Corporate Event Planning|Event Management|Event Planner

Corporate events are always arranged on very large scale and need much effort in preparation. These events are organized for different purposes. Some big and renowned companies plan much before the time, for the event. People from out of the city come and attend the function and expectations of the people from the event become stronger.

Event planning for such corporate is a huge responsibility; it needs multitasking coordination with people of different set up. But if you plan properly you can achieve a successful result. So if you are planning an event like this, note down these tips.

• Plan much before time; yes, it is very important to take proper time for preparation of the event, it takes time to coordinate with different companies, different people for good arrangements. Start meeting participants, sponsors, and caterers. Book speakers, decorates, media advisor and all the relevant people. Make list of the equipment and props that would be needed in the event and start collecting them.


• Agenda; call a meeting of the members and contact the people who are going to participate in the event and discuss the agenda, ask the team about new ideas in their minds, how to create excitement and magic in the event.


• Guest list; make a list of invitees, and check their schedule and availability.


• Theme; set a different but creative theme, which would develop interest in people but keeping the age group, status or gender of the invitees in mind.


• Stick to your schedule; remember to stick to your time table and schedule, even if you are prepared much before time, still keep checking the grounding which you had in your event planning.


• Invitation cards; invitation cards should be sent on time, it is very important to check the spelling of invitees names, really, some people are very sensitive about their names.


• Booking of the hotel; the guests who are coming from out of the city, book their rooms in the same hotel where the event is being held for the convenience of the guests and you can get rooms on discounted rate like this.


• Recall some previous events; this will really work, just recall some previous events and think where and when anything went wrong? And then focus on those points, so you will be well prepared to face any kind of mishap on the time.

Now keep all these tips in mind, you can start your event planning for your company.

One you have decided why you are holding your event, and have investigated its feasibility, as an event manager, you have to start putting a plan together. There are many factors that have to be taken into account when planning even the simplest event, there are staff to arrange, venues to find, equipment to source and tickets or invitations to send out.

First things first - all good event managers make lists

Over the years - one of the most effective tools I have come across when planning for an event is a simple, handwritten list. Although these days I use my computer to schedule my tasks, sometimes it is still easier to collect my thoughts together with nothing more than a sheet of blank paper and a pencil. It doesn't really matter how you organize these thoughts, it may be chronologically or it may be by section of the event.

The Event Management Framework

Once you have established the initial plan of action, you should start to fill in the gaps and add detail to each of the sections. At the same time you can start to put the action points into an order of priority - with the most important elements first, followed by the less important ones.

This planning document will start to form the framework which will help you through the event planning process, and will guide you through how you are going to run the event successfully. This plan will be with you through the entire event planning process, the live event and the evaluation stages.

It is important to cover as many areas as possible in this first instance, as the more thought you give to the event at this stage, the more successful and stress free your event will be.

Have you managed this event before?

Many events occur on an annual basis, or are at least similar in some ways to events that have happened in the past? A conference for one client will have many similar attributes to a conference for a new client.

Unless you really have never done an event of this type before (in which case I seriously suggest you find a freelance manager who has) you should be able to look at the planning that took place and use many of the ideas and techniques from the last event.

Not only will this help you to save time in the initial planning stages (as you will have a pre-determined list of all the things you have to do) but it will also help you to ensure you do not miss any of the elements.

At the end of every event you should evaluate what you did - which will allow you to learn lessons from previous events.

These lessons should be both positive and negative - remember for every one thing that went wrong, ten things will have gone right - so learn from the good as well as the bad.

Who is going to do what?

Once you have decided which activities have to take place, you need to decide who is going to do them. For a small event, it may be that you manage many of the elements on your own - but on the day of the event it is usual for many more people to get involved.

When planning for you event, you need to see which skills you require, and recruit the right people for the right tasks.

Once you have the right people in place, you not only need to let them know what they have to do, but when they have to do it, where they have to do it and why they have to do it - so that they can see where their part of the planning process fits into the overall event planning process.

Planning is one of the most critical elements of event management - and the management of the planning process is even more important. Knowing that every aspect of the event is covered will make the event run a lot more smoothly, and be a lot less hassle for all event management and production staff.

Whether you are planning a training seminar or a business conference, hosting a presentation for potential investors or unveiling new marketing strategies for important clients, choosing the right venue for your event is critical to the success of your gathering. Off premise venues offer more flexibility and greater services than can be found at most business headquarters. Finding the right venue will help you to send a positive message to employees and clients alike. Namely, that yours is a company intent on professionalism and geared for success.

Matching the Venue to the Event

First it is necessary to determine the type of event you are planning. This will help you decide on the kind of event space you will need. Business conferences and training seminars require a structured environment, preferably with multiple rooms or partitioned areas that can be used to isolate smaller groups for workshops and discussion groups. If you are courting potential investors or clients, you will want a more attractive venue that is comfortable and elegant. Presentations for clients and investors should be held in an environment that is clean, inviting and decorative, offering ample space for mingling, networking and enjoying refreshments.

Setting a Date for Your Event

Before booking any venue it is also important to have the dates and times for your event set and finalized. Having this information at your fingertips will make auditioning possible venues much easier. Availability is a large factor in booking any off premise event space. During peak times it may be harder to find the venue you require, so set your dates, and plan ahead to secure the space that will best suit your needs.

What Can the Venue Offer You

As you consider different venues for your event, it is important inquire as to what the prospective event space has to offer. In some respects, size does matter, and you will want to be sure that any venue you are considering can comfortably accommodate all of your guests. It is also important to match the size of the space to the size of the group. You want to avoid booking large gatherings into cramped quarters, as this leads to restlessness amongst your group. Equally, smaller groups gathered in overly large spaces tend to leave guests fidgety and uncomfortable. When auditioning any event space, be sure that it adequately suits the size of your group.

