Event Planning Careers - Future Of Event Planning Profession

Many people find event planning careers very interesting. Unlike many jobs, this one does not require you to sit in front of your computer and do the required tasks. You have to work physically also to perform all the tasks lucratively. Many people enjoy organizing different occasions like business conferences, wedding, children parties etc and that is because they have the required skills needed in it like creativity, organized personality and good taste.

These days, people prefer event planners to arrange their programs because they cannot do it themselves. They are highly involved in their professional and family lives that they cannot take out enough time to make the program arrangements. Besides that, event planning is not a piece of cake it requires a lot of skills and knowledge to do so. In fact, it is also a profession just like dentistry, accountant, teacher etc.

However, this profession is not limited to a certain kind of people because you do not have to acquire any college degree. There are certificates and courses offered in event planning from various well-known institutions, if you acquire them then you would become more skillful and create a strong portfolio. In this field, experience is what counts the most because the more experienced you are the better you will manage the programs.

The future of event planning profession is very bright. Even in these times of recession, all sorts of programs like parties, business meetings, charity shows, weddings etc are in full swing. Therefore, there will always be a need for event planners for the arrangements for these programs. This particular profession is so interesting and rewarding that people actually enjoy working as event managers.

Event planning is a vast field. The two main categories are in formal programs and informal programs. Formal programs include business meetings and conferences, funerals, charity shows etc and informal programs include wedding functions, children parties etc. These programs can are never going to stop because these are the customs of the world so the importance of event planner will always be high no matter what happens.

In today's world, the need for event managers in the corporate world has immensely increased. In order to capture more clients, spread awareness about their business in the society and create good relations with fellow corporations they organize different platforms that can only happen with the help of event managers. There is so much competition in the market now that it is necessary for different corporations to arrange various events otherwise, they will incur loss. This competition will keep on getting tougher in future so the requirement of event managers will always be open.

Five Things to Consider When Planning a Company Picnic Or Corporate Event

Whether you are planning your first or fifteenth picnic, the amount of details to consider is enormous. Here's how we'd start thinking about our company picnic:

1. Pick Your Date

It's important to pick your event date early in the process, choose a day that works for as many people as possible, and start getting the word out. The best day is usually a Saturday, but companies often have successful events on weekdays. Clear the date with all involved parties, check for conflicting events both in the workplace and in your community, and make sure your company's production schedule allows for people to be mostly available that day.

2. Budget

Determining a budget is crucial to know what shape your picnic will take. A budget determines the scale and scope of your event. It establishes a framework for your planning process so you don't plan something grossly over-budget or end up with areas you wished you would have spent more on. Your budget establishes your options. With a budget, you can prioritize aspects of your picnic and maximize the results of your event and planning. One little rule of thumb we have, for budgeting purposes, is that the amount of attendees at your picnic will be extremely close to the total number of employees you invite. Trust us.

3. Choose Your Site

Make sure your site is big enough for the number of people you're going to have. Do you want a pavilion or shelter? Do you want a local park? Can you bring alcohol? Are inflatable games and activities allowed at the site? What are all the various permits you need? Is the availability of your site time-sensitive? Does your location have all the necessary facilities and infrastructure such as electricity, water, restrooms and parking? Try to find a place that's central to most of your employees, which is perhaps why we see more and more companies that choose to hold company events at their place of business. The Company Picnic People also helps clients across America find the local site that is just right for their employee celebration while taking care of the nitty-gritty logistical details.

4. Committee

Put a committee together. Try to get people from different parts of the company. It's good to delegate roles: someone on finances, another on promotion, maybe someone on logistics, giveaways, etc. Try to keep your committee small and active with people passionate about the event. However, we know the difficulties of pulling people out of their workdays and the time consumed by simply organizing a committee. For most of the picnics we do, there are one or two people in charge of organizing the event and we handle all of these things for them at no additional cost.

5. Contact Vendors

There can be a lot of pieces to organizing a picnic - a lot of vendors to be contacted and organized. You need to secure a venue; pick out food and hire a caterer; coordinate games, activities, clowns; rent tents, tables, chairs, etc.; determine electricity, water access, order portable restrooms...the list drags on. At The Company Picnic People, we provide all of these pieces in-house so you only deal with ONE vendor and don't miss anything you need for your party.

Selling Catering and Event Services by Phone - Converting Inquiries Into Sales

Phone Skills That Book More Events

I got this question from a new marketing client of mine who founded of a new catering and event company after years of working for someone else.

