Event Planning

Mimegasite - Recent News
Study: Incentive Planners Want More Technology

8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

More than a quarter of all incentive travel and motivational event planners want more technology but are restrained by lack of funds, finds a new study by the Site International Foundation.
Cvent Celebrates Record-Setting Sales in 2009

8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Despite the meetings industry downturn, Cvent posted a record-setting 33 percent year-over-year sales increase in 2009.
UBS Forecast Sees Slow Rise in Airline Capacity

7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Following two years of sustained capacity cuts, domestic airlines are expected to slowly add supply this year, according to a UBS forecast.
USTA Praises Congress for Meetings Support

7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Commenting on last week's Congressional hearing on government travel practices, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued a statement in support of Congressional conclusions.
PCMA Launches Silent Auction to Support Meetings Research, Education

4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

The Professional Convention Management Association Education Foundation has launched an online silent auction, proceeds of which will support scholarships, education and research benefiting the meetings industry.

Fresh Event Tips
Conference Feedback, a Low Cost Solution

Rose

3 Feb 2010 | 9:20 am

When hosting a seminar or conference it's extremely valuable to engage the audience in real-time feedback. Whether in the form of voting for their favorite presentation or submitting real time questions, utilizing current technology allows the audience to become active participants rather than just attendees. It used to be cumbersome, as well as expensive, to rent the basic hand held voting devices. A company called Busy Event has come out with a number of solutions, at a great price point, allowing your audience to engage with the speaker. With the "BeLink" product your attendees…
Baby Shower for the Hip Mom

Rose

24 Jan 2010 | 8:16 pm

What to do when the woman you want to throw a shower for is just not the Victorian Tea type? My best friend is expecting her first baby and we wanted a special event to celebrate, but not your typical shower. She loves fashion, is still wearing her Tory Burch heeled boots with designer dresses (at 32 weeks!), and has the cutest baby bump, so why not an evening party in one of her favorite clothing boutiques? Although unconventional, an evening of cupcakes and cocktails (well mocktails for some) worked out perfectly at the chic Sarah Shaw boutique in San Francisco. The boutique…
The New York Hostess just got a Gift

Rose

7 Dec 2009 | 1:37 pm

If you find yourself hosting too many parties or feeling stretched a bit thin this holiday season, you might enjoy finding out more about Jacq and Jules, a Manhattan based event planning team who just launched a concierge service. Beyond their usual professional event production services, this trusted duo is ready to help you enjoy the holiday season by providing a wide range of services: manage your holiday mailings, select flowers for your next dinner party, purchase and wrap unique gifts for your assistants or family, remind you of special anniversaries, provide a festive party menu…
Don't send the Secret Service to Handle the Event Manager's Job

Rose

27 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am

Did you read About.com Rob Hard's article this morning titled: Don't send the Secret Service to Handle an Event Manager's Job regarding the White House party crashers? This clever headline made me chuckle and recall all the silly excuses and attempts (successful and thwarted) we've heard over the years as people try to get into closed events. If you have a good story please add it in the comments section. Every year during our Internet company sales conference two or three people always appeared who were not part of the guest list and had actually flown themselves on their own…
Registrant Tool, Volunteer Sign ups

Rose

15 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pm

From the creator of WhichWeekend (a fabulously handy tool) comes a new easy to use booking engine called BOOKWHEN. This helpful site allows event organizers to set up a schedule for volunteers or attendees to "sign up" for conference sessions, work shifts, activities. The host sets how many slots are available at each time and the tool will sync with the attendees calendars. No need to download any software - the application lives online. BOOKWHEN is best suited to recurring events or a series of upcoming events. This type of tool would also work fine for someone renting a…

Mimegasite - Featured Articles
DMAI Launches $4M Committee Effort

8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Destination Marketing Association International has launched three new committees focused on advocacy, technology and social responsibility.
Meetings Spotlight: Aflac Targets Attendee Engagement

7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Insurance provider Aflac in the past year has transformed its meetings into highly interactive multimedia environments focused on targeted marketing.
Survey: Meeting Numbers to Rise

4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Meeting planners anticipate that in 2010 their organizations will hold on average 2.8 percent more meetings than they did in 2009, according to a Meeting Professionals International and American Express FutureWatch survey.
New Gaylord Sales Head Sees Cos. Move to 'Strategy Mode'

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Kemp Gallineau, Gaylord's new senior vice president and chief sales officer, spoke recently with MeetingNews about his new role and his outlook for 2010.
Starwood Completes Sale of Bliss Spa

2 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has completed the sale of its Bliss spa and product division to resort and cruise ship spa operator Steiner Leisure Ltd.

Meetings Podcast
8 Online Tools for Event Camp

Mike McAllen

4 Feb 2010 | 3:23 pm

I just wanted to highlight the tools we are utilizing for EventCamp in New York City this Saturday February 6th 2010. It has been fun for me to play with these tools. Owning a meeting production company I can see more and more companies, conferences who will want to utilize hybrid events, the backchannel, and streaming solutions to promote and get as many people involved and content to as many people as possible. Challenges for streaming… The Roger Smith Hotel is all wireless no wired internet so could give us a problem. We will see. Livestream- Sponsor of EventCamp and it is really…
Hook your Audience With a Captivating Video Opening

Mike McAllen

4 Feb 2010 | 6:03 am

Hook your Audience With a Captivating Video Opening As a corporate production company for meetings we are often asked to come up with a captivating opening video for our clients. In your videos, you only have a few moments to hook your audience. Here are some tried and true techniques you can use to make sure you capture the attention of your audience right away. You MUST have an opening that hooks and holds the viewer. Ways to do this: • Pique curiosity • Promise a big benefit • Ask a question about a problem the product solves • Establish a problem and provide solution • Tap into…
Extra Update Interview with Maarten Vanneste Author of Meeting Architecture

Mike McAllen

2 Feb 2010 | 7:28 am

The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry! Mike interviews Maarten Vanneste Author of Meeting Architecture at PCMA Dallas 2010. I apologize for the low volume on this podcast in advance. More about Maarten His company– Abbit His Book- Meeting Architecture Even more on Maarten–> Mike McAllen of Grass Shack Events & Media Please leave us a question or comment, which we will try to address on the show ASAP! Email us at meetings podcast@gmail.com or here on the MeetingsPodcast site. www.MeetingsPodcast.com Music by the…
Roger Smith Hotel Hosts BeatBox Event Camp!

Mike McAllen

29 Jan 2010 | 6:19 pm

Event Pros Launch First Ever Conference for Events and Social Media Event Planners Collaborate to Initiate EventCamp2010, First Conference Solely Dedicated to the Emerging Competency of Social Media for Events EventCamp 2010, a BarCamp-style gathering for event professionals to share best practices and learn new strategies to create a successful event, will be held on February 6, 2010 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. The “unconference” is being hosted as part of Social Media Week, five days of events involving the best and brightest in the New…
EventCamp Session: Engaging Audiences Using Hot Steamy Sex

Mike McAllen

29 Jan 2010 | 1:10 pm

EventCamp Session: Engaging Audiences Using Hot Steamy Sex Space is limited for the first EventCamp “Unconference” for Event Professionals on Social Media and Web 2.0 February 6th at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. So sign up now. Who is already going? What to expect at EventCamp February 6th 2010: A community of event professionals exchanging ideas and building connections to enhance live meetings and events through social media and Web 2.0 technologies. Who is speaking? - David Berkowitz: How To Change The World: A Good Guide To Social Media Marketing -Hybrid Events…

BizBash National News
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA - EVENT REPORT: Taking Advantage of Super Bowl, Tide Launches New Athlete-Targeted Detergent

Leveraging the many sweaty athletes in town over the weekend, Tide launched its new Tide Plus Febreze Freshness Sport laundry detergent with an activity-filled party atop the W South Beach on Friday afternoon. BMF Media Group produced the event, staging four sports activations—a football throw, three-hole putting green, basketball shoot-out, and tennis target practice—each branded with the new detergent's logo on the hotel's rooftop tennis and basketball courts. Brand ambassador Venus Williams hosted the party, and doled out tennis tips to guests. "Venus is the perfect…
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA - EVENT REPORT: DirecTV Celeb Beach Bowl Attracts 10,000 to Temporary Stadium on the Sand

The DirecTV Celebrity Beach Bowl returned to Miami Beach, the location of the inaugural event during the 2006 Super Bowl weekend, on Saturday afternoon. The fourth annual flag football game, which pits celebrities and athletes against each other, attracted more than 10,000 people—nearly 10 times the attendance of its first game and 2,000 more than in Tampa last year. The satellite TV brand reached out to Los Angeles-based Murphy Productions to design a temporary 8,000-seat stadium on Miami Beach between 21st and 22nd Streets to house the game. "Unfortunately we had to turn people away…
CHICAGO - EVENT REPORT: Pottery Barn Lures Customers, Media to New Store With Spring-Theme Opening Party

To celebrate the opening of its 19,000-square-foot Lincoln Park location last Thursday, Pottery Barn hosted an in-store cocktail bash that aimed to channel the flowery season to come. "We wanted to invite people into the warmth of our new store, and let them walk away with the feeling of spring," said Michaela Wilkinson, the chain's San Francisco-based manager of public relations, who flew to Chicago to facilitate last week's event. Planners used a beat-the-winter-blues hook to lure guests to the opening party, sending an invite in early January that used a cheerful cursive font to…
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA - EVENT REPORT: Maxim and Playboy Bring Back Splashy Super Bowl Parties With Models and Sponsors

Two of the most exclusive Super Bowl parties returned to form with highly publicized events on Saturday night, just blocks apart in South Beach. After Playboy cancelled its party in Tampa last year and Maxim scaled back, both brands came back full force. Playboy kicked off at 9 p.m. with 2,000 people flooding into the Sagamore for the invite-only affair. Producer Sale Stojanovic, president of 3B Productions, showcased footage from Playboy parties through the years on flat-screen TVs that lined the main hallway of the hotel, the walls of the private cabanas in the garden, and decorated the…
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA - EVENT REPORT: ESPN the Magazine Doubles Size of Super Bowl Party, Drops Fan Day

On Friday night ESPN the Magazine hosted its annual Next Big Weekend party at the Fontainebleau. Nearly 2,800 athletes, celebrities, sponsors, and ESPN executives—nearly twice as many as last year—attended the event, which took place in a 25,000-square-foot pink-lit tent on the property’s back lawn, and spilled into the hotel's bar La Côte and restaurant Blade. Bucking tradition, this year the brand opted to nix its all-day fan experience event, typically held on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. “We came to the conclusion that Miami is a different market…

Michelle Rago, Ltd.—Blog
Flirty Valentine’s Day

Michelle

8 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers to work with and they are in season just in time for Valentine’s Day! This set up is a great way to mix up your Vday décor.We wove together grosgrain ribbons to create a playful overlay, then we took the same ribbon and wrapped our votives. What I love about this is the apple wrapped in a tulip inside the vase, reminiscent of the garden of Eden and Eve’s apple…..take from it what you will.
twobirds bridesmaids

Michelle

3 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

I recently discovered twobirds bridesmaids and am utterly impressed with the simplicity and functionality of these bridesmaids dresses.Ariane Goldman the owner/founder of this company has designed one dress that can be worn over 15 ways and fit every shape!Not to mention the different styles are elegant, sexy, flirty, and fun.This truly is a dress that you can wear again…so if your bride pitches you this dress with that line, believe it! http://twobirdsbridesmaids.com/ images via twobirdsbridesmaids.com
Daily Candy Weddings

Michelle

1 Feb 2010 | 10:36 am

I am a huge fan of Daily Candy and so excited about the weekly Daily Candy Weddings!Check us out on Daily Candy. http://www.dailycandy.com/all-cities/gallery/79555/Flower-Power?n=5#gallery
Daydreaming…

Michelle

29 Jan 2010 | 9:26 am

New York City 21° F Feels Like: 6° F Seychelles84 °F Feels Like: 84 F
Using color

Michelle

25 Jan 2010 | 4:59 pm

I love using bright bold colors in weddings and I am finding that more of my brides are a little more daring with their color choices. For this wedding we used shades of a vivacious red, the traditional Chinese wedding color choice.I love this wedding because with all the color we used one might think it would be overwhelming but instead it was stunning… Don’t be afraid of color!

