The key to successful event planning is being resourceful and avoiding uncertainties. The more you research your available resources, the simpler it is to overcome any obstacles to your objectives and pull off the perfect social function.

When putting together any social function, business party, special event, or mini festival, you can’t begin advertising or producing promotional material until you have chosen and contracted a fitting location. Likewise, it would be putting the cart before the horse, to sign up a speaker or book your entertainment before your event visions have been brought clearly into view.

Event Planning Tools

Preparing lists for the many planning stages is an excellent way to stay organized and accomplish your goals. A check list is an important tool for planning any event. Having one will increase your productivity and the chances of meeting your objectives. Some useful headings to use for your check list may be: Tasks, Notes, Due Dates, Activity/Items, Cost, Actual Cost, Questions, Completed, etc.

Whether your check list is on your website, laptop, PDA or or legal pad, it is important to constantly update and amend your list to comply with your changing needs.

Event Budgeting

It is important to scrutinize your actual costs as they emerge, and compare and prioritize them to reach your projected goals. Crucial to the process is having a budget. A budget is a written projection of your expected income and expenditures for a specific time frame. Such a tool is a dire necessity when overseeing financial projects, and a precise budget is your most valuable resource for making intelligent choices. Be sure to update your budget frequently.

Identify your profit sources so you can plan how and when the profit should be spent. Generally, there will only be a few sources of revenue: participants, sponsorship, reserves, and possibly your own private funds.

Event Venues

There is a large selection of event venues to choose from, so feel free to be creative! The hospitality industry thrives on meeting the specific needs of many different types of groups and individuals from all over the world.

When choosing a location, keep in mind that just because a site may seem quite impressive, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s out of your price range. Don’t be intimidated. That classy location could end up being the perfect one for your special event.

Event Design

If catering to the upper crust is your intention, you might want to consider hiring one of those companies with the reputation for “doing it right”. If this is not your objective, and you’re planning a social or festive event, be sure that your theme design transforms the mood of your participants upon entering your affair.

To give an example, clowns riding on unicycles and handing out balloons would certainly put smiles on the faces of the guests to your festival. If you’re planning an evening social affair, soft jazz and hors d’ourves might set the mood and encourage mingling and networking and so on.

Event Supplies

Remember that the quality of the supplies you choose for your event should befit the occasion and the caliber of the attending guests. At the same time, you have to stay within the constraints of your budget. This may require some shopping around. There are many items which can be rented for your occasion, such as tables and chairs, linens, audio visual equipment, portable toilets, etc.

Event Catering

Do not underestimate the importance of the culinary department. If catering is required for your event, give it your utmost attention because doing it correctly is so crucial to your success. For a black tie affair, fast foods would be out of the question, but for an outdoor picnic event or amphitheater show they would be quite appropriate.

Event Registration

If you use a third party vendor for registration services, be sure to check their references. Make sure that your contract provides that you own all of the collected data, that it is secure, and that nothing will be shared without your permission.

Protection of personal information is of primary concern when planning your event. Secure socket layer encryption for online information, and document shredders for actual paperwork, are key to the protection of privacy.

Many registration companies charge in the area of $4 per attendee, so sound judgement will certainly benefit your budget.

Event Lighting

The purpose of choosing appropriate lighting is to not only draw attention to show pieces and focal points, but to also provide a welcoming atmosphere at your event. There are many different types of lighting which can be employed to create the desired effects when lighting backgrounds and walkways, dining tables and buffets. Colored lights next to white spot lights can make clear distinctions, while holiday lighting, applied to landscaping and entrances, can create dramatic effects as well as insuring that the pathways are attractively lit.

If you plan meticulously, and pay close attention to details, your event is sure to be a success!

Stop the noise. One of the underlying themes behind the recent trend of sustainability is the call to de-clutter and simplify as much as possible. The call to reduce the flow of useless information, both verbal and written, belongs at the core of any green or eco-friendly event planning strategy. The justification for this can be easily witnessed whenever someone says, “We always do it this way.” The new era of sustainable event planning is one that hails innovation and clarity of purpose. If something must be done, be sure to do it with as little spending as possible, produce as little waste as is manageable, consume little energy, and, for goodness sake, ensure it has strategic priority. You’ll see what I mean. Keep reading.

