Corporate Event Planning|Event Management|Event Planner

One of the most ingenious ways that businesses can create publicity for themselves is by offering corporate sponsorships through fundraisers to charitable institutions. This kind of sponsorship works in two ways. The charitable organization will find assistance in the funding of their event and the company will get low-cost publicity through the sponsorship of the event. Companies are motivated to sponsor charities because of the benefits associated with the marketing end of things.

It is no surprise then that printed shirts can propitiously be used for corporate fundraisers. Printed shirts are one of the most popular and successful promotional attires that can be used in fundraisers today. Everyone loves polo shirts because they can proudly be worn in support of whatever cause the funds are being raised for and because they are one of the easiest items to sell in support for a cause. Printed polo shirts can also retain for a cost and the money raised through their sales can be used as a corporate fundraiser in support for a worth cause.

Any company can form a corporate partnership with any charitable organization whereby polo shirts are printed and sold as a fundraiser for a good cause. The shirts can have the logos and messages of both the charitable organization and the corporate sponsors thus helping to raise money for the organization while also bringing exposure to the company. Fundraisers can even be organized through corporate fun events where the polo shirts with the logo of both the company and the charitable organization are worn. The shirts can be sold during such events with the proceeds going to the charity and the company getting lots of visibility.

The good thing with fundraisers is that they give a company an opportunity to build a brand image and make connections with people from all walks of life. When someone comes for the fundraiser and buys a polo shirt that is printed and branded with both the company and the charity, they walk away with a walking billboard that creates lots of publicity for the company. Many people are also very conscious of any company's efforts to assist charitable organizations for a worth cause and this will stand in good stead with the company's customers and prospects.

Because apparel such as printed shirts are quite easily very useful for fundraising at events and also have the added value of promoting the company's brand, many companies are willing to take advantage of the extra benefit by teaming up with the charities that they sponsor. Any apparel including printed polo shirts will last long and the company that sponsors the charity will have their brand connected with the charity for a long time to come. This will give the company lots of goodwill in the eyes of their customers and their prospects and their brand will stay in the mind of these people for quite a long time.

While the sponsoring company will derive lots of satisfaction from the idea of supporting a worthy charitable institution, they will also be guaranteed that their brand will have a more increased value in the eyes and minds of the public. Fundraising efforts for charitable organization have a lasting effect on not only the company that sponsors charities but also on their employees as well because such activities boost company pride and help in employee satisfaction levels. By giving through printed polo shirts, a company get's back much more and in a very different way.

Events that use a caterer and staff can range from full-service to lunch drop-off. This type of business includes caterers and staff that supply individuals companies, or organizations with services to include cooking, delivery, and sometimes even serving food and beverages to guests. Full-service catering may involve services to include:

• Decorating an off-premise site
• Flower and plant arrangement at the site
• Food preparation
• Providing service staff
• Prep and cleanup services
• Valet parking
• Telecommunications
• Tenting
• Security
• Entertainment
• Satellite connections
• And much more

A caterer and staff prepare food and beverages for events such as anniversary parties, weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, and much more. This company has a staff that has the skill and experience to make your event a success. They relieve much of the stress and worry from having to deal with specific details of your event such as food delivery, preparation, decorating and more, and allow you and your guests to show up and have a good time.

If you are interesting in catering services for your next event, you should call and schedule a consultation with the company to discuss the services they offer, costs, and your expectations. You need to take this time to also discuss any considerations you may have for your event such as certain religious or dietary preferences for menus that need to be kosher, vegan, vegetarian, Halal, in addition to food allergy requests. If you want hors d'oeuvres at your event, you and the caterer need to discuss if they will be stationary or passed. Many caterers will agree that 3 or 4 passed items is proper for a 1 hour period before the meal.

During your consultation, you should also discuss if you have a need for meal rentals for your event. The rentals can include a flatware, linens, china, serving equipment, chairs, tables, and more. You should be specific on whether you need chair and table set-up and take down, and if this service is included in the price. During your consultation, you can inquire if the company offers partial catering service, which can include the cooking and delivering of your food and beverages, cooking, delivering, the meal without service, or having pre-cooked meals ready for pickup at the caterer's location. This service can be a great and economical option to the full service.

If you are interested in catering services for your next event, just call and set up an appointment to learn of the services they offer. Visit the site website of the caterers to receive a detailed account of all the services they offer.

Holding a successful corporate event can have many benefits, from the obvious, such as team building and problem solving, to the not so obvious, such as increased productivity and morale. But what is the best way to go about this sometimes daunting task?

Define your goals, e.g. team building.

Before you think about the event itself, you need to identify what you want to achieve from it. You may want to reward your employees for a job well done, or perhaps have a fun day to increase staff motivation. Many events are designed to enhance skills such as team building, problem solving or leadership, and most events can be a combination of fun and learning. Compile a list of goals in order of importance so you can stay focussed on the aims of the day when deciding which event to run.

Organise internally or out-source to an event management company?

The next decision to make is whether to organise the event internally or to out-source the event to an event management or training company. Organising a corporate event internally is time consuming and costly, but it could be given as a development task to suitable staff. One of the pitfalls of organising corporate events yourself, is using an inexperienced facilitator, as they may not be capable of keeping the event on track or preventing things getting out of hand. Not only could an event management company provide an experienced facilitator, there is also the advantage of having an independent presence (or referee in some instances).

Many companies have been shocked at the amount of time organising an event actually takes, from designing the event, sourcing the venue, booking the venue, sourcing and organising the equipment, preparing the venue, sorting out transport, organising the food and refreshments and obtaining public liability insurance, to paying the bills to various companies. An event management company will quote you one price covering everything, which leaves you free to enjoy the event, rather than worry about it.

