Planning an Event on a Budget? Help Yourself with These Tips by @dancarthy2
Are you planning an event? Do you need to attract more people to your business, make your company stand out and get noticed? If so, a good event goes without saying as a major prerequisite for that. Of course, it’s easy for big companies to host events. Well, it’s not that easy but it’s certainly better when you have loads of money at your disposal, right? Well, if you belong to the less fortunate group here, where you have to allocate each buck carefully, take a look below and you’ll find useful tips that will help you do just that.
Timing is important
You know how hotels located in mountains charge less when it’s autumn? That’s because fewer people visit highlands when there’s no snow which means less revenue. In turn, hotels lower the prices to attract people to still consider making a short escape from the city life and relax in the mountains. When it comes to events, the concept is quite similar. Since you’ll hunt for a venue, it is good to learn about seasons. Venues often share bookings with other events such as weddings or receptions. If you go for that season, you’ll be paying a lot. Instead, schedule wisely, see if you can pick out a date when there are no other events. Pick a ‘cheaper’ date, you could save a lot of money.
Look for volunteers
Every event planner needs staff for their events. Without your own people helping with everything, there can be no event. It’s plain and simple. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to spend through the roof and hire contractors or something like that. Work with what you can get. Consider younger people who need experience in events to help manage things. Of course, you have to give something in return. But it doesn’t have to be money. Experience is a valuable asset too.
Partner up
Finding a partner or a sponsor oftentimes isn’t easy. However, if you’re tight on cash, you need to try and look for sponsors or partners. Consider theme and purpose of your event and then look for organizations that might want to align themselves with your particular theme. Remember that both sides need to benefit from this. For example, if you’re hosting an event and you are a small tech company, try to figure out what other company (a partner or a sponsor) would benefit from having their logo displayed at your event. Many companies see sponsorships as a form of marketing. Take advantage of that. Also, if you can find a renowned partner/sponsor, that could help you with event experience. Your attendees will respect you more if they see logos of other giants besides yours. That means that your business is in good company.
Consider going digital
Back in the day printed material was everything. People needed it to plan, promote and basically do everything event-wise. Nowadays the situation is different. A great alternative that will save you money is technology. You can use e-mail to send invitations, promotional material, schedules and general info about the event. Also, you can even create a website for a fairly small sum of money. A simple website that has everything your attendees need to know about your event can go a long way.
Always keep an eye out on your budget
The budgeting process needs to start early. That’s because you want to know whether your event is going to be feasible. However, many planners forget to keep an eye out after planning a budget. That’s why updating it regularly needs to be a priority. Make it a habit to dedicate 10 to 20 minutes on a daily basis to updating your budget. That’s a good way to stay on top of new developments in real time and anticipate additional costs.
Conclusion
Having a tight budget can be a real pain in the neck. However, every single event planner had to make it work with small amount of money at least once in their career.
- Published in Event Planning, Event Technology
How You Can Make Your Events Awesome By Taking Advantage of Social Media by @dancarthy2
Events are there to let people hear about what you have to say. Events serve as a great way to reach out to your current customer/client base, they can be used to pitch a new idea to the world and of course, to close deals. And it’s safe to say that events can be quite useful. However, getting the desired number of attendees isn’t an easy job. Getting people hyped about your event requires a few tricks and at least one marketing maestro. Fortunately, with the help of social media, things can be a bit easier. Let’s see how you can take that to your advantage.
Easier organization
No matter what you plan to organize, know that you should never underestimate the power of social media. Facebook is without a doubt the most popular social network and it is followed by Twitter and Instagram. Considering this fact, it is no surprise that more and more event organizers plan to increase use of social media for this purpose in the future. Social networks save time and effort while creating a collaborative environment but still manage to reduce endless email exchange. Surely you’d like to reduce email volume and all the fuss that goes along with it. Also, you can easily collect RSVPs with various platforms, consult the attendees and even find suppliers.