When I think about the sustainability of an event, I like to think about the reoccurring ones as they’re the most likely to have a stable audience. When an event happens at regular intervals, monthly or yearly, there’s a unique opportunity to plan in such a way that you’re engaging the new attendees and re-connecting with the returning ones. The event plan should take full advantage of the fact that you’re not starting from scratch all the time. There are countless examples but for now try this on for size: All signage should be reusable. Stop making single-use signs. If the signs are branded that’s fine but ideally a sign could be used for more than one event. Don’t bother with putting a date on the sign; if they’re people at the event they already know what day it is. If you need to put a bunch of content on it then do it up on a printed page so it can be removed. When it comes to sponsors, have a separate sign for their logos or, even better, find ways to recognize sponsors without signage. Now, let’s not forget that the materials used to make the sign should also be recyclable (I’m so done with corrugated plastic and vinyl lettering).

Now, let’s use this sponsor sign scenario to revisit the noise issue. Think back a few years. Yep, that’s right… 1999 is a good place to start. Brand recognition and logo positioning were everything. Companies paid big bucks to have their logo splashed on everything in order to get as many impression counts as possible. We do not live in that era anymore. Sponsorships are more about strategic alliances, partnerships, and, ultimately, relationships. A gigantic smorgasbord of sponsor logos communicates none of these values. When wanting to highlight sponsors, keep it verbal or, at least, digital. Shy away from stacking logos on pages or signs because all it does is decrease the impact of any one logo and homogenize the contributions. I know that most planners like to assign metal categories, like platinum, gold, and silver, and that the bigger the logo the more love the company gave; but come on… let’s get with the times.

Let’s talk paper. Most brochures, flyers, info sheets, PowerPoint notes, and program guides are absolutely useless and are of no value whatsoever to event attendees. When an event includes the spoken and/or written word (which is pretty much every event with the exception of parties and maybe street mime) the gathering should have valuable content that communicated with purpose. It used to be that printing on recycled or post-consumer paper was the latest thing; that’s now the bare minimum. What’s trendy, in my books, is no printing at all. Another case in point is the program guide. What’s wrong with a program guide you ask? In most cases, it’s redundant, as the content has already been published online. Republishing a website in print format is a total waste of time and money. Event planners need to organize events in such a way that attendees don’t depend on printed material. The cunning use of LCD projection or announcements is a start, or making a website viewable via a mobile device; these are ways to stop the printing press in its tracks. For a small conference you could easily save $5,000 by not designing and printing a program guide. If you’re worried about hanging people out to dry, set up some computer kiosks in the lobby with the event website as the home page (or as the desktop screen saver or wallpaper showing the schedule).

The rise of the eco-conscious event industry has been much slower than one would hope. Events are by and large still grossly wasteful and the planners who bring it all together are often ill-equipped or inadequately empowered when it comes to making the decisions necessary to bring sustainable practices to their event project. When I say “your father’s eco-friendly event,” I mean that there’s already old school eco-planning and we should not fool ourselves in thinking that we’re doing something good by doing the basics. The basics are not good enough anymore. Blue bins, bottle recycling, name badge drop boxes, printing on 10%post consumer paper, or even reusable trade show bags are not bad in of them selves they just don’t make an event sustainable. Single-use items are major waste makers; just because you recycle them doesn’t actually account for a whole lot. Oh, and don’t get me started on branded gift bags!

Cut out the junk and simplify.
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Your boss turns to you and says the most chilling words any employee can hear (short of “you’re fired”): “I want you to organize our corporate event this year.” Reason to panic? For some, maybe. Planning a corporate event can be a stressful task–overwhelming, if you’ve never done it before. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are seven tips for making the process easier.

Know your budget. Setting your budget beforehand is essential in guiding your planning. This may sound like obvious advice, but vague event budgets are more common than you’d think in some office environments. Make sure you know exactly how much you expect to spend. Include all the details, such as food, entertainment, location rental, parking fees, insurance, security, printing, and supplies.

Know who’s going. Is there anyone in the office with an allergy to certain foods? Anyone who doesn’t eat certain foods due to religious restrictions? Any vegans or vegetarians? How about the disabled? Will workers be bringing spouses and kids, or is this an adults-only event? You’ll need to know who’s coming in order to find a location with the right access and plan your menu. It’s often best to pass around a questionnaire that addresses these questions.

Leave enough time. Many new event planners make the mistake of leaving too little time to plan an event. The amount of time to leave depends on the event, but expect to take three months for most smaller events and six months for an average one. Leaving things until the last minute is a big reason why event planning is so stressful for so many people.

