Sponsorship Recognition

Getting a sponsor for your event can be all kinds of fantastic.  From being able to leverage their brand recognition to more money in the budget.  Of course this does get paired with ensuring they are recognized (rightfully so!) on event.  Where the challenge comes in is finding a unique and creative way to do this that can serve as an enhancement of the experience rather than a last minute thought to comply with agreements.

After recently volunteering at an incredible gala I was inspired by a particular sponsor that utilized the table setting to interact with the guests.  This was executed utilizing wine glass inserts at the place settings, each with a different conversation starter question relevant to the event and the guests.  This was paired with their logo and messaging on the reverse.  This created a wonderfully interactive experience between the guests and the brand, especially considering that some of the tables consisted of guests that may not necessarily have known each other.

I know after seeing this display of creativity I will be sure to challenge myself in the future to think above and beyond the standard flyer or folded display and think about how I can capitalize on the opportunity to really have the sponsor be involved.

This was a simple focus on printed material, I hope to look further into ways to recognize them electronically as there has been incredible growth in this area over the last few years, becoming sleek and interactive in many exciting ways.

Investing in your Volunteers

Now when I use the word investing I am not solely thinking of money, as volunteers are often utilized to help cut costs.  However, taking some time to create a network of strong volunteers really can have a long term benefit to your events.

For example:

• they come to really understand your messaging and representing your company exactly how you would expect an employee to 
• with annual events they are familiar with the flow and set up, easily jumping in to complete tasks with limited instruction/supervision needed 
• they build confidence in their interactions with your guests, resulting in a greater experience for them 
• with each event you can spend less time providing them background information/general instruction 
• they can become Volunteer Leads and take over some of the instruction duties 
• they will start to refer other good volunteers to you 
• you can be confident that they will remain professional and conduct themselves appropriately 
• in knowing their strengths you can assign them tasks with added responsibility (freeing you up take on other matters) 

Have you experienced any other ways in which investing in your volunteers has paid off? 

Simple Tips for Managing Volunteers

There is just something so wonderful about someone who wants to give their time for free to be a part of creating an exceptional experience for others.  Whether assisting with a fundraising or charity event, getting involved in the community or assisting at a corporate gala the extra set of hands can be magical. 

However, what I wanted to touch on was the managing of volunteers and the fact that forgetting to budget time for preparing and managing them can result in some negative interactions for your guests.  Having volunteered for a number of different types of events and organizations over the years I have had quite a mix of both positive and negative experiences.  

To make it simple I will outline my DO's and DON'Ts of creating a great experience for your volunteers and in turn for your guests!

DO:

• Train them! This goes beyond giving them a general walk around of the venue.  Give them specific instructions for the task they are to complete.  Provide a quick example where possible so that they have something to reference.  Yes, events are busy and hectic but taking this time will ensure volunteers are providing correct information to guests and executing set ups without having to redo them. 
• Provide them with a direct chain of communication.  If something goes wrong or a situation arises what steps must they take, who do they connect with and how do they reach that person. This also provides a benefit when you need a message sent out to update the timing of the evening to help ensure all your volunteers are updated.  Inviting a couple volunteers to be team leads assists greatly in this, especially if you have individuals showing keen interest.  
• Remember them! If the time is coming up for them to be finished, or sit down to dinner make sure you tell them this.  You don't want your wonderful volunteers left stationed at their post well into the first course or after paid team members have headed home.
• Lastly, be certainly not least. THANK THEM! There is no such thing as over thanking a volunteer.  Encourage all staff members to do the same because building up a volunteer has many benefits that can be realized.  

DON'T: 

• I really only have one don't and that is do not scold them for performing a task incorrectly.  They willingly volunteered their time to be of assistance and the majority of the time a wrong step is a result in not taking time to train them on responsibilities and expectations.  

