Monday, May 13, 2013

Corporate Events - Different Entertainment Ideas


The hectic timetable of business organizations often proves to be very tedious and employees often need more than just a Sunday to keep their spirits up. Corporate events usually help people to bond outside their usual work environment. These events often lead to long lasting friendships and relationships. They also serve to ease the relationship between subordinates and superiors.

Corporate events are a mixture of business and pleasure. But some events should stand out from the norm. For example, when companies celebrate landmark accomplishments or significant anniversaries, they might want to go above and beyond what they normally do. Going out and evening party have become as old as corporate events. Here we have some interesting event ideas-

  • Music: Music can be an excellent idea for corporate events. Established professional artists and live bands may add an extra level to the party. A rock concert can revive the spirits of the employees. One can even have a theme party side by side.

  • Dance: a dance group is another good idea for a corporate party. It can be modified according to formality and occasion of the party. Break dancing group, Ballet Company or professional ballroom dancers may prove to be good options.

  • Team Building activities: one can conduct many team building activities throughout the year. Small games such as brain games, one minute games etc are great stress relievers.

  • Artists: Hiring local artists can be a unique entertainment idea. They can be ice or marble sculptures or painters and actually create a piece during the party. This works best for the events where there is a lot of socializing and guests moving around frequently.

  • Cooking Day: In a cooking day the employees can show their skill. It is certain to give the employees a very good vent to their culinary activities.

  • Comedians: standup comedy can be a good idea for entertainment. But one should preview the act and select a 'clean' routine that is appreciated to a business setting.

  • Magic Show: Magic show is a less common option and may attract a large variety of people.

One can take help of the professional party planners and they may make tremendous differences in their client's functions.

Custom Printed Insulated Bags for Corporate Events


Corporate events are very important occasions because they serve the purpose of giving a company internal rejuvenation, empowerment and sustainability while at the same time providing information and education to the general public. It is during these times that the purpose of the company is defined and the company curves out a niche for itself in its field of industry. Companies that regularly schedule team building corporate events, exercises and activities are able to stay focused and achieve their goals through a strong connection that comes from bonding.

Corporate events however will always come and go but the image of the company must remain and must always be enhanced. This is where customized products come in. With custom printed products as giveaway items during such events, not only does the memory of the event remain but also the company's brand is further enhanced. Custom printed insulated bags are quite ideal for corporate events. These customized insulted bags will keep the food that is carried for the corporate event warm while also keeping the imprinted area with the company's logo and message displayed especially because they have a very large imprinting area.

You can keep your food and beverages chilled with custom printed insulated bags during your corporate events especially if you are having an outdoor event or are traveling for your corporate event since they can serve as your portable fridge. With such promotional items, you will be giving your company the advantage of market exposure. There are a wide range of colors to choose from with superb quality and functionality at great budget prices.

Custom imprinted insulated bags can be used for corporate picnicking events. When a company plans for a promotional item it is essential that they look for a product that is useful and which people will want to use if not daily at least frequently. The more the item is utilized the more extensive exposure the company will receive. An excellent way to achieve this is to use customized insulted bags to carry the message out to the public.

A company would definitely benefit from using custom imprinted insulated bags. A picnic is one event that a company can use to bond. An insulated bag can come in practical during these weekend getaways as they help save the freshness of food and drinks. Custom made insulted bags also serve as an advertising instrument for companies that have limited funds when it comes to advertising.

Logo imprinted insulated bags can be easily tweaked to meet your advertising demands. With their wide printing area, you can imprint your company name and logo and transform the merchandise into a powerful marketing item. However, you need to check that the item you have in mind will really symbolize your advertising goals.

A good place to start looking for the perfect tote is if you look on the internet. You can compare and contrast all the different bags that are on sale. You will be able to look at a range of bags in different colors, sizes and prices. Once you have done your research, you will be in a much better position to pick the right bag to suit the situation. Take a look online today and you are sure to find the perfect insulated bag.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Event Management


Event Management is the act of managing or organizing events or functions occurring at a particular place and time. Events range from festivals to team building sessions, rock concerts to training sessions. Event management requires proper consultation, planning and research. Conferences, galas, summer camps, day camps, sporting events, business events, meetings and university events are the most common events.

