Event Manager Blog

Twitter & Twitterfeed: A Delicate Balance

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:08:00 -0700

Summary: Twitterfeed is a great tool with many advantages but it does have its drawbacks. No 2 human beings can ever be entirely in sync about everything. If you share other people's content with your followers through Twitterfeed or any automated tool, sooner or later, someone is going to post content on their blog or in their periodical that you feel you can't endorse. What are some strategies for handling it when it finally happens to you? Here are some lessons from the school of hard knocks.

Twitterfeed: Balancing Pros and Cons

Twitterfeed has a lot going for it. It's a fabulous tool. I discovered it quite a while back and immediately started to use it. In fact, I discussed it in-depth in last fall's Social Media Marketing for Event Planners Event Coup series.

Twitterfeed Pros

Twitterfeed and other automated tools help you ensure that your content is visible.Twitter moves quickly. If you don't tweet regularly, your tweets will disappear from the global tweetsream before you know it. It is impossible to sit at your computer or to be constantly checking your Blackberry or Ipad 24/7 to manually tweet information. Once you set up your Twitterfeeds, you can distribute content round the clock.

Twitterfeed makes it easy to distribute your blogs and articles to a wider audience.
It gives small to medium bloggers and periodicals the advantages of syndication that were previously enjoyed only by major media outlets. Even while you're sleeping your content can be distributed to followers in other time zones quickly and easily.

Once you have a following, with Twitterfeed is a great way of ensuring that your followers have access to the very best articles and videos from blogs, magazines, and news sources around the globe.
Never before has it been so easy to tailor content to your readers and followers.

With Twitterfeed, you can hashtags automate and categorize your Tweets to help other Twitter users easily locate content that is of relevance and interest to them.

Twitterfeed is easy to use.
There is almost no learning curve. The site provides instructions and you can be up and running in no time

A Twitterfeed Lesson From the School of Hard Knocks

In fact I could think of no downside to Twitterfeed until today. Here is what happened.

I returned home from church and decided to log on to Twitter for a few moments. When I checked my tweetstream, I was absolutely horrfied. @outspokenmedia had posted a new article on their blog. Their blog has some great content including marketing tips and the latest perspectives on social media use. In fact, I felt their content was so innovative ad outstanding that it was one of the first blogs I added when I first discovered Twitterfeed. Unfortunately, today the title was a shocker. I won't repeat it but it was certainly well beyond my zone of comfort.

I can just hear some readers thinking "Bwoy she gwan prudish". (Translation: "Man she's prudish".) I'm originally from Jamaica so please indulge my Jamaican patois in situations like this.

Now a lot of their followers LOVED it. They found it bold, edgy, cheeky, in your face, and refreshing. It fits the tagline on their Twitter profile. What I call disgusting, some people call provocative. It's generated some buzz, people are talking about it and it's getting their name out there even more. They have over 9,500 followers so clearly, a lot of people love their approach and there were many positive comments about their tweet and article.

Let's face it, when we take a risk, it generates a variety of reactions. Some will like what we have, others won't.It's just not the kind of headline that I want out there associated with my name when prospective clients are considering using my services. It's a personal preference. Another example would be profanity. Some people are fine with it, others aren't. When Richard Branson was in Montreal for the F1 in June, he was quoted using profanity. Donald Trump has been beeped on Celebrity Apprentice. It may not be my cup of tea but this hasn't stopped either of these executives from being HIGHLY successful.

Normally, with Twitter, if I see something in my tweetstream that doesn't fit my personal tastes of values I just delete it. I tried to delete the tweet but it took MANY attempts. I've noticed this has been happening with Twitter of late. In fact, the only way I could get the deletion to stick was to tweet something else and then go back and delete the Twitterfeed tweet. I noice the same thing happens sometimes with Tweet Chat.

Problem solved...so I thought. After all, it was late Sunday morning. Likely no one would be around to see it. I tweet a lot of content. Even when there is is something I really want to get out there and I tweet it many times, very little of it gets re-tweeted. Just to be on the safe side, I checked my mentions and re-tweets. Horror of horrors, not only had that tweet been re-tweeted by about half a dozen people, a couple had negative reactions to it and 1 person had sent it out on 2 accounts as a re-tweet using MY NAME rather than my Twitter ID. Talk about a reputation management nightmare. Visions of a mass exodous of followers danced in my head. I couldn't understand how that happened. I have since determined how that happened. To make it easier for people to find me, my FriendFeed is in my personal name rather than my company name. That tweet went instantly from Twitterfeed to Twitter to Friendfeed to Google. OUCH!

Twitterfeed Caution

So my take away from all of this is that while Twitterfeed is a fantastic tool, it shares 2 great drawbacks with other social media automation tools.

With Twitterfeed and other automated tools, you have no opportunity to see and approve content before it's tweeted.
Since no one has control over what another person posts in their blog, magazine or newspaper, it's a risky proposition.

Once a Tweet is out there, it's out there.
You have no control over what other Twitter users do with it. It can end up in Google within 3 minutes and, after months of longing for Twitoaster to pick up some of your content, the very thing that you don't want out there can be what gets distributed.

Google appears to be very selective. There are popular topics about which I tweet on a regular basis. I have longed for Google to have "Latest Results" for those topics to give me more exposure. It doesn't. You guessed it. Google now has "Latest Results" on the first page of search results for MY name and a link that you can click to get EVEN MORE.

I've done some acting but I'm not a celebrity. I Googled some famous Canadian celebrities like "Art Hindle" and "Drake". Art and Drake didn't have a "Latest Results" section and neither did any of the other Canadian celebrities I checked. In fact, not even Lady Gaga has a "Latest Results" section on the first 3 pages of search results for HER name in Google. What maked me so special? I guess I should be flattered that Google feels that I am more important than top celebrities and popular topics but the timing couldn't be worse. Now if a prospective client is checking me out by name, they can access my latest Twitter results on the first page. If they look for my company, they'll find my Twitoaster conversations. That's good news as I can be certain that some of the content I want to release gets out there but there are downsides when technology goes wrong.

Damage Control: What to do When Automation Goes Wrong

As the Internet matures, there will be many tools that make our lives easier and allow us to get our content to wider audiences. Automation is a great advantage but it does have its drawback.What should you do if something gets sent into cyberspace with your name attached?

Monitor what's out there on a regular basis.
. Check your Tweetstream a couple of times a day (by clicking on your User ID or "Profile" in Twitter. Have a look at your Friendfeed. Monitor the conversations that are ending up in Twitoaster.
Never leave Twitter or any other Internet account where you have some automated processes on automatic pilot for too long
When content is released with which you would not want to have your name associated, delete it as soon as you see it.
Ask people who re-tweeted it to delete it.
Most people are good at heart and they'll help you out.
Apologize
Make sure that your followers know that the content did not have your blessing and apologize for the inconvenience.
Immediately send out more content to replace what shows up in "recent results"
Get your blogs out there and add your name as an author. Release new content. Re-tweet positive content with your name or company name.
After you're finished freaking out (I have), find the humour in the situation.
Remember this too will pass.
If you have a blog, blog about it

Preventative Strategies

How can you prevent a reputation management crisis from happening in the first place? There are no foolproof strategies but there are a few things you can try to minimize risk

Ensure that your Friendfeed is in the same name as your Twitter account
Consider setting up a separate Twitter and Friendfeed for personal content
Be clear about your boundaries and what is outside your zone of comfort
For me that includes expletives, profanity, and suggestive content
Thoroughly examine the archives for blogs, magazines, newspapers, and other content sources you are thinking of adding to your Twitterfeed to ensure that the tone and content are within your zone of content.
I did that but it wasn't enough.
Have a look at the Tweetstream for the individuals who publish the blogs to get clues about tone
Monitor the content that is shared through your Twitterfeed at least twice per day
Immediately delete anything that is outside your zone of comfort or that you feel would offend your followers
Remove RSS Feeds from your Twitterfeed and revert to manual tweets and re-tweets if something beyond your zone of comfort has been published.

Next Steps

Do a Google search for your name and see if latest results are showing up yet.
If they are monitor them on a regular basis.
Check out your Tweetstream and delete any Twitterfeed tweets that don't have your blessing
Get your message out there with new content, as quickly as possible
If you have had similar experiences, please share them in comments with lessons learned so that we all can benefit.

As for , I still love them but they're off my Twitterfeed. No one could ever accuse these gals of not having spunk. To be on the safe side, from now on I think I'll just re-tweet some of the great content they put out there manually.

Photo Credits: Twitterfeed Images Tony Haile

Photo Credits: Shocked Photo pfaff

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Event Planning: When Clients Ignore Advice - Lessons From the G20 Summit

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:56:00 -0700

Summary: When a client hires an event planner based on their expertise and experience and then proceeds to disregard advice, it's every event planner's worst nightmare. This usually results in logistical challenges, skyrocketing costs, attendee discomfort, and dissatisfaction. No where is this more evident than when there is fallout from high profile events like the 2010 G20 Summit. Let's look at some lessons that we can learn from this and other high profile events.

Event Planning Fallout: When Clients Ignore Professional Advice

Lessons from the 2010 G20 Summit

Photo Credit: scolirk @scolirk

It has been said that "He who pays the piper plays the tune". Every event is the client's event and, ultimately, the client has the right to make final decisions and "call the shots". Unfortunately, some clients get so caught up in their vision of an event that they forget that event planners aren't just there to do their bidding. Their role is make you look good by:

ensuring alignment with corporate strategy (so event planners need access to decision makers and key stakeholders)
helping you avoid mistakes and bad decisions
designing and executing a plan for smooth successful execution of your event

Think of professional event planners, consultants, and local experts as your "fallout shelter". Their advice can shelter you from negative fallout from your event but it will only work if you listen. It is suprising how often clients pay for professional advice and then disregard it. It's even harder to understand why this happens. I hope that after reading this you'll share your comments and perspective.

I run a Toronto based business consulting, team building, and event planning firm. While I facilitate retreats and organize events all over the world, I have lived in Toronto for over 20 years.The usual calm has been returned to downtown Toronto. Last weekend, I watched in horror as a textbook example of what happens when clients ignore the advice of professional experts was played out on the streets of Toronto in FULL view of the world.

3 Poor Decisions with Major Negative Fallout

Yes the G20 was a high profile international summit but first and foremost, it was an event. It was a very large and high profile leadership retreat or conference similar to what corporation and associations around the world organize on a regular basis.

Through this mega leardership retreat, I saw repeated with disastrous results some of the mistake event planners see clients make when they disregard advice. I would like to call it a comedy of error but it was beyond laughable and far from funny. The poor decisions were numerous but I will focus on the three that had the greatest negative fallout.

1. Selecting the wrong venues.

The selection of an event venue is one of the most important decisions any client can make. Select the wrong venue and you will be plagued with a host of logistical challenges that can derail your event. A critical error that many clients make is disregarding an event planner's advice about venue selection. A professional event planner takes many factors into account when recommending a hotel or other venue:

ease of access including traffic to and from the venue
ease of logistics within the venue
parking
security
catering and staff access
proximity to required activities and resources

When clients ignore advice about venue, this can complicate event logistics and significantly inflate event costs.

2010 G20 Summit Fallout 1:

Tuesday's Toronto Star headline said it all and I'm glad that Toronto's Mayor David Miller had the guts to blow the whistle on this one:

Toronto’s advice ignored on G20, Miller says

Summit moved from CNE to downtown over Toronto’s objections, mayor says

The original plan had been to hold the G8 and G20 summits in the Muskokas and give dignitaries and journalist a real taste of what Ontario had to offer. Somewhere along the line, the plan was changed and the G20 Summit was re-located to Toronto

Based on the feedback provided by Mayor David Miller, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his team completely disregarded advice about the appropriate venue for the G20 Summit. Toronto Mayor David Miller reccommended the CNE grounds. Any Toronto resident knows that this would have been a great site. The CNE grounds are located to the West of the downtown core and away from heavy congestion and the heavy flow of traffic. A summit at that location would have been far less disruptive than staging such a high profile event in Toronto's downtown core.

Security was a major factor in venue selection and it would have been very easy to secure the CNE. The CNE grounds cover a huge enclosed area and a lot of it is already already fenced in. For example, the Princess Gates is the access point from the East.

The area could have been secured at a much lower pricetag than putting up a fence to cordon off part of Toronto's downtown Core. The CNE has a number of event spaces including the Colisium that is used every year for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The Colisium has a huge arena and ample space in it's various exhibition halls. It's also an easy space for staff access. Caterers and other staff could have entered through the Dufferin Gates leaving the Princess Gates for Heads of State and other VIPs. There are 2 access routes to the CNE Grounds, The Gardner Expressway and Lakeshore Blvd. Lakeshore Blvd. could easily have been blocked off from Yonge Street to to Parkside just West of Palais Royale and local traffic could have flowed comfortably on The Gardniner. Finally, parking is ample and would have been more than sufficient to meet all requirements.

Bonus: Since part of the goal was to give dignitaries and journalists a taste of Toronto and Ontario, instead of wasting money on a fake lake, part of the CNE midway could have been used to stage a mini-Canadian National Exhibition one evening. Someone just wasn't being creative enough.

