Karate Kid Lessons for Event Planners

There are many lessons in martial arts that can apply to life and also to event planning, and having just watched it again with my own two "karate kids",  these are the ones that struck me.

1. It takes discipline.  To be good at anything, you must apply yourself and learn first the basics (wax on, wax off; hang up your jacket, pick up your jacket) before you can get better at what you do.
2. It takes hard work.  There is no easy way to produce a great event.  You can get more efficient, but there are not short cuts. Goals, objectives, marketing, registration, logistics, production schedules, technology integration, engagement, interaction, each has to be done in its own time.
3. There will always be someone out to get you.  That is life, choose your friends well and be kind to your family, support those that support you.
4. There are winners and losers.  Nearly every piece of business is competitive - that is the nature of the beast.  Put your own best foot forward, accept winning and losing graciously.  But do your best to win.
5. Take risks.  Use your fear to your advantage. Use the adrenaline, use the fire and try new things.  But make sure you are asking the right questions of the right people to ensure the risks are the right risks.  
6. You can always use a good teacher. Sometimes they are people you seek out. Sometimes they find you.  Sometimes you need them back.  Lessons are everywhere. Accept them.
7. The human factor.  There is always a human factor to everything and human nature tends to give power to the negative.  Remain focused, seek the positive solution and move forward with determination.  When you believe you are doing the right thing for your clients, for the guests, make the effort to explain why you think it will work. 
8. Hello and thank you. If you only learn two words in every language, these two will get you a long way.  Show people they are genuinely welcome, and thank people for their help.  I have had the opportunity to work in many places, and have had an even better opportunity to share places with our children, and this they too have learned.
9. Don't cheat. You will be caught out. Keep your promises.  You only get one chance at integrity.
10. Don't give up. Let the people who can and want to help you, help you get back up.  Tell them how they can help you, then accept their help.  But do it knowing that ultimately, even when people have your back, it us up to you. I know when I produce an event, I don't do it alone. I do it with a cast of many, and each of them supports me, and each of them requires my support.  Seek solutions together.
11. Respect. Respect people for what they bring to the team.
12. Never say never.

What lessons would you share?

Events with Intent - Looking forward to Event Camps!

Events with Intent. That sounds so deceptively simple.

The bigger question is why would we do events withOUT intent? 

How many events have you been to that you left feeling nourished? Events where you feel as if your needs have all been considered in the planning?

• physical (through movement, food provided, other)
• emotional / connection
• intellectual / knowledge / engagement

Where you return feeling rewarded and ready to make an impact at work or in your life?

If you haven't left feeling that way, then do you think all our participants have? Now I realize we all have different roles from planner to producer; logistics to content; and everything in between, but if the beginning is always that you have an intention - a goal to reach - then the middle should logically be that we are working with intent towards that goal(s) and the end is that your participants all leave feeling that this event was worth their time.

What are the roadblocks we face?

1. Is it challenges getting information from the stakeholders so we understand their goals from the beginning and can work towards alignment all the way down the event details?
2. Is it that the information is funneled through many channels? (this is certainly the case as the Producer at a DMC - we often only have information only via the agency)
3. Is it budget driven - where what they want simply cannot be achieved within the set budget?

What are the roadblocks you face?
How have you surpassed these on the road to great events?

Event Camp = Good Intent
One of my favorite things about working with the amazing team surrounding us for Event Camp (Vancouver and those coming up in Twin Cities and London and ALL the on-line participant pods and inclusions) is that we have the opportunity to plan events where we can seek out what participants want to learn about and then we can take risks that push the boundaries - and through collaboration and participation and thoughtful planning we can create events with intent and have participants,in the words of Kiki L'Italien leaving having "filled the well" and returning to work reinvigorated. Events with intent. Please.

We look forward to hearing what you want!

Scars and Healing

I have been thinking a lot about scars lately and today a post by the fabulous green-eyed Midori inspired me (if that is the right word) to talk about how I feel about scars.

First, I think scars are beautiful. They are part of our story. If you look here you will see two large scars that go across each side of my neck. These life-changing scars were at first "hideous" and then inconvenient, and now I barely / rarely see them. more of this story here

A note about this picture - a day with my favorite girl cousins - two generations (from 1yr to 4o+) of laughing, giggling, hair-curling, makeup experimenting and just being goofs in piles of shoes and closets of clothes - and the photographer my gorgeous cousin - this picture shows the energy of that day, a day of treasured moments.

Scars can be on the outside or the inside, and like many before me, as the scars inside have healed over time, there is no need to reopen them now. But they are deep and they give me a deep empathy for anyone suffering from loss of loved ones, damage inflicted without warning, and pain that you think will never heal. I know every day how lucky I am, how fortunate my family is to be whole and healthy and while there may be moments that are difficult, I know they will pass.

