EVENT PLANNING MYSTERIES REVEALED

Are you looking to hire an event planner or maybe even become one? I love it when I meet someone for the first time and one of there first questions is, "what do  event planners do".  When it comes to event planning, we have been called Party Planners, Meeting Planners or Event Planners. What you do in this business may have a lot to do with your title but I want have always wanted to do is throw fabulous party. Since that is what I do, I don’t mind being called a party planner. Of course I also plan fabulous events so take your pick. I love talking about what I do and that is because I love what I do.  So, I thought I would start off my Monday blog by providing a little more information on who we are and what we do.

First Things First

First if you want to become a planner, you have to decide if you want to work for someone else or if you want to work for yourself. If you work for yourself, you definitely want to understand the business side of event planning as well as the dynamic of creating fabulous events. You can be exceptional at what you do but if you do not know how to market yourself or how to get clients, where will your business come from? If having your own business is something you need to learn more about, I would suggest starting out working for someone. It is a great way to learn the business without the pressure of finding new business. If you want to hire a planner, you have to weigh the pros and cons to hiring an event planner that has their own company or works for an event planning firm. Of course I would always advise that you choose a planner like myself. Perfection Squared is my passion and it is what I do 24 hours a day (no I never sleep). So, when you hire me to plan your event you are hiring someone that will eat, sleep and breathe your event. I like that concept and I believe you will too.

Relax, Don’t Stress

Next, the key to being an exceptional event planner is to remember, “Don’t stress for any reason”. One thing I have learned is that there are some things you can’t control. However, if you have a level head it will always turn out better than it would have if you stressed out. There is a solution to everything and don’t be fooled, your clients don’t just come to you because they want you to plan their event. They will come to you because you have the expertise, patience and know how to produce a flawless event. As your reputation grows for having the innate ability to handle your events with flair and composure, you will become your own business card. Keep in mind that patience and strong presence create an impression. Did someone say patience equals Perfection?

Don’t Miss A Thing

My next suggestion would be “Think of Everything”. Is that possible? I am not sure but I always try. Not only do I sit down with my team and have a brainstorming session, throughout planning, I take time to think of ways I can make it better. I try to think of everything possible from planning dos and don’ts to those things that add an extra touch. This is your business. I own countless magazines and books on design, space planning, organization, as well as anything I can get my hands on that will make me a better planner. I stay educated on the venues and details about various locations. I continuously educated myself on my profession and the professions that impact what I do. If you are constantly thinking about what you do, it makes it that much easier to think of everything when you need to.

Know Your Foods

 Yes, there are some events that are foodless but in my personal opinion every great event has a great menu. One of the things I do when I sit down with a new client to help them pick a menu is ensure that I have a good sense of the demographic that will be in attendance at their event. True, you want your client to be happy but one of the keys to a successful event is making sure the guests are happy as well. That means making sure there is exciting entertainment, great ambience, a pleasant aesthetic and yes, fabulous food. Not only do I spend a lot of time reading about food and wine, I spend time preparing meals so that I can be more familiar with what goes into the preparation. I try to make sure that I understand the texture, flavors, aromas and more. Before I can suggest something to a client, I want to make sure I can give them all the information I can. I do this by taking every aspect of this business serious and that includes the food.

Love What You Do

I can give you a lot more advice and information on what it is we do.  However, I think the key thing and the perfect place to end my blog for today is to love what you do.  Someone recently asked me, "you love what you do don't you?"  When my reply was yes, they replied "it shows".  Whatever you do you have to do it to the best of your ability and that is so much easier when you genuinely love what you do.  This is my job but it isn't just my job.  Event planning is my life and I can honestly say, I love what I do.

EVENT PLANNING & YOU

A lot of people ask me what it takes to be an event planner. Even more so, everyone thinks that being an event planner is all fun and games. Of course it has it perks but there is a lot of hard work that goes into being an event planner. If you are going to be good at what you do, there is a lot of work that goes into making a successful career. Here are a few things I feel are vital to the trade.

Know Your Business
A big part of event planning in my opinion is coming up with great ideas for events. While some of us are extremely creative, even the most creative individuals will run out of ideas occasionally. That is why it is important to continuously stay up to date on the latest trends in entertainment. You should always know where people are eating, what everyone is wearing and what kids are buying. If you consider yourself to be the expert on the subject you need to know a lot more about planning a party. You need to know where to plan it, how to design it and what people will want.

Be Organized
If you want to convince people that they should pay you to plan their party instead of them planning it themselves for free, you are going to have to come prepared. Not only will you have to have a detailed and prepared proposal, you will want to have the information needed to back it up. One thing I feel is worth the time, is organizing various aspects of my business. From business development contacts to vendors, I know where all of the information I will need at any moment is without a second thought. That means I can always get it and get it fast.

