Event Planning Certification - Learn The Best Ways To Plan

Event planning is not as simple as it seems. Or it is not everybody's cup of tea. You need to have some knowledge about the event planning which you can get through event planning certification. The qualified event planners are trained to create a magical ambiance in the event by their professional skills. They learn the latest trends, fashions and where to find the best bargains in the market. They have contacts with the relevant people to have contract with. They know that what kind of music is liked by different age groups. Apparently you might know all these things, but handling all these things at the same time when the event is near, believe me it's really not easy.

If you want to become an event planner then you must go for event planning certification. There are several institutions that give you training in event planning with exciting offers but I suggest you should go for the online ones as they offer the best there is around the world. But make sure you get to the right one! There are plenty of online event planning certification courses on the internet. You can search out a few and have a clear idea about what they are offering before you make your final selection.

Before getting admission in any school of learning event planning choose your direction that which kind of events you are really interested in. there are many events which are arranged by the event planners like wedding ceremonies, birthday parties, seminars, corporate events, conferences and official meetings. Because every event is different from the other, and the way of arrangement and management will also not be the same.

To become an event planner keen observation is very important, because observing is one of the best methods to learn. To learn you have to observe when you attend any function, just look around and see the decor, take different ideas and note them down. You can implement them later with a little variation in the event that you get to manage, even if it is your own home event. Note down the event step by step, try and calculate how much time is required for preparation and conduct of each event. When you will go for professional training for event planning certification, you will be taught about things in detail for any event. The most important aspects are time management, budget, theme, planning and preparation. You can't miss out any of them because these together give your client what they need for their occasion.

So when you plan to get education to become an event planner search for a good institution so you know the reputation of the place. And try to learn from your experiences, be vigilant where ever you go and get practical education to groom yourself for this profession. The best way to lean anything is with enthusiasm.

Earthquakes and One-Dimensional Planning: Thinking Beyond Single Events

Shortly after 5 AM on the morning of April 18, 1906 San Francisco was struck by a major earthquake estimated to have been between magnitude 7.7 and 8.3. The series of shocks lasted between 45-60 seconds and produced considerable structural damage.

Small fires broke out immediately after the event but since the temblor had destroyed the central fire dispatch station ruptured water mains, there was little that firefighters could do. The many small blazes coalesced into a series of larger fires that would burn for three days and destroy much of the city.

The San Francisco earthquake is an extreme example of a cascading event. This is where an initial triggering event serves as the catalyst for a series of often unforeseen events. In this case, an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault created the conditions for a second catastrophe - the series of firestorms that followed.

Had the earthquake occurred in isolation it would have been remembered as one of the worst disasters in US history. However, the subsequent fires abetted by the heavy damage to the City's infrastructure created a second event that exceeded the first in catastrophic consequences.

Cascade Events

However, there was also a human element involved. San Francisco for years had neglected its firefighting infrastructure, allowing cisterns to fill with debris, neglecting water line improvements, and refusing training for firefighters. San Francisco was a city of densely packed wooden structures, ripe for conflagration and, indeed, had experienced several major fires in its history that destroyed much of the City.

Human involvement was not limited to neglect prior to the disaster. One of the most destructive of the series of fires in the disaster was caused by a woman cooking breakfast for her family. The use of low explosives by inexperienced soldiers helped spread the fires and even caused a major fire that destroyed a section of the City that might have survived the conflagration.

We need look no further than the recent earthquake in Japan to see another example of a cascading event. The earthquake was larger than anything predicted by geologist and spawned a tsunami that exceeded the planning parameters used by the local communities in constructing seawalls.

Added to the earthquake and tsunami was the failure of the protective systems at the Fukushima nuclear power plants. One can argue that such a failure was foreseeable. The tsunami on March 11th was estimated as high as 70 feet. However, the tsunami generated by the Meiji-Sanriku earthquake in 1876 of the northeast coast of Japan was estimated at 125 feet. The Sanriku earthquake in 1933 generated a tsunami of 94 feet.

One-dimensional Planning

Despite the evidence to the contrary, we still tend to think in one-dimensional terms when we prepare emergency plans. We define plans on the basis of the event itself rather than in terms of potential impacts.

Despite historical events like the 1906 earthquake, many fire districts still think in terms of fighting individual fires. The San Francisco Earthquake Annex assumes that as many as 130 fires could break out following an earthquake. However, the plan does not seem to consider that these fires could unite to form a conflagration as happened in 1906. A fire of this type is fought very differently from a series of structural fires.

Where does this type of one-dimensional thinking come from? It comes from an over-reliance on scenarios developed by experts. Don't misunderstand me - basing planning on credible evidence and sound scientific studies is absolutely essential. However, one has to understand that these scenarios are at best educated guesses based on the best available evidence. This does not mean that an event will unfold exactly as predicted. We are constantly learning from new events and rethinking previous conclusions.

Avoiding One-dimensional Planning

Planning for disasters, particularly in terms of mitigation, is always a tradeoff between available resources and risk. We can never make our critical infrastructure safe from all events nor can we provide training to our responders for every eventuality. However, we do need to take our heads out of the sand and consider the lessons of history: if it's happened once, it can happen again.

First, we need to stop using expert predictions as a means to limit costs and instead treat them as the valuable planning tools they are. We need to understand that these do not really represent the "maximum credible threat". Instead, they are what we think might be the maximum credible threat and as such represent a minimum planning threshold.

Secondly, we need to consider our infrastructure and ask some of those embarrassing "what if?' questions. Not all mitigation proposals lend themselves to a cost-benefit analysis. There are some things, like oil wells and nuclear power plants that, to borrow and overworked phrase for the financial industry, are just big to fail.

Strategic Planning is a Process Not an Event

Strategic planning is important for any successful organization. Almost every company I have come in contact with has done some form of strategic planning. The formats can vary, but most planning sessions involve bringing in key personnel to help formulate company goals and strategies. Quite often strategic planning becomes an annual event in which managers get together off site and come up with mission statements, long term goals, and strategies to help them get there. They can spend several days coming up with these plans and may even write everything down in notebooks that everyone can leave with and use the rest of the year. The problem that I have seen is that most of these books stay on a shelve all year and when they get back together the next year they find that they are still dealing with the same issues they were the year before.

So what is missing from these plans? Companies do not spend the time and money on these planning sessions with the intention of having them be ineffective. The problem with most of these plans is that they do not leave with any specific actions for people to do now.

Company leaders need to realize that planning is not an event, it is a process. If it is an event, everyone gets fired up over two to three days, but after they are back in the real world they are not doing anything different. In a month or two they cannot even remember what came out of the event.

Strategic planning is not a futile effort; it is just that in most cases companies are neglecting a crucial element. Once companies have developed their goals and strategies they must come up with specific actions that specific people are responsible for within the next thirty days. People commit to completing their assigned tasks before the initial planning session is completed.

Once this is done the other important key in making planning a process is to have scheduled follow up meetings after the initial session. Follow up meetings should be held monthly and consist of reporting on the status of actions committed to in the previous month. Corrective action is agreed upon for actions not completed, and where actions have been completed, new action items are committed to. Experience has shown that the first follow up meeting is a little awkward, but by the second or third follow up everyone gets used to the process.

The result is that things start getting accomplished. People get used to the fact that everyone will be held accountable for the actions that they have committed to. Meetings that used to take several hours with little to show for the time spent are now taking less time with results being seen by all participants. More critical actions are being accomplished and the company is accomplishing their goals.

I have seen companies go from being frustrated that they continually wrestle with the same issues where nothing seems to be getting accomplished to becoming a company that is energized by the fact that they are seeing themselves getting results every month.

Has your company realized that planning is not an event, it is a process?

Company Picnic Ideas - The Ultimate Ideas List

Searching for a few outstanding company picnic ideas for your company's annual celebration?

Imagine standing at your company's gathering, your hands resting on your waist. It's a beautiful summer day, a day that's almost out of a movie or a dream.

While gazing around the picnic grounds, you notice that your employees and their families are having a genuinely good time. People are smiling, laughing and engaging in casual conversation.

This year is a whole lot better than last year, and as your mind tracks back, the difference between the two is astounding: last year people barely stayed. They came to just show up, and then quickly left, all because the activities for that day weren't all that compelling.

Point being, you need some fun company picnic ideas for your annual celebration. If you spend money on activities that aren't fun and that people don't stick around for, you might just as well rolled-up that money and flushed it down the drain!

When you're thinking of company picnic ideas, you've got to think of activities that your employees will really enjoy doing. Not only do you have to think of your employees, you have to think of their children and families as well.

A company picnic can be more than just a small, informal gathering for your employees. With a big vision and a few creative ideas, you can transform this re-occurring meeting into a hallmark of the year. This is a time when your company and employees are more like a giant family gathering to celebrate a year of hard work and common purpose.