If you look closely at this or any other picture of me, one eye is always a little smaller, a scar of sorts. When I was 15 I had Bells Palsy. Imagine being 15 and having half of your face paralyzed suddenly one morning; enduring a five week treatment of Prednisone and its side effects; and returning to school to find out the uninformed had spread horrible and untrue rumours about why you had missed school. I understand the pain of teen angst, and again, empathy for anyone suffering temporary or chronic pain. Interestingly, Bells Palsy doesn't hurt - the one "benefit" of paralysis, but the emotional turmoil, at any age but certainly as an insecure teen, that changes you.  (side note on social media, the person that built and helped spread the rumour that caused me so much pain keeps trying to friend me on FB... guess what, I will never accept, because heart scars are deeper)

I believe that the reason we have scars is because we have gone through or are going through a healing process. Before Christmas, Lindsay (you know who you are) had shared a post about a painful and meaningful time in her life, and I began thinking about my story and what I might share then. As Midori sagely said, it is the scars on our heart and brain that make us more complex, more interesting, more of who we are...

The other part comes from the great people, the positive energy we share all around us, and for all the pieces of you that have contributed to who I am, I thank you.  Keep sharing.

Awards Shows - an Addictive Time of Year

The stage is set... literally, for a Night of Stars

What I love about this time of pre-spring the most is the Awards shows - Grammy, Oscar, Juno, even the Country Music Awards draw me in. I am not alone in this, and we all have our own reasons; some of us watch all the movies, some of us listen to the latest music, some are in it for the fashion, and some for the show.

• Who will host and how will they do? Let's face it - some are better than others... I will leave your to your own opinions on this.
• What will the hosts AND the guests be wearing? The fashion always ranges from the stunning to the simply surprising
• Even more importantly - the hairstyles. A true sign of each passing decade is surely the hairstyles. 
• What acts, and even better, awesome combinations of acts will we see? The musical awards shows excel at this - from Beyonce in a painting to Dave Grohl with Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga or the Black Eyed Peas weaving magic on the stage...
• The staging - oh the staging... how I love to see what the directors and production teams come up with and how they will outdo what they have done before!

As an Event Producer, what fascinates me the most is how will they tell their story of what has come to pass in the last year of music and movies, I believe this is a key reason we all keep watching.

What I love about producing awards shows with our clients is exactly the same thing... what can we do to make each person feel rewarded, recognized, and know that this award they have spent at minimum a year working towards was well worth the effort. Bring on the magic, please!

Life Long Learning - Maximize the Experience

Life-long learning is no longer an option. It is a mandatory part of being involved in business.

With the world around us rapidly advancing, and statistics that show we may have up to seven careers, over a life-time, continuous professional development is more critical than ever. The learning can happen formally, through either a traditional classroom, or on-line, or at meetings and conferences. One of the keys to learning is creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with your community of learners and the generating of shared ideas.

When it has been identified that a meeting or conference is the best way to share information by a community - organization, association, school, social group, social / professional group for example, then it must be determined the best way to bring this community together.

The method you choose for delivery will have several factors that will play into this decision and may include

1. What - the content you will deliver
2. Who - and the potential learner expectations; goal of the learning ie. Highly technical or more tactile
3. The driver of the learning, ie. Credits or extended credits required, personal development or a desire to share information
4. How will you include spaces and times for the networking that is important?
5. Is there a reason for celebration in the context of this particular meeting?
6. How - the methods of delivery
7. Where - origin of the attendees, the delivery destination, and then environment(s) you will deliver it in
8. When - time of year, days of week, time required overall
• and how immediate is the need
9. Why is there a meeting - find clarity among your stakeholders! First, the goals of meeting. Are you seeking to educate? Motivate? Change perceptions? Affect change? Create a greater sense of community? 

Once you have determined the above, you may also consider other current models to share knowledge and engage community which may include a hybrid element, where a virtual audience may be included through the use of live feeds of learning streams, an opportunity to post questions and have dialogue with other remote and in-room learners via a moderated forum (such as a twitter stream). There are many advantages to this including geography, limits on time, financial considerations and primarily, the opportunity for pre and post engagement with the community members.

Now you have decided how you are going to bring people together, where, when and why, the next step is choosing the location and then setting an environment and designing programming that will actively engage learners, allowing for maximum take-aways. Consider alternative locations and room set-ups. Get out of the front facing theatre and get people talking to each other. If you have a keynote, have followup discussion pods, as an example. How to increase retention and motivation to do something with the information are key factors in what happens next, and in how valuable your attendees will find the meeting, especially when they reflect back, and consider your meeting for next year's budget planning - so pull out all the stops you can, take some calculated risks, and help people improve their life-long learning experience.

Any comments on how you are engaging your communities? Please share your thoughts!

Food and Beverage Planning (the basics - a long one)

"What keeps me motivated is not food itself, but all the bonds & memories the food represents."~Julia Child

Buffet at the Fairmont Pacific Rim

So it is time to plan the food and beverage program for your upcoming meeting. For some, this is a passion, and they cannot wait to dig into the menus, discussion with Chefs and sommeliers, and to create a program that is delicious, nutritious and memorable. For others, it unleashes dread. For others, it means opening up the standard menu packages sent by the venues, and making selections. In this post I am going to look at the basic considerations when planning a food and beverage program. Future posts will provide fodder for the foodies and event geeks (like me) that live for this part.