These are just my basic tips for making the most of your volunteers on event, especially if this task is assigned to you at the last minute.  I hope to continue to discuss the benefits of creating lasting relationships with volunteers and was to make that happen.  Feel free to share any do's or don'ts you would add to my list. 

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

After fighting off a cold and then swamped with school work I was very happy today to get in my community to be a part of spreading some holiday cheer.

Volunteering for the Beach Village BIA I was lucky to visit the wonderful shops, restaurants and services that are offered in what I will always defend as the best area of Toronto.  From meeting business owners to their furry four legged friends it was great to see the variety that is present along Queen St. East.

If you are in the Beach over the holiday be sure to check out which stores are participating in the "Spot the Nutcracker" contest and you could win a shopping spree at all the unique stores you visit along the way.

Please share if you are getting out in your own area to bring a smile to those around you! :)

Policies, Procedures and People

A recent topic of discussion in my financial management class was that of policies and procedures.  Although our focus was on financial policies and procedures, I couldn't help but think of the number of times I was in a situation where had proper consideration been given to creating policies and procedures for people much confusion could have been avoided.

As I have discussed communication previously I wanted to touch on the fact that taking the step of creating actual documentation of processes to follow and sharing it with the appropriate parties is by far the simplest way to decrease on event confusion.  From my experience an area where this is often over looked is when it comes to people (volunteers specifically) on event.

The best part of policies and procedures is that they do not have to be neither fancy or include high level technical language. Simply answering the following questions gives you a great base to go from:

1. Who will play a role on event? (i.e. staff, volunteers, suppliers, etc.) 
2. What tasks are to be completed? (i.e. set-up, tear down, cleaning, crowd control, supplier management, etc.) 
3. What steps needs to be followed for successful completion of each task?

Once these questions are answered, align the person responsible with the tasks to be completed and assign a time line for completion of specific tasks.  Taking this one step further and identifying for each individual what they should move on to upon completion of their task (if their shift on event is longer than what they were assigned) helps to keep them engaged and focused.  If this document is accessible to everyone, expectations are clear and people can be managed and moved from one task to another as the event demands.  

I recognize this is a very simple way to consider the management of individuals on event, but why make it more difficult than it needs to be? I am still building up my experience of course and would appreciate any input from those with more experience than I on what you have found to be successful in this area. 

A Toronto Beer Tour Birthday

This weekend I had the most fun taking my parents around the city to celebrate my father's birthday a bit belated (it was in September, but considering they have a busier social calendar then I do I was lucky to schedule them in at all I think!)  As it was in honor of my father and he is a fan of trying different beers I planned a tour of the city stopping at a number of the wonderful breweries we are lucky to have around us!

Our day on Saturday started off on the 501 Queen Streetcar heading to The Beer Academy.  I had the opportunity to try some of their offerings at a craft beer event held earlier in the fall and wanted to see what they had to offer at their Victoria St. headquarters.  While a private booking kept us from the tour, we didn't feel we missed out too much as we each chose a flight to suit our tastes and we were still able to check out and appreciate the beautiful space.  I was quite pleased as I got to sample their pumpkin beer, a fall must have in my books!

From The Beer Academy we continued our way down Queen St, and we were entertained by a humorous TTC driver which is always a great surprise! We found ourselves at Bellwoods Brewery, a place I had brought my parents previously so it was a guaranteed hit.  We once again found ourselves enjoying our beer on the patio under the heaters as it was packed inside (as usual!) but it was still a wonderful stop and my dad got to pick up the amber ale he had missed out on buying last time around.

After finding the drinks had left us a bit on the hungry side I decided it was time to search out a memorable snack, something my parents had not yet experienced.  I brought them to Hodo Kwaja for some walnut cakes which went perfectly with some hot tea and coffee to warm us up.

Adequately filled I continued in the pursuit of beer and bringing my parents to yet another new part of the city and this found us in the Junction, which of course meant Junction Craft Brewing.  On our way here I had to convince my parents I knew where I was going as I led them into the industrial area that is the home to this brewery, but once we arrived they were quite pleased as again we chose a selection of beers to create flights.