I'm finally getting leads from the website! This week I got more job inquiries than I ever did before. Now my problem is selling them once they call me. How do you handle an incoming call from a prospective client who is thinking about hiring you? Thanks, L.T.   Here are a few tips I passed on to L.T. He reported back that he's much more relaxed and so far he's booked a $9,000 job using these ideas. I hope you have the same luck!

First and foremost you want to build rapport quickly. You want the caller to get a good feeling about you and your business. No, this isn't about "brown-nosing" or "sucking up" or "schmoozing." It's about attitude.

Some thoughts to consider before you pick up that phone ....

Attitude of Gratitude. Be happy that somebody is giving you the opportunity to serve them in a way that allows you to use your gifts and talents and make a profit. Don't act grateful ... BE grateful.

Attitude of Service. Be ready to help the caller in whatever way you can - even if that means sending the caller to your competition.

Attitude of Enthusiasm. When I coached L.T. we recorded some of his phone conversations (you can record your side of the call without getting permission) and he was shocked. He was trying to sound like a "business professional." He sounded as enthusiastic as a Department of Motor Vehicles employee on a Friday afternoon.

Unless you only cater at funerals and bankruptcy hearings most customers are enthusiastic about the event they're planning. They want to deal with a relaxed, confident and happy event professional.

The Most Important Person in the World.

Dale Carnegie taught us to "Make other people feel important - and do it sincerely." How do you do that? Ask questions that you really want the answers to and listen carefully to the answers. When was the last time you spoke to someone who really cared about your opinion? Didn't that make you feel great? Really try to understand what the client is saying - so few people do.

Care. Don't ask about a client's fishing trophy if you really don't care. That's cheap, insincere and transparent. My style of selling is strictly business - I don't talk about sports, the weather or how nice your tie is. When I meet you as a prospective client I always get right down to business - not my business - your business.

Prepare. I go into every meeting prepared - I don't ask questions that a professional should already know. If I'm trying to get a trade show account I know everything I can about the industry, the company, competition and their latest products. If I'm pursuing a sales incentive meeting I know the names and territories of the Sales Managers, the size of the sales force and the demographics of the attendees before I approach the buyer. Knowing what you're talking about goes much further than unctuous glad-handing.

How do you prepare for an unexpected telephone inquiry? Stop winging it!

Intake Form. Type up an intake form to capture all the information you'll need ... and include questions that your competition isn't asking.

High Value Questions. Make a list of smart questions that increase your understanding and improve your professional image. List questions that make the client say, "Wow, I'm so glad you asked me that - I didn't think of that!"

Major Sales Tip! Always ask the caller if they've ever hired or experienced a service like yours before. Then ask, "What did you like about it?" and "What didn't you like about it." Get the answers to these two questions and your callers will have told you exactly how to sell to them.

When L.T. asked a client what she didn't like about a previous caterer, the client said she didn't like the servers - they didn't look professional. L.T. emailed over photos and testimonials about of his wait staff . He got the job!

Objections. Start keeping track of all the objections you get on the phone ... and then prepare a presentation that preempts them. The best way to handle an objection is to structure your presentation so that they never become an issue - but be careful about preventing clients from voicing their legitimate concerns.

L.T. thought that by saying to callers, "Our prices aren't cheap - because we don't do cheap work and our clients only want the best," eliminated the price objection. It didn't - it made the caller feel too embarrassed from sharing price concerns - and made L.T. sound like a jerk!

Sales Script. No, you never want to read a sales script to a caller and end up sounding like a phony telemarketer ... but you do want to make sure you give the caller a great sounding presentation.

Here's how to write a great telephone sales script: Don't write it - speak it.

Record and transcribe yourself talking to clients. Listen to your recording with a colleague or coach and pick out the parts you feel do a great job selling your services. Transcribe those phrases - exactly as you spoke them - and create your "pitch." It will sound like you - but your best you!

Event Management Companies - Benefits and Services

The facilities of an event management companies are being availed on a wider basis now. To many people the words event management means that they will have to pay someone else to plan the big day. But what they fail to understand is that they will be saving a lot on their investment. These companies have an individualistic approach and every clients needs are cared for separately. Proper planning and management are the two keywords that are essential for a successful party. When people can't plan their events properly they get loaded with stress this is when event management companies come in to solve their dilemma.