2010 G20 Summit Lesson 1: Follow the advice of professional event planners & other LOCAL experts when you select your event venue. Failure to bring key stakeholders into the loop andheed their advice can cause your plan to unravel.

2. Substituting fake environments for real "Green" ones.

In Event Manager Blog, which was replaced by Event Coup have previously blogged about:

5 Wrong Moves that Could Derail Your Corporate Event

These "wrong moves" apply even more to high profile events with international visibility. In that article, I discussed the fact that some clients disregard the advice of event planners and select hotels that are far away from the activities they want to provide for their group. Foreign clients who have never set foot in a destination are particularly guilty of this. I've never understood why a client would disregard the advice of a local expert when they have never even been to a destination. It boggles the mind. As a result of these poor decisions, I watched groups endure great discomfort and hours of travel or sitting in gridlock. It's so unneccesary. Related to the ludicrous practice of selecting accommodation far away from desired activities and attractions, is the even more absurd tendency of substituting fake environments for real ones.

2010 G20 Summit Fallout 2:

There has been a lot of negative media coverage as well as public outcry about the $58,000 that was spend to a fake lake in the G20 Media Centre at the CNE's Direct Energy Centre. The intent was to give journalists a taste of Ontario. This could have been accomplished at far less expense by housing the media centre at venues on Lake Ontario. This next clip discusses the issue and provides a view of the "fake lake".

The absurd part of the decision to create a "fake lake" is that Ontario Place with its huge Atlantis Pavilions is located across on the other side of Lakeshore Boulevard where the CNE's Direct Energy was used for the media centre. The view of Toronto from Ontario Place and the floor to ceiling windows of the Atlanis Pavilions is a journalist's dream.

I spoke with Jennifer Kerr, Manager, Media Relations for Ontario Place. She made it clear Ontario Place had no role any of the G20 Summit planning or decisions. She also indicated that "Ontario Place always has been and always will be media friendly". In fact, Ontario Place had extended an invitation G20 Media attache and welcomed journalists to tape their reports on Ontario Place grounds against the stunning backdrop of Toronto and, yes, Lake Ontario.

This clip filmed by a Toronto TV news reporter at the Fake Lake is hillarious.

For readers who have never been to Ontario, here is a preview of a real, truly "green" Muskoka lake experience:

Journalists could have had experienced a real Ontario lake with a lakeside location for the media centre. If Ontario Place was not big enough, there are a number of lakeside private clubs (The Boulevard Club, Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club) as well as the Palais Royale which could have been rented. They are acccesible from Lakeshore Blvd. and they fall within the area that I suggested as appropriate to cordon off for the G20 Summit. Some of the journalists could even have stayed at the Sheraton Four Points and used the meeting rooms for their work.

On Twitter @NorthMuskoka tweeted about the fact that there are 15 lakeside resorts in North Muskoka alone. Familiarization trips could have been provided for journalists after the summit in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Muskokas or other areas of Ontario where real lakes are in abundance. In fact, these could have been provided as day trips and, with proper coordination, the journalists could have been dropped at the airport in ample time for their flights.

Here is the bottom line. If you want your group to experience a beach BBQ, select a location on a clean beach where the group can experience and take full advantage of the environment. If you want the group to go on an urban safari, then make sure that you have them stay at a hotel in the downtown core, not at the airport or 2 hours away at a resort. If you want journalists to experience a lake, locate your Media Centre on a lake, especially when a venue with a real lake is on the other side of the road. Don't disregard advice and try to substitute a fake experience for a real "Green" one.

2010 G20 Summit Lesson 2: Pinpoint the experience you want to provide for your group and use the guidance of local experts to identify "real" environments where this can take place.

3. Disregarding the Needs of the Local Population.

I have previously blogged about the importance of respecting people and placesin the destinations and at the venues where events are planned. This means balancing the experience we provide for event participants with the needs of the local population.

Sometimes noise levels come into play when advice is disregarded and late night events are held in close proximity to residential communities and neighbourhoods. In other instances, the start and end time of events clashes with when the local population is moving to and from work. I have seen this happen in Toronto, Dubai and the Caribbean.

2010 G20 Summit Fallout 3:

The poor choice of venue for the G20 Summit had a ripple effect. It mean that a part of Toronto's downtown core, including part of the business district, had to be fenced in by a security gate. This greatly impacted the coming and going of residents and businesses located in the downtown core.

Newspaper boxes were removed, trees were cut down and saplings uprooted for fear that protestors could grab them and thrown them. Portions of the underground PATH network had to be blocked off. TTC and GO Transit experienced delays and diversions. Some of these inconveniences were unavoidable but by heading the advice that had been given, some disruptions could have been avoided.

Also, the Fairmont Royal York was a poor choice for delegate accommodation. It would have been fine for journalists from some of the less high profile newspapers and networks. After all, accommodation was required for 2,000 journalists Don't get me wrong. I love Fairmont Hotels. I have had the pleasure of staying at and arranging team buiding sessions for my clients at various Fairmont Hotels. I have facilitated team building sessions at the Fairmont Royal York and it is an exquiste venue. However, it was a poor choice venue choice for G20 delegates.

The following video shows the Fairmont Royal York and Union Station, two Toronto landmarks, are located directly across the street from each other.

Union Station is one of Toronto's major downtown transportation hubs. VIA Rail, Go Transit and Ontario Northland trains pull into Union Station. Union Station is also one of the main subway stations accessible to Toronto's downtown business section. Across the street, from Union Station is the Go bus terminal that brings commuters from all over the GTA and other parts of southern Ontario into Toronto. The need to secure that location for such a large group of high profile guests was a great inconvenience for Toronto residents.

Even though the G20 Summit took place on the weekend, the area of Toronto surrounding Union Station is still very busy. The part of the security fence that was needed to cut Union Station off from the Fairmont Royal York had to be erected more than a week prior to the G20. I know because I encountered it when I returned from the PCMA Education Conference in Montreal.There was absolute confusion as VIA Rail passengers and the people who were picking them up scrambled to adjust. During the G20 Summit, VIA Rail trains were diverted to suburban stations FAR away from Union Station.

The Westin Harbour Castle Hotel right on Lake Ontario would have been a better choice for the Heads of State. Queen's Quay could have been blocked off from Yonge Street over to Bathurst St. This would have provided a number of access points to Lakeshore Blvd.

Remember, most places where you stage your event are not Disneyworld. They are not dedicated playgrounds set up for the amusement of you and your group. It's a city or country that someone calls home.

2010 G20 Summit Lesson 3: Ensure that you respect people and places as you select your location and plan your itinerary.

The Fallout from the Toronto G20 Summit

All of this inconvenience fueled the anger of many Toronto residents and set the stage for troublemakers and hooligans to create unrest on the streets of Toronto. Ensuring the safety of Heads of State and other high profile dignitaries had to be paramount. Can you imagine the negative impact on Toronto's image if anything had happened to any of the Heads of State while they were in Toronto? Factoring in the needs of the local population into the plan would have reduced the intensity of the protests and the level of friction. The manner in which this event was orchestrated placed Toronto Police in an untenable situation.

Headlines

G20 Violence in Toronto Predictable Resulted from Police Buildup
If you spend $1 billion to line Toronto streets with people who look like Darth Vader, you're going to get a reaction
Lawsuits Loom in Wake of Police Power Confusion
Store Owners Defiant After Property Damaged During G20 Riots
G20 Violence Beamed Around the World
Toronto the Good Risks Losing its Squeaky Clean Image

Unrest on the streets of Toronto, smashed store windows, burned police cars, and over 600 arrests later, I hope that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his team think all of this was worth it.

Next Steps

Event planners and their clients can all learn important lessons when there is negative fallout from high profile events. This also happens when when clients disregard the advice of professional event planners and other local experts. It is rarely of the magnitude or international scope of a G20 Summit but the discomfort to members of your party, inflated costs and logsitical challenges are equally real and avoidable. Lawsuits can arise when safety precautions are not followed or a client disregards advice about alcohol service and someone gets injured during or after an event.

So go ahead, have a vision for your event but do take the time to do some reality checking with experts who can help you gage the extent to which your dream can be translated into reality without negative fallout. It's better to sacrifice part of your dream than to force attendees, the other members of your planning team, and event staff to live through a nightmare.

Thank you for listening. I look forward to your comments. I hope that some readers from Toronto will stop by and share their reactions.

Photo Credit: Police Car on Fire scolirk

Photo Credit: Heads of State in Breakout Sessions Office of the Prime Minister - Great Britain

Photo Credit: Toronto Skyline Gabe Ramos

Photo Credit: CNE Princess Gates S.D.Allen

Photo Credit: Police DGriebeling

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Making Sense of B2B RFQ Challenges

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:04:00 -0700

Summary: Event planners, hotels, consultants, and suppliers to the events, meetings, and hospitality industries receive a lot of requests for quote that go no where. We hope that, through this virtual panel discussion, we can gain insight into why this is happening. This Event Coup feature is the outflow of a series of discussions in the LinkedIn Event Planning and Management Group. It was built by group members through crowdsourcing. We hope that this feature will generate discusssion to improve the RFQ process. What is presented here is based on the results of a virtual panel with purchasers of event planning services, discussions in the LinkedIn, scenarios presented by group members, and an RFQ Survey of 60 professionals from the event planning, meeting, and hospitality industries.

A Behind the Scenes Look at the RFQ Process for Event Planner & Supplier Selection

A Crowdsourced Event Coup Feature by LinkedIn's Event Planning and Management Group

Developing customized proposals in response to RFQs can involve days or even weeks or research. No one expects to secure business 100% of the time when they send out a proposal. Unfortunately, with increasing frequency, the RFQ process is becoming very time consuming and frustrating, particularly since the Wall Street Meltdown of 2008.

RFQ Process: The Challenges

Let's start with a summary of some of the challenges that event planning and hospitality industry professionals encounter during the RFQ process. Discussions and, hence, this article have focused on formal/structured RFPs and e-mail and telephone requests for quotes. In recent discussions in the LinkedIn Event Planning and Management Group, concerns were expressed about:

sketchy information provided by companies at the time the request is made.
(Often, the employee tasked with making the inquiry hasn't been given briefed on such basics as objectives, group size, preferred dates and budget.)
the lack of access to the decision maker during the proposal development phase
the frequency with which RFQs are "urgent" and the turnaround time unrealistic
supposedly urgent proposals sitting for an extended period without being processed
significant delays in decision making
specifications changing many times, resulting in total re-work of proposals
organizations never informing prospective suppliers that a decision has been made if they were not selected
(It is as if the person making the initial request has "fallen off the face of the earth".)
shorter and shorter lead times for implementation if selected due to delayed decisions

These concerns were reinforced by the results of the RFQ Survey to which 60 professionals in the event planning, meeting planning, and hospitatliy industries responded. I will be highlighting survey results throughout this feature. The RFQ Survey is still live. Data from the survey will be used to update this feature until we have 100 respondents. If you are an event planner, please do take 2 minutes to respond. Your input will be helpful:

http://bit.ly/rfqsurvey

RFQ Survey For Event Planners

Typical RFQ Scenarios

Here are some scenarios that demonstrate how these concerns gets played out.

Scenario 1: Too Short Sighted A European office of an international insurance company issued an RFQ for a luxury junket to reward their team to a number of local travel agencies. The itinerary was to be highly customized and include stays in Singapore and Langkawi . Each travel agency in turn issued RFQs to DMCs and incentive travel houses. Decision making for this initiative was delayed repeatedly. Two months after issuing the RFQ, the parent company announced the resignation of its CEO and thousands of lay-offs worldwide. The regional office that requested the quote was particularly hard hit.

Clearly, senior management at head office and locally was completely asleep at the switch. The company should realized that they were in trouble before issuing an RFQ that put so many employees and prospective suppliers through a totally fruitless exercise.

Lesson Learned: Don't go shopping for a Lambourghini when the bank is about to foreclose on your bicycle.

Scenario 2: Just Plain Unethical A marketing coordinator from an advertising company contacted an event planning firm and requested a quote for a recreational event. She insisted that venues had to be identified before a decision could be made. Once all information was provided, the marketing coordinator fell off the face of the earth and responded to none of the event planner's follow up calls or e-mails. The event planner later discovered that the client had gone directly to the venue, booked the event, and managed everything internally.

This type of practice is happening with increasing frequency and individuals who do this, don't seem to realize that it is unethical.

Lesson Learned: There is nothing wrong with hiring someone to do your location scouting or the initial planning for your event. However, if you're going to get an external firm to do your homework for you, be ethical enough to pay a consulting fee to compensate them for their work.

Scenario 3: Moving Targets & Unrealistic Timeframe A North American package tour operator affiliated with a major airline issued an urgent RFQ to several hotels, DMCs and team building providers for a retreat that was to take place in 2 weeks. When they contacted the DMCs and team building providers, they indicated that a hotel had already been selected. Over the next week, they requested numerous revisions of proposals and drastically changed their requirements. They also changed the city and the hotel, a move that had a huge impact on the type of activities that could be provided. The 2nd hotel was informed that they had been selected after the close of business day. The account manager from the hotel had worked well into the night preparing the contract as she had back to back meetings the following day. 24 hours later, the company cancelled the entire retreat as no one had been able to "meet their specifications".