Before booking any venue, you will need to know what facilities are available. Look for the event space that can provide the necessary A/V equipment needed for any presentations, including sound systems and video capabilities. Also, don't overlook the mundane when auditioning prospective venues. Take note of the rest room facilities, available parking and ease of access for all of your guests, including those that may have disabilities or mobility issues.

Decor considerations will largely depend on the type of event you are planning, and a good event coordinating service should be able to offer room dressings to match any contingency. If you are hosting a presentation for investors you may want a more refined decor for your venue, with matching tablecloths and tableware, and accompanying room decorations. Training seminars, on the other hand, will demand a sparser environment. A good event space should be able to provide both, depending on your needs.

Consider Your Catering Needs

Whatever manner of event you are planning, you may want to consider offering some level of refreshment as the day progresses. Once again, the type of refreshment will largely depend on the kind of event you are hosting. All day training sessions benefit from a few breaks during the day, and offering a catered lunch helps to keep your employees on site, and serves to keep the momentum going. Full scale presentations for clients and investors also benefit from offering refreshments, and catered meals or an attractive buffet helps to make potential clients feel relaxed and welcome. When considering an event space, find out what they can offer in the way of catering services. If they can not supply the level of refreshment choices you need, it may be time to consider another venue.

Reputation is Everything

Finally, before making any final decisions regarding a venue, you should investigate the event service itself. Find out what their reputation is in the business community. Ask their representative about their experience in the field, and find out how long they have been in operation. Remember, a poorly run event hosting service will ultimately reflect poorly on you. Potential clients, investors or employees will remember this as your event, not the hosting company's.

Following these simple steps can help you to find the perfect venue for any event. Remember, an event hosting service that can offer a high level of professionalism will reflect well on your business, and that is the first step to a successful event.

Chilly weather says it all; the holiday season is just around the corner, and you can't wait for the parties & holiday events to start. It's fun to be an attendee at these holiday events or parties, but when you are the organizer, the picture is hectic. You have every reason to be stressed out with looming deadlines and limited budgets. Gloomy economic climate and reduced corporate spending are dampers to your plan. Well, here are the top 6 2012 holiday event planning tips, to trim costs and elevate ROI for your forthcoming events and parties:

1. Restaurants As Party Venues: You've got to admit that hosting holiday events at popular hotels in this peak season is actually an expensive proposal. Why not consider your friendly neighborhood restaurant which will probably offer you a fantastic deal, will have lower pricing points, recommend various themes with efficient staff. Most of these restaurants are already decorated for the holidays, thus will largely reduce your venue d矇cor costs further.

2. Host the Parties in January: Hosting parties in January are a new trend and they are equally enjoyable for your attendees. Dates are easier to book and venues are more affordable, as it's just after the holiday season. Companies and event planners like you should shift the focus from 'end-of-the' to 'beginning of a great year' theme. Clients are going to appreciate it as well; everyone will have something to look forward to in the new year.

3. Party During the Day: In 80% of the cases, lunch menus are less expensive than dinner spreads at popular eateries, especially during the holiday season. Attendees would also find it more comfortable to attend them, as compared to 'time crunched nights and weekends'.

4. Why not party at work? - You can also host corporate parties at the office venue, department wise, that would reduce the requirement of additional organizational resources for a large gathering. Employees would relish the break; in fact partying at your workplace holds a different charm altogether.

5. Customized Menus- Generally standard menus by popular caterers are more expensive than a customized buffet. It is easier to plan and control costs if you choose the menu personally, instead of relying on caterers. Alternatively, copy the menu of a recommended chef by requesting your caterer to suggest similar, affordable alternatives.

6. Online Holiday Event Registration- Avoid using manual registrations and payment management systems that are costly and error prone. Avail of the leading online event registration software to invite, register and accept payments, that's also convenient for your attendees.

Following these simple tips would help you to get much more out of your limited budget and would also reduce the extent of manual paperwork. Here's a lucky toast to your rocking holiday events and parties this session!

Having companies, associations and other organizations as your main seminar clients is good -- and bad -- for your business. On the downside, if organizations cut their travel or training budgets, your registration levels will be impacted.

On the other hand, organizations represent a potentially long-lasting revenue stream. An individual usually will attend your seminar one time, but an organization can send multiple employees to you for training. As those employees leave or change jobs within the company, new hires are brought in to replace them -- and they'll need the same training.

To capitalize on this opportunity, the first thing you should do is pull out your registration form. Do you ask for the name of the attendee's approving manager? If not, add it to your form immediately.

Next, ensure that you're capturing and segmenting these names in your database. Approving managers are worth the effort of creating additional marketing materials that specifically address their desires and needs.

Here are five tips for marketing to approving managers:

Address the organization's needs. Explain how the organization will benefit by investing in an employee's education. Describe how your training will help employees boost their productivity, close more sales, reduce costs, etc. Companies want to see a positive return on the investment they make to train staff.

Create a "letter to the boss" that attendees can use when seeking approval to attend your seminar. This letter will address the supervisor's concerns - basically, how paying for an employee to attend your training will help the company. Providing this letter can be helpful, as some prospects don't know how to sell their supervisors on investing in their education.

Give thanks. Send approving managers a thank you note after your event. Your gesture will help to create a memorable impression of your company. You might even want to acknowledge that they have many training options these days; then describe how your training helps them get the most bang for their buck.

Pitch on-site training. At some point (the number varies depending on your seminar pricing), it becomes more affordable to bring the training to the company vs. sending multiple employees to your seminar. Highlight the benefits of private training in your seminar brochure or even in a separate mailing.

Send separate marketing materials to approving managers. Acknowledge that they've sent employees to your event in the past and suggest that they send new hires to your event, as well. You may even want to offer a discounted price as a thank you for their past business.

Marketing to approving managers separately requires extra work and planning. But the additional registrations and revenue you'll generate make it a worthwhile investment of your time, energy and money.

Whether you are planning a party for your birthday, baby shower, engagement or wedding the actual preparation can be quite overwhelming! You will want to make sure that you invite the right people, pick the right venue and choose the best party supplies - after all everyone wants to throw a party that people will enjoy and remember!

