“some moments are nice, some are
nicer, some are even worth writing about.”
― Charles Bukowski
The War of Art, The Artist's Way, Big Magic, there are countless books about busting through the creative brick wall of F E A R like the Kool-Aid Man. I love this little audio clip and video from America's radio guru, Ira Glass.
I have been thinking about the career paths of event and meeting professionals lately. In my experience, the folks I've connected with have one of the following journeys:
Hotel/Venue/Vendor Based Entry Level Job -->Event Coord-->Event Manager/Director-->Move to larger company/org Dir. of Events/Convention either as vendor or planner.
Some planners will start their own firms or consulting business. Some will retire. Some will retire as venue coordinators looking to keep busy and earn extra money.
What happens to those in event management who switch out to new roles? I have seen event managers move into Marketing/ or "brand management." How can event managers support their career growth outside of the event/meetings industry? What skills translate to "other" jobs?
I have a squad of awesome lady friends who can code, blog, optimize SEO, whatever it takes to hustle their bustle. I am a self-taught techie (and learning every day!). I have signed up for SkillShare to keep me sharp. But, there is nothing like an in-person class to get the wheels moving!
Tech events are BIG BIZ, ya'll. Check out the hottest ones (in my fabulous opinion).
Alt Summit - part self -help (YASSS!), part tech also in UTAH, so totally gorgeous. Very new conference for entrepreneurs, bloggers, social media celebs or wanna- be celebs.
BlogHer - one of the oldest women driven blog conferences!
Women Techmakers Powered by Google - I wish this was for non -techies! :) Very cool event co-hosted by Google. A serious of events for women in tech on everything from public speaking skills to Product Management.
and of course - here are over 100 more tech conferences from Dubai to Des Moines focusing on SEO, marketing, etc.
So, as meeting/event planners, we need to keep our skills on point. I am not saying we need to be headed to coding camp. But, we need to know the industry/trends/language.
Tech conferences are exciting and engaging. They are great clients. Their demands are different and specific to their industry. Remember the infamous Steve Jobs Apple Iphone 4 launch? Wifi Failure at the Moscone convention center with 1000+ users! Yowza
Are you setting up a trade show booth? Something large or even a small info booth at your church. Well, booths are an event within an event! If you're thinking about sitting on a chair behind your table all day - think again! Get on your comfy shoes, grab your hand sanitizer and get ready to SELL.
If you're not an out going person - consider bringing a person along who can help you out. A friend or family member who can sell/visit with people/and keep the looky loo's moving. Perhaps if you have the budget, Hire a booth sales person. Do not think you can " do this yourself" if you really can't.
a SHORT list of tips for a great booth display:
BRANDING - who are you? clear signage is key. Sigange should not be in walkways, drooping from a table, or worse - no sign at all! Invest once in a good sign with rivets or mounting capabilities. If you go to booth events often, consider a event backdrop or a branded tablecloth.
STAFFING - BE ON TIME! Don't be setting up when customers are coming in. Tacky, tacky! Don't spend too long visiting with a friend who comes by. If you've hired staff, build in breaks/meal times. NO eating at your booth! yuck! Step away or discreetly eat a granola bar to satiate yourself.
SET-UP - locate the closest trash can, food court, restroom upon arrival! Consider bringing a couple extra trash bags if you're handing out samples or edibles. If so, have some hand sanitizer and some water available. While sitting is prohibited, make sure you do have a chair available if needed!
"Giveaways" - YES. Everyone has them - and so should you! What is unique? What can someone carry around that will drive booth traffic? Do you have a interactive something or other at your booth? A free mini-manicure? A glass of champagne for leaving a business card? You don't have to hand out things for free - engage your attendee (like us on FB or tweet our slogan (now) for a free abc" - get creative and have fun.
What other fun things can you do to create the "vibe?"
