How To Choose The Right Caterer For Your Function

Finding a Caterer for any event is an extremely important decision. Corporate, or private, large or small, choosing the right Caterer is imperative. There are many catering companies in the market so you need to do your homework and choose carefully in order to guarantee the success of your event. This article gives you a step-by-step guide to choosing the right Caterer along with a useful checklist.

Preparation

Before seeking a Caterer you need to think about your catering needs and gather together information that a Caterer will need to know:

• What is the time and date of the event?


• Do you have a budget in mind?


• Where is your event being held? (Or do you require a venue?)


• Is there a kitchen at the venue?


• How many guests are you expecting?


• Do any of your guests have special dietary requirements?


• Does your event have a theme?


• Do you desire a particular style of cuisine?


• Do you require decorations, flowers, table settings?


• Do you need to hire equipment? (Tables, chairs, linen, crockery etc)

Once you have answered these questions you will have a good idea of the services you will require. A great Caterer will offer a complete service to save your running around organizing things separately. Having everything organised by one company will help your event run smoothly and cut down your workload.

Research

After you've completed your preparation it's time for some research. First you need to find some catering companies. The best way to do this is to seek recommendations. You can ask friends, family and colleagues. Or use a search engine for a list of professional caterers in the area your event will take place.

Now select a short-list of Caterers according to the needs you identified in your preparation. For example you may have identified that your venue doesn't have a kitchen, or that your guests have particular dietary concerns or that you need to hire equipment.

Once you have a list of a few Caterers contact them with a list of questions to make sure they are reputable and are able to handle your particular requirements.

What to look for

First and foremost, does the Caterer offer a range of menu options including the particular cuisine you are after? Most good Caterers will have detailed menu listings on their website. Failing this, you can contact the company and have this information emailed or faxed to you.

What type of function are you organizing? Is it private or corporate, small or large, casual or formal, inside or outside? Whatever the case, ensure that your chosen Caterer can handle the type of function you are planning.

Make sure the Caterer is available on the day that you desire. (With no weekend or public holiday loading.) Also check that the Caterer has a 24 hour service and is contactable 7 days a week. Many events are held after hours or on weekends so it will be a great disadvantage and frustration if you can't contact your Caterer in the evening or on a Sunday morning when you suddenly think of something you need to discuss! And you certainly don't want to pay more for your catering just because your event isn't in business hours.

Does the Caterer provide their own waiting staff? Are the staff experienced in the style of event you are planning? Will they be professionally attired? Will the staff take care of everything from delivery and preparation to waiting and cleaning up afterwards?

According to the needs that you identified in your preparation, does the Caterer provide the equipment that you require? This may include tables, chairs, linen, crockery, glassware, cutlery or even ovens and a bar serving area. Make sure they are able to provide what you need so that you don't have to do additional running around after event hire. Also ensure that their equipment is new and in excellent condition. You don't want tatty linen and tarnished silverware to take the sparkle out of your event.

Perhaps you require a venue for your event? If so, a Caterer who can source a venue for you will save you time and have an established relationship with the venue. This will streamline the whole catering experience and make your life a lot easier!

If you plan a theme for your event, can the Caterer help you to achieve your desired atmosphere, from cuisine choices to decorations and table settings?

Where will the food be prepared? If your venue doesn't have a kitchen the Caterer will need to prepare and heat it at their premises and then deliver it ready to serve.

Can the Caterer organize beverages? There's a lot involved in the logistics if you need to do this yourself. First you need to physically purchase the drinks and then transport them to your venue. Then you need somewhere to store them and a method of keeping them cool. On the day you will need staff to serve the drinks along with a bar serving area, plus glasses etc. So if the Caterer doesn't handle anything to do with the drinks you've got a lot more tasks to add to your to-do-list.

Is the company an actual Caterer? (Not just a bakery or cafe). There is after all a lot more to catering than simply the food, so you need to select a Caterer who is familiar with all aspects of event catering.

For peace of mind, check that the company is a member of any relevant Catering Associations, or you can also ask for references. A good Caterer should have nothing to hide.

Ensure that the catering company you are considering has an actual premises and isn't just an online middleman. (In the case of the latter, you may have problems with food quality, accountability and find it difficult to contact the company.)

What payment methods does the company accept? Make sure they accept all forms, including credit card, and that there is no additional charge for using a credit. Be very wary of companies that will only accept cash. You have very little bargaining power should things go wrong.

Does the Caterer require a deposit? Almost all will, however the amount will vary considerably. The lower the deposit the better.

What is their cancellation policy? Can you get all your money back should the event be cancelled?

Do they have a postponement policy? Hopefully the Caterer can simply change the date. However some will charge a fee for this.

Here's a quick checklist to help you find the right Caterer:

1. Menu options - Do they have what you are looking for? (Including any special dietary requirements?)


2. Can they cater for your particular function? (Corporate, private etc)


3. Are they available on the day of your planned event?


4. Are they contactable 24/7?


5. Can they provide staff? Are the staff professional and experienced in your style of event?


6. Can they organise equipment hire? Is the equipment in good condition?


7. Can they arrange a venue for you if necessary?


8. If required, can they assist you with theming and decorations?


9. Are they flexible regarding food preparation if you have limited kitchen facilities?


10. Can the Caterer organise beverages?


11. Are they actual Caterers, rather than a bakery or cafe?


12. Are they a member of the Restaurant & Catering association?


13. Ask for references.


14. Does the Caterer have actual premises, not just an online reseller?


15. Do they accept all payment methods including credit?


16. Do they have a credit surcharge?


17. What deposit do they require?


18. What is their cancellation policy?


19. What is their postponement policy?

Get a Quote

Once you've gone through the above checklist and identified a reputable Caterer that can fulfill your requirements, it's time to get into the specifics and get a quote.

Good service Caterers generally have a well designed online form to submit for a quick quote which can make things easier and quicker for you. However you may prefer personal service so it's important that the Caterer you select is easy to contact.

In seeking a quote, it's helpful for the Caterer if you can advise a budget. That way, they can help you to design a menu based around what you can spend, how many guests you are expecting and what other services you require (such as staff and equipment for example.) A good Caterer has a wealth of knowledge and will most likely have some inspired suggestions that may not have occurred to you simply from perusing their menu selections.

Once you settle on the food, staff, equipment, drinks, venue or anything else you require, ask for a detailed quote.

Ensure that the quote covers everything including tax and delivery so that you're not stung with hidden extras once you've committed to the Caterer.

Place your order!

Now you've conducted your initial preparation and research along with obtaining a detailed quote. If you're happy with the price and you've been through everything on the above checklist, it's time to place your order! And you can do so with the confidence of having chosen the right Caterer for the job!

Organising a Conference

Organising a conference is a big task. It requires finding a venue, speakers, coordinating the event and then managing it. Conference management requires a lot of organisation and some good contacts.