Ask for ideas. Your coworkers will definitely do less grumbling if they’re involved in making the event a success. If possible, organize a committee of planners who answer to you. They can be an informal group in charge of generating ideas, polling other workers, and getting a sense of what attendees would like to see. If not, pass out a questionnaire or set up a drop box for ideas. Some will probably be unrealistic, but there are sure to be some great suggestions as well.

Scout for food. At the start of your event planning, keep an eye out for good food. If you like a certain restaurant, ask if they cater. Check with friends at other companies to see if they liked the food at their last corporate event. If so, ask if you could get in touch with their event planner to get the name of the caterer.

Hiring entertainment? Be sure to get professionals. You may need to hire entertainment for your next corporate event. If so, ask the entertainer to come in for a live demonstration. Most entertainers will have videos to send, but you’ll get a better idea of their skills and stage presence in person.

The entertainment you hire can make the difference between a memorable event and a torturous one. Whenever possible, hire professionals instead of people who entertain part-time. It will make a big difference.

Know your theme. You should have an idea of your company’s personality and what’s appropriate for the group. A more conservative company will probably be expecting a speaker. A company with a more relaxed personality may be up for anything, from hypnotists to rock musicians. If there are going to be kids at the event, make sure you hire performers who entertain the adults as well. This is crucial, as bored adults can bring a party down as quickly as bored children.`

Anticipate problems. Part of successful party and event planning is thinking of solutions to problems before they happen. As part of the planning process, write everything down that could possibly go wrong, from the likely to the outlandish. Then brainstorm solutions for each problem. If you’re holding your party in an outdoor location, weather can definitely be an issue, so be sure to plan a rain location. Make sure you have more seating than you think you need. And always have at least one person on site who is certified in first aid.

Planning a corporate event doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It takes organization, anticipation skills, and a little imagination to get it right. But these skills can be developed–especially if you give yourself enough time to plan. So take the time, write out a budget, and take a deep breath–your event is sure to be a success.

Planning any event can be tedious, stressful, and difficult. Corporate events are even more overwhelming than your average event because of the large scale, number of tiny details, amount of time they take to plan, and the many things that could possibly go wrong that may ruin the event. You can avoid the headaches of planning your own corporate event by hiring a planner. Choose a company that specializes in planning corporate events and who is experienced, trained, and offers a long list of event production services that can make your event the event of a lifetime.

Why You Should Consider Hiring A Corporate Event Planner

Many people can throw together a birthday party or a small luncheon in a snap. But, with so many unique factors involved in putting together a corporate event, including coordinating entertainment, seating, table arrangements, catering, food service, facility rental, arranging event production services, and more, the help of an expert can go a long way in creating the event you desire. Don’t hesitate to contact a planner at the first hint of becoming overwhelmed.

A corporate event planning company will know exactly what to do to take your event from overwhelming to fabulous success. Although planners specialize in large, extravagant events, they can also effectively plan small meetings and everything else that fits in between. After an initial brainstorming session, you and your corporate event planning company will make a plan to bring your vision to life and will take your event from plan to a fully executed, stress free, and enjoyable event.

How Event Production Services Can Make Your Event Sparkle

By utilizing event production services, you can turn your corporate event into a Hollywood spectacle. Event production services include set design, lighting design, show production, theme generation, video editing, creative writing, speech writing, staging, presentation design, talent booking, show direction, speaker scheduling, special effects, decor design, sound, emceeing, and much more. By hiring a corporate event planning company that provides numerous event productions services, your event can have bold designs, dynamic audio, superior acoustics, dramatic lighting, and a stage show of professional quality.

The best corporate event planners have years of experience and a solid background in planning all types of events, with a focus on corporate events. If you have been put in charge of your company’s corporate event, consider saving yourself the hassle of planning it by recommending that your company hire a planner. It will be most cost effective in the end because an event planning company will have the resources to plan and execute your event quickly, generating the event you desire.

Regardless of the size or budget, the right corporate event planner and related event production services will make your event a dazzling success. Let an expert plan your next corporate event and get ready to reap the benefits of an event well planned.

Planning a promotional event requires a lot of time and dedication. It is important to allow ample time for proper planning as well as a good budget to keep your event on track. You may also want to enlist the help of an associate or friend to help keep you focused and on track.

