HAVING A PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF YOUR CAREFULLY PLANNED EVENT MIGHT SEEM EASIER THAN EVER. THE WIDE PROLIFERATION OF SMARTPHONES, ALL EQUIPPED WITH RELATIVELY SOPHISTICATED LENSES, MIGHT MAKE IT SEEM LIKE ANYONE CAN BE A PHOTOGRAPHER. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE--AND ESPECIALLY SO FOR EVENTS, WHERE LIMITATIONS LIKE TRICKY LIGHTING, INDOOR VENUES, ODD TIMES OF DAY, AND CROWDS OF PEOPLE COULD CHALLENGE ALL BUT THE MOST SKILLED PHOTOGRAPHER. SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE USEFUL AT EVENTS, SURE, BUT WE HAVE SEEN THE BLURRY, BADLY LIT, AND AWKWARD FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PHOTOS TO PROVE IT ISN'T THE BEST WAY TO DOCUMENT YOUR EVENT.
HERE ARE OUR TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE PRO YOU HIRE.
Read MoreWE ALL WANT GREAT ATTENDANCE AT OUR EVENTS--PEOPLE MOVING SEAMLESSLY AND HAPPILY THROUGH THE EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY PLANNED. HOWEVER, WHEN MANY HUMANS GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE AT ONE TIME, CONTROLLING A GROUP, WHETHER IT'S 75 OR 7500, CAN BE TRICKY AND NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED. HERE ARE OUR BEST TIPS FOR CROWD CONTROL AT YOUR EVENTS. WE'VE DIVIDED THIS UP INTO SECTIONS: THE ENTRANCE, THE EVENT, AND THE EXIT.
Read MoreSO YOU THROW LOTS OF EVENTS. THE COMPANY YOU USE FOR EVENT PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT IS DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB. DEADLINES ARE MET, GOOD WORK IS REASONABLY PRODUCED AND ALL OF YOUR REQUESTS ARE USUALLY FULFILLED. YOU HAVE NO COMPLAINTS FROM YOUR EVENT CLIENTS, PARTNERS, OR ATTENDEES, AND PRICES SEEM COMPETITIVE.
BASED ON ALL THAT, IT’S DEFINITELY TIME FOR A CHANGE. WHAT’S THAT WE JUST SAID? CHANGE? WHY? BECAUSE IN THIS BUSINESS, GOOD ENOUGH SIMPLY ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH. WE THINK YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN OKAY AND HERE’S WHY.
Read MoreSO, YOU'RE HAVING AN EVENT. IF IT'S NEW (OR YOU'RE REBRANDING) YOU'LL NEED IT TO HAVE A NAME. A GOOD NAME. WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A BAD OR INEXPLICABLE NAME (WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU JERMAJESTY JACKSON AND DIVA THIN MUFFIN ZAPPA). SURE, THOSE ARE PEOPLE, BUT EVENTS, ESPECIALLY ANNUAL ONES, CAN TAKE ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN. WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT "IS THIS EVENT FOR ME?" SOMEHOW THE NAME NEEDS TO GIVE THEM, OR AT LEAST HINT AT, THE ANSWER. NAMING ANYTHING BADLY--IT'S JUST WRONG. SO HOW DO YOU GET IT RIGHT? WE'RE HERE WITH YOUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE.
Read MoreWE ARE GIVING SOME SOLID ADVICE ON HOW TO MANAGE YOURSELF EMOTIONALLY WHEN THE INEVITABLE MISTAKES OCCUR. WE ALL MAKE MISSTEPS. SO WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU REALLY, REALLY MESS UP? WE'VE BROKEN THE MISTAKE-MAKING DOWN INTO THREE PHASES: BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER AND HELPING YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO RECOVER EVEN IF YOUR MISTAKE IS A BIGGIE.
Read MoreBELOW IS OUR TOP 5 LIST OF THE BEST BIG OSCARS EVENTS AND A FEW TIPS YOU CAN TAKE FROM EACH TO APPLY TO YOUR OWN EVENTS.
Read MoreSOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAXIMIZE THE PROMOTIONAL POWER, ATTENDANCE, EXPOSURE, AND ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUR EVENT. IF YOU KNOW EVEN BASIC INFORMATION ON HOW TO RUN A GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA GAME FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND EVENT(S), YOU WILL BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE BEST CONTEMPORARY MARKETING TOOLS OUT THERE. BONUS: THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY FREE! SO, CHECK OUT OUR QUICK PRIMER ON WHERE TO BEGIN TO BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA MAVEN.
Read MoreIF YOU WERE ONE OF THE OVER 100 MILLION PEOPLE WHO WATCHED THE SUPER BOWL THIS PAST SUNDAY, YOU CAUGHT A HISTORY-MAKING GAME, A SPECTACULAR HALFTIME SHOW, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR OUR PURPOSES, A MAJOR EVENT. A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE WROTE A POST ALL ABOUT LIGHTING INNOVATIONS IN THE EVENT INDUSTRY. AFTER WHAT WE SAW OF THE SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW, WE THOUGHT REVISITING THIS TOPIC WAS DUE. WE DUG UP A FEW OTHER LIGHTING FEATURES WE MISSED ON OUR FIRST LIST AND A FEW WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE WORTH CONSIDERING FROM THE SUPER BOWL.
