Meeting Planning - Negotiate Like A Pro

Meeting planners who negotiate successfully all have one thing in common: They know the value of their meeting from the hotel's perspective. All too often, planners make the mistake of assuming that because their annual convention is valuable to their organization, it must be valuable to the property. But that's not always the case.

Remember that a piece of business is only valuable to a hotel if it provides profit -- maximum profit, if possible. (The value of your meeting drops, for example, if any other group wants the same dates and is willing to pay a higher room rate or provide more food and beverage revenue.) So be sure to thoroughly analyze every aspect of your event -- just the way a hotel sales manager would. The result will be power and confidence at the negotiating table. Here are seven major areas to consider in your analysis:

1. Corporate or Association Influence

Corporate meetings can be more attractive to hotels than association meetings for several reasons. For starters, they're typically short-term and yield a higher average daily rate. Corporations also usually spend more on food and beverage than associations and are much better at estimating their room pickup since attendance is often mandatory.

On the other hand, corporations tend to cancel their meetings more frequently. Associations rarely cancel because their bylaws generally require them to convene once a year and their annual meetings are, more often than not, their biggest revenue-generating events of the year. In addition, association meetings are often booked many years out, allowing hotels to forecast future years much better. An association's annual meeting also can offer more guest room nights -- a hotel's largest profit area.

2. Number of Room Nights

You may think that the more room nights you can offer a hotel, the stronger your negotiating leverage will be. But that's not necessarily a given. More important than the number of room nights is how those room nights fit into the business mix of the hotel. The transient market has been on the rise for the past several years, resulting in an overall drop in the number of rooms committable for the group market. So, in certain instances, a large meeting may actually be too large for a particular property's group block allotment.

Fortunately, the number and variety of mid-range hotels geared toward the transient market (Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Inns, Hilton Garden Inn, etc.) is also on the rise, which means group room blocks are slowly inching their way back up again.

3. Season

Most properties have three seasons. During high season, hotels typically have occupancy rates of 90 percent or better and, as a result, have little incentive to be flexible and make rate concessions. During shoulder season, occupancy rates usually fall between 70 percent and 89 percent, giving you a bit more negotiating power. You have the most bargaining leverage in low season, when occupancy dips below 70 percent and properties are pretty much willing to "do whatever it takes" to book the business. (Low season conditions also can occur when a hotel is hit with a short-term cancellation and needs to fill the hole quickly.)

A hotel's seasons most often correspond with the seasons of the year. In Florida, for example, winter is high season and summer (especially August) is low season. But a hotel's "seasons" also correspond with the days of the week. At most downtown and airport hotels, for instance, high season is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; off season is Friday and Saturday; and shoulder season is Sunday and Monday.

At resorts, high season is generally dictated by the weather and its relationship to the resort's recreation focus. May through September could be high season at a midwestern resort, low season at a desert resort, and shoulder season at a ski resort. (In gaming destinations like Las Vegas, weekends are high season and weekdays are shoulder season.) And if you meet over a holiday, you are definitely in low season at most hotels.

4. Food and Beverage

Food and beverage has gone from being a break-even line item for hotels in the '70s and early '80s to their second-largest profit center. So the more F&B revenue you can offer a property, the more valuable your piece of business becomes. Using post-convention reports, calculate exactly how much your meeting is worth to the hotel in terms of food and beverage dollars. Don't forget to include "hidden" revenues from affiliated groups, hospitality suites, exhibit floor concessions, and other trackable revenues that a hotel may be able to provide. After tallying up these miscellaneous sources of revenue, you may discover that you have more negotiating clout than you initially thought.

5. Space Requirements

Ideally, the amount of meeting space you need to book should be proportionate to the number of rooms you need to block. If you're blocking 100 rooms in a 500-room hotel, but require all of the function space, for example, your event is not going to be perceived as valuable because it leaves the property with no space to sell to another group. If you find yourself in this position, look for ways to reduce your space requirements. Perhaps you can use your general session room for lunch. Or maybe you really don't need 16 concurrent breakout sessions.