My first year attending the Missouri Meetings and Events EXPO! It was great to meet the local / regional vendors from Missouri hotels and resorts. Visiting the trade show floor always makes me grateful for my local partners who work so hard. The conference was held at the Marriott downtown Kansas City. Breakouts including emergency preparedness from the Joplin, MO police force were highly informative. If you fail to plan -you plan to fail!
I was featured in the Fast Pitch--- check out my press! Thanks to The Pitch for fun article and photoshoot.
If you are in Los Angeles, check out my darling friend, Neha Shah's, event blog and company, Blue Lotus Designs. While her specialty is the vibrant wedding market, I worked with her at Sundance Film Festival. She's amazing for non-wedding events with overjoyed clients. Check her out - http://bluelotusevents.tumblr.com/
I love my "stories" - i.e. - the tv shows I watch weekly and/or DVR! So, when the Emmy's come on TV I am rooting for Steven Colbert, Jon Hamm, and Downton Abbey! From an event perspective, I'm always looking at TV awards productions. How can I learn something?
You can certainly find countless recaps online, but one thing that stood out to me was the adjustable microphone that goes up and down according to the honoree/presenter. It seemed sometimes it was a bit too low and honorees were squatting a touch. Also, the inconsistencies with announcing the nominees. Sometimes it was LIVE from the mic and sometimes it was a v/o. Makes me wonder what was going on behind the scenes. And then placing Weird Al's musica parody tribute mid-show was a real buzz kill. I love Weird Al! But this is a perfect example of Event Energy - something great planners can sense. When an audience first comes in they have all that nervous jitters, want to please mentality. By 9:30 pm, their designer tux is old news, craning their neck to see the stage is sooo yesterday, so Weird Al up there signing a somewhat-hard-to hear performance won't fly.
Things I loved! Well, E! has their ridiculous mani-cam, but I still love seeing the jewelry/manicures up close. Shots from the parking garage were so down - to -earth and fun! Steven Colbert in the parking garage? I guess they don't valet! I just love behind the scenes. When the Emmy director won his directing award for the Tony Awards and accepted from the production booth then cut to cues, a great moment.
Award Shows are a great way to see "another event!" and to steal great ideas! :)
Marriott has been making news on their workable work space in their hotels. In 2013, they launched smartphone meeting space booking by the hour! GENIUS. Having talked to clients who didn't need a $500 meeting room for 1 hour, and ended up using a guest room and ordering room service (!!), Marriott is really listening to their clients in this arena. Check it out - http://www.workspaceondemand.marriott.com/
Venues to consider in Chicago, IL for your next meeting or event:
I lived in Evanston, IL for 4 years - just north of Chicago. I loved it! Perfect access to city life and the "burbs." Evanston is exquisite - Northwestern University adds to the prestigious drama of this community. During my time, I attended several amazing events in the Windy City - here are some memorable ones:
Rooftops at Wrigley - in the news lately, pending the Wrigley renovation - I love this Chicago Cubs outing! Large townhomes that offer great views of "The friendly confines." Catering by Portillos (Hot dogs- the best!). Posh surroundings for the non-sport watchers. Check it out here!
BizBash has their top 10 Chicago "new" venues listed here - start with the expert's picks!
Schools! take your next meeting back to school! Working with colleges and universities has University of Chicago Booth School of Management , Loyola University, are great sites with all in one planning services.
Don't forget about the museums - too many to list, but The Art Institute of Chicago is a favorite. And if you've enjoyed their cafe, you'll know why.
If it's important for the attendees to "see the city" - think outside the hotel box for your next meeting. And, hey, I used to work for Marriott I love hotels!
Red Bliss Designs - remember the Bridesmaids scene when Kristin Wiig gets the shower invitation and birds fly out of it? or something like that? Well, that's what Red Bliss makes. Check out their portfolio http://www.redbliss.com/
Paper Source is a midwestern favorite ! They designed my own wedding invitation, back in the "old days." Wonderful gifts, colors, wrapping papers, cards, you name it. Online, Catalog and brick and mortar! I went to their warehouse sale in Chicago once... it was intense. !