Promotion has never been easier
Yes, social media helps here too. There are social media such as LinkedIn, Eventility and LinkedIn Events that really do wonders when it comes to social media event promotion and the whole promotion itself. The first step would be for you to create an event listing. This way you will make your event more discoverable and you’ll have the insight into your potential attendees. Another great thing would be to integrate social media with registration. Do not be too assertive but ask attendees to share the event once they’ve registered. That’s how you get free promotion. More and more companies come up with witty hashtags which makes it easy for everyone to follow the buzz around the event. Last but not least, use video marketing to build up excitement and anticipation before the event. Videos do not require loads of money and they are easily shared online.
Get them engaged through social media
The story about social media doesn’t end as soon as the event starts. There are things that you can do to enhance the live experience. Introducing prizes is one of them. This is a popular way to encourage discussion. Reward the most engaged attendees by awarding them with a prize for tweet of the day or most retweeted or most tweets. This is just an example but you probably get the idea. Also, if you can live stream your event that would be awesome. Through these streams you can reach out to a potential audience of millions. Encouraging your guests to ‘check-in’ at different locations around the venue is also a good suggestion since it motivates the others to visit various booths. Of course, in order to make the event experience great, provide customer support. Attendees post questions and comments on social media so make sure that you’re present there too.
The lifetime value of your event
Just like the role of social media doesn’t end at the start of the event, its role doesn’t end by the end of the event. Extend the lifetime value of your event by posting online. For example, video the whole event and upload the highlights to YouTube. That will remind attendees of how awesome your event was and that will encourage them to attend your future events. Share your presentations and post pictures on popular networks such as Pinterest and Instagram. Also, ask for feedback. There is always something that can be done better. Last but not least, maintain the community, keep them engaged. Use social media to check on your attendees and don’t let them forget you.
Conclusion
Don’t forget to enjoy your event! Following each tip is important but don’t get lost in the process. Appreciate what you’ve done and enjoy.
- Published in Event Planning, Event Technology, Networking, Social Media
Register Early and WIN an exclusive Instagram Walkabout with @Sree!
Social media guru, ex-Chief digital Officer of The MET, Former Dean of Columbia School of Journalism, Sree Sreenivasan wants to take YOU and an exclusive group of techsytalk LIVE guests on his famed instagram Walkabout the morning of techsytalk LIVE 10.
“HOW DO I ENTER TO WIN?” Simply register for techsytalk LIVE by FRIDAY JAN. 26 2018 by 5pm EST and you’ll automatically be entered to win!
**All winners will be notified via email by Friday, Feb. 16, 2018.
REGISTER NOW!
- Published in Event Technology
techsytalk Crystal Ball: 2018 in <3 Minutes
Drones. Artificial Intelligence. Cryptocurrency. Vacation Space Travel (soon, soon.)
Technology is morphing faster than a client’s mind and it ain’t slowing down! In less than 3 minutes we’ll give you 3 important event tech waves to surf in 2018:
Artificial Intelligence
We’re not **quite** Tom Cruise in “Minority Report” level but, AI is impacting our industry TODAY and it will only increase in 2018. What if you could use the terabytes of data points you’ve accumulated about your audience to help them make decisions and deliver a more intuitive experience? Customize an experience to their taste? Increase your attendee retention by automating suggestions based on prior attendee behavior (in a non creepy way, of course). AI is enabling us to leverage technology to make smarter, more targeted decisions to benefit our audiences faster than previously humanly possible. Am I saying technology is smarter than us? Wellllll, not just **yet. <<wink>>
Digital Payments
You’ve heard about Venmo, Stripe, Apple pay and other digital payment solutions and a once seemingly far-reaching concept called cryptocurrency, now being embraced by the mainstream. The landscape of how currency is being exchanged is evolving right before our eyes and will have a lasting impact on how we plan and execute events. The key here is to learn about these types of technology by experimenting with some of these new modes of payment and to stay in the conversation with other early adopters via reputable Facebook groups, blogs etc. Expect to see these new modes of payment integrated in our day-to-day planning and influencing how we think about paying for services, pricing (less fees please!), transaction speed, digital security etc.