Event managers begin planning by booking an event at a particular location. They then plan for food and drink, entertainment, audiovisual needs, overnight accommodations for guests, tours and social programs and other support services. They will also help solicit sponsorships (especially for nonprofits), in order to help cover the cost of the event. A professional event manager will carrying out tasks flawlessly in an organized, disciplined way.

New technology has made an impact on event management, and has helped planners keep track of the many details that are involved in carrying out a successful event. This includes event-planning software that allows for f online registrations and sponsorship donation forms.

So whether you are a private individual, a company, or a government entity, you can save precious time and employ an event management company. This will allow you to take your mind off the event itself and focus on your day to day obligations. The event management company will consult with you a number of times to learn your desires and requirements, and they will also be able to offer a number of ideas. You choose how much control you want to hand over.

Do You Need the Help of Professional San Diego, CA Event Planners?


Set The Perfect Mood With Experienced Caterers In San Diego

When searching for caterers in San Diego, you will find that there are many different options out there for you to choose from. Unfortunately, as is the case within any service industry, all San Diego, CA event planners are not created equally. So, before you decide upon any one caterer or event planner, identify your needs and your budget, do your research and choose wisely. The success of your event depends upon it!

It is important to take your time when selecting a caterer in San Diego. In doing so, you can be certain your special event will be simply perfect!

When selecting a caterer, many people only think about the quality of the food being provided. While food is certainly one of the most important factors to consider when hiring caterers in San Diego, there are many other things to consider as well. After all, a quality caterer will help set the mood for the entire event by helping you choose the right decor and the ideal venue for the occasion.

With the right San Diego, CA event planners, you can create an event that is...

oRomantic
oJoyous
oFestive
oBusinesslike
oCelebrity
oSolemn

The mood you want to set for your special event will depend upon the type of event you are hosting. Obviously, the mood you want for a wedding will be far different from the one you want for an employee appreciation dinner - which may also be different from what you need for a holiday celebration.

The right San Diego, Ca event planners will assess your needs and your event desires to select the location and setting that will make the event perfect. Choosing the right event planner will not only make planning your event easier - it will help ensure the success of your event.

With the help of professional caterers in San Diego, you can be certain to create the ideal setting for your special event - and have the event you've been dreaming of.

Special Event Planning - How to Make Your Next Event Spectacular


Planning the perfect corporate event, holiday party, team building event, employee appreciation day, company picnic, family reunion, fun fair or other special event is an easy task when working with a professional event planner. Many people planning special events are overwhelmed with fitting event planning tasks into their schedules, especially if it is their first time producing an event. The first place to start is to find a reputable professional planner you feel comfortable working with. Planners are easily found by asking others who have planned events in the past, reading company bios on websites and asking companies you are interested in working with if the planners and staff they employ have had a background check. It is a good idea to speak with more than one planner if this is your first time planning an event. When selecting a professional planner, it is important to evaluate whether you are in need of an outdoor event coordinator, indoor event specialist, games assistant, meeting planner, caterer, etc. The individual you choose to work with will depend greatly on the type of event you are interested in producing. Once you have selected an individual or event planning company, the party details will begin to fall in place. Event planners will focus on executing four main areas of fun. They include: catering, music, games/rides and tents/tables/chairs.

When selecting catering for your event, a planner will evaluate the type of event participants are attending. For company BBQ's, on-site cookouts, or catered luncheons, a casual atmosphere is necessary which may entail typical picnic foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts and side salads. For upscale events such as client appreciations, open house, grand openings and the like a more sophisticated menu would be needed. In some cases, special dietary concerns will need to be factored into the types of foods you choose to include. (i.e. vegetarian, kosher, allergen foods, etc.) It is important to discuss any food limitations your event may have with your planning professional. A decision must also be made whether or not to provide a full meal, several course meal, fun foods, dessert/coffee or appetizers. A professional caterer will work with you and your event planner to help you to select the foods appropriate for your audience and ensure success for your event. If you select a full service event planner, they will help guide you in finding a catering partner. Often times, full service event planners work with several catering companies and will know by the description of your event which company will best suite your needs.