You may have the skills required for conference management yourself, but if not, there are specialist companies who do.

A budget will need to be set and stuck to and a venue will have to be found. Lots of potential venues will need to be checked out and factors such as venue size, parking and access will have to be considered.

The scope of the conference will need to be established, as well as the format. What topics need to be covered, by whom, and for how long will each section last? What will the order of speakers be and what time should each section start and finish?

Conference planners coordinate event staff hired for the occasion, as well as organising accommodation and transport for speakers. The planner will also organise refreshments, signage, printing and displays. There will be lecterns, microphones and other audiovisual requirements to sort out, and a registration desk with staff manning it on the day.

You may wish to use your branding on the conference literature or maybe create something new for the event. You may also want to create a website or a section of an existing website so that candidates can register and pay online.

Delegate badges are a common requirement. They can be designed with your company logo or the conference logo and then handed out at the registration desk.

An experienced event organiser will supervise every detail of your conference and work closely with you from the initial planning through to on-site management, ensuring your budget is adhered to throughout.

Using an event management company can be beneficial as they will have experience, can save you time and can compliment your existing team.

Whether you decide to organise a conference yourself, or consult or hire an event management company, a conference is certainly a lot of work. Saying that, if it is done properly it can be a huge success

Franchise Opportunities for Women

In the modern world, balancing between work and family has become very easy for women who earlier found it quite difficult to get time for the family. There are several home based businesses for moms that can fit into their busy schedule. These franchises offer flexibility that they want to have and definitely a source of income too. Here are some great home-based business ideas for women that would offer them an opportunity to maximize on the hidden potential and talent that they have.

Internet marketing: With the advancement in internet technology and rapidly growing communication network, internet based jobs are widely popular. Pay per click (PPC) has even made such jobs very lucrative since building a website is no longer a big deal to any ordinary person. Internet marketing involves designing websites, advertising and selling products for a given company and so on.

Cooking: Establishing a catering business can be perfect for women who love cooking, taking contracts and orders for parties, meals and high tea could be a great way to maximize on your passion and interest of cooking and baking. To begin this type of franchise opportunities for women, turn your kitchen into a workstation and be prepared to get the most out of your hobbies.

Event planning: One of the best franchise ideas for women is event planning. This includes arranging parties, decorating weddings and later extending the business to include organizing formal events as well. This franchise requires creativity, good communication skills, social skills and determination to perform your tasks properly.

Babysitting: Stay at home mothers can be the best people to understand the dilemma of the working mothers. So why not share their plight and help them by babysitting their children. You can also start a 'day care' center right at your home to earn a lot of money from this kind of franchise opportunities for women. Babysitting is not only rewarding but enjoyable too.

Arts and craft: For women who are talented at drawing, sewing, painting, art and crafts among others, they can start their own business and may even employ others. Maximizing on your own creativity and talent to create unique and new things could be a perfect business idea for women. You can make these creative pieces and sell to the nearby local stores, thereby enjoying handsome payments.

Freelance writing: This is one of the best franchise opportunities for women who have a passion of writing as well as reading. They can allow their creativity and imagination to run free and indulge in freelance writing in order to make money. You can even register your own website where companies may contact you whenever they require your services.

Flexibility Is Key to Strategic Business Planning

Many firms are intimidated by the massive changes underway in the global marketplace. While global business expansion presents significant risks, innovative managers can transform these risks into opportunities with proper strategic planning. Managers must be flexible enough to both set a plan in place, and adapt to changes should it not work properly.

While risks gestate for many reasons, the most significant challenges occur when a firm is either changing rapidly, or failing to adapt to a volatile environment. Strategy changes typically happen because a company attempts different paths to satisfying demand.

While it is necessary to be flexible, many firms make the mistake of jumping the gun, and implementing change without proper due diligence. These changes often fail to live up to expectations as a manager's rush to judgement can doom a small business operating in a competitive environment. Innovative strategic planning within a company provides a plan as managers focus on employees, and can help with adaptation to any surprising business issue that may possibly spring up.

Strategy planning should not be viewed as a one-off event, but rather a steady process that not only guarantees the holistic development of the enterprise, but also helps reach new targets and objectives. The best plans are those that are developed with both the future goals and current business needs in mind. This will help managers avoid any possible service disruptions that may arise. It is also important to take into consideration factors such as improvements in technology, expanding competition, or changing customer behavior while drawing up an effective plan.

Innovative strategic planning must outline a specific direction for development while acknowledging all of the regular hindrances that can possibly be expected. Moreover, it helps align every individual in a company towards the pursuit of corporate goals or missions, and provides a sense of accountability and participation to the workers. Thus, strategic planning can project an organization on a sure path and trajectory en-route to the specified objective.

A ideal strategy doesn't have to be written in stone. In fact it's quite possible, if not likely, for managers to discover a very broad range of alternatives should the initial plan not come to fruition. While strategy planning performs an important position in an enterprise, it is critical to remember that it isn't always a cure-all, and managers must stay on task with day to day activities. All aspects of an organization must be considered along the path to innovative strategic management, and to be successful, managers must be ready and willing to shift gears when necessary.

The Importance of Public Relations and Crisis Management Planning To Your Business

Are public relations and crisis management planning important to your business? The answer is simple and direct. Public relations and crisis management planning are not only important to your business, they are both CRUCIAL to your business, regardless of your type of business. In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, business is news. Plant closings, mergers and acquisitions, unemployment, strikes, labor negotiations, company expansions, building projects, construction-related accidents and catastrophes are often the lead story on the front page or the six o'clock news. Yet many organizations are totally unprepared or at least ill-prepared to handle the public relations and crisis management aspects of these events. This unpreparedness can lead to many negative and undesirable results for you, your employees, your clients and customers, your company and your business and industry sector.

Many businesses always have been and always will be in a highly visible position to the general public and the media. For example, the building and construction industry is important to the economy, as well as the overall health, safety & welfare of the public. The media are very interested in the building and construction industry because of the potential "high interest" stories it can generate, both positive and negative. To succeed in today's business world, all businesses must learn to manage rapid change and crises and work diligently to develop strong public relations and crisis management plans.

A general public relations program is important to your business to: complement advertising; provide research capabilities for marketing efforts; provide capabilities for special events to increase company & industry visibility; monitor governmental organizations; to communicate the state-of-the-industry to the public, including views on legislation, regulations, economic conditions, and other factors and events impacting your business; and to communicate with past and existing clients. A crisis management plan, including public relations aspects, is absolutely essential to maintain a company's credibility and positive image in the face of adversity. The company's customers, employees, management, financial supporters, industry associates, the general public and the media need to feel that you are well organized and have the ability to handle a crisis in a very professional manner. Crises do not afford the luxury of time to pause and think thoroughly through the specific problem. Therefore, there is a need to be prepared for every type of emergency most likely to happen.I believe that many crises in business, just as in our daily lives, are often foreseeable. These crises can be managed and can provide unprecedented opportunities for positive public relations. A majority of businesses are reluctant to prepare for adversity because they do not want to admit that their business organization could ever be guilty of poor performance or mistakes.