READY 2 SPARK
7 jaw dropping restaurants . for event planners

proud2bee@gmail.com (Lara McCulloch-Carter)

8 Feb 2010 | 5:10 pm

1. Beijing Noodle No. 9, Las Vegas, NV, United States 2. Piz Gloria, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland 3. Bei, Beijing, China 4. Hoto Fudo, Mount Fuji, Japan 5. Robert Restaurant, New York, NY, United States 6. Sliver Restaurant (not yet open) 7. Germain, Paris, France Share and Enjoy:
sunday spark: the 2 keys to life

proud2bee@gmail.com (Lara McCulloch-Carter)

7 Feb 2010 | 5:51 pm

Every Sunday I’ll share a little something inspiring to get you thinking about and preparing for the week ahead. This Sunday’s Spark is a video from Will Smith. Even if you’re not a fan of him or his movies, this video is a must view. In it, he shares what he believes are the 2 keys to life. It totally connected with me. Let me know what you think. Share and Enjoy:
Event Camp 2010 . learnings from outside the fishbowl

proud2bee@gmail.com (Lara McCulloch-Carter)

6 Feb 2010 | 3:37 pm

I just participated in a few livestreamed breakout sessions from EventCamp 2010 New York. One of which was a session run by Samuel J Smith which used what’s called a fishbowl technique to promote discussion around his topic: Integrating Social Media Onsite at Events. I learned a great deal from watching this session remotely and give Samuel big kudos for taking a leap and doing something unconventional. The Fishbowl Set Up The fishbowl in action at Event Camp 2010 Having sat through far too many sessions that use conventional classroom style room set ups, I found this more…
welcome . the citizen planner

proud2bee@gmail.com (Lara McCulloch-Carter)

4 Feb 2010 | 6:39 pm

The power of the person has never been more evident than it is today. Average people wield incredible power. Their weapons? A cell, a blog and a Twitter account. With this ammunition they say what they want about products, brands and, yes, even events. Food sucks? Welcome Citizen Planner – they’ll be sure to tell you what to do. Entertainment bites? Here comes citizen planner to let you, and everyone else who will listen, know. Citizen Planner can no longer be ignored. They’re opinionated, highly connected and drop-dead honest. So how do you turn Citizen Planner into an…
trend alert . wheel invites & menus

proud2bee@gmail.com (Lara McCulloch-Carter)

3 Feb 2010 | 11:37 am

Over the past few months I’ve been noticing a great trend – invitations, menus and other collateral materials are breaking the rectangular mould and going wheel-shaped. What do you think? (above: Invitation via Rebecca George) (above: Wedding invitation via Lauren Venell) (above: photo via Twig & Thistle) Share and Enjoy:

Wedding and Event Planning Blog
The Orpheum Penthouse :: A New Downtown Phoenix Venue :: Grand Opening :: Social Evening

20 Jan 2010 | 5:45 am

We had two amazing grand opening events last week at a new downtown Phoenix venue; the Orpheum Penthouse. Here are several pictures by James J. Barnett Photography. Thanks Jamie! Rentals and linens by Creative Event Rentals Floral by Fiori Floral Design and all printed paper products by The Invitation Lady. Here we listed facts about the 1930's building at each table for conversation. It was a big hit. Rentals by Creative Event Rentals and bartender services by M Catering by Michaels. Amazing food from one of our two exclusive caterers; M Catering by Michaels Anyone that knows me knows I am a…
The Orpheum Penthouse :: A New Downtown Phoenix Venue :: Grand Opening :: Corporate Night

19 Jan 2010 | 6:49 am

Earlier last week I invited you all to an amazing new venue in downtown Phoenix called The Orpheum Penthouse. Wednesday was our first night and we catered (no pun intended) to the corporate clients, including CVB's, Chambers, DMC's etc. Here are some pictures from James J. Barnett Photography. It was a jam packed evening and the night couldn't have been more beautiful. Thank you to all who came out and supported this new venue. Floral provided by Fiori Floral Design Me and my mocktails...I loved this idea from Santa Barbara Catering...A Fizzy Soda Fountain. Does this concoction…
The Beatles Said It Best :: "All You Need Love"

12 Jan 2010 | 12:13 pm
The Orpheum Penthouse :: A New Downtown Phoenix Venue

7 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am

You are invited to check out the newest cool space in Downtown Phoenix. Check it out! Hope you can make it! With all that Life has to offer, Cicely
Happy New Year

31 Dec 2009 | 7:04 am

Thank you for this amazing year. 2009 was wonderful filled with love...lots of love. With all that Life has to offer, Cicely and all of the Life Ladies

Event Manager Blog
Happy Birthday #eventprofs!

9 Feb 2010 | 2:22 am

Today is a day for celebration. Exactly one year ago, on February 9, 2009, the twitter group #eventprofs was born. Eventprofs started off like most things do -- as a small embryo. Let’s put a hashtag after our “events related tweets" so they are easier to find. Let’s try to do a “twitter chat” - whatever that means. Over the past 365 days #evenprofs has evolved into a passionate community. A community that has hosted over 60 self-organized chats. A community that has a self-organized websitevideo and badges all for its…
What the HELL is social media - in 2 minutes

7 Feb 2010 | 1:27 am

Last week I hosted the first event industry TweetUp of the year at Madame Tussauds. Well over 150 guests attended from caterers and venues to corporates including JP Morgan Cazenove, Ernst & Young, Wellcome and Credit Suisse as well as marketing agencies such as RPM, Tamar and Market Sentinel. A special presentation commissioned for the event was shown during the evening which explained in less than 2 minutes 10 key reasons why social media is important to the events industry. For those savvy in all things social media none of this will be too…
Productivity and Planning with a 2.0 Touch

6 Feb 2010 | 11:54 am

picture by Tom Raftery Many tools are available out there, from "remember the milk" to "iGTD", I have tried a lot of them and today, this is my system: - Project Management: Things [link] It's clear, nice graphics and I love the tag function. All my projects and "next-things" are here - To-do lists: Google tasks [link] I love it. It's basic, simple and, most of all, it syncs with my iPhone - Appointments: iCal I am a Mac user. iCal has a nice interface, it syncs through MobileMe with my iPhone and it's fast to use - Contacts: Mac Address book Very well categorized with smart lists and…
Ways to (Truly) Make Your Event Green

1 Feb 2010 | 6:14 am

Photo by BabyDinosaur via Flickr There are tons of tools out there but making infinite lists sometimes just makes the choice too daunting...and puts people off eventually. So here is a very personal selection of what I think are the best and most effective mind tools (and some online tools) to make your event more earth-friendly. 1. Go Carpooling Tripmi is a car sharing community that lets you easily organise carpooling for your events, from small groups like sports teams and weddings, to large events like conferences or festivals. It's free to join and it's got a nice…
What Meeting Professionals can learn from James Cameron’s movie Avatar.

28 Jan 2010 | 12:27 pm

You don’t have to be a science fiction nerd to enjoy the event that is the movie Avatar. If you haven’t seen it you soon will be one of the only ones. It is a movie event not to be missed. What can we learn from this Movie event? In our economy, obviously companies and associations don’t have 500 million laying around for their next event. Now, more than ever we are in a mode of showing return on investment for attending or putting on meetings and events. We are in a time of low attendance at movie theatres just like we are experiencing at…

being SOCIAL
Changing Course

Sarah Bradley

20 Jan 2010 | 8:35 am

So, here I am, in West Virginia. Taking care of my one year old baby boy and holding down the fort, so to speak. I have been waiting and waiting for some inspiration to blog about events and weddings, but it isn't happening. Instead of forcing it, I asked myself why? The answer was that I'm in a new place, in body and mind, less about my business identity and more about my personal identity. I've created a new blog, Musings of the Moment, which will be my portal to express what's moving me right now, whether it be art, music, friends, food or family. I hope you will come visit.I will still…
Blog Updates

Sarah Bradley

5 Jan 2010 | 6:27 am

Hi there, I'll be updating the blog more than I have in the past six months! I'm revamping my music player right now and can't wait to get back to blogging more!Xoxo,Sarah
Big News

Sarah Bradley

5 Jan 2010 | 5:53 am

SOCIAL Event Design & Planning is in a new place this new year. We have expanded to the Greenbrier Valley in West Virginia! We will still be serving the Charleston area and I will be back and forth every month, but this venture is definitely going to be exciting and fulfilling this year. Right now it's about 18 degrees and snowing, but I hear Charleston is in the 20's...Photo: Flickr
Talk about a Christmas tree!

Sarah Bradley

8 Dec 2009 | 8:30 am

Ran across this AWESOME photo on Green Wedding Shoes and love this never-before-seen decor idea. Wow! This tree was covered in painted ornaments...how's that for time consuming?!Photo: Green Wedding Shoes
Real Wedding: Alina & Nathan

Sarah Bradley

18 Nov 2009 | 6:58 am

Alina and Nathan's photos are up on CVI Photography's blog! This intimate 22-person affair took place at the hauntingly beautiful Confederate Home on Broad Street. SOCIAL had the best time designing this event from the large dining table and oversized patterned runner which was a modern twist on the shape and designs of the vintage plates Alina rented for her 3-course seated dinner. Way more photos CVI's blog!

About.com Event Planning
Green/Sustainable Promotional Gifts Will Gain Increased Attention

9 Feb 2010 | 1:45 am

There's a general sense that organizations are interested in green initiatives for their meetings and events. One area that doesn't get so much attention -- but can account for a significant line item expense -- is the promotional item. Those fun little giveaways that are given by the hundreds at trade shows, seminars -- even favors at weddings and countless other occasions. But did you know that many green/sustainable options exist for promotional products today? And share your ideas for the top sustainable or other promotional products/clients gifts you have used. Green/Sustainable…
Promotional Products Should Be Practical, Relevant and Creative

5 Feb 2010 | 3:13 am

Although pens, notepads and apparel are popular promotional items, business gifts used for meetings and events can be creative and distinctive. Promotional products should be given with a greater purpose than to simply have something as a giveaway. From the idea of giving gifts with a purpose to practical examples of items in various price ranges, J.S. Rangi of Monsoon Corporate Business Gifts in Montreal, Canada, shared 10 promotional gift ideas that will make an impression -- and why. Share your gift ideas about the top promotional products you have used at meetings, incentives,…
February Holidays and Special Events Calendar for 2010

27 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am

This is a busy month in the events industry. Event planners will be organizing everything from museum and gala events for Black History Month to sports hospitality related to the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics and more. Highlights for February include: Black History Month (U.S.) February 7 (Sunday), Super Bowl XLIV (Miami) February 11 (Thursday), Berlin International Film Festival (through February 21) February 12 (Friday), Lincoln's Birthday (U.S.) February 12 (Friday), Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games (through February 28) February 14 (Sunday), Valentine's Day February 14 (Sunday), Chinese New…
Volunteer Programs with Local Food Banks Enhance Sustainability Goals