Drones
From the dynamic possibilities with aerial event videos & photos, to the promise of Amazon drone deliveries – drones are here to stay. And the thing you’re really going to want to pay attention to with drones in 2018 is the law. The FCC and other entities are scrambling to make sure your drones are registered and that you’re properly trained to operate them. If you’re hiring drones at your next event, make sure the operators are up-to-speed on the regulatory requirements. Oh – and make sure they are properly insured!
My 3 minutes are up, but JOIN US AT TECHSYTALK LIVE 10: THE GRAND FINALE as we dive deeper into these and other event tech trends to anticipate NOW.
- Published in Event Technology
Our Top 3 Picks for Business Apps to Implement in 2018
If you’re anything like us, you’re always on the go – balancing clients with domestic and international travel. You’d like to stay on top of the business side of things, but it’s a challenge.
We get it.
But if one of your goals was getting on top of your business in 2018, here are 3 business apps that we absolutely depend to operate more efficiently.
PROPOSIFY
If you spend WAY too much of your time writing proposals, this online tool will save you TONS of time, make you look more professional and even handles the signing/payment process for your contracts. I love how easy it is to customize proposals from templates we create that reflect our brand look and feel. We can drag in sections of a contract or line items in a budget and deliver the proposal at record speed. We also love the analytics so we can see how much time they spent looking at each part of the proposal!
MILEIQ
For those of you driving all over, this app is priceless. It uses location tracking on your phone to track all of your drives – including your starting location and mileage. Then – you simply login and swipe right for business travel and left for personal. Each month, it’ll deliver a report that can easily be imported into Quickbooks or any accounting software and you’ve got your eye on your mileage reimbursements with very little time or effort!
EXPENSIFY
Finally, this app is one we use all. the. time. Whether you’re tracking reimbursable expenses for your client or for your annual accounting, this app makes tracking expenses on the go seamless. Take a pic of your receipt, track it, and then run any reports you need, any time!
- Published in Business, Event Technology
Revolution is in the Air – A New Way of Sculpting Negative Space: The Originators Launch Atmospherics
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michelle Bergstein
Tel.: 407-341-1317
Email: michelle@eventindustrymarketin
New York, NY, April 12, 2017 – The Originators, highly regarded pop-up experience designers, have seized upon the current zeitgeist and are reflecting this general state of change and flux by launching a revolutionary new décor concept – Atmospherics – that introduces an exciting new approach to incorporating negative space in unexpected ways.
Using different fabrics and rigging methods to create a totally immersive environment – be it an entry element like a tunnel, a ceiling treatment, stage backdrop or lounge – Atmospherics are heralding a new design aesthetic that is just now capturing producer’s imaginations.
Originators’ co-founder and chief creative, Debra Roth, devised the concept of using new technologies to create more organic shapes and complex forms that sculpt space like they never could before: “3-D design is showing us points of view we’ve never had. Now we’re interpreting the unique shapes of computer-driven parametric designs with an array of fabrics to create visually complex, artistically-driven décor design that’s ultimately relatively simple and highly impactful.”
Marc Posnock, co-founder and head of sales and marketing, points out, “Like any artistic expression that reflects its time, the Originators are shaking it up, doing our own disruption. Atmospherics echo ‘something’s in the air,’ literally, but that it’s new and different.” Quickly adding, “In a good way.”
This is hardly a radical departure from tradition for the Originators. As their name implies, the Originators have always led by example with out-of-the-box thinking. And now they’re embracing change with new and different styles of décor and its usage.
The concept behind Atmospherics is to take the repetition of form (in this case, individual fabric panels, called “Wisps”) and create the illusion – a “trick of the eye” – that, when viewed with the negative space it shares, appears to be a solid object. It’s the repetition of the Wisps, with each one being gradually different than another, that creates the rhythm and form of the Atmosphere. This perception operates on the same persistence-of-vision principal of motion pictures and gives the overall shape an animated visual effect and a one-of-a-kind impact.