The final stop of the day found as around the corner from Junction Craft Brewing at Indie Ale House where we tried some new selections with a bite to eat.  I was in heaven as each item we ordered had goat cheese included and you can never go wrong with goat cheese.  My dad was a little thrown we he went to take a drink of one particular beer and its' taste resembled that of a stiff rye and ginger.

All in the all the day was fantastic, and if you are travelling around the city you can never go wrong with the awesome $11 day passes that are good for 2 adults on the weekends!  Planning this trip was also an excellent practice in flexibility for me.  While I had planned the whole day on a schedule I was sure to have a couple extra options in my back pocket as well alterations to the plan.  Luckily we did not need them and the day could not have gone smoother!  If only I could make a living planning outings like this for anyone who wants to visit the city....now that I think of it, if you are looking to enjoy Toronto drop me a line and I could just create your own personalized experience!

And I'm back!

After some changes in my life that lowered this blog on the list of priorities, I am glad to have things sorted out so I can get back to posting.  I didn't abandon completely as I was able to get lost in my most recent copy of Biz Bash, so lots more ideas to share!

One of the recent events I came across was the kick off to Veuve Clicquot's promotional summer tour.  They took inspiration from celebrating the Cliquot Mail, a metal sleeve that is able to keep a bottle cool for up to two hours.  What inspired them was that this metal sleeve is shaped like a modern-day mailbox.

Some highlights from the party include:

• a station with different message note-cards for guests to keep or send to another attendee 
• waiters dressed to resemble postmen
• postal stations where guests could have their champagne flutes topped off
• P.O. box set up with small throwback inspired food bites 

And I think my favorite was the opportunity to send a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label to a friend by filling out a postcard and dropping it in a special teller booth. 

See pictures of the event here. 

I think what drew me to this event is that I am a sucker for anything nostalgic.  Although at the same time I feel a little sad considering hand written letters and mail to be nostalgic, I guess that's what happens when you grow up in the digital age.  

Longevity of Events Follow Up

It seems as though I'm not the only one who had been thinking about how to keep an annual event up to date. Received my most recent copy of Biz Bash (The Holiday Issue!!) and when I flipped to the Readers' Forum the question was "When is it time to update an annual event?"

Thought I would pull and share some of my favorite ideas that were included:

“Probably before you even think it needs tweaking.”

Amy Young, president, Destination Consultants, Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Before you start seeing drop-off in your multi-year attendee numbers. If you start losing them, it may be because they're bored.”

Brooke Murphy, manager of planning and administration, National Notary Association, Chatsworth, California

“There should always be something fresh and exciting added to an annual event. It's great to keep the things that worked really well in the past, but without creating a sort of newness each year, it leaves the event feeling stagnant and stale. We want to help repeat attendees and new attendees have a life-changing experience every time.” 

Blume Bauer, owner and C.E.O., Siren Song Productions, Los Angeles

Enhancing the Event Experience with Technology

Combining events and technology in a seamless way is a balancing act takes more consideration than is often given.  Events are all about bringing people together, technology can play a role in both bringing them in and in helping them to remember the experience.  However, events are all about the experience and if the only way people are viewing your event is through their phone they often miss out on what they are there to enjoy.

Selecting technology that helps to enhance that experience and connects people to each other while at your event is what will make it truly memorable.

Some particularly fantastic uses of technology I have come across, include:

1. A robot drawing guests' heartbeats.

2. An interactive wall at Target's Phillip Lim launch.

3. Microsoft's "Infinity Room" that brought data to life.

Feel free to share any interesting ideas you have seen!  (I am sure I will continue to add to this list as I come across more.)

Longevity of Events

One particular question that I have been considering relates to a past post I did about "Newism" and creating "Status Stories."  