A company which does not prepare for the possibility that some plan may not work or that conditions of business may change quickly - including changes beyond their control - will soon find itself unable to deal with a crisis and therefore will suffer severe negative effects on the business and its image to the public and its clients.

The most critical time for your business, when it comes to public relations, is when a catastrophe, scandal, or some other negative event occurs which involves your business or industry sector at large. Things can and do go wrong in the best managed companies and organizations. Therefore, by accepting this fact and anticipating certain crises, the potential damage from the crises may be minimized. Contingency planning for crises is not only a good management practice in any organization but, in my view, it is a mandatory practice for any business.

Many businesses today have high risk, high visibility, high impact on the public and our everyday lives, and high exposure to potential crises. Because of these characteristics, the potential damage from a crisis can be greatly multiplied. An unprepared, misinformed, or ill-at-ease company spokesperson; a disgruntled employee; and a victim of a tragedy at a building site have the potential of doing inestimable damage to your business or industry by their remarks to the media. Yet there are countless times when a company representative is thrust into the spotlight as an official "spokesperson" with little or no training in dealing with the media, especially in a crisis situation. In fact, when it comes to dealing with the media, most people would rather "be excused" from the task, because they are ill-prepared psychologically and professionally to deal with the media. In today's world, you must become prepared psychologically and professionally.

Conducting public relations activities without a plan would be the same as someone trying to build a quality building project without plans and specifications or a business trying to manage the growth of their business without any plans. Conducting crisis communications and public relations during emergencies without a plan and training could be about the same as committing suicide or at least "shooting yourself in the foot," because of the potential damage that could result to your company's image, business, employees, management, etc. and to the image and impact on your industry.

If you don't believe the potential damage that can result from what I have written above, think about the effect of poor public relations efforts during the TMI accident, NASA's Challenger tragedy, the EXXON Valdez oil spill event, or during the last major building site accident and the impact of the negative image on the companies and their industries. Or think about the effect of good public relations efforts during the Tylenol incident; during the odometer rollback incident at Chrysler; or during the last successful rescue at a construction site accident and the impact of the positive image on these companies and their industries.

It is time to truly recognize the importance of public relations and crisis management and their potential impact on your business. It is also time to do something about it! There is no better place to start than within your own organization and industry and professional associations by developing public relations plans, that include crisis management plans, and by training key employees on how to deal with the media. With the risks as high as they are in your business, don't leave public relations and crisis management to chance or to a "seat of the pants" approach. Make a commitment and start planning for your future public relations and crisis management efforts today. The futures of your company and to your industry are at risk. With a strong commitment to good public relations and crisis management planning, the results can be tremendous. Without a strong commitment, the results can be disastrous.

What to Consider When Corporate Event Planning

Corporate events range from product launches to an exhibition but organising such an event can seem like a daunting task. Following some straight forward rules can make corporate event planning a breeze and ensure your guests are treated to a special occasion that creates a lasting memory.

The first consideration is the location of the venue. Even if your company quarters are large enough to host an event, is it convenient for your guests to attend? In the event that you are inviting people from further afield than your staff a separate location such as a golf course may be more easily reached by all of your guests.

Corporate event planning for outdoor events normally includes marquee hire to ensure your guests are protected from the elements. Numerous companies can offer marquee hire services. You will need to confirm that the proposed surface the marquee is to be set up on and the area size will need to be supplied to the hire company. You may also want to have the interior of the marquee decorated to add atmosphere or create a theme.

In addition to decoration, lighting will play a large part in setting the scene and ensuring it stay the same regardless of the level of natural light outside.

The next arrangement for your corporate event is seating and dining areas. If you are providing a meal for your guests the interior of the marquee needs to comfortably seat all of your guests with tables and chairs in place.

When corporate event planning, there is often a message to be delivered. If you have over 50 or so guests a PA system will be essential to make sure the message is heard. This involves a stage area and equipment rental. If there will also be entertainment, the stage area and audio/visual equipment should be suitable for their needs as well. A live band will require a significant area to set up their instruments and their own equipment. If you need to present information, a projector and screen will also have to be hired or provided.

The last consideration is transport. If you will be providing transport for one or more of your guests, a limousine hire service is an excellent way for your guests to arrive in style.

Taking into account these considerations should help you on the way to planning a successful corporate event.

Take a Limo to Football Games

You've scored tickets on the fifty yard line for your favorite team, and you're excited to go, when it hits you: who's going to drive? You have to get to the stadium somehow, but what about tailgating? What about celebrating the win afterwards? You can't drink and drive, so what can you do? Why not hired a limousine to take you and your friends to the big game without worrying about how you are getting down there? Limousines can be a great way to take an entire group to a football game and still be able to enjoy the evening.

Let Someone Else Drive

Hiring a limousine means you don't have to worry about driving yourself and your friends to the big football game. Let's face it; it's not a football game unless you tailgate, and you can't tailgate if you're the one driving. A limousine can allow you to tailgate from the backseat, all the way to the stadium. In a limousine, you can entertain fifteen of your football fanatic friends with televisions, mini bars, refrigerators and much more. Stock up on all the food and beverage essentials and you're ready to go! Your driver can get you to the game and drop you off at the stadium door in style, while you party in the backseat. You don't have to worry about traffic, parking or not be able to partake in any festivities. You've got a driver to handle it for you!

Not only that, but it allows you to enjoy the evening with your entire group in one single limousine, instead of trying to coordinate several cars meeting up at one single place. With a limousine, everyone can start and end the evening together. There is no hassle. You are free to enjoy the evening as you see fit. Limousine drivers also know the best places to eat and drink, if you want to partake before or after the game. Often they are aware of off-the-wall spots that fit your group's personality.

So if you are planning to watch your favorite team play some ball, why not consider a limousine? However, not all limousine companies are reputable, so ask around. What company has the best reputation around town? Whoever has the best word-of-mouth advertisements would be your best bet. Research the limousine companies to find a reputable, professional driving service to get you there and back. But do call early! With the holidays rolling around, limousine companies book up quickly, so be sure to book a limousine as soon as possible. You don't want to be left in the driver's seat for your night out at the stadium.

The Secret to Great Sales Meetings

Are you responsible for planning the annual sales meeting?

If you're responsible with planning and executing a great meeting for your sales team, there are a few things you need to know in order to ensure it is successful.

Fortunately, the secret to a great sales meeting isn't complicated, nor is it labor intensive. Rather, holding a great sales meeting requires knowing a few key points and fulfilling those pre-requisites.

First, know that you have got to keep your audience interested and engaged. If they are off distracted, they won't remember any of the vital information being conveyed.