I've been a part of planning and booking company picnics for years. I have seen what kind of entertainment has really involved people and their families. I have also talked with plenty of people about what kind of ideas has worked for them and which ideas have failed miserably.

Here's a short-hand list of the most tried-and-true, people-proven ideas:

• Carnival Ride Rentals


• Inflatable Rentals


• Live Music


• Caricature & Tattoo Artists


• High-Tech Games and Rides

These entertainment options can be mixed and matched and weighed one way or another depending on price range and preference. What matters is fitting entertainment that works for your employees and their families and that's within their price range.

Fortunately, all these top-rated company picnic ideas can be customized and rearranged to fit nicely into your budget. I hope this year makes your company picnic the best yet!

Why You Should Hire an Event Management Company

In recent years the increase of events and festivals has given rise to a number of event management companies that help in the undertaking of the laborious work of planning and managing the procedural aspects before, during and in some cases after any event. Event management companies are able to plan for events that will host from as little as ten business people to events that attract millions of people with great success. The benefits of hiring an event company far out ways the advantages- if any- of doing without one.

When you hire a company you have more time to yourself to do what is important to you as the management company does the "running up and down" that is necessary in the planning of the event. This means you will not have to spend your precious time trying to secure a venue, make the necessary calls, acquire the necessary permits as the event company assumes these responsibilities on your behalf and to your satisfaction.

A company may also specialise in a particular field making them better suited to provide excellent services in that particular area. Some specialise in various fields of activities such as entertainment, team building, catering etc. The hiring of such event management companies ensures that you tap into a wealth of experience that can only guarantee the success for your event as you get value for your money.

The companies have an extensive resource base that they have acquired over the years of offering event management that you as an individual can take advantage of. They have certain relationships and contacts of organizations and people who can best supply that which is needed in making an event successful which you may not know of. Event management companies can open doors and opportunities like private clubs that you may ordinarily not have access to. Various discount volume pricing is also available to them which you can take advantage of when you hire their services.

Event management companies are able to give guidance and advice during the initial conception and planning of any event that will greatly increase the success of that event. The reason for this is because they have employees who have graduated from universities, associations and societies that provide teachings on various aspects that related to event planning such as organisational skills, P.R, risk management, catering and such like studies that are vital for the successful planning of events.

Top Places to Find AAA Corporate Bonds

As you're preparing to make a large investment into corporate bonds, you need to consider the risk factors. Unless you are prepared to lose everything in a leap of faith to pursue a very high yield rate, you are likely looking for something of a long-term investment. This means you need to understand where the top AAA corporate bonds are.

All corporate bonds are rated. The ratings range from AAA to C, which has to do with the financial strength of the issuing company. is the most secure and thus the lowest risk bond. What this means for you is that when you invest in such a bond, you are likely going to see the promised yield without any kinds of problems along the way. If you invest in anything less secure, you are taking a risk.

There are many places that you can find AAA corporate bonds. Some of the top companies in the world don't have this kind of rating, so you cannot make any kinds of assumptions. The companies that are rated as such can also fluctuate due to annual reports, mergers and acquisitions. Keeping an eye on who has what ratings are then essential to your investment portfolio.

Moody's is one of the best ways to learn about who has the AAA rating in the world of corporate bonds. This is a performance index provided by Moody's Investment Firm. This company has been used for decades to provide a very macroeconomic look into various companies and insurance firms to show the financial stability of a company. This report is often used as a closer look of interest rates as opposed to the 10-year Treasury Bill as well.

You want to work with a financial advisor to get a prospectus on AAA corporate bonds. Your advisor will analyse the market on your behalf and give you a recommendation of corporate bonds based upon the amount of money you have to invest. Since not all bonds are traded at the same value, the amount that you have to invest will greatly impact the number of AAA corporate bonds that you will be able to purchase.

Throughout the internet, you will be able to locate corporate bonds that are rated AAA. When you take the time to follow various financial blogs, you can access free financial advice, often where people are talking about which bonds are AAA, AA and even A. While you may not be able to afford the few companies that have the AAA rating, you may be able to go with something slightly more risky without worrying about losing your investment.

Business Week, Forbes and other financial publications can be advantageous to read through. If one company is currently building financial stability, they may be rated an AA in one quarter and an AAA in the next. As a result, getting in on the bonds early can prove to be very beneficial to your investment portfolio.

Start with talking to your financial advisor about corporate bonds and go from there.

Event Marketing Opportunities Through iPhone Apps

Remember the story of Icarus? He was the character in Greek mythology that escaped his imprisonment by fashioning wings of feathers and wax, and almost made it but for flying too close to the sun which melted the wax and plunged him into the sea. What's this story got to to with events and apps? The analogy is quite startling when you consider that an Event like Icarus has the potential to escape the bounds of its venue but if it uses limiting technology will probably sink into the sea... in today's world an event based iPhone app is the means to have your event outreach and viraly continue to soar ever higher.

Use the empowering aspects of an iPhone app to enhance your event promotion, support your event's management, and most importantly, extend your event into the digital world such as through viral sharing with social networks, monetizations through on-platform advertising, and contributions through in-app donations. Examples included the following:

Promote Your Event - iPhone Apps are hot! Simple association with release of an app and availability of an app for your event offers parasitic benefits associated with this medium's popularity. Positive public relations opportunities abound, with as above the app's release and availability, but also with content that can be released and accessed through your app.

Manage Your Event - Laptops aren't truly portable... it's not like you or your patrons are going to be carrying laptops while attending the event. On the other hand, an iPhone app is truly portable and with the user everywhere, all the time. The implication is that the app can deliver to your patrons the static data present on your website, but in a useful format, when and where they can use it. Schedules, itineraries, maps, all available when they're most useful, thereby increasing consumer convenience and app commitment. Consequentially, the app is also a green solution saving on printing, costs as well as associated garbage and cleanup costs. Now for the best part... unlike the PC web, an iPhone app offers the potential for dynamic, realtime event content deliveries - alerts or notifications as to what's on where, offers from event participants, and information updates of event occurrences & changes.

Digitally Extend Your Event - In app connectivity to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allow for immediate sharing of your and your patron's content, for potential viral distribution. What better way to publicize your event. Similarly, in-app monetization functions permit in-app advertising by way of banner ads with click through capabilities. Donation functionality is also possible such as through embedding sms text to donate initiation or integration with mobile merchanting alternatives.

So use an iPhone app to promote, manage and extend your event - engaging today's event patron and their means of direct communications. Bring your event into today's digital world, your patrons are there and so should you be.

Reasons to Hire a Magician For Your Next Corporate Or Special Event

It may be that time for your companies' yearly corporate event. Maybe it is an annual occasion that some employees dread going to every year. Perhaps you should consider entertainment as part of the special event. You want your employees to be open and receptive to the presentations and team building exercises. If they are in a better mood and having fun, this will make a huge difference. Consider the benefits of hiring a magician for your next corporate or special event.

The long weekend:

Company seminars and retreats are an important part of employer and employee communication. There are many new ideas and plans to discuss. Is this an annual event? Maybe it is time to start a new tradition. A corporate magician can be a good source of entertainment. This may also serve to break the monotony for the people attending. It is not always a good idea to be all about business at all times. Everyone needs times to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. This type of entertainment may make the entire event more enjoyable and it may help to improve many attitudes if your event has a yearly stigma amongst employees. This alone, may be a good reason.

Award banquets:

Award banquets can mean a great deal to people. Employees are recognized for all of their hard work. This is a great way to express gratitude and improve employee morale. However, it may get a bit tedious for the attendees. A good source of a break up act is magic. The right act can relax your participants. It can make the entire evening more enjoyable. The magician can even integrate the presenters into magical appearances. These functions are a direct reflection on the company. The more they are enjoyed, the more positive image they can project.

Conventions:

The atmosphere of conventions can be just like a party. However, that is not the actual reason for people to attend. Employees will have the opportunity to enjoy themselves. However, they will be expected to attend company functions also. These functions can be more entertaining for employees if you integrate a convention entertainment company to help you mix the party atmosphere with the business atmosphere.

Trade shows:

Your booth has a better chance, if it stands out from the rest. Consider a trade show magician to feature your product or service. For example, a disappearing act is a good idea for cleaning products and stains. There are many other types of acts that can be incorporated also. Hire a professional and he or she will tailor their act to your business. In times of economic difficulties, standing out may make all the difference.

Summary:

There are many other reasons to consider magic for your entertainment. It has broad appeal. A music act will usually represent one genre of music. Some people may love it, others may not be impressed. Magic is appreciated by all ages and social classes. Comedians can be good entertainment also. However, their style of comedy may not appeal to everyone. Magic gives you a good chance for a successful event.