Paperless Post - Design your own online or print invite... with a little help from fabulous designers like Jonathan Adler and Kate Spade. Vibrant templates, cheeky sayings -just add your own party details and await your event!
Fashion shows used to be for magazine editors and buyers. Now, fashion shows are for tastemakers, celebs, press, and the entourage. Mainstream America has been introduced to Fashion Week by way of Project Runway, the Devil Wears Prada, and Sex and the City. Everyone seems to know when "Fall fashion week" is and can recognize Anna Wintour
So, who puts on these fashion shows once they hit the international stage? There are plenty of fashion docs our there - my fav, "The Tents", shows behind the scenes glimpse into the production. Often times, fashion show producers also plan events in the "off season."
Famous from BravoTV, Kelly Cutrone is famous for her temper and her connections at her event firm, People's Revolution in New York. It's a one page web site with no portfolio that basically says "if you have to ask, you can't afford it." I heard her speak at a meeting planner live stream event, and she was very approachable, friendly, funny - and wise.
Yo Events in Paris - has done a 2007 Fendi fashion show on the Great Wall of China. Wow. The logistics of that blow my mind, and I would love to be a part of such a production. Check it out here.
Prada pays tribute to Costume Institute - I saw this exhibit in the Prada flagship store in NY, and I tried to take a pic but the guard said "NO!" So, I'm linking to it. This was in the retail store, the pics do not do it justice. It's a museum installation of mannequin paparazzi. Flashbulbs go off occasionally. It was soooo awesome, I wish I would have been sneakier with my camera!
and for my local friends - West 18th Street Fashion Show in Kansas City is not to be missed. !
Burning Man is growing year over year. A festival taking place in Aug/Sept that is miles of creative inspiration, camping, artist, and thought leaders in the Leave No Trace " Black Rock City." I recently read an article about the Director of Events for Burning Man speaking at conference - Very interesting! Fun Burning Man documentary for more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0NdVn2O1WY
I had the extreme pleasure of working for 4 months at Sundance Film Festival in Park CIty, Utah. WOW! I met many people who had global Festival experience. I love festival work life. Sundance had wonderful green offices, friendly employees, and a team-focused environment. I would go back in a heartbeat!
Festival life has even inspired department stores to advertise "fest fashion." Fests are in! Bonnaroo, SXSW, Middle of the Map, Third Coast, Food&Wine. Here is an analysis of Coachella and what they get right.
Happy Festing!
Up&Coming features event inspirations, trends, and some stray observations.
Capture your special event, especially weddings, with Live Painting. Live Event Painting is... kind of like a courtroom artist. You hire a painter who "paints" the action of the evening - AT the event! This could be fun for a fundraiser, a gift to a bride&groom, or the perfect enhancement to an event in a gallery or museum. Check out one sample here
In sickness and in death, right? Well, some funeral homes are expanding their list of services by renting space out for private events! I think it's great. As long as cheesy funeral potatoes are on the menu.
And, just for the fun of it, how many friends have I coaxed out of a tree when they've invited 8 friends over for dinner and insist on making the salad dressing, the breadsticks, and some complicated mixologist-worthy themed cocktail? Just say NO! However, here is a funny little book called Make the Bread, Buy the Butter for those who can't say no to making homemade jam at Christmas Eve dinner.
What are you reading out there?
How many of us have been at a presentation where the speaker reads off the slides? The pain, the pain! The boredom. Attendees pull out their smart phones to catch up on real work.
There has been a surge of tightly packaged presentation formats lately. The Japanese based Pecha Kucha comes to mind - 20 slides 20 minutes. The end! Pecha Kucka is across the globe inspiring urban planners, architects, advertising executives, and students. Here is a sample about a young entrepreneur starting his design business and building his client base. Also, and close to my heart, a video on failure about the collapse of the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City. While you don't have to formally host Pecha Kucka, the 20X20 format is successful.