Second, your meeting has got to be fun. No one has left an incredibly dull and boring sales meeting and found it to be fantastic. No one has left an uninteresting meeting and put the information to good use

Finally, you've got to lay down a concrete roadmap for success that your employees can act upon after leaving the meeting.

Now you may be wondering, "Okay, that sounds great, but, how do I actually accomplish these things?"

Fortunately, there is a simple and effective solution: Hiring a Professional Comedian.

A comedian will focus your audiences' attention, keep them interested and keep them engaged. Furthermore, a comedian will definitely make your sales meeting fun.

But just don't book any comedian you come across. To host a great sales meeting, you need to hire a comedian with a good reputation. That's where a professional comedy booking agency can help you.

They work with the best performing comedians nationwide. A comedy booking agency also knows which comedian would best fit your business purpose and perform the best.

Now that you know the secret to great sales meetings, will you act upon it?

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!

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.

Don't Let Success Spoil Your Future! Steps Your Company Needs to Take to Avoid Obsolescence

Good strategic planning should lead a company to growth, increasing profitability and growing market share over time. But what happens when a company refuses or neglects to listen to and understand what is happening in the markets they serve?

There are many instances one may cite about companies that were successful for many years that relatively suddenly ran into serious problems. IBM was very successful in supplying and maintaining mainframe computers, to the point they ignored for too long the changes in the market place. Until Lou Gerstner restructured the company, they were declining rapidly in their performance because they didn't listen to what was really happening in the market place.

Polaroid went through a similar set of problems. RIM is suffering from not adopting the technologies of Apple. And, most recently, Kodak found itself floundering to the point where it had to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection.

Why do great companies like those above fall into such difficult circumstances? IBM did because it chose to listen primarily to those who had the most to lose if mainframes went away. Because IBM didn't look at the big picture, they nearly missed significant trends toward distributed processing.

Kodak is an even more troubling case. Kodak was a significant leader in the development and implementation of digital cameras, yet they almost blindly hung on to their film manufacturing business to the detriment of the digital camera until the competition outstripped them and they became a lower tier competitor.

When a company, particularly an industry leader like Kodak, weds itself too tightly to its current technology, and ignores industry trends because it has been so successful with its approach for so many years, the rest of the market, which is apparently so open to innovation and developments outside the current technology, can and often will pass the old technology by, leaving constantly diminishing returns and market share for that company. Unchallenged recipes for success can be the worst enemy of any company's future.

What should be the lesson learned from the companies' plights as shown above?

One should analyze how much risk one should take as seen from two different points of view. First: If the company stays with its current technology, what risks does it run to future sales growth, technological leadership, return on investment, etc.? Second: If the company invests in new technology, what should it expect in terms of future sales, competitive position, ROI, etc.? Included in the analysis should be looking at the upside and downside of each alternative and comparing the alternatives to reach the optimal decision.

Will the changes to be made be incremental, or will they become radical in nature and effect? What amount of risk can the company endure? What are the risks of staying put versus those of investing in change? What is the likelihood that the new technology will actually lead to the changes in sales, profitability and return on investment that the company is seeking? What will be the impact on the market place and how will competitors react?

While the approach above certainly is not complete, using it as a starting point should help your company select an approach which will help maintain your competitive position. Effective strategic planning can help your company select those opportunities which should lead to increased leadership in the market place.

If strategic planning is not helping your company as you want it to, please contact me at: baldwin@cssp.com for planning leadership and guidance. For more information on how to position your company in the face of changing technical trends please read: Xerox Positions Itself to Succeed in the 21st Century: What You Need to do to Ensure Your Company Does Not Become Obsolete.

Using a Light Rental Company

If you are planning an event, be it corporate or otherwise the most important decision is the color scheme. It is often overlooked or not considered important, but the right color scheme well set the tone of your event. Whether corporate or entertainment, the color scheme you choose is a reflection of you or your company. Sight is a sense that plays a major role in daily lives. Even though you do not consciously register what you are seeing, the brain takes a note of it and factors it into your decision. For example depending on the color, a room can be made to appear larger or smaller.

Hiring a lighting rental company will help you decide and improve on the theme you have selected. If you are having your event under a marquee, consider computer controlled lighting systems. These could be used to project captions on the ceiling of the marquee or be used as disco lights to change the mood between speeches and dancing. Experienced event companies have a variety of packages and themes to choose from and they will customize a theme package to fit your requirements.

Event planning companies are mostly hiring lighting rentals that use LED technology. Improving technologies have made LED lighting closer in costs to conventional lighting, though it may be a while before you see LEDs approaching the same costs as incandescent. LEDs offer a wide range of colors to work with at a substantially lower power usage. In fact so good is the technology that stadiums constructed now-a-days all incorporate LED lighting on the exterior. These lights are often programmed to fade and contrast in the home team and visitors colors. The small size of the bulbs makes it possible to design features and images that are not possible with traditional bulbs.

Up lighting is directional lighting and as the name suggests in the vertically up direction. It is also know as accent lighting and is used to create dramatic, highlighting and various other effects. For example pointing an up light at a wall produces a subtle effect by creating a shaft of light up the wall that is reflected around the room as ambient light. Uplighting is a wonderful way to complement the room rather than be the center of attention. A few other lighting options are lights for the DJ or stage, the gift table, first dance lighting, a custom monogram and pinspotting the table center pieces.

Event lighting companies analyze and study your event and come up with an action plan. This will tell them of the equipment they are going to need. Once they know what equipment and how much labor they require they start setting up at the venue. Most event planning companies have an event lighting branch of their own and using them is a good way to avoid chaos, delays and setbacks. Make sure that the company you hire makes arrangements for a full backup.

Hiring A Business Development Consultant - Mistake Or Opportunity?

I just finished searching the web for business and marketing consultants, and even as a professional Business Consultant, I was left confused and skeptical. The profession seems to be filled with those who over-promise, have little experience, and some who only want to sell you anything but knowledge based on experience. Fortunately, under the rubble, there are those who have spent a lifetime in business and who are practicing professional consultants with a great deal to offer the right customers. Since this is my business, I decided it might be time to offer my observations on why you might need a professional consultant, and how you can benefit.

I am a Business Development, Strategic Planning, and Marketing consultant. I specialized in helping small to mid-sized companies review their current activities and providing Critical Analysis, Strategic Planning and Implementation guidance in my areas of expertise. My goal is to help small business and mid-sized companies grow by understanding where they are today, where they want to go, and exactly how to get there.

With the disclosure out of the way, let me provide my guidance on hiring a business consultant, what to look for, and what to expect for your time and money.

1) EXPERTISE: The single most important reason to hire an outside business consultant is to bring in expertise that you do not already have in house.

Most people have a background in their industry, and many have experience in two or three industries. Some people even have experience with 10 or 15 products within that industry, but knowledge, experience and hands on management of a broader range of products, from over a hundred companies, and building marketing and distribution in diverse markets such as North America, Europe and Asia is experience few people have.