Lesson Learned: It's impossible to hit a moving target especially within an unrealistic timeframe.

A Virtual Panel: Understanding the Dynamics at Play in the RFQ Process

Feel like you're spinning your wheels? Here's why

The spinning of wheels represented by the 3 scenarios presented is a tremendous waste of productive time and definitely not a win-win for anyone.

The purpose of this virtual panel discussion is to:

develop a better understanding of the dynamics of the RFQ process
generate ideas for best practices to improve the RFQ process

Through a dialogue with professionals involved in the vendor selection process, we aim to have a better understanding of the dynamics at play.

To prepare this feature:

Questions and scenarios were developed through crowdsourcing within the Linkedin Event Planning and Management Group.
60 event planners, consultants and suppliers to the hospitality and events industries were surveyed
3 professionals who issue and process RFQs to select event planners were interviewed

Please review what we have discovered and participate in this discussion by adding your comments and reactions. We ask those responding to keep the tone of their comments, constructive.

Sources of Leads and Business

Event Planner Survey Says: From what source do you get MOST of your leads/RFQs? (Select top 2 sources)

63% - Repeat business from former or present clients
30% - Referrals from former clients

Only 5% of respondents identified Social Media as a major source of leads or RFQs.

1. What are the primary methods that you have used to source event planners and professionals in the consulting, meetings, events or hospitality industries ?

Chandra: We are in the fortunate position that prospective suppliers typically approach us. For those that don't, we primarily use referrals.

We also host a showcase event each fall, which is basically an open house for event planners. Florists and rental companies are invited to dress tables and /or entire rooms and show off their best ideas for these event planners. It gets exposure for the floral/decor artists, we get to know who the "best of" are, and planners see how flexible our spaces are. This is a key event for us

Laura: (D) About half of time I use an internal company service, either a specialised section of our travel agency or one of our marketing/promotional departments. They usually require a written brief and shop for us on that basis. I get screened options and choose. This usually works to everybody's satisfaction, it is quick and transparent, but it tends to give access to standard providers and just OK solutions.

For more innovation and "zest" we work different, using whoever comes up with a proposal / new idea (a champion). I may have a few champions working in parallel. Those are the ones who scout, think out of the box and follow a hunch rather than a well structured brief. I give them freedom, but demand fair behaviour (be as clear as possile upfront, inform properly if no follow up, etc.). This for me is part of protecting my company's reputation, to respect and be respected.

Daryl: One of my areas of expertise is stage production for live events. I view the websites of audio-visual companies nationally and internationally, as well as interview colleagues about their experiences with companies.

Event Planner Survey Says: On what social media sites are you ACTIVE?

88.3% - LinkedIn
78.3% - Facebook
56.7% - Twitter

Event Planner Survey Says: How many specific pieces of business can you trace DIRECTLY to NEW connections you have made through social media?

45% - None
16.7% - One
23.4% - 2 - 4

Only 1 respondent indicated receiving more than 20 specific pieces of new business from social media.

2. Have you found social media to be useful for sourcing? If yes, what sites or tools ?

Chandra: I don't get overly involved with social media beyond LinkedIn. I have a FaceBook page, but use it sparingly.

The museum has a fantastic social media presence, however, and has built a massive network of fans via FaceBook, Twitter, and Flikr. To my knowledge, we haven't harnessed it for sourcing for vendors. We are building an impressive fan base though

Laura: Occasionally.

(D) Best is always the direct contact, e.g. meet people at conferences, or references, e.g. observing a well orchestrated organization and get the name of the organizer.

(O) Not sure, we are a Norwegian company and we are quite inner looking as a culture, we tend to go word of mouth a lot, because it's a small universe in here.

Daryl: I do not find social media to be particularly helpful for sourcing.

RFQ Prepration Time, Effort & Results

Event Planner Survey Says How many new leads, RFQs or service inquiries does your firm receive on an average week during a typical week?

51.7% - One or Two
16.7% - Three to Five

Only 5% of respondents indicated receiving more than 20 RFQs or service inquiries during a typical week.

Event Planner Survey Says During a typical week, an average week, how much time do you spend responding to RFQs and preparing, quotes, estimates, or proposals?

25% - One Day
25% - Two Days

Clearly the process of preparing and responding to service inquiries is very time consuming.

Event Planner Survey Says What percentage of the proposals that you send out result in business?

42.4% - indicated that less than 30% of proposals submitted resulted in business

Only 10.2% or respondents indicated that 75% or more of the proposals they submitted resulted in business.

Event Planner Survey Says What percentage of your leads end up being dead ends?

Definition: Prospective client never responds to your initial questions to clarify their requirements, client "falls off the face of the earth" and you never hear from the client again after submitting your proposal, project is put on hold after you invest a lot of time in developing customized solutions.

33.9% - indicated that 50 - 90% of inquiries end up as dead ends
13.6% - indicated that 30 - 49% of inquiries end up as dead ends

Only 18.6% of respondents indicated that less than 10% of service inquiries and RFQs ended up as dead ends. Clearly there is a lot of wasted time and effort responding to inquiries that are not serious.

4. Standard pre-qualifying questions don't seem to be working, what else should consultants and event planners be asking to determine if an inquiry is serious ?

Chandra: All of our catering information is online, including pricing, photos, and rental guidelines. Typically the inquiries we receive from other event planners seeking to use our venue are serious; they've already investigated us online, or have scheduled (and kept) appointments for site tours.

For social events, the identifying mark seems to be BUDGET. The serious inquiries usually have a good idea of what they want and how much they want to spend to get it. If the client dodges the question, or doesn't have a clear idea of their guest count, event date, or even a basic concept of their event, that is a strong indicator that they have more homework to do before they plan their event with us.

Laura: See my earlier response. Understanding the company upfront (market intelligence) helps a lot to judge the seriousness of the request and potentially to challenge it.

Daryl: I do not send 'naked' RFPs. Each company selected to submit a proposal receives a cover letter and RFP. The cover letter provides information about the RFP, including how inquiries are answered, how to submit responses as well as what occurs in the review process. In my opinion, any company requesting responses to an RFP should provide information about the process and the approximate time the selection will be made. If the company's representative is not forthcoming with this information, it would make me question the validity of the RFP.

RFQ Process Frustrations & Challenges - Event Planners

Event Planner Survey Says How often have you called in a "favour" from a supplier, alliance partner or personal contact only to have a prospective client cancel or not follow through with the booking?

54.9% - Sometimes
11.8% - Most of the Time

Only 9.8% of respondents indicated that this never happens. Again, clearly there is a lot of wasted time and effort customizing solutions for clients that are not serious.

Sample Comments: From supplier point of view - favor requests are out of control.

This also drives me CRAZY!!!! My prospective clients do not understand the concept that I can't keep calling in favors from my suplpiers that do not materialize into business because ultimatlly my suppliers will stop responding to me.

We are often asked to meet a "budget", or more often, to come up with several "out of the box" concepts that all require a good deal of time and effort on our behalf and that of our suppliers. Often, we'll work diligently to meet the budget, come up with the creative (most frustratingly within a ridiculous turnaround time) only to not get a response at all....or to find that our client didn't have the business to begin with.

Event Planner Survey Says What are the greatest frustrations you face when dealing with requests for quote?

Sample Comments: The people calling are not sure what they are looking for or the budget.

Lack of detail!!! How can I prepare an accurate proposal when crucial details are omitted from the beginning?!?!?!?!

Client contact keeps shifting their objectives, dates, etc. They can't seem to make up their mind, even on the most basic details.

person who makes request on behalf of their company doesn't have a clue about budget, objectives, decision making criteria and timing

Poorly designed RFPs that give no clear expected results, objectives and essential information. Many look like they took the last RFP they sent out and patched it up.

Lack of detail about requirements or not having an estimated budget.

Not being told it is a bid situation until after we've submitted a proposal. Not being given a budget or not being given the correct budget.

Clients not returning calls so that proposals cannot be customized

Client unwilling or unable to supply complete information. Client not responding to emails or phone calls.

The ones that don't bother replying even acknowledgeing they received the quote.

Not making a decision when expected.

Long response time from the potential client (before final decision).

When request is made we are told it's urgent, then nothing happens for weeks and sometimes months.

Clients who only want an RFQ because they are required to have more than one when deciding where they are going. They have already selected anothe property but still put you through the ringer as if you are a contender.

Entities that send out detailed RFQ's or RFP's do not recognize the time and effort involved in answering them, nor do they realize the quasi-legal status of issuing one. Putting a project out to "bid" and issuing an RFP (or Q) requires that the issuing entity specifiy and adhere to the process and decision making criteria. I have found that, often, we are issued RFP's that are sent solely to meet some internal requirement to obtain more than one bid and that the "winner" is pre-determined based on the customer having a relationship, etc.

Concern that the request is more of a "fishing" expedition, looking for ideas without much intention of hiring a vendor.

I do not think the clients have any idea the amount of time that has to be invested to prepare a proper proposal. In addition, in our first proposal, we give over all event ideas, concepts and cost ranges. Many times our prospective clients want to get down to the finer details in the proposal stage. Our feeling is "Here is our proposal. It gives you an idea of the goods and services that we can provide and am approximate cost. That is all you should expect at this point. Should you decide to move on to a contract then we are more than happy to invest additional time to get you exact quotes and fully detailed design plans etc."

No reply or follow up if not selected.

Lack of courtesy - we are not informed of outcome or reason we didn't get it.

3. Why are there so many delays in decision-making? What are some of the internal dynamics and roadblocks that are contributing to these delays and false starts? What can individuals and firms that are submitting RFQs do to expedite decision making ?

Chandra:Internally:

Sometimes it's a serious case of "that's what we've always done and how we'll continue to do it, even if the market has changed and that method is no longer effective".
There are also territory issues; some of us don't like others to intrude on our territory, or our realm of repsonsibility.
Communication is also key; information should flow from the bottom up, as well as the top down. Without key information, things come to a screeching halt. But then again, you could suffer from "analysis paralysis" in overanalyzing things rather than trying it to see if it works, and if it doesn't, just change it. It takes balance to make it work.

I'm proud to say that my organization is making great strides to in these areas, especially in our new economy. We have to be fresh and inventive on how we do things.

Laura: Poor decision processes, unclear responsibilities. Too common.

In large companies the decision maker is never one, leaders needs a certain degree of consensus. The more controversial the choice, the longer and more confused the process.

I think the biggest issue is insufficient clarity upfront; sometimes we get a realization of what we really need when one submission stands up from the crowd in areas that we should have stressed upfront, but did not. Then, we are embarassed to go back to the others and admit a wrong brief, so we do not go back.

See suggestions in response to your question about pre-qualifying.

Daryl: In large non-profit organizations, the procurement process can impact decision making. In an effort to insure that the RFP/RFQ process is fair and transparent, the initiator often must route the document at least 4-6 weeks before sending the document, in order to insure all reviewers see it. Then, when submissions are returned, the results must be analyzed. After the analysis is completed by the RFP/RFQ initiator, it is sent through the chain of command for CEO approval. If the non-profit is volunteer driven, then the volunteer leader (President or Chair) may also need to review the recommendation.

4. Why does it take so long for companies to cut cheques when so many computerized and automated tools are available?

Chandra: To paraphrase Shrek, "(Accounting) is like an onion, it has lots of layers". We use an online purchasing system.

First step is to enter a requsition for the item or service you are considering.
Every transaction over a certain dollar amount (I believe over $500) has to be approved by two people. Above another threshold is three people, including the CFO. Those people vary based on the type of transaction. Just getting approvals can take a week if you aren't hounding people to check transaction queue.
After that, it takes time for Purchasing (which is separate from Accounting) to recieve the approval notice then issue the purchase order to the vendor. BTW, if you are new vendor, add a couple more days because the W9 and contact info get entered in two separate systems.
Once approved, the PO is issued to the vendor.
THEN the vendor submits an invoice.
THEN Accounting has to check the purchasing system to make sure appropriate approvals are in place.
THEN and ONLY then does it get entered into the payables system.
THEN it takes a couple days for the checks to get printed and signed.

There are no exceptions to this process, but the extra layers of scrutiny have saved us money and headache in the long run. I let all vendors know up front that checks can take up to 3 weeks for new vendors.

RFQ Process Challenges & Frustrations - Clients

5. What challenges have you faced internally during the RFQ process (i.e. in pinpointing oganizational requirements, obtaining or giving approval) ?

Chandra: Our purchasing department can give a more thorough answer, but based on my experience as an end user, there was a steep learning curve to the software.

The biggest challenge that I saw, however, was not learning a new program, or developing/refining the processes and requirements; it waschanging the thinking of the organization and getting everyone on board with a completely new way of doing things. It took time for everyone to see the benefits, and reap the cost savings.