Of course, budget will always play a factor, and it has to include the cost of food, labour / service, potentially rentals - particularly for offsite functions or functions that exceed the "normal" capacity of the venue you are working with, beverage selections, and then on top of these costs there will always be a mandatory service charge (sometimes erroneously referred to as a gratuity) and then the taxes. If someone else is doing all of the planning on your behalf, including menu selections, management, minding the details of any special requirements and more, then there may also be a management fee (generally well earned) for this service as well. So as you begin, here is the basic information your caterer will require.

a. Who are you planning for
• Number of guests
• Men or women
• Age of participants - average range and if there are children
• Activity level of the day or event
• Guest expectations
• Origin of guests

b. What are you planning
• Multi day program
• One off event
• Day of meeting including more than one meal

c. When are you feeding them
 • Time of day / meal
• Time of year


d. Where
• What country are you in
• What country(ies) are your participants from / food preferences / food styles
• Are you in a hot or cold climate?
• Are you eating inside or outside?

e. WHY are you feeding them
• To control costs (ie vs receiving unknown expense accounts later)
• As part of a meeting ie. Working lunch or coffee break
• As part of an activity - from a horseback picnic to a glacier reception or lunch on a ski or atv day
• As part of an awards function - often a dinner setting
• As a way to have them all seated together and interacting
• As part of a team building exercise where they contribute to the meal
 f. Style of the meal
• Formal, plated with a presentation
• Formal, plated, to create a feeling of "special"
• Formal, but buffet, for reasons of time or selection
• Informal, buffet
• Is it rollups or multiple place settings
• Compostable disposables or china
• Paper napkins or linen
• At rounds or at long empire style tables
• Mix of standing and seating, reception style

g. What will you serve
• Which meal is it and what else is happening at that time
• What is available (or not) in the region you are in? What regional specialties will your guests be willing to try / will not likely enjoy?
• What do your guests typically eat at the meal you are planning ie. Breakfast to an American is very different from European or Asian expectations
• Nutritional considerations
• Special needs considerations - allergies, vegetarian / vegan, kosher, halal, gluten free, diabetic / carb counts etc.
• Balance of meals over a program
• Which beverages will be served when

The reality is that over a multiple day program, you may have all of these. It might start with an informal welcome reception with a buffet reflective of the region you are meeting in and go from here. Breakfast might include meetings or presentations, or round-table networking, or perhaps you even have a breakfast in bed served, or breakfast at leisure or on their own. Lunch may include seated lunches with formal presentations, or on a trade show floor to drive traffic to this area, or buffet style to allow for more flexibility for guests in making their own choices. You may host or have included in your program by sponsors or committees receptions, offering generally more stand-up space, cocktail / cruiser tables, bars (hosted or cash) and bite size or small plate offerings. Dinners can range from a casual bbq where the hip of beef arrives on a pitchfork (really!) to a beachside seafood feast, a clambake or a four or five course formal dinner in a ballroom with formal presentations and dancing. Really, the only limits on what happens with food are your imagination, budget, understanding your group's preferences and needs, and finally what each Chef brings to the table.

Food and beverage management is truly an art unto itself, and one that once embraced, there is no looking back. Leave your personal preferences aside, and if this is something you are not comfortable with, enlist the help of others, in your office or on your catering team. Keep following for more fun tips and ideas!

The final reality... sometimes they just want to eat a donut. Homer Simpson and the Last Soul Donut

GMIC - 10 Tweetable Moments

Ah, the tweetable moments... here we go

1. collaboration = transformation via @mdanimonroe
2. our mission is clear, be inspired from Pedro from Estoril
3. Don't see sustainability as penance. via @mitchellbeer
4. It's about the solutions. Who are the strategiest via @mitchellbeer
5. be a champion: use standard right for your org, commit to providing feedback, serve as a case study via @LisaKraus
6. APEX/ASTM standards are misunderstood to be US standards; can be applied globally via @eco_efficient
7. APEX standards are a living document. The only way to make them perfect is to engage with the process via @hduckworth
8. leadership and conversation both needed to move forward via @laurelcootePMB
9. you can be green and run a sustainable business. pay attention to supply chain via @TahiraCreates
10. f2f with future GMIC leaders - talk about renewable energy (now that is what we are talking about!) 

GMIC - Virtually Missing...

Well I have just said what I like so here is what you miss as a virtual attendee

1. Hugs. When you get together with a group like this, and the tweeps you have met, you get a lot of hugs.
2. Food. Let's face it, my kashi and yogurt was delicious, but lonely. It looks like the Doubletree is knocking it out for y'all
3. Voodoo Donuts. ok. location specific. Like the warm cookies. Hello Doubletree.
4. Fashion Shows. Seriously - that looked like the coolest idea EVER. Nice one.
5. Hallway conversations. that are longer than 140 chararters.
6. Pink Power. GO GreenA_V
7. Live brainstorming. Skype was more successful for @samueljsmith than for our team
8. Sessions beyond the general sessions - especially the improv one with @jenisefryatt looked quite awesome
9. Having compressed, focused time with people who matter.