When you look for a consultant you want someone who has a breadth of knowledge and experience that exceeds that which you already have. Along with bringing a new or different perspective to your analysis and strategic planning, a consultant should bring knowledge that is outside the scope of your current environment.

By bringing in someone with a wide range of knowledge and experience in their area of expertise you supplement your current knowledge base. Most companies already have excellent people on staff performing their duties in the areas of business development, marketing and sales. Limitations occur because of the 'box' in which we work. You and your staff are running full speed ahead to keep up with the demands of your business. In many cases, you are putting out fires as quickly as they ignite (if you're lucky). This environment dictates that you focus on the job at hand. When you and your staff meet, you are discussing real problems that need immediate solutions. There is little time to research what other companies are doing and what is successful or not for them.

A consultant should bring an 'out of the box' perspective to your table the moment they walk in the door. They may not understand the minutia of your business immediately, but through discussion and some research they will bring new perspective and ideas to your problem solving and business planning process. Their expanded world view will open new doors of opportunity for your organization and offer ideas that have proven successful in other environments.

2) ECONOMICS: The second most likely reason to hire an expert business development consultant is saving money.

Hiring the expertise you need for every aspect of your business development process is not only impractical, but impossible.

When we need professional expertise we either outsource or bring on new staff. Today, in this economy, hiring new staff is a luxury most small business cannot afford. Outsourcing is a good alternative, and in the case of consultants, a highly cost effective alternative.

In addition to bringing immediate knowledge, consultants bring all the benefits of outsourcing. Taxes and Benefits are the responsibility of the consultant and never carried as overhead by the company. Costs are controlled and can fit your budget. Hiring and firing are as simple as picking up the phone. No job search, no severance. Consultants are usually available when you want them and expendable when you do not. For many that description is a little uncomfortable, but a professional consultant is an independent business person (or company) who works at the pleasure of YOU.

In addition to all the benefits of outsourcing, a professional consultant brings immediate payback. Duplicating the expertise of a good consultant might require 3, 5 or even 8 different positions to be filled by experienced managers. Each position requires training and integration into the organization. One expert not only provides the knowledge-base of those positions, but also hits the ground running.

Finally, regarding a good consultant's hourly or daily fee. My experience is that they are usually priced at the level of a senior partner in a law firm or regional accounting firm. When compared to the cost of hiring that same expertise on a long-term basis, they are almost always a bargain.

When hiring a consultant, clearly define your objectives and identify the deliverables he or she will provide. Always receive a firm bid quote. Then consider; can we do this in house? If so, what is the cost in using our own manpower, including the cost of pulling that manpower off other projects? If not (which is usually the case), then ask if the deliverables and benefits are worth the cost?

3) USABLE DELIVERABLES: You want a deliverable that can be used over a long period of time throughout the organization.

In most cases, you hire a business development consultant to help you solve a specific problem or more often help you define a plan of action for taking you where you want to go. In such cases, you want someone who can deliver in writing a road map for future activities. To do this, they must be able to guide you through a careful and thorough review process in which both you and the consultant identify what is working and what is not, and where the holes are in your present plan.

A good consultant will then be able to lead a strategic planning process in which the consultant, you and your staff collaborate on developing an expanded plan in which your ideas and wishes are combined with the consultant's to create a plan that is much better than anyone alone could create.

Finally, a qualified expert consultant will be able to create a written plan that includes a full marketing plan and budget that can be used as a guide, a road map if you will, to take you where you want to go.

This document should not be an academic study, but a dynamic real-world document that reflects the hands-on expertise of your organization and the consultant, and is used, reviewed, and updated on a regular basis.

4) OBJECTIVITY: You must have objectivity that ensures the advice you receive is in YOUR best interest.

You want a consultant that is objective with no conflicts of interest or hidden agendas. In order to give you the valuable information you're paying for, your consultant must have only one allegiance - you.

This doesn't mean that the consultant you hire hasn't, or won't in the future, work for companies in your industry. In affect, that experience and diversity of knowledge is what gives them value. It does mean that they sign a confidentiality agreement; they do not discuss or disclose any proprietary information to anyone outside your organization; and they are not obligated to another company in any way that would degrade their work for you. 簫簫簫簫簫簫簫

What you want is someone who has the experience to be called an expert, and professional ethics to match their expertise.

5) HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Finally, you want someone who has experience in the field. As a small business manager or entrepreneur you need experts who understand the challenges you face, and who have had to meet and solve those challenges.

As a small businessman in my first company (a drafting and engineering company) I hired someone who had been a high level manager with a very large engineering firm. I thought they would bring expertise in how to run my business. What I got was someone who was used to managing assistants and departments, but who had no real knowledge of how to get the job done. In other words, he understood big business and big budgets, but he didn't know how to roll his sleeves up and deal with my problems. After spending much time and money, I finally realized my mistake. After that, I made sure the advisors I hired had the hands-on experience of an entrepreneur and knew what running a small business was all about.

When you hire a consultant you want someone who has been there, built and managed companies, analyzed markets, and implemented and managed business development, marketing and sales campaigns in a wide range of markets for diverse products, for small to mid sized companies. You want a professional consultant with hands-on experience who understands your problems and can offer real world advice and solutions.

The best way to ensure you have an experienced professional that can truly help your organization is talk with them. A qualified consultant will have a history that speaks to your market, will have references, and will be able to communicate with you in a way that tells you they know what they are talking about. You will hear their competence in their answers to your questions and in the questions they ask you.

What I suggest is after you read their materials, visit their website, and complete your due diligence, call the individual(s) you think are qualified and talk with them. Ask questions specific to your business and industry, and listen carefully to the answers. If the answers are full of fluff and hyperbole know that the service you receive will likely be the same. If, on the other hand, you hear information that feels real, has substance, and reflects an understanding of the subject, you may have found someone who can truly help you shortcut the learning curve of building your business, help you reduce costs, and help you significantly move your small business or mid-sized company forward.

Some final comments about hiring a business development consultant:

Consultants may be experts, but they won't know everything about every industry. In most cases, you will know your industry and business better than they ever will. What a good business development consultant brings to your table is a diverse range of experience that can apply to your situation. They bring new ideas, and the ability to think outside of the box, which, when combined with your specific company knowledge, catapults your organization forward. Don't expect them to know upfront all your industry statistics or demographics, that they can obtain through research. What they will know is how to solve the broader questions of where you want to go and how to get there.

Professional consultants are full time and have been for a long time. They are not part time consultants and not 'between jobs.' Their expertise is born of long term work and effort, and it is displayed in the service they provide you.

The best consultants work on a fee basis, with costs quoted and known upfront. Proposals should be in writing and itemized to identify a projects objective, scope, and timeline. Transparency and no-surprises are exactly what you're looking for.

Good luck and good marketing.