Obtaining approvals can be challenging if you don't watch your transaction queue closely. Everything is done by email and online, and the system advances approvals from one approver to the next, up a pre-designated chain depnding on what is being ordered. Each transaction passes through the hands of at least two people, and you can be stuck in limbo unable to order services if you're not diligent. Our vendors have been instructed to ask for purchase order numbers when they are taking our orders. No PO= no order, so you have to stay on top of things.

Laura: (D and O) Well, there is the occasional hickup, like all a sudden top-down decision to cut costs and your authority is waved in some areas, typically travels, events and entertainment. Not very predictable.

With the multiple champions method there is sometimes the "Not Invented Here Syndrome", hard to accept someone else's proposal, so we do not conclude easily and might need to go back to the standard provider to seek new proposals. Same thing applies to unfamiliar suppliers.

(O) Not everyone who has a short term need and requires a solution is equally busy with the concept of protecting our reputation. Then, a wild scouting can result in very unclear messages, no feedback and a sense of confusion at suppliers level (why did you ask me for A and then chose someone who proposed B, I could have offered B as well, or maybe I could have told you I do not do B and not wasted my time; and why did I have to hear of your decision from someone else?) I think this is not professional, but it does happen especially in groups / companies who do not have public profile in focus, or maybe structured code of conduct guidelines.

Daryl: It took a great deal of education, but the organization has moved beyond the belief that an annual RFP process will secure good pricing for stage production services. The organization has evolved to the next phase: contracting a company that provides excellent services and pricing, that will facilitate the development of best practices as well as work collaboratively with staff in producing general sessions that meet or exceed expectations. What helped us move to this next level was an honest assessment of staff capabilities in managing live event production. Once this assessment was completed, it was easier to define the scope of work for audio-visual companies participating in the RFP/RFQ process.

6. How often is a proposal requested when a supplier has already been selected to meet a company's minimum requirement (e.g 3 submissions) ?

Chandra: If I'm issuing a Request For Proposal, it's because I truly need the service being requested. We don't typically send out RFPs if we have done due diligence and already know the vendor we want to work with.

In that case, we do have a provision for "sole source" vendors. If there is a vendor that we absolutely, positively love/must have/can't live without, we can submit justification as to why this vendor is the most qualified, and see if it would be approved by Administration. Sometimes they come back and say that we have to bid it out because the justification isn't strong enough, but sometimes the sole source request is approved and no RFP is issued.

Laura: :confused: No, we don't issue an RFQ when the selection is already made. Why should we waste time on that? Or maybe I did not understand the question.

Anne: laughing You understood Laura. Believe it or not, it does happen

Daryl: Unfortunately, it happens too often. The Sarbanes-Oxley laws in the U.S. governing corporate reporting and transparency do affect the supplier contracting process, along with procurement policies within corporations or organizations. It creates a real ethical dilemma for many event organizers. This is one of the main reasons I worked to change the RFP process for stage production within my organization.

7. What challenges have you faced externally (i.e. in dealing with firms and professionals who have submitted RFQs) ?

Laura: Sometimes externals are pushy about the beauty of their offer rather than eager to understand my needs. They probably think they can force a quick decisions, but they alienate my sympathy. I like those who challenge me and help me to think so they can give me better service.

Daryl: My professional background includes nearly 10 years as an event manager at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. In this role, it was a surprise to learn that the vast majority of event organizers are not educated about stage production and leave the planning and decision making about their general sessions to the audio-visual company. This is the environment in which most audio-visual companies operate within the meetings industry. My experiences at McCormick Place allowed me to become very knowledgeable about all aspects of production, from union jurisdictions, to equipment, to installation and dismantling schedules.

I do not abdicate the decision making or planning processes to the audio-visual companies that I contract for events. I am able to discern immediately if the company is making a sincere effort to earn my business by reviewing the submitted response to the RFP or RFQ. I have actually had responses that refused to supply the information I requested; instead, these respondents send lengthy letters stating that if selected, they will work with me to create a program. These companies are immediately disqualified, because they did not comply with the RFP/RFQ. I take a good deal of time, and great pride, in crafting a detailed RFP/RFQ that outlines the scope of the project, the requirements, and expectations. Any company that submits a response that effectively states they will decide what information I need will not receive another RFP or RFQ from me.

Towards RFQ Best Practices

8. What suggestions do you have for best practices to improve the RFQ process ?

Chandra: In addition to my above answers, it was a great help for me to create templates. I do the same events each year, and I try to save time and keystrokes where ever I can. I have RFP templates for invitations, printing, audio visual, etc that I can adjust quickly as needed for each event. Post-event, I update my templates. I also have master budget templates, logistics, timelines, etc that I update after each event. In this way, I build my own "best practices" files so I don't have to recreate the wheel for each event.

My advice for event planners is to follow the goldend and platinum rules. I've heard it said that the golden rule is "treat others the way you want to be treated" and the platinum rule is "treat others the way they want to be treated".

To expedite decision making when submitting proposals:

Consider your audience. Don't send the same proposal to the CFO as you would to an event planner. One thinks in numbers, one in pictures and concepts.

Laura: I would basically go for the tough road - written mutually agreed expectations and request to pay a fee for the presentation.

Daryl:

Make sure an RFP/RFQ is required. Can the needs of the event be best served by the incumbent company? Can the incumbent company be retained by a contract addendum or extension?
Make sure that the RFP/RFQ is detailed and provides the scope of the project, requirements and expectations.
Research companies to determine the best fit for the RFP/RFQ. Do not send the proposal to companies that cannot meet the minimum requirements specified in the document.
Send a cover letter with the RFP/RFQ that outlines how inquiries are answered, how to submit responses, what occurs in the review process as well as the timeframe for a decision.

Options for Dealing with Unethical RFQ Practices

Event planners who feel that they have been dealt with in an unethical manner do have some recourse:

You can put your concerns in writing and send them to the CEO of the company that made the request
If the individual making the request belongs to an events, meeting or travel industry association, remember that many of them have codes of ethics. You can file a complaint and request an investigation

Example:

Complaints about MPI members should be sent in writing with as much detail as possible to: Director of Membership 3030 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Suite 1700 Dallas, Texas USA 75234-2759

Other Articles & Resources About Challenges in & Possible Solutions for the RFQ Process

APEX Accepted Practices Exchange (Convention Industry Council)
4 Reasons Why Your Prospect May Have Done a Disappearing Act
Book: RFPs Suck! by Tom Searcy

I would like to thank the following individuals for participating in our virtual panel discussion.

Chandra Floyd, Special Events Manager at an Art Institute with over Over 7 years of experience in the fast-paced environment of events and catering in a world-class art museum
Laura Lozza, Marketing Director, Norway
Marketing and business development professional, broad international leadership experience from FMCG (13 years in Procter & Gamble) and B2B (13 years in Norsk Hydro / Yara) in both corporate and operational functions with P&L responsibility of several hundred million dollars and results in the order of 20% CROGI.
Daryl C. Taylor, CMP, is a meetings professional with 17 years of experience as a planner and supplier. She currently works for an international non-profit organization as manager of a department responsible for promotion and programming of live events, and as producer of assembly and convention plenary sessions.

I would also like to thank:

the members of the LinkedIn Event Planning and Management Group who participated actively in a number of discussions and made suggestions for rfq survey questions, article content, and the title of this feature.
the 60 professionals who took the time to respond to our RFQ survey

I want to give special thanks to the following group members who had some particularly helpful suggestions and input:

Paula Cushman, Owner, New England Events
Rebecca Garforth, VP of Operations, Destinations by Design

Photo Credit: (c) unk's dump truck - Papers

Photo Credit: (c) secubie - Hourglass

Photo Credit: (c) ZaCky - Invoice Slips

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Great Ideas to Make Green Meetings FUN!

Mon, 17 May 2010 14:09:00 -0700

Couple of weeks ago I participated in a webinar by CMPs Nancy Wilson & Cathy Kretzz: Eco-Tain Your Meeting Attendees: Ideas For Engaging Your Attendees And Making Green Meetings Fun. These women are eager in what they do and here are some of the ideas they shared.

Market to your attendees

Theme your meeting and let them know is going to be green and sustainable

Use social media to involve attendees through facebook, LinkedIn and twitter

Since your using your company website, set a Blog so people will share ideas like carpooling to the airport or meeting

Electronic marketing, save money by sending via e-mail the meeting materials

Educate attendees, show them in a visual way how to recycle or throw the garbage they'll produce during the meeting

Involve your attendees, they get actually excited in taking part

Green group activities & team building

Clean a park

Paint a school

Plant a tree or work in an inner city garden

Build bikes and give them to the local girls and boys club

Plan activities known in the destination: sustainable pub crawl or wine tour

Incorporate yoga and green tea during AM/PM breaks

Geo-catching or teaming: high tech treasure hunt

Make center pieces with recycled materials

Provide bikes to your attendees and keep track how much carbon they save during he conference

Creative ideas that involve F&B

Attendees can make their own margaritas using pedal power bikes, it's a really fun activity. Also they can use the bikes to recharge they mobile phones

Farmers market scavenger hunt. Get local fresh food and a chef can put it together for the attendeesHave a person making ice cream delivery to the meeting on a bicycle

Use compostable items, if there's a need to use disposable make sure they are biodegradable

Serving in bulks, for example sugar cubes and avoid packages. It'll save a lot of food waste since attendees only eat what they need.

Use dessert as center pieces. Look for ideas that can be eaten or donated

Look for something that is sustainable in the location you are visiting. Like a living salad bar

Flickr image by MyLastBite

Offsite Events

Look for pubs or restaurants that are located within walking distance

Utilize green venues or certified buildings. A fun idea is integrating the arts, for example use the local theater

Use local entertainment and vendors

Use local AV, equipment, workers and local talent

Be green with transportation: use the free transportation of the city or schedule shuttles. To make it fun, provide tickets for public transportation together with maps.

Encourage/Award attendees

'I was caught green handed' buttons or pins to make them distinguished

Carpool contest, award the members who do it by giving them a pin and let them be the first ones in the buffet line

Carbon offset program, offer it at the registration of the conference. Attendees can follow up how many miles they fly, the type of transportation they use during the event, etc.

Ask attendees to bring their own water bottles or coffee cups or get sponsors.

Offer attendees to choose between having a conference bag or other item that can be cheaper and more useful

Giving back: Pick a local charity to donate used items

Conference bags

Leftover meeting supplies

Blankets

Children books

Schools supplies

Craft items

Centerpieces (If they're plants, donate them)

Leftover banquet food (www.feedingamerica.org)

Toiletries from the hotel (set a drop basket to donate to a local shelter)

January re-gift drive (ask attendees to bring gifts they don't like to give them to charity)

Recycling clothing

Since the destination of your meeting is one of the first steps to consider for your next event. Best Places to MeetGreen is a great tool that can help you to determine it.

No doubt Green Meetings are a trend nowadays and they are here to stay, besides helping the Meetings Keep Their Budgets on Black, they help the environment and more important they offer Social Responsibility.

Have you applied one of these ideas into your Events, how was the impact to the attendees?
Do you have other great ideas to make Green Meetings Fun? Share!

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Twitter: 4 Advanced Twitter Tools

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:45:00 -0700

Summary: If you have mastered Twitter basics and you want to improve your effectiveness in the use of Twitter, there are 4 tools you may want to consider using:

Tweet Effect
Qwitter
Goodbye, Buddy
Mr. Tweet

Bonus:

Twitter Karma

These 5 Twitter tools will help you:

understand the impact of your tweets
find out which of your tweets caused people to start or stop following you
get a clear picture of the tweets your followers value and the ones they find annoying
get a list of people who have stopped following you
get a list of your best followers so that you can follow them
develop a better understanding of your followers

The best news of all is that all of these tools are free.

4 Advanced Twitter Tools

Understand the Impact of your Tweets

Tweet Effect

Visit the site.
Type your Twitter ID
Hit "enter".

Tweet Effect will generate a list of your recent tweets indicating beside each one:

how many people started following you (highlighted in red)
how many stopped following (highlighted in green)

This tool will really give you a clear picture of the type of tweets your followers value as well as the ones they find annoying.

Tweet Effect doesn't store any data about you so each inquiry is processed real time. If it's taking long for Tweet Effect to load, just hit reload and you'll be able to see everything it's loaded so far.

Find out Who "Unfollowed" You & Why

Qwitter

If you want to dig deeper, Qwitter will send you an e-mail every time someone stops you with your most recent tweet that may have precipitated the unfollow. If you're getting a lot of unfollows after you've posted something or your Twitterfeed has sent something out, it might be a good idea to delete that tweet right away.

For example, I added the RSS Feed to Twitterfeed from a blog that I found interesting. I noticed that every time information was tweeted about an article from that blog, I would get a lot of people unfollowing me. I deleted that feed from my Twitterfeed.

Goodbye, Buddy!

Log into Goodbye, Buddy! It will take time to load your followers. Once that's done, visit the site once a day to get a list of the 30 tweeps who stopped following you most recently. Goodbye, Buddy! will identify any of these unfollowers who you are still following. You can make a decision about whether or not you still want to follow them. If someone is of interest to you, sometimes they will follow you again if you re-tweet some of their content that you find to be of value.