Choose your event

So you know what you want from an event, and you know who will be organising it, but what exactly will you be doing on the day? The event needs to be chosen carefully to ensure you meet your desired goals whilst getting the most from the participants. Consider your audience. If one of your goals is to give people new experiences then you may want to run a very creative event for IT people or a chaotic event for auditors, but otherwise you may not get the best out of the staff if they are feeling way out of their depth and uncomfortable. Event management companies will offer a list of events to suit your goals and people, leaving you to choose the most appropriate one. They will also tailor events to your requirements, and will have run these events many times before, so you can be sure of the outcome.

If you are organising the event yourself, you need to ensure it does actually give you the required benefits. It is all too easy to get carried away with an idea, and later realise it changed so much that the event did not achieve many of the original goals. If you are organising it internally, you will also need a practice run, preferably at the actual venue, to iron out any practical problems before the big day.

Analyse the outcome

Particularly if the event had goals other than just having fun, it is important to analyse the outcome. You, or the event management company, can obtain feedback from the participants in the form of questionnaires. You also need to consider the less tangible benefits from the event, for example, are the team now gelling better together, is productivity up due to a better team morale, or has sickness reduced? Think about what you can learn from the feedback, such as understanding your staff better, making changes to the workplace/procedures, or shaping future events. An event management company will often help with this analysis if required, and even facilitate follow-on sessions if necessary.

Good luck with your event!

What do we mean by Corporate Hospitality?

Corporate Hospitality can be described as any event where an organisation entertains clients, prospective clients or staff at the organisation's expense. This includes spectator sports, participatory events and activities, art or cultural events, and any other events.

The most popular events for entertaining guests are horseracing meetings, football matches, concerts and the major sporting tournaments such as the 6 Nations rugby, Royal Ascot, Test Cricket, The Open, Wimbledon and many more, too many to name here.

Corporate hospitality is usually sold in the form of a package which includes a good quality ticket or seat for the event along with drinks, a meal and sometimes a gift. This is a typical package but it does vary to cater for different events, facilities and budgets. Some packages, for example, would only include a drinks reception or buffet or, particularly at football events, simply the use of a corporate facility with drinks being paid for on the day.

Why use Corporate Hospitality?

The basic idea behind corporate hospitality is to strengthen relationships. Hospitality really targets the individual rather than the company as, for example, a purchasing director being invited by a sales director is of more benefit to the invitee than his/her company.

Hospitality could be seen as a form of bribery - a way to treat the individual in return for their custom but there is often more to it than this. Often these people would only ever speak on the phone or, at least, meet in a work environment. An invite to a corporate hospitality event offers the invitee the benefit of attending the event whilst offering the inviter, or host, the opportunity to get to know his customer.

A hospitality event has a much greater appeal than, say, inviting someone for a meal as it is often a highly prestigious event where tickets are not readily available. The event itself also serves as a focus for conversation - an easy ice breaker.

Justifying the cost

Hospitality packages can often seem highly expensive when compared to the broken down cost of a ticket, a meal and a few drinks but this is not a fair comparison. The hospitality package is an exclusive opportunity and should be likened to other forms of marketing rather than socialising.

Imagine that you have a contract worth several thousand pounds or dollars. Spending a few hundred on a hospitality package is as close as you can get to a guarantee of retaining this contract and, in the longer term, can be far more cost effective than cutting the customers' prices by a few percent.

Prime examples of the unfortunate truth and devastating facts and consequences of scandals can be found in the media all too frequently nowadays, such as the recent events at the Syracuse and Penn State universities. However, as upsetting as these events may be, ethics and compliance individuals can find valuable lessons to take away from these stories and apply them within their own organizations.

The fact is that individuals who are highly accomplished and have a long history of good, professional relationships tend to develop a sense of invulnerability when it comes to committing such unlawful and heinous acts as those illustrated by the Penn State and Syracuse scandals. The truth of the matter is quite contrary. No one is invincible. This is becoming even truer with the increased popularity and availability of video and camera phones, where documenting someone's infractions is as easy as reaching into your pocket, making exposure of any dishonest activity a guarantee. This fact should be taken as a warning to all white collar criminals. However, it is high time for compliance and ethics departments to begin taking steps to prepare for the potential eventuality of such breaches.

At the outset of the previously mentioned university scandals, the initial responses from those being accused was one of total denial, and these claims were backed by the individuals' coworkers, who vouched for their integrity and good standing. These situations also frequently occur when such events take place within a corporate environment. The important thing to keep in mind here is that sometimes people are not entirely what they seem. Good people can do bad things. The reverse can be true as well, being that bad people can do good things.

The fact is that, wherever loyalties may lie, or whatever preconceptions there may be attached to an individual, it is imperative for compliance and ethics professionals to maintain a sense of neutrality and objectivity when it comes to investigating any accusations. While they should not be entirely relied upon, an individual's character and loyalties within the organization should be taken into account, but should also not become a hindrance. A careful balance must be struck when such potentially volatile situations arise, to ensure that the facts are viewed impartially. In order for this to be done systematically and efficiently, procedures should be in place before such issues occur. Also, if and when necessary, these processes should have preplanned punishments in place.

Administrators and managers are often all to ready to take credit for the high performance of those under their supervision. Conversely, these same leaders have a tendency to shirk any responsibility and deny knowledge when one of their employees is found to be involved in any illicit or fraudulent activity. To help regulate such issues over the long term, a scorecard system can be implemented using a few crucial compliance and ethics parameters as a means of allowing administrators scrutinize the conduct of those beneath them. Taking note of such well publicized scandals as the Penn State and Syracuse affairs can be an insightful means of planning for the future in order to avoid similar issues within corporate organizations.

Small and big companies need a group of employees that are united and do work well together as the main ingredient for its success. It is important that each and every person in the team coordinates well with each other. Yes, team building is an important factor that the head of the organization should consider if they want to achieve the main goal of the company. It is an event in the organization that will revamp teamwork from the employees.