These agencies plan the party right from the scratch keeping in mind the needs of the client. They have trained and expert teams for different events who know to organize and execute a party well. The do their planning according to the style and budget of their clients, for this the client has to supply them with the right information. All the client has to do is take a look at the job being done and their work is sorted.

Their services include decorating, lighting, catering, etc. If you are looking for event lighting in the bay area then there a number of companies whose services you can avail. This event lighting can transform a simple place into an extravagant wonderland. With the proper lighting a party can be brought to life. Even lighting in the bay area is known for their beauty and extravagance.

A professional event coordinator is skilled and experienced in planning, organizing and executing an event. They aim at satisfying their clients totally by making the event a total success. If the event is for a longer period for example more than a week these coordinators make boarding and lodging arrangements for the guests. They manage these events with such ease that the clients don't even find the need to supervise the event. They plan the event according to the theme.

Event lighting is one of the most important prospects of an event. Without proper lighting the event cannot achieve proper success. To get the desired results on should choose the right event coordinator and have the patience to get their research done. There are websites of several companies on the internet and one can check their reliability through the testimonials and review of different customers. Whatever the size or theme of the event these coordinators can manage everything smoothly and efficiently. If you are a resident of the Bay Area then all you need to do is type the keyword Event Lighting Bay Area and the results will be displayed.

The Best Event Caterers in Sydney

Food catering is an art some caterers in Sydney have mastered it with perfection. There are some caterers in Sydney who serve the choicest dishes and menus and they are sure to make your day memorable for whatever reason you have hosted the party. Sydney has now become a popular destination for weddings and it is home to some of the largest conglomerates in the world who host a plethora of corporate events. As a result various gatherings are hosted all over the city and some of the best caterers in Sydney offer their services to this high profile event.

Amadeus Catering: Amadeus Catering has been an important name in the catering business and it caters to some of the elite and high profile events of Sydney. They also arrange for weddings, graduation parties, birthdays anniversaries and almost every occasion that you might want to celebrate. You can either choose from one of their customized packages or you may have an item and food list of your own and they are ready to indulge your preferences as they believe you should have everything that you want on your special occasion. They can recommend an assortment of wines and beverages to go with the different courses.

Amory Catering: Their area of service is generally in the greater Sydney area and extra charges are required if your desire their services somewhere else. But in the end it is worth it because it has one of the best services in Sydney. It was first established in 1932 and after so long in the business, it has everything to make your day a memorable one. They hold the Liquor License and the Gold License which means you can impress your guests with the choicest of wines from around the world. They boast of having catered in venues like Clark Island and Shark Island, The Rocks, Balmoral Beach and many exotic and high-profile venues.

Flavors Catering: They specialize in Event Catering ranging from corporate events to office functions to graduation or Christmas parties to jus about anything else. They specialize in serving the right kind of food depending upon the occasion so their menu consists of everything like finger food, breakfast boxes, gourmet salads, fresh fruits, cocktail bite combinations, BBQs - anything you wish for. They have their own line of beverages and special cocktail drinks which are sure to make your guests remember your celebration for a pretty long time.

Three Strategic Planning Tips For Travel Companies and Travel Affiliate Marketers

As the travel industry meanders through the dog days of summer, many strategists in travel companies far and wide are already beginning to think about the strategic planning season that lies just ahead, and ponder about the profound differences this year's process is likely to entail compared to years past. 

Faced with arguably the most uncertain and volatile economy since the Great Depression, many corporate executives and strategists now realize that the 'game' is on the line, and that there will be real 'winners' and 'losers' - not just in terms of market share, customer ownership or profits / losses, but rather the near-term survivability of their firms. One doesn't have to look far to find travel companies being run by their management teams more like corporate turnarounds rather than on a 'business as usual' basis - British Airways, American Express, Hertz, RCCL and Travelport are just five of dozens of similar examples.

The business landscape facing the travel industry today is one that has undergone a radical and wrenching change from that of just 18 months ago.  Most of the 'winning strategies' that worked then don't work now. More importantly, tomorrow's competitive environment will also most assuredly be different from that of today, and that future environment will bring with it huge upside rewards for those who are properly prepared, while also peppered with huge downside risks and certain catastrophe for those that are not. 