Develop a Better Understanding of your Followers

Mr. Tweet

Jenese Fryatt, @lyksumlikrish, who I met through #eventprofs on Twitter, introduced me to this fabulous tool. It really helps you develop an understanding of your followers so that you can tweet content that is of value to them.

First, follow @mrtweet
Then go to the site.
Log in.

Once you log in, Mr. Tweet will take some time to load your followers and people who you are following. It will the provide you with an anaylsis that will:

give a brief synopsis of each person you follow and each of your followers from their profile
identify your best and most influential followers and export this as a list to Twitter if you like
This is really of value because it gives you an opportunity to follow your most active followers and re-tweet their tweets
reccommend people you should consider following based on the similarity of your interests and tweet content
run searches to pull up a list a members by criteria such as country

Mr. Tweet also makes it possible to tweet and give suggestions to your followers about who they might want to consider following.

Bonus:

Twitter Karma

Click on "sign in with Twitter"
Then, click on Whack

If you have a lot of followers, it may take a while for Twitter Karma to grab all your information from Twitter but it's well worth the wait. You will end up with a map of your account. You'll be able to:

see who you're following that isn't following you back
see who is following you that aren't following

For more information:

Twitter Tools for Event Planners, a previous Event Coup feature by Kena Siu, is definitely worth checking out for more tools.

Social Media Marketing Tools for Event Planners

Photo Credit: Opening Photo - xtof

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The T.A.M.I. Show - Still A Groundbreaking Music Event

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:29:00 -0700

Groundbreaking rock 'n roll concert explodes onto the scene in 1964 & again in 2010.

The T.A.M.I. Show: Broke New Ground for Youth-Oriented Music Movies & Events

What was the T.A.M.I. Show?

It's what The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Lesley Gore, Jan and Dean, and The Beach Boys have in common. Long before Woodstock and the Monterey Pop Festival, there was The T.A.M.I. Show.

T.A.M.I. stands for Teenage Music International and Teenage Awards Music International (both names were used on the promotional posters). Filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium during 2 days in October, 1964, The T.A.M.I. Show, was the first rock and roll concert movie. It set the stage for the youth oriented events, movies, music videos, and TV programmes that were to follow for decades. It was filmed just 7 months after The Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Produced by Bill Sargeant and directed by Steve Binder, The T.A.M.I. Show came to movie screens across North America in 1964. It spoke to youth featuring their music. It's a virtual time capsule of 1960s youth fashion including bikinis, mini-skirts, and bell bottoms. In March, 2010, The T.A.M.I. Show has again come to North American audiences but this time through their TV screens on PBS and, finally, the long awaited DVD release of The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector's Edition! by Shout! Factory. (Reuters)

"Top three of all rock movies."

Director Quentin Tarantino

"The greatest rock movie you've never seen."

"Little Steven" Van Zandt (Reuters)

"The T.A.M.I. Show, the most praised, most coveted and perhaps least viewed concert film in history...."

USA Today

Why is the T.A.M.I show making waves and of significance long after its debut?

I am a firm believer that one can learn a lot from landmark and cutting edge events of the past. We can pick up strategies from The T.A.M.I. Show for producing truly groundbreaking events. The T.A.M.I. Show:

merged musical genres with iconic artists
introduced a ground breaking approach to production
broke down racial barriers
transcends time and moves across generations

Merging of Musical Genres

It was the first time iconic artists from so many different genres shared the same stage.

The T.A.M.I. Show captured the musical magic of a generation. On one stage, it featured the Rock 'n Rock Roll of the British invasion (The Rolling Stones, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas), R& B (James Brown & the Flames, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles), Surf Rock (The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean), Pop (Lesley Gore), and Country & Western (Glenn Campbell was a guitarist in the house band). John Landis, who was one of the teenagers who attended the show, speaks about his experience. His classmate David Cassidy (who went on to star in The Partridge Family) also attended:

http://www.trailersfromhell.com/trailers/9

Here we have Surf Rock artists Jan and Dean singing the title song for The T.A.M.I. Show:

Representing a definite contrast in styles, this is one of many songs that The Rolling Stones performed during the show:

Ground Breaking Technology & Approach to Production

"It was all live, no postproduction, no second choices. It was all gut instinct."

"Asked why The T.A.M.I. Show still holds up after 46 years, Binder says it boils down to the artists' unbridled performances."

Steve Binder, Director, T.A.M.I. Show (Reuters)

Steve Binder speaks about how The T.A.M.I. Show was produced. It was a 4 camera shoot with stationary and hand held cameras. It used new technology called electronivision that increased the 525 lines on a typical TV screen at the time to 1100 - 1500 lines. He discusses the emergence of this technology and the production of The T.A.M.I. Show. This clip, he also discusses the genesis of American landmark TV shows Shinding and Hullabaloo.

You'll find this discussion on your counter from 05:25 to 15:10.

You can read more comments from Steve Binder here:

Steve Binder Interview

Breaking Down Racial Barriers

The T.A.M.I. Show broke down racial barriers on stage and in the audience.

I think this comment by someone who saw The T.A.M.I Show for the first time in 1964 at age 12 says it best.

"The young people, Black and White together, screaming for the entertainers, dancing and just going berserk. The 'go-go' dancers and simple stage set-up kept the focus on the performer on stage at that time. In an era of racism, prejudice, civil rights movement and segregation, The T.A.M.I. Show for a while helped us all to forget our trouble and fears and differences in skin color and just have fun."

Geraldine D. Smith "Wisdom 4 Life" (Review on Amazon)

"Most of the black acts were restricted from mainstream television. So it was great seeing white audiences reacting to Smokey, James and Marvin as equals to the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and everybody else. It was an integrated United Nations on wheels with nobody discussing race afterward. It's just a great rock 'n' roll film."

Steve Binder, Director, T.A.M.I. Show

While the significance is probably lost on 21st century audiences, it is important to remember that this event took place just a few months after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on July 2. Segregation had been very much the order of the day and America was in transition.

"In the days we did The T.A.M.I. Show – especially in America in the south, theatre owners were literally taking scissors and cutting out scenes with black stars in them. The fact that this was the first time white audiences were really getting to see James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross bridged the colour gap in America to a great degree."

Steve Binder, Director, T.A.M.I. Show (The Toronto Star)

It was truly a groundbreaking event to White and Black go-go dancers, so many White artists like The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean share the stage with Black R&B artists.

Beach Boys Drummer, Dennis Wilson (at the time only 19 years old), whipped the teen and pre-teen girls in the crowd into an absolute frenzy with his totally wild (for the times) drumming in Dance, Dance, Dance, the last number they performed on their 4 number set. If it hasn't been removed, you can see it on Youtube starting around the 07:00 mark.

Remember, this was recorded in 1964 long before wild hard rock drumming was common. Some rock 'n roll drummers who came after him took their cue from Dennis Wilson so his style was truly groundbreaking.

Shout Factory has released the 2nd number in their set, I Get Around, so you can get a tiny flavour of what is to come at the end of their set.

It was through The T.A.M.I. Show that James Brown EXPLODED onto the mainstream stage. His impact was HUGE and reviewers agree that he stole the show. This is the first time mainstream America saw him.....entering the stage on The T.A.M.I. Show:

Unfortunately the James Brown performance of Please, Please is no longer available online in its entirity at this time due to copyright claims from Dick Clark Productions. This compliation of performances of Please, Please, the same song he did on The T.A.M.I. Show clip that blew everybody includes portions of that performance. He acted even crazier on The T.A.M.I. Show. He totally freaked out. It seemed like he was having a nervous breakdown and had to be taken off the stage 3 times. His later performances are sanitized in comparison. Hopefully, Shout! Factory will release that full clip on Youtube as the DVD release date (March 23, 2010) draws closer. Around the 04:25 mark you'll get a taste of pure James Brown as he appeared on The T.A.M.I. Show:

Also, since we can no longer bring you James Brown's full performance of Please, Please from The T.A.M.I. Show, enjoy Marvin Gaye from The T.A.M.I. Show courtesy of Shout! Factory:

The Acts Transcend Time & Move Across Generations

The T.A.M.I. Show was first aired in its entirity on American TV on March 20, 2010. (Canadians were treated to it in 1984 when First Choice Pay-TV featured it during the show's 20th anniversary year.) Young fans have been introduced to the movie through the memories of their parents. For example, in this article by journalist Dave Keller, he recalls how his father raved about The T.A.M.I. Show. Many of the artists and acts that from The T.A.M.I. Show are still known to Generation Y audiences. A number of them were eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Movies featuring the music of The Beach Boys still air regularly on North American television and movie screens. This includes recent movies like Pirate Radio, Rush Hour 3, and 50 First Dates and cult classic beach party movies like "Monkey's Uncle" with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and "The Girls on the Beach". The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and The Supremes still get regular air play around the globe. The hits of many of the artists from The T.A.M.I. Show are regularly downloaded and re-played on Ipods all over the world. The DVD release date is March 23, 2010.

For More Information

Top 10 Special Events of the Decade

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Event Planning Careers: How to become an Event Planner & Build Your Career Even in Tough Times

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:25:00 -0800

Summary: If you've ever been interested in an event planning career, this is an opportunity to obtain advice from 8 experienced event planners based in Italy, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. They'll share how they launched their event planning careers and give you valuable tips that you can use immediately to start your career or take it to the next level even in a tough economy.

Event Planning: Starting and Building Your Event Planning Career Even in Tough Times

I am one of the Group Managers for the Event Planning and Management Group on LinkedIn. By far, a question that comes up frequently on our discussion boards is "How do I become an event planner?" Our profession is changing rapidly and it is going through some very challenging times. Breaking into the event planning business is no longer just a matter of taking the right courses and sending out resumes. Also, due to the economic meltdown, many experienced event and meeting planners have been laid off. Businesses are struggling. Even experienced event planners are assessing what they need to do to build a thriving career or grow their business in a tough market.

Today, I'm speaking with event planners from various countries. They've have worked in a variety of areas in the event planning profession. Some are independent, some work for companies, and others run their own businesses. Some have a lot of experience and others are fairly new to the business. Some are busy. Others have been laid off and they are seeking their next opportunity. Their experiences will help us gain some insight into what it takes to launch and build an event planning career in a turbulent market. I will also share some of my own experiences.

If find this virtual panel discussion to be of value, please let us know.

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Please read what everyone has to say. Then, post your questions, comments and reactions. I've invited all participants to stop by and answer your questions so we should have a very lively and interesting discussion.

How to get Started in Event Planning & Take Your Career to the Next Level

Event Coup is pleased to welcome:

Ann Craig, an experienced travel planner with experience in the incentives, and association markets (hereafter referred to as Ann C.)
Arleen Edwards, CMP, a professional meeting planner
Maria Allen, Co-Director Allen O'Brien Consulting
Deborah Langley, Event Manager with Event-ism Twitter: @EVENTISM
Noel Kirkner, Alumni Programs Coordinator at Cabrini College
Michaela Karsten, General Manager, Far & Near Events Twitter: @FarNearEvents
Patty Olejnik, a Meeting, Incentive & Event Planning Professional

I'm Anne Thornley-Brown, a regular contributor to Event Coup. I own Executive Oasis International.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your career as an event planner and pass on some tips.

First of all, where are you based?

Ann C.: I am based in Chicago, Illinois

Arleen: Great New York City Area.

Maria: Tauton, United Kingdom My business partner and I are based at our homes in Somerset, UK, although we travel to London regularly for meetings with clients and take contracts overseas too.

Deborah: Melbourne, Australia

Noel: I work outside of the Philadelphia metro area on the Main Line.

Michaela: I am based in Siena (Tuscany), Italy

Patty: Greater Chicago Area

Anne: I am based just North of Toronto in Canada.

What is your specialty?

Ann C.: I'm more of a generalist than having one specialty and that was on purpose. Throughout my career I have worked in coordinating, planning, procurement, operations, and sales. I have worked with meetings, incentives, conferences, and events.

Society of Independent Show Organizers Event in Hartford, Connecticut

Photo Credits: Arleen Edwards

Arleen: I've worked as a special event and meeting consultant and the director of conference services at a Convention and Visitor's Bureau

Maria: While we dabble in medical, financial and academic work, our primary source of income is security (Government and Military). The majority of our events under Chatham House Rule, while you may be familiar with it, I have included the definition [below] just in case.

"When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".

The Chatham House Rule may be invoked at meetings to encourage openness and the sharing of information. If an attendee flouts this rule (depending on the sanctions laid down by the event hosts), they will probably be barred from future events and their personal reputation and that of their organisation will be tarnished. As senior Government officials attend many of our events, we have to liaise closely with the local police authority and/or personal security officers. Their requirements vary but they may need to know the routes we are traveling to transfer guests or restaurant locations, the layout of buildings, being able to security scout a venue before hand etc. Our role is to ensure that as many avenues as possible are covered so that should anything go wrong, a pre-arranged set of actions takes over.

Deborah: Adding a touch of the theatrical to every event. Be it welcome entertainment or even just a touch of magic through the use of butterflies, lights or amazing decor.

Deborah Langley, Event-ism Photo Gallery

Noel: Currently I work in higher education as an alumni event planner.