The first step is to think about the venue, where you are having the party will have a big influence on your guests, how many you will invite and what sort of party it will be, you may choose a house party, beach party, your favourite restaurant or the local town hall..?! Once you know where you will be holding your party you can firstly set the date - you are likely to have this in mind before you choose the venue so that you can make sure that you get the right time etc. Once you have it all booked then start picking a theme; this will help you to come up with the ideas for your invitations, decorations entertainment and more.

Make sure that you set a budget for your party before you send out the invites that way you will know what to tell your guests, e.g BYO drinks or Food and Drink Provided. Once you have tackled the theme you can then concentrate who you will invite, arrange to have your invitations sent out and await the RSVP's from those would love to help you celebrate!

When you know how many people are coming you can then start to think about food preparation whether you will seek the help of your family and friends or if you will need caterers - bear in mind that these should be booked as far in advance as possible. Plus if you are organising it yourself don't forget the serving ware such as plates, bowls and cutlery!

Your theme may influence your choice but make sure you spend some time thinking about the music you will play at your party. This is important as it will help to set the mood and vibe of the event. Then come the decorations, these should reflect the theme of the party and could include table gifts or party favours for all of your guests! Make sure that the colours match in with your chosen scheme so that the venue is perfect for the arrival of your guests!

The hardest part will be to pick the theme, there are so many fantastic ideas out there and your choice will of course depend on your personality, who you are inviting and what sort of party vibe you are after. Here are some pretty cool themed ideas to help you plan a memorable party that your guests are sure to enjoy.

Why not choose a 'Year Theme' that means something to you - Here is our selection of party ideas from the 1920s to the 1980s...

1920s

Also known as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age, the 20s saw an art deco style that represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity.

1940s

With World War II taking place in the first half of the decade and lingering well into the late 40s, why not base your party on a wartime theme; hang up your bunting, wartime posters and pictures of spitfires and camouflage!

1950s

Rock and Roll dominated the popular music scene in the late 1950s. It saw artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richie and Elvis taking to the stage! So think American Diner and select your music carefully and 'rock around the clock' at your 50s theme party.

1960s

The Swinging 60s - think Summer of Love, Woodstock and Psychedelic influences! Peace, Love and the rise of the 'Hippie' culture make this a very colourful theme for a birthday party.

1970s

Create your own Disco - Boogie Nights experience with a 70s theme party! Think John Travolta, bright lights and disco balls!!

1980s

Think Marty McFly- Back to the Future or Madonna & Boy George! Whatever you plan for your 80s style party you can be sure that there are some pretty cool ideas for your party decorations, gifts and favours.

You could also consider a theme from the following list:

Back to School

Black and White

Caribbean or Hawaiian

Masked Ball or Mardi Gras

Tarts and Vicars

Hollywood

Murder Mystery

Beach Theme

Wild West

Winter Wonderland

Nationality Themes;

Spanish

French

Irish

British

Australian

... There are so many styles and themes to consider but with whichever you choose the golden rule is to make sure that you simply enjoy yourself, whether it is a party for you a family member or friend, all of your planning efforts must be rewarded with a little bit of fun!

Enjoy.

Americans are known for their short attention spans, and this is certainly true at the trade show exhibit hall. With a crowded trade show display floor bursting with hundreds of trade show exhibits, the essential job of the exhibitor is to attract immediate attention with a compelling trade show exhibit display.

Finding a fast way to capture visitor interest with an exciting trade show display booth is quite a challenge. Trade show attendees want a quick fix. Catchy trade show graphics can give a bold deliverance of message and humor can be used effectively too; but the trade show exhibit also has to be consistent with the exhibitor company's marketing message.

To be successful, the trade show booth design must answer the visitor's three key questions -- who the exhibitor is, what they do, and why a visitor should spend time inside the exhibitor's trade show booth.

According to Karla Krause-Miller, Director, Cappa and Graham, Inc., a professional event planning company in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the psychology and strategy of trade show booth messaging is the key to success at a trade show. She advises that one follows the guidance from experienced account managers to stay on track for achieving a successful trade show display. Here are a few of her tips for exhibitors:

Focus on the big picture of what you want to have happen at the trade show. In other words, keep your company's trade show marketing goal in mind when planning a trade show display booth.

Avoid common trade show graphic mistakes, such trying to explain your new product by putting too much information in your trade show graphics -that is the job of your trade show booth staff.

Make sure your trade show graphics are readable from a distance of 10' away and from 8' above. Be sure to design your trade show booth with people in mind - what people will see when they approach from the aisle, what they see when they step inside the booth, and at the back wall.

Add excitement and pizzazz to your trade show graphics by using color and movement. Avoid boring graphics.

Use appropriate models and messages that match your industry standards.

Pay attention to lighting - have a clean, well-light trade show booth as people are attracted to light.

Make your trade show booth the place to be - people want to be where the action is -and they want to be part of the action.

Avoid being too product focused. It is best to highlight the application of what your product does, rather than relying on an unknown product name. The former Nellcor Puritan Bennett medical equipment company wanted to feature their new product, N1000, at a trade show. But instead of using the product name, N1000, they showcased graphics that featured its application--capnography, a noninvasive analysis of Co2 saturation. Visitors were better able to understand what was inside the trade show display. Nellcor was smart to focus on N1000's application rather than rely on a product name unknown to potential visitors.

Remember, it's up to you to decide what your trade show exhibit display will do to relay your company's message. If you follow the above rules, you can have a successful trade show experience; whether you have a pre-owned trade show exhibit display, a custom trade show exhibit, a custom modular trade show booth, a portable or pop up trade show exhibit display, or a trade show display rental.

This trade show exhibit advice holds true wherever you have your next trade show --whether the show is in Orlando or the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Santa Clara Convention Center or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

Staying within the allotted budget is important when planning any event. There are so many things that need to be taken care of. So here are points to help you stay within the allotted budget and maybe even below it!