OK, but I did save some carbon attending this way...

GMIC - Virtually Amazing

For those of you that have been following my blog, you know that I am basically addicted to events, and that I believe that all events can be done with sustainability front of mind. By sustainability, I mean BIG PICTURE sustainability, as I blogged about for Engage365 - the 3ps of Meeting Planning.

While I would have loved to have been live at the Green Meetings Industry Council Event in Portland this week, for time and money, I had to make a choice, and instead found myself at Event Camp live, and as a virtual attendee at GMIC and team member of Team Spruce Almighty.  What an awesome thing, to be able to be engaged from my desk and thank you to this team (GMIC and its many sponsors and Spruce specifically) for making this possible.

Things I have learned so far:

1. Face to face remains the most important way for people to connect, but
2. Engaged virtual attendees have a lot to offer and including this option increases opportunity on both sides
3. I am lucky to work now primarily in Vancouver / Whistler / Banff, all true leaders in sustainable meetings and living (I know but hey, it is my blog, right...)
4. Cooperation is necessary - integrate and initiate discussions about how all the partners you work with can fit into a more sustainable model
5. Solutions that start with looking at the entire supply chain and work their way through the various details of the meeting are integral to continued success
6. APEX is a great tool and will fit well with standards around the globe
7. We need to not only use the sustainable tools we have, but to communicate them, pre-event, during it and following - show what we are doing TOGETHER
8. We have the opportunity to be leaders in change and we must embrace the opportunities and be leaders in sustainability
9. Sustainability is thinking strategically - when we as planners can show that we think strategically we get to sit at the table with the "big kids" and be much, much more effective in bringing our organizations overriding brand messages and values to life in live events (which are fundamentally one of the most powerful tools in our marketing and communication mix)
10. Every step counts  

Education or experience?

I started this post and stopped, more than once. Today I dropped in and out of an #assnchat that was really about this topic and it has made me re-think about this again. So tonight, as I sit watching the class I teach (Event Planning 101) work on designing their projects that are due in six weeks, it seems an appropriate time to delve back into this topic.

Experience = Experience. Full Stop. Experience + Certification = credibility.
I didn't say this - it is in the transcript from the #assnchat you will find below.
Is it true? What matters to our peers? bosses? future bosses? clients?

Work life balance

First, I think formal education, in any context is a personal choice. I come from a family of teachers, and some degree of formal education and a yearning for "academic approval" is part of what feeds me. First, some history. When I was 13 I got my first job. In a hair salon. I took beauty culture (you cannot make that name up!) in high school, and at 17 graduated, wrote my license and went to work. I sought education through shows, and as I became a salon manager, went back to college and took some basic business classes. Mostly, I learned everything the hard way about managing staff, as you are apt to do at 21, when you still know nearly everything there is to know! I went on to educate stylists about haircolor for a leading manufacturer, grew the salon from 5 to 14 staff and attended lots of shows, and loved what I did.

At 26, I had to have life changing surgery on both arms and was told accurately I would not be able to cut hair again. So I cried. and cried. and cried. Then I saw a tiny ad for a brand new diploma in Event Management. Oooh, glamour and excitement waited, I was sure. Now this was 1993, so the textbooks were AH&MA or Joe Goldblatt. The magazines were full of names like Joan Eisenstodt, Greg Ruby, Jeff Rasco, Corbin Ball, Andrea Michaels, Colin Cowie and John Daly. Oh, how I longed to be as knowledgeable, as experienced...

I graduated, and went to work as a coordinator, with a naturally underwhelming salary, which of course with my 2yr (compressed into an intensive 1) diploma I was ready to take on the world. I joined MPI, joined the local chapter board, and learned all I could. Eventually I was asked if I wanted to do some teaching, and dabbled, formalizing this with a Provincial Instructors Diploma, and obtaining my CMP. I worked at a PCO, and did many city-wides and some traveling across North America. After 8 years, I decided to focus on creative production and worked for a fantastically creative DMC until it closed unexpectedly. I then went on to the agency side as a Producer at an incentive house.

Oh the travel, the excitement, the EXPERIENCE gained. But I was not seeing my children, and I was at a place / time where I was not learning anything really new. (before Twitter) I attended industry conferences across North America - some really great conferences, but the takeaways became smaller - typical as more experience is gained. I decided to go back to school and earned my Degree in Hospitality Management. Here HR, Risk management, Branding, Tourism and Marketing, Finance and Yield Management were all explored.  The peer group was awesome - leaders in our community, who had hit the same ceilings and went back to get a degree too. A smart institution recognizing a hole in the industry and filling it.

So does all this education matter?  Not really. I have not worked for anyone yet - organization or client that cares what credentials I have. They care a lot that I come to the table with a lot of experience, a lot of common sense, a high degree of enthusiasm for creating and delivering exceptional events with the awesome team I work with, and that their guests have a memorable, relevant, authentic experience - whether it is a few hours or a few days; whether it is in Vancouver, Beijing, Stockholm or Boston.