The first thing you need to do is pick a date for your event. Make sure to check with local calendars as well as find out if there are any events going on at other businesses or organizations. You also want to make sure the day you pick is during fair weather months- it doesn’t make much sense to hold an outdoor event in the middle of winter if you live in Ohio.

Once you have selected a date, you need to start working on the event schedule. Having a set timeline will make it easier to break down the tasks you need to accomplish to have a great event.

You will also want to do plenty of advertising. You can get Screen Printing done on banners to hang around your community. You can also create flyers. A Web site dedicated to promoting your event, or page if you already have a site, is a great way to keep people updated as to the progress of the event.

Be sure to have plenty of help lined up for the day of the event. If you are not using a catering company, you will need people to make sure your guests have everything they need. You also want to be sure your help is educated on the event schedule so they can answer questions about the day.

You hardly remember any of your previous corporate event parties, meeting and any gathering because they are very boring, right? Well, must not know the real reason behind this. It is because you might be excellent in making business deals and other profit making ideas but throwing a party and organizing it is not an easy job. A god party can only take place if it is organized properly.

The event in a company is one of the major functions which take place. It happens very rarely when the whole team of the company or rather the entire company people come together in a friendly mood to have loads of fun. Therefore, it is very important for the event to be rewarding so that all the people attending the event remember it for years. The corporate event should be a result of a great team work. A good corporate event is very important and therefore, you should appoint a good corporate event planner to organize the party. A good event helps you to gain more and more recognition and good will.

Once you have thought of throwing a corporate party, you need to think a lot more after that. You have to decide on things like food, drinks, venue, entertainment, activities, speakers and time and date. It is always advisable to hire a corporate event planner who takes up almost all the charges of the event. But even if you do this, you have to make a list of all the things that you expect the planner to work on to make your corporate event a great success. The more info you give and explain properly, the better will be your event.

The most important thing while planning your corporate event is that you should make the list of everything about the awards, discussions, meals and everything which is essential for the event. It will help you to remember everything and nothing will be skipped. After doing this, fix or book a venue for the event. By booking the venue, you will get a rough idea about the rest of the work which needs to be done.

A medium of entertainment is the most essential part of any good event. Thus, you have to decide and keep such activities in the party that the entire guests have a gala time in the party. While deciding on the activities, you should always keep in mind that while playing the games in the party, everyone should again become a kid and forget about their personal relation at least for some time.

The food and drinks that need to be served in the party is another major part of the corporate event planning. The food should be so good that people just can’t stop hogging. The music, dance floor and other things in the event should be all perfect in order to make it a superb occasion.

The corporate event planners helps to organize everything that you wish to have in your event. So, make your event an unforgettable one in the assistance of a good corporate event planner.

Some of the most common events are Conventions, Festivals, Corporate Events, Event Seminars, Business Meetings, Fundraisers, and Charity Events. Whether you are a beginner or veteran events planner, you still need to start on the right foot. The event ideas we mention here are intended to help guide you to success. Although there are many ideas, we will stick to a few popular ones.

Business Meeting Ideas

Creating meetings around various themes helps to give participants a sense of direction. Since a business meeting is supposed to be more work than play, music may not be a good idea, but a short documentary could crystallize company focus.

Building Something Great Together – Makes everyone involved feel needed and a part of the company’s future. It opens the floor for constructive input enhancing company goals.

Please the Customer – have participants focus on what makes the customer happy and how to improve in service with a smile.

We Shall Overcome – Encourages attendees to persist and reach for success despite perceived obstacles.

Be creative when kicking off meetings to motivate and inspire.

Dart Board – Start off the meeting by allowing some shots at a dart board. Best shot gets to start off the meeting, appoint the moderator, or make the first suggestion about the topic at hand.

New Vocabulary – Ask your group to bring seldom used or obscure words to the next meeting. Have them use it in a way that applies to your business.

“If I Ran the Show…” – This can provide some insight into feasible changes that can improve things in important areas. Ask your staff what they would consider the perfect job, location, and work environment. Now that you have them thinking without boundaries, ask them what project would they work on or what special thing would they do if they ran the company, office, or department.

Fund Raising Ideas

Consider the following suggestions:

BBQ’s – Everyone loves a BBQ, they can be a fun way to rally support for your cause.

A Raffle – There are many fashionable products that would strongly attract customers.

Car Wash – When the price is right a car wash is a valued service that can easily raise funds.

Charity Event Ideas

Promoting awareness as much as possible is paramount to your charity event success.