In short the central theme is that people want to a) have new experiences and b) pretty much want to rub it in their friends face how awesome this experience was. 

The question I have been pondering that relates to this idea is: 

How do long standing, annual events continue to feel new and keep people coming back to create status stories? 

Take the recent rise of "extreme races" for example (i.e. Spartan Race, Mud Hero, Tough Mudder).  Will we reach a point in which it is no longer exciting to share such an experience and what are these events doing to ensure this won't happen? 

I hope to look into the histories of such events and read up on articles related to them later this week, but if you have happened to stumble across this post feel free to share with me what you feel helps annual events feel fresh and new.

Cheers! 

Another Topic to Introduce

Wanted to bring to light another area that I will be posting about over the coming months.  As I continue to take courses related to Event Coordination to supplement my hands on experience I am certain  I will have a number of posts commenting on the subject matter.

Any and all with related experiences or education are welcome to comment on these posts as I truly feel that with events there is often much up for debate as it is ever evolving with new technologies, ideas and protocols.

I look forward to taking my education out of the classroom and sharing it with anyone who should come across this blog, enjoy :).

#Hashtags

For my first foray into discussing events and technology I want to talk about hashtags.

hash·tag

ˈhaSHtag/

noun

1. (on social media sites such as Twitter) a word or phrase preceded by a hash or pound sign (#) and used to identify messages on a specific topic.

This list may grow and change but here are my DO's of using hashtags: 

DO make sure your hashtag is unique.  It is easy to take a moment to do a quick search to see if the hashtag you want to use is already linked with another event.  Not only does this ensure that when people search your hashtag that they are finding content only related to your event, but is prevents your event being linked with something unfavorable.  See my earlier post here to see some true hashtag disasters.   

DO engage with the people using them. It is important that you take the time to interact with your event attendees, making it clear that the hashtag will be recognized beyond an interaction count will help encourage their use.  A fantastic example of this is using the hashtag to create a live stream of tweets and pictures on event.  Another great idea was utilized by 3M where they had a balloon that filled with air with each tweet using their hashtag, the tweet that caused the balloon to pop won $500. See it here. 

DO make your hashtag make sense and easy to remember.  You don't want your attendees to have to go searching for your hashtag or they won't use it.  Creating a hashtag that has a direct and obvious link with your event will also help non-attendees in identifying what everyone is getting so excited about!

Let me know what some of your hastag DO's (or DON'Ts) are in the comments. 

Technology, Social Media and Events

Yes, that is a very broad title.  Which is why I am simply using this first post to introduce what will likely be a recurring topic to find its way into this blog.  With so many new technologies being brought forward, from the likes of social media and hashtags, to apps the help with guest check in and coordination, it seems there will always be a continues supply of new ways technology is being integrated in events.

As someone who loves efficiency this gets me very excited as there are so many opportunities to increase the effectiveness of how our time is spent.  On the other hand I will also be posting about the potential problems that can arise with not fully thinking through the use of technology or social media, as it really should be done well or not at all.

For one quick example of how things can go horrible wrong with someone as small as a hashtag check out these Hijacked Hashtags Gone Horribly Wrong.

Book Themed Candy Bar

I recently decided, I wanted to start including posts on here about ideas that I find particularly fantastic.

The first idea I would like to share I came across in the Summer 2014 edition of Biz Bash.

It comes from the HBO hosted premier party for Veep at Paramount Studies with the design by Billy Butchkavitz.  While the whole party was creatively put together, highlighting on the various book signings that occur during the show, the idea that I fell in love with was at the candy bar.  The table was set in front of a bookshelf lined with copies of the fake book that was being launched.  Now at this point not sounding so great, but where the idea came to life was the fact that rather then having guests fill a candy bag or box, they were able to fill a hollowed out copy of the book with the themed treats to take with them.

See photos here.

Events and Lines of Communication

Events often function with a lot of ambiguity.  This is a fact and I don't think I have ever met anyone involved in the events industry that would try to disagree.  However, there is absolutely no need to create more ambiguity then necessary as a result of poor communication.