Do I regret the time spent on education?  Not one tiny bit. I have read more textbooks than I can remember,and have spent much time in classrooms and doing homework and have met many great learners and have had numerous great instructors - each piece a building block - all good. Do I think that it is imperative to get a certification - whether CAE, CSEP, CMM, CMP, diploma or degree? Definitely not. If you want it - then go for it! If you don't - that is ok too. I believe that education should be a personal choice and if you decide that your learning should be dance, yoga, tae kwon do, ikebana, improv theatre or culinary training - learn more about what interests you.

Find your passion, feed your passion. Personally, I can't wait for event camp - in just three days! 

I loved seeing the multiple opinions expressed in assnchat today - so have included the link to the transcript here. So many valid thoughts shared!  #assnchat certifications chat Feb 8/11

Meeting Certifications - Which one is for you?

Meeting Planning - Glamorous, Exciting, Fun!

Day 5, hour 2, 3 to go. serious.

Just for fun, google "meeting planning glamorous" or "event planning glamorous" and you will find a whole page (or seven) of how this is, or is not. You will find some sites dedicated to education for meeting and event planning, you will find FB pages, magazine articles and so much more. 

What any meeting planners knows is YES it is glamorous. For about 4 days a year. It always comes with its challenges, and often there is not a full understanding of all that a great planner brings. In this post I am going to focus on Meeting Planners and some of what they bring to each meeting.

Meeting planners have to know a lot, be able to do a lot, and have to be able to exceed stakeholder expectations in live events over and over and over again, being judged one meeting at a time. Of course we never get to work on only one meeting or event at a time, so the pressure is enormous.

Below I have at a glance, what a meeting planner is expected to be an expert on:

1. Destinations - you are expected to know approximately 123 countries in the world, and which will best meet the expectations of the group and specific meeting
2. Destination knowledge - local customs, traditions, laws, currency, taxes, gratuities, visas required to enter and exit which may vary based on your participants' country(ies) of origin, weather at the time of year you are considering, levels of service, infrastructure for meetings and events
3. Venues - of the hotels and venues available, which ones have the appropriate capacity, amenities, location (where the local CVB and DMCs are invaluable resources)
4. Finance and budgeting - part accountant, part manager, responsible for expenses, revenues, tracking, and staying on track 
5. Sponsorship consultant - possibly recruitment, certainly fulfillment
6. Marketer - to internal or external audiences, via print collateral, website, various on-line strategies, journals, word of mouth - to recruit and retain sponsors, exhibitors, delegates, speakers, and more
7. Media / PR - when you want it how to get it, when you need to avoid it how to manage it
8. Stakeholder / client manager - you need to keep multiple layers of leaders feeling like their vision is being brought to life
9. Human resource manager - you need to manage up, down and sideways with internal and external partners
10. Master communicator - generating reports, written and verbal communication with all levels to ensure comfort for the client and information for the team to be able to execute to the vision, which naturally "evolves"
11. Law 101 - you have to be able to read, understand and negotiate contracts from multiple suppliers from hotels and conference centres to exhibit, activity or decor contractors and more Negotiating in challenging environments
12. Negotiator - across all levels of suppliers, often in many cultures with different rules, in union and non-union environments with exclusive and preferred suppliers (including your own)
13. Ethics expert - ensuring everyone on your team is playing fair
14. Sustainability leader - meetings and events have a huge impact on both the greening aspects and the 3 P's and the meeting planner needs to lead by example while following their organization's mandates
15. Team building - one of the reasons we meet is to strengthen team, so whether this is via a formal exercise or informal (networking) opportunities, it is always important
16. Risk manager- you need to know exactly what is in place from your venue(s) and what your team will do if a crisis affects your meeting, and plan for everything from cords being taped down (not a standard in all countries) to volcanoes, terrorist attacks, illness on-site and so much more
17. Program development - topic expert or liaising with those who are, providing an understanding of flow. Possibly contributing to how people will learn and take away learnings, working often with a programming committee to match space / amenities available with content desired.
18. Evaluation - education offered, networking, ROI and more
19. Technology - you have to keep up on what is not only now, but what is next - the evolution from carousel slides to multiple mobile apps has accelarated in the past 15 years since the internet came to be (1991!) and meeting planners have to be ahead of the curve of their participants
20. Theming - how to cohesively carry a message through from the first announcement through the programming and the events (programming, decor, entertainment, environment, print / online materials and so much more)
21. Logistics - from air and ground transportation to food and beverage, room setups and av, communication and signage, bump in to bump out of the many suppliers and participants that will touch and be touched by this event.
22. Through it all you need to be professional, calm, supportive and inspiring, all while working 16+ hours per day, eating on the fly, and attemping to stay hydrated.

This is where a meeting planner needs a great team to support - which may include a CVB, incentive house, marketing agency, speakers bureau, travel agency, housing bureau, registration team, DMC, Producer, av and production team, tradeshow management, teambuilding organization, and on-site support, to name a few. 