Somehow, it is difficult to achieve unity because each member of the group is unique and has their own different battles to make. Although, it may present as a difficulty for the company but when treated will be very useful for the company's main goal to be successful. Team building activities may consist of diversified exercises but it is designed to motivate team unity and teamwork at its finest. This will help resolve differences between employees just to make sure that flow of realizing the target of the organization. The designed activities are made sure for employees to participate in it despite the differences as a person, as an employee and of the hierarchy of the organizational chart. Corporate team building binds the group into one goal and mission by rebuilding the communication between each other. When communication and trust is improved then there is a surefire progress for the output of the group. When the group overcomes the gap which is an obstacle for a smooth relationship then success is the only way to go.

It is divided into two types which aims to develop the competence of each working group. First is the outdoor team building activities wherein the employees will be able to use their physical strength to be able to engage with the group. This type can eradicate negative vibration from each other because it will increase the inner strength through the exertion of energy to be able to conquer different challenges. When working in a group, teamwork is developed because the more you communicate with each other, the more you can overcome the challenges since you have a smooth flowing relationship going on. Remember that the most advisable kind of activities to be chosen should be more of an activity that binds than grinds with each other.

Indoor team building focuses on the proximity of working with each other and the level of concentration to be given in this type of activity. Since it does not require too much space, the indoor type can be done in the office during office hours or can be mixed in with outdoor depending on the situation and how you collaborate the two types. Some of the example of an indoor activity may be social events, workshops, training, seminar, discussion with the group, charitable events, skills based, etc.

But before you conduct a corporate team building activity, you need to evaluate the lacking character of the group and what activities can boost their weaknesses. There is no need to rush in engaging in these activities without getting ready on how and what to target to the characters of your subordinates. Team building is like a refresher course, it makes them think in the first place, why they are standing there with the entire group that works in the company. This will enable to boost positivism and awaken the best of their skills to commit to the organization.

Many organizations are increasingly opting for Ireland as the location of choice for some sorts of corporate events, especially those that require some degree of quietude - like for instance 'company away' and 'fun' days. The serenity of the Irish countryside, combined with aggressive marketing (mostly by the Irish event organizers and the authorities) have over the last few years seen Ireland emerge as a leading destination for corporate events such as company away and fund days - to an extent that entering a search term like 'corporate events Ireland' on any search engine is likely to give you scores upon scores of relevant hits, a considerable number of them being favorable reviews of Ireland as a destination for corporate events, especially those that are best done away from the work environment.

Another considerable portion of the results you get from a search term like 'corporate events Ireland' will be made up of companies that offer to organize such events for an organization on an 'as a package' basis. This way, having paid for the package, all that the company staff or team members (as may be the case) have to do is to hop onto a plane and get on with whatever corporate event is taking them to Ireland, unencumbered with intrusive thoughts about what they will eat and where they will sleep. Now this is attractive to corporate event organizers because after all, one of the aims for organizing corporate events that take place in off-site locations is to give the company members the opportunity to get away 'from it all.' And when you say that you are giving your company's people the opportunity to 'get away from it all', and then you encumber them with concerns about where they will sleep and what they will have to eat, then far from getting them away 'from it all', you are actually getting them 'into it all.'

The beauty of taking corporate events to Ireland is that the Irish countryside, which is normally the setting for such events, offers participants the opportunity to engage in activities they have never engaged in before - like for instance clay pidgeon shooting - a popular pastime in rural Ireland. Engaging in activities like clay pidgeon shooting, which will almost inevitably be a completely new activity for anyone who has never been to Ireland will make whatever corporate event in question is to be remain etched in memory of the participant. Now getting a corporate event - like a team building event for instance - etched into the memory of the participant is one of the things that the event organizers in the company yearn for. This is because it such deeply etched memories which make people come to feel a part of the 'company family.' This is because when all is said and done, what makes you feel a part of your natural family, the family you were born into is nothing more than memories you have of the times you spend together and the experiences you had with that natural family. If people are to feel part of the 'company family' then, there is need to create for them indelible events in their minds for them to 'show for it.'

Team building events can take advantage of the traditional western lifestyle and great fun can be had by being involved in a range of activities from line dancing to mechanical bull riding. Experiences can be shared by the entire workforce and relationships developed within the corporate structure whilst the participants have a tremendous time. Memories will be based on the fun times in a rodeo arena rather than on any pressures to build or strengthen relationships within the working arena. Dallas corporate events such as this give a wonderful platform for bringing your team together.

There are some superb ranches which include pavilions, ranch houses and trails and incorporate all the aspects of life in the traditional west. Events at a ranch house and conference center give you opportunities to immerse yourself in all the spirit and atmosphere of the Texan life of the era but with all the comforts and safety precautions of a modern venue. You will find event spaces with performance stages and dance floors with wonderful access to scenic ranch land right on the door step. Being in Dallas, corporate events such as this will guarantee you an authenticity which can only be imagined outside the rolling hills and open pastures of Texas.

If you are keen to arrange an event at a western venue, you will find some which are able to offer horseback trail rides, line dancing and country and western music, gun fighters and overnight accommodation. Your team can really learn their strengths and weaknesses whilst sharing an evening around the campfire out on the trail. In addition you will find some which go further and offer well designed specific team building events. A team event that incorporates a rodeo challenge will bring your team together into a high performance and cohesive unit. Life on a ranch made many demands on team work and although participants will be having the time of their lives, they will be playing to win in interactive group competitions which will rely on strong team values. Events which include activities such as trail riding during the course of a conference can really bring a team together.

Team building events are becoming increasingly popular as companies realize the importance of communication, cooperation and creativity. A venue where the teams are able to benefit from facilitated presentations with a view to leadership and team-bonding at the same time as having huge amounts of fun is guaranteed to be a winner. Corporate events at an authentic Texan ranch are truly an experience to get excited about.

In today's age of hyper connectivity, it's easy to assume that we are all a little bit closer to each other in our business relationships. Our clients are all just one mouse click, SMS or phone call away. We may keep top of mind with each other via Twitter or LinkedIn. All this connectivity, whilst affording more regular and convenient contact, is slowly eroding the amount of face to face time we spend in our business relationships. It also means that your competitors have the same easy access to your valuable clients. But how can you and your organisation rise above the digital cacophony and be the one your client wants to do business with?