Even in such profoundly uncertain times, strategic planning doesn't have to be a 'hit or miss' proposition for travel companies. Single-point strategic forecasts based on trend analysis, or strategy formulation based on past / current linear trend-extrapolation that produces base, upside, and downside cases, among other methodologies, simply do not work when the travel industry - and the world's economic order - is in the throes of radical (and likely permanent) restructuring. While such traditional, 'tried and true' strategy formulation methodologies fail in times like these, there is another strategy tool that actually helps large and small companies alike develop a clear map to help navigate uncharted waters - scenario strategy planning.

What scenario strategy planning is - and isn't

At its essence, scenario strategy planning is about identifying and understanding the forces that are sculpting the world around you; qualitatively and quantitatively assessing the potential inter-play among these forces in a structured manner; delineating from these forces several probable and highly plausible 'future completive worlds'; and - here's the most important element - unlike the aforementioned single-point or 'case' related strategic plans, scenario planning enables the design of a fluid, 'multi-dimensional' strategy that effectively enables companies to better manage their core business irrespective of the future competitive landscape that may evolve.  

In the force identification phase of this process, some forces are determined as certain and others classified as uncertain; it's the interplay of the uncertain forces that drive differences in the future scenarios. Altering the combination of those forces renders different future scenarios, which while one may be more or less probable than the others, each is qualitatively different.

Each future scenario paints a picture of a distinct, but plausible, business environment 3-5 years into the future, and each is written in such a way that the scenario has 'decision-making utility' - i.e., the future world described provides enough detail and specification so that alternative strategic courses of action can be effectively tested.  

Generally, most scenario strategy planning methodologies suggest that strategists craft 3-4 future scenarios, as fleshing-out 5 or more scenarios results in a very laborious process, with derived value decreasing as the number of scenarios goes up. Together, the 3-4 scenarios span the realm of plausible future competitive worlds.

In a nut shell, travel companies and travel affiliate marketers will derive three major benefits by incorporating scenario planning into their annual strategic planning process:

• Understand how the travel industry's competitive landscape may evolve and what impact and implications this future may hold for your business


• Recognize the real possibilities and significant impact of discontinuous industry change driven by exogenous or endogenous forces and events


• Crystallize steps management should take to successfully prepare for these potential  future worlds

While the fundamental precepts of scenario planning are relatively standard, there are several approaches to scenario strategy planning, and each has strong and weak points. Here are three planning tips that travel suppliers and travel affiliates should consider incorporating in their scenario strategy planning process regardless of the methodology they decide to use.

Tip Number1: Look beyond the past...and today's crises

Given the depth and scope of the economic, societal and political change now under way, it is easy for travel companies to be overwhelmed by the intensity of the current situation. Focusing on just the current reality can be devastating, as it sets-up the possibility for a company to be blindsided by other forces or dynamics that lie outside its traditional competitive landscape.

Think about this point from the following perspective: If management at the world's airlines were looking closely at what was going on in the credit markets between 2003 - 2007, perhaps many would have noticed that the plethora of M&A, privatization and other financial transactions were being fueled by the enormous leverage investment banks, private equity firms, hedge funds and others were piling-up on their balance sheets. They would also presumably have realized that maintaining leverage of that scale was fundamentally not sustainable long-term in any industry, not just the financial sector. 

For airlines dependent on premium traffic, a fall-off from those heady times in the financial markets would translate into a meaningful drop in the number of premium travelers the airline would carry, and that in turn, would have a rather detrimental (if not very devastating) effect on yields. This is what happened beginning in mid-2008 - but in spades - and as a result, today many of the world's largest airlines are reeling, and in some cases, a step or two away from insolvency.

Tip Number 2: Refrain from parochial thinking

Parochial thinking (i.e., believing that because of one's sheer size, market clout or abilities, an enterprise can singularly drive and determine its or its industry's future) is where many companies go wrong in their strategy formulation and ultimately fail in the marketplace - Pan Am, US Steel, the US automobile manufacturing industry (and indeed many of the 'too big to fail' companies) are good examples of the calamitous results engendered as a result of parochial thinking. 

So, when developing end-state scenarios, strategists in travel companies should assure that each future competitive world that is constructed has been done so independent of the firm's actions or control; this forces organization to not only recognize the possibilities of exogenous discontinuous change occurring, but more importantly, it also helps to guard them from sharing the same fate that befell the formerly iconic brands mentioned in the previous paragraph. 

Even if your travel company has Google-like market share or power, failing to heed this scenario strategy planning axiom can quickly lead to market share losses or competitive erosion as other, less hubristic companies and players out-flank you. 