Read MoreTHIS COMING SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 IS SUPER BOWL LI, A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE ATLANTA FALCONS AND THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. EVEN IF YOUR'E NOT A SPORTS FAN, THE SUPER BOWL IS AWESOME FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN THE U.S. EVERY YEAR AND HAS REMAINED SUCCESSFUL FOR OVER FIVE DECADES. THE OTHER REASON EVEN NON-SPORTS FANS LOVE IT? THE COMMERCIALS! THEY MAKE YOU LAUGH, OCCASIONALLY THEY MAKE YOU CRY, AND SINCE WE LOVE THEM, WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE THE SUPER BOWL BY SHOWCASING OUR LIST OF THE BEST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS IN HISTORY--FOR THE WIN.
Read MoreTODAY WE ARE TALKING SALES AND MARKETING. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR ENDEAVOR, WHETHER IT IS EVENTS OR ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, KNOWING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS PRETTY KEY. BEING CLEAR ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER HELPS ENORMOUSLY TO FOCUS YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS CORRECTLY AND GET THE BEST RESULTS. WE TALKED TO OUR VERY OWN SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR TONY PATETE, TO GET HIS WISDOM ON BEST PRACTICES FOR FINDING AND MARKETING TO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.
Read MoreTWITTER CAN BE A GREAT SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCE FOR BUILDING AND SUSTAINING BUSINESS MOMENTUM OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE. WE LIKE TWITTER BECAUSE IT'S A QUICK, EASY WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CLIENTS AND SUPPORTERS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, WITH CONTENT THAT WE HOPE IS USEFUL AND VALUABLE TO THEM. WE ALSO FOLLOW A SELECT GROUP OF TWITTER ACCOUNTS--ONES THAT WE THINK HAVE A TOP NOTCH GAME GOING THERE AND LOTS OF GREAT INFORMATION TO SHARE. WE WANTED TO OFFER A FEW OF OUR FAVORITES FOR YOU. WE HOPE YOU LIKE THEM AS MUCH AS WE DO.
Read MoreWE'VE WRITTEN BEFORE ABOUT SMALL, INTIMATE EVENTS AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO INVESTIGATE WHAT IT TAKES TO PULL OF AN EVENT OF OPPOSITE PROPORTION. LARGE-SCALE EVENTS CAN BE OVERWHELMING, SO LET US TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF IT FOR YOU AND HELP LAY A FOUNDATION FOR WHAT REALLY WORKS WHEN YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ENORMOUS EVENT. BIG EVENTS CAN GATHER AUDIENCES OF A THOUSAND PEOPLE OR MORE, SOMETIMES TENS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. WE'VE PREVIOUSLY COVERED A COUPLE VERY SUCCESSFUL LARGE EVENTS (COMIC-CON, CES) BUT HERE'S WHAT WE THINK WILL MAKE YOUR NEXT BIG EVENT A SMASHING SUCCESS.
Read MoreIN SEASON ONE OF MOZART IN THE JUNGLE, THE MAESTRO TAKES HIS ORCHESTRA OUT OF THE SYMPHONY HALL AND BRINGS THEM TO AN ABANDONED LOT OUT IN THE CITY FOR A REHEARSAL. HE MEETS WITH RESISTANCE AT FIRST (IT'S ILLEGAL, THE MUSICIANS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE AND ANNOYED) HOWEVER, WHEN THEY BEGIN TO PLAY, AN INSPIRING SEQUENCE UNFOLDS--SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST MUSICIANS ARE PLAYING TO THE BRICK WALLS OF THE ADJACENT APARTMENT BUILDINGS, NEARBY RESIDENTS OPEN THEIR WINDOWS, PASSERSBY STOP TO WATCH AND LISTEN, CHILDREN SNEAK UNDER THE FENCE TO WAVE THEIR ARMS ALONG WITH THE CONDUCTOR. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT. SO WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH EVENTS? WELL, A LOT, ACTUALLY. BECAUSE TODAY WE ARE TALKING ALL ABOUT HOW TO MAKE VENUES YOUR OWN. READ ON, FRIEND TO FIND OUT ALL THE JUICY DETAILS.
Read MoreWE ALL MAKE MISSTEPS FROM TIME TO TIME. AT ITS CORE, EACH MISTAKE WE MAKE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH, TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESS AND OUR BEST PRACTICES. WE ASKED A FEW OF OUR MOST TRUSTED SOURCES FOR THE MOST ANNOYING GLITCHES THEY'VE EXPERIENCED AT RECENT EVENTS. THEN, WE OFFER SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO AVOID THESE OR MAKE A COMEBACK FROM A SNAFU.
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