Michaela: Event logistics, event planning, budgeting, and event management. I focus on corporate meetings and incentives in Tuscany and in the rest of Italy. I help executives:

choose the type of event that will accomplish their corporate objectives
increase brand awareness
develop new business
nurture customer loyalty
drive growth through the execution of meetings and incentives

Event in Italy

Photo Credit: Michaela Karsen, Far & Near Events

I am very strong on location research and planning everything inside the location (of course, that is my background). I serve mainly Italy and any other destination with help of local DMCs of course.

Patty: I don't have a specialty per se, I'm very good at coordinating and leading programs from conception to post-evaluation, including budgeting, logistics and onsite management. I've worked in various areas of the hospitality industry including meeting and incentive planning for the corporate and association markets, hotel convention services, and destination management services

Anne: First and foremost, I am a business consultant. I own Executive Oasis International. My firm helps companies design and execute strategies to succeed even in the midst of turbulence. One of the main vehicles we use to deliver this service is the design and facilitation of team building retreats. Our expert facilitation weaves business exercises, cases and, at times, outdoor recreational activities together to create business simulations. After a while, some companies started asking us to strip the facilitation away from our business simulations and use the experiences we design for luxury corporate events to reward their people. So we now specialize in team building retreats, corporate event planning and incentive travel.

How long have you been an event planner?

Ann C.: I have been an event planner for over 20 years.

Arleen: I plunged into event management 12 years ago from a career in finance.

Maria: I have almost 4 years of experience in event planning.

Deborah: 5 years

Noel: Almost 5 years

Michaela: I have been working in the meeting and events industry for 6 years now.

Patty: I've now been in the hospitality industry in the Chicago area for more than 20 years.

Anne: I fell into it gradually so let me think. My first paid event planning work was for the Canadian Society of Social Workers, way back when I was making the transition from a career as a professional social worker to business. I did some project work for them over 15 years ago that involved planning and organizing meetings. I had almost forgotten about that. I don't even remember how I got those projects.

What were you doing before you became an Event Planner?

Ann C.: I was in horticulture before becoming an Event Planner.

Arleen: While I loved working in finance, I wanted to work with people and decided to make a career change. My first question was - What can I do that would be personally and financially rewarding? Let's face it, I still had to pay the bills.

Maria: Prior to this, I was in the military, a deputy practice manager for a Dr's surgery and an EA, all of which lend themselves to a degree in covering the required attributes to be an event planner.

Deborah: I was working for a Theater Company.

Noel: I had held an internship with a large catering company, but my real experience came through working in fundraising.

Michaela: I worked as a reception manager in a luxury hotel where one of my duties became event planning.

Patty: I was in college.

Anne: I was a professional social worker, a training and development specialist, and consultant.

How did you launch your event planning career?

Ann C.: A friend of mine asked me to interview with her boss, who was opening a travel and event management company.

Arleen: First, I researched what career resources were available to me at my place of business. This is a great way to take classes free of charge. I took the Myers-Briggs interest inventory test, workshops in communication, networking, computers and anything else relevant to my professional development. I took several inventory tests to see if the results were consistent.

Second, I researched each career choice from the tests and I inventoried my skill base for transferable skills. This helped me make my decision to enter the event/hospitality industry. I also looked within my company for opportunities that matched my goals and lifestyle. I had two young children and work-life balance was important. Luckily there were some.

Third, I contacted people within the company and requested informal information meetings. To my surprise everyone I contacted was receptive. I was even able to shadow someone for half a day. These meetings proved to be invaluable to me. I discovered that no one would hire me without experience and my transferable skills were not enough.

Fourth, I enrolled in a meeting and event management certificate program and began my formal education. Next, I used my company's volunteer database to find requests for event volunteers. I found a volunteer opportunity, but my assignment wasn't what I expected. I made it my mission to talk to the Director of Conferences and make my presence known. After the event, I persisted and the director agreed to take me on as an unpaid intern.

I became a working mom, part-time student and intern. It wasn't easy and it took time but my efforts paid off. I successfully transitioned from finance to event management within my company. My internship has lasted 12 years and I have traveled across the country with the same group producing a multi-day conference. P.S. This is only part 1 of my journey.

Maria: Quite by accident! Fundamentally, I was asked to assist in an administrative capacity for a 3-day security based conference in London. The attendees were from the higher end of management, along with senior military officers, government officials, academics etc. When I pitched up on the day of the event, the event manager told me that it was a difficult day for them and they had to disappear for an hour to collect their thoughts (this was an hour before the delegates were due to arrive), I decided that there was no way I would be party to a disaster - so I took over. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! At the end of the conference, I was approached with 2 job offers and someone commented on how well my team and I worked together - up until that point, we had never even met.

Deborah: In my role at the theater company I organized a number of forums and then did some work for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (equivalent to the Olympics... sort of) and just fell into a role as the event manager at a corporate booking agency / event company

Noel: Working at a non-profit was my first real experience in event planning.

Michaela: I got involved with meeting planning while working in a luxury hotel. I coordinated the hotel staff, created the function sheets organized the staff pre-con meetings and managed the final master account for each event.

I followed a master course in event management while still working in the hotel and read many, many industry books. I worked on automotive events, corporate meetings, incentives and private parties. After one year and a half I decided to resign and start my own business.

Event in Italy

Photo Credit: Michaela Karsen, Far and Near Events

Patty: At the end of my freshman year of college I didn't have a summer job yet, so when a family friend asked me to work at his booth at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, I did. He was selling computer programs to manage meeting registration and catering business. He hired me for the summer to help him follow up on leads. That led to an internship doing the registration for an international association meeting the next year. That led to my first job after college graduation as the convention coordinator at that association. I moved into hotel convention services, destination management and into corporate planning. I was very fortunate to find a career I love!

Anne: As said, it was gradual. I had a contract with a theatre company to develop training material to accompany one of their school productions. Showcases were a very important part of booking school tours. While a co-worker had primary responsibility for planning and organizing showcases, it was a team effort in which we all rolled up our sleeves and helped to plan, organize and run these.

I have been very active in various professional associations and volunteered for their Toronto Chapters. I was a member of the committee that planned the monthly evening meetings for the Canadian Society for Training and Development on a volunteer basis for over 4 years. During an economic downturn, volunteers were harder and harder to find. So, we became a committee of 2. I was responsible for planning and organizing all aspects of half of the evening meetings each year. This was valuable experience in working with venues, dealing with caterers, recruiting speakers, and promotion. I also volunteered to help at some of the conferences.

Building on this experience, I was invited to volunteer to serve on the board of the MBA Women's Association. I was the Programming Director and responsible for planning, organizing and promoting all of the monthly meetings and events.

I've also volunteered on the corporate side of the field at Toronto Polo Club's "Polo for Heart Tournament" for many years. This gave me a behind the scenes look at what it takes to pull together large events.

Winter Team Building in Ottawa

Photo Credit: Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International

While I was working as a management development specialist full-time, I was responsible also responsible for some planning meetings, handling logistics for training sessions including hotel, meal and meeting arrangements, award dinners, and planning off-sites including a conference in Montreal for internal trainers.

Cooking Event in Toronto

Photo Credit: Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International

Once I launched my own company, it was just a matter of time before clients asked if I could fully plan the meetings and retreats in addition to facilitating them. Based on my past experience, it was a pleasure. After a while, existing clients asked me to plan stand alone events for them and new clients approached me to plan their events.

I had worked as a summer flight attendant while attending university. While I was facilitating retreats and workshops in Canada, Jamaica, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Egypt, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia, I was becoming familiar with resorts, hotels, tours, and attractions. Incentive travel was the next logical service for my company to offer. We now offer 1 stop shopping to plan retreats, events and sales incentive trips from start to finish including hotels, meeting facilities, transfers, tours, recreation, and galas at featured destinations worldwide.

Luxury Beach Event in Oman

Photo Credit: Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International

On what social media sites have you been active and how have you been using them to further your career and/or grow your business?

Arleen: I use Linkedin for career and business. I'm relatively new to social networking but so far joining different discussion groups has been helpful in sharing information and making new connections.

Maria: We only use LinkedIn, primarily because it is a professional networking site and not full of 'fluff'. It enables us to carry out some research on individuals and a medium for putting people/businesses in touch where we feel it would be of mutual advantage to both.

Deborah: I am active on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn. I enjoy the discusion groups of LinkedIN and post status updates on Facebook & Twitter to promote my business, promote events and comment on things that interest me.

Noel: For Cabrini College and the Alumni office we use social media in a variety of ways. Cabrini uses Facebook to promote events to alumni and students through different fan pages that are created by different departments on campus. We also use Facebook for admissions by reaching out to potential students through fan pages and groups. We currently use LinkedIn as our career networking tool and have held 4 events thus far this year for our alumni promoting networking.

Michaela: I am active on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. I use LinkedIn to create a network in and out of the event business. I try to establish a relationship with my connections. Groups on linked in increase my visibility, help to grow my network and to establish relationships with people. I promote my business on LinkedIn mostly by being active in my groups. On Twitter I write small messages, mostly giving tips on activities and recreational team events that my company organizes. I now have started as well on giving tips about event management. I use Facebook for my personal social contacts only. Furthermore I am registered on many other social media sites like video, Xing, UYNX, and so on, just to increase visibility on search engines etc.

Patty: I'm following the standard - using Facebook for personal social ties and LinkedIn for business. As I'm in the midst of a job search, I am "linking" to as many people as I can directly and through groups. When I apply for a job, I research how I'm "linked" to the company and follow up through my links. I'll let you know how it goes! ;)

Anne: The first site I was on was Ryze. I have a Facebook profile and my blogs show up there. I am not very active on Ryze or Facebook. I am very active on LinkedIn. In addition to my involvement with the Event Planning and Management Group as a Group Manager, I own 2 alumni groups and a team building group. I have posted and answered questions in Q&A, posted events, and started a couple of polls. I have, in the last few months, made a point of really being active on Twitter and decided to really "go for it" to see if it works. I share entries from my blogs and other blogs, news articles, tweets about horse riding, polo, Olympic sports, acting, hobbies, personal interests, and of course, Jamaica. I've participated in #eventprofs chats a couple of times and they have been really super. I also have 2 Second Life profiles. One for fun and the other that I intend to eventually use to do some on-line coaching, table top sessions and seminars.

What benefits have you obtained from social media use?

Arleen: I learn something new every time I'm on Linkedin and find it to be a powerful tool. Using social media keeps me current. I can quickly read about industry issues from around the world. The discussions are interesting and helpful.

Maria: Quite often, businesses and individuals don't have the time or the thought pattern to carry out this research themselves. By making the link for them based on information people digress through general conversation, and creating an introduction, this encourages people to send work back our way because they have been able to; gain funding, progress a project, find individuals prudent to their work, create a symbiotic relationship with another organisation etc.

Deborah: I have benefited greatly from social media. I think the best example of this would be a photographer I meet via social media, we have engaged in cross promotion and link shares because we both liked each others styles and work even though we have never meet face-to-face as we live in different states.

Noel: We have really been able to connect with the alumni through facebook, especially the younger alumni. They seem more engaged with the College and the attendance at our events as increased slightly. We have also forged new connections between alumni who have lost touch.

Michaela: My first clients! It is very difficult in Italy to enter corporations because they prefer to work with people or companies they know or have been recommended by people they trust. I started without any contacts so this is an important step for me. Further more I became part of the board of directors of a local business club born on LinkedIn and this group helps me a lot to promote my business to local companies. Another benefit is that people have heard or read about my company even though they don't know me. I received RFPs from my tweets and confirmed events by attending networking events organized by LinkedIn groups.

Patty: It's actually added to personal interaction. I've gotten together with people I wouldn't have run into without reconnecting on Facebook. Social media has added a fun, new dimension and I can't wait to see what's next!

Anne: I can only trace 1 specific piece of business to Ryze. Other than that, so far I have never been asked to submit an RFQ or obtained any business from social media. LinkedIn has helped me re-connect with former colleagues. Twitter has generated a couple of opportunities for me to be interviewed by the media. Through LinkedIn and Twitter, I have had some opportunities for guest blogging including Event Coup. Twitter and LinkedIn have definitely boosted traffic to my own blogs, that's for sure. The main benefit of LinkedIn has been learning how to generate traffic for blogs and boost visibility on the Internet.

What 1 piece of advice would you give someone who wanted to get started in event planning?

Ann C.: My one piece of advice for someone who is getting started these days is to get your degree in hospitality, tourism, travel and obtain industry certifications. These were not as available or desired when I first entered the industry, but they are today. When I first began in the industry, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else as a career because the hours were long, the pay was small, and the opportunities were few. I'm happy to say that the industry has progressed and one can definitely have a career/business in event planning. The hours are still long but the pay is a little better. There is a wider range of opportunities, and the people associated with the industry are the best!

Arleen: Volunteering is a wonderful way to gain experience, solidify your career commitment and build your network.

Maria: Advice? Stick to the market you know, at least initially. While the fundamentals of event planning can cross over into almost any sector, if you know your audience, you can speak their language and make them feel safe and confident.

Deborah: Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer. There is nothing better than practical experience.