Make Your Corporate Functions Meaningful and Charming With an Able Event Management Firm

Corporate functions are held with special purposes and involve various events at one go. The intensity level tends to be fairly high, as the event is supposed to see the arrival of high-profile guests. A professional planner or event management firm comprises ideas to make such events a super success with the help of one's years' long experience and creative knack for event management.

Product launches feature among the premier corporate events, and need special attention. There are set audience that has to be reached and stroked properly to solve the purpose. In product launches, the planner does try ultimate to gain consumer conviction at any cost, which is not that easy. There is an attempt to create brand value through use of innovative ideas, presentations and charms. Usually, a meeting or gathering is set up to launch the product with the best selection of graphic artists, writers and printers.

The planner consequently looks out to pick a perfect location for the convention besides arranging for food and entertainment. A step-by-step and tough regime is followed to make the event an overall success. Right from start to finish, there will be a fine tuning in activities to perk-up the attractions.

Being large affairs, there remains no margin for error in these events. Planning and execution will be spot-on to gain the set target. Even the minute details like lighting rental, staging rental, video production and lighting hire and rental are kept in full sight to strike the right chord.

The best event management planners even supply the staff to manage the activities related with product launches. Outsourcing the technical staffing needs turns out quite easier with such event organizers. Stages are ornamented and set to give you your launching pad for products. Audio or visual equipments are put in places to make ambience filled with professionalism and fun.

It's not easy to match up the standards of industry analysts, customers, partners and even reporters all at the same time, but planners make it possible with an ease. Local or national media do the task they are meant to do, and that's why the success of the event makes you happy.

To sum up, it's all about value creation through such corporate functions, and when there is something at stake, avoiding mistakes is good. Don't put you future in peril and hire professional event management planners to make things sparkle for your firm and product.

Travel Risk Management: Are You Ready for a Crisis?

Introduction

If you know that business travel is not without its risk and the potential for crisis, then you need to read this article. In this article we are going to talk about the management and containment of crisis as it relates to travellers and travel managers. The objective of this article is to share with you the collective knowledge on managing crisis and significantly improve your ability to identify and manage a crisis but also improve your business travel efficiency.

During this article I am going to discuss travel risk myths, crisis management, plans and options so you can immediately compare or improve your own travel risk management system for your travellers or travel management department.

Crisis by definition is something you didn't have a plan for or something in which you are unprepared. Additionally, it can be a series of events that in concert create a crisis. Events or issues that occur, to which you have a plan and strategy, is merely an incident.

Crisis Management/Leadership

The first thing is to clarify what is the difference between crisis management and leadership. More importantly, which one is the more important?

Crisis management relates to the response to event/s that threaten your business, travellers or travel activity. The event leads and you follow with plans, decisions and actions.

Crisis leadership, on the other hand, is more about getting ahead of the events and issues to prevent, management and even contain the impact to your business or business travel activities. While management is a portion of the leadership demand, your actions and involvement lead the outcomes rather than a more passive wait and act approach with pure crisis management.

Crisis leadership is the less practiced of the two, but the most significant in terms of results and reduction in risk and impact. If you take nothing else away from this session, it should be that your focus should always be on Crisis Leadership, not crisis management.

Myths

There are many myths and half-truths about crisis, disruption and threats within the travel management sector. Much of this misinformation has originated from travellers themselves, media, travel managers, friends and family or so called "experts".

For example, many travellers and planners are focused on terrorism. The reality is, you have a very, very small chance of being exposed or affected directly by a terrorist act. It doesn't mean you should discount it as a threat altogether but it shouldn't dominate your plans or processes if not a proportional threat to you and your travellers. Conversely, almost everyone overlooks motor vehicle accidents. Yet, they happen far more frequently, can have devastating affect on travellers and are the least common plan contained within company travel management departments.

Travellers and travel managers must be prepared, educated and have supporting plans for any event that has the potential to delay, disrupt or harm the traveller or the business.

The most common events include:

• Motor vehicle accidents


• Airline delays or cancellations


• Airport closures or disruptions


• Transport delays


• Bad weather


• Sickness and illness


• Petty crimes


• Hotel fires


• Political disputes


• Demonstrations and gatherings

Motor vehicle accidents within your own country can be stressful and dangerous but on an overseas business trip they can be 100 times more challenging and dangerous. Consider language, local authorities, first responder, standard of healthcare, families and support in your plans and initial response.

Airline delays and cancelations. They happen all the time but they are not just an administrative response. You may need to consider safety, transport, quarantines, security threats, government response and wide spread suspension of services to overcome the issue and maintain safety of your travellers.

Airport closures or disruptions. Failed systems, electrical problems, threats, weather, construction and so on can prevent you even getting to your flight. Consider the impact this has on your plans and how your traveller will need to possibly extend stay, move to alternate airport or find accommodation.

All other transport delays and disruptions can create crisis when everyone no longer has access to trains, buses, key roads or even water transport. Have a plan and add it to your immediate decision making process.

2010 and the commencement of 2011 has seen travel of all kind affected by natural disasters and weather. Weather and natural forces have and always will impact travellers. It does and will continue to occur. It is highly concerning how unprepared travellers and companies are for volcanic eruptions, typhoons, floods, earthquakes and general bad weather.

People get sick or feel unwell all the time. This is compounded significantly when travelling. Standard of care, language, access, cost, complications, choice and numerous other location based concerns will determine just how at risk your traveller will be. A single, "one-size-fits-all" plan or solution will fail and you need to be aware of these issues immediately with the onset of an affected traveller.

Crimes are a reality of any city in the world. However, travellers seldom know the risks and may be preyed upon by thieves and criminals. The loss of phones, money, and other items may seem less likely to constitute a crisis but when overseas, injured or not able to speak the local language, all these simple events can create a major concern for your business travellers. This can be amplified if you have a senior executive or a group of executives affected.

Hotel fires and emergencies are more common than most people think. The immediate threat to an individual is fairly obvious but the impact that the lack of accommodation choices can create from the temporary or permanent closure of a hotel is a much bigger concern. This was graphically displayed during the Mumbai terror attacks (as extra ordinary as the event was) when most of the best/preferred hotels were now unavailable in a key part of the city. This removed thousands of rooms for business travellers and forced many to cancel or significantly alter travel plans just because there were a lack of suitable accommodation options, whether affected by the events or not.

Any event that alters the political stability of a location or region or results in thousands of people out on the streets constitutes a risk to your business travel plans and travellers. They can happen spontaneously or take time to develop. The immediate dangers and the ongoing disruption can have a major impact on your business or traveller.

Again, plans, preparation and thought to these issues will greatly reduce the impact and improve your business too.

Now that we have removed the most common misconceptions, let's focus on the management and containment of a crisis.

Crisis management

The key to successful crisis management is planning, training, plans, decision-making and adaptability.

Planning

Given the issues previously covered, you now have a better insight into how and why planning is important to remove the more emotive issues from the realities of real business threats and events.

Planning needs to include multiple departments and perspectives to be truly effective. One of the greatest weaknesses I see regularly is that departments continue to manage the risk of travel through multiple departments with multiple plans. The input and plan needs to be unified. Depending on the company, it may include travel managers, security, HR, finance, marketing, C-suite and operations.

All plans need to be continuously updated, location specific, aide in the decision-making process and modular enough have elements extracted quickly and effectively. Modern, effective plans embrace technology. Rapid, efficient access to information, along with running updates is the hallmarks of a modern sustainable plan, regardless of the size of the issue or the company.

Training

No plan is effective without training and rehearsal. Training, whether through simulations, drills or live, full-scale exercises are vital to the success of any crisis situation. Such sessions don't need to be boring or overly complicated but must include travel managers and planners along with the more common crisis and emergency managers.

Increasingly, training is becoming a mandatory requirement for key positions and roles. It can be linked to internal HR processes but must support the business objectives and measurable on how it reduces the risk to people, business, brand and travel demands.

While the plan creates the framework for crisis decision-making, teams can learn a lot from training on how and when to adapt their plans. How the team interacts, strength, weakness, leaders, followers, limitations, tools and many more planned and surprise outcomes are possible with effective training.

Adaptations

No plan will completely script all the events, issues and options available for every plausible travel delay, disruption or crisis. You need to be able to adapt and evolve from the original plan and intention. This can only be achieved with planning, plans and training.

Solutions So what do I need in my plan?

Here is the best travel risk management content for your plan:

• Objective(the single most important part of any travel policy)


• References


• Scope


• Legal


• Insurance


• Finance


• Reimbursements


• Limits


• Priority/precedence


• Management Authority/ies


• Situations

Procedure will likely cover:

• Planning


• Resources


• Tools


• Authority


• Executive Decision making


• Limits


• Budgets


• Training


• Compliance


• Pre-trip admin


• Providers


• Booking


• Accommodation


• Airlines


• Ground Transport


• Safety and Security


• Health and wellness


• Emergency


• SOP/Actions on


• Insurance


• Travel Monitoring /tracking


• Reporting


• HR


• Entitlements


• Threat/risk levels


• Shelter in Place


• Relocations/evacuations


• Management Authority


• Review

Don't forget your risk assessment will need to include the key elements:

• Traveller


• Location


• Activity


• Support/Resources


• Response

Conclusion

There you have it. Now you know what is required, how do you rate your current plans and preparedness?