Controlling the Budget

Event planning budgeting is the most crucial component of event planning. Think about all the aspect and components of the event before deciding the budget. Here is couple of tips to help you set up a budget and watch the expenditures.
• If you are following an older budget that was used for a previous then increase by 10-15% to account for higher prices. Also add 10% to the final budget to deal with contingencies.
• Keep a daily tab on the expenses so that errors and over expenditure can be corrected.
• Stick to your budget when it comes to the venue. Discuss your budget restrictions with the venue and the contractors. Since they will want to keep your business most of them will try to work something out.
• Ask for discounts if you pay in cash. Since the vendor won't have to pay the credit card charges you are saving them money. Ask them to reciprocate and give you a discount.
• Limit the money decision to a limited number of people. Too many cooks spoil the broth. This old adage applies to this situation. If you have too many people making monetary decisions, you will have financial chaos.
• Be flexible with your event date. For example, holding the event on a weekday will ensure you get better service
• Give a history of the previous events when talking to possible venues and vendors. This will get you better service as the contractors will try to secure your future business.

Location

Choosing the right location is a major part of making the event a success. So here are some tips to help you get the right venue at the best possible price.

• Do the venue research online. This will save you the time you would have spent visiting venues. Get in touch with your local Chamber of Commerce about possible venue options. The administration tries to keep as much business as possible within the city and they will help you find a suitable venue in the city. In fact, they have a database of venues in the city and they will do most of the calling and legwork for you.
• Keeping the event local will lower your costs considerably compared to organizing the event in some distant city.
• Take a camcorder or camera along when you go location scouting. Take pictures of all the venues you visit. This will help when you sit down to decide on a venue.

Following these points will help you stay within your San Jose Event Planning budget.

Sporting events can be a really good way to make money and can be a great way to get people involved in charities. To raise money you can host events for people to watch or you could even provide something they can take part in. Organising a football tournament can be great fun. Here are a few ways you can make money from this-

1.) Different companies in the area can enter their own team and pay to do so. Not only is it a great way to create a team bond and friendships amongst employers but it can also be great advertising for the companies.

2.) You can charge companies and business's to advertise on the football kits, this can be the companies who's teams are playing or others. By organising the printing yourself you can make a profit from it.

3.) If you play to have boundaries around the pitch you can charge people to advertise on boards, you could also charge people to leaflet drop whilst the event is taking place.
People will be more than happy to pay a little extra for advertising if it's for charity. Not only are they getting something out of it but it also looks good for the company if they're giving money away to a good cause.

It's difficult to get a fine line between spending money to make sure the event is nice enough to charge people more and not spending all your proceeds. I would strongly recommend sorting out Astrograss hire.

Astrograss hire will allow you to host the event regardless of the weather and will allow you to keep the sport going all day without worrying about the quality of the ground. It will also entice more people to watch the sport, which is all extra cash.

I'd also be inclined to sort out staging hire as this will not only help you present the winning teams to the audience so that everyone can see but you could also get a band or singer to perform so that you create a better event. People are more likely to stay around for longer if there is music and therefore spend more money but it will also sound more appealing to people and may drag more people in on the day who can hear the live music.

I hope my few suggestions have helped and will allow you to throw the perfect sporting event.

Arranging a successful corporate hospitality event requires an effective balance of research and thought. It's important to consider the preferences of your clients, and to seek out the events and packages which they will most enjoy, and that will allow you to build a strong business relationship with them. To assist you with the process, we have prepared below a collection of our top 10 tips for arranging a corporate hospitality event.

1. Define what you are looking to get out of the event
   
   What you define will determine which is the most appropriate event and how to manage it. After all, the need to cement a business partnership will require a different approach than a wish to say 'thank you'. Not all hospitality is linked to a financial outcome, although good corporate hospitality is always guided by a specific set of objectives.
   
   Some experts say that corporate hospitality is not measurable. We disagree. Defining what you want to get out of it is the benchmark for whether the event is a success. (see Tip 7)


2. Find out the sort of corporate events your client likes
   
   What YOU like and enjoy is not as important. We recommend you send clients a short, simple questionnaire asking them to list their top five corporate events. This gives you all you need to tailor the event appropriately. Make sure this is sent with a stamped addressed envelope so that it is easy to return.
   
   If sending a questionnaire is not possible, develop the habit of subtly asking them what they like to do in their spare time. If someone is passionate about a particular club, sport or pastime they just love to talk about it.


3. Always remember that your clients are motivated by self-interest
   
   This is a perfectly natural emotion. Your invitation should be good for their ego, and something they are keen to tell colleagues and friends about. You want your invitation to be an event in the diary they are actively looking forward to, not something they feel duty-bound to attend. The clearer you are about what THEY are going to get out of it, the better.


4. Avoid doing the same old thing, year after year
   
   Just because your last event was a success don't fall into the temptation of repeating it. It's an obvious thing to do but based on your understanding of the things your client likes (see Tip 2), try to ring the changes. Ideally, you want each event to be different and unique. Even if you have a client who looks forward to the same annual outing, try to give it a new twist each time.


5. Make sure your guests have something to remember the event by
   
   Even grown-ups like 'goodie-bags'. Mental memories are powerful and important but they tend to fade. Some form of physical gift is an excellent way of cementing their connection with the event. But tread carefully; you don't want it to appear that you are lavishing gifts for the sake of it. Aim to find a gift that you know will be used and appreciated.
   
   A quality photograph of the event is a great memento; especially if your guest has had their picture taken alongside a celebrity. Forward the photo a week later and you have a perfect excuse to get back in touch with your client.


6. Focus your spend per head on fewer clients
   
   In our experience, you will get a better return on investment when you focus on giving only a few clients an exceptional time rather than lots. Your top clients probably account for a high percentage of your revenue so it make good business sense concentrate on them.
   
   This approach helps to make your top clients feel more valued as they know they belong to the 'special' group. Those who miss out may even aspire to become better clients when they learn what amazing hospitality you provide.