Selecting the right music for your audience is essential in ensuring your guests have a memorable and enjoyable experience at the event. When hiring a DJ, MC, band, specialty act or musical group it is important to assess the underlying goals of the event. Do you want to select an interactive DJ to provide activities for children? Would your guests respond well to hula dancers, a Mariachi band, Dixieland band or cover band? Do you want your music to accompany your event theme? Are you looking for background or forefront party music? Do you want people to dance? Do you need a dance floor or not? Do you want your DJ to offer guests bingo or other interactive activities such as the chicken dance, hokey poky or hot potato throughout the day? How you would like your musicians or DJ's to dress for the occasion? Many questions must be answered before making your musical selection. Once these questions are answered you will be able to work with event staff in producing the perfect event! Selecting the right music is crucial as you want to make sure not to annoy or offend any of your guests, therefore, you will want to have direct input on the choices of music for your event thus eliminating any unwanted surprises or negative outcomes.

Top Reasons To Hire An Event Management Company


Events take a lot of planning to be a great success. For the best event, it needs to be organised to run smoothly. This organisation could take a lot of your time. No matter what kind of event whether it is for business or personal, the way it is planned will determine how successful the event will be. A successful business event could be the difference between obtaining a new client or losing an old one. The money spent for an event management company is money well-spent when it leads to a new client. Personal events can be more enjoyable for you when you are not too tired to be there.
One of the top reasons to hire an event management company is because they will know how to plan and manage your event without wasting your time or money. They will know some hidden tips that will make your time extra special. They will have some contacts that you might not have. These contacts may be able to provide the items your spectacle will need. By them doing the contacting and arranging, you will save time. They have special relationships with other companies that have products that you might need for your showcase. Some of these products could be decorations, food and even paper goods. These suppliers may give the event management company discounts when they buy in bulk, which in turn saves you money.

Another reason to hire a management company to plan your event is for the knowledge or experience they have regarding these events. They will have the experience to handle any type of emergency. They have planned so many and have experienced the impossible happening so many different times that emergencies are not an issue for them. They are always ready for the unexpected to happen. An event management company will have the knowledge of where the best location is for your event. They have access to venues that you don't. They will know some secrets to save money on all the necessary items that you will need. They will know what is in style for events today. An event management company will have the knowledge and training to make your event the best one.

One of the main reasons for hiring an event management company is that they take the stress away from you. They do all the worrying so you don't have to. They plan and manage every detail of the event, and all you have to do is enjoy it. They are available to solve the problems, and to make sure the event runs smoothly at all times. An event management company helps with every aspect of the event; including any embarrassing moments. You get to just sit back and be a guest at your own event. This is really important if this is a business event. It gives you the opportunity to mingle and talk to clients that might be a big part of your future business success.

Hiring an event management company is one of the smartest ways to ensure you have a fun, relaxing and successful event. The event is easier this way.

Emergency Preparedness for Large Events


Do you have an emergency preparedness plan in place to protect your business and employees from the disruptions that may occur due to a large event? The upcoming Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, like all large events, will attract large gatherings of attendees and increases the corresponding odds of a dangerous occurrence. Communication may be difficult and transportation may be next to impossible - therefore, having a well-constructed crisis management plan is imperative to responding to and managing incidents that occur under these conditions.

During the NATO Summit 2012, authorities and surrounding businesses struggled to contend with the disruptions deriving from protests, threats, transportation blockades and communication problems - are you prepared to respond to these occurrences during an upcoming large event?

Below are several key steps to take into consideration when creating your crisis management plan.

Make a Crisis Management Plan: Use Your Crisis Team

Form a special event planning committee and try to use your established crisis team as much as possible, as these individuals have worked together before, so it should be easier to create a crisis management plan for the large event. You may, however, need to bring in outside personnel for help (e.g. head of security or property managers). The team should have a leader, and you may want to use your emergency preparedness team leader for this position, as they are already trained in the event of crises.

Begin planning for the event immediately and stay on track. You may want to create a timeline to ensure that planning and implementation is unfolding as necessary to stay on time.

Local and State Involvement

Interact with local resources as soon as possible. Local resources will be able to provide you with assistance that will help your office run smoothly, as they know the lay of the land and are in a better position to offer assistance with event planning and emergency preparedness. These resources may include committees, local security, police officers, firefighters and more.

Meet with these individuals and invite them to contribute input on your crisis management plan. They may be able to offer advice that you would otherwise not have known to plan for, such as rules that must be enforced during the event, transportation blockades that might occur and potential security problems. Working with local resources will only serve to strengthen your event planning and emergency preparedness strategies, ensuring that you will be on the same page during a crisis.