I have been lucky to be involved with the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center's 1 Million Cups. A simple format that showcases 2 entrepreneurs in the city. Presenters prepare a 6 minute educational presentation and engage in 20 minutes of feedback and questioning after they present. It's live streamed. And there are 1MC's in many cities. A simple, FREE, easy format.
How are you engaging your audiences in a fresh format? Could a teacher use this format in their classroom? Of course!
Who Is Who in the 2014 event planner scene? Check out some favorite sites, vendors, planners or the very current term "curator" of events across the US.
bigLITTLE - Out of NYC, these two ladies host boutique culinary experiences. They hate the word "caterer", but they do dish out some fine food&bev.
Tom Muller via Skillshare - Event branding - graphic design emphasis. From the evite to the thank you note. I had the pleasure of meeting not-so-new DC based, Design Army CEO at the KC Ad Club last week. Browse the site for simple inspiration- three colors, normal typeface, one image logo.
BMW Guggenheim Pop Up Lab - featured in NYC, Berlin, Mumbai this new-to-me concept brings together speakers, city planners, and great minds to lecture to the community. Check out the lab site.
Museum Planning, LLC -/ Museumplanner.org: Mark offers a great blog of ways to plan a better museum experience. Museum visits cross over with event experience - why isn't there more industry training crossover? Since event planners are now calling themselves "curators", perhaps there will be. Check out this list of ways to increase museum attendance, and see if it inspires some event attendance
I just love it when a plan comes together. Take the latest and greatest, Chicagoan, Saya Hillman. I discovered Saya by researching dinner party ideas. Then I read an interview with her on Entrepreneurs Unpluggd. The executive summary is Saya was having fab dinner parties in her home. She started Mac & Cheese minglers - guest pays $15, comes alone, brings 1 snack to share. And it's not dating, not speed networking - just hanging out. BRILLIANT! Each event starts with an ice-breaker, little conversation starters. I'm just enthralled by this idea - as a planner, you are also transitioning into "host" mode often. I don't know any planners who have not had to facilitate SOMETHING in front of a group.
OK, back to dream job for Saya. Saya loves connecting people. A girl after my own new- age heart she makes a list of her things she likes to do. One is dance in front of people - so she gathers 16 friends starts a fun 3 month dance troupe, has a recital - is energized by this event experience and voila Dance Experience 2 is born.
But if that's not all- Saya takes her event planning to next level and has created CAMP. for Adults! She creates events focused on positive talk, overcoming fear, and living from the Place of Yes. and she named it all Mac & Cheese Productions. How fun is that?
Check out Saya's speech at the Cusp Conference.
I just returned from a cross country road trip to see New Orleans, Arkansas, Memphis, Mississippi, Alabama and more! Thanks to the popular periodical, Garden and Gun, our trip was a highly "curated" experience. They really know joie de vivre down in New Orleans.
A few new foodie treats for me were turtle soup, gulf shrimp po'boys, gulf oysters, and Mississippi delta tamales. Oh, and Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch. It is now my eggnog replacement.
Wow, New Orleans venues - this town really knows how to get down. the CMP Conclave is held here in September. They sure know how to pick a location!
New Orleans - You may hear "you want an original New Orleans" experience - or do you want an ORIGINAL New Orleans experience? A city rich in diversity, spirit (literally), and land and water. Well, for a first timer, these were my initial recommendations:
Commander's Palace - brunch/lunch in jacket in tie - 25 cent Martinis! What more can you ask for? Perfect location for a corporate dinner/social luncheon or even a special occassion.
Cafe Du Monde - I'm not sure if you can rent it out, but money talks - so, while I adore the chickory coffee and beignets, what I really love this the green chairs, outdoor seating, and the hustle and bustle of Cafe Du Monde. They do have takeout! Enjoy your coffee down on the river.