Corporate Hospitality encompasses the age-old tradition of breaking bread with someone. To break bread is to affirm trust, confidence, and comfort with an individual or group of people. Is is something that cannot be replicated over the phone or in a business meeting sense, no matter how charming you or your competition happen to be.

Sharing a special moment at a popular sporting or cultural event whilst enjoying a nice meal and a few glasses of wine can solidify your relationships with your clients in a way that very few other settings can. Should you choose to undertake some client entertainment, it is vital that you choose the right setting for this. For example if you take your clients to a restaurant and secure some general admission tickets in the stands, your client might not feel so special. This would especially be the case if you were seated near unruly or intoxicated people at the game, concert or show. You might not get to spend much time talking to your guests as you are continually lining up to get drinks for them. A corporate box however provides a private and comfortable setting, where your guests are able to relax, ensuring that you are afforded time to talk and get to know your client a little bit better. Being served food and drinks to you in your seat means you don't have to worry about the little things, as someone will be there to take care of it.

In essence, when it comes to corporate hospitality at sporting events it is crucial to choose the right package so that the exercise doesn't become counter productive. Packages such as corporate boxes will ensure that you are in a position to strengthen those important client relationships.

As humans, we are social animals, and the relationships in our lives are our motivations for just about everything we do! They are an integral part of the way we interact in the workplace, just as much as they are the reason that we spend every second Sunday with our mothers-in-law... and good teams and good relationships are vital for a productive workplace. Team building are a time-tested way of improving relationships and therefore productivity in your workplace. Today we check out the basics of corporate events and their team building strategies and potential.

What can team building do for your workplace?
So many organisations assume that all they need to do to succeed is to write great job descriptions, and make sure everyone follows them to the letter. Unfortunately, this approach ignores both the natural impact of relationships in the workplace, and their massive potential! Team building can help the people within your company:

• Communicate more effectively
• Get to know each other
• Allow self-discovery
• Identify strengths to be utilised, and weaknesses to be compensated for
• Set goals that work towards the company's common good
• Teach people to self-regulate, in order to reduce supervisory involvement in managing relationships
• Practice collaboration and improve leadership skills

Ultimately, all of these positives that come out of should result in improved productivity, lower employee turnover, a generally more pleasant workplace... and improved profits!

3 Types of Team Building
There are 4 main types of corporate events used for team building, each of which works towards developing a different aspect of teamwork:

Problem solving events: An example of this type of corporate event would be 'Secret agent experiences' or scavenger hunts, where employees must work as a team to find a solution to a problem. These strongly resemble what needs to be done in the workplace, and can combine fun with learning.

Shared experience events: These are the most common type of corporate event for team building. They aim to entertain... but more than that, they aim to create a backdrop of pleasant times and goodwill among employees that mitigates workplace challenges and difficulties. Examples of this type of corporate event include wine tasting, go kart racing, archery, circus skills workshops, etc.

Communication events: One popular example of this type of corporate event is the drumming workshops that are held across the country. Participants have to communicate to transport and set up the equipment as well as non-verbally, in order to play the percussion arrangement that they get taught.

Effective follow-up

Like any worthwhile business exercise, there has to be some assessment afterwards of the success of a team building corporate event! Your follow-up phase for a corporate event could include activities designed to strengthen the teams formed, such as:

• Collecting data on employee opinions of the event
• Having a debriefing phase, where the team is asked to reflect on how they worked together, and what could have been done better.
• Having an awards ceremony
• Asking participants to write about their experiences for a corporate publication

Corporate events are an excellent way to help build and strengthen the team that is your entire organisation. With effective follow-up, they can help create not only a dream-team... but a dream organisation.

Everywhere you look, people are wearing corporate embroidered and printed clothing. Hotels, banks, supermarkets and fast food restaurants all use promotional clothing very successfully to promote brand awareness and to help you the customer know who is employed by their company.

Corporate clothing is also an excellent way to promote brand awareness at corporate events. The most obvious way to use promotional clothing is to have your staff wear clothing with your logo embroidered on the front. The most popular clothing available is the T-shirt and polo shirt. T-shirts are the less expensive of the two and are good for companies and organisations that have a lot of staff to clothe. Polo shorts are usually slightly more expensive but look great when worn on the stand at trade shows and conferences. In addition to these two best sellers you can go all out and purchase the whole outfit. Shoes, trousers, lanyard and caps are all available to be embroidered or printed to assist you in giving your next corporate event the look you desire.

Another way to promote brand awareness through corporate clothing is to offer T-shirts, polo shirt and caps as a giveaway. Everyone love a free shirt or cap. When they go home and wear the shirt or cap embroidered with your logo they are essentially offering you free advertising space.

All good promotional gift suppliers should be able to supply you with information about the clothing they supply. Do not be afraid to ask for samples as it is often nice to compare the quality of different products. If you tell your business gift supplier what your budget is, they should be able to suggest the clothing that best meets your requirements.

Mindset is everything in business. Without the right mindset, your foundation is lost and you are free falling in the corporate world. That is a rather dangerous situation because it can cause you to lose your grip on your business. With the right mindset, you can keep everything in order.

When utilising team building events as ways to make sure your business stays in check, mindset is a large part of all of the activities. The attributes of corporate team building events include:

- Decreasing frustration
- Building confidence
- Empowering individuals
- Experiencing the power of brilliant execution
- Increasing productivity
- Increasing trust in one another

All of these are very important parts of mindset. But what exactly is mindset? Well, it is how you go into the job every single day. Instead of going in to work each day, worrying about what is going to happen and feeling like a pawn on an oversized chess board, it is going in with a goal in mind.