You now have the most relevant issues and areas to focus upon that will reduce or contain the majority of incidents you may face your travellers will be safer, your business more profitable and your costs will be contained by reducing your exposure to expensive crisis events.

We have debunked popular travel threat myths, identified the difference between crisis management and leadership, outlined plans and options so you can immediately compare or improve your own travel risk management system for your travellers or travel management department. Review your plans and make the immediate improvements.

You will know when you have an effective crisis management system for your travel risk management strategy when you have little to no crisis.

You may have numerous events or incidents but you have a plan, you're prepared and your decision making is fast and consistent. If not, you have failed and you will run from crisis to crisis on a regular basis.

What Are Event Planning Courses?

Planning an event could be a hectic job for many and people may find difficult to coordinate everything to manage a single event. Some people are perfectionist that they demand everything up to the mark and require experts to manage their big events. The event planning industry has become the perfect solution for such people. As many people are busy with their jobs and can not take out time for arrangements of their personal events or may be because of the race and competition people prefer to seek help from professional event planners to make their event successful.

This is the reason the industry of event planning is flourishing a lot and many people have chosen this field as their profession. Because of this booming industry, many schools are offering event planning courses for upcoming people in this field.

If you ask what are these courses? Actually event planning courses are the training programs that cover all about arrangement of any event. These courses are available through different programs in event management, event planning and meeting planning. There are different levels of the courses available. You can take them from the certificate to degree level.

The basic object for these courses is to make the student learn to organize and plan all the aspects of different types of events including food, d矇cor and location. There are different types of courses available in event planning; some courses cover all the basics, some focus on specific events.

There are different types of course for example meeting planning basics, event promotion and marketing and event design and production. Another course is about catering and some courses are about wedding and social events.

Where there are many schools available for event planning or training there are many online courses available for those students who can not attend the classes because of some reason. The online courses provide you with informative lectures and classes; students just need to go for once or twice to the school for the tests which can not be taken online.

These courses are a good way to learn more about managing different events. Students are trained to handle the event in a perfect manner and get success in their professional life.

It is a fact that many people who are related to this field have not done any course for event management and planning before setting their profession. But I think it is better to learn some basic skills from an institution to work in a perfect manner and many people who are already working in this field prefer to take some short courses to learn more.

Wedding Planning Certification - Know Your Options

The wedding planning industry is growing by leaps and bounds. In all regions of the United States more brides than ever before are hiring wedding planners to assist with the thousands of details that go into planning their wedding. If you are considering a career as a wedding planner it is imperative that you gain proper training before taking your first client. The industry looks very glamorous (and it can be) however, the job requires patience, persistence, long hours, attention to detail and several other skills that will take years to develop. In short, it is not an industry for the faint of heart. If you feel that a career in wedding planning could be right for you or you are already working in the hospitality industry and you would like to gain your wedding planning certification then there are several resources available to make sure you receive the training you need to be successful.

In this article we will explore online programs, event planning courses at universities or community colleges, and Wedding Planning Certification programs offered by independent certification organizations.

A simple internet search will reveal a list of hundreds of online or correspondence programs available for wedding planning certification. To receive your certification through an online course you are required to pay a fee for each section of information which is typically sent to you in electronic format or mailed to you in a booklet. You review each section at your own pace and are given open book quizzes along the way. After completing the quizzes based on the information in the booklet and completing other course assignments you are awarded your wedding planning certification. Receiving the information in this format means that you can complete the program at your own pace. This process can take between six weeks to over a year depending on your study habits. Online or correspondence programs typically cost between $1,000.00 to $1,500.00. Some may charge additional fees to have your certificate printed and mailed. Others require you to pay a yearly fee to maintain your certification.

Some colleges and universities offer event planning courses in conjunction with their hospitality or business management programs or as independent certificates. An event planning course at a college or university will typically focus on the planning of corporate and social events from the perspective of the hotel, resort, or other facility that is hosting the event. The instruction received in this type of course is ideal for an individual who plans to work in the hospitality industry as an employee of a hotel or resort. The course may briefly cover weddings or other social events but the majority of the material will tend to focus on events as they relate to hotel and resort operations. Many hotels, resorts and other venues who host weddings are now requiring that at least one staff member per property receive specialized training and certification in wedding planning.

There are a few independent organizations across the United States and Canada that offer Wedding Planning Certification courses in a classroom setting. Some of these programs can be completed in just one weekend, others can take up to 6 weeks to complete. Any organization offering Wedding Planning Certification does so based on their own criteria and designation and the course material can vary widely. The cost of these types of programs can range between $395.00 to $2,000.00. Some of these organizations will require you to pass a test in order for you to receive your certification. Some also require that you participate in ongoing education in order to maintain your certification. This can end up costing thousands of dollars throughout your career. There are programs available that do not require you to pay for ongoing education to maintain your certification.

Make sure you read reviews from students who have gained their certification from any organization before making a commitment. Also find out who the instructor for your class will be and research the kind of experience they have as a wedding planner. You will want to consider the initial cost of the program and the ongoing cost of maintaining your certification if any. Try to find an organization that offers ongoing education but does not require you to keep paying them year after year in order to maintain your certification. Look for a program that will give you a complete picture of the wedding industry from the perspective of every vendor who is involved in a wedding. In the end you will want to choose a program that best fits your budget and time constraints.

Planning and Organizing a Fun Speed Dating Event

Compared to conventional dating, speed dating is a concept that is relatively more recent. However, despite the fact that this form of dating is fairly new, it is quickly catching on, especially among single individuals that just do not have enough time to test the waters through conventional dating. This new concept of dating allows an individual just a few minutes to introduce himself, which makes first impressions more essential than ever. Although participating in a speed date event is fun, planning and organizing them is enjoyable as well. It does not matter if you plan and organize a speed date event for plenty of people or a smaller crowd, the fun level would still be quite high.

The first step, and probably one of the most important steps in any form of event, in planning and organizing a speed date event is finding a suitable venue. To get an idea of how big or how small the ideal venue should be, you need to determine how many people you would want to include in your event. This is essential because there is no other way to know how much space you will need for the said event. You may also want to canvass several potential venues to get a feel of the cost or expenses. Unless you own the place, you need to find a location that is not too expensive and is big enough for your guests. Just keep in mind that a neutral venue for the event is always better than having it in someone's home, for security and safety reasons obviously.

If this is your first time planning and organizing a speed date event, perhaps it is better if you start small when determining the number of people you want to participate in the event. A good number of people to start with are probably twelve individuals comprising of six men and six women. This way, keeping track of the paper work and the logistics would be much easier. A successful event does have to have a lot of people participating, what is important is the end result. You can start adding more people later on, when you get a better sense of the important factors which are involved in these types of events. Keep in mind that you want to have fun in organizing this event, and having too many people participating could be quite stressful, especially for a novice such as you.

The ground rules is another element in speed dating events that should be established ahead of time. Make sure that all the participants are aware of the ground rules to avoid any confusing and to keep the flow of the event as smooth as possible. Limit the interactions between couples to an exact amount of time. It should be no more than five to ten minutes. Make sure that you are firm with implementing the ground rules. One tip that works wonders is inviting more women than men in your speed date events. This is because more men usually show up than women, when it comes to this form of event. Finally, before starting, make sure that everyone knows what the rules are and that they understand them perfectly.

How to Create a Video Production for a Corporate Event

Creating a video production for your company's corporate event can seem a little overwhelming. There are a few things you should know first that will help make the job a whole lot easier. From taking time to brainstorm your own ideas and purpose for the video to employing the right audio visual production company to help make your video a success, we've got a great range of tips you won't want to miss:

• Know your target audience- Really consider who this video will be targeting. Once you know the demographic of your audience, you will be able to start thinking of the right ideas to get their attention. Always keep your target audience front of mind. This may seem obvious, but it's so easy to get engrossed in the creative side of things and drift away from the main purpose and target of the video.


• Note all of the important elements you want covered in the video and what you want the video to ultimately achieve- This could be as simple as outlining the event details to making sure that key speakers are mentioned and company logos are displayed appropriately. Once you know what you want covered in the video, start thinking of what you want the video to achieve. For corporate events this can be things like making sure that every attendee has sufficient background knowledge on the theme and real purpose of the event, to showing clients that your company is a leader in its field. Whatever your goals are for this video, make sure you write them down.