7. Ask for feedback within 7 Days
   
   Very few companies do this. Those that do are committed to making corporate hospitality work in their favour.
   
   This is a good thing to do while memories of the event are still fresh in the mind. The trick is to send a short, simple questionnaire that looks quick and easy to complete. If clients have genuinely had a good time, they will have no problem in answering it. For best results, send it to them with a memento of the day, such as a photo. This tip is an essential part of measuring the effectiveness of your investment.


8. Don't make your hospitality too male-orientated
   
   Show your sensitivity to women in the work place by providing hospitality that everyone is likely to enjoy. If you have followed Tip 1, you will know what else to consider other than rugby or football. Corporate hospitality packages that have proved a great success with the ladies include Horse Racing Hospitality, Music/Festival packages and Shopping Weekends.


9. Always avoid cheap packages that offer 'special discount due to cancellation'
   
   Tempting, we know. The truth is that professional, memorable corporate hospitality is not cheap. Nor should it be. And always remember that a poor experience is more damaging than not having one at all. If there is a discount due to a cancellation it should raise alarm bells not a quest for a golden opportunity.


10. Always work with a corporate hospitality company with a proven track record
    
    You would expect us to say this, we know! But as this list of tips proves, experience counts. Ensure you choose a corporate hospitality company who have experience in providing a professional service, with an eye for detail.

For organizing a wonderful corporate holiday party, event organizers mostly look for ways to control costs and that too without compromising the overall value. However, a successful corporate holiday party is all about basking in a cheerful environment without being wasteful in any way. Many a times, planning the corporate holiday event become difficult and organizers have a tough time managing this event. Here we have shared a few exciting tips that can help you to plan a grand corporate holiday party, that too without going overboard with the available resources.

1. Mix up holiday party with an award program

Corporate holiday parties always have some business focus on it. However, adding a little variety can engage people more effectively. You can arrange an award program on the day of your holiday party. This will ensure emphasis on the appreciation message and can motivate your employees. Keep in mind that an award ceremony during the holiday party can give you more measurable and tangible results.

2. Eliminate the carving stations

Select cost-effective menu items, such as chicken, fish and mini-appetizers that can help your event budget within limits. It would be better to avoid ingredients prime ribs and turkey carving stations in a small budget. By doing this, you can cut down on additional cost of required to hire expert stewards and specialty chefs.

3. Choose mini-desserts rather than full servings

When it comes to desserts, you need to be a little smart. You might have noticed that most guests usually take a couple of bites of the dessert and the rest is usually left untouched. Hence, the best idea is to set up a dessert station, where it will be served in smaller quantities. Do not spend on full size slices of chocolate mousse, because most guests would not manage eating full plate desserts post a hearty main course.

4. Use lighting and decoration effectively

Proper usage of lighting and decoration helps in creating a party atmosphere. However, you need to keep in mind that you are after all hosting a corporate event and hence decoration cannot be informal in its essence. Therefore, instead of investing on rental linens and expensive centerpieces, you can choose a venue, where you already have access to a corporate setting. Once you have the venue selected, you can work on creative ways of using lighting arrangements in the room to enhance the festive atmosphere.

Host a lunch event

A holiday event becomes more exciting with a great luncheon. In this way, you can build up a strong and sustainable relationship with your prospective clients. However, make sure that you have hired a reputed vendor for catering to your luncheon event. Offer your guest a high-end food and beverage experience.Try out these tips for planning a grand corporate holiday party next time.

To many casual observers, or even attendees, producing and putting on an event does not appear to be that difficult. Indeed, if all one wants to do is put on an event, that may be true, but if the goal is to have a well run, well planned and well produced program, there are many things that go into its creation.

1. Before any event should even be planned or negotiated, it is essential that the organizers decide what its objective is. Depending on what one wants to do, and what its goals and events are, will determine the best way to then proceed.

2. One of the first things that is needed is to effectively negotiate favorable terms for the program. Organizers must determine if they anticipate many people staying over and requiring guest rooms, if there will be Food and Beverage provided, and if so, will it be included in the attendee's cost for the program (often referred to as the Registration Fee), or will it be sold as tickets, or will food and beverage be of the on your own variety. What kind of Audio/ Visuals will be needed? How many meeting or breakout rooms will be required? What size (how many people) will each room be accommodating? Will there be a need to provide any complimentary accommodations for any lecturers, organizers or honorees? What kind of facility will be needed? Other than meeting and banquet rooms, what else is needed for this conference? Is the type of facility or its location a major factor? What is the total budget for the event? Is this going to be a fund raiser, a break even, or a subsidized event? What is the target figure for the registration fee for the attendees?

3. Who will make the decisions regarding this event? Will it be the Chairperson, a Committee, or a larger group? How will monies be collected and reported? Who is responsible for each aspect?

4. There is a need to set up a detailed Action Plan far in advance. This should clearly spell out all responsibilities, goals, and actions that are needed. It should accompany a time line for tasks that are needed to be accomplished by a specific date, as well as best to review on an ongoing basis, to assure that everything is progressing as desired.

5. How is this event going to be marketed? Again, a specific Marketing Plan including both responsibilities, a time line and tasks must be established, and there must be included sufficient time to promote the event. Generally, promotion and marketing should begin with a "Save The Date" promotion very far in advance, and numerous and continuous follow ups. Too many organizations begin their marketing and promotion of their events far too late, especially if travel and a substantial expense to the attendee may be involved.

6. Professional event planners understand that there is always a need for contingency, or backup plans. Invariably, something changes unexpectedly, such as weather, speaker cancellation, additional items added to the program, etc. Organizations must realize that it is better to add something additional to a program than to take something out that an attendee expects to be receiving.

7. When budgeting for this event, revenues should always be based conservatively (under-anticipated) while expenses should be over-anticipated. That is the only fiscally responsible way to plan.