In this case, the goal is to go into work and accomplish something. If every employee comes to work with the goal to make the business grow, the business would excel at incredible rates. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case, which is why you have to do something to place everyone on the same page. When everyone is on the same page, mindset as a group improves.

Here are the things that you want to achieve with a positive mindset:

- The entire group has a common goal, which means everyone will work together
- Positivity will circulate throughout the workplace
- Communication will improve
- Ideas will blossom for the benefit of the business

Individuals with a poor mindset are more likely to stray away from the group. They have the mentality that they cannot achieve anything in a group, but are better working on their own. They may tend to reject the ideas of the team. Corporate events that focus on team building teach employees why this is not a good idea. Company events such as this also offer a way to take a break and get to know the people that each employee is working with. This does wonder for mindset and the overall mentality of the group.

But even after these events help the employees adjust their mindset, you, the manager, have to maintain it. Rewards systems, encouragement, exercises that bring about motivation, and creative ideas can help the employees stay on their toes. If they get too settled in what they are doing without any innovation, they can become bored with what they are doing and everything fall apart. So keep it fresh for them.

In the end, you will find that your business is much more profitable, your turnover has reduced significantly due to increased employee satisfaction, everyone will share ideas, and the business will continue to evolve with the times. Always be open, supportive, and let your teams know that they are doing a great job. And think of company team building events as rewards for your employees.

Corporate events are those events which are organized by a company or an organization. Such events can be: meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions, seminars, product launches, road shows etc. Seminars are organized to provide relevant information to the target audience. A seminar can last for couple of hours to a day or two. In a seminar there is generally only one session at a time. Conferences on the other hand, generally have multiple sessions occurring at the same time. Cultural programs and exhibitions can also be held in conferences. Typically, anyone can participate in a seminar. Entrance in a conference is only by invitation. Both seminars and conferences are generally organized in hotels. An outdoor conference or seminar is generally rare.

Corporate meetings are generally organized to devise and discuss marketing plans and growth strategies or to evaluate team performance. Meetings are almost always in-door and are generally organized in five star hotels. Various incentive programs are organized by big organizations to motivate, retain and reward there performing employees. Sometimes these programs are organized to attract and retain clients. Companies organize trade shows for lead/sales generations, to build/enhance its image and market value. Attendees of a trade show are generally prospects and suppliers. Although anyone can attend a trade show in general hours, the business hours are reserved only to attend clients and suppliers. Product launch is a way of bringing a new product to the market. Generally a new product is launched by a company either through press conference or through a stage show or both. Sometimes companies use reputed trade shows as a platform to launch their products as this can help in getting lot of media attention.

There are numerous benefits when it comes to corporate racehorse ownership. Buying a racehorse is a great way for a company to promote their corporate profile, and provide entertainment and rewards for their clients and employees. It enables a company to take a huge step forward, and make a worthwhile investment.

Brand Awareness

Corporate racehorse ownership entails promotion of the company on a number of levels. Companies can name their racehorses after themselves, or a brand they want to promote. Companies can sponsor their horse, and have the horse wear their branded logos. Corporate racehorse owners can also get the jockey to wear their corporate colours when riding the horse, another way of promoting the company. Horse racing is the UK's second largest spectator sport, with over 5 million visitors to UK racecourses and a large TV audience. These are effective ways of advertising the company name to a wider audience.

Lucrative audience

Companies are able to promote their company or their brands and products to a wide and lucrative audience. Many people involved in horse racing represent potential clientele for a company, and make a great client target.

Race Sponsorship

Companies can also have opportunities to sponsor horse racing events and have their own race. There are certain racecourses that offer corporate sponsorship packages that companies can purchase. Sponsors are entitled to their own hospitality boxes and they can invite guests, including clients. Companies can even name a race that they sponsor after the company's name. Sponsoring a horse racing event enables media coverage and further boosts a company's corporate profile. If the event that is sponsored is at a racecourse like Newmarket, there would be even better media coverage and exposure.

Hospitality

Corporate racehorse ownership also enables a company to provide entertainment for clients and employees. Horse racing events have always represented an opportunity for entertainment. Owning a horse that will partake in a race will certainly make the experience a more exciting one. Companies that own horses can have access to racecourse hospitality facilities, which they can entertain their clients with as well. There are also opportunities to reward employees. Altogether, the experience can boost company morale in many ways.

Possible Financial Gain

Owning a racehorse comes with the prospect of having a winning horse, and this can benefit the company in a number of ways. It entails financial gain for the company, and also further promotes the company. Having a successful racehorse at racecourses like Newmarket or Ascot will certainly benefit the company.

Moreover, corporate ownership of a racehorse allows a company to recover the Value Added Tax that is charged with the purchase, training and upkeep of the horse.

Company Sponsorship Programs Can Finance You!

Do you have a dream or project that you cannot move on because of money? Instead of just giving up or waiting for "some day" when you do have more money, you may be able to get help today! In exchange for a little good will, many companies are quite willing to sponsor a variety of projects. If you do not take advantage of corporate sponsorship, then you could be missing out on a simple financial solution that many others are already taking advantage of!

Companies donate money for many different things. Amateur athletes, professional sporting events, research projects, travel, and education are just a few examples. This is not a loan, that you have to pay back. It is, basically, free money, that companies donate in return for a little publicity and good will. Enjoy your dream of promoting an amateur folk music festival or a professional tennis match with the help of corporate checks!

Money For Team or Individual Sports

Teams and individuals obtain corporate money to help sponsor athletics, for instance. Long distance bicycle racers, student soccer teams, and figure skaters are examples of athletes who take advantage of sponsorship money. Companies provide money for training, uniforms, travel, and more. Instead of a team sponsorship, perhaps you would like to host a local golf or tennis match. Perhaps you want the match to raise funds for a charity, or even to make profit for yourself. Either way, companies will sponsor these type of events.

You have certainly seen race cars with corporate names on them. That is because the companies "sponsor" the cars. But you do not have to be world famous to obtain a sponsor. Many local and amateur organizations can find willing donors.