25 Jan 2010 | 3:14 pm

With food and beverage accounting for a significant portion of meeting and event expenses, perhaps the notion of giving back to the the community by incorporating volunteerism at local food banks is a perfect fit for programs. At last year's MeetDifferent in Atlanta, MPI organizers incorporated food donation efforts with the Atlanta Food Bank. Learn more. Volunteer Programs with Local Food Banks Enhance Sustainability Goals originally appeared on About.com Event Planning on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 23:14:23.Permalink | Comment | Email this
Salahis Appear Before House Committee, Forced to Plead 5th on All Questions

20 Jan 2010 | 12:18 pm

Michaele and Tareq Salahi, known as the White House party crashers, appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee today and pleaded the fifth for all questions on advice of counsel. Good for them. As explained in my commentary on the White House party crashers, the committee risked embarrassing itself by further pursuing its investigation by choosing to not subpoena White House social secretary Desiree Rogers who was responsible for the event guest list and all logistics. Rogers chose to attend the event and host a table rather than serve in her capacity as event manager. So today,…

Unique Venues
University of Guelph Kemptville Campus

David

2 Feb 2010 | 4:56 am

Is your group reviewing top Ontario, Canada meeting & event facilities for your next conference, meeting, or company function? Nearly equidistant from Ottawa and the New York State border (a mere 20 minutes to either of them,) lies The University of Guelph’s Kemptville Campus. This venerable school was set in service in 1917, built upon 1200 acres of lushly forested land. The Agricultural and Forestry campus cradles the school’s buildings, nestling meeting and residence facilities for 440 overnight guests and 600 attendees. The location itself is ideal. The rates are an…
Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA

David

1 Feb 2010 | 10:54 am

If you’re group is looking for extraordinary Pennsylvania event facilities for a retreat, training or other low-key meeting in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania, Saint Vincent College’s new conference center may be just what you’re after. The campus is modern, yet shows the strength and venerability of academia. New and old meld seamlessly, the rich woodwork combining with simple post-modern decor and ample ambient outdoor light, to provide an environment that is calm, yet invigorating. Saint Vincent College’s new conference center is sure to provide all you want,…
Assumption College in Worcester, MA

David

2 Jan 2010 | 4:57 pm

Graceful swans sail gently through a campus pond, leaving no wake. Greenery abounds, blending seamlessly with stylish, modern architecture. New England’s Assumption College is an ideal location for a gathering, whether it’s a business meeting, sales conference, awards ceremony, wedding reception, class reunion or just a confluence of friends. Myriad reasons make them such a prime choice, little subtle nuances that combine to form the fabric, the stuff of success. What makes Assumption College such an ideal event venue is that everything is there, handled for you without you having…
University of Waterloo

David

21 Dec 2009 | 7:16 am

Is your group looking for Ontario, Canada event facilities for your next meeting? Consider the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, provides a refreshing and unique venue for day groups of up to 2500 guests. There are many reasons to choose the UofW. From first sight, you’ll realize that this is a modern campus with clean and very comprehensive facilities. Waterloo is just big enough to provide everything you and your guests may want or need, yet small enough to still feel comfortable, friendly and familiar. The perfect balance struck, your guests will be at ease, able…
University of Wyoming in Laramie

David

14 Dec 2009 | 2:46 am

Is your group searching for the perfect Wyoming event facilities to host your next gathering? The University of Wyoming’s Laramie campus is pleased to offer use of their facilities for your conference, convention, seminar, business meeting, family reunion, wedding reception or other group event. Just two hours from Denver International Airport, this year-round facility can welcome as many as 1600 guests to 50 meeting and event rooms, seating up to 400 in one classroom environment, or 800 in their theatre style facility. The theatre sports classic styling with warm, modern comforts and…

Tradeshow Week - Behind The Story
The Zen of Convention Center Construction

If you’ve been to the recently opened CityCenter in Las Vegas, you’ve probably glanced next door and noticed the shell of the Cosmopoli...
MGM Mirage’s Macau Sacrifice

A while back, I mentioned to a show organizer I know in Hong Kong that I’d been to Macau a couple months earlier and visited the convention a...
No Room at the D.C. Inn

People in Washington, D.C., have been telling me an anchor hotel next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center was on its way practically sinc...
Greg Farrar Is Latest to Go

The recent announcements that Greg Farrar had resigned as president and CEO of Nielsen Business Media and that Gordon T. Hughes II would be leaving...
A Different Measure of Success

Intl. CES opened today. Even in good years, the giant consumer products show is invested with great significance. It’s both the first major s...

Tradeshow Week - Event Tech Blog
Attending and Speaking at UFI Global CEO Forum

I have the privilege of speaking to the collection of global show leaders at the UFI Global CEO Forum in Geneva, Switzerland at the Geneva ...
New technology for old challenges

...old friends for bold partners...and bold ideas for new horizons. In a recent LinkedIn discussion with one of our industry thought leaders, Bo...
If you are going to Retweet

What is the Twitter action called Retweet? When someone has posted a Twitter message, often called a Tweet, it can be resent to your own communi...
Two thoughts on video capture and production

There are two camps on video. One belief is the low cost, do it on your own with a flip camera and capture cool stuff as it happens on th...
Are we over social media?

As I jumped into several LinkedIn communities this morning, I was amazed to see how very little hype was being promoted on social media. ...

Midcourse Corrections
The Big Tweet Theory: The Evolution Of A Conference Tweep

Jeff Hurt

5 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

Since 2007, people have gazed at Twitter and wondered how the Twittershpere developed into what it is today. It’s been the subject of much philosophical, religious and scientific discussion and debate. People who have tried to uncover the mysteries of the Twitterville development include such famous researchers as Danah Boyd, Chris Brogan, Beth Kanter, Charlene Li, Brian Solis, and Dan Zarrella. Many of these researchers have developed their own Twitter birthing theories as they watched the tweeting continue to evolve. Soon Twitter invaded conference, events and tradeshows. Albert…
Roast Your Conventional Thinking: Reverse Your Perspective

Jeff Hurt

4 Feb 2010 | 5:13 am

In the late 1950s before Seattleites were known as flannel-wearing, granola-eating, sandal-sporting, long-haired, liberal, hippie, indie-rock iPods listeners and fair trade coffee organic food freaks, a mysterious phenomenon occurred. People began discovering small pockmarks on their windshields. A mass hysteria developed as more and more Seattleites found these tiny scars on their vehicles. A pockmark plague scoured the Northwest. Two theories emerged as the cause of these indentations. Russians’ atomic tests had contaminated their atmosphere. Particles from the fallout combined with…
Exhibitors Dissatisfied With Current Convention Housing Practices: Serious Problem Or Major Opportunity

davelutz

3 Feb 2010 | 7:50 am

By Dave Lutz, Managing Director, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting Last week Expo Magazine Insights newsletter linked to a Trade Show Exhibitor Association (TSEA) exhibitor housing survey. The survey’s key findings are: 8% of exhibitors believe shows have fair convention housing practices. 69% of exhibitors book their hotel rooms through show convention housing bureaus. 89% of exhibitors feel that current deposits are not fair. 97% do not believe they receive the best rate possible when booking rooms for a convention in the housing block. 83% do not feel they have sufficient time to submit names…
16 Criteria For Choosing Your Conference Backchannel Tool

Jeff Hurt

1 Feb 2010 | 9:57 am

So you’ve decided you want to help facilitate the attendee communication at your next event. You’ve set a goal to increase your onsite attendee engagement with each other and the speakers during the event. And your goals include listening and responding in real time, when appropriate, as well. Yet, you’re not sure where to begin or which tools to use. Let’s consider one of the most popular backchannel tools today: Twitter. Why has Twitter become so popular as a backchannel tool? Free Ease of use Short learning curve Fast Searchable Feels personable because thumbnail…
Social Media Celebs, Eventprofs & Great Content Mix It Up At EventCamp 2010

Jeff Hurt

29 Jan 2010 | 12:29 pm

Take 1 part social media. Add 1 part event and meeting professionals. Add 1 part social media specialists. Slowly stir in content from social media celebs, event professionals and attendees. Blend OpenSpace, Unconference and traditional conference elements. Let saturate at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. What is this a recipe for? EventCamp 2010, February 6, 2010, an unconference style event for meeting professionals on social media and today’s events as part of NYC’s Social Media Week. Who should attend? You. Especially if you’re interested in the intersection of…

TradeShowWeek News
Supercomm Canceled Because of Financial Concerns

8 Feb 2010 | 9:35 am

Show organizer Expocomm Events told USTelecom and the Telecommunications Industry Assn. it will not manage the Supercomm tradeshow this year because of financial projections for the show this year, according to TIA officials. As a result, the two associations jointly decided to cancel the event that was tentatively set for this fall.
Winter Storm Causes Baltimore Bridal Show Postponement

5 Feb 2010 | 1:23 pm

The Baltimore Bridal Show, scheduled Feb. 6-7 at the Baltimore Convention Center, was rescheduled for Feb. 13-14 because of a winter storm that's predicted to bring up to 36 inches of snow to the region, according to the show's manager, Marc McIntosh.
Viad Revenue Down 17 Percent in Q4, 28 Percent in 2009

5 Feb 2010 | 10:22 am

Viad, the parent company of the former GES Exposition Services, reported Q4 revenues were down to $170 million from $205 million, a 17.3-percent decrease.
CES' iLounge Pavilion Will Double in 2011

4 Feb 2010 | 11:24 am

The iLounge Pavilion, featuring Mac-related products and services, will double in size at next year's Intl. CES, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn., which owns the show.
IAEE Meeting Numbers Higher Than Predicted

2 Feb 2010 | 2:16 pm

After an independent attendance verification audit conducted by Exhibit Surveys, there were more attendees than initially predicted onsite at Expo! Expo! Intl. Assn. of Exhibitions and Events' Annual Meeting & Exposition, held in December in Atlanta.

MEETINGSNET | NEWS
DMCs Battle Against Burdensome Taxes

8 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pm

DMCs asking for industry support
HSMAI Awards Best in Travel Marketing

8 Feb 2010 | 12:03 pm

Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International honored the best in travel advertising, public relations, and Web marketing at the annual Adrian Awards Gala, held February 1 at the New York Marriott Marquis
What's Your Favorite Part of the Meeting-Planning Process and Why?

8 Feb 2010 | 11:31 am

We asked association meeting planners to describe the aspect of their jobs that they enjoy the most. The answers were varied and interesting.
Call to FICP Members: Boost Membership, Boost Your Opportunities

8 Feb 2010 | 6:22 am

More than 70 planners and suppliers checked in to Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center for the Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Northeast Regional meeting. Here’s what they talked about.
Incentive Research Foundation “Cautiously Optimistic” about 2010

4 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am

The most recent pulse survey from the Incentive Research Foundation indicates some stabilization in incentive budgets and spending in 2010.

Exhibitor News Network
Ruth Fell Failer Completes Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) Program

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Ruth Fell Failer has joined the ranks of the trade show industry's A-list talent by completing EXHIBITOR's Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) accred...
ProExhibits Expands Manufacturing and Storage Capacity

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

ProExhibits expands its manufacturing and storage capacity with over 50,000 square feet of additional space in Milpitas, California. BRBR ...
Absolute Exhibits Heads Haiti Relief Efforts

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Last Monday night on a local Las Vegas, NBC affiliate, Todd Koren, president of Absolute Exhibits viewed a story in regard to the Eglise Messianique d...
Lea International Opens U.S. Office in Costa Mesa, California

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

World renowned full-service design house Lea International has announced the opening of its first United States office in Costa Mesa, California. BR...
Cvent Posts Record-Setting Sales in 2009

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Cvent, a provider of meeting and event management, venue sourcing, Web surveys, and strategic meetings management technology, announced a 33% year-ove...