Dinner – Awards are distributed to honorees that helped to achieve landmark milestones for the organization. Tickets can be sold commercially or through your network of friends and supporter. Invitees attend a dinner where presentations are made regarding the organization’s accomplishments and goals.

Bake Sales – A prize is awarded to the baked item voted as first place, second place etc. by attendees. Every one of the organization’s members and their families can participate in producing their favorite specialties and these can sold at a profit to the organization at the “bake-off event”.

Auction – Many favorite goods or services can be auctioned off to raise money for your non-profit organization. Another approach is to involve local businesses to donate merchandise, time or even money to start your auction with a bang.

Corporate Event Ideas

There are some interesting twists to freshen up the atmosphere with entertainment. Motivation is very important in a corporate environment, so celebrating anniversaries and achievements will boost inspiration on all levels.

Comedians – Comedians use specific appropriate topics that help put the audience in the right mood.

Live music or Professional sound system – It is essential to select entertainment that is suitable for your guests and your business personality.

Magic Shows – Can be a pleasant introduction that provides a playful atmosphere.

Seminar Ideas

There are various styles in which a meeting can be conducted. Choosing the one that fits the current working climate can help propel everyone in the right direction.

Human Resource Seminars – Offer all sorts of employee performance training, management, and career development seminars. Help build up the proper work environment in your business or company by coaching, succession planning, key employee identification, and organization development.

Sales Training Seminars – Can assist your sales force to hone their salesmanship abilities and educate them about new software or tools to become more adept in their sales role.

Management Seminars – Refine leadership qualities and exercise management abilities to help your executives and managers increase their performance.

Festival Ideas

These are entertainment-only functions, and can be geared to provide fun for families and groups of all kinds. Themes can be tailored to make any social event exciting and interesting.

Fun Foods – Pizza, Popcorn, Potato Chips, Snow Cones, Cotton Candy, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, French Fries, etc.

Prize-Winning Games – Ring the Coke Bottle, Basketball shots, Shoot down cans w/water gun, Gaming wheels, etc.

Ride Rentals – Large and small Bounce houses, Choo-Choo Train, Ferris wheels, Roller coasters, Spin rides.

Convention Ideas

Conventions bring vendors and customers together in an open forum where contacts are made, new products are introduced, big ideas are discussed and new sales leads are developed.

Entertainment – Sound systems playing appropriate music, Live musicians or even stage performers.

Promotional Products – Key Chains, Picture Frames, Award Gifts, Bags, Pens with logo, etc.

Exhibition Tools – All shapes and sizes of displays are used to share space and provide maximum visibility.

Conference Ideas

A conference can be quite intense and needs slackening of tension at regular intervals.

Participants meet in order to discuss, consult, or exchange information about related fields.

Give Prizes – Prizes should be awarded to the people who have done something that helped the conference to be a success, whether something funny, silly or just plain helpful. If your conference is small, contributions to success can be rewarded after the conference.

Reception – Should have pleasing interior decoration, door prizes or gifts, etc.

Stand Up/Stretch Breaks – Play some music, have someone lead the break showing everyone how to twist, do aerobics, dance, or just a good march in place. Keep people energized and attentive. Have breaks between speakers.

Keep Up the Momentum – If you put on a grand finale it will make a lasting impression and may influence your participants decision to come to your next conference.

Plan surprises for attendees at least on par with your welcoming reception. Don’t let the conference lose color towards the finish – even if the staff has to fake it, keep things going. Have entertainment and ‘walk out’ music. Organizers should be present at the door to thank the participants.
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So you are throwing a party or special event for work or in your personal life? You want to impress and leave your guests stunned at your professionalism and style. The first impression can determine the success of a party just as it can in most situations, so start off right with a high quality postcard design for party announcements especially made for you and your event.

Bringing in a professional can save you time and stress if you need to have the announcements printed in photo quality, high resolution, vibrant colors. The time you save and the stress you can relieve is well worth the few bucks you will spend to have them professional printed. A professional postcard design for party announcements will be the first impression that could end up leaving a lasting impression on your guests even before they arrive.

Party and event planning is stressful and we all need help form time to time. If you are not a professional party planner, then you will certainly have to ask the experts and even hire a few to aid in making the party a success. You can rest assured that even the party planning professionals hire a printing company to create their postcard design for party announcements they are using. High quality affordable announcements are available in many styles, designs, and offer many different formats for text. You can make them simple with a date and address to more detailed with information regarding the evening’s events.