Oh there is more... bring it on! There is a challenge we face with the low barrier to entry for someone to say they are a meeting planner, so while there are hundreds of great meeting planners out there, who are all continually energized by planning meetings and events, we need to continually stay educated on a myriad of topics (see above for a start). To be a meeting professional, we must continue a life-long learning journey which may include university and polytechnic programs; attending events put on by a variety of meeting planning associations; joining experts who are continually sharing knowledge on line; by reading the many texts, journals and articles available continually. Being glamorous takes research and a willingness to work hard - and I say - Let's do this! 

Event Planning - Part 3 - Tools

So far, we have looked at the questions to ask, some of the process of planning an event, and now it is the tools, those administrative reports that become the building blocks of your event plan. Do you always need every one of these? Not necessarily, as it is event dependant but these are a good base.

1. Cover Sheet / Title page - the basics
1. Location
2. Date
3. Sponsoring Organization
4. Name of the event
2. Organizational Chart - "who's who in the zoo"
3. Mission statement / goals
1. Why, the benefits of attending
4. Evaluation - what is measured, how, when, who, expectations of ROI
5. Program overview grid - outlining all activities, events, locations
6. Creative brief / participant experience overview
7. Budget
8. Critical path
9. Reporting plan - what is needed / expected when
10. Your team
1. who supports this internally at client organization
2. who supports which functions within your organization
3. vendors who will provide the necessary supporting elements (florals to production and everything in between)
4. communication with team
11. Marketing plan
1. sponsors (recruitment)
2. exhibitors (recruitment / sales)
3. donors (recruitment)
4. speakers / abstract / poster presenters (paying vs. paid)
5. registration / ticket sales
6. media / PR / press releases
7. website / print or other collateral
8. social media strategy
12. Production schedule
1. floor plans
2. time schedules - literally minute-by-minute from load in to strike
3. vendors and team members

Is this just the beginning? If you are producing an event of any size, from a wedding to a multiple day conference or anything inbetween, you need to have an understanding of many, many components and their inter-relations and then can get on to the "fun" - creating the experience. Then developing the budgets to go with this. and so it goes...

Event Planning - Part 1 - Questions to Answer

I recently had the pleasure of a discussion about becoming a guest blogger and several topics were tossed around. One, Sustainability and producing "greener" meetings was an easy one, as this is something we have been talking about and doing for a long time.

The second is trickier, "What does a Producer do?"  Trickier because the topic is so vast, and so close to me that it is hard to step back and analyse what we really do. I have decided to do this in several sections, the first today will look at it from the perspective of a learner / instructor. Along with Chris Lowe and Rita Rogers, for a decade we have been teaching a twelve week Event Planning class at BCIT. This course is designed to give an overarching synopsis of the basics of planning events, giving about an hour to each major topic, and pointing the learners in directions where they can seek more information. In many cases, it is people who are already planning meetings, events or trade shows in their jobs and this for these learners provides more structure to what they are doing.  So, what do I hope they walk out with at the end of the 12 weeks? Hopefully they understand that to produce successful events you need to be able to answer the following questions to start, then it is about the process of planning with these answers.

Questions you need to be able to answer, appropriate to your event

1. What is the mission statement / driving idea of the event?
2. What will define success?  What is the key factor that will be measured?
3. What is your client's ROI measurement?
4. What do you want your guest experience to be?  What do you want them to say when they leave?
5. How do you (with some accuracy) define your target audience? How are you reaching them / what makes your event attractive?
6. What is the budget? What does it have to include?
7. Where is this money coming from? (sponsors, registration, donors, fundraising, exhibitors, auction items, other?)
8. Is an event the right way to spend your money? Does it fit the marketing mix? Will it achieve the objectives? If it is a fundraiser - is it the best way to raise funds?
9. Why does an organization sponsor your event and how can you make your event an attractive vehicle that supports their marketing initiatives?
10. Who are your stakeholders?  What will satisfy the stakeholders?
11. Who is on your team - who will actually make this all happen?
12. Where will it be? Destination, venue(s)
13. When will it be - what impacts the date selection?
14. What are you planning - multiple day program, single day event, something inbetween?  Conference, incentive, fundraiser, celebration, festival, public event?
15. WHY? Why is this event necessary?  Why is there a commitment? YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ANSWER WHY.

As just a start, if you can answer these big questions, you can begin to consider the process of planning and build a plan. 

Colour of the Year - Honeysuckle!

When I started talking about colour, I knew it would be hard to stop. The basic color wheel was just the beginning, and there are still many to explore.  For those of us old enough to have lived with an avocado stove, a lilac bathtub (yes, that is the next room to be renovated) or a harvest gold fridge, we know that while colours are selected for us to cross the spectrum from design to automobiles to fashion, there are always interesting choices made.