Noel: Usually when people think of event planning they think strict social or wedding type events, however there are several different types of event planning. Non-profit fundraising is a great way to get your foot in the door and get a well-rounded experience in event planning. The best advice I can give to someone who would like to choose this as a career is to make sure you are willing to be flexible.

Michaela: To get started in event planning I advise people to get a degree, do an internship, and get started from there.

Patty: I completely agree with Noel; flexibility is a key trait of successful planners. For those just getting into the business, I recommend gaining a broad base of experience before choosing a specialty. You may find you like food & beverage, or destination management, or perhaps stage production of general sessions. There are so many facets of this industry.

Anne: Especially in these turbulent economic times, demonstrating the value and ROI of meetings and events will be critical. For this reason, I would advise someone starting out to get a business degree first and some solid business experience at a company that places high value on events. It really doesn't matter if it's sales, marketing, customer service, or technical experience, really get to know how businesses operate. Develop a bottom-line orientation.

The next step would be to get to know the professionals responsible for event planning in your company and in your company's industry. Volunteer to become involved in planning events and meetings for your department, company, professional association, or alumni association.

The importance of flexibility and rolling with the punches has already been stressed. When you're volunteering, demonstrate your flexibility, multi-tasking skills and ability to remain cool under pressure. If possible, try to make a lateral move into event planning or event marketing in your company. A lot of really experienced professionals have been laid off and the market is flooded with event and meeting planners at the moment. So, I think that the approach I am suggesting will get you further than taking an event planning or hospitality certificate and then trying to land a "dream job" in event planning when you have no business experience. While you are working full-time, you can take event planning and hospitality courses part-time. Many companies have Educational Assistance Programmes that will reimburse your tuition.

Most of all network, network, network. As you've seen from the experiences that have been shared already, personal contacts can open many doors. Don't be afraid to share your career goals with friends, relatives and colleagues. Ask for their help.

What 1 piece of advice would you give to an event planner who wants to take their career or event planning business to the next level?

Ann C.: My advice on taking your planning career or business to the next level is be open to learning all facets of the events industry; learn the good ways and how to change the bad ways to good; stay open to new and better trends for the industry is constantly evolving; and stay connected as this is a very relational industry.

Event for Society of Independent Show Organizers in Hartford, Connecticut

Photo Credit: Arleen Edwards

Arleen: The path to reach my goal was sometimes difficult but not impossible and I encourage you to never give up.

Maria: As for taking it to another level - network and be ballsy! If you don't try, you will never know.

Deborah: Ask yourself "Do events excite you? Do you get a buzz when talking about possibilities? Do you think outside the box? Can you come up with unique ways of doing things? Will you go above and beyond? Are you willing to work long hours for little recognition?" Then just do it! Take risks and get yourself out there.

Noel: No matter what industry you will be doing event planning in, you must be ready to give up a lot of free time and be willing to roll with the punches. The most important thing I have learned so far in my career is that what can go wrong will and you always have to be prepared and ready to go with the flow.

Michaela: Before you set up your own business, make sure you already have a mailing list (contacts) of possible clients. It is really hard to start with no contacts as I did. Further more know exactly what you sell (offer) and have a good network of referenced suppliers.

Patty: For those looking to step up their career, they need to find the ROI of the events they produce and use it to get a seat at the boardroom table.

Anne: This is also one of the toughest times to move your career to the next level but it's not impossible. Focusing on fun, fun, fun without really helping clients dig deeper, pinpoint specific objectives and a clear business need for each event is risky in this economy. You'll be vulnerable whenever the budget needs to be scrutinized and trimmed. Be prepared to speak in terms of the ROI of the services you provide and skills you offer.

Network and get to know as many executives as you can. Executives will ultimately make the decision about what events add value and sign-off on who to hire. If you have any opportunities to volunteer for any events where you can meet executives and build your network of executive contacts, seize them.

I would say whether you are working full time or part-time boost your visibility by writing a blog, articles and press releases. Don't just focus on event planning publications. Also, write for publications in your industry. In your writing, demonstrate that you understand the business issues your company's industry is facing.

Tools & Resources to Get you Started

Next Steps

As we've seen based on this discussion, there is more than one route to a career in event planning. However, there are some common themes including:

Volunteer, roll up your sleeves and show initiative. Volunteering really gives you a chance to build your network of contacts and see how events come together.
Network. We have seen over and over again that contacts open doors.
Don't think corporate is the only way to go. There are opportunities with associations, in the military, with theatre companies, at colleges, in hotels, and in the food and beverage sector.

It isn't easy to break into event planning or to take your career to the next level right now but don't get discouraged. It may take you longer than you expect to reach your goals but hang in there, the economy will re-bound.

If you have any questions, please use the comment section. If you have questions for specific people I've interviewed or for me, please identify by name the person to whom you are addressing each question.

Opening Photo Credit: On Stage Lighting License

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EventHive: A Must For Your Next Conference

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:08:00 -0800

EventHive it's an awesome tool which facilitates live discussions among audiences and speakers during presentations.

For sure a great instrument for your next conference so your audience can interact live with your speakers, just enter the #hashtag. They can ask questions, vote for the ones more popular or answer questions peer to peer. Also speakers can make pools in real time and get the results straight away and show them to the participants via Powerpoint (no need of extra equipment).

Besides EventHive offers to integrate the schedule of your event, sponsorship opportunities, create buzz via twitter and facebook and more important engage your audience.

I definitely need to give the credit to Albert (@alcchow) a student who created this amazing application for his first conference, that I'm sure will be of a great use for #eventprofs and more.

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More Bloggers Events for All!

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:14:53 -0800

Let's face it, traditional PR is dead. Bloggers rule. It is going to be very tough to succeed online without some blogging spin.

Getting influential bloggers in one room is no impossible task. After all you can target bloggers Meetups.

Nonetheless creating a system that lets you target bloggers is what we need!

This is the idea behind Swagapalooza. The 'swag' standing for 'Stuff We All Get' and the 'palooza' standing for, well, a palooza.

Congratulations to Launch Hear in the Valley for coming up with the idea and to Springwise for spotting it.

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How to tell a story through video

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:44:32 -0800

Photo by Kidzconnect

These days, you don’t have to have $50,000 to make a clever video. What you do need is a clever and original story to tell. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when developing the story for your next video project.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: On the Web, simple is powerful. Avoid complex plots, minimize distracting backgrounds to keep the viewer’s eyes and mind focused. Choose one clear theme. A funny video should just be funny.

KEEP IT AUTHENTIC: Don’t try to do too much. People resonate with real, everyday situations. It’s best to capture and share fantastic, fleeting moments such as man-on-the-street interviews. Market research shows that viewers sometimes trust amateur clips more than those produced professionally. Low-budget clips can appear to be more authentic, which leads viewers to perceive them as endorsements.

MAKE IT LOCAL: In other words, focus on your core audience. The trend is moving from volume marketing to a highly attuned attention on targeting micro communities. Work to connect with the ideal user, the perfect consumer, not just broadcasting to the masses. The Internet is a highly personalized medium that lends itself to niche rather than large-scale marketing.

MAKE IT EASY TO FIND: These days Social Media is a great way to get people to watch your video before and after your event. With so many different Event Technology types to choose from you should always think about the video option. Use services like Tubemogul to distribute your videos to as many places as possible.

DEVELOP A COMMUNITY DIALOG:

People want to share, connect and participate. They are demanding the opportunity to express themselves with video, audio and photos. Give them that option.

CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION: Make sure to accommodate users by offering the opportunity to participate in the brand story. Allow them to develop their own messages let them to incorporate the brand into their lives.

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It's Good to Be a Werewolf

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:42:09 -0800

I had the same feeling the first time I read about BarCamps. That little thrill of excitement that keeps me tied to events. Not the boring, 'let's get drunk' kind of meetings - rather the fuzzy, 'I don't know what is going to happen' kind of moment.

As I was reading the February issue of Wired UK, I learned that once again the geeks innovated. I read about Werewolf.

As for the unconference, FooCamp 'borrowed' the idea from Open Space Technology. They 'borrowed' it once again from Mafia - a cult, underground, hostelized Russian role play game of the mid '90s.

Why does it matter? Well in the myriad of user generated events, this seems like a great networking compromise that gets rid of the businessy cardy, spammy practice we're all tired of.

I hope you don't use it for your event as I already started my London Meetup and going to conquer the World :-p

Here's a nice video:

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Happy Birthday #eventprofs!

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:22:00 -0800

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 website, video and badges all for its members. A community that created an awards program. A community that organized its first face-to-face event, Event Camp, in New York City - this past weekend. Oh, and it was livestreamed around the world for free.

Here is a timeline that highlights the evolution of this self-organized community:

> February 9, 2009: Lara McCulloch-Carter(@ready2spark) creates #eventprofs

> February 16, 2009: Eventprofs starts a weekly chat on Monday nights.

> March 2009: Eventprofs creates a video to show people how to join the chats.

> April 2009: Eventprofs creates a website wiki as a home base to keep track of chat topics, archive chat discussions, etc.

> April 2009: Chats become twice per week Tuesday night and Thursday afternoon.

> Summer 2009: #eventprofs is mentioned in event industry rags and The Twitter Book by Tim O’Reillyand Sarah Milstein

> August 2009: Eventprofs creates a blog awards to encourage and support the #eventprofs bloggers.

> October 2009: Eventprofs community members @mizcity, @jessicalevin, @jeffhurt, @mikemcallen and @michaelmccurry get the idea to create an event and start the planning.

> February 2010: Eventprofs members host a face-to-face event called Event Camp that turns out to be the largest gathering of members from the Eventprofs Twitter Group.

As a testament to the passion of this community - and their expression of that passion via blogs - I recommend that you read some of these posts on the learnings from Event Camp. Two of these blogs were written by virtual participants:

> Jessica Levin (@JessicaLevin): Making History Unconference Style
> Michael McCurry (@michaelmccurry): Eventprofs Tribe Meets for first Time - Event Camp 2010
> Lara McCulloch-Carter (@ready2spark): Event Camp . learnings from outside the fishbowl
> Christina Stallings (@msstallings): Eventprofs, Social Media, Ideas and cats...Lot’s of em. Oh, And Water Buffalo Hats.
> Jenise Fryatt (@lyksumlikrish): How social media creates a NEED for events
> Adrian Segar (@asegar): First Impressions from Event Camp 2010
> Alan Wight (@cascade_alan): EventCamp: a view from Outside
> Clinton Bonner (@clintonbon): What #eventprofs can learn form rockers “No Doubt”
> Adrian Segar (@asegar): 14 Things that I learned at Event Camp 2010

> Christina Stallings (@msstallings):Holy Backchannel!

(Note: There will probably be more blog posts coming in the next few days.)

Today is a day for celebration.

After 365 days of tweets, over 60 weekly chats and one face-to-face event - #eventprofs turns one today.

Happy Birthday #eventprofs! I can’t wait to see what happens in year two!

Image credit: @samueljsmith

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What the HELL is social media - in 2 minutes

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:27:28 -0800

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 surprising but for the many people, including the majority of those event professional who attended the Madame Tussauds event and are not yet using social media, this presentation gave a jolt of future shock.

Transcript from What the HELL is social media - in 2 minutes

Social media is an umbrella term which defines the activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos, and audio.

(Wikipedia)

More simply it just describes the millions of conversations people are having with each other on-line across the world 24/7

Why the HELL should I care? Here are 10 really, REALLY good reasons…

REASON #1

Because social media is now the number one online activity beating porn and personal email to the top spot.

(Nielsen Wire)

REASON #2

Because 2/3 of the global internet population visit social networks.

(Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Places)

REASON #3

Because time spent on social networks is growing at 3x the overall internet rate, accounting for 10% of all internet time.

(Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Places)

REASON #4

Because online including social media has become the most influential source in helping consumer make purchasing decisions.

(Weber Shandwick Inline Research)

REASON #5

Because millions of people are creating their own content for the social web.

Your competitors are already there.

Your customers have been there for a long time.

If your business isn't putting itself out there, it ought to be.

(Business Week)

REASON #6

Because the next 3 billion consumers will access the internet from a mobile device.

People will update anytime, anywhere.

Imagine what that means for bad customer experiences!

(Wired Magazine UK)

This is called the super-fresh web

The ‘super-fresh’ web will force brands to engage with its customers

REASON #7

Because Facebook is now the operating system of the social web. It has won the social networking war

If Facebook were a country it would be bigger than the USA and 3^rd largest in the World

Facebook added 200 million users in less than a year

Facebook adds ½ million users every day

On target for ½ billion users by December 2010

5 billion: The number of minutes spent on Facebook each day

1 billion: The amount of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) shared each week on Facebook.

Additional note: 350+ million Facebook users as of January 2010 out of which 50% log on everyday.

(Facebook)

REASON #8

Because Twitter believes it will have 1 billion users by 2012.

If this happens it will become the pulse of the planet

(Twitter)

REASON #9

Because one way marketing has had its day!

Stop thinking “campaigns”. Start thinking “conversations”.

Listening first, selling second

REASON #10

Because in almost all cases social media is free.