As the guests arrive to the event, they are prepared for a fun filled, exciting, and classy night, you have already set the mood for the evening by sending out you’re professionally made announcements, and the rest of the evening is up to you. Sending out a professional postcard design for party announcements really does add some style to your event; it takes a load of pressure off your shoulders, and saves you much needed time to prepare other items needed for the special event.

Don’t forget to snap pictures at the event. You can use them for the next event on your party announcements!

You want to stand out? You want to make that great first impression? You want to get them talking about your event before it even happens? Sure you do! You know you throw a great party, but if you have new guests on that invite list, they do not have any idea…yet. You have to do something to grab their attention and make the event stand out in their minds; make it the highest priority as possible. It should be the place to be, the one event not to miss, the gala of the century. Well maybe that is over the top, but if you are taking the time to plan and organize this event, it is of the utmost priority to you so of course you would expect no less from the attendees.

Choose your postcard design for party announcements and leave the printing to the professionals, make a great first impression and ensure your entire guest list arrives for your special night. Start making lasting memories and dazzle guests with your party planning skills.
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The possibilities for corporate event ideas are as wide as the imagination, and the benefits offered by a well-planned event are innumerable. Corporate events may include fun activities to break up the monotony of long meetings, act as icebreakers for team members who don’t know one another well, or unify and rejuvenate a company of any size. With the daily business of work providing little opportunity for social interaction, events you attend as a company should maximize the chance to foster good relationships and offer a break from the usual.

Corporate event activities could include any number of team building exercises designed to promote interaction, creative thinking, problem solving, relaxation, and so on. There are many fun ways to encourage individuals to participate in a group project that requires everyone’s contribution in order to be truly successful. Some methods of demonstrating this may use music and movement, team sports, or other challenges that require many hands or minds to address. Group activities can help promote trust and teamwork, help overcome personality based issues, work towards creating better communication, and much more.

There are many business consultants today specializing in organizational development, team building and so on, who can help customize activities for your next corporate function. Bringing in an expert from outside the company can help provide an unbiased, objective approach to improving your team’s productivity, as long as they are well-informed ahead of time in terms of what you hope to accomplish, the general corporate culture they will be dealing with, as well as any underlying issues, and so on.

Corporate events can be as simple or elaborate as you see fit, and may incorporate humor, creativity, and physical activity as part of an effort to lighten up the everyday atmosphere, keep people engaged and entertained, and encourage the open exchange of ideas. Helping people enjoy their work and attain an ongoing sense of satisfaction and fulfillment is an important means of maintaining productivity, reducing staff turnover and burnout, and making the workplace a more enjoyable environment for everyone. Each of these elements is enhanced by well-chosen corporate activities that help team members appreciate one another, and remind them of the unique roles they each play towards a unified purpose.

There are many ideas for corporate events available online, through consultants, and a number of very popular books and programs. In a highly competitive and often stressful corporate world, it is becoming increasingly common for companies to utilize these tools in order to maintain harmonious work environments, retain valued staff, and make the most of their resources. Boosting productivity requires more than just a group of qualified individuals – it sometimes takes additional time and effort to make those individuals into a team. Make the necessary investments to ensure ongoing success for everyone.
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Event planners seeking a theme around which to build a novel attraction might do well to take a look at a Hawaii surfing theme.

But before jumping into the water, consider the factors upon which this seemingly no-brainer of a recommendation is based as many event planners have found themselves with the greatest sounding theme yet a small turnout or, possibly worse, a great crowd finding themselves bored and wondering what to do next.

There are a number of elements that when incorporated into an event help to make it a winner from the point of publicity through that very late hour when the last guests are finally told they really have to leave. These elements are the same whether it’s a casino night, clambake, or barnyard ho-down. These are the elements that will often make or break your event.

To a large extent, these elements are the same when planning for exhibitions when your success is dependent on making folks stop at your exhibit out of the scores of others competing for their attention. After all, we all know the feeling of manning a booth in which the only people in it are the spillover from the adjacent booth, don’t we?

Give ‘Em A Theme!

An event without a strong theme is nothing more than a function. Not all bad, but hardly the thing that makes memories. The road to excitement starts when your event is one people are curious or downright excited about and appealing themes will play a big part in establishing that level of interest! So where do you start?

Give ‘Em Something Exotic!