From undulating ceiling designs to twisting-turning tunnels and cloud-like lounge areas, Atmospherics play with the dimensions of space and perception. Debra explains, “What I love about it is that your eye fills in the negative space to make it a volumetric form. And that negative space surrounds our shapes and gives it definition.” And Marc points out the emotional connection, “We’re creating a spatial optical illusion and your brain is in on the conspiracy. It completes the 3d form and leaves you no choice but to interact.”
Debra adds, “It’s an interpretation of a live Hologram…the positive and negative compete…and you have to experience it to feel the full effect. The sheerness of multi-layer opacities create intrigue. And who doesn’t like a little mystery?”
The Originators are a design and fabric structure boutique whose creative niche as experience makers of pop-up environments, 3-D design, fabric décor installations and live special effects for events, exhibits, and permanent display. Its founders, Debra Roth and Marc Posnock, are the two people most responsible for originating the use of fabric structures in the events industry over 25 years ago. Now they’re offering the same innovative spirit, creativity and ingenuity they’re known for to explore new dimensions.
For all things Originators, high-resolution images, interview and business inquiries, please contact:
Marc Posnock – the Originators – 917-407-4542 / marc@originatorsdesign.com / www.originatorsdesign.com
- Published in Event Technology, News
Best in craft global suppliers launch “The Event Tech Tribe”
MEDIA RELEASE
23rd January 2017
For immediate release
A new collaboration of best-in-craft event tech suppliers has been launched to make life easier for event planners and marketers, and to help make their events more awesome.
The Event Tech Tribe is a collaborative ensemble of businesses that have chosen to work together technically, but more importantly, to co-ordinate at a client level. The Tribe includes mobile app provider ShowGizmo, registration platform Swoogo, onsite specialists TRC, content management system Hubb and audience engagement platform Glisser and is currently focussed on North American, European and Australasian customers.
ShowGizmo CEO, Marie-Claire Andrews says “The raw potential of event technology has created an explosion of new companies and innovative products. But, this placed the burden of supplier co-ordination and integration of technologies on already overworked event planners. We aim to solve that – making life easier – saving time as well as money.”
In defiance of the alternative ‘vanilla’ options presented by enterprise solutions, the Tribe has built a way of working that puts the customer first. Based on a fundamental belief held by all the members – that each piece of the event technology ecosystem needs to be excellent on its own, and that the best companies focus on doing their bit really, really well – the group will offer all the advantages of an end-to-end experience by taking each of those components and blending them at the edges to create compatible functionality.
Founder and CEO of Swoogo, Leonora Valvo, was the pioneer of the concept and confirms that “The Tribe ensures service, technology and data are all connected in a flexible way to make your events world-class.” “Data is at the heart of what we all do: technology is just a means to help you create truly ‘intelligent events’ – measurable, repeatable, scalable and evolutionary.
TRC founder and Chief Executive, Greg Lazzaro is excited about the potential the partnership has for his customers: “Ultimately, this is about excellent events. Building these strong relationships with key partners means we can continue to offer innovation after
innovation” He adds, “And the best bit is we’re flexible, we’re independent, and we’re complementary. We can help whether you need to work with two of us or all of us”
The Tribe is launching with a webinar on 25th January and presentations from Tribe members around the country, with a roadshow scheduled for March/April.
For further information:
The Event Tech Tribe: https://eventtechtribe.swoogo.com/tribe2017
Marie-Claire Andrews, ShowGizmo CEO
marie-claire@showgizmo.com Mob: +64 21 814 224
- Published in Event Technology, News
ShowGizmo gears up to offer Associations a year-round solution in 2017
MEDIA RELEASE
14th December 2016
For Immediate Release
One of Australasia’s longest standing event app companies, ShowGizmo is announcing a new focus on Associations for 2017.
