Using the 5 Senses to Bring Your Event to Life: Sight

If you're beginning to plan an event, the best way to create a total experience for your guests is to incorporate elements that appeal to all five senses! Today we're offering tips on how to appeal to a guest's sense of sight!

• The first impression: When you're on your way to an event, what's the first thing you do? Most likely you're keeping your eyes open to find an address or a building and, often, a parking spot. Things like the building exterior, outdoor signage, and parking area make the first impression for your event, and you only get one chance to make that good first impression! The outside of your venue is a perfect opportunity to appeal to your guests' sense of sight and heighten expectations of what's waiting for them inside, so it's important not to neglect this area during planning!

• The entrance: As guests enter the event area, they'll pass through an entrance of some kind. Entrances should be warm and welcoming. When guests reach this point they should start to be teased about what's awaiting inside. If your event has desk staff, registration staff, and/or coat check attendees they should be friendly and helpful. Many planners overlook the potential of entrance areas, so don't fall into that trap! Decor of some sort in the entryway should be present for a total experience.

• The event area: Your main event area is your last chance to excite or disappoint your guests, depending on the preparations you've made. When guests enter they'll visually take it all in. They look around at all of the people—guests, hosts, entertainers, and wait staff. They look for the bar and all of the delicious food. They look at the tables and chairs to determine where they're going to sit. They look at the stage and dance floor to see if they have a good seat for all of the night's activities and entertainment. They see your lighting and the beautiful decor you've put together. An eye for detail during the planning process will ensure your guests are visually stunned by what you've put together.

At this point, the fantasy you created is starting to have its effect, and your guests will begin to get into the experience. If all goes to plan, they'll mingle and have fun. When that happens, you know you've effectively appealed to their sense of sight!

Check back for part two - Sound!

Say Cheese! Add a Photo Booth to Your Next Event

There's something about being at an event that makes guests love to jump in front of a camera, and the photos make for SUCH great memories afterwards! Whether you're hosting a wedding, a trade show, or a home-based event like a birthday party, photo booths are a perfect and easy addition to get guests engaged!
 
Having a photo area escalates the fun of the event to a whole new level. Throw in a themed backdrop or a prop bag filled with silly hats and mustaches on a stick, and your guests will flock to it! If you can't afford to rent a photo booth, make your own photo area. Hang up a king size bed sheet in a solid color or choose a printed curtain that reflects the style and theme of the event.

The great thing about a photo booth is that guests get to take the photos home with them. This makes them feel like they're walking away with a gift, and it provides a visually stunning record of your event. When the photos inevitably end up on Facebook, it will make everyone who wasn't there jealous when they see what they missed out on, and they'll be far more likely to attend one of your future events.

Photo setups are also a great way to promote a business or a product. At last week's Comic Con in San Diego, A&E series Bates Motel used the authentic bedroom set featured in the show, where guests could recreate the campaign image. If you're hosting a fundraiser or trade show, add your company name or logo to props and backdrops for the photo area. After the event guests will share their photos, which gives you free publicity!

If you've never been to an event with a photo booth you would be surprised how quickly it becomes a destination and event within itself! Not only does the photo booth capture moments, it helps to create them as well!

The Power of Golf

"The power of golf?" you might ask. Indeed, I insist. The game of golf has a lot of pull in the events industry. Golf is a great activity for networking, fundraising, and team building. Professionals and amateurs alike can participate in golf events that bring people together for entertainment, education, and many different causes.

You may attend a professional PGA tour event with coworkers, industry colleagues, or potential clients for a day of networking and bonding. You could also opt to play a round of golf in the same circles to boost camaraderie and communication. Golf outings are great activities during conferences and educational seminars to get everyone talking and provide a welcome break from indoor sessions and lectures.

Human resource departments and other groups interested in team building have long understood the power of golf. It is an individual activity that yields teamwork as if by magic. You are scored individually, but everyone can bring something to the course to help each other improve. In golf, helping and learning from others means building on strengths and overcoming weaknesses for better performance. The dynamics of the game promote analysis and objectivity -- as well as strong character, humility, and a sense of humor.

Golf benefits and fundraisers are popular to bring together people to play and observe the game and sportsmanship associated with the sport. Families, professional networks, and various other communities are brought together to enjoy time interacting in the beautiful setting of a nicely manicured golf course. Golf has also become a popular activity for bachelor and bachelorette parties and other pre-wedding activities. Golf is a sport that people of all ages and abilities can appreciate, so consider integrating this activity into your next big event.