6. Pattern

Your arrival/departure pattern should fit into the group pattern of the hotel -- historically Sunday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Sunday. If your convention falls into one of these time frames, its value automatically increases. If you want to arrive on Tuesday and depart on Saturday, however, its value significantly decreases since the property would most likely have to break apart a standard date pattern before and after your meeting.

7. Opportunities for Ancillary Revenues

The more opportunities you create for your attendees to spend money, the greater the value of your business to a hotel. Properties in gaming destinations love to see open afternoons and evenings. Resorts want your attendees to utilize their spa, golf course, and other extras. If your program runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the hotel knows those facilities will not be utilized. Other areas to consider are in-house service providers such as a destination management company or audio-visual company, which typically give a portion of their revenues to the property.

Once you have a handle on the true value of your meeting to the hotel, you are ready to negotiate. Begin by compiling two lists: one of your needs (items that are not negotiable) and one of your wants (items that you would like to augment your event). An example of "needs" might be a specific number of guest rooms, a rate no higher than $140 a night, a general session room that seats 1,500 people, and 12 breakout rooms accommodating 200 people each theater-style. Your "wants" might include a complimentary breakfast for your board of directors, limo transportation for your keynote speaker, and six suite upgrades. Always negotiate your needs first. If the hotel can't meet these basic requirements, move on to the next property on your list. When negotiating your wants, remember that the hotel has to turn a profit. Your "wish list" should be reasonable, based on the value of your meeting, and not so extensive that the hotel decides to take another piece of business over yours. Also keep in mind the three main factors that come into play when negotiating with a hotel or any other supplier: 1) time, 2) information, and 3) power.

Time

Recognize time as an investment. Don't expect to select the site for your next meeting in a day. (There may be times when your meeting fits well into the first destination you call, but don't expect this to happen often.) Expect to invest a significant amount of time researching various destinations and properties as well as analyzing the value of your meeting. Only then will you be able to negotiate successfully. Listen for key indicators to get the upper hand. Every salesperson has performance goals. So if a hotel sales manager indicates a sense of urgency by saying, "I could really use the contract back by the end of the week" or "What is it going to take to get this done by the 26th?," it most likely means that he needs your piece of business to meet a quota or secure his performance bonus. As a result, those few remaining contract points or concessions that you still haven't obtained may be in reach if you can address the hotel's need to close the deal quickly.

Remember, this works in reverse too. If you are behind schedule in selecting a site for your annual convention and tell the sales manager that you need to sign a contract by the end of the week, don't expect to close the conversation and be successful with: "And by the way, can I have three more dollars off the rate and six limo transfers?"

You set the clock. Don't allow time to become your enemy. Never begin the process of negotiations or allow someone else to force you into a scenario where, due to lack of time, you agree to unfavorable terms just to get it done. At the same time, don't draw the process out once you have a fair agreement.

Concessions are made when time is running out. A sales manager has no added incentive to make concessions at the start of the negotiation process when he knows you are looking at seven cities and 21 hotels. He does have incentive, however, when he is one of three finalists and this is the last shot at earning your business...and if he thinks you may walk away from the negotiating table if your requests aren't met. Very few hotels, after all, are willing to lose an important piece of business based on two suite upgrades or not wanting to provide a complimentary newspaper delivery.

Information

Know their business. Before you can sell the hotel on the value of your meeting, you need to know how the hotel makes its money and what its "hot buttons" are. (Did you know, for example, that the profit margin on hotel rooms can be 70 percent or more, food can be in the low 20-percent area, and beverages are over 70 percent?) Only then can you show the strengths of your meeting and how it fills the hotel's needs. Ultimately, only meeting planners who provide the best historical data on their events that address the overall value of their meeting to the hotel get the best deals. Know your meeting. A sales manager who has been in the industry for six months may not be familiar with your organization or understand the significance of your piece of business. As a result, it's up to you to continually prove the worth of your meeting.