The folks in Boise, Idaho, might not get too excited about a Midwestern Barbeque Night but those of us here in the islands who’ve never ridden a cart filled with hay would delight at corn on the cob and pulled-pork off the spit in between throwing horseshoes and cow dung chips.

At the same time, offer our Midwestern friends an opportunity to enter a big wave surfing contest while their lei-decked friends with Mai-tais in hand cheer them on and you’ve got the first element of a successful event – a taste of the exotic!

Exotic is really anything that’s attractively different than that which we’re accustomed. Our ability to deliver something to our guests that puts them into another time or place for those few hours they’re with us will determine the excitement and appeal the event holds for them.

Give ‘Em A Challenge!

Horseshoes, cook-your-own, surfing contests, craps, poker, blackjack, and dance lessons all offer one thing in common – the opportunity for your guests to engage themselves in a challenge… not so much between themselves but with the activity. This is a key element to instant camaraderie allowing your guests a common and exciting subject to talk about.

Selecting the activities is key and the best ones are those that are as fun to watch as they are to do! Consider walking into a large convention hall and hearing folks screaming and laughing as opposed to the drone of muted talk reflective of your high-classed cocktail parties and you have the difference between an activity and an event!

Give ‘Em A Setting They’ll Talk About!

Imagine walking into the site of your event and finding hay all over the floor… or sand… or discarded peanut shells. The setting you create is what allows you to take your guests to somewhere they’ll find enchanting—simply because it’s so different than the setting they left when coming into the room. Elements like coconut trees, hay lofts, and real live barbeque pits are all worth they’re weight in gold when combined with food, activities, and entertainment that tie in with the theme!

Settings which provide for photo-opportunities… the seven-foot tiki, Paul Bunyan’s stool, or a blackjack dealer’s uniform and table are all elements that encourage your guests to pose for pictures within your event. This is your best advertising for future event-planning contracts and will delight your guests at the same time.

Give ‘Em Food & Drink With A Flair!

While everyone knows to serve Mai-Tais and Pineapple Smoothies at a Hawaiian-Themed event, you can also get by with some pretty ordinary fare given a dose of creativity. Hot dogs with Hawaiian garnishes, tropical flavored snow cones, and some coconut-crusted fried shrimp are not at all Hawaiian food but will draw raves from your guests all the same!

Here again, the rule is simple. You might call it disruptive positioning, a strategy in which you present your guests with something close enough to familiar so they’ll like it yet different enough to take them out of that same zone of familiarity.

Give ‘Em Something To Take Home!

Events are more memorable when a take-home item is offered… especially when your guests are unlikely to have one already! How many do you know with their own tiki key-chain, shark’s tooth necklace, or Tahitian pareu? The more different your event is, the easier it will be to find something unique as a giveaway.

For those events with good photo-opportunities due to settings or attractions, photos are a good a give-away as anything. And, exhibitors will also appreciate the opportunity to exchange interesting giveaways for leads, too!

Write ‘Em Up!

After the event, take advantage of whatever additional publicity you can generate like in-house news releases or photos you can share with the company or online venues available to you. Chances are slim that any of the media will pick up on your event but the sponsors would probably be all too happy to publicize anything you can share chronicling the event–winners, candid photos, messages from guests, etc. After all, the success of the event you planned is their success, too!

Surfing Anyone?

So now, perhaps you’re ready to jump into the water with a Hawaiian surfing-themed event. For those of us living in Hawaii, pulling off an exciting Hawaii theme event is like trying to sell a fish saltwater. However, by adding a unique device like the video surf simulator, you’ve got something that will appeal to anyone from the hardcore surfer to the little old lady from Pasadena and her brother in Kalamazoo!

The video surf simulator is a patented device that allows the “rider” to manipulate a real surfboard to control his or her on-screen counterpart. By truly mimicking the actions and wave-riding maneuvers of real surfing the video surf simulator offers the closest thing to surfing out of the water. Combined with a large projector screen the video surf simulator becomes a traffic-stopping attraction that no one can miss let alone pass by.

In offering guests the opportunity to participate in a surfing contest the video surf simulator fulfills the exotic, challenge, and setting aspects that will contribute to a great event. Combine that with the photo opportunities and pre-event publicity and most event planners will find it easy to develop the rest of the elements that will make the event one that draws, entertains, and is talked about.

So wherever your event might be, consider a Hawaii surfing theme. If it’s a big attraction in the islands, think of the impact it would have somewhere in the heartland!

Aloha!