Quick Planning Tips to Minimize Weather Worries

Spring and summer are popular times for many events from graduation parties, to community festivals, to family reunions, and concert series. Unfortunately, mother nature is not always cooperating. Having worked many, diverse events at an up-scale banquet facility, I can tell you that nothing puts a damper on festivities like inclement weather.

For most events, well-intentioned people put in months of planning to coordinate the facility, invitations, catering, and decorations. They invest their hopes and often reputations into organizing event logistics so that everything will go off without a hitch. Violent, seasonal weather has the power to destroy all of this planning in short moments.

Here are a few simple strategies to minimize the inconvenience of seasonal storms:

1. Plan for power! In case of a power outage, check that your event location has back-up generator power available. 
2. Be flexible! It is wise to include a 'rain date' whenever possible for events that take place partially or completely outdoors. Another option is to have weatherproof tenting or indoor locations on standby in case of bad weather. These accomodations may be slightly less than ideal, but this is where event planners should work in some flexibility for the safety and comfort of guests. 
3. Consider event insurance! You can purchase an event insurance policy to cover the loss and expense associated with cancelling and rescheduling an event. This can go a long way to minimize grief and aggravation when things don't go exactly according to plan.

At any event with an outdoor venue, always be sure to provide adequate relief from too much wind, sun, and precipitation with stable shelter and adequate refreshments. Another practical step for your guests' comfort and convenience is to have valets walk guests into the event with an umbrella in the case of rain.Your guests will certainly appreciate the attention to detail! 

Memorial Day Inspiration

"I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor place it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did."

-Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President of the United States

As you enjoy the long weekend over which we celebrate Memorial Day and mark the unofficial start of summer, take the time to appreciate the enormous investment of human life that has helped secure our freedoms and privilege as Americans.

This Memorial Day, remember those that died serving this nation to secure freedom and opportunity for others. If you are reading this in the USA, you are in a land of opportunity and access. You are fortunate to have access to public education, libraries, social services, and many other programs and institutions to help you find your path to independence and success. If you are reading this, you are alive. If you are dissatisfied or struggling with anything, you have a chance to ask for help, make positive changes, learn, and grow.

Be proud, but respectful. Be humble, but inspired. So many men and women in the armed services valued your rights, human dignity, and the promise of our nation to make the ultimate sacrifice. Do not squander your freedoms nor the opportunity to do good in this world. Be inspired in gratitude to live your life fully. The fallen gave their all so that you may enjoy life. The challenges that they faced can put everyday frustrations into better perspective.

Get out there and celebrate life! Travel safely, and give thanks and remembrance to those that gave their lives for our nation. Happy Memorial Day, and thank you to all who serve.

Party Planning Made ez

If you have ever been the person in charge of organizing a get-together for a group, it can sometimes be a hassle to keep track of what everyone is bringing and to collect the money everyone is supposed to contribute. To address shared contributions to a party, you can easily create a 'cover charge' for your own party, sell tickets or collect donations, and manage attendees with ezEvent®.

This is a great solution for events such as family reunions, local fundraisers, camping trips, tailgating parties, graduation parties, and bon voyage celebrations. For camping trips and events where one person may shop for a whole group of people, ezEvent® can be used as a tool to plan the event in advance and collect contributions.This eliminates the hassle of chasing everyone down after the fact to collect the money to pay for groceries and supplies.

Any event that that involves a group of people chipping in on supplies or donating to a cause can be better organized by a single person with vision. College parties can easily offset the cost of a keg and other refreshments by selling tickets in advance. For various celebrations and fundraisers, you may even have an event catered so everyone can relax and not have to worry about cooking and transporting food. You can simply divide the cost of catering as the ticket price for your event!

Whatever event you may be planning, try it the ez way! Create a custom webpage to share with your attendees and organize a party everyone will enjoy. 

Brunch and Beyond: Celebrating Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a chance to celebrate our moms and the maternal figures in our lives.

Restaurant workers often must plan to celebrate this occasion on an alternative day, as going out for a meal is one of the more popular ways families choose to celebrate the day. Mother's Day brunches and family dinners at mom's favorite place to eat are common - especially in households where mom is the one that typically prepares the meals.

If you would prefer to avoid busy restaurants with excessive wait times and hassled staff on Mother's Day, a great alternative is to plan an event at home with food and games for the extended family. Take some time to plan a menu including the favorite dish of each mom in attendance. You could do a home-style brunch, formal sit-down dinner, or even an outdoor cookout.

In fact, a big family gathering in honor of mom is a great way to kick-start outdoor party season. When spring weather cooperates, you can include fun games like croquet, bocce, and badminton to keep everyone entertained. Just be sure to do the planning and cleanup so the guests of honor can relax and enjoy!