How to Get Music Festival Volunteer Jobs This Summer

There are a lot of reasons why working at a music festival is a good idea, and only one of them involves getting into the concert for free. Check out why working at a festival this summer is a great way to get ahead in your events jobs career and why it's more than worth working for free.

Summer music festivals are put on all over the globe especially between May and September. Some of the larger events include Bonnaroo, Coachella, and the Glastonbury Music Festival. The calendar is extensive.

1. Concert Event Access

Some of the best ways to find work at a music festival is through volunteering. Sure, getting paid for the hours you're at the festival is more appealing than working for free, but finding paid positions with minimal work experience can be difficult. Music festivals however, almost always need volunteers. Even though event volunteers might not get the coolest jobs like putting up the stage or helping the band, the jobs volunteers do perform are important for the success of the festival. Of course, the biggest perk of all is that by working a shift as a volunteer, you gain free access to the concert. What could be better then seeing your favorite bands for free? Although most event planning companies require volunteers to work a shift in order to see the show, for some of the bigger festivals, there is more than enough time to complete your shift and still enjoy the concert. Become a volunteer and gain free access to your favorite summer concerts!

2. Volunteer Hours

The second best reason to volunteer at a music festival is the volunteer hours. Volunteer hours look excellent on any resume and can often be the selling point behind college and graduate school applications. Volunteer hours show potential schools and employers that you're serious about working in events jobs and that you've already had valuable experience. Working as a volunteer can easily take the place of work experience on a resume and is a great place to start any events job career path.

3. Experience and Knowledge

Although we've hinted at it before, working as a volunteer provides you with valuable experience in the events job industry. When you're applying for an entry-level job consider how you will look against someone who has never volunteered for an event. As an applicant you already understand how live events work, where problems arise and have direct experience and knowledge in dealing with those problems. As someone applying for a job, having volunteer hours on your resume shows dedication, experience and knowledge in the career path you're working towards.

4. An Insider Look

If you're not sure about working in the music festival or concert industry, try volunteering first. By acting as a volunteer you will get a first hand look at what working at a music festival is like and it acts as a valuable way to test whether or not you will like working an events job. The time and experience behind volunteering at a music festival not only makes you more appealing when you apply, but gives you an insider's look at what working in the music festival industry is really like.

5. Networking

It doesn't happen all the time, but on occasion volunteers will be asked to take on a roll that involves more responsibility. This often involves working directly with events coordinators, event managers, bands, talent buyers and agents. Regardless of what happens during your time as a volunteer you will be in and around the people who are already getting paid to work in the industry. It will be your time to shine and and excellent way to build up relationships and references as a volunteer. Sometimes those references can be used to find current or future job openings. Other times, working as a volunteer is also a good way to show people in the industry how dedicated you are to doing a good job while working on an event. Networking is a valuable part of any job and meeting people who are working on a similar event, even as a volunteer, is a good place to start forging relationships.

Financial Planning For Your Company's Survival

Are you absolutely certain of your company's success? Keeping in consideration the basic volatility and uncertainties of the financial markets, it is unlikely for any entrepreneur to be able to totally insure his/her company against sudden, and potentially damaging, financial losses. This is where corporate planning comes into the picture. A stable company is one which can ride over all possible upturns, and, more importantly, the downswings in the business environment. It is ideal, hence, to hire the services of professional planners, who would be well-placed to ensure the survival of your company under all circumstances.

There are certain basic strategies that are recommended by most advisors, while forming the steps for a company's survival. These strategies are, typically, dynamic and flexible, adaptable to changes according to the prevalent business and economic scenario. A company might face a sudden crisis due to an unforeseen economic meltdown, or adverse factors hitting a particular industry. A finance plan for companies should take into account all such factors, and help the business to safely tide over such situations.

The basic suggestions that company financial advisors make for the survival of your business can be described as follows:

1. Diversification of Assets - As the old saying goes; it is never wise to put 'all your eggs in one basket.' As the company entrepreneur, you should ensure that the overall portfolio of your company is adequately diversified into different sectors. This would make sure that sudden adversities in one business sector would never force your company to go out of business,

2. Revving Up The Total Cash Reserves - If your company is actually facing liquidity problems, it is likely that your planners would advise you to sell off excess inventory equipments. Additional inventories should also be procured, only up to the minimum necessary levels. This would help your company to cut back on excess expenses. The money saved in this way can be used to clear off unpaid bills and other debt items,

3. Quality Of Products - When the economic conditions are not favorable, company financial planners deem it necessary that your business produces a superior-quality product, compared to rival businesses. The higher quality of your product and/or service would help to maintain the viability of your company in the eyes of the customers, and help the former to survive business crises,

4. Employment Of Part-Time Workers - Corporate financial planning strategies state that, it is not advisable to hire a large number of full-time, permanent employees, if your company is facing a potential survival problem. Instead, more part-time workers (who work as freelancers) should be hired. These workers, unlike the permanent workers, need not be paid health care benefits and several other business amenities. Hence, a significant amount from the company funds can be saved, and

5. Using Employee Opinions And Cheaper Materials - The suggestions of the planners should be suitably complemented with all useful ideas that the existing employees of the company can come up with. Saving money on the normally used expensive raw materials, and switching over to cheaper, good-quality ingredients also remains an option.

Hence, it is certainly not impossible for a company to tide over problematic business situations. Company financial planners, if hired, can help you adopt the correct strategies to ensure the survival of your company. Indeed, efficient planning schemes should always be in place, to support a company in all types of economic environments.

The 3 Most Important Factors of Catering

Whether you're planning a small dinner with friends or an enormous banquet for a fundraiser, the importance of good catering cannot be overstated. Not only does depending on an outside company to prepare the meal free you to concentrate on the other aspects of event planning, but if you choose wisely you can serve your guests a meal that would have been nearly impossible to pull together on your own. When it comes to choosing a company, there are many similarities to the factors you would weigh when choosing a restaurant. But there are other considerations as well. Here are three of the most important factors to think about when hiring one.

The Cooking

Obviously, it begins-if it doesn't necessarily end-with the food itself. Your first goal should be to find catering that will "cater" to your guests. In other words, you might not choose a four star gourmet company for a kids birthday party. Likewise, you might not choose a place that specializes in greasy BBQ if you're planning a white tie affair. But beyond making sure the food is appropriate, you also need to make sure it's actually good. Many places will allow you to taste test their wares before committing. It is a good idea to take them up on that offer.

Safety

Many local markets have news stations that provide behind-the-scenes looks at area restaurants, expose them for dirty practices, and warn consumers when an eatery is slipping underneath regulations. These stations rarely go after catering companies, however, which leaves the research to you. And, if anything, it's even more important to make sure the caterer you're thinking of hiring adheres to proper food safety techniques. This isn't coming straight from the kitchen to your table, after all. Make sure the company you hire has the means and capabilities to keep your food safe and warm (or cold) before it arrives in front of your guests.