All it will cost you is time.

Social media playtime is officially over

This presentation was inspired by the genius work of…

Marta Kagan author of WHAT THE F**K IS SOCIAL MEDIA

Read her blog http://bonafidemarketinggenius.com

Follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/mzkagan

Erik Qualman author of SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTION

Read his blog http://socialnomics.net

Follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/equalman

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Productivity and Planning with a 2.0 Touch

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:54:00 -0800

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 normal lists

- Email: Gmail

I sync it with my Mail on mac and my iPhone, and I have it online

- Brainstorming: Mind Node [link]

Simple and effective, fast to use

- Notes: Notes on my iPhone/TextEdit on my Mac/Evernote

TextEdit over all of them because it's the most simple, but I love Evernote as well

- Budgets/Hours of work: Google documents spreadsheet

Especially for Event budgets, when they are on going, I have it everywhere and can update it without losing anything

All these tools have really boosted my creativity, leaving the space in my head, every-second, to Think and not just Remember.

NOW. The important part of this article.

These are tools that I use during the "planning phase" of the event, what about on-site operations?

I have not found a solution that is comfortable for me yet. An effective tool to keep time schedules, contracts, contacts, checklists, to-do lists, and other important documents. The only way by now has been: a folder where all the printed stuff is inside. (not much green either)

The problem? Onsite operations often mean practical things to do: a chair that has to be moved, a case that has to be placed, a staff guy to help, and it means also "run" sometimes. Well, with all this things going on and the pressure of the day, it's just not comfortable, especially when I forgot where I left it!

So, here's the point... Could the iPad (and the innovation that the iPad has brought to the market, that means all the competitors that will develop similar products) be THE device that we, event managers, were waiting for???

I am optimist about that and already see myself with one of those iPad in my hands... Thoughts?

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Ways to (Truly) Make Your Event Green

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:14:41 -0800

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 widget feature that automatically updates to show how many members are in your group, the number of carpools created and how many seats are available. It's also got a carbon saving feature so it can't be easier to keep track of how much your event is saving. Worth a try.

2. Reinvent Inventory

Each event is unique indeed. But don't you think purchasing a brand new lot of pens and pads for XYZ 2010 conference pack is a bit of a waste when you've still got those 975 pens and 523 pads left from XYZ 2009?? I know what you're thinking: 'But we need 2010 branded material!' My answer: 'Do you really?' I wouldn't care if my freebies are branded with event name plus date, or just name...or neither to be honest. So make sure you use your management tools wisely and make a clear inventory of whatever in stock that can actually be reused for future events.

3. The More the Greener

If you are a professional event planner you surely rely on a network of suppliers, from venues to caterers, from lighting companies to travel agents. Once you've got your house in order and are satisfied with the way you are managing the environmental impact of your direct activities, a whole new world of opportunities can still unfold ahead. You can start replicating your approach on a wider scale and engage with your suppliers to identify new opportunities to make your events green.

4. Plan Ahead

First things first. This should be on top of the list, really. You can use as many ways as you like to make your event greener, but the first thing should always be to plan it green from the start. It's a bit like the 4 R's hierarchy - Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It's all good to recycle 100% of waste or source electricity from renewables. But could you not have thought about not producing waste in the first place, or not using those extra kilowatts?

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What Meeting Professionals can learn from James Cameron’s movie Avatar.

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:27:00 -0800

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 events/meetings. Avatar made going to the movies, a must see. It is a memorable event which engaged the audience for the whole experience. Avatar took some risks on how it’s “always done” and it paid off big. How can you take some strategic risks to engage your audiences? Use new innovative concepts or break the mold with new event technology?

Here are some ideas I put together about James Cameron and his team who designed the whole Avatar event. I hope it might spark some dialogue for you and your meeting professional friends & teams.

1) Story

The movie Avatars actual story is pretty typical: heroes and villains. But it has a solid theme and engages you for the full 2.5 hours of the movie. This comes from storytelling, planning and pacing. Avatar left no stone unturned and the presentation was really well thought out. Event organizers and speakers can learn from this. Put yourself in the shoes of your attendees and tell them a story. Make them comfortable and deliver the story in the most engaging and impactful way possible. What is the theme of your event as a whole? How can you make a story out of it to engage attendees? You might feel uneasy too bring it up in the planning meeting, but someone needs to step forward and start the creative conversation. What sort of action are you looking from your audience when they walk out the door at the end of the conference? Are you presenting problems and then solutions for your audience?

One awesome thing I saw with the marketing of Avatar is the big story behind the story. Not about the movie itself, but how it was made. The story surrounding the making of this epic movie took on a life of its own. This was the talk of many articles in all sorts of magazines and the web. Building excitement and drama. Would the high cost be a bomb? The side story of the brash James Cameron taking his Titanic money and doing it his own way, giving mainstream Hollywood a run for its money really build the buzz. This moved the Avatar brand much faster, got the media and people talking about it before anyone saw the first Pandora resident. (Pandora is where the movie takes place) Of course the movie had to deliver and it did. Great use of stories to build buzz. Think about drama or story you can put around an event or meeting. What will get your attendees excitied.

2) Environment

James Cameron broke the old mold of bringing a new type of movie to the theatres. Not many theatres can show the film in 3-D so he made different versions of the digital prints for all types of theatres. The movie is beautiful. Plus ask anyone and they will say if you haven’t seen it in 3-d then you really haven’t experienced it. Then the next person will say if you haven’t seen it in 3-D IMAX giant screen you are missing out. So this means people will see it once or twice before the dvds come out. As Maartin Vanneste talks in his book Meeting Architecture you must have an architect for the content and experience of the attendees. Someone has to lead the event. All the wonderful food and comfortable venues is really important but what do you want your audience to see and feel? Most ballrooms are built for weddings. Those giant Chandlers are testament to the fact. How can you make the room reflect your story? How can you immerse them in an environment to help them absorb the messages or content? What innovative concepts can you infuse? Spend an equal or more time developing the story and environment of the event or meeting. Can you make sure the look and feel of the event is impactful and special? James Cameron used 3-d and rich visuals to transport us to another place where we learned all about this strange world of Pandora. Think about your next presentation or stage; build and environments around your content. Play off the environmental design; Make it rich in visuals not text. Use video, audio and images to cement ideas and points. Use technology to engage and inform and get your attendees talking and setting the stage about the environment you are presenting. When I saw Avatar it was a total event. The large IMAX screen at the Metron in San Francisco the full audience and that exciting buzz. It was a total experience.

3) Experience

Today just leaving the house for any reason has to be event based. With blue ray players, the internet, cable, everything can been seen, bought from home. James Cameron designed something that made people go to the theatre in droves. Event professionals need to keep this in mind. Make every event an experience by knowing what your audience wants and listen to them. Be creative. What do you want attendees to walk away with? This is where listening comes in and the internet has many free and paid listening tools for this. You can build a dedicated audience using these tools. Listen in to your audiences with easy to set up tools like Google Alerts,

Twitter search, Twendz. Use the free Google Analytics tools to see where your audience is coming from and go there and listen. I did a tutorial with Radian6 a while back and it was a simple listening tool and gave me more information about my industry and events then I could ever use. But was fantastic! Listen and build the experience.

4) Technology

You can’t escape the technology these days. It is not going away and will become more prevalent in events and meetings to extend the content of events before and after and during the face to face meeting. Embrace it. James Cameron’s team utilized some unbelievable technology to design and produce Avatar. You are dropped into a 3-D world of amazing visuals and excitement. But Cameron’s team also utilized the web to build community and buzz around the event before it was even released. Are you dipping your toes in Social Media and the web for your events or conferences? Are you keeping up to date on the new technology to educate and engage in your sessions? What about taking audience polls, using video and animations to provide for all types of learning? Always searching for new technologies is so important. Especially to engage younger audiences. The are rapidly going to be your audiences soon. So start experimenting.

Are you thinking about a mobile application for smart phones? Games for mobile devices? How about a game for all the gaming consoles homes these days? Getting the budget to produce these types of media for your event might be out of reach but it will get cheaper. Good thing about many of these new tools is they are updatable. Maybe you could use it year round. Ramp up before the next meeting with updates to the technological tools. Might be a great way to engage audiences. Think about included twitter feeds, audio, video podcasts, streaming and community forums. My friend Gary Rosenzweig has been making games for all sorts of companies. What a great way to have your attendees learn your content. Build a game around it! Embrace technology.

5) Social Media and the Internet-

Avatar utilized social media and the web to build a community and buzz about the event like seasoned gorilla marketers. Avatar made these tools focusing on the opening of the movie Avatar to be a can’t miss event. You can use these same tools below for your event or conference and most are free. Your costs will be the time build strategy, the community and keeping them alive by being there engaging and listening to your event or meetings community. I know it will pay dividends for you. Most of all, experiment with different strategies. Many new companies are becoming specialists in this area for events. I heard some very cool things from a company called Velvet Chainsaw (Jeff Hurts new employer)

this week that are moving in the direction of providing solutions for events and conferences in this new area.

What did Avatar exactly do via Social Media?

Facebook page: Facebook is rapidly changing to fit your business needs. They have new updated features making it very easy for your attendees to engage and interact around your event. Plus unlike most other web tools everybody seems to be on Facebook from your grandma to your 12 year old. Avatar has 700k members that James Cameron’s team engages with. Last year David Merman Scott had an excellent post about a conference that utilized Facebook to increase attendance.

Twitter page: Is a newly adopted event technology and a great way to connect with your audience to get them spreading your message. Make sure you have a conference hashtag and is it available on all web and printed materials so your audience can start the conversation as soon as possible.

Webcasts: James Cameron teamed up with MTV/Facebook to use a webcast where questions were submitted by a virtual audience and James Cameron and some of the stars were interviewed. Are you doing pre conference webcasts, podcasts, videocasts to start engagement with your audience? Build the community this way. Have a few webcasts to build awareness and engagement. They are a great way to listen to your audience and have a two-way communications channel to start testing your events story, and make sure you are on the right path.

Live Streaming: One very cool thing is utilizing free streaming technology. Avatar used the free service UStream for the red carpet premiere of the movie so fans could feel the excitement live. Think about streaming your event to attendees who cannot attend. This will build your attendance if it is a good event because people will want to be there in person. Trust me, nobody would like to sit in front of a computer for a whole event instead of actually attending. So build use it to build awareness and community. Many have chat rooms attached to the service so make sure you interact with the virtual audience. Some live streaming methods: iphone, Quik, Justintv, livestream, vivu.tv. Ask your production company about ways you can do this to get the quality you are looking for. Many paid options are out there also which buys you more quality and piece of mind.

6) Avatars are blue but green people are also needed-

One of Avatars messages is environmental destruction. I don’t want to write any spoilers in case you haven’t seen the movie but just don’t take from the city you are visiting. Or in Avatars case, the planet you are visiting for your event or meeting. Don’t fly in with your big carbon footprint, extra large shoes and trash the city you are holding your conference or meeting in. Be as green as possible. Community service is always a great way to give back. In the movie Avatar character played by Sigourney Weaver is trying to do this with the Navi people. You already know to reduce your carbon footprint, recycle, use local foods, turn off air conditioning in ballrooms at night. (and your hotel room when you leave it) Water stations instead of plastic bottles etc. If you want some tips on this contact Johanna Walsh or Midori Connolly who are my green people friends. I am constantly learning from them both. And they both live here on earth.

Some other ideas (not Avatar related)

If your meeting or event is corporate having a Linkedin group is a good idea. Flickr which is an image based community is also a great way drive traffic to your event. Plus a great place for your attendees to find pictures from past events and current ones. Make sure you have a YouTube channel— YouTube is the second most popular search engine on the internet. I heard recently from Brett Bumeter that Google search is reading the titles in videos now. So think about putting as much content on your free channel on Youtube as you can. A great way for your community to find more information and get educated and informed about your event. Remember use the conference #hashtag. Hav it on everything print collatoral to email signatures. Another huge add is community based software that can be attached to your site. MPI uses Pathable.com and a conference I recently attended PCMA in Dallas Crowdvine was fully utilized. They are great ways to engage your audience. You can make direct connections to other attendees, start conversations, and work out your schedule.

So in closing this out hopefully you will take some of these tools and build on ideas to infuse story, emotion, environmental experiences, event technology, social media to build community, education and engagement in your upcoming events. Maybe take some risks like James Cameron did with technology and story. It seems to be paying off for him. He spent 500 million to make the Avatar movie. He had a 232 Million dollar opening weekend and it made one billion dollars by the end of 2009. I think it is the highest grossing film of all time at the time of this posting.

What if you were able to have a 500 million budget for your next meeting? (or 500 Thousand?) What risks would you take? Iove to hear if you have used any of these tools at your event or meeting?

Maybe come tell me in person next week at EventCamp Feb 6th in New York City at the Roger Smith Hotel?

Should be an awesome time learn, share and converse about social media, event technology and the innovative concepts we all want our events and meetings to utilize!

Also, go see Avatar. If you need someone to go with you call me. I would love to see it again.

Cheers!

Mike

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Event Camp: A Social Media Jam Session for Events People