Since launching one of the world’s first event apps in 2010, ShowGizmo has now powered thousands of events throughout the world with their suite of native whitelabel and owned event apps. “We’ve served clients from all industries and sectors over the years, as event people as well as mobile specialists. Helping to create awesome events has always been a huge driving force for us,” said CEO and Co- Founder, Marie-Claire Andrews. The company was recently named one of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 in the APAC region.
“Our experience with Associations in Australasia and the USA have consistently been positive, we really love the collaborations that Associations foster, and we want to continue to help make that a possibility for these vital organisations by ensuring their requirements are front and centre for our product development,” said Marie-Claire.
In a nod of more to come, ShowGizmo has confirmed 2017 partnerships with two of Australasia’s leading Association industry bodies: The Australasian Society for Association Executives and Associations Forum. Both will be utilising ShowGizmo’s technology as a year-round platform to digitise the way they communicate with their members.
“Face to face events are still our core business, and we’re going to continue supporting them as always, but we want to help Associations and other organisations leverage the possibilities that year-round mobile interactions offer. Our partnerships with AuSAE and Associations Forum is a sign of great things to come!” explained ShowGizmo’s COO, Ryan O’Connor.
David Browne, Executive Officer of the Professional Teachers’ Council (PTC) NSW is looking forward to showcasing his 45 member associations a digital platform throughout 2017, “I’m excited to offer the platform and I’m confident of great adoption, not only because of the opportunities to cross promote events, but because our app will also be an attractive tool for our associations to attract sponsorship.”
Lara Simmons
Marketing Executive at ShowGizmo
lara@showgizmo.com
For more information:
ShowGizmo
AusAe
Associations Forum
PTC NSW
- Published in Business, Event Technology
The 7 Best Podcasts for Event Planners @bizzabo
- Published in Event Planning, Event Technology, News
Swoogo Celebrates Fast Growth with 50 th Customer @swoogo
Westport, Connecticut August 11 2016
Event marketing software newcomer Swoogo announced the acquisition of their 50 th customer today. In just eight months since launching, the company is celebrating rapid success, growing to their current size with no outside funding, and no plans to take investment money in the future.
The unprecedented speed of the company’s growth has highlighted the market’s hunger for a younger, fresher, more robust event software solution. Swoogo’s second generation event tech team, led by Leonora Valvo and Tim Cummins (both previously of etouches) has delivered a product seamlessly designed to answer the problems industry heavyweights have left unsolved for almost a decade.
“We’re honored by the outpouring of confidence the market has shown us and we’re committed to being an independent company that is dedicated to its customers. More importantly—we’re excited to continue building a product that makes event professionals’ lives easier,” says company founder Valvo.
While the company has grown at an unbelievable pace, the team’s success is no surprise to Swoogo’s first customer. “Swoogo is an extremely user-friendly tool,” says Vendome’s Senior Marketing Director Abbegayle Morrow, “The experience from the back-end development to the front-end user is extremely smooth, logical, and very easy to use. Swoogo…is clean, functional and professional – from the registration build-out to even the website build-out. Having worked with many different systems, Swoogo is certainly at the very top of my list.”
It’s clear that Swoogo is doing things a little differently from other products on the market. “Tim [Cummins] and Leonora [Valvo] worked incredibly hard to make a product that is easier to learn and use than any other similar solution. A new generation of event professionals is out there dealing with software systems that were developed before they had even graduated from high school. You wouldn’t buy a cell phone from 2008 – why would you buy event software from then? So we set out to tell these smart, tech-savvy people that yes, duh, there should be something better out there, and there is. It’s us,” said Swoogo marketing consultant Molly Falco.
Beyond their refined product, Swoogo is quickly becoming known for their outstanding support. Led by Head of Product Neil Keefe and Director of Support Michael Sabani, customers are currently reporting 100% satisfaction with the company’s help system.
It’s clear that the Swoogo team has stumbled upon a recipe for success, and the company is looking to continue growing full speed ahead.
Contact: Molly Falco, Marketing Director, mfalco@swoogo.com
- Published in Event Technology, News