Fund Your Next Event

You do not need to hold an athletic event to obtain a sponsor. You could hold a local music festival, beauty pageant, or talent contest! Again, some groups hold these events to fund their activities or raise money for charity. However, some people make a full time living by promoting and organizing events. Imagine, making a living by doing what you really love, and by getting companies to sponsor you! You can learn how to attract eager corporate sponsors, even if you have never done it before!

Money For Education

Many companies provide money for education, and these are called educational sponsorships. The companies may use this sponsorship to promote good will for their business, or perhaps they hope to help train future employees. You can learn how to stay in school, courtesy of a corporate sponsorship. Again, this is donor money, and it is not a loan that you have to pay back! It is often fairly simple to apply for these programs, and the process is already in place to help people just like you if you know how to look for it!

Do Not Give Up On Your Big Idea

A lack of seed money should not make you give up on your dreams or great ideas. Potential authors have found money to fund their books. Scholars find money to finance their research studies. Marathon runners find money to train and travel to their next event. You can step up for sponsor money too!

When faced with the daunting task of choosing a band for your event, the choices seem to be endless, even more so, complicated. Its almost like nothing makes any sense. Make sure that you choose a band that is in the right category for the type of party you are having. Category you say? What does that mean? Isn't a band just a band? Are there really categories? Yes of course there are categories for bands, just like there are categories for many things... For example, lets say you want to rent a comedy to watch with you wife tonight, you wouldn't look at movie titles from the Horror section! And if you are having a party for your wedding reception you should be looking at bands that perform in the wedding category, makes sense right? But how do you know the difference? Its simple, see what category the band is in, and make sure they are the right fit for you... So let's explore the different types of categories starting from the lower end moving our way up to the higher end.

Category 1: Hobby Bands

These bands play for fun, mostly on weekends for their friends or family. They don't have a dress code, their gear is usually lower end, and the songs they play are typically ones that equal their level of ability. These bands aren't very career minded; don't have websites or promotional material, however they can be entertaining. They typically will jam at a party rather then put on a show for an audience. These bands are happy to show up and play for free, and if you throw in a case of beer they will love you for it!

Category 2: Bar Bands

Under this category there are 3 separate levels of bar bands that you're going to come across.

Level 1 Bar Bands:

This level is at a lower end for the bar band category. These acts are typically a soloist or duo that perform with backing tracks (pre-recorded music) or they can be just an acoustic player. They can also be a piano player or a combination. These types of acts play in smaller bars usually from 25 people up to 100 depending on the venue and the type of act. At this level a soloist may charge anywhere from $50 up to $300 if they are really good and can work with a larger audience. A duo may charge anywhere from $100 up to $400 depending on how well they can work an audience and bring patrons into the venue. These acts usually have a tip jar and take requests. There is not a great deal of pressure at this level and often these acts are easy going and work at their own pace. It can be hit and miss at this level, as some are outstanding, while others are just blend into the background while you enjoy a beer and burger at your local watering hole.

Level 2 Bar Bands:

At this level you will typically find bands in the size of a three piece and up to a five piece. These bands are a little bit more professional, they take a little more pride in how they dress and perform. Not that the "level 1" Bar Bands don't, however there is a variant of professionalism at this level then the lower one. The bands at this level will typically earn anywhere from $300 up to $1200 per night depending on their experience and their ability to work an audience. Also, their price can reflect on how busy the bar gets as well. These bands may have there own PA and Lights, however it will usually be to accommodate the type of venue which may hold 75 up to 150 guests. It should also be noted that a lot of venues at this level do have their own PA and Lights so this is more attractive to some bands, who don't want to make the financial investment to purchase their own equipment. It is at this level that the majority of people have experienced when seeing a band live, and when making a decision on choosing a band for their event. These bands can be easily found playing nightly. It's important to also mention that the vast majority of these bands are weekend part time players. They usually have day jobs or teach to supplement their income. Only a small percent of bands at this level perform full time, and in this case, may be more professional minded. It's important to also note that the majority of bands in this category are more focused on themselves, meaning, the show is all about them, and not the audience. Though, most people associate the theory of " a band is just a band" to this category, because this is the only type of band (level) they have ever really experienced. However like the movie title example earlier, there is much more available beyond your local bar band, which takes us to the next level...

Level 3 Bar Band:

This level of bar band is greatly associated with Tribute or Clone bands. Other bands at this level are specialty bands that perform music of a specific era. These bands are typically very professional and have taken the time to produce quality promotional material including videos. These acts don't play every night, however they can be found on special evenings such as a Birthday party, Halloween, or other special occasions. They will usually charge anywhere from $800 and go as high as $2,500 per night depending on how elaborate there show costumes and performance is. You may see at this level acts such as The Beatles Shows, or Elvis etc...

Category 3 Corporate Event Bands;

Corporate Event Bands? Aren't they the bands you see in the bars? NO! These skilled bands perform at Corporate Parties, Conventions, Fund Raisers, Festivals, etc... These bands usually work with specific agents or management. They are very well organized, usually always have their own PA and Lighting, dress and coordinate at a much higher level then the previous levels. They can handle logistics of equipment, travel and their promotional material is top quality. So how come you don't see corporate bands around? Well, because the events these bands perform are NOT open to the general public, this is why so many people don't even know they exist. However there are a large number of these bands around. They are business minded, and usually full time performers that have their own companies and some even cover them for health insurance. These bands can easily manage the flow of the evening, deal with special requests, and work with high pressure/profile situations. These bands are usually masters at controlling a room full of people. At this level there is no margin for error while performing, and these bands can smoothly make an event spectacular. These bands can charge anywhere from $2500 and up to $10,000 or more per night depending on the size of the group, and type of client looking to hire for the event.