Power

Volume. The more business you can give the hotel, the more negotiating power you have. If you can book two meetings -- the annual convention and perhaps a board of directors meeting, for example -- you will have more leverage than a planner looking at the same dates who can only offer the property one event. If you know you have or can influence multi-year bookings or multiple meetings, bring these to the negotiating table.

Competition. If a sales manager thinks there's no competition, there's no reason to offer you the best possible rate or make any other concessions. On the other hand, if a hotel knows it's competing against two or three properties, it will be much more likely to sharpen its pencil to offer you the best deal possible. If too many hotels are in the final running, however, a property will be less likely to compete aggressively.

Flexibility. The ability to be flexible automatically puts you in a position of power. If you can change your dates slightly, add another food and beverage function, live without 24-hour holds on all meeting space, or switch from classroom to theater-style seating, you may very well boost the value of your piece of business.

The ability to walk away. Even when both parties have done everything they can to attempt to create a win/win situation, you may still find yourself short of your negotiation goals. You must be willing to walk away. Remember, every hotel has a "walk-away rate" as well.

Micro Reality Racing: What Is All the Excitement About Micro Reality Stock Car Racing?

Have you ever been at a fair, festival, company picnic, or other indoor or outdoor gathering of people and seen a huge racetrack that is about the size of a two car garage? Did this racetrack have a huge crowd of people around it screaming their lungs out with excitement? Perhaps this racetrack was under the canopy of a huge inflatable tent with a checkered flag design on top? When you moved in closer to see what the excitement was all about, did you find four to six 1/10th scale Sprint Cup Replica NASCAR cars being driven by remote control from full-sized steering wheels? If so, then what you have witnessed is Micro Reality Racing action. Micro Reality Stock Car Racing is an attraction that has been around for about 15 years and it has quickly swept the nation as one of the most addictive amusements for kids ages 3 to 83. It was invented in Atlantic, Iowa, by three brothers known as the Namanny Brothers. They took a great money-making idea that they invented and decided to mass produce it so that other entrepreneurs could have the opportunity to create a great part-time or full-time income providing racing excitement to patrons at public and private gatherings of lots of people.

There are different formats that a Micro Reality event may have. The three main options are pay-per-play, private event rental, and fundraiser. A pay-per-play event is one where the Micro Reality Racing business operates as a vendor, sets up the track in a public place, and charges each individual racer to pick a car and race for either a set amount of time or a set amount of laps. A typical race would be between 2 and 3 minutes or 12 to 15 laps. A typical charge to race would be between 3 dollars and 5 dollars, depending on the type of event, the region, and the demographics of the crowd. Sometimes vendors will offer multi-race discounts, such as two races for 5 dollars. Typical venues for pay-per-play events are fairs, festivals, shopping malls, car shows and carnivals. The main drawback to this type of event is that the racing revenue is dependent on several factors, such as weather, location, and crowd turnout. Although the potential is there to make a significant amount of income from events lasting anywhere from 2 to 14 days, there is also the possibility of losing money, in the event that the revenue does not exceed the space rental, fuel, lodging, insurance, payments to helpers, food, and other expenses the business will encounter.

A private rental is when the Micro Reality Stock Car Racing track is hired out by a party planner or event coordinator to appear at a specific time and place to offer the patrons of the event unlimited racing for the duration of the event. Instead of being paid per race by the event patrons, the Micro Reality business is paid by the organizers of the event or by the event coordinator to provide unlimited racing for an agreed upon number of hours. This type of arrangement is better for the Micro Reality Racing business owner, as the money is guaranteed and he is usually paid an up-front deposit of 50%, with the balance being paid at the conclusion of the event. With a satisfied event coordinator, the Micro Reality track is guaranteed repeat business for years, if the event is annual. The event planner will also schedule a well-run operation for other functions they have planned throughout the year. There is also a good potential for referrals to other event coordinators. The types of events that private rentals are used for are birthday parties, corporate hospitality events, company picnics, team building retreats and church outings.

