Pre-Event Preparedness: Work Well On Communication

Planning an event is always a little like navigating through traffic; you have to keep an eye on obstacles coming from both directions at once, but you need a sixth-sense for the unexpected motorcycle weaving between the traffic too.

Effective communication will help in alerting you of any issues before they become problems, and make everyone involved in the planning of your event feel like they're well-informed and an essential component in the success.

• Include everybody - from the most junior administrator to your most senior keynote speaker. Keeping a full line of communication makes everybody feel equally important and involved, and encourages information-sharing, both within your organization, and to the wider industry and external press and other interested parties.
  
  
• Decide what is "need to know" - and be transparent about everything else, even last minute snags, cancellations and other potential disasters. You never know who knows someone who knows someone, and can avert even having to cancel your event even at the eleventh hour.
  
  
• Make sure all your communications are "on message" - transparency can bring issues of its own, so make sure that even "can you help?" appeals are delivered with positivity and an upbeat tone.
   
• Use your communication chain as part of your wider publicity machine - encourage your communication chain to share information with interested parties not only by word of mouth and email, but also taking advantage of social media. Make sure Facebook pages are up to date, and don't forget to use Twitter for advertising your upcoming event.
  
  

To summarize, a positive message sent through every level of your organization and beyond will ensure a successful event.

Corporate Event Entertainment: A Quick Guide

Corporate events are one of the best ways to highlight a company’s abilities as people have a chance to interact both within the company and with those outside. This is one of the reasons that these events are such a big deal and take so many resources to plan and execute. Corporate events need to emphasize or introduce a corporate message and values. One of the biggest parts of a corporate event is the entertainment, and there are so many things that the entertainment needs to do to be successful, not just entertaining.

The first consideration is your audience. For a company picnic you will probably have small vendors and a few entertainers, like clowns. For a gala you would want something else entirely, depending on the nature of the black tie event. Once the venue is set, you need to plan the entertainment to accommodate it, keeping in mind the guests to be comfortable to really enjoy it. The final consideration is cost. Once the event budget is set, determine how much of it will go to entertainment.

When it comes to corporate entertainment, you have many options. Keep in mind that you want the entertainment to tie into the theme of the event, as well as helping to get the company message and image across. The more unique the entertainment, the more memorable it will be. See if the show can be customized for your specific audience. If the entertainers can wear a logo or phrase on their outfits, it will help remind the audience why they are there.

To help you get started, here are a few ideas.

• Percussion groups have become popular not only because it is easy to get into the show, they can help showcase products by easily incorporating them into the show.

• Laser shows are very popular with children and families; however, when done right this can be a great way to entertain an adult crowd too! 

• Sand art has become popular because the artist can incorporate anything into the art.

 

Changing Trends: Meeting Room Renovations Are En Vogue

Meeting room renovations are very popular right now. Every week there are examples in the news of top hotels and meeting room providers investing in significant upgrades. As the meeting rooms themselves are part of the competition, it is critical to stay ahead of the crowd in order to be successful.

So how do you know if it's time to renovate your meeting room?

•  Major issues. It is inevitable that meeting rooms will face wear and tear after weeks of regular use. Sometimes a quick repair can make a big difference. However, if there are substantial issues such as a leaky ceiling or cracking walls, it's time for a full renovation.

• Out of date style. There are new decorating trends every decade. If you've skipped the last few of them, your meeting space most likely looks outdated and needs an overhaul.

• New demographics. Are you trying to reach a new target audience? You may need to update your aesthetic to fit their needs.

• Coming up on a lease renewal. If you haven't renovated in a while and your lease is going to be renewed in the near future, you may be able to leverage financing from the landlord for an upgrade.

If you've decided that you're ready for a renovation, consider one or more of the following upgrades:

• New technology. The space should be fitting for conference calls and online meetings as well as presentations. Consider a wall-mounted flat screen television with a webcam, a wireless keyboard and mouse to operate the system and a multi-directional speaker phone.

• Bold colors. Bold colors are a great choice for young companies and firms focused on cutting edge technologies. Consider painting a wall a bold color or selecting chairs or other furnishings that make a statement.

• User-friendly space. Purchase new chairs, install convenient power outlets and cord holes for laptop use and plan for a refreshments area.

• Innovative service angles. Flexibility is the key for meeting rooms these days. Facilities, event spaces and staff should be able to accommodate a wide variety of clientele and events from board meetings to black tie galas.

Do different businesses require different meeting room setups?

Most business owners will often come across the question of, "What kind of venue should my business use for a meeting?" While having your own in-office meeting room for smaller, day-to-day meetings is perfectly fine and normal, sometimes something more is needed for a bigger, more important announcement or event. That is where an offsite meeting room comes into play.

Why should you have an offsite location? Does it actually matter? Consider the reasons below before completely signing off on the idea:

• Sometimes the entire office needs to listen on a meeting, which means an in-office area won't probably work all that well. Instead of trying to cram everyone into a tiny space, rent out an area that can be maintained by the banquet staff.
• Then, there are things such as catering, technical set-up, and other tasks to think about. Are you going to utilize such services for a full-on conference meeting? If so, a conference center is the way to go.
• Team building and other company culture events are perfect for off site locations, especially when you need to do some business growth strategies.
• When board members and shareholders are attending, you want to really put on a show and that simply can't happen in a smaller meeting room at the office.

But what about all of the different kinds of businesses out there? Do they require different set-ups? Of course they do! Not all businesses are going to require a huge, sweeping area while others will. This entirely depends on your own needs and requests, which can all be met at a banquet hall. 

Some might need an area set up specifically for presentations, others for the press, or even wait staff for a catered event. Whatever the occasion, always make sure that you're always properly prepared with the right conference set-up.
 
A venue coordinator can help you through the entire process, from ideas all the way to the day of the event, to make sure everything is perfect and you don't stress out about it.

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