Category 4 Wedding Bands:

Bands at this level have a higher level of investment on their part. They all have websites of great quality, own their own PA and Lighting, dress sharp, and are very well organized. They understand why they are hired for a wedding and create the proper atmosphere for the bride. They completely understand that there is no margin for error, and these bands take a great deal of time in rehearsing and managing the flow of the night making the bride and groom's night magical. There can be a higher level of pressure at this level because it's a once in a lifetime event, and everything must be right the first time! The sound must be great. These bands understand that the party is not about them, but about the families uniting and celebrating the joy between two people deeply in love. Bands at this level can handle complicated requests and will deal with brides and wedding planners in a very professional manner. Wedding bands charge anywhere from $3,200 to $10,000 or more per night, depending on the size of the band, their experience and ability to provide the desired environment. You can find bands in a 4 piece and even as high as a 12 piece or even higher! Remember if your getting a band that is cheaper, its not because they are a wedding band at a lower price, its because they're probably a bar band charging a higher price. It's important to know that the band you choose can provide the right atmosphere for the two uniting families, and not provide a bar band environment for your favorite niece or your silver haired grandma...

Category 5 Original Bands:

These bands, as you have already guessed, write their own music and will go out and play clubs, parties, festivals and anywhere else that people can be exposed to there music. Some also play cover songs, however there primary focus is to get their music heard. They focus on building a following so they can sell their own CD's and merchandise. These types of bands will earn anywhere from zero dollars to thousands depending on how popular they are. These bands are entrepreneurs and innovators of music, it's with much sacrifice that these bands endure and making it to the top, is certainly no easy task.

Category 6 Record Label Bands:

This to some is the holy grail of status in the music industry. These bands can be signed to recording contracts with major record labels giving the artists a significant income and fame. These bands have music videos, CD's, and tour extensively at major venues including arenas and stadiums. These bands can charge anywhere from $8,000 up to tens of thousands a night! Not bad for a nights work, however, it does come at the expense of a lifetime of preparation! It's important to note that not all recording label bands become rich and famous, it's the bands business side that may need professional consulting.

So, if you want the right band for your event, choose from the right category and you will know exactly what you are getting. When talking to a band notice the price range they offer, this will be an indication of the type of category they are in. Do you really want a hobby band performing at your next corporate event? How about a level 2 bar band at your wedding reception? Many clients have been overjoyed from there choice of a band at there party, while others who have focused solely on cost have not chosen wisely only to have there event turn in to a disaster. Seek out the right fit for your event and you'll be just fine!

Good luck!

Peter Khan is a highly acclaimed entertainer who has been performing throughout the world for over two decades. He is the Music Manager for the wedding and corporate event band, ELITE.

info@eliteshowband.com

http://www.eliteshowband.com

When it comes to the office Christmas party, many individuals focus their attention on the word "party," completely ignoring "office." This can cause major difficulties during the event. When you are organizing a Christmas office party for your employees, you need to be concerned about what your employees are wearing to the event if you want to avoid potential attire blunders.

Corporate Clothing and Your Office Christmas Party

Without a metaphorical line in the sand, your employees may arrive in attire totally unsuitable for the occasion. They may try to show off a little bit of skin, or get overly excited about the holiday and appear decked out in reindeer sweaters and Santa hats. While this type of clothing may work well for a neighbourhood Christmas gathering, they do not keep up the professional appearance of the office, especially if your office is also entertaining corporate clients.

By enforcing a corporate clothing dress code, you can help your employees avoid these common clothing mistakes, and make the most of the party. Your workers may not realize it, but the annual holiday party will be attended everyone, including their superiors. If you allow for a casual appearance, the mood of the party may be a little too casual as well, leading to too much drinking and inappropriate behaviour their superiors will remember for a long time.

When you are attempting to enforce your Christmas office party dress code, there are a couple of steps you can take to ensure everyone in the office remembers to dress appropriately.

• Have The Party In The Office - If you can set aside a few hours during the workday for a Christmas party, your employees will have no choice but to wear their typical corporate attire. For some businesses, however, this may not be feasible, and it does not allow for spousal attendance.


• Send Out A Memo - A couple of memos would be best actually. When you first send out a memo, informing your employees of the office party, make sure you mention they must wear their corporate clothing. The day of or the day before the party, send out another memo with a friendly reminder of what they are expected to wear.


• Hold a Meeting - Some of your employees may not understand the benefits of wearing corporate attire to the Christmas party. If you hold a meeting, you can listen to their concerns and inform them of the many advantages their regular work clothes will bring.


• Reward Them For The Correct Attire - If you are unsure your employees will adhere to your clothing guidelines, or you are also allowing their spouses to attend the party, consider rewarding them for appropriate attire. For instance, you could make sure they know they will only be eligible for the office Christmas raffle if both your employees and their spouses are wearing the right clothing. Who would pass up a chance to win a big screen TV or a day at the spa just to wear a skin tight dress or jeans?

When it comes to the office Christmas party, make sure your employees focus their attention on the word "office" and wear their corporate clothing.

"These days, corporate theater adds more to a presentation than most anything else can do. No one gives attendees a stale speaker, a basic presentation or a humdrum environment. It's all about the lights, camera and action. Interactive theater is the way to go."
- Event Solutions magazine, Feb 2002

Many businesses are looking to using corporate theater to invigorate and stimulate their audiences at trade shows, launches, conferences and networking events.

Corporate theater can creatively communicate a message using devices that are not traditionally associated with the corporate arena. It can come in many different forms.
Examples of corporate theater include combining performing arts and entertainment with a relevant business message. Movement, humour, song, dance, visual effects, music and lighting are employed to highlight a message, introduce a product or create anticipation and motivation for corporate events.
Concept:Magic stages our own brand of corporate theatre in the form of Branded Entertainment for Corporate Events. Ideas for Corporate Theater For those new to this cutting edge marketing medium, here are some suggestions that you might like to consider for your next marketing event.