A fund-raiser is similar to a pay-per-play event, but there is usually a revenue share between the Micro Reality Stock Car Racing business and the event coordinators. The revenue share will be anywhere from a 90/10 split up to a 50/50 split. At this type of event, sometimes the track owner and event coordinators will agree to use a ticket system so the revenue can be tracked.

A Micro Reality Racing System consists of 18 modular track sections that are similar to folding tables with only two legs. There are twelve 15 degree Curved sections and six straight sections. The track can be configured up to 9 different layouts, anything from a small 10' x 10' circle all the way up to a 25' by 30' Indianapolis Brickyard layout. There are also various oval, superspeedway oval, and asymmetric layouts that can be set up. The cars are adorned with replica NASCAR paint schemes, and usually between four and six cars are raced at one time. The drivers operate the vehicles from behind full-sized steering consoles that are wired with radio controls on the inside. Most successful track owners also track laps with a digital lap counter. Some vendors use a computer and lap counting software which displays race statistics on an LCD monitor.

There are many different ways that a Micro Reality Stock Car Racing system can entertain the crowd at your next event. Although there are many variations in events and venues, the one thing that will be consistent among them all, is the high-level excitement in the crowd and the Micro Reality Racing participants.

The Challenges of Event Planning

Event planning can include corporate events, weddings, concerts and shows. There are two basic ways in which planning and executing an event can be done. One is to do it yourself with the help of your fellow employees and friends, the other is to hire a company to do it.

Today there is a whole host of companies dedicated to this type of work. No matter who does it, planning a show is not something you want to rush into. It should be carefully thought out and done accordingly. It is possible to plan an event without the help of professionals provided certain guidelines are followed.

Business events are an important aspect for any type of business and it is the most common type of event or party. Corporate events are an important part of its success. This way, the employees will know what is going on with the company and it will keep them happy. No matter what type of event is being planned there are five basic guidelines that need to be followed. The first one is who is the event being planned for? This is when questions such as who will be attending need to be made very clear. If there are VIP's attending then hiring security personnel and photographers may be needed.

The next question should be what exactly is the event planned for? This is when questions regarding the theme of the party can be worked out. Events can be planned for two drastically different reasons. For example, a wedding party will have a completely different theme compared to a gun show. As a result the objects needed such as decorations and chairs will be completely different.

The next item on the list will be where is the event going to be held? This is a very crucial one which many people tend to overlook, only to find their event being held at a pig sty. The location of the event can either make or break the event. If you are hiring an event management company then make sure the location is chosen wisely. They may hold the venue at a place where it may be the cheapest for them. Therefore make this very clear at the beginning, before signing the contract.

The next item on the list concerns when or the exact date and time. The duration of the event should also be taken into account. For example, if the event is supposed to happen on the 6th of the month, and then make sure it is clear with both, the guests as well as people who are arranging the event.

There are instances where it will be arranged for the 6th or any other date for that matter, and the guest show up on the 7th instead! Last but least, the next question is, how is the event planning going to be done? This is when all the nitty gritty details get worked out. Questions such as how many chairs will be needed, food and menu, microphones and loud speakers, projectors for presentations, budget, transportation and decoration will be decided. The bottom line is that planning an event need not be a headache if some logical steps are followed.

So What is Event Management

Event management is the process by which an event is planned, got ready in advance, and successfully produced. With increasing importance on entertainment, event management as a business and career is gaining momentum. Want to know more, read on...

Today, there is a powerful industry in full scale development. Managing events, large and small that are inspiring, memorable and unlimited is the goal of all event management companies. But then, all said and done, this discipline is about first class organization and precise execution, and that is precisely where the industries top businesses are focused.

Event Safety Is Vital

Yet a vital component of every single managed event is where event safety has the highest priority. Good event management organisations provide total health and safety services for every event they deliver.