Not only should the levels of communication be clear, but it is critical everyone is aware of the job functions of those they are working with.  Knowing who is responsible for what areas will allow your communication to be direct and effective.  Too often I have seen an e-mail bounce between 3 or 4 different people before it actually gets to the person with the answer.  This is incredibly inefficient and often results in a lack of correct information for those at the bottom.  The simplest way to resolve this issue is a clear organizational chart, that includes job function.  

The second feature I believe is critical for successful communication, is ensuring it is clear who has the power to make a decision.  For example, if you have client or customer facing roles for your event that are fielding questions, what are they able to do to resolve issues for them?  What can they offer to ensure that the client or customer is satisfied.  Knowing this makes it easy for these customer facing roles to make quick decisions that don't leave the customer or client feeling ignored as your employee is trying to get permission to offer something.  

Keeping these channels clear and delegating power is an easy way to ensure time is spent efficiently to create the best results while preventing people who are focusing on the big picture issues from getting bogged down by the smaller issues.  

Making your event a "Status Story"

As mentioned in a previous post, one of my favorite sites to take time to sit and read updates from is Trendwatching.com.  

One idea that was raised in their July 2012 post entitled Newism was that of the 

"Status Story."  

A year and a half has passed and this idea is as predominate as ever.  What would Facebook be without people updating their every experience, "checking-in" at that cool new bar or posting photos of their wild bash?!  The idea of the "status story" is that people have s desire for a never ending supply of new experiences.  Even better is when this experience is exclusive and unique because taking part isn't only about you having that experience; it is about what people are going to say when you tell them you did it. 

When it comes to events, now more than ever this is a big question organizers are asking themselves: 

"How do we get them to talk about it after (or better yet during) their experience?"  

This has resulted in a new wave of technologies being developed, but in my opinion it seems that we have focused more on creating tools for people to share than on giving them something worth sharing.  If the focus switches to ensuring that unique, new experience, people will share it themselves.  A fantastic example of this is the Tough Mudders and Spartan Races out there.  People have accessed their own Facebook and Twitter accounts on their own accord to go on and share and like and re-tweet on the basis of the experience.

I loved this briefing and will likely return to it numerous times as it is packed with lots of other great ideas, but I want to leave it here and end by simply asking you to share what some of your most memorable status stories have been.  (If you can't think of any, see my previous post about some awesome free events this weekend sure to end up on your Twitter feed.)

Memories without breaking the bank

One of the reasons I have loved living in Toronto is that there is an endless supply of exciting new things to experience.  (In a small town things tend to get repetitive and quite predictable.)

The even more fantastic thing is you don't have to be a high roller to create some incredible memories!  Thanks to Blog TO for so thoughtfully putting together this great list I am looking forward to an amazing weekend.  I will admit it will not be a chilly one at the Polar Bear Dip, although I may wander down to watch but I would turn lobster red in water that cold.

Here is the link for you to check out for yourself!

Blog TO Free Events January 25- Feb 2 2014

Cheers!

A New Year

I fought with myself about whether to create a "New Year" posting, however I feel I must as it has been a crazy 2013 for me and I let that get in the way of keeping this up to date.  Not that I am labeling it a New Years Resolution, but I do hope that I can prevent that from happening in 2014.  I have already been brainstorming lots of ideas to write about and can't wait to start tackling them.

As far as events go, I do hope you managed to find a fun one to attend on New Years whether it was braving the cold at a ball drop, a fancy dinner, a night out dancing, or something cozy at a friends or your own place!  I was lucky to be at a friends, and was reminded of the big reason I love events, the bringing together of people for a celebration, whether big or small.  Events make memories and I truly feel a life well lived is one overflowing with memories of smiling faces and stories that begin with "Do you remember that time we..."

Here is to 2014 and beyond!

Cheers!