Circus-type Acts

Circus-type acts like Cirque De Soleil performers astound and captivate audiences with their amazing featsof human physical skill. By selecting acts that represent desired messages or keywords, the visual metaphors of these messages can be subtly but strongly impressed upon the audience. Hand balancing acts can represent 'strength', contortionists can represent 'flexibility' and trapeze or springboard artists can represent 'risk management', 'security' or 'teamwork'. A juggler can also be used the same way to represent effective 'time management' by juggling alarm clocks with ease.

Interactive Multimedia Presentation

The use of multi-media allows messages and products to be highlighted visually and audibly. A pre-taped sequence of a person who apparently talks directly to the audience coupled with the banter of a professional host can be entertaining and allows for interaction.

The segment on screen need not be a pre-taped sequence but can be a live broadcast from backstage with an appropriate setting to suggest a distant place.

Cooking Demonstration

An entertaining cooking demonstration by an expert gourmet chef that includes tasting of food is not only appetizing but can be very effective in communicating various messages as the demo appeals to the audience's multiple senses - Sight (watching the chef in action), Sound (verbal message), Smell (aroma of food) and Taste (sampling the food).

There are many parallels between how business is conducted and how a gourmet meal is prepared. Both need good 'ingredients' to make the final product a success. Skill is needed to distribute these 'ingredients'. The constant gathering of knowledge is important to create new ideas (dishes). Both require a certain degree of trial & error to get the perfect product.

Skits

Customized skits can star the company staff along with professional actors. The actors ensure that the quality of the skit is high and moves the plot along. The staff can play key characters in the skit to emphasize certain points. Seeing one of their own on stage thrills an audience and draws their attention effectively.

Magic Presentation

A skilled magician with a good understanding of marketing communication would be able to develop a customized presentation to highlight a message using magic. Magic is an intellectual entertainment form as it gets the audience thinking how the magic is done. Once the audience is in a 'thinking mode', it is easier to communicate new information interwoven with the magic.

A Combination of Different Forms of Corporate Theater

All these ideas suggested can also be used in a combination and not necessarily as stand alone forms of corporate theater. Feel free to mix and match to get the best result for your event. Good luck!

Shop online to get the best deal on engraved personalized gifts and wholesale trophies for a variety of events. Engraving allows you to add a personalized touch to wholesale trophies, awards and promotional products. Your recipients will display their trophies or engraved personalized gifts for years to come.

Trophies are the perfect way to recognize milestones and achievements for sports players of all ages. Whether you need trophies for one coach or an entire sports team, an online retailer offering wholesale trophies can make the process of customizing and ordering wholesale trophies affordable and hassle-free. Choose a retailer offering detailed, well-crafted wholesale trophies worthy of displaying for years. Your retailer's wholesale trophy website should provide online catalogues, and have the ability to overnight you catalogs to view full product listings. The site should include an option to message the retailer with your estimated order to request a quote for your event.

If you're looking to recognize the work or achievement of a teacher, employee or more, consider ordering personalized acrylic, crystal, glass or silver awards. These beautiful awards can be customized to fit any budget, and can be used for almost any occasion. Engrave with a person's name, company logo, meaningful quote, or whatever else you may have in mind. These engravable awards can be accented with additions such as different colored acrylic or wood trimming.

Engraved personalized gifts work well for multiple occasions, particularly for corporate events and for recognizing employee achievements. Order any number of useful gift items, including gold-plated brass keyrings, pen sets with engravable boxes or bases, desk clocks in a variety of finishes, or rosewood piano-finish jewelry boxes with laser engravable plates. Other common engraved personalized gifts include business card cases, picture frames and pocketknives. All engraved personalized gifts come in a variety of finishes, made of top quality materials. Order a set of business card cases with engravable leather tops, and gold plated cases, or picture frames with a beautiful piano finish and laser engravable brass plate. Order American Walnut quartz clocks, personalized with your employee, company name or more. Pocketknives feature wood or stainless steel finishes, and 11-function or 7-function varieties. Your recipients will appreciate receiving engraved personalized gifts and trophies for their hard work or achievements-these awards provide a since of accomplishment, and serve as keepsakes that last a lifetime.

Corporate events imply not just investment of money. But it also signifies a significant amount of investment of time. In fact whenever, such event is organized at the corporate level, it takes up 1% of staff of the company's budget and total working hours.

There are certain outlines which need to be taken care of, when planning any such corporate events. These are some of the important features which is generally overlooked.

Objectives of the Events

It is important to be clear about the objectives when planning corporate events. These objectives should comply with the corporate goals. Thus the type of event that you host will be strongly influenced by the outcome of what you are trying to accomplish or achieve.

The objectives that the company is often trying to achieve is psychological. Hence it could either be something like trying to overcome departmental and internal barriers, or to reward an employee or a staff for some good work done. The main point is to realize whether the objective is a negative one or a positive one.

It is important to decide whether you are planning to build on the success in the past and thus reinforce much of the quality work that has already been done. Thus you can consider about rewarding the staff with some quality time away from the work floor.

This will not only motivate your staff to work hard but also provide them with some morale boosting time away from work.

The other main objective of corporate events is trying to get rid of the psychological barriers that leads to hindrance in communication. In such a case, you need to work with a completely different approach as you need to improve interaction between two people who do not normally interact.

Planning

After you have decided on your goal and general approach, you need to decide on the psychology of the event that you are planning to host. The psychology of the event needs as much planning as the logistics of activities, meals, accommodation, break times and transport does.

For instance through the corporate events you are planning to improve the management and employee relationship. One way of achieving this is by mixing them in groups at tables or during mealtimes. If you do not ensure that this happens more often then not, you will find them sitting with their own friends and colleagues. Thus you need to make an effort to ensure that they mix around as intended without it looking too contrived. This can be achieved by implementing the following methods like:

• Let everyone know beforehand that they need to mix with each other


• Introducing a formal seating plan


• Making random sitting arrangements based on criteria like date of birth


• making everyone to swap tables in between courses

You may have other ideas that you can implement and work on. You need to do prior planning for it as much as you would do when deciding something like wedding function venues.