• Keep it simple: Videos for corporate events shouldn't be too lengthy but straight to the point covering all important areas and invite/welcome attendees. People lose interest after a while so keeping it simple and fairly short will stop this from happening.


• Get advice from the professionals- It's so important that for large corporate events you get the professionals in to make sure your video is shot well, looks sharp and meets its objectives. A business specialising in providing corporate audio visual services will be able to take your ideas and make them happen. If you want more creative control, there are companies that are able to work very closely with you to get the results you want. It's just a matter of finding the right company to suit your needs. Hiring professionals to help with your video can mean the difference between a good video and an outstanding one.

Creating a video production for a corporate event is a straightforward process if you follow a few simple steps. Once you know who you want to target and what you want to say, it's just a matter of finding the right professionals with the right equipment to help you make it happen. I hope our tips on how to create a video production has given you some useful information for the next time you have the task of creating a visual feast for your company's next corporate event.

Types Of Employment When Working In Event Jobs

It often requires many people with expertise in the field to plan an event. Often when you think of people working in event jobs you may think of the wedding planner or event coordinator. However, there are actually many positions available within this career field and finding your niche best begins with knowing what's available.

Event planners actually have various titles when it comes to the corporate world. Though it may not be apparent in the business world seminars, trade shows, conferences, appreciation events, and much more can fall under this umbrella. This requires people with expertise in various aspects of this position to ensure it comes together on the day of the event.

For those interested in working in the meeting management department of a corporation a job as a meeting planner, travel coordinator, or meeting assistant may be options. These positions require excellent communication skills as well as training in the foundational structure of corporations. It will require the ability to contract outside services, manage expenses such as lodging, beverages, food, transportation, audio-visual equipment, and much more.

Another department which has a big impact on the outcome of an event is administrative support. Positions within this field will be found throughout a corporation and often serve in the capacity of event planning within the corporate structure. This might include such events as department meetings, making travel arrangements, client-specific meetings, as well as coordinating the services of outside vendors. This position requires strong organizational skills and is often the starting place for many who would like to become corporate-level event planners.

Another area in high demand is in the marketing and sales department. This is a key position within any corporation since the livelihood of the business often depends on the success of this department. For those working in this field, the coordination of face-to-face activities by planning conferences, client seminars, appreciation events, and much more will ensure that marketing is effective and sales are high. Positions within this department might include marketing coordinator, marketing specialist, meeting and event manager, or product specialist. Often these key players work together to pull off the perfect event.

Another department integral to the success of a corporation is communication. Turning a company into a "brand name" is difficult and this department is responsible for ensuring the company name becomes a household word. This may be through business communications, advertising, community relations, sponsorships, internal communications, media relations, or much more. Although this department rarely plans an event themselves, those working therein are essential to ensuring a successful outcome. Communications specialists, advertising coordinators, promotions assistants, and public relations specialists all fall within this department.

These and other options are available for those planning a career working in event jobs. The educational criteria will vary depending on the position sought so researching the many options prior to beginning an educational plan will ensure you end up right where you want to be once on the job.

Event Planning Certification - The Importance of Quality in Management

Event planning certification can teach you control, quality management and improvement in the field of event planning. When these three elements are added together; you can provide the best result to your customers. Your customers demand high quality for their money and you need to satisfy their demand. Event planning is all about meeting customer demands and event planning certification provides you with the appropriate information on the subject of satisfying your customer.

Control and improvement are a part of quality management; quality control is the effort made by you to control the quality of the event you are managing and providing your consumer with a qualitative product. On the other hand quality improvement is the effort made by you to improve the quality of the service you are already providing to your consumers. Assurance is another aspect of quality management. According to this aspect you assure your customer with high level of quality. You set a benchmark of quality and you try to achieve more than the benchmark to satisfy your customer's needs and wants.

Quality management is a significant part of your event planning work and it is needed in every area of the event. As an event planner; you need to manage the quality of the setting, the lighting, the food, the beverages, and the quality of visitors comfort. If you are able to maintain quality in all area; your efforts will be appreciated and you will gain free advertisements. Your clients will spread your name among their friends and family members. Quality management can only be learned through event planning certification courses. Management of quality is done through pre set benchmarks and to achieve those benchmarks you have to enroll in event planning certification courses.

Event planners should set a standard of quality in every area of the event and then he should follow those standards and try to achieve their goals. You are only able to get permanent customers if the quality level of your service is high. They will always expect good quality service and if you fail then you can lose special customers. This is why management of value is very important and you should try to maintain good value at all times.

People are ready to pay high if the quality of your work is good. They want the quality factor to be maintained because they know that they can only satisfy their visitors with quality.

Read on If You're Interested in Gaining an Event Management Certificate

If you are interested in planning events for a living, whether it is an entertainment, culinary or major sporting event and even a recreational event or festival, you might want to consider the employment advantage you get with an management certificate. Those that want to be experts in catering meals, planning functions like weddings or any other kind of group convention, need to learn the skills necessary to properly plan events for others. You can learn how to add diversity and proper management to ensure that every detail turns out better than expected. This is an important part of being an event manager, no matter what kind of event it might be.

The course content for your qualification will include the important areas of event planning, marketing, budgeting, licensing, operational and technical considerations, staffing, health and safety issues that include the ability to assess risk and contracts. Learning event administration involves many details that most people take for granted when they are attending an event, but these are things that are addressed when you are in event management. The difference in a good and a spectacular event is the manager that planned and oversees the event through completion and payment of the bill.

When it comes to the management of events, there are many areas that you can consider for employment, whether you are planning recreational events like festivals and dog shows, or a life event like a wedding reception or large anniversary party for a major hotel. Many people that are in the field of event management should take the course and go through the evaluation and review that is part of the qualification. Not only can it mean an increase in your salary for event planning, but also you will be among the experts in the field and you can learn many ideas to make your events more interesting.

If you are interested in the more advanced certifications, those are available under certificate programs, as well. Many event planners will seek the advanced certifications, especially those that are in tourism. When it comes to planning large events on a world stage, you will need the most advanced certifications to become involved and the salaries in this range of event planning can be substantial. When you consider the metropolitan festivals and celebrations, major sporting events and fundraisers, there are many options that require more advanced expertise than you will learn in college. Often, real-life experience is required to fully understand the importance of the more detailed knowledge you get from the courses that are the most comprehensive, in event planning.

The field of event management is very interesting and rewarding. If you like planning events and you are detail-oriented you can put your talents to use in event management. Getting the certification is important to many employers that plan the larger events, so your chances of employment are much better, once you have achieved a certificate in event management.

Benefits of Hiring a Catering Contractor for Your Event!

Planning and organizing an event is not a simple task. A lot of planning is required for a successful completion of an event. Taking help from a catering contractor can prove very helpful in this regard. It will make your job very simple.

It is not a simple task to plan and organize an event on your own as there are many things that need to be planned and discussed. Where are you planning to organize the event? How many guests will be invited? How to make food arrangements? These are some of the questions that usually strike your mind before you start your event. The best answer for your event planning and catering related needs is to hire a professional catering contractor.

Catering contractors are experienced people who deal with all kinds of events starting from personal to corporate. No matter whether you are looking for corporate catering, wedding or birthday catering services, they have the right expertise to provide you with the best possible services in the shortest possible time. If you are hiring a professional contractor for your event, you would not have to compromise on the quality and level of service.

Major benefits of hiring a professional contractor for all your catering needs include:

Experienced and polite staff members

No doubt, high-quality personal service creates a better impression on your guests. If you are handling an event on your own, you might not be able to pay equal attention to all your guests. But, if you have hired experienced caterers, you need not to worry about this. They are experienced, caring, well-mannered and deal with all guests in a professional way. This creates a better impression on guests and they leave from your party happy and satisfied.

Experienced in handling all types of events

Whether it is a business lunch, corporate event, birthday, wedding, barbeque, funeral or a family occasion, an experienced event catering company is capable of offering the appropriate type of service for all events. Moreover, an expert caterer also provides suitable advice and guidance.

Special offers and deals

A professional contractor also provides special offers and deals to customers depending on the type of meal ordered and the number of guests.

Important services

The entire event is handled by professional experts as per the client's needs and requirements. They plan the whole event which includes budgeting, setting up date and alternate date, selecting and reserving the event site, transportation and parking facility, etc. Apart from these services, they also carry out the final clean-up of the event site.

These are some of the major services rendered by the catering experts to help individuals organize and manage their events in a proper way. Hiring such an expert can help you organize successful events.

Event Planning for Parties, Weddings or Any Other Events

Have you got a big event coming up? Got hundreds of people turning up? Overwhelmed by all the responsibilities this brings? Or are you simply just stuck and do not know where to start? If you are looking to setup an event of some sort and are brimming with ideas but don't know how to implement them then maybe you need to consider an event planner to help you put this together.

