideas on board. Because you're the person, as an event manager, who is doing the job. The software company - they don't do the same job as you. They create the software. So a good software event management software solution company will want your ideas; so listen to what they're saying in response to the ideas you've got, and then formulate whether you think you can work with them in the long term. It's all about relationships.

Interviewer: Over the next few years, how do you see the event management software industry developing?

DL: The economic situation is having a huge impact on the event management market place; there is a reluctance to leave your desk. If you're not at your desk, you're somewhere else and you're not adding value to the business. So people are reluctant to leave their desk. The online WebEx/GoToMeeting/online meetings, there's a relatively large explosion of that, especially in the US and it's started to gradually come into the UK and Europe. We're a bit more reluctant to do online events - they're a bit 'strange' to us and we're more used to getting in our cars and going on the train to physically attend an event. But with the pressures of the economy, online events will become more and more prevalent.

Equally, social networking such as Facebook, Twitter is creating a level of personalisation. The whole 'Amazon' experience online is what people expect. People who go onto Amazon and buy a book, they're told what other books are in the same subject, and this is exactly the same with events. If you're booking on an event you want to be able to see suggestions such as:

- Here's an event that may be relevant to you

- Here are some others events you can look at

- Here are some other subjects surrounding the event

- Here's a book about the event subject

- Here's a DVD you can buy to prepare yourself

- Here's a hotel that's near your event

So you can't just look at it in isolation of the event, it's all the bits that go around it as well. People's perception of what they can get from an online experience is rising exponentially, and the software industry and the web industry are racing to keep up.

The focus in the future will also be with the integration into the back office systems. A lot of online event systems aren't integrated; they're not integrated with CRM solutions, you can't therefore get personalisation in place. Personalisation is crucial if you're going to deliver an online experience that adds value to the customer, personalisation is essential. Without that you're just providing a 'me too' type experience. One delegate may register to attend a 'Yacht Master Sailing Course' and someone else is going on a 'Competent Crew Course' on a yacht; they're completely different experiences that the two people are having, and so they have two completely different sets of expectations. One may be a leisure sailor the other may be a professional. The professional will want a professional experience, and the leisure sailor will want a leisure experience. Getting it right, and getting the interests of communities together and interfacing that with other systems is going to be crucial in the next two to three years. That is what will differentiate the events companies and the events solutions that will drive forward in this economic downturn and as the economy recovers, and those that just stand still.

This article the second and final part of this interview. Please search for Part One to gain a full understanding of how you can future proof your events through investment in a comprehensive event management software solution.

How to Host a Corporate Team Building Event

Corporate team building events are targeted to not only enhance employee performance, but also give birth to a healthy working environment. Since these events usually take up a lot of resources, it is crucial that certain factors be given attention so as to ensure that the aims of the event are met.

To begin with, it is important to understand and outline the main objectives of the event being hosted. So, if the objective is to take an already performing team further and reward it for its performance, then an event of celebration would be more useful. On the other hand, if the idea of the event is to break down the communication barriers between the team, then the approach will need to be completely different. The first and foremost step to hosting a successful corporate team building event is clearly identifying the goals and objectives.

The next stage is a more intensive one -- the entire planning of the event. Right from briefing the staff about the event to its final execution, each aspect needs to be carefully planned. Both the psychological aspects as well as the logistics of the event will need to be taken into account. So on one hand while the emotional health of the team members needs to be considered as part of the planning process, at the same time details such as location and seating will need detailed attention as well.

Planning of the event will also involve ensuring that the team members network with each other. This can be a difficult task since most will want to sit with their closest coworkers. Step in with a seating plan and ensure that friends are not put on the same table or in the same team. Create an atmosphere for the team to get to know each other during the team building event.

There has to be meaningful activity once the event does start; so simply making mixing up the employees to interact with other departments/groups will not work. Choose an activity that the team will undertake that will bring them closer to the goal of the event. Remember futile activity will lead the team towards cynicism. This will have the almost opposite effect than the organizer has in mind. So at all times keep the team members engaged in a positive and beneficial approach that will leave them feeling enriched once the event is over.

Follow up is one of the most important aspects of a team building event and ensures that the event has positive and lasting effects. A follow up involves maintaining the spirit created by the event right through the year. Lack of continuous follow up will soon see the employees returning to the status quo, and not applying the valuable knowledge acquired in the event. It is crucial that the atmosphere created at the team building event is regularly recreated in the work place; in other words, keep the ball rolling. Communication lines between the employees must be continually fostered. In order to reap the benefits of the corporate team building event, appreciation and recognition must be displayed for those who are performing.