8. Organizers must create a priority list, so that if changes are needed, they have an organized manner to decide what is most important to maintain, and what it would be best to eliminate (if necessary).

9. The Event Chair must regularly review with his Committee Chairs regarding their progress, and keep on top of any possible eventuality that might impact the success of the program.

10. As the event nears, more regular contact and more detailed review and evaluation is necessary. One of the main reasons that adequate earlier review is worthwhile is that it makes this step far more predictable, easier and more efficient.

If an organization decides to use an Attendee Survey, they must have it prepared professionally, to assure that the questions do not provide a bias or prejudice. These surveys optimally should be distributed and collected at the end of the event, to provide maximum benefit to the organization.

Organizations that follow these simple steps listed above, and then personalizing the procedure in depth for their organization and specific event, almost invariably have more successful, consistent, and satisfying programs. If an attendee is satisfied, there is a great probability that he will seriously consider attending in the future.

Many different words can be used to describe a day in the life of a wedding planner/coordinator. Hectic, exciting, creative, and organized are just some of the words used to describe this fast-paced career. While wedding planning provides plenty of hurdles in the form of demanding brides, unhelpful caterers, and booked venues, it can also be an extremely rewarding field. Wedding coordinating can be perfect for anyone interested in owning their own business, making their own hours, and using their creativity and organization at work everyday.

Typically, a wedding planner will be working on multiple weddings at one time. This presents organization challenges, but also opportunities for a wedding planner that can multitask. Often while planning one wedding, a watchful wedding planner will stumble onto something that is perfect for another event in the works. This is where time management becomes a key part of the career, any successful wedding planner must be able to prioritize based on the timing of the wedding or weddings, as well as the workload required for each event.

The roles and responsibilities of a wedding coordinator range depending on the involvement of the bride and the budget. Most brides want to have a say in every detail of their weddings, which might allow you to take on more of a coordination role where the bride is looking for suggestions and guidance. However, some brides want the entire event done for them, which means a lot more work on the planners end. Properly assessing a bride's wants and needs will be vital in the beginning stage of the planning. This will allow you to give the bride exactly what she is looking for, without being too involved or too removed.

For many wedding planners the week before the event is both the most stressful, and more interesting time of the planning process. It is extremely common for brides, and often bride's mother as well, to completely lose their heads in the week leading up to the ceremony. This is the time for the wedding planner to shine. By holding the bride's hand, ensuring every piece is in its place, and verifying that all appointments are made and kept, you will solidify your place as a recommendation that bride gives to all of her friends.

For anyone interested in wedding planning, exploring an events planning degree course is the way to go. Many schools also offer wedding planning certificates to help give you an edge in your new career.

Start With the Basics
Before you let your creative juices flow freely, it is important to know the parameters. There are certain aspects of your company picnic that cannot be changed or altered. Make sure you are aware of any circumstances that might put an end to your best company picnic ideas.

For example, going over your budget might be something that the powers above you would not allow. What is the budget for the event? Another limiting factor will most likely be the location. Planning a company picnic at a location that's hours away, will most likely dampen the highlights of the event. No one wants to drive for hours before a one-day event begins. Consider your location carefully. Depending on the size and location of your company, sometimes the company parking lot can be re-created into surprisingly well put together themes for company picnics.

Another consideration is whom do you want to invite? Staff only, members of the immediate family, or significant others. Family oriented company picnics are a great way for staff to meet families of co-workers. Single or divorced employees can feel a bit out of place at a family event. Overcome this problem by planning activities requiring participants to form groups. Grouping helps to integrate all attendees. Once you are aware of the basics it is time to let those company picnic ideas flow and create the theme.

Creating the Theme - Do You Really Need a Theme?
Company picnic ideas can range from the very simple to the blow-out extravaganza. Having a theme for your company event makes it easier to plan the food and activities. Choosing a different theme each year for your company picnic adds variety, so everyone is anticipating what the theme for this year will be. If there is no change from year to year, the event becomes more ho-hum, hum-drum, and boring.

The theme is one of the most important aspects of successful company picnic ideas. A few popular theme concepts are family-picnic, picnics at theme parks, picnics at state parks, and themes based on the season. For example, the company picnic idea of a fall theme could be coordinated using fall colors for table decorations, balloons, and banners. To further compliment the fall theme consider food and drink to match the season. Activities might include hayrides, tag football, and more.

You can take almost any season, holiday or event and create a theme for your company picnic ideas. Whatever the theme the key of success is to make sure to keep the needs and tastes of your attendees in the forefront of the decision making process.

Making the Plan
There are event planning companies that can assist you with every aspect of your company picnic...even providing you with company picnic ideas. You can choose the theme, and they will take care of the entire event. Everything can be included- food, beverages, activities, entertainment and transportation if necessary.

Choosing a company to provide all the services for your company picnic is often the easiest route to take. You still maintain control over the event and can set the theme, the location, and other specifics. Working with only one company rather than a host of providers makes coordination a breeze.

Final checklist
As with any event, make sure to keep written notes as you plan. It is also a good idea to create and maintain a to-do list containing every detail of planning and implementing your company picnic.

If you choose to hire individual providers, at least one week before the event, make sure you and your committee reviews and completes a final checklist. This ensures that everything is going smoothly. Doing a check one week before the big day gives you time to make sure those last actions are complete, and you still have time to make changes if necessary. For example, suppose you have plans to have face painting for the children. Make sure to contact and confirm that those who will do the painting are still available. This is also a good time to make sure they know exactly when and where to be on the event day.

Contacting every provider and vendor a least one week before the big day will help avoid any problems with set-up and distribution on the day of your event. Make sure to give instructions and confirm date, time, and the specific location (if necessary, within your location for each vendor to appear.

You can create a layout of the location and assign each vendor/provider a specific area within the layout. Make sure each vendor/provider receives a copy before the date of the event.

Enjoy the Rave Reviews
Proper planning allows you to enjoy the event with everyone else. Any company picnic ideas you consider must keep the tastes and needs of those attending in mind. This helps ensure you generate rave reviews and make your event successful.