With insurance costs spiraling and the threat of serious litigation costs providing knowledge on necessary procedures and legislation that effects event safety is built into every risk assessment for every event run - if the event management company is worth their salt.

A clear and accurate event safety plan is to be understood by anyone and everyone involved in the organization of the event, whether part of the event management organization of key members of the client. Event safety and risk management are now critical parts of running any event.

Successful Events Don't Just Happen

Successful events are delivered by detailed planning, careful organisation, and most importantly listening to the client. Hands on practical experience makes a huge difference in delivering successful events every time.

The best run events involves a team effort, with all important parties involved in the meticulous planning required, creating exciting and beneficial results to a wide variety of groups and people. Producing successful events is all about attention to detail.

Event Management Training Is Structured

These days there are many certified event management training courses, saving you wasted costs by ensuring that both time and money are spent 100% effectively.

The structure varies, from courses where You will be taken through easy relevant exercises to be completed in actual event scenarios, right up to full-bloodied degree courses, where work experiences are built it.

Universities who offer this exciting degree may send students to volunteer or receive limited pay at companies who are able to give the breadth of experiences they need. Some event management organisations provide training to in-house organisers or coordinators, even using existing events to 'practice' on.

More and more, event management training, design and delivery would complement earlier efforts to get a structure to developing skills for the literally thousands who are fascinated by this evolution of an industry.

Event Management Is Growing Fast

Event management is the process by which an event is planned, prepared, and produced and with increasing business opportunities in the entertainment and business world, it's an industry that is gaining momentum.

Whilst it is process of researching, planning, marketing, executing and evaluating an event, above

Managing events is a fun way to develop a career in an industry that is right at the cutting edge of it's development.

Wedding Planner Series 1 - Is It Worth It?

If you are now or have ever planned a wedding, you know that the thousand and one details involved can quickly overwhelm even the most dedicated multi-tasker. As the bride or groom, not only do you have every practical aspect of the wedding on your mind, but also the inevitable emotional upheaval that comes with a major life change, as well as navigating the sometimes complex process of blending two extended families and learning the boundaries of in-law relationships. With all of that going on, it's no wonder that the temptation to shell out some extra cash to take a logistical load off in the run up to the big day can loom large. The question at hand, though, is this: is it worth it?

The long and short of it is that if you are planning a wedding of any size and/or a reception with any degree of complexity, then the return you will see on your investment in an event planner will most likely be worth it, not only in peace of mind and stress reduction, but possibly even in cost reduction over other aspects of your wedding experience. That is not to say that every wedding needs a dedicated planner. Obviously if you are getting married at the courthouse with a couple of witnesses, followed by a small family dinner at a favorite local spot, you don't need an event planner to help you sort out the details. If, however, you fall somewhere else along the wedding spectrum, more toward the big party/theme wedding/ "I've had a vision since I was six years old" end, for example, then an event planner might be just the thing to keep your head from exploding as you get closer to the big day.

From venue choice to flowers to table linens to cake to bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses, an event planner can certainly be there to help make the big decisions that inform how an event takes shape. That, however, is not truly where an event planner shines. An event planner's true worth is behind the scenes. When you are having a meltdown because you've just found out that your soon to be mother in law is being completely irrational and wants to wear a head to toe scarlet dress to your black and white wedding that you've been planning for the past six months, who is going to take the call from the florist when the flower arrangements you chose three months ago are no longer possible because last night's shipment of imported tulips were splattered all over the interstate in a 13 car pile up and an 11th hour substitution has to be made? When you are in hair and makeup and the venue staff misreads the seating chart and puts your groom's mother and father (who have been divorced and haven't spoken in 13 years) sitting next to one another, who steps in and fixes the seating arrangement before world war 3 happens during cocktail hour? The event planner. Without someone in your corner taking care of those details, you have to look your best, handle your own nerves, soothe your insane family, get married, and handle all the last minute practical details of a wedding and reception on your own with little or no backup. You have bigger things to worry about. Leave the details to the professionals.