Special Events
Who's Hiring in Special Events Now--And Why

3 Feb 2010 | 9:58 am

Who's Hiring in Special Events Nowï¿½and Why
Special Events News Briefs for Feb. 3, 2010

3 Feb 2010 | 8:38 am

Special Events News Briefs for Feb. 3, 2010
Special Events Business News for Feb. 3, 2010

3 Feb 2010 | 3:10 am

Special Events Business News for Feb. 3, 2010
Special Events Product Gallery for Feb. 3, 2010

3 Feb 2010 | 2:01 am

Special Events Product Gallery for Feb. 3, 2010
Alive and Thriving: Tips from Veteran Event Pros on Staying in Business

27 Jan 2010 | 10:44 am

Tips from Veteran Event Professionals on Staying in Business

BLUE SKY COLLABORATIVE
More Evidence That Facebook is Not a Great Fundraising Tool for Nonprofits

blueskycollaborative

25 Jan 2010 | 8:33 am

According to post in Mediate,http://www.mediaite.com/online/facebook-takes-on-haiti-relief/, $400,000 has been raised through Global Disaster Relief fan page on Facebook. This is a fraction of what has been raised through txt donations. That's not to say that the page is a complete waste....
Good News On 'Haiti' Campaign Fees

blueskycollaborative

15 Jan 2010 | 11:12 am

Looks like the big cell phone carriers will be waiving their fees for the Haiti texts. It's unclear what those fees actually are. Is it the fee for the text or a fee for processing the transaction or both? http://con.st/10001074...
Text Message Donations Should Embarrass MGive and Red Cross

blueskycollaborative

14 Jan 2010 | 6:55 am

According to a NY times article,the Red Cross has raised $2M in donations for Haiti disaster relief through text messages. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/1-million-in-donations-for-haiti-via-text-message/?src=tptw The article also states that the funds take 90 days. 90 days. 90 days to get to the Red...
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Are Tools For Diplomacy

blueskycollaborative

11 Jan 2010 | 4:17 pm

social media is a perfect fit for the social sector. nonprofits and other orgs working toward the greater good can leverage these "free" tools. of course its takes time and resources to come up with an effective strategy but atleast...
Charmin Raises $50,000 For Charity Via Celeb-Designed Toilet Seats

blueskycollaborative

6 Jan 2010 | 8:01 am

Yet another example of a new age in Corporate Social Responsibility. Companies are incorporating their giving into their marketing and simultaneously generating "Buzz" The handout days are over so nonprofits should take note when they approach companies. Propose something creative...

WORDPRESS TAG: EVENT-PLANNING
Largest Virtual U.S. Trade Show Online Network Resource Now Available in Over 80 U.S. Cities

webeventplanner

9 Feb 2010 | 7:28 am

http://www.AreaTradeShows.com announced today the launch of its Meeting and Conference Planning, Wedding and Event Planning, Travel and Tourism Hospitality Virtual Trade Shows in over 80 U.S. cities (and growing). AreaTradeShows.com is a great resource that allows on line viewers to attend trade shows in the comfort of their own homes or offices. This web site also enables visitors to attend city trade shows, browse and search vendor booths and attend city trade show events online without the crowds and lines 24/7. Virtual U.S. Trade Shows in over 80 cities (sponsored by WebEventPlanner.com).
Lessons in Engaging Attendees from Event Camp NYC 2010

samueljsmith

9 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

On Saturday, the self-organized twitter group #eventprofs organized its first conference. The event was called Event Camp and was centered around Social Media in Events. This was supposed to be an unconference – but was really more of a tribal meeting in my mind. [See Mike McCurry's post for more] You see, this group recognizes each other’s unique talents and uses those as an opportunity to learn from each other and work together. Friday Dinner At Event Camp Here are some lessons from Event Camp on engaging attendees that I hope will help you. Pre-Event Community Event Camp created…
Online Tools For Your Event Planning

jessheld

9 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am

Event marketing continues to be a key focus for Lessing-Flynn as many of our clients are engaged in tradeshow strategy, customer, media and open house events. There are many free tools available that make event planning easier, from planning through post event follow up. Below are a few that I find to be great tools. Check them out and let us know if you have other suggestions! Twtvite.com is an easy to use tool that allows you organize Tweetups and make connections through Twitter. Very simple to set up an event and allows people to see who is attending, RSVP and spread the word through…
Just Ducky! Baby Uppal's Shower!

signaturek

9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

Navi Uppal’s baby shower came and went so fast!! I had so much fun planning the games, flowers, and co-hosting the shower games with Aparna Guttery few weeks ago! Here are the highlights! Congratulations Navi ! Can’t wait for baby Uppal to arrive early March 2010! home with the loot! flowers for the baby shower... and then some! centerpieces - prepared by mom-to-be's mother flower accents Baby name suggestions Boy baby names! Baby Uppal Bingo! BAR! white chocolate lollipops - hand made by our very own mommy-to-be! she's a great crafter! choc covered pretzels…
Hailey's Birthday Party

Jenn

8 Feb 2010 | 9:49 pm

Hailey finally turned 2! Our friends and family celebrated with us on her special day. I couldn’t wait til the party started. After weeks of preparation it comes down to this. I was so excited that I woke up @ 6am and finished up all the last minute stuff. Some of the highlights of the party were.. Theme: Yo Gabba Gabba Candy Station by mommy T-shirts by daddy & Janice Kidz enjoyed their goodie bag filled with Yo Gabba Gabba T-shirts, play doh, music CD & lots of candies Adorable Cake & Cupcake by Tita Sonia was a hit Music Cd’s by Joyce Food was catered by Subway…

Nashville Wedding Planner | A Delightful Day Event Planning Blog
inspiration - citrus

Mary Alice

3 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

So the love shoot at StyleMePretty has visions of orange groves and tea roses and antique silverware and buttery leather and sunshine dancing in my head. While I'm tempted to curse away the winter and close my eyes 'til it's July, at least I can find solace in the peachy pinks of February. Clockwise, from top left: orange grove kisses, topiary tabletop, pink pearl bouquet, orange juicesangria, engagement shoot, strawberry salad, spicy caesar, citrus martinis, apricot placard, fruit-and-flower centerpiece, cabbage rose & citrus parfum, yellow…
Eye Candy: ban.do Headpieces

Mary Alice

1 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm

If you're the type of bride who's not so crazy about wearing a traditional chantilly lace cathedral veil, take a look at these beauties from ban.do! The cutting-edge jen & jamie (stylists from L.A.) started their "fun stuff for heads" empire in 2008 and haven't slowed down coming up with gorgeous pieces made of vintage materials and embellishments, each one complete with its own lovely haiku. Seriously. Can you get any prettier??? IF by some chance you're absolutely dead set on that chantilly lace, at least do your bridesmaids a…
inspiration - mint

Mary Alice

29 Jan 2010 | 9:58 am

All this gloomy weather is making me pine for spring. Here are some mint green lovelies to live vicariously through: Clockwise, from top left: bow-backed dresses, dove gray ruffle gown, how-to directions for dog-of-honor diamond collars, monogrammed cake, green floral table centerpieces, green tie and seaside wedding photography by bonnie tsang, spring green table setting, more bonnie tsang, mint-and-gold accordion cake, simpledress metallic mint 'orchid' frock, kate spade keswick caning…
That Elusive Dress... and where to find it!

Mary Alice

27 Jan 2010 | 4:19 am

Finding “The Dress” is every bride’s beautiful rite of passage, but can cause a lot of forehead wrinkling. Unless you have an unlimited budget, it’s not so easy to convince your bank account/parents/fiancé/conscience that a $20,000 dress is a better investment than a down payment on a home/really nice honeymoon/a reception at the Loews Hotel Ballroom/fill-in-the-blank. Or perhaps, like me, you picked out “The Dress” when it debuted in Spring 2008 in all of its asymmetric neckline, mermaid-skirted, gold Grecian leaf trimmed glory and it’s no longer available in…
Eye Candy: Toppers with Glitz

Mary Alice

25 Jan 2010 | 4:17 am

Sick of tradition? Wanting to eschew that tired bride-and-groom cake topper? Looking for one more thing to bedazzle at your wedding? Look no further… Toppers with Glitz will provide that sparkling, last touch of glamour your cake absolutely needed! Raved about by wedding professionals as well as brides across the US, these sturdy metal toppers are simply beautiful. Personalize them with your new initials, pick your own fonts and sizes—there’s even the option of customizing your very own unique design. Toppers with Glitz have been featured on Platinum Weddings,…

EVENTive Ideas by banquetevent.com
The Hostess with the Mostest

banquetevent.com

8 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

As party planners, we all know how much effort goes into planning the perfect event. So when the tables turn, and you are the one being invited to a great event, it's always nice to reward the efforts of your host or hostess with a small token of your appreciation. We've gathered some of our favorite host/hostess gifts to inspire and aid you in your gift-giving abilities. 1. Ice Buckets: What event planner can't use an ice bucket? Particularly one as cool (pardon our pun) as the ones from iomoi. You can select from a variety of unique icons or create your own custom ice bucket. These ice…
The Ultimate Superbowl Party

banquetevent.com

5 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

If you are one of the millions planning on watching the Superbowl this weekend and are planning on having some guests over for the kickoff, you will certainly want to be prepared with top-notch recipes and snacks to wow the crowd. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out The Pioneer Woman for high quality and ultra tasty recipes that will have your football loving friends licking their lips and singing your praises.Here is a taste of some of our favorite recipes from The Pioneer Woman:1. Cowboy Nachos 2. Wings3. Twice Baked Potatoes4. Steak Bites5. Onion Strings6. Restaurant Style…
We Think You'll Love...

banquetevent.com

3 Feb 2010 | 9:19 am

We think you'll love this great new way to taste and share your favorite wines with friends, colleagues and clients. From Brixr, comes wine tasting packs containing four 50ml bottles of boutique wines. If you've ever ordered a wine flight in a restaurant, think of Brixr tasting packs as your own wine flight you can conduct at home.For those of you that make your own wine, be sure to check out TinyBottles.com for information on how you can create your own mini wine packs. With Brixr and Tiny Bottles, there is a new way for wineries to sell wine and for consumers to discover them. Tiny Bottles,…
Planning a Valentine's Day on the Town

banquetevent.com

29 Jan 2010 | 8:19 am

Ahhh, Valentine's Day. For some, this can be a very stressful day, especially when it comes to planning the perfect date. But remember, even if you don't have a significant other in your life at the moment, there is no reason you can't grab someone you love like a best friend or family member and hit the town running.If you are in the Seattle area, check out these special events happening at local restaurants.Acalia (Feb 13)Special: Join us on this Beautiful Evening and Enjoy a Unique Menu Artistically Paired with Magnificent Wines!BluWater Bistro (Feb 11-Feb 14)Special: Offering a 6 oz…
Free Webinar Announcement: Planning in a Tough Economy

banquetevent.com

26 Jan 2010 | 10:47 am

Webinar Annoucement!Date: January 27, 10 a.m. PacificSpeaker: Joan EisenstodtTopic: Event Planning in a Tough EconomyWith companies cutting budgets and association attendance down, meeting planners must be more creative—with less—in these cash-strapped times. See how you can keep your head above water.Cost: It's Free, Register HereWhat You'll Learn: In today’s economy you need to plan like your job depends on it, because more than ever, it does! Learn ways to trim your budget without dampening the attendee experience, and how to show the savings you gained to the organization you plan…

HotelChatter -
New York: The W New York Downtown Will Be a 'W on Steroids'