As you walk through NOLA, you will get to know the large cement walls in front of homes. If you're lucky, a door or gate may be cracked and you get to peer into some kind of magic fairy lcourtyards! Pools, fountains, gardens, - amazing. Perfect for a lawn event. Check out home rentals on VRBO, Homeaway, AirBnB.
Since there is more to NOLA than the French Quarter, enjoying the "CBD" aka Central Business District is where new development is happening. We enjoyed James Beard Ward Winning Peche raw bar and Cochon Butcher. Both available for catering, private events- very hip, very crowded!
For transportation options, know that you can be your own party by creating a parade for yourself! Get yourself a "second line" band - and hit Decatur Street. Don't be surprised if you get some parade joiners - that's all the fun. Is there anything better than hearing a brass band in the French Quarter? I think not.
NOLA has a new streetcar line which is slowly developing. A bit cumbersome to pay, it is for tourists, and not for a daily commuter but a great releif from walking when needed.
We will be back! Hopefully for an event, if not for a trip for me! Laissez les bons temps rouler !
Convention Centers, hotels, country clubs, conference centers - any place you would have an event you're working with their facilities. Interesting read from Mother Jones on the WWDC restroom situation - as in - a long line for the MEN's room. I've seen similar posts for Rush concerts - dudes lining up! http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2014/06/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wwdc-2014
How can we be mindful of gender at events? Should we convert men's rooms to women's rooms temporarily (yes, it can be done!) for a women focused event? What about the trans community? What do they prefer/need? Asking the questions to the convention organizer - do "mens" and "womens" rooms even matter? Something else?
I recall my old Marriott days, we worked with a transgendered conference that wanted to use the hotel pool exclusively for an evening social pool party (they asked the Hotel close the pool to all guests but this event). We closed the pool to the outside Hotel for 2 hours so these folks could enjoy swimming without fear. If you're planning an event, consider asking the venue these questions to create a safe space for your attendees if they need it.
If you're taking a survey for whatever reason take "Sex" off the Male or female question! Try "gender."
It is important to check any venue for the single-seater, ADA friendly, private, Unisex restroom. I think in many new facilities this is standard, but check it out.
Lactation rooms are an important part of a large event - how nice for a nursing mom to have a place to pump mid-day. At a hotel, you could convert a guest room easily for this - even adding a minifridge would be easy. At a convention center, an unused manager's show office/greenroom could work - WITH A LOCK! :)
When someone is making a special request, stop and LISTEN. Get creative to find a solution.
You read me right! MISS DJ. Madonna in her famous hit says "Hey, Mr. DJ" which, of course, is lots of truthiness. Where are the lady DJ's?
A great DJ is hard to find for an event. Conflicting interests / tastes/ etc - as a planner we have to understand what the audience wants (not what WE want!), age groups, is there a program?, how long - what's on the DO NOT PLAY (thong song at corporate retreat?) . On same side, an overplayed radio hit will surely clear the hippest gallery opening. It is to your advantage, as planners, to understand what is cool/not cool if DJ booking is part of the deal.
But, let's get back to the lady DJ's - take a moment and check out some lady DJ's who are available to spin at events large and small.
Hesta Prynn - her name is .. smarty amazing, right? She has DJ'd megawatt parties for GIRLS, Vogue, DVF, and all the hottest fashion shows., etc - I adore. Her merch is even cool - http://hestaprynn.com/
DJ Mad Marj - holy smokes. New York socialite Marjorie Gubbleman revives her boarding school years' DJ passion! DJ Mad Marj in her elegant satin cocktail drape neck dress. http://madmarj.com/
Dj Ali - I saw her ad in BUSt magazine. Adorable retro vinyl (that means RECORDS) NY based Ali. Too cute - she's got everything from Otis to Rihanna. Spin spin spin! http://djalispinsvinyl.wordpress.com/
DJ Shiva - Midwesterner, DJ Shiva! Beat beat beatz.