Don't forget to casually survey attendees after the picnic to get the overall level of enjoyment. This can help with future event planning. Most will be appreciative that they were consulted. Have fun and enjoy!

In the business surroundings there are several areas that take on the focus of business management. Making sure that your company is creating high and growing income is often the main focus in the business environment. Assuring that you have the appropriate investments in order to meet your present expense demands and pave the road for expansion in the future is an extra focus.

Even guaranteeing your employee team is properly staffed and trained so as to maximize your revenue and consumer service potential demands a great deal of focus. All of these focuses of the business environment often take away from other important business features such as event planning for worker and investor appreciation. This is where you could take advantage of hiring a professional event planner.

With a well trained event planner your company gains the chance to utilize an experienced person that can aid you in many events which businesses plan all through the year. With the services of an event planner you could keep your focus on the fundamentals of the business environment and permit them to handle the necessary events needed for a business to stay operational. Many companies question the need for corporate event planning; viewing them as a business expenditure that provides no real return on investment. However, with this a business helps in creating long-term return on the money invested that could boost your opportunities in gaining revenue and future investments.

When you include this around the investor you take an active step to exhibit your appreciation for the people investing in your company. This show of appreciation helps an investor feel incorporated with the business which normally inspires an investor to remain loyal to your company. This loyalty assists your business in securing future investments from this individual and spark interest from other potential investors when they discover this investor faithfulness. Normally the corporate event planning around investors incorporates one or two banquets every year, a small investment which delivers and incredible financial impact.

With corporate event planning surrounding the associate, you're looking for your return on investment with an increase in profit or a steady stream of continuous revenue. Several firms make the mistake that the salary they pay their associates is all the appreciation they are required to show. If your company is high above the norm in regards to salary then this may be true.

But, if you are like several firms trying to keep payroll expenses low then corporate event planning could go a long way to boost your financial opportunities. When you show your appreciation with this you could increase productivity through employee satisfaction, aiding to increase revenue.

Churches and other faith-based organizations can streamline their operations, increase donations, and bring in greater program participation by using the church event management solution. The online church event? management software helps to create, customize, and publish one or more registration pages, offer easy and secure collection of payments and donations, and bring in greater interactivity and harmony among members and communities.

All through the year, churches keep on organizing different kinds of occasions; these range from fundraising programs to youth camps and religious trips. Managing events, especially the large and complex ones, is not an easy task. The web-based church management services offer ready-made solutions to practically every aspect of event supervision. From the incident set-up and registration to informing members about daily devotionals and missions, the web-based event management software does it all.

You can provide regular updates to your attendees about various church activities by using the church software. Information about your religious missions, trips, and so on can also be enlisted for online membership viewing. The built-in online church calendar can also be used to notify members about the current and upcoming church happenings.

Online event management solutions can be used to send email notifications to people informing them about the various church occasions and fundraisers. Integrated emails about day-to-day activities of the church help to build community awareness and increase interaction among church members over time. You can also send RSVPs and invitations to all your members and new contacts about the upcoming youth camps, fundraising programs, and more. The online church event management services can also be used to share and publicize church activities and events on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Web-based church management software eliminates the need for cash handling and excessive administrative costs. Real-time authorization and processing for all major credit cards, PayPal, Purchase Orders, and checks are possible if churches start using online church event management solution.

Apart from offering instant online registration to events, the church event management solutions can also help in:
• tracking the member's contact information and address details
• view their payments transactions
• efficiently manage collections of dues, donations and more

Thus, the online church administrative software helps to lower managerial costs and facilitates smooth operations for churches, religious organizations and other faith-based organizations. The software can be used to simplify online registrations and payments for different kinds of church activities, fundraisers, and other related functions.

Great teachers are always looking for new, engaging ways to help students learn. Giving students real life responsibilities that allow them to apply what they are learning in the classroom and learn even more about the subject is an excellent strategy to be used in addition to traditional teaching methods. Movie nights held at schools are becoming increasingly popular because of the way they create a sense of community in the school and provide students with a safe opportunity to have fun with friends. Why not give a group of students the responsibility of planning a movie night? Here is how students can gain experience and benefit academically with movie night planning.

Students will gain valuable marketing and communication skills while selling sponsorship for the event. There are many ways to pay for a movie event, including selling tickets and finding sponsors from the community. Students in charge of finding sponsors will need to approach local businesses to solicit sponsorship. Once the sponsors are found, students with graphic art skills can create simple presentations to thank the sponsors and provide advertisement.

In addition to attracting sponsors, students will need to attract an audience through marketing. Students should be encouraged to be creative and use many marketing tactics to bring a crowd to the event. Students can hang posters around the school, hand out flyers and request time during school announcements to speak about the event. If there is a school newspaper, the event could be advertised there.

Paying for the event and attracting a crowd are both essential pieces of the movie night planning puzzle, but the event will not be possible without considering the demographics and choosing an appropriate movie. Encourage students to think carefully about exactly which students they are going to focus on getting to this event. Do the students want to get incoming freshmen there? Is the event for upperclassmen nearing the end of their high school years? Teach students an important lesson about demographics and marketing by making sure they have clear goals and a plan in mind. Students can use surveys of the target audience as well as current movie popularity statistics to choose the best movie for the event.

There is also the important matter of basic logistics. Where will the students get the equipment for the event? The success of the movie night hinges upon finding and hiring a reliable and high quality equipment provider, and this requires time and research.

Food is also important at a movie event. Students can choose to charge admission to the event that includes food, set up a concession stand, or use a combination of both tactics and include food with admission and sell extras like drinks, movie candy and popcorn at a concession stand. The students will be responsible for choosing the best foods for the event, renting any necessary equipment such as a popcorn machine, running the concession stand on movie night, and cleaning up after the event.

Many movie events feature other types of entertainment in addition to the movie. Students should be encouraged or required to plan extras such as door prizes or other giveaways.