Customer Service

It is as important in the catering business as it is in the restaurant field and it is something you should look into carefully before hiring a company. This is something you can usually form an opinion about well before the event itself. Most companies will work with you to create the perfect menu for the dinner. Before even that begins, you should be watching how their personnel interacts with you and what level of service you're getting. If you feel as though you aren't being treated like an important client, you may want to take your business to someone else.

Catering Services for Businesses

The corporate world is a chaotic place to be in. There are many things occurring left and right. Business meetings along with other corporate events take place one after the other, leaving hardly any room to breathe in. Because everything happens fast in the corporate setting, organizing successful business events may require plenty of energy in as little time as possible.

Unlike social events, business functions may require the best catering services. Business occasions are attended by important people such as shareholders, clients, suppliers and other executives. Planning and managing a company event can make or break your company's future. You want to astonish all these important people. You want them to feel at home and to develop a relationship with all these professionals in your company and in your business. Having a rewarding event may improve your company's image. Successful events gain your clients and suppliers' confidence in your company making them want to invest in a relationship with you. Important business functions are attended by important people in the business industry. Because of this, it is crucial that you give your customers and your suppliers your utmost attention and care. That's why corporate catering services may be of great help in arranging corporate events.

Whether a small-group or a big-group is expected to attend your company's event, choosing business catering services will make planning, organizing, and implementing your company event a piece of cake. With corporate catering, you are sure to receive high-quality meals and services for your clients and suppliers. Catering companies who provide corporate catering services help you coordinate your corporate event in the best interest of your clients. They know what you want. They also know what your clients and suppliers need. Caterers with corporate accounts make it their business to take care of your company by taking care of your clients.

Corporate catering is a good way to provide your clients with a myriad of food selection during company events. They guarantee that you and your clients will love their meal options. The caterers set up their menu in a way that will make getting food and drinks easy for you and your clients. Catering for businesses is both functional and conventional, making your business event as smooth sailing as possible. Your clients' opinion about your company will be affected by the kind of corporate catering services they were provided with. So you only want nothing but the best in this regard.

Corporate catering works well for in-house meetings, staff acknowledgement events, training seminars, holiday celebrations, and company anniversary celebrations. Catering also works well for evening events such as company annual party, fundraising events, or shareholders' meeting. In organizing such events, it is very important that you hire a corporate caterer who knows very well how to manage such events. Hiring a corporate caterer who has made a name in the corporate catering business is the best choice to help you manage your business event. A caterer that has relevant experience in catering for the corporate world will be most suitable for the job.

Photo Booths Build Company Morale

In today's economy, companies are looking for effective ways to grow their business. When you look at any firm, their employees are their greatest assets. They directly interact with customers, and employee retention is key to cost reduction. If you are planning a team event, a photo booth rental is a great way to boost company morale. Read our article below to learn more about creating a positive environment for your co-workers.

Everyone has seen a photo booth at least once in their life. They are a nostalgic way to capture memories. You don't have to plan a large scale event to have a booth. Guests could have a great time in the booth at the office while they are on their lunch breaks. Photo booths can quickly boost productivity in the workplace. Imagine everyone laughing it up in the booth with their co-workers.

Bring on the Fun

There are many ways to keep the event fun and unique. Try throwing a surprise party. Decorate a storage room and tell employees to dress to impress. You could even give the team building party a theme. Your photo booth can match the theme by incorporating colors and slogans into the photo booth design message area. This goes on the bottom of every photo. We also encourage you to bring props to help loosen guests up. Nothing is more priceless than seeing your boss wear big sunglasses with a clown wig.

Show off Your Scrapbook

Reputable photo booth companies give duplicate copies of photo strips. One half goes to guests and the other half goes to the planning committee. There are many ways to use your half of the photo. A common way is to scrapbook them while employees leave messages in the book. This scrapbook can be placed in the foyer or break room. Just think of all the amazing comments your employees, clients, and suppliers will give you.

Photos around the Office

If you opt out of the scrapbook idea, you still have options for your other half of the photo. You could surprise the employees and tape photos around the office. Do it on every floor of the building. Co-workers will be laughing throughout the week as they walk up and down your hallways.

Harness the Intranet

Bigger companies will use an intranet to educate employees. This is a great way to communicate the success of the photo booth from the team building event. Why not post a video on the website showing co-workers in action? You could even include comments of their initial reactions. This is just another way to generate buzz with employee morale.

Whose the Most Photogenic

There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. If you read the paragraph above, then you might consider hosting a contest on your company website. You could have customers, suppliers, and employees rate who was the best picture taker. Put a deadline on the contest and watch how competition brings out the best people.

As you can see there are many benefits from having a photo booth at your upcoming company morale event. You could do a combination of ideas to get co-workers energized about your company's message. Whatever the message is, just remember to keep it fun and keep it going.

Company Picnics - How To Plan One

STEP 1: GET ORGANIZED

Start with a notebook divided into sections for Budget, Location, Raffle Items, Party Favors, Food & Beverage, Invitations, Activities, and Games & Entertainment. Even for the smallest picnic, having this notebook will make your job easier and keep all of your important info in one place.

Get your picnic committee together and decide who will cover what duties. It is important to have people on the committee who are god communicators and who work well together. It is also important to appoint a committee chair who would be responsible for all final decisions which need addressed.

STEP 2: Check Your Calendar

Since your employees' families are going to be invited, the event will more then likely need to be held on a weekend. Make sure the date you pick is not a religious holiday, and unless you want to encourage a mutiny, don't plan to hold the event on a long weekend or when half of the staff is away on vacation.

STEP 3: Determine an Approximate Head Count

Determine who will attend your company picnic and attempt to put together an approximate head count of those who will attend. While there is no exact science to do this, we have found through our experience that about 80% of those invited will attend. Multiply that number by 2.5 to account for spouses and kids. This should give you a number to work with which makes sense.

STEP 4: Establish a Budget

The company will give you limited amount of dollars to spend on your event. This budget will dictate most of your decisions. Make sure to remember Food, Drink, Entertainment, Prizes, Location Fees, etc. Corporate Picnics & Events is an all inclusive turn-key event company. This means that you can call us up, give us a budget to work with and a head count and we will do all of the work for you. We arrange the location, provide catering, print fliers for your office, take pictures, and more. We take the stress upon our shoulders which gives you more time to focus on other things.

STEP 5: Pick a Location

If you have had your company picnic at the same spot for more than 2 or 3 years in a row, consider moving it. If you decide to have it in the same location as before, consider moving it to a different spot on the event site. This will give your employees a refreshingly new feel to the annual event.
Try to find a location that can offer privacy. Many companies are having their picnic on their own grounds, either in a grassy area or in the parking lot. However, if you do decide to have it off site, you should attempt to find a location which can be reserved. Who wants to police other groups and compete over ball fields and other facilities? Make sure you have enough room for your group. It's a picnic, so people will want to move around and kids will want to explore and run around.