MsRebecca

9 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

As with any hotel delay, we were disappointed when we learned that the W New York Downtown opening was pushed back until May 4. But thanks to a Page Six magazine interview with real-estate scion Matthew Moinian, we think we have an explanation. “Think of it as a W on steroids,” Moinian told the mag of his pet project. Huh? The W Downtown is busy bulking up and pumping iron?
South Male Atoll: Sports Illustrated Ladies Frolicked at the Anantara Resorts in The Maldives

juliana

9 Feb 2010 | 6:36 am

Most people pick up the newest edition of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue because they want to drool over Brooklyn Decker or Bar Rafaeli in the skimpiest, totally unwearable bathing suits ever fashioned from two scraps of fabric (or seaweed or sand dollars or whatever else is lying around.)But we scope out the SI because we want to know which hotels got lucky with the ladies as SI is always gives the accommodations for its photo shoots major shout-outs (at least on the website.)This year, the luckiest of the bunch has to be the Anantara Resorts in The Maldives. We've always been a big…
New York: Rachel Zoe Moves Her Fashion Week HQ to the Crosby Street Hotel

JetSetCD

9 Feb 2010 | 6:10 am

Bravo reality show star and celeb stylist Rachel Zoe is back in New York City for Fashion Week, and for the third straight season in a row, she's hopped to a new new hotel to set up camp for the week. We learned in the first season of her show—The Rachel Zoe Project—that Rachel usually takes over a suite at the 60 Thompson Hotel, but when the new Thompson LES opened just in time for another fashion week during the filming of the second season of her TV show, she understandably headed downtown to the penthouse there, and appropriately gushed over the slick decor and amazing views.
Henderson: The Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas to Close on May 2

juliana

9 Feb 2010 | 4:20 am

Semi-shocking news for Las Vegas. The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas is reportedly closing down on May 2nd. According to KTNV, the 304 employees at the hotel were given notice yesterday that the resort would be closing. Hotel officials have said that, predictably, the tourist slump in Vegas and the poor economy is to blame. USA Today also reports that the owner of the property, Village Hospitality, has decided to stop funding the place. The reason why this closure is not so shocking is that with so many new rooms open on the Strip that are keeping prices down, it's hard to justify a trip far off…
London: Is the W London Really Running Four Months Late?

juliab

8 Feb 2010 | 2:14 pm

Hmm. Remember how way back last summer, W Hotels announced that their flagship London location would be opening June 1 2010? Well, we haven’t heard anything from them recently. But the website is making us a little doubtful that this will come to pass.

Marriott on the Move
The Dish on Hotel Dining Trends

Marriott on the Move

1 Feb 2010 | 5:14 am

Historically speaking, hotels, for many years, had some of the best and most popular restaurants around. I remember when I was a young boy in grade school, my father used to take me to the Mayflower hotel. They had a fabulous restaurant with a big, beautiful glass chandelier. I remember seeing J. Edgar Hoover, the former head of the FBI, who used to eat lunch there every day. But then, the tide seemed to change and hotel restaurants got a reputation for not showcasing the latest dining trends. People made jokes about the rubber chicken syndrome. My favorite joke takes...
TownePlace Suites Spreads Warmth to Children's Hospitals

Marriott on the Move

22 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pm

A few months ago, I blogged about a nice gift our TownePlace Suites team gave me “Just Because…” The associates at our TownePlace Suites hotels across the country have been doing the same thing for their guests – providing them with a small token or kind gesture “Just Because…” This past holiday season, our TownePlace Suites team took it one step further with a “Real Giving” campaign in their local communities. The brand team and associates from all over the United States made fleece blankets that were donated to local children’s hospitals. Here at our headquarters, many…
The Earthquake in Haiti

Marriott on the Move

14 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pm

The devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday has had aftershocks all over the world. I am currently at our Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where more than a third of our associates at this hotel are Haitian and have been directly affected by this terrible disaster. I talked to several of our associates who are from Haiti. They are struggling with trying to find out what has happened to their families and loved ones. They are very tender and loving people and they are extremely saddened and concerned. They have a group get-together for prayer and song...
Poised to Come Out of the Recession on Top

Marriott on the Move

6 Jan 2010 | 2:36 pm

There’s no doubt that 2009 was a difficult year. But I’m optimistic as we begin the New Year that things will get better. While we’re still very concerned about unemployment and the ability of companies to borrow money, economic activity is picking up. For Marriott, the fourth quarter looked better than we expected outside North America, while things in the U.S. and Canada were also a little better. Leisure travelers are responding to the terrific values we’re offering. We’ve also seen business travel and large meetings start to pick up, which is big for our industry. And nearly all…
What the Movie The Blind Side Meant to Me

Marriott on the Move

29 Dec 2009 | 12:55 pm

My wife Donna and I went to the Saturday afternoon movies again and we saw The Blind Side. It’s based on a true story of an NFL player, Michael Oher, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens here in Maryland where our headquarters is located. It was a wonderful film and conveyed a very important message. Michael was born to a mother who was addicted to drugs and was estranged from his father. He spent much of his childhood and teenage years in various foster homes with very little parental influence in his life and he struggled tremendously in school, when...

The Webinar Blog
How Do You Create Successful Lead Generation Webinars?

Ken Molay

3 Feb 2010 | 7:17 pm

For those of you who love to register for webinars at the last minute, this is your chance! I’m giving a free online seminar at 10 Pacific / 1 Eastern (US times) on Thursday, February 4. I’ll be discussing the secrets of preparing and presenting effective lead generation webinars for business. This is in conjunction with Adobe, so it’s also a good opportunity to see Adobe Connect Pro in action. They are very good about not taking up my education time with product marketing. They run a separate session afterwards for anybody who is interested in learning more about the technology. I…
Webinar Conflicts: Live vs. Recorded

Ken Molay

1 Feb 2010 | 11:15 am

Tim Bourquin wrote a thought-provoking column talking about his company’s use of both live and recorded webinars. Tim is very open and detailed in his description of how they use webinars to boost awareness and revenue and it’s worth reading as a business use case. But he also brings up two major problems he is running into: People are signing up for live webinars just to get the link to the recording. They never plan to attend the live session. There is no sense of urgency driving people to watch recordings. The indefinite availability lowers the priority of ever watching the content.
A Pessimistic Look At Flash

Ken Molay

27 Jan 2010 | 4:28 pm

Dennis Fisher of Kaspersky Labs (a security software vendor) wrote an article this month predicting that miscreants will continue focusing their efforts on exploiting Adobe products in 2010. He refers to Adobe’s Acrobat Reader and Flash, both of which are installed on the overwhelming majority of computers around the world, regardless of operating system. That is important to us in the webinar community because of the trend towards more web conferencing products relying on Flash as their underlying technology platform. Flash offers many advantages for vendors and users alike. Some of my…
How Much Do Webinars Cost?

Ken Molay

25 Jan 2010 | 5:57 pm

I get calls and emails from small businesses, sole proprietors, independent consultants and trainers thinking about trying a webinar to help grow their business. The focus is almost always on one of two scenarios: Lead generation and marketing presentations to help raise awareness and find potential clients, or moving educational classes online to cut costs and reach a wider geographic audience. Invariably the first thing I hear is “How much does it cost to do a webinar?” Nobody ever likes it when I tell them, “It depends on a lot of factors.” But at least I can help guide you in…
What Is A Scented Webinar Like?

Ken Molay

22 Jan 2010 | 1:09 pm

I just finished watching my first “scented webinar” – an educational/marketing production hosted by Tracy Pepe of Nose Knows Consulting. The subject was considerations and effectiveness of scent-based marketing for both business and consumer target audiences. Although I found the content interesting and thought provoking, that’s not what I’m here to write about. I’m not a scent marketer. I was interested in whether the use of scent in a webinar setting would prove effective, and I wanted to see how Nose Knows would handle the logistics. The company took this webinar very…

ConventionPlanit.com Meeting & Events Blog
Send a Friend, Take a Trip

Ashley Spitzer

1 Feb 2010 | 11:17 am

Just announced moments ago… …the new Refer a Meeting Professional Contest, sponsored by The Peppermill Reno Casino Resort Spa! If you’re a frequent user of ConventionPlanit.com, you know what great meeting resources are offered. Why not share the tip and help your meeting planner friends and colleagues save some valuable time? Just for referring fellow meeting professionals to the website, you’re entered to win a trip for two to the all new Peppermill Reno Caisno Resort Spa! Prize Package Includes: -Two nights in the all-new Tuscan Tower suite, complete with European…
Save the Date – Upcoming Industry Tradeshows

Ashley Spitzer

25 Jan 2010 | 7:32 am

Today is the first day in the Washington DC area the temperature has hit 60 degrees since winter kicked in, and we’re already excited for spring! Be sure to mark your calendars for these spring industry events: ASAE & The Center’s Springtime Expo: May 27, Washington DC. Registration is now open! IMEX: May 25-27, Frankfurt, Germany. Meeting planners can apply to attend this worldwide exposition for free through the ConventionPlanit.com Hosted Buyers Group. Contact stephanie.kreps@conventionplanit.com for more information. What event are you most looking forward to? Related…
Event Industry Helping Haiti

Ashley Spitzer

21 Jan 2010 | 11:21 am

Victims of the earthquake in Haiti are still in desperate need of our assistance. While donating to the Red Cross directly is the the best advised method, it is possible to help in other ways. There are several ways the meetings community can donate - Donate Reward Points: Tight on cash? Donate your reward points! Major hotel brands, airlines, and several banks allow you to donate your reward points directly to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts. Click here for a list of participating hotels, airlines, banks and donation instructions. Shop to Support: The Red Cross donates a…
PCMA Annual 2010: The Final Day

maureen-pickell

14 Jan 2010 | 9:30 am

Well, the PCMA 2010 Annual Meeting wrapped up with another strong day of education beginning with a Plenary Session entitled “The State of the Meetings and Travel Industry.” The theme of “cautious optimism” that has run through the conference was reiterated once again – this time with hard numbers presented by Peter Yesawich of YPartnership. His panel included Minaz Abij of Asset Management, Thomas C. Dolan, PhD., CAE, American College of Healthcare Executives, Brian Phillips of FedEx Office, Thomas W. Storey, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Frits van Paasschen of Starwood Hotels…
Tuesday at PCMA Annual 2010

maureen-pickell

13 Jan 2010 | 9:56 am

Your intrepid blogger had another busy day. The sessions at the PCMA annual conference continue to be varied and interesting, beginning with “Beyond Borders: Advanced Solutions for International Meetings.” Roundtable discussion topics ranged from Risk Management and Attendance Building to Budgets and Cost Containment as well as Working with Partners. The goal was to help eliminate the trial and error of international planning by sharing information among participants. Specific issues were introduced and solutions discussed using the expertise of both planners and suppliers. For those of…

Face2Face
Who’s hiring in special events

Sue Pelletier

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

If you’re wondering who’s hiring in special events now, and why, check out this article, which just so happens to be titled Who’s Hiring in Special Events Now–And Why. Some good news is that Special Events found 17 percent of the companies surveyed were planning to hire new employees.
Some thoughts on waiting in line

Sue Pelletier

7 Feb 2010 | 3:19 pm

Just in case your meeting’s registration line ever backs up, this article from today’s Boston Globe will give you a little perspective: Standing in line: The case for our least-favorite activity. I must say that I never looked at waiting in line as a “masterpiece of social cohesion and a civilizational building-block” before!
Sharing about giving back

Sue Pelletier

5 Feb 2010 | 2:35 pm

I love it when people live what they are passionate about. Take my colleague Barbara Scofidio, editor of Corporate Meetings & Incentives,. She has been writing about meetings that give back to their host communities, and meetings-related organizations that help their local communities, for what seems like forever. Now she’s put together a microsite where planners who want to incorporate giving back into their meetings and incentives can go for ideas, tips, how to’s, case studies, resources — and she is committed to continue adding to the site any time she hears of a new…
Flying 101

Sue Pelletier

5 Feb 2010 | 2:26 pm

Click on the photo to enlarge it, then tell me — is this not the best airplane paint job ever? It’s brought to you by Kulula, South Africa’s low-cost airline. (Thanks to Chris Rawlinson!)
Learning from the movies

Sue Pelletier

3 Feb 2010 | 10:59 am

Mike McCallen offers some interesting insights on events he gleaned from the gazillion-ticket-selling movie Avatar. Just what you need to know to make your next meeting a blockbuster (well, this info plus a few hundred million ought to do it).