Tip Number 3: Intensify monitoring and refinement

The effectiveness of any strategy depends on the organization's ability to implement it and make adjustments nimbly and methodically when needed. This is even truer for scenario strategy, as by definition, scenario strategies are not static plans; they require continuous refinement and recalibration based on what's happening in the market and the world at large.

In addition to formulating a core multi-dimensional strategy, scenario planning also calls for developing 'hedge strategies, i.e., strategies that are developed to enable the company to rapidly adjust its strategy should an alternative future scenario occur. Some of the hedge stratagems address less probable, but nonetheless plausible, scenarios which are triggered by a sudden and disruptive industry event. Hedge strategies are typically 'put on the shelf', to be used only if one of the less probable scenarios evolves.  

Knowing when to turn to hedge strategies requires that the travel company or travel affiliate marketer closely monitor and measure the competitive playing field. Only by diligently and relentlessly monitoring the performance of suppliers, customers, and competitors, as well as understanding the subtle shifts in the company's other key market indicators, can any company succeed in making ongoing, real-time adjustments in their strategy, compete effectively in the marketplace and avoid being subsumed or eviscerated by disruptive change.

As we've all witnessed during the last year, even the most entrenched incumbents in an industry can plunge into a financial abyss literally over night because of a sudden but drastic discontinuity in the competitive playing field - hello Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and AIG.  It's fair to say that, given their size, resources and clout, none of these firms foresaw a world where they were not in some appreciable control of their destiny, and none had hedge strategies in place should an event of enormous discontinuous change befall them. Drawing parallels from the devastation wrought on these and other firms in the financial markets as a result of discontinuous change is reason enough why hedge strategies should be a critical element of any travel affiliate's or travel supplier's strategic plan.  

Moving Forward

In closing, while the travel and tourism industry's long-term prospects remain promising, all of the various players in the industry's value chain will be challenged in the short-term. Scenario-based strategy development helps company executives better understand what the future may hold for their business and anticipate many of the required changes to their value-added focus. Incorporating these three strategic planning tips outlined above will help assure that your company's 'multi-dimensional strategy' is robust enough to successfully navigate a profitable path to the future when the recovery finally arrives.

Corporate Event Ideas For Your Business

There are a number of reasons why your business could hold a corporate event, from team building and morale through product launches to celebrating an anniversary or success.

Coming up with exactly what to do, however, is not always easy. Here's a few corporate event ideas you might want to consider for your next event.

Team Building

Usually held over the course of a day or a weekend, depending on how involving you want it to be, a team building event can give your staff and colleagues a valuable boost in morale and increase communication, confidence and camaraderie in a fun and friendly environment.

Your team could find new ways of working together and even learn new skills from a variety of activities including treasure hunts, assault courses, shooting, sailing...even circus skills!

Annual Events

There are plenty of corporate event ideas for rewarding your staff for hard work. You could, for example, hold an annual barbeque in the summer and there is, of course, the office Christmas party too!

There are plenty of other, more unusual events you could hold though. You could hold a garden party, a family fun day - complete with fairground - to entertain whole families or a day out dragon boat racing. The possibilities really are endless.

Training & Development

It's possible to aid in the training and development of your staff with more fun corporate event ideas than the normal seminars and courses.

Whether you want new team members to get to know one another, coach junior members for greater responsibilities or for senior staff to hone their managerial skills, a training and development event will help your team become the absolute best they can be.

There are now a few companies combining training and development with a fun, entertaining twist through team role play and the like. Definitely worth considering if you find that your staff aren't all that interested in signing up to standard courses.

Formal Events

Corporate event ideas for more formal occasions like a company anniversary or major product launch could include a dinner dance or lavish banquet. The theme of the event should reflect the occasion, so a 50th year in business should have a gold theme, for example.

Use your imagination and remember that the venue is probably the most important aspect for this type of event.

Want To Make An Impression?

Whether it is impressing existing customers or trying to woo new customers there is one tried and tested corporate event that is sure to work - the golf day! The Japanese, by all accounts, do all their business on the golf course, so if it is good enough for them, it should be good enough for you.

A simple round of golf between four or a full blown competition - it will depend on what you are trying to achieve but if you invite the right people from your address book you could really enhance your reputation with those that matter.

If golf isn't your thing one alternative you could consider is a track day, racing some of the fastest sports cars around Oulton Park or somewhere could be equally as impressive for your clients!

There are plenty of corporate event ideas you could consider if you put your mind to it - this is just a select few!