Hosting a movie night event at your school provides a wonderful and memorable experience for students. Why not take advantage of this opportunity, though, and make it a valuable learning experience? Students who attend a movie night event probably do not realize how much goes into planning this type of event and making it a success. High school students will be highly invested in the success of their event since their friends will probably be attending. Give students a unique chance to learn and apply valuable marketing, economics and communication skills by assigning the task of movie night planning to a group of your students.

As an event planner, your key responsibility is to organize a successful event. Apart from focusing on the various intricacies of event management, you must also undertake necessary steps to promote it effectively. This is important because unless you spread the word about your events, prospective attendees will not have requisite information and your event will not achieve success. Interestingly, there are several marketing options that you can select to generate awareness about your upcoming events. Moreover, you can choose comprehensive event management solutions that come equip with marketing capabilities to facilitate event promotion.

Some of the marketing options that feature in advanced event management solutions include the following:

Smart Calendaring Feature

The calendaring tool is perhaps the most effective means by which event planners are promoting their events. This tool provides ease of view and access, making it simpler for the registrants to view details about the upcoming events. You can customize the calendar to make it more visually appealing for the registrants.

Smartphone Support

People lead busy lives with hectic schedules and commitments. Since they have very little time at their disposal, you must go for marketing options that can step up the promotional activities in the most effective manner. Several cutting edge event management solutions now support mobile applications to enable prospective attendees register for the event using their phone. They can view complete information about the event, venue details and more.

Social Media Marketing

Social networking is the latest buzzword in the marketing world today. It has the potential to help you reach out to several attendees at the same time without spending a lot. There are several integrated event management solutions that enable you to publicize your events online on the social media platform though Facebook and other interactive social networking sites.

Email Communication

A visually impactful and informative email works wonders for your event promotion strategy. Considering the several benefits offered by powerful email marketing campaigns, you must pay adequate attention on creating an insightful and interesting email campaign. By choosing a comprehensive event planning solution, you can create email templates that match the look and feel of your brand. You can design your email templates with interesting colors, graphics and text effects. Upon scheduling the delivery of the emails, you can ensure that you past as well as prospective attendees have complete information about the upcoming event.

Discount Rules for Attendees

As an event planner, you top priority is to ensure that your event is a sellout. To achieve this objective, you must deliver value to your attendees. Through promo code engine, gift cards and redemption options you can lure your prospective registrants to sign up for the event.

Event management has become highly competitive in the last few years. As a result, event planners have had to rework on their marketing strategies and implement effective solutions that can help them to maximize revenues. Effective event management solutions that offer a host of marketing tools are best option to take your event promotion strategy to the next level.

Corporate events are a very important part of corporate culture. Lot of detailing is required while organizing a corporate event. A lot of attention is paid to food, entertainment and most importantly the venue.

Nowadays various hotels are hosting corporate events, handling all the departments involved in a corporate event. All you have to do you is let them know how you want your corporate event to shape up and they will do everything to make your event successful. In fact this has been the trend since few years now. Some of the very successful events have also been in news for their excellent management.

Corporate events venues news

Various corporate events have received rave reviews from the press. These events have been in the news because of their innovative and creative ideas. These events were not hosted in the regular way. They had something special or they were managed exceptionally well.

Being in corporate events venues news helps the venues in various ways. The most important being, the positive publicity it gets. The readers read these reviews and come to know about the good services of the venue. People are generally scared of trying out some new venue and more so when it is something as important as a corporate event. But good reviews make them aware of the experiences of the people who have already used its services. This increases the customer base of the venues thereby increasing their profit levels.

The corporate events venues news column that is published in hotel and resorts magazines has all the detail and information about the services and packages for corporate events of various hotels. They have details about the services that are offered and the prices at which they are offered. These also have the special schemes that you can avail of.

It has descriptions about the various events that have been hosted by them and the way in which they were hosted. By reading this you will get a clear idea of their way of handling and managing things. You can also select a package which will meet your requirements.

One can also take the help of online news on these venues. It is easily accessible and one can get all the information about the venue just by clicking the mouse. In fact you can even book the venue online.

To get regular news about the hotels and venues one can even subscribe for their newsletters. They will be automatically delivered in your e mail id or at your postal address. So if you are planning to host a corporate event start reading these news now so that you can be well equipped to choose the venue for your event.

There was a time when event planning was not a professional industry and people used to plan their events themselves. But now the event planning industry has taken all the worries off people and providing the facility of making their events well managed and more memorable. Many people who want perfection in their events prefer to hire professional event planner. Event planning is a vast industry; it covers many areas such as wedding planning, business meetings, seminars, parties, cruises, field trips, award ceremonies and even children's birthday parties. But there are some people who do not get satisfied with other's work and do not hand over their arrangement to anyone else and do it on their own. So if you are one of them and planning your event then you should carryout a lot of research on event planning so that you avoid making any mistake and let your event go successful. If you keep these important points in your mind you would plan your event in a smooth manner.

Time; it is the most important point to remember in event planning; before planning an event, decide the final date and make sure you have at least two months for the preparation for the event. You can organize the event better if you have more time as there are many things you have to arrange for example venue, food, music, guest list, budget, interior appoint services etc.

Whether your function is indoor or outdoor, discuss the date of the event with the owner of the venue at least one month before whether it is available on that date and make sure that if there would be need of changes you would be able to do them.

Many event planning services can help by providing free consultation or suggestions; they can be very beneficial for you to make arrangements.

Budget is also one of the most important points to plan any event; you have to do arrangements within the budget. So plan a budget and make all arrangements keep it in mind. Make a list of all the required things for the event and inquire about their rates in the market; you will get to know the prices of your required things even on the internet. Keep spare money with you as you might need it for unexpected expenses.

Checklist; make a checklist for your event. Keep checking it often and make sure all the work is being done accordingly.

Keep these things in mind while event planning any and let your event go smoothly. But the best is to get a professional do it for you.