Webinar Wire
Barrier to Entry: Adobe Connect Pro vs Webex

27 Jan 2010 | 9:00 am

Anyone who talks to me for more than five minutes about webinars knows that I am an Adobe Connect Pro bigot, big time.Dave Walker, the self proclaimed "Connect Guru" from InteSolv illustrates one of Adobe's advantages over Webex in a painful demonstration. Check out the difference between joining an Adobe Connect meeting vs joining a Webex meeting.
Webinars - A Waste Of Time?

21 Jan 2010 | 6:38 pm

Amber Avines says "...after today's useless webinar, I will never waste my time again." She's not talking about wasting her time with a single company or a single topic. She doesn't want to ever attend another webinar, period. Houston, we have a problem. What happened to make Amber say "Somewhere along the line, the word 'webinar' has taken on a negative connotation for me"? She's not talking about the old flame wars regarding the coined terminology. She means that webinars as a business offering have turned her off.And the key complaint? Simplistic content that doesn't…
LearningWare Posts Webinar Survey Results

28 Dec 2009 | 1:46 pm

LearningWare has posted the results of a recent survey about webinar usage and perception. They sent out requests to 15,000 recipients and received over 300 responses.You can go online to see summary results with LearningWare's comments or a full breakdown of responses including write-in responses from participants.Participation was heavily oriented towards training and education webinars, which makes sense since that is the primary market for LearningWare and would have been prevalent on their mailing list.One of the questions that I particularly enjoyed was asking people how they have…
World's Shortest Webinar

19 Nov 2009 | 4:55 pm

I love this idea to death! A company named LogicMonitor put out a press release advertising "The World's Shortest Webinar." Sure, it's a gimmick, but a fun and novel one. They want to demonstrate how fast their product can be configured, so they say they will just start up, do the configuration in a minute or two, and stop.If only they can carry through on this promise. Unfortunately, my experience with technical product marketing leads me to expect that the actual demonstration will be as quick as advertised, but will be sandwiched between another 20 minutes of…
LinkedIn Group For Web Conferencing Professionals

18 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pm

There is now a networking group on LinkedIn for professionals in the web conferencing industry. This should be a good place to discuss news and develoments that impact us all and maybe to do some job posting and hunting (don't ignore that tab!).Click here to join Professionals in Web Conferencing.You need to have an active account on LinkedIn. But honestly, if you are a business professional and don't have a LinkedIn account, you are way behind the curve anyway!

The BusyEvent Blog
Going Green – Is It About Money First?

Brian Slawin

5 Feb 2010 | 7:14 am

Until going green becomes economical, are greenbacks more important than a carbon footprint? The view of many is that buying ‘green’ is consumerism with little ethical sprinkles on top. Our entire economy is structured around built-in obsolescence from dispensable razors to food containers with no reasonable way to recycle them, technology that lasts 18 months and miles of carpet, Cat5 cable, lanyards and badges and all of the brochures at an event that serve their purpose and then are added to the junk heap of our lives after barely a few days of use. Wire’s Marcus Timson, “Until…
10 ways to better, cheaper, faster and greener events in 2010

David Schenberg

3 Jan 2010 | 8:59 pm

10 Ways to Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener Events in 2010 #eventprofs For the events industry, 2010 will be a year of resolutions. It seems the harder times become, the more we resolve to do something about it. And like many New Year’s past, we already know what to do. We just get complacent and forget. This year we don’t have that luxury. The old way of operating an event, expo, congress or trade show will be left behind in the 00’s. Skip the fad diets that promise to deliver quick results and quirky technologies that promise success. Here are our 10 best ways to make your…
Join Us Dec. 15th for the EXPOTECH Virtual Conference

Brian Slawin

10 Dec 2009 | 3:14 pm

We’re going to be online at the EXPOTECH Virtual Conference on Dec 15th, answering questions about our BusyEvent software and our new BeLinkers. Register now to “attend” the conference online.
Are We Still Complaining About That?

Brian Slawin

13 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

#eventprofs #tradeshow Are We Still Complaining About That? The value of tradeshows, relative to their costs, was the topic of a recent blog post by Chris Valentine of the T3 Expo. In it, Chris overviews an article written by Thomas Powers of the Chicago Tribune who looks at a survey of 210 exhibitors at the National Food Processors show and found that 58% considered not exhibiting the following year, while 25% had already decided to drop out of subsequent events because of costs. Sound familiar? Ironically this article was written on July 18….1971! To Chris’ point, “Since then,…
Tools for Changing the Tradeshow Industry

Brian Slawin

11 Nov 2009 | 8:12 am

Changing the Tradeshow Industry with a New Breed of Apps #eventprofs #iaee IAEE – the International Association of Exhibitions and Events – published a very intriguing article about the Changing Tradeshow Industry and a new breed of event applications. As you may know, Expo! Expo! is coming up early December, so the timing for discussions about how the tradeshow and events industry is being improved is perfect. In addition to a variety of tools that are ‘web only’, BusyEvent’s Event Bookmarking System and the use of beLinkers is broadly highlighted. Enjoy!

iGroupNews
DMCs Battle Against Burdensome Taxes

igrouptoday

9 Feb 2010 | 7:08 am

In several states, attempts to classify DMCs as “resellers”—which would result in the collection of sales taxes, including, in some cases, back taxes, penalties, and interest for up to 10 years—are being challenged by the DMC industry. But so far, only DMCs in Texas have been successful in getting their voices heard. In the past three years, virtually every DMC in California has either been audited or has been informed that they will be audited, according to Chris Lee, DMCP, CEO of Access Destination Services, San Diego, and co-founder of the Association of Destination…
Starwood Relocation Hits ‘Illegal’ Snag

igrouptoday

8 Feb 2010 | 5:03 pm

The planned relocation of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. from White Plains, New York, to Stamford, Connecticut, will proceed, despite a potential infrastructure funding roadblock. The Wall Street Journal reports that the US$35 million in infrastructure improvements that Connecticut promised to Starwood as part of a deal to facilitate the move may actually be illegal. Connecticut planned to use federal stimulus money to pay for the improvements, but those funds may not be used in a way that would directly benefit one state over another. The newspaper quotes Elizabeth Oxhorn,…
Dolce Extends ‘Make Us An Offer’ Promotion For Meeting Planners

igrouptoday

8 Feb 2010 | 7:58 am

In response to popular demand, Dolce Hotels and Resorts has extended until March 15 its “Make Us an Offer … Anything Goes” promotion that invites meeting planners to name the price they would pay for meetings and group events at any of its 26 upscale hotels, resorts and conference hotels in North America and Europe. To participate, meeting planners in the United States and Canada should call Dolce toll-free at (800) 57-DOLCE – (800) 573-6523 – or use the online request-for-proposal tool at www.dolce.com or call the Dolce hotel of their choice directly and mention the promotion code…
Incentive Travel Cutbacks Expected To Continue In 2010

igrouptoday

8 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

A new survey from the Incentive Research Foundation and Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine shows that incentive cutbacks create an immediate negative effect on sales and morale — and, over years, can cause companies to lose their top performers. Thirty-two percent of the survey’s 109 respondents reported a negative impact on morale from the “lowered quality” of their companies’ 2009 incentives, and approximately 20 percent reported a negative impact on sales and retention. Significantly more respondents (30 percent vs. 20 percent last year) expect a…
Omni To Launch Luxury Brand

igrouptoday

4 Feb 2010 | 7:16 am

The new luxury boutique hotel brand from Omni Hotels will be loosely based on The Watermark Hotel & Spa in San Antonio, which will be the first property to fly the new Mokara brand flag. The new Mokara Hotels & Spas brand, which will officially launch April 1, will have a focus on wellness and will be positioned to compete with other luxury brands like Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental, according to Mike Garcia, Omni’s senior vice president for development. At least initially, Mokara will be led by the same executive management team as Omni Hotels & Resorts and will operate…

www.speakersite.com
It's Not What You Think

Deanna C. Stevens

Your life's mission, if you to choose to accept it, is probably not what you think. It's not to build monuments to your greatness or amass wealth beyond measure. It's not to have a family and leave a legacy. It's not to gobble up your 15 minutes of fame or go down in history. It's not to win the gold, set the standard, or write a best-selling book. Your mission is to "be the change you want to see in the world" [Gandhi]. It's to wage war against an internal struggle of pride, prejudice, disbelief, and self-doubt. It's about seeing beyond your own boundaries and limitations. It's about…
What To Post on Twitter

Barbara Wayman, APR

Sometimes business users are at a loss as to what to post to their Twitter pages. Twitter used to prompt you with the question, “What are you doing?”, but that led to people posting such statements as, “I am eating a grilled cheese sandwich.” Hardly riveting information. Recently Twitter switched its prompt question to “What’s happening?” perhaps in an attempt to guide users to broader posts. Below are my guidelines to the four main topic areas I recommend to my business clients who use Twitter. Quotes and inspiring thoughts – Because of its limit to 140 characters, Twitter is…
Twitter - Top 5 Myths

Barbara Wayman, APR

Since its beginnings in 2006, Twitter has become the fastest growing social media site in the world. Named for the sound that birds make when they communicate, Twitter was designed as an instant communications network. It allows users to share 140-character posts that describe what they’re doing, reading, learning and finding valuable. Despite a user base in the millions, there are still many myths and misconceptions about what Twitter really is. Below are five myths and truths about Twitter. There’s no content on Twitter, it’s all junk – This is not true, although I must say there is…
5 Ways to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing

Katrina Sawa

This is an obvious message for some of you but is it for all of you? Are there areas you're missing in your marketing where you could be utilizing testimonials in order to give you, your business and your products and services more credibility? Using testimonials in your marketing in various ways is a F.R.E.E. way to compel people to buy from you so you really want to maximize your efforts. First of course you have to HAVE testimonials to show. If you don't have any then ASK your customers for them. If they drag their heels in getting them to you on their own then offer to write them for them…
Smart Women Give Their Clients an Experience

Joy Chudacoff

Last week, my husband Greg and I went mobile phone shopping. I had one of those flip phones that allows you to make phone calls and that’s about it. I couldn’t email anyone or look up anything on the web. I really needed a better way to stay connected!I’ve been with the same mobile phone company for 9 years. Hard to believe, right? I’m slow to commit but once I do, loyal to the end! So the first place I went was to my current carrier’s store to see what they had to offer. When we entered the store, there were a quite a few people waiting and so we got in line and waited our turn.