An event planner will generally have large amounts of experience, knowledge and contacts within the industry to make you event go off with a bang. By contacts I mean people who could provide you with catering, lighting, drinks and anything else you make think you need for your special event. First of the best thing you could start with is getting all your ideas on paper for your event planner so they what you're thinking and expecting. Always be open to ideas though remember an event planner will have done this over and over again, so it would be folly not to use their ideas.

As well as getting your ideas on paper have your questions ready for the areas which you don't know how to deal with. For example if you are hosting a charity event you will more than likely have a lot of people there, you will need to know whether you need a toastmaster or extra bodies for crowd control. Ok so you may be thinking well all this is going to cost a lot of money especially if someone else is organising it as you will have to pay their fees aswell. Without a doubt this will cost you a lot of money however the organisation that goes into such an event will require someone independent to work on all the issues for example here is a list of things you may not have considered and need to:

• Invites
• Table decor
• Venue decor
• Chairs
• Tables
• Waiters
• Security staff
• Catering and drinks
• Lighting

Have you just been overwhelmed by the list. Even if you haven't then you have to consider that you probably don't have much experience in event planning and it could go wrong. Remember whatever your event you are looking to create an image or wow people and the best way to do this is to use someone with experience of planning such events.

Unfortunately it is very difficult for one person to not only be the host but to also be the event organiser. It is just not possible to be in two places at once and in majority of cases will cause the event to fail on large proportions. Hiring a competent event planner will ensure things go smoothly and with a bang, plus it will keep your stress levels as down as we can only assume they will be skyrocketing. Good luck with your event and future event you embark upon, hope all goes well and that you made the right decision to hire an event planner.

Personalized Wristbands Are a Popular Utility for Event Management

You could have pointed out that over roughly the last eight years there's been a rise in the buzz regarding personalized wristbands. You can use them for a great deal of functions for numerous market sectors to reduce costs of function planning throughout the world.

Personalised wristbands are already utilized to bring help regarding diseases, racism & the environment. They've had a massive influence in many different places for quite a while and have altered the methods charitable groups & causes market themselves for the larger community.

Wristband Materials & Types

How versatile wristbands really are, is well known, it's this kind of adaptability that makes them such an accessible item. You will find myriad of personalised bracelets & a huge selection of internet vendors, with a lot of them supplying people & organizations.

Customized wrist bands are generally created from extremely light & tough components including plastic, neoprene & silicone but are also created from papers, faux leather and also cloth. They feel good are available in plenty of shades and styles.

This extraordinary array of types, components and colours has aided personalised wristbands into the category of worldwide fashion trend.

Personalized wristbands are fantastic for charitable use

When Lance Armstrong employed the particular 'Live Strong' cancer support bracelet, customized wristbands became incredibly well-liked by charitable which use them to improve funds and also attention to causes. Folks can get the particular bracelet and wear it every day to demonstrate their particular support for your cause.

In many cases folks might possibly not have significant amounts of funds to give to your cause so buying a relatively inexpensive customized wristband won't hurt their wallet. And also this tends to make an offering to a charitable organisation far easier to each day people.

The price is kept low as a result of many personalised wristbands getting made out of moulded plastic or silicone which keeps the unit price for every product surprisingly low. Additionally, there are huge special discounts being created for firms that choose to buy wristbands in big amounts.

Examples of Charity wristband uses:

• Diabetes British (white)


• Multiple sclerosis (fruit)


• Epilepsy (50 percent blue, 50 percent red)


• Hurricane Katrina (marine blue blended with white)


• Pancreatic cancer (pink)


• Cystic fibrosis (pink)


• AIDS (red)

Personalized Wristbands used for Events & Security

Additional utilities regarding personalised wrist bands are within event management. Deciding on the proper wristband for your function may be influenced by way of a great deal of aspects. Coloured wristbands enable you to recognize accessibility membership to specific zones or services.

They could be used to market other events or services by having advertising messages printed on them. Virtually every part of the wristband can easily be personalised.

A number of uses customized wrist bands may have at your function.

• General Entry


• Access & Constraints


• Promotions & advertising and marketing


• Staff Recognition


• Multi-day Access


• Sponsorship

As you can see, there are an incredibly wide range of uses for personalised wristbands. Over the years they have amassed a huge amount of marketing leverage for charities & event management. This globally popular item is now worn by people all over the world.

Conference Retreats - A Checklist For All Event Planners

Centers across the country offer a wide variety of venues for hosting conference retreats. These destinations are capable of hosting groups of all sizes and types. Most centers are located near geographic features like mountains, lakes, and deserts. All conference retreats are unique and are best suited to a place that fulfills the particular need of the group attending.

Common conference retreats are developed around the following interests: team development, couples' retreats, youth groups, artist workshops, spiritual retreats, weddings, birding adventures, yoga workshops, family reunions, and also retreats just for women or men.

It is key to find a center that has specific amenities that are best suited for each of the particular interest groups. Obviously, retreats featuring adventures in bird watching would need to be located in a region known for its diversity of bird species. Yoga retreats would need to be removed from noisy traffic.

The following is a checklist for event planners when searching for the perfect center for its conference retreats: transportation available to and from the center, dining hall fare, equipment available for usage, climate, insurance requirements, and deposit information. Other details to investigate are the policies on pets, alcoholic beverages, quiet hours, and smoking.

Conference venues generally feature guest speakers who are experts in their field. Rooms should be comfortably filled to capacity, but not over crowded. The room should reflect the appropriate atmosphere for the topic. Rooms can be set up in one of these 4 basic seating styles: theater style, banquet style, classroom style, or reception style.

Centers for conference retreats and their meeting rooms should include most of these items: sound system, lighting options, podium, stage, chairs, tables, and water service for guests. Speakers' needs must also be addressed. Equipment that is typically requested includes: projectors, screens, and TV/VCR/DVDs.

Conference retreats offer the attendees a place to withdraw from the daily routine. They also offer a time and place to focus on business, relationships, hobbies, or spiritual renewal. The trick is to find the place that best suits the need.

Conference Planning Checklist - 10 Things to Consider When Engaging Speakers

It can be a great challenge to organize a seminar or conference, but for many people who are given this duty to do, it can be a matter of maintaining their job or it may lead to getting a coveted promotion. To plan a successful conference or seminar, an event planner needs a few tools and a fair amount of insight into what is needed.

A timeline needs to be created and the first plan of the event nutted out fully so that the purpose of the event is clearly understood. Do you need new clients, do you need to brand your company, do you need to spread the word about something new? A company wants an event created that will achieve their purpose, as well as being fun for the participants.

The creation of a conference planning checklist is like the building of a train track.

You start with a map of the terrain, discover where you need to place the track and where to place the resources to overcome obstacles and then you create a timeline for the event. Along the timeline, you will need a range of conference planning checklists, in place ready to check off at various important stages along the timeline.

It can be very difficult to try and balance organization duties with the responsibilities of a current job. That is why it is important to have a team (or two or more teams ) of helpers that can have jobs delegated to them. To keep track of what each delegated job is and which team are working on it, you need a good schedule system and this information about "which team - what job" also needs to placed on the conference planning checklist.

Each grouping of jobs needs to noted on the various different conference planning checklist and linked back to the timeline. Separating starting jobs from completed jobs helps as well.

Below are ten steps that might be added  to a conference planning checklist when you are engaging speakers for a conference. A similar event planning checklist needs to be constructed for the caterer, or for the DJ. These steps are only guidelines, because each conference or seminar will have a specific agenda particular to your company. That said, most events have some specifics common to all, whether the event is a special event party, a destination wedding, a convention, a conference or a seminar.

The conference planning checklist (or event planning checklist, or seminar planning checklist) is an essential tool to any event co-coordinator and the more detailed the check list is, the better - as much can go wrong by simply assuming it will all just work out.

When you invite people to an event, their comfort and enjoyment is of prime importance. Anything that needs booking needs booking months in advance. Timing is essential to get everything right. The greater percentage of frequently asked questions need to be considered and answered before they are asked, because during the hectic day when the event is taking place, people are far too busy with other things to make decisions on the fly. 

Conference Planning Checklist - 10 Essentials For Speakers  

So here are 10 examples to consider placing on your conference planning checklist when you are engaging speakers for a seminar or conference.

• 1. List and make the final confirmation of selected speakers with the committee.


• 2. Contact the chosen speakers to request their participation.


• 3. Send follow-up letters to confirm the speakers commitment, their program agenda, its title and a description of their session.


• 4. Request the speakers biographies or profile and a photograph.


• 5. Prepare the descriptions of the speakers profiles for your program and promotional material.


• 6. Send a letter to confirm the exact wording that will appear in the program description for each speaker.


• 7. Request or prepare photocopies of all handout or promotional materials. 