Probability and Impact

When you're planning for a large event, two types of occurrences may happen: the event itself, with higher-probability but lower-potential for risk, and smaller events spurred from the larger one, which are lower-probability but have a higher-potential for risk (e.g. emergencies and protests). Successful event and emergency preparedness plans will prepare for both occurrences. Remember, your crisis management plan should address both the event and your hard-working employees who must still maintain business as usual during this time.

Large Event Planning

Your emergency preparedness plan should address the massive amount of people that will disrupt the infrastructure of the city. These items include:


  • Commuting. The commute will be brutal during the event, as the city will likely experience a high traffic volume from attendees. Address high travel times in your crisis management plan, and outline alternate routes to and from your work, or shift work hours for your employees to make sure that they do not have to travel at peak hours. Calculate how many attendees are expected at the event and be flexible, as employees may have to work from home if the event is near the office. Additionally, stay in touch with local resources in order to maintain up-to-date emergency preparedness information, as you need to be among the first to know if you won't have access to certain streets due to blockades or unexpected accidents.

  • Internet Usage. In addition to high traffic on the roads, your crisis management plans should address potentially high internet traffic. The internet may slow to a crawling pace around your area while visitors use smartphones and other wireless devices. Work with the appropriate personnel to determine peak and non-peak hours of internet usage during this time. Schedule important conferences at non-peak hours so your employees don't have to struggle with lower bandwidth or dropped calls. Your emergency preparedness plans may even include not planning any important meetings during the event at all, as communication may be difficult, and some individuals may be late or unable to attend.

  • Disruptions. Your emergency preparedness plans may also address disruptions caused by an event, which can last longer than the event itself. For example, a week before NATO 2012, the city of Chicago was disrupted because important diplomats were arriving; additionally, the torch relay for the Olympics is held in the month of May, but the actual Olympic Games are held in July. Plan for these types of disruptions ahead of time in your crisis management plan, and be prepared to address how these may also disrupt the city's infrastructure.

Smaller Events - Protests, Emergencies, Terrorism

These events, spurred by the larger event, are mostly uncontrollable by you, but must still be addressed in your crisis management plan. A comprehensive emergency preparedness plan includes strategies to tackle these types of crises, including spontaneous protests (some of which may occur in front of your office building), terrorism, emergencies, and disasters, such as fires and flooding. Be sure to:


  • Interface with security and local authorities. If you're worried about security, meet with property management and local and state authorities to learn about the types of resources they may have available. If you do choose to hire an outside security company, make sure that the company is experienced, has strong credentials, and is willing to work with outside authorities to ensure that your office is as safe as possible. You need a contact point for your crisis management plan - if you hear that there are protests occurring outside of your office building via a message from the company or a newscast, you should have a crisis leader in place who will call your contact point to figure out the next steps to take in your emergency preparedness plan.

  • Work with property management to assess the safety of your building. Plan ahead and have extra security in place at your office, if the event is nearby. Plan who is and who isn't allowed into the building, search for alternate entrances and exits, and be prepared.

  • Plan for the unexpected. During large events, take extra emergency preparedness precautions and treat everything much more seriously. This includes bomb threats, suspicious packages - anything out of the ordinary. If you see something that seems wrong, say something about it. Be on extra alert during this time, because the probability for risk is higher than normal.

Practice Your Plan

As the large event draws nearer, you will want to practice your crisis plan. Either practice it internally or have an outside company conduct an emergency preparedness tabletop drill to ensure that all individuals involved know what to expect. During this drill, conduct tests of your emergency messaging system. Make sure that the message begins and ends with the phrase "This is a test," so that employees are aware that it is not a real crisis. This is the time to test your emergency messaging system, as you will need to know that it works - and how it works - prior to the actual event.

During the tabletop drill of your crisis management plan, address all event crises that may occur. Additionally, comprehensive emergency plans should include recovery planning. Determine who makes the decision about when business should return to normal and speak with all members of the crisis team (e.g. executives, security, property managers, etc.) to ensure that everyone is on the same page in regard to plan execution and recovery.

Local authorities are generally very responsive and, if they have personnel available, are usually willing to participate in the drill for your crisis plan to provide you with valuable input. They can tell you if they already have resources in place and where, and they can also let you know if they are otherwise occupied during this time.