Cvent Meetings & Events
A Hotel Grows in Brooklyn -- No, Make that 12 Hotels

8 Feb 2010 | 12:57 pm

Brooklyn is about to bust out 2,500 new hotel rooms -- who knew? Known more for it's hipster music scene, grand architecture and slightly-more-space-for-lower-rent charms, Brooklyn has never really been known for it’s plethora of hotel rooms. That's about to change, however, rather dramatically. Although the fair borough hasn’t seen a new hotel opening in years, 2010 will be one that reverses the trend once and for all. As we mentioned last week, The New York Times reported that 46 new hotels -- and the hundreds of new hotel rooms that go along with it -- will be opening in NYC…
Coming Soon: More NYC Views, More Rooms by InterContinental Hotels Group

8 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

InterContinental Hotels Group is headed to west mid-town this summer, bringing with them 607 new guest rooms, plenty of meeting space, and windows -- lots and lots of windows. Slated to open in July, the 36-story InterContinental New York Times Square (now there's a mouthful) promises uninterrupted and expansive views of Manhattan from virtually every guestroom, which, if you've ever scored a room facing a brick wall, should be a particularly strong selling point. In addition to the big views, guest rooms will be fairly spacious by NYC standards, with each averaging 350 square feet,…
Professional Event Management Eliminates Volunteer Burnout

8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

If you want a surefire way to burn out volunteers, try putting together a a major event or conference without the use of professional event management services. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. I've been part of organizations that have attempted to plan, organize, host and even profit from dinner events and major all-day conferences, which we repeatedly were able to pull off, but at a high cost: the future loyalty of any volunteers. People volunteer to help with event planning for a variety of reasons, but never so they can experience frustration and exhaustion. Professional…
Where to Watch the Superbowl in DC

5 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am

It's Superbowl time again and for some people that may mean getting comfortable on your couch, but in the DC area, it is another excuse to have an event, for restaurants and bars to have drink specials, rent out their private rooms and throw a party. Here are some great DC restaurants for your Superbowl events: Argonaut - Celebrating with $10 pitchers of its house-brewed Argonaut Booty beer. All other pitchers will be $15, and wings will be half price. Once the game starts, catch it on one of 10 screens, including a 52-inch HD flat-screen. The Bottom Line - Hosting a cover-free Super Bowl…
Save Time with Cvent's Secure Online Payment Processing

5 Feb 2010 | 9:28 am

As I've been covering our January 2010 release in recent posts, it's obvious that we've unleashed great time-saving tools. Another one I'd like to highlight relates to our secure online payment processing. After your merchant gateway account has been linked to your Cvent account, you can now test the gateway at any time without having to go through the whole process of setting up a test event. We've designed it this way to cut down the number of tedious tasks and to save you time and energy that could best be allocated elsewhere. Just a few clicks of the mouse is all it takes. In the…

TradePub: Meetings & Travel
Avoiding the Compliance Trap for Travel and Expenses

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

Organizations weighing T&E automation should look beyond the value of streamlining the process to solutions that include analytic and reporting features that enforce compliance controls and provide audit evidence while minimizing business risks associated with uncontrolled spending and fraud. These more robust solutions are part of the extended enterprise applications market experiencing greater investment as a result of governance, risk, and compliance requirements. Get the answers to the following questions posed by travel and expense management services provider Concur to Kathleen Wilhide,…
Releasing Resources to Support Growth - The Long-Term Benefits of Finance Transformation

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

CFO Research Services and Concur developed the hypotheses for this research jointly. This study discovers how companies have deployed the savings they've realized so far through their transaction-processing improvement efforts. Our survey of senior finance executives in North America reveals that the finance function has freed time and resources to pursue high-value activities like decision support and financial planning and analysis as a result of transaction-processing automation.We find that transaction-processing improvements are not only valuable because they help companies reduce cost,…
T&E Expense Management: Leveraging Data to Drive Performance

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

The latest Aberdeen Group research indicates that 80 percent of companies surveyed have seen T&E expenses jump by an average of 14 percent in the last year alone! Best-in-class organizations leverage key technologies and process to achieve:95 percent compliance to corporate T&E policiesOnline booking costs 40 percent lower than their competitors62 percent lower processing costs for expense reports than all othersDownload the Aberdeen Group's report, T&E Expense Management: Leveraging Data to Drive Performance, to learn about the benefits of connecting travel booking and expense reporting with…
Travel and Procurement: The Convergence

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

According to a recent Aberdeen Group survey, companies that don't use an integrated travel and entertainment (T&E) expense management service, like Concur Travel & Expense, are falling behind in almost every measure of financial management.Aberdeen refers to these companies as "laggards" and presents figures showing that they pay 37 percent more to process their expense reports, they take three times longer to reimburse employees, and they're essentially working in the dark when it comes to controlling travel expenditures. Plus, Aberdeen estimates that almost one of every five T&E expenses…
Amplifying the Value of Travel & Expense Automation

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

Despite the fact that billions of dollars per year are spent on business travel and entertainment (T&E) by employees on behalf of their organizations:Many companies are still not maximizing the value of that spend because they're relying on multiple processes and solutions to manage their T&E.T&E is an area of spend that for many companies is the second largest controllable cost after payroll.Why is Travel and Expense Management still viewed as separate function by most organizations?Request Free!

NicoleJensen.Com
It’s been a long time!

Nikki J

29 Jan 2010 | 6:59 pm

Hi there, readers! It’s been ages since I last wrote here due to a number of reasons of which I shall fill you in on now and then some things you can see from me this year. Brisbane Twestival Local, September 2009 Oh, Christ! How this was a busy time for me. I wish I’d written about this earlier. But it pretty much went off with a bang and I’m still proud of how everyone worked well on it. My first major event as king pin and I think I did a pretty good job, despite my more natural outlook of criticising my hard work to the dickens. March 2010 will see Twestival Global…
Volunteer Call: Australian University Games

Nikki J

23 Sep 2009 | 12:27 am

Another 150 helpers needed to assist with record numbers for the Australian University Games, Gold Coast. The Australian University Games are only four days away and the organisers need volunteer support. Every year Australian University Sport offers hundreds of volunteer positions at their sporting events. Whether it be in administration, operations, transport, marketing, media, sports specific, or just generally helping out there is a role for everyone. Volunteering is a great way to gain experience, meet new people and be involved in fantastic sporting events. There are roles available…
Sounds of Spring, Volunteer Team Leader

Nikki J

15 Sep 2009 | 2:22 am

Next Saturday I will be giving up my day to lead a team of 10 volunteers at the Brisbane music festival Sounds of Spring. Pretty cool, huh? I’ll be starting early in the morning and going until midnight, but it will be worth it. Acts such as Little Birdy, I Heart Hiroshima, The Living End, Tim Rogers, Hungry Kids of Hungary, The Beautiful Girls, Drawn From Bees, Shihad… and stacks more. Shall be fun seeing what goes down there behind the scenes. Rad!
An Award Nomination

Nikki J

12 Sep 2009 | 9:32 am

I thought I’d take a minute out of my post-BNEtwestival relaxation to announce something I didn’t expect. I’ve been nominated to win the Best New Blog category in Ready2Spark’s EventProfs Blog Awards 2009! This means that this very prominant and active event professionals online network says that my blog is kinda awesome. The competition for this claim in my category is a little intimidating though… Event measurement 411 Experiential marketing 2.0 Savvy Says Bride Tide blog Bridalease This could be tricky! Voting commences by September 14th and closes on the…
My World Vision Child

Nikki J

7 Sep 2009 | 6:50 pm

A few years ago in high school I raised funds for the Make Poverty History campaign. It really made me realize how much of a terrible issue poverty is in the world. So I did the teenage thing and invoked my parents to support my hope to sponsor a child. And so they did. I’ve been sponsoring and writing to a darling little girl named Desta and her community in Ethiopia. It’s been great. She turns 10 years old in January so I’m sending a birthday card by the end of this week. My mother has most of the letters at her home and it’s been good to learn about life in Ethiopia…

Behind the Scenes Events
Long View Gallery

30 Jan 2010 | 3:24 pm

If you follow us on Twitter, you already know that we finally found our way into Long View Gallery this week. And what else can we but, 'It was love at first sight!'Long View Gallery has been a fixture in DC's Shaw neighborhood since opening the doors of its inaugural location in 2006. Fast forward to October of 2009 ... and you'll find Long View Gallery nestled amongst the town homes at 1234 9th Street, NW at its new location. It's rather tough to miss. The royal purple painted brick, vibrant green doorway and glass roll-up entree easily give it away.Focused on promoting the DC area's…
The Power of Lighting

23 Jan 2010 | 1:34 pm

We watched as an ordinary room with white walls and a gray floor was transformed today. As a stark and unassuming space succumbed to a team of lighting professionals who, in a matter of a mere hour, turned what was once everyday conference space into an elegantly lit sanctuary. A space that would at one moment, serve as the location of a celebratory dinner party, and that would later transform into a beat-infused night club.Step back and watch this type of transformation and you'll agree ... we simply can't say enough about the power of lighting in creating the perfect ambiance at an event.
The St. Regis Washington, D.C.

19 Jan 2010 | 5:40 pm

Our owner got stuck in a horrible rain storm a while back. The kind of rain that beats so heavily it makes the dye in your dress run down your legs. It poured, and not just for a brief moment, but for hours straight.Caught in the rain without an umbrella and headed to a client meeting, she hopped from store front to bus stop ... eventually ending up under the awning of the St. Regis Hotel. Eying for the next spot to run to, she was surprised to see the doors to the hotel open and a smiling staff member beckoning her in. She tried to explain that she didn't belong there, that her meeting was…
Junior Achievement 'Washington Hall of Fame'

4 Dec 2009 | 3:15 pm

Tuesday evening, Behind the Scenes Events produced Junior Achievement's Washington Hall of Fame Gala. With over 1,100 guests in attendance and over $1.2M raised for JA's financial literacy programming, the event was a huge success!The evening was kid-centric: black-tie clad guests were greeted by JA students from elementary schools in Virginia and Maryland; the show was kicked off by an 8-year old songstress belting out 'God Bless America'; and the evening's honorees were escorted on-stage by DC-area school children.The room visuals were simple but elegant. Decorative swags of natural muslin,…
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

15 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

Last evening, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation held their annual Breath of Life Gala and it was simply a stunner of an event. They transformed the illustrious National Building Museum with a feminine flair that began as you arrived ... delicate floating orchids welcomed you up the front walkway, beckoning you towards a string quartet that greeted guests upon entering the foyer. And the details and luxury just kept coming from there!Wispy white drapery cordoned off the three party rooms, partitioning the three corridors of the museum into reception, dining and after party spaces while this…

The Cytower
Thanks for being our readers!

CDP Staff

19 Jan 2010 | 3:41 pm

Concept Design Productions is committed to reaching out to it's customers in every way possible. Over the last 12 months we have published a company blog called "The Cytower" and we have measured the statistics reflecting the interaction of our marketplace. We discovered, to our surprise, that although it was an active forum for sharing industry information, it did not attract a reasonable population of our customers or referrers. As a group, they are busy producing shows and events, not reading blog posts. We learn and evolve. This is the last posting for the "Cytower." If you wish to stay…
Top Designs of 2009

CDP Staff

21 Dec 2009 | 1:50 pm

Happy Holidays from all of us at Concept Design Productions! As we wind down the year, enjoy a slide show of some of our best stage show designs of 2009.
Friday Roundup: Issue 35

CDP Staff

17 Dec 2009 | 3:52 pm

Every Friday we corral the latest industry news and happenings from around the web and dish it up with a side of baked beans and cornbread. Mmmm... cornbread. Here's the juice:Elizabeth Weaver shares how she gets the most out of her conferences using Twitter. (Thanks for Playing)This new online social media tool will help you attract more attendees to your events. (Event Coup)Marketing executives look to branding alternatives as exhibit spending declines. ( Association Meetings)Industry leaders call on their experiences to give us 10 effective tools to ride out the recession. (Special Events)
Best of the Blog 2009

CDP Staff

14 Dec 2009 | 9:56 am

It's our one-year anniversary of The Cytower Blog and we're dishing up the best posts from 2009. So grab a hot chocolate and kick your feet up, here are the highlights from this past year...
Friday Roundup: Issue 34

CDP Staff

4 Dec 2009 | 6:11 am

Every Friday we corral the latest industry news and happenings from around the web and dish it up with a side of baked beans and cornbread. Mmmm... cornbread. Here's the juice:Judith Lindenau shares a great slide presentation about making the most out of your next meeting. (Judith Lindenau)Think you need social media at every event? Event Manager Blog shares some reasons why this may not always be true. (Event Manager Blog)Face-to-face meetings and the digital world collide as the social media takes center stage. (Interactive Meeting Technology)New technology from Microsoft enables exhibitors…

Party Ideas Blog
Feb 4, Art Party

3 Feb 2010 | 10:14 pm

Fun and easy kid party ideas for a art party, based on some very successful real parties!
Feb 3, Glow Olympics

3 Feb 2010 | 10:23 am

Turn your olympics party into a glow olympics for a fun blacklight party idea.
Feb 3, Adult Party Game Ideas

3 Feb 2010 | 8:26 am

Adult party game ideas - our collection includes lots of games that are easy and fun!
Feb 3, Adult Birthday Party Games and Ideas

2 Feb 2010 | 9:28 pm

Adult birthday party games, themes and ideas to make any milestone special.
Feb 2, A Film Themed Party!