• 8. Book the required audio visual equipment, and check the venue room setup.


• 9. Plan travel and accommodations for the speakers.


• 10. Maintain contact with the resource person just prior to the conference for last-minute arrangements.

And 5 More Essentials for the Conference Planning Checklist For On the Evening of the Event:

• 1. Inspect the room arrangements, the equipment, and the handouts.


• 2. Meet with the speakers to introduce fellow committee members or resource people.


• 3. Escort the speakers to their rooms and inform them about meals, etc.


• 4. Be available to facilitate speakers' requests at all times.


• 5. Thank them for their participation before they leave.

The average conference or seminar is generally planned and coordinated by a busy person trying to balance the hosting of the conference or seminar with their regular jobs. That can be a very taxing thing to try to do especially if that person has never done it before. Write up detailed checklists and check everything off and you won't end up with a train wreck. In fact you'll probably get that promotion.

6 HOT Tips Dealing With Your Event Vendors!

No event is a deserted island. When you are organizing an event on your own, unless you are hiring an event planner, you will be dealing with at least 5 or more vendors per event. Sometimes it can be as many as 10 to 20 of them! It is therefore important to know how to deal with vendors. They can make or break your event!

1) Treat Your Event Vendors As Your Partners

In any event, you may have to deal with the venue representatives, caterers, audio visual suppliers, photographers, videographers, and many more depending on the complexity of your event. Great vendors are a source of expert advise - they can help solve problems for you and they have a wealth of ideas that you can tap on. If they are your partners, they will not hesitate to help you out.

2) Treat your vendor as if he or she is your friend...

If your vendor is a friend, they will go the extra mile for you. Sometimes staying throughout the event to ensure that there are no technical glitches without charging you extra. This helps ensure that your events run smoothly. Furthermore, depending on your event needs, you may have to run a pre-event rehearsals which you didnt budget for - as most vendors will charge for this. But if your vendor is your friend, its easier to seek for their "understanding"

3) Build a relationship with them

Even if you have a newly working relationship with your vendor - learn to build a solid relationship with them. Especially the good ones! I always make the point to know my vendors personally. I go to their office, have coffee with them and even attend their wedding!

Having said that, you must not take in everything they say nor take advantage of their "kindness" so to speak - you do not need to drive sharp bargains to get things done. If you are really in a tight situation, explain to them the real situation and know when it is reasonable to request for more.

4) The 3-Quotes Requirements - What not to do

Vendors hate to be treated like they are fulfilling your 3-quotes requirements. It wastes everyone's time and it is not productive at all. If you have not decided on your vendors, then by all means go ahead and get the three quotations. But once you have decided, it is not fair to get other vendors to pitch in just for you to fulfil your 3-quotes requirements. So always watch out for this as you will develop a reputation in the industry and no one wants to work with you.

5) Differentiate the good from the bad

Learn also to differentiate those vendors that just want to "make a quick buck!" If you are not careful, you may have one or two of this kind to deal with. Especially when you are not paying them much. Look at the way they handle your calls (no matter how frequent), listen to their comments when you ask for an opinion and observe how fast they respond to your requests. Vendors that don't bother to answer your calls and not return your calls without any good reasons are not the ones that you want to build relationships with. And those that they didn't show up when they said they would without calling back, warrant reasons to worry because on the event day itself - he or she may not show up and that's bad news!

6)Rewarding your vendors

As with all things, it goes both ways, if your vendor goes beyond his call of duty to help you then it would be good to reward him or her also. Pass him/her a business referral or two, give him/her a letter of commendation (if he/she deserves it). Be a good paymaster and pay him/her on time. Your vendor may not mind getting paid less if the payment is prompt and you treat him/her kindly. So even if you may not have big budgets to play with. You can still go a long way if you treat your vendors well!

穢2011 Maya Kuchit-Desjarlais, Convention Links (S) Pte Ltd

The Importance Of Planning And Ideas For Fundraising Activities

In any given community there are a number of organizations and associations who rely heavily upon fundraising methods. Often the success that they have in fundraising allows them to stay operational, provide services, purchase needed supplies, etc. In fact, if looking at the budget of any not-for-profit in your community one would find that their reliance upon public donations is a major percentage of their revenue.

In order to be successful in this important endeavor, fundraising actions should consider a number of components. These components could include having sufficient resources, does the fund-raising match the organization's mission and drawing from a pool of specific ideas.

Sufficient Resources

Before undertaking any fundraising plan it is important to evaluate the capability of the fundraising group. One of the major considerations before embracing specific ideas for fundraising activities is to evaluate whether there are sufficient resources.

One critical resource to being successful at any fundraising event is to determine whether there are a sufficient number of volunteers. For example, many special events require a large number of personnel to plan and prepare for the event. In addition there is the selling of tickets and the actual staffing of the event on the day that the fundraiser will be held.

Another resource that may be required to be successful with implementing ideas for fund-raising activities is money. The old axiom is true that it takes money to make money. Therefore, before undertaking any ideas for fundraising activities, it is important to understand that there will be costs associated with fundraising. Those costs may include the use of office supplies, transportation, purchase of consumables, insurance, etc.

Matches The Organization's Mission

Another major consideration before undertaking any ideas for fundraising activities is does the fundraising activity match the mission statement of the organization? For example, if the organization is against alcohol consumption, then a wine tasting party would certainly be a mismatch as an idea for a fundraiser.

One other example of appropriately matching a fund-raising activity with an agency's mission would be holding a banquet rather than a golf tournament. This would be especially powerful if that agency was a health providing agency and the individuals that were being honored at the banquet had saved a life. A fundraiser honoring these individuals and promoting the agencies mission would be better served in the dining room rather than on the golf course.

Specific Ideas

There are many tried and proven ideas for fundraising activities. Some of these activities include walk-a-thons, carwashes, selling of candy and magazines, auctions, fundraising dinners, etc.

However, it is important to note that with the increase of not-for-profits it is becoming increasingly difficult for these agencies to raise the needed revenue to meet their operating costs as well as providing services to others. Therefore, it is important that new and creative ideas for fundraising activities are generated.

One of the more creative and newer ideas for fundraising activities could be a no-show ball. The concept of this no-show ball is that the donors are sent an invitation and are allowed to check off their excuse for not attending. However, the beauty of this no-show ball concept is that no one shows, but the donor still sends in their donation. This speaks loudly to the donor in that the agency appears to be very creative and understanding in regards to the time demands placed upon the donor's time.

Event Checklist

Organising an event is not as simple as it once was. These days' people expect more from events and as organisers try to compete, you need to ensure you have thought of everything.

As such, here is a solid checklist that you can use to organise your events and ensure that you have considered all of the options and covered all of the angles, before the event begins:

1. How many guests are you going to invite?

2. Do you have enough time to organise the event and publicise it in order to make it a success? (If not, push the date back).

3. Has a similar event been held in the past, and was it successful?

4. What would you need in order to make your event successful (people and skills, and can you arrange these things in time)?

5. Is your event going to entertain (party, meal or trip) or is it going to inform people (workshop, conference, lecture, AGM)?

6. How much space do you have available to you (take into account room for guests who walk around, a dance area if necessary, decorative arrangements and other things that will infringe on the floor space).

7. What menu are you going to offer, and will this be simple or complex to arrange in your local area?

8. Have you created the invitations and given guests enough time to attend (remember that your guests are busy and may have other engagements to attend to).

9. Have you considered what you need to hire and what you already have available (in terms of equipment and goods)?

10. Is the event going to be based on a theme (if so, what theme)?

11. Are you going to invite special guests or VIPs to your event?

12. What seating arrangements have you planned for, and which guests will be sitting together?

13. Is your event going to be formal or an informal event?

14. Are you going to need a DJ or a band to play at your event?

15. What cleaning staff do you have on hand, or do you need to arrange them?

16. Who is going to set up the venue (will you hire this out or organise it yourself)?

17. Have you found the best location for the event (easy to find, good parking, safe, and scenic)?

18. Do you need to buy extras such as balloons, hats, gifts, drinks, cakes, alcohol, cake, toys, writing materials etc.)?

Company Christmas Party Ideas

No one likes to talk about Christmas too early, but when it comes to organising Christmas parties, earlier is best. The earlier you start to organise it, more options are available for you to choose, such as, venue, food, music, entertainers, location, drinks and more importantly the dates for the Christmas event.

But the most important decision to decide is: what type of party does your office need?

Below is a list of the types of Christmas office events you could organise.

Exclusive Company Christmas Parties

Exclusive parties are perfect for companies who want to hold a private party. The food, drink and entertainment can be selected to suit your party needs. Large hotels market their exclusive parties at large groups but event management companies can offer you smaller and varied party venues.