As The Special Event speeds along in Phoenix, the designers presenting are embracing the Pantone 2011 Colour of the Year - Honeysuckle and as this comes out in more design and wedding magazines, the resurgence of pink and pewter will be well underway for us in events. I am very excited to see how our clients react to and begin to embrace these colours in the coming year. 



Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty  - noun


1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.


2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.

"I like serendipity" tweeted back Liz Strauss yesterday when she asked the question about "how much of life should we plan?" and I responded, and believe, not all of it, because we need to leave room for the surprises, the ones that usually create the memories.

We are fortunate to live the lives we have, where we live them. This week there has been much discussion, as we move forward planning international meetings and incentives for others at least as hard working and fortunate as we are, about those who are not as fortunate. 

@debmorello had posted a haunting picture this week of a child prostitute, so wrong and still happening every day in the world. While this is very uncomfortable for us, I applaud her courage to make us uncomfortable. My 12 year old has been reading the book he received at Me to We  Global Voices, haunting stories of children hunted and living unimaginably, again every day. As his wise voice said "It's not easy to read mom, but it is important that we don't close our eyes just because we can." wow.

Last year I had the opportunity to see Patrick Henry Hughes speak at a conference we were supporting. What an incredible young man and an incredible family, for seeing past his challenges and instead focusing on what he could do. He has some words he lives by, that spell out the first letters of his name

1. passion
2. patience
3. perserverance
4. abilities
5. attitude
6. trust

Read his story and you will understand why I was inspired by his story, his virtuoso piano playing and singing, and what his father shares as well. We would all be blessed to have a family unit this strong.

Then there is the ongoing saga that began with Greg Mortenson and his three cups of tea. What one man can do with determination, and the earned support of many is truly incredible. 

Speaking of positive momentum, who has been touched by Love Drop in a postive (and only) way. What a great idea - stand up, applaud, support. It is simple.

At the end of our discussion, my friend Lisa and I determined that rather than feeling inadequate that we were not leading as many of the above are, we can and do choose to  live each day with good intent and positive, if smaller, actions, as every bit of positive momentum helps.  We will also try to not have every moment so planned that we can't take a path that might lead  us to surprising, magical, haunting, friendly, fun places where we can create connections and memories that might not have happened if we would have stayed in cleaning the house rather than enjoying a sunset at the beach... for example. This year is about continuing to embrace the experiences as they come at us.

I would leave just asking, what has been serendipitous for you?

Is your organization socially engaged?

In my last post I wrote about ways I have seen that will increase employee engagement- how to keep people interested in their organization, working with their leaders and ultimately producing better results with excellent customer service innately practiced on a consistent basis. 

Today I found this awesome article that articulates it even more clearly so I am sharing it here.  5 new paradigms for a socially engaged company by @SorenG Apparently we are on the right track, and we definitely appreciate when the client organizations we work with are organizations that share these beliefs, that taking care of our talent will always lead to better customer service and an engaged workforce just makes work a better place to be!

Do you have an experience to share about what your organization is doing to engage you?

Final Colour Fun

There are so many colours still to explore, even black and white! So just before I move on to other burning topics, a few fun things and other people whose colour work I find inspiring. 

Well this one is just for fun... tells you by what colour you like a little about you. Check it out. http://ht.ly/3APiw

I have previously mentioned the Colour Institute (fascinating) but this year, the Pantone Honeysuckle I also find fascinating - this is the noted "Colour of 2011" and its applications will make the world seen "through rose coloured glasses" for sure.

What is your favourite colour? My friend, highly talented artist Doug Swinton, and lead customer service agent at Swintons Art has a message if you call him that says "leave your name, number and favorite colour" - of course I always do... the colour changes though!

Choosing colours is something that some people are very comfortable with, and some people simply are not. Shows like HGTV's Colour Confidential offer a really safe environment as Jane Lockhart has a unique way of sharing colour with people, and finding what their comfort zones are and then pushing them a bit.

I have already mentioned hair (Marsha, Marsha and Nicole!) and a little about red, my personal favorite. During my years as a stylist I also worked as a colour technician and instructor for a world leader in hair colour. I have always loved colour - red, black, blonde, brown, for various reasons and for various people that carry these off really well. Jaclyn Smith was my first brunette heroine; my friend and superstar owner of Greenscape Silk Corinne of Greenscape has amazing black hair, often with blue highlights; and blonde, well Portia Rossi in Ally McBeal - hello... and my daughter has just had her first (at 10) "when I was five I had blond hair" highlights - gorgeously natural from my long time stylist Trina, a true master of hair.

I love all things about colour, in light, linen, fashion, nature, events, and more. I appreciate also the comments from friends who have been inspired and who have remembered what they love about colour too - from times living in the Caribbean, visiting India, cooking and planning events and how they love it as I do. Now it is on to a new subject!

It is easy Being Green

Contrary to what Kermit said, it is easy being green. Green is life, signifying growth, health, renewal and of course, our environment.  Green is a movement, a way of life as we continue with the 4 r's and increase the health of our burgeoning planet. It is positive, GO with the green light signifying forward motion, or a green thumb as gardens are successful.