If you are having the picnic in a hot month, find a place with lots of shade trees and/or pavilions. You should also think about room for tents. Make sure to plan ahead. Most public parks require a permit which start at about $20.00. The permit will ensure the spot you have in mind is reserved for the event along with picnic tables, fire pits or grills, and the like. Make sure to consider parking. You will want to have enough space for all of your guest's cars which should be within short walking distance. If this is not possible, you may want to consider a shuttle to help transport people to and from the event site.
Some companies have chosen to have their picnic at an amusement park. These evens can be fun, but they lose the group feel and may not promote the cohesion which an event like a company picnic should. It is hard to get everyone together with the large space for all of the activities. Having a smaller site where all of your guests are within ear range of the DJ or bull horn creates the unity that these events are planned for in the first place.
We suggest your entire picnic committee goes to see the event site. This will help establish in everyone's mind a feel for the site and what activities would work within the space. This will also help give everyone a chance to come up with ideas on how to make the event an exciting one.

STEP 6: Laying the Groundwork

Get the committee together and decide the times of the event. Most picnics last between 3 and 4 hours. If you have people working who come in shifts, then make sure the event lasts long enough to accommodate those employees.
Next, decide on any themes you may wish to have. Though a theme is not necessary, it adds a different kind of spice to the event. Some popular themes are Western, Mardis Gras, Circus Big Top, Country Fair, Safari, Luau, etc. You will want to decide on food to correspond to the theme. Your picnic can be catered or potluck. Your budget will dictate what you can and can't do. If you choose an entertainment company which provides turn-key event planning such as Corporate Picnics & Events, They should have you covered on catering if you so choose.

STEP 7: Activities and Entertainment

It's a picnic, so every one of all ages should have something to entertain them. At Corporate Picnics & Events, this is our specialty. We have many different packages and options which provide zones of entertainment for all ages, individual and family interaction included.
Inflatables are a huge hit with the kids all the way through the high school age group. Of course, many adults love to play on them as well. At Corporate Picnics & Events, we have the largest selection of inflatables to choose from in Arizona. All age brackets will have a fun and challenging experience with a variety of inflatables.
Carnival booths work great also. They offer a wide variety of games for all age groups. Just like at the fair. Prizes, which are often included in the cost of the carnival booth rentals, add a nice touch which gives all of your guests an opportunity to bring home a souvenir. Frisbee golf, volleyball, badminton, bocce ball, and other outdoor games can also be a popular segment of your picnic.
For the crowd that does not wish to participate in the more physical games, nothing beats old fashion Bingo. You can choose from a simple set-up, or a deluxe set-up which comes complete with a professional ball hopper. Prizes are what make this game so exciting, so make sure to pick some great ones.
For that extra touch, live entertainment is a great option. This could range from face painters, clowns, magicians, stilt-walkers, and balloon artists to a DJ or live band. They can also come in handy to fill in the gaps between planned events at the picnic.
Another popular option which goes over well is the classic family games package. This is a combination of old style picnic games such as egg toss, water balloon toss, 3 legged race, monster tricycle races, centipede skis, stick pony gallop races, beach ball hop races, and more. Ribbons or medals are often provided as part of this package.

STEP 8: Start an Information Campaign

Approximately one month prior to the picnic, you need to start getting word out about the event. There are many ways to do this such as talking it up in meetings, put an article in the company newsletter, attach notes to payroll, e-mails, and putting up posters and fliers in strategic locations throughout your building. When you book with Corporate Picnics & Events, we provide you a free event promo kit. This includes full color 11x17 customizable posters which feature all of the picnic information including pictures of the games and activities which will be present. We also provide a smaller size slick to use to pass around the office.
Be sure to let people know about what kind of prizes you will be giving away at the picnic. There are many ways to give the prizes away. You can have a raffle or you could even have a casino section where the employees play Vegas style games and bid their winnings on prizes at the end of the picnic. Most corporate events have prizes and gifts which are given away to reward their employees in one way or another. They also boost morale and show employee appreciation. It is not enough to just have several nice prizes or cash rewards without announcing in advance what will be given away.
Several companies worry about attendance if they spend the money and have a big event. This worry can be justified, however, we have found that poor attendance correlates with employees really not knowing what to expect, what activities will be at the picnic, and what prizes will be given away. Employees often respond better to an event which focuses on group and family fun, rather then the individual activities. Pre-event activities at the office can also spark interest in the picnic. Give employees opportunities to win or achieve additional raffle tickets to win prizes at the event and they must be present at the event to win. Also, make sure the event is located at a central site which is convenient for everyone.

STEP 9: The Big Day

As the stress and worries come to a peak, make sure to get some sleep the night before the event. Inclusive turn-key event companies like Corporate Picnics & Events take a lot of the stress away by providing all of the services which are required to make your picnic a success. In addition, they have their customer relations / Sales people keep in periodic contact with you in the weeks leading up to the event. This contact should include a map and layout of how the event will be set-up, a timeline for activities, and courtesy calls. These are added benefits which we have found to take much of the stress away from the committee and employees who are in charge of planning the event.

What to Look for In an Event Company

Hiring the right event company to produce your special event can make the difference between hosting an event that is organized and well received from one that is unprofessional and a dismal failure. A professional event company can prove an invaluable asset in helping to produce a special event such as a conference, trade show, new product launch, workshop or employee training session so that everything goes smoothly and event attendees get the maximum benefit out of the program. There is a checklist of things to consider when hiring the right company to produce or manage your special event.

First, look for a company that has solid experience in producing and organizing the type of event you want to offer. Some companies can handle a wide range of events, while others specialize in producing specific types of events. During an initial meeting with the company, be sure to have a clear outline of your budget, timeframe and needs so that the company will know the parameters of what they have to work with in order to match your needs without exceeding the amount of money and resources you have dedicated to producing the special event.

Ask the company for references and then follow up with these to find out other people's experience in using their services to produce a special event similar to the one you are planning. If you are planning a special event at a remote location rather than on your own home turf, it can be wise to choose an event management company based in that location because they know the local area and how its resources can best suit your event.

Find out whom from the event planning company will be assigned to your account and if there are several staff members who will be involved in coordinating your event. Determine if the company will have one of their member's onsite the day of the event to handle any troubleshooting and to oversee every that every detail of the event goes as planned and as expected. Be wary of companies comprised of only one individual who might easily be overwhelmed handling every detail, as well as companies that use contractors in managing client events because these individuals may not be as reliable as company employees.

Be certain to cover every detail with the event planning company you hire, from food and beverage service to lighting, entertainment, and registration and parking so there will be no unpleasant surprises the day of the event. Get everything in writing when you contract with a company to manage your event so there is no misunderstandings and that all of your expectations are met.