Corporate Event Planning Is Challenging Yet Important

Corporate event planning is a challenging and important part of business operations. Such events may be for large guest lists and serve as a massive sales pitch to those in attendance or they may be exclusive events for the upper management of a business. No matter the size of the event, planning and decorating the event should be a priority. An example of a great way to enhance the appearance of the event room is by hiring a long island wedding florist to decorate the room with long island wedding flowers.

As a business, you will have the option of planning and coordinating the event internally or hiring an event manager. For a large event, the business will be better off by hiring the services of a certified professional event management company. There will be many details that need to be attended to, and counting on the employees to get everything done is a great risk.

If you use an outside firm to plan the event, be sure to communicate the objectives and the main reasons why the event is being held. This will help the planners to customize the planning to reflect exclusively with the message you are trying to send to attendees.

For the event to have a lasting impression on those in attendance, the overall beauty of the event room needs to be considered. Long island wedding flowers are a great way to add class and elegance to any occasion. You can hire a long island wedding florist to work in addition to an event planning team and they can work together to make an event room blossom with beauty.

An obvious asset to any corporate event is food and drink. Companies should be meticulous in deciding what catering to use. If the food is bad or in short supply, nothing else you do will matter. Make sure you have an idea of how many people are going to be attending the event and plan on having more food than what seems necessary. Obviously, you don't want to go overboard and end up having to waste uneaten food. But it's better to have a little too much food than not enough.

The timeliness of when food is served is another important aspect of corporate event planning. In most corporate events, there will be some form of presentation that communicates an important message of the company to its employees, suppliers, and customers. Remember that people often attend these events hungry with the intention of consuming quality food, so if you choose to do the presentation first make sure it doesn't last too long. Hungry people have a hard time paying attention when food is about to be served.

Don't underestimate the impact a well-decorated room can have on people. Guests may be fascinated with the long island wedding flowers arranged by a long island wedding florist on each table and they will appreciate the effort that went into decorating. It will show guests that you care about them and that you want them to enjoy everything about being in attendance at your corporate event. As you can see, corporate event planning is a huge thing, and finding the right person to do it can make all of the difference in making a successful event.

7 Tips To Successful Event Planning

Event planners seeking a theme around which to build a novel attraction might do well to take a look at a Hawaii surfing theme.

But before jumping into the water, consider the factors upon which this seemingly no-brainer of a recommendation is based as many event planners have found themselves with the greatest sounding theme yet a small turnout or, possibly worse, a great crowd finding themselves bored and wondering what to do next.

There are a number of elements that when incorporated into an event help to make it a winner from the point of publicity through that very late hour when the last guests are finally told they really have to leave. These elements are the same whether it's a casino night, clambake, or barnyard ho-down. These are the elements that will often make or break your event.

To a large extent, these elements are the same when planning for exhibitions when your success is dependent on making folks stop at your exhibit out of the scores of others competing for their attention. After all, we all know the feeling of manning a booth in which the only people in it are the spillover from the adjacent booth, don't we?

Give 'Em A Theme!

An event without a strong theme is nothing more than a function. Not all bad, but hardly the thing that makes memories. The road to excitement starts when your event is one people are curious or downright excited about and appealing themes will play a big part in establishing that level of interest! So where do you start?

Give 'Em Something Exotic!

The folks in Boise, Idaho, might not get too excited about a Midwestern Barbeque Night but those of us here in the islands who've never ridden a cart filled with hay would delight at corn on the cob and pulled-pork off the spit in between throwing horseshoes and cow dung chips.

At the same time, offer our Midwestern friends an opportunity to enter a big wave surfing contest while their lei-decked friends with Mai-tais in hand cheer them on and you've got the first element of a successful event - a taste of the exotic!