Green can also be the colour of new, as in a fresh sprout, or as in "being green" or "greenhorn" - the new kid on the block, lots to learn, and potentially much to contribute. 

As I have looked at all the other chakra colours, we will also look at green, the heart chakra, in the fourth position between the physical roots, and the metaphysical, it equalizes feelings as they pass through the heart; green is the balance point.

Green rooms are where the talent waits backstage, preparing to inspire and wow. A golf green is a place of deep happiness, challenge and occasionally frustration, or in this case, of astounding awe.

Furry Creek 14th hole

When we move into events, green can please, green can soothe or inspire. In centrepieces a whimsical recreation of golf, or fresh florals provides a pleasant counterpoint.

A much more impactful design can create a moment of "aaahhhhh" as guests enter. No matter how green is represented it enhances comfort as this cool colour soothes and re-energizes.

Two gorgeous events by Cantrav, capturing the light.

Blue - a cruise to the cool side

Well here we go to the other side of the color wheel. The cool side. Blue, violet, green, with blue being the only primary color here, the last of the three true primary colors. Today this picture was shared with me, so because it made me smile I share it with you. It's blue, it is memories that are all good, and it involves my second favorite thing, cookies! In the last post I talked about great redheads - I suppose blue fur has its place too! Marge Simpson's hair... well we all know it's not exactly a natural shade...

Blue has many differences in how it makes us feel from the warm colours just explored in recent posts. This cool colour has shades from sky blue to ocean blue, and so many shades in between. Blue is a color that nearly everyone feels an affinity with as it is a calming colour. Spiritually blue  represents the communication chakra, and has to do with our will, and our willingness to communicate honestly about how we are feeling. Sharing joy, expressing anger, getting past the "lump in the throat" and communicating, all important to our health.

In nature, blue brings awe. A gorgeous night sky always soothes, especially as dusk fully settles.



Gorgeous night in Vancouver, with our old BC Place as it no longer is, photo by the amazing Anton Teterine

Our Aquarium tells us these are Japanese stinging nettles. We still call them jellyfish.

Where blue is limited - in food, where there is little true blue seen (but where so much vibrancy from other colours is found). Where blue comes to life though is in blues music, and with so many truly talented musicians sharing their skill and passion for this music with us,  even those not familiar with the genre will find themselves captivated.

When it comes to events, blue is absolutely one of my favorite colors, Its depth, its calm, its ability to create a space where people feel comfortable when they come in, and where we need to be prepared to have them stay all night.

Lindsay Donovan captured this moment at the MPI WEC 2010 Welcome Reception



When the SVP of All Things Creative (obviously some liberty with the title but he was in charge of all visuals at his organization) came into the room for the rehearsal he said "I feel as though I have walked into a little slice of heaven" (I thought "my work here is done"... but of course it wasn't quite!)

How does blue make you feel... especially compared to the hot colors?

Red, Beautiful Red

Oh red, how I (heart) thee! Your energy, your beauty, your light.
First, a few notes on fashion and red.

1. Red hair - love it, always wanted natural red, long, curly or straight, fabulous hair (think the original Nicole Kidman or oh so current Marsha Collier or Bree on Desparate Housewives). As a hairdresser, also LOVED creating red highlights- so vibrant, so alive, so darn pretty in the sun, and truly, since it is natural in hair, easier to attain and maintain.
2. Red lipstick. Enough said.
3. Red nail polish. Not for me as I seem to chip in nanoseconds, but for anyone who can carry it off - admired!
4. Red dress. Every girl should have the LBD, but a red dress, now that makes a statement.

Red is a primary colour, and exists abundantly around us. Red roses, so classic, and statement making. (think American Beauty). The red of maple trees in autumn. Red rocks - Ayers rock - magma - so much power. Red flowers of all species, abundant and glorious, and the poppy with its delicate short life, a favorite. A cranberry, so diverse in its use, from tart juice to sundried sweetness. Red wine.

The power of red extends to brands we cannot help but recognize. Our Canadian maple leaf, so symbolic. The red serge of our Mounties, recognized around the world. The red of a Coke can, the most internationally recognized symbol of the organization with the world's greatest distribution network. Virgin. The Red Room.

Red is of course, the 1st chakra color. Stability, physical energy, passion, courage, desire. It is connected to our spinal column, adrenal glands, legs and more. As it is the color of passion, it is also the color of anger. Red can be demanding. It demands we stand up and take notice. NOW.

Then there are events. Red is representative of so many great cultures. From the red and black of our First Nations, coming from the ochre and graphite used in their first art, to Asian cultures where red is so prevalent, to just being a truly impactful color that creates stunning visuals when guests arrive, and then carries through its energy as an event progresses. There are so many ways red can be used to create expression, to build mood and it is always a colour that when we speak of it, our client's eyes change as they too can feel the energy that will happen. Red is passion, and it easily inspires. BRING ON THE RED!

Brian Dennehy, photographer strikes again!

Photo by Erin Wallace in the Van Horne Ballroom at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

How does red make you feel?