2 Feb 2010 | 8:34 am

To have a film themed party, pick you favourite film, or a classic film. Then give everyone a seperate character from the film you decided to theme your

FACTOR168
Super Ads for the 2010 Super Bowl

Michael Seltz

8 Feb 2010 | 2:50 am

Every year the American’s stage the Super Bowl… I understand there is some Gridiron football involved and apparently today the New Orlean’s Saints had a famous win… but for the rest of the western world, the superbowl is all about the sideshow event – commercials. This year was not any different and the Forbes website have been kind enough to provide a digital selection of some of these television advertising commercials for you to review, consider, muse upon and hopefully enjoy. Oh, and buy their stuff! Which ad worked best for you? And importantly which ad…
Don’t Get On the Plane David Tutera!

Jacinta Cribb

2 Feb 2010 | 2:52 am

Celebrity New York wedding planner David Tutera has found himself in a spot of PR bother. A number of newswire reports claim he took more than AUD$224,000 from a Singapore couple in return for his creative expertise but didn’t actually show up at the event. In fact – it is further claimed that he sabotaged the wedding by instructing vendors not to fulfill contractual obligations. A USA news report quotes a Tutera spokeswoman who said that he bailed on the event after the bride’s dad complained about the bloated budget… at the time Tutera was calling regarding a missed…
Happy Chinese New Year

Jackson Li

27 Jan 2010 | 11:29 pm

One of our clients we contract to is a global live communications agency with a significant presence within the exhibition services sector and a growing presence within the design/delivery of events. Uniplan – German ownership, heavy China presence. They do nice work. In a short number of weeks we will have said goodbye to the Year of the Ox and will welcome the Year of the significantly cooler Tiger. Grrrrrrrowl. So with that in mind, we simply couldn’t resist sharing this festive image produced by the talented artisians within the Hong Kong office following Germanic…
What We Need Is Rubber Ducks!

Greg Harris

24 Jan 2010 | 12:37 am

Close Rubber Ducky, you’re the one, You make bathtime lots of fun, Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you; (Woo woo be doo) Seriously who doesn’t like Rubber Ducks. In fact according to some – Rubber Ducks and Fundraising Events are a perfect match! If you’re looking for a great charity fundraising idea, then organising a rubber duck race for a charity fund raising event is the perfect idea! A rubber duck race is easy to set up, wholesale rubber ducks are quite cheap to buy and you can make a good profit for your charity. People love watching rubber ducks float…
Cougars fly Air NZ

Darren Kerr

22 Jan 2010 | 2:04 am

Recently Air New Zealand found themselves in some hot water over an advertisement shot as a faux-nature documentary about Cougars and their younger prey. Some declared the advertisement was disgusting and degrading and promoted sexually predatory behaviour. Almost everyone else, certainly all my peers, saw it as witty and funny and just plain smart viral marketing in action. What do you think? Does this seriously promote and celebrate negative practices or is it yet another victim of political correctness run rampant… and do you think the makers of this clip kinda knew it would…

Experiential Marketing 2.0
Embrace The Chaos! Experiential Marketing In The Real World

ianmcg

8 Feb 2010 | 7:36 am

There once was a time when experience simply referred to one’s reaction to a physical environment at a specific time and place. In the late 80’s and early 90’s we started hearing about user experience (UX) as it related to a person’s interaction with software on a computer or website. Now as we think about virtual worlds, virtual events, hybrid events, online gaming, social media, digital interaction and mobile devices, experiences have become quite complex. During virtually every conversation we are attempting to have with our audiences, we are competing with their…
Building Brand Through Event Marketing

ianmcg

26 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

Branding. In event marketing it’s more than plastering your logo on a pen, sponsoring a lunch or hanging the largest banner allowed by show management over your booth. To truly build a brand that leaves an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of audiences, event marketers must adopt a more strategic, holistic approach. Think of it this way. People build perceptions through five lenses: emotion, reason, knowledge, personality and experience. It is exceedingly difficult to effectively address these through logos, signage and the like. To truly build a positive brand impression…
8 Ways To Use MySpace For Events

ianmcg

8 Jan 2010 | 6:59 am

As of late, there has been some discussion discounting MySpace as a viable channel for marketing. While Facebook has skyrocketed globally to more than 300 million users, MySpace has still been quietly delivering millions of visitors every month. According to Quantcast, as of November 2009, MySpace has just under 60 million regular users per month, making it the second largest social network in the US. 57% of users are female and 43% are male. As far as age is concerned, 46% of MySpace visitors are 18-34, followed by 13-17 at 26% and 35-49 at 17%. MySpace also boasts a large Hispanic and…
Demand Generation: The Anatomy Of A Lead

ianmcg

14 Dec 2009 | 4:00 am

I just went through an interesting exercise with one of my favorite clients. We worked together to define who, or what, is a lead. We reviewed all the usual suspects (people who provide valid contact information, people who opt in, people who are BANT qualified, etc.). We also worked through what constituted a hot, warm or cold lead. We were fortunate to have both sales and marketing teams participate in the process. As a result, we came up with a customized model that will not only work for the campaign we have planned, but will also inform all of their other sales and marketing efforts. The…
Google Wave: The Future of Event Engagement?

ianmcg

15 Nov 2009 | 6:27 am

Mashable recently published “Google Wave: Better than Twitter for Conference Chatter” by Charlie Osmond at Freshworks. At first pass this article made a lot of sense. Charlie talks about how #hashtags aren’t an ideal way for people to share relevant content, and that the wiki-like interface of Google Wave makes it quite easy for users to share information of all kinds, effortlessly. This creates a more optimized platform for conference back chatter. After watching the above video and spending some time checking out Google Wave (many thanks to Mike McCurry for the invitation)…

McCurry's Corner
Eventprofs Tribe Meets for First Time — Event Camp 2010!

Michael M McCurry CMP

8 Feb 2010 | 2:15 pm

When I was in grade school, I was very active in an organization called “Indian guides.” I learned about the concepts of fellowship, camping and community-building activities. (including craft-making and community service) In the program we earned patches, for achieving various goals, such as “completing a nature hike,” or participating together in some sort of “community event.” For my next learning adventure I joined the Scouting program, first with the Cub Scouts, then later on with the Boy Scouts of America. This was one of the most value-rich…
Event Camp Here I Come!

Michael M McCurry CMP

4 Feb 2010 | 5:15 pm

It is hard to believe the big day has finally arrived. Tomorrow morning I board a flight at O’Hare to New York City. I am headed to Event Camp 2010. As I mentioned in yesterday’s article this “Unconference” will feature some of the finest “outside of the box” thought leaders in the events business, both on the presenter and attendee side. While the program is only one day long it is action-packed. Sessions will be provided in an interactive format and a good portion of the day’s activities will be webcast, lending a hybrid feel to the event.
Event Camp 2010 –Two Days Till Showtime!

Michael M McCurry CMP

3 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am

I am really fired up about this weekend’s (Saturday, 2/6) Event Camp 2010 at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. An intimate group, nearly 50 people, are registered to attend this cutting edge event. While the attendance numbers are not huge the quality of participants is amazing. For those of you familiar with the Twitter Hashtag community “#EventProfs” many regulars from this group of professionals are attending Event Camp. For those people unable to attend the event a live webcast is being offered for many of the sessions, thanks to the generous sponsorship support of…
Help PCMA Crowdsource Session Topics For June Education Conference!

Michael M McCurry CMP

1 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

I read an article today written by one of my online colleagues that was very timely. Lara McCulloch-Carter, in her Blog post “Ten Creative Crowdsourcing Ideas For Event Planners,“ offers some great insight into best practices, for leveraging the collective knowledge and creativity of your event audience. As Lara’s article stated, according to Wikipedia the definition of Crowdsourcing is “the act of taking tasks traditionally performed by an employee or contractor and outsourcing them to a group of people or community through an open call to a large group of people (a crowd)…
Adversity & Open Mind Leads To Innovation

Michael M McCurry CMP

31 Jan 2010 | 6:31 am

Earlier, this past week, I unfortunately injured my left wrist. Subsequently, the pain has been so intense, for the past several days, that I have not been able to use the keyboard on my computer. This morning it occurred to me there must be a speech recognition application available, that could facilitate my being productive, while my wrist is healing. To my delight I discovered Microsoft Office has this functionality built into its software suite. For more information regarding use of voice recognition with Microsoft office please visit their website clicking here. After about fifteen…

Trade Show Institute
What’s the worst that could happen?

tracibrowne

3 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

I think I now know the answer to “What’s the worst that could happen?” We had a lot of answers to this question when my partner and I considered planning a brand new consumer show. Things like, a tornado rips through the venue the day before the event. No one shows up. Too many people show up. And many many others. We did not however think of what actually did happen. About six months before our event our title sponsor became front page news. And not in a good way either. Something had gone terribly wrong and people were talking about it. It was on every news station…
Part I Exhibit Booths – What’s up with that?

tracibrowne

28 Jan 2010 | 6:18 am

Here at Red Cedar Marketing we really don’t get too involved with companies’ actual physical booth structures. We worry about what goes on inside the booth–the strategy, the sales, the lead qualification, etc. I honestly do not know what our friends at exhibit houses are talking about half the time. If a client asks me a question, I pick up the phone to one of my industry friends and they give me the answer. So I thought I’d do a short little series on the most asked questions I get about booths (or that I have about booths…I’m learning here too) and…
Imagine how you could use social media to rally for your clients.

tracibrowne

23 Jan 2010 | 11:41 am

The #eventprofs community on twitter is a close knit group always ready to help others. They welcome new members and never tired of the ones who’ve been around for a while. This was demonstrated recently when fellow event professional Christina Stallings @MsStallings wanted to go to Event Camp 2010 in NYC but was short funds to fly up for the weekend. Christina asked the community for help. She set up an account on ChipIn and asked her tweeps to chip in some funds to help get her to the event. Everyone in the community went to work re-tweeting her call for help. Within hours…
Afraid of a little competition?

tracibrowne

22 Jan 2010 | 11:51 am

Most recent comment from a new exhibitor…. “Why would I want to go to a show where all my competition is exhibiting? Shouldn’t I be going where they are not?” There are so many answers and angles to this question. First, “shouldn’t I be going where they are not?” Doesn’t it make you wonder why they are not there? It is certainly possible that you are an industry genius seeing an opportunity where your competition does not. It is more likely that there is no opportunity there. The show may match your target market as far as industry is concerned but you need to look at who is…
Thoughts on Exhibitor Advisory Councils

tracibrowne

20 Jan 2010 | 7:58 am

Christina Stallings interviewed me this week about the worth of Exhibitor Advisory Councils on her blog Light Bulb Moments. You can read “rookie picks a tradeshow veteran’s brain”