Shared Company Christmas Office Party

For companies of any size where smaller groups can still enjoy the larger Christmas party atmosphere. These shared party packages have set packages which normally can't be changed. Most shared Christmas party packages include reception drinks, 3 or 4 course meal, live entertainment, DJ and disco.

Bespoke Christmas Parties

Bespoke Christmas events are perfect for companies who want their Christmas do designed around their exact needs. Plenty of themes and entertainment to choose from but don't forget the basics are the most important to get right on a bespoke event. Best way to organise this type of party is to speak to an event management company who have sent years in the event industry and know what is needs to add that extra wow factor.

Christmas Activity Days Out

Perfect for companies looking for some team building, adventure and fun. Plenty of activities to choose from such as paintballing, cocktail making, chocolate making, clay pigeon shooting, go karting and much more.

Tailor the party to suit your needs, whether it's for a couple of hours with a pub lunch or a full day of activities.

The Pros and Cons of Organising a Corporate Golf Day

It is common practice for companies to organise a corporate golf day these days, however, while many have great reasons for doing just that, others are unsure of their motivation, and may just be doing it because everyone else is.

There is no denying that there are some fantastic benefits to hosting a corporate golf day, but there are also other things you need to consider. In this article, we look at the pros and cons of organising your own golf day, as well as advice on how to make the most of your event.

First, the Good Bits

In the interests of staying positive, let us take a look at the positive aspects of hosting a corporate golf day yourself.

First, there is the opportunity to meet, and spend time with, your most important clients, suppliers, associates and potential clients. That's one of the reasons why a carefully thought out guest list for your event is so important - everyone on it should be someone who can help your business to grow, whether it's in terms of deals made on the course, or by sharing their expertise with you off the course.

Then there is the publicity and brand positioning that you can gain from a corporate golf day. This comes from indirect means, like the media coverage of the event itself, and from the status you gain from the companies and individuals you invite.

Finally, there is the golf itself. The opportunity to get out into the open, swing a club, compete in a friendly environment, and possibly even to pick up a few tips from your opponents and fellow players.

Now the Down Side

Not every corporate golf day is a huge success, and that could be for a number of reasons.

The first thing you should remember is that corporate golf days take a lot of work to organise, manage, and put together. If you do not have the time or the budget to create a full event, you might end up creating an event that gives prospective clients the wrong impression of your company.

Then there is the guest list. If you do not have enough valuable business contacts to fill up your list, you may be tempted to add a few people who are not strictly business associates, and that may dilute the effectiveness of the event.

Remember that just as a hugely successful business golf event can raise your profile, forge meaningful connections that will serve you for years to come, and create fantastic opportunities, a less successful one could damage your reputation and your prospects.

Hosting a successful corporate golf day is a huge undertaking, and it is not always possible, especially for new businesses and entrepreneurs, to find the perfect balance of players, business, and marketing.

The good news is that there are alternatives, one of which is to attend a third party corporate golf day, hosted by an outside company or person. These days take the planning and organising out of the equation, allow you to hand pick only the most important people that you want to play with, and often incorporate other types of networking and business growth activities.

Whatever you do though, remember that your corporate golf day's success relies heavily on you, to make the right decisions, and to organise a knock out event, so make sure you get it right!

Using the Best Corporate Events Caterers For Maximum Business Impact

There are hundreds of corporate events caterers in the UK, and a huge variety of services offered by them. Some event caterers may just supply fresh sandwiches, salads and cakes for lunches in the office or at offsite meetings. Other companies specialise in director's lunches, in offices or headquarters. And even more high end corporate caterers design and deliver every aspect of glamorous canape receptions, lavish five course banquets, and cool corporate garden parties, all aimed at wowing clients and colleagues alike.

The best corporate event caterers can of course deliver everything from one end of the spectrum to the other - a delicious freshly toasted sandwich for a clients' driver and personal assistant? Not a problem. Stunning seafood ice bars in designer marquees or remote French chateaus? Easily done. The finest vintage champagnes, the most incredible caviars, the freshest oysters and the rarest cuts of Kobe beef? All possible if your corporate organisation can afford it!

Corporate events (and indeed corporate events budgets) are now absolutely crucial to the world's big corporate hitters, and as the industry gets more and more competitive, the companies that really wow their clients are the ones that stand out from the pack.

The very best corporate event catering companies - such as The Admirable Crichton, Alison Price, deWintons and "rhubarb" - can make every corporate event a real theatrical production, with the best glasses and china, the most professional uniformed and corporate logo-ed staff, and of course the best, freshest and most seasonal food, served in the most stunning ways. If you work in events for a big corporate company, and if your corporate events budget fits the bill, then using this kind of event catering company means you can be sure your business strikes exactly the right notes. If you want perfectionism and professionalism, if you want to impress with attention to every little detail, if you want your corporate event catering to reflect and mirror your company's business image and reputation, then this is the way to go!

Of course if your event catering ensures maximum impact for your company, then every single one of your guests leaves your event feeling that they have been looked after in the very best of ways. Not only will they have eaten the most fabulous food and sampled the finest wines, but most importantly they will have been impressed. A memorable corporate events like this, with superb catering, can simply make or break the biggest international business deals.

Event catering companies such as Food Show, "rhubarb" and Alison Price have catered for numerous events for some of the UK's biggest corporate hitters, such as HSBC, Barclays Capital, De Beers, KPMG, Royal Bank of Scotland, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Deutsche Bank, Sotheby's, Citibank and Rolls Royce. And events for these kinds of companies can take place in some of the most amazing venues such as The Royal Courts of Justice, The Natural History Museum or The Design Museum. And of course with the best corporate caterers being accredited and recommended at certain venues, there is always fierce competition for the best corporate jobs. The companies that win are those with the very best product, the very best service and the most impeccable reputation - just like the corporate companies that win in business too!

Easy Tips For Throwing a Corporate Event

Depending on the type of message you want to send to your employees, you can book your corporate event at a four-star restaurant or at a neighborhood dive bar. Many factors should be taken into consideration when planning a corporate outing such as size, budget, and availability. The important thing to remember when planning a corporate is that this event should be used to show gratitude for the hard work of the employees.

There are a few things to take in to consideration, do you want to have a formal dinner party at a restaurant, do you want something more casual and relaxed? Some venues can host private dining for corporate events which can be nice for larger parties to keep them separated from the rest of the venue. Serving alcohol can be a nice way to let people let loose but it can also pose some issues. Your servers should be aware of how to serve alcohol and not to over serve guests.

If you choose to use a professional party planner, you can really put on a great event and have less of a headache than trying to plan the event yourself. Party planners typically have contacts in the area and can usually put together events in relatively little time. Planners know what it takes to put on a great event and have an existing relationship with area vendors. By using an established party planner, you can get some insider deals on venues and vendors.

Take into account the menu, do you want to serve steak, seafood, appetizers, buffet, etc. When putting together a menu, give your guests a choice in types of protein or vegetables. Let your guests know what will be served at the event ahead of time.

The biggest part of planning a corporate event is staying in contact with your planner and giving yourself enough time to plan for any unexpected bumps in the road. Throwing a great function is no easy task but when done correctly, can be a great time for everyone in attendance.

Catering A Corporate Event

Corporate life can be challenging. Particularly business meetings or larger gatherings where clients must be involved, fed and entertained can be a challenge to pull off, especially with so many other aspects of the business to keep up with. New Jersey corporate catering services are often selected in order to assure that the bigger business meetings and board meetings go forward without a hitch.

Employers and larger businesses tend to work harder and to play harder than any other set of people. Making sure that those parties are all they should be and that the food is reasonably priced, well laid out, and pleasing to the palate can be a challenge.

This means that a corporate party can be even more of a challenge since a wide range of people with different tastes, food preferences and backgrounds will all be together in the same place, and each will require careful handling. In addition to these considerations, religious preferences and sometimes food allergies need to be taken into account when preparing foods for large gatherings.

Corporate catering services are quite often the best method of handling an event that may prove to be more challenging. Even board meetings can be catered so that every attention is given to the small details that will keep the members pleased and the meeting flowing smoothly.

New Jersey corporate catering services not only provide outstanding meals and meal planning, but also excellent presentation. From larger parties to simple finger-foods and snacks to keep your team moving, it's often far more easy to use a catering service than to take orders and deal with the nightmare of having to pick up or have food delivered to you and then sort it out for yourself. Mixed up orders, massive deliveries and then sorting out your own meals can be a nightmare when it is all taking place during a business or board meeting. Aside from the massive interruption to the meeting, the food may not be what you want and the service is of course non-existent.

Your New Jersey corporate catering service can help you to find innovative ways to feed the troops during the meeting or late work session, as well as to proffer outstanding food and great service to be sure that everyone has what they need, when they need it. For your next board meeting or office party, avoid the slow delivery and the poor service that you've had in the past and put your meeting in the hands of the professionals.