Listen
I spend a lot of time not only listening to the wants and needs of my clients, I also spend a lot of time listening to the needs of the clients of others. I read reviews and communicate with my peers on a regular basis to educate myself on how to consistently improve. Our philosophy is "we strive for perfection" and no matter how much experience we have, that will never stop. I will always be on a quest to achieve the best event for the client possible. I don't believe that would happen if I didn't take the time to listen and learn.

In the end event planning is a very fun, rewarding and exciting career. Just remember that it isn't easy and it isn't all about the fun. If you want to build a business with a portfolio you can be proud of do the work and then enjoy the rewards.

What is the purpose of a Launch Party?

Launch parties are definitely my specialty. If you are a business owner with a new product worth talking about you may seriously want to consider having a launch party.

When potential clients want information on the benefits of a launch party for a new product, I have them ask themselves quite a few questions first. For example, what are your goals, have you done your homework on what market to advertise your product? Who is your target audience? You have to do your homework. If you are going to invest time and money into an event like this, you have to make sure it is well spent. You do this by ensuring you have a market large enough to release your product and that you are marketing it to the right people.

You may be wondering what is a launch party and what is it for? Launch parties are thrown by a company to celebrate the release of a new product or service. From Verizon launching a new cell phone to Sony launching a new video game, launch parties are a very effective way to brand your company. You may want to keep in mind that a launch party can launch a concept as well as a product. You can have a party after the acquisition of a domain name as well as an initial public offering. By opening your doors to potential new clients you increase the exposure your product and company receive.

You should remember that while this is business, it is pleasure as well. Your guests will attend to learn about a new product but after all it is a party and you want your guests to have fun. This is all about marketing so your product will be associated with something positive and your company will earn an innovative reputation in the community. Some of the ways to make these parties exciting is by providing quality entertainment, an excellent atmosphere and lots of giveaways. The key is to make yourself stand out above your competitors. Consumers love giveaways and I have a knack for putting the perfect gift bag together. By providing them with giveaways, you are giving them something to take away and try even after they have left the party. You are providing something that will keep the company name or product on their mind in everyday life.

There are two ways to approach these events. You can either hold a small event focused on a very specific group and concentrate your efforts on catering to this group in hopes that they are connected enough to get the word out. You can also hold a lavish grand event that a whole community will be talking about. While large events like this aren’t always cheap, they are definitely a great investment. Sometimes they can cost anywhere from 50k to 200K. However, by bringing your product to the demographic most interested in your product, you are reaching your target audience more in one night than by spending thousands of dollars on advertising to a audience not as specific.

Launch parties may seem like just an excuse to have a party but they are so much more. In the ever changing market you are launching a positive and exciting product on the business community. You are making your company appealing to new consumers, networking opportunities, potential new employees and companies that may want to do business with you in the future. By being cutting edge you are attracting cutting edge opportunities. You are putting yourself out there as a viable competitor ready for business in the new millennium.

Pink Gets A Makeover! - Adventures in Event Planning

Pink never goes out of style. While a lot of people will say pink is “girly” or it may be so “yesterday” pink always has a way of staying in fashion. Not only in fashion, from cell phones to video cameras, pink has made its way to the mainstream. More and more different shades of pink are finding their way into weddings and parties. So whether you use it as an accent color or find the perfect shade to take the spotlight, pink doesn’t appear to be going out of style anytime soon.

I will say that pink is one of those colors that you have to use wisely. It doesn’t work in every situation and it definitely doesn’t look good on everyone. However, if you like pink, you don’t have to wear it. There are other ways to introduce the color at your event. All you have to do is decide what kind of statement you want to make. Pink is a color that demands awareness and keep in mind there are many shades of pink. When it works it works and it can make the most beautiful statement.

I could say that in 2008 pink was the new white. I planned 3 pink parties which gave me the impression the white party has been replaced. As an event planner, I love to see individuals take chances with color. That’s why when I got the opportunity to plan a dinner party for 70+ individuals with pink being the theme, I jumped all over it. Of course the décor, food and atmosphere highlighted the color but we also encouraged the guest to be creative in their quest to find the right shade. Instead of wearing the simple pink dress, women wore black and white with a bold pink accent like a belt, clutch or hat. The men were equally creative. A few of them made gorgeous presentation by wearing a pink tie with a dark suit. A couple of guys even wore pink cuff links.

What I have found is pink is no longer a female dominated color. Pink has transcended into all facets of men’s fashions. These days you will find it in men’s shirts, shorts and ties. Yes, in 2009 men have the courage to wear pink!

Don’t forget, one of the best ways you can express yourself is through color. Fall in love with pink all over again!