Exotic is really anything that's attractively different than that which we're accustomed. Our ability to deliver something to our guests that puts them into another time or place for those few hours they're with us will determine the excitement and appeal the event holds for them.

Give 'Em A Challenge!

Horseshoes, cook-your-own, surfing contests, craps, poker, blackjack, and dance lessons all offer one thing in common - the opportunity for your guests to engage themselves in a challenge... not so much between themselves but with the activity. This is a key element to instant camaraderie allowing your guests a common and exciting subject to talk about.

Selecting the activities is key and the best ones are those that are as fun to watch as they are to do! Consider walking into a large convention hall and hearing folks screaming and laughing as opposed to the drone of muted talk reflective of your high-classed cocktail parties and you have the difference between an activity and an event!

Give 'Em A Setting They'll Talk About!

Imagine walking into the site of your event and finding hay all over the floor... or sand... or discarded peanut shells. The setting you create is what allows you to take your guests to somewhere they'll find enchanting---simply because it's so different than the setting they left when coming into the room. Elements like coconut trees, hay lofts, and real live barbeque pits are all worth they're weight in gold when combined with food, activities, and entertainment that tie in with the theme!

Settings which provide for photo-opportunities... the seven-foot tiki, Paul Bunyan's stool, or a blackjack dealer's uniform and table are all elements that encourage your guests to pose for pictures within your event. This is your best advertising for future event-planning contracts and will delight your guests at the same time.

Give 'Em Food & Drink With A Flair!

While everyone knows to serve Mai-Tais and Pineapple Smoothies at a Hawaiian-Themed event, you can also get by with some pretty ordinary fare given a dose of creativity. Hot dogs with Hawaiian garnishes, tropical flavored snow cones, and some coconut-crusted fried shrimp are not at all Hawaiian food but will draw raves from your guests all the same!

Here again, the rule is simple. You might call it disruptive positioning, a strategy in which you present your guests with something close enough to familiar so they'll like it yet different enough to take them out of that same zone of familiarity.

Give 'Em Something To Take Home!

Events are more memorable when a take-home item is offered... especially when your guests are unlikely to have one already! How many do you know with their own tiki key-chain, shark's tooth necklace, or Tahitian pareu? The more different your event is, the easier it will be to find something unique as a giveaway.

For those events with good photo-opportunities due to settings or attractions, photos are a good a give-away as anything. And, exhibitors will also appreciate the opportunity to exchange interesting giveaways for leads, too!

Write 'Em Up!

After the event, take advantage of whatever additional publicity you can generate like in-house news releases or photos you can share with the company or online venues available to you. Chances are slim that any of the media will pick up on your event but the sponsors would probably be all too happy to publicize anything you can share chronicling the event--winners, candid photos, messages from guests, etc. After all, the success of the event you planned is their success, too!

Surfing Anyone?

So now, perhaps you're ready to jump into the water with a Hawaiian surfing-themed event. For those of us living in Hawaii, pulling off an exciting Hawaii theme event is like trying to sell a fish saltwater. However, by adding a unique device like the video surf simulator, you've got something that will appeal to anyone from the hardcore surfer to the little old lady from Pasadena and her brother in Kalamazoo!

The video surf simulator is a patented device that allows the "rider" to manipulate a real surfboard to control his or her on-screen counterpart. By truly mimicking the actions and wave-riding maneuvers of real surfing the video surf simulator offers the closest thing to surfing out of the water. Combined with a large projector screen the video surf simulator becomes a traffic-stopping attraction that no one can miss let alone pass by.

In offering guests the opportunity to participate in a surfing contest the video surf simulator fulfills the exotic, challenge, and setting aspects that will contribute to a great event. Combine that with the photo opportunities and pre-event publicity and most event planners will find it easy to develop the rest of the elements that will make the event one that draws, entertains, and is talked about.

So wherever your event might be, consider a Hawaii surfing theme. If it's a big attraction in the islands, think of the impact it would have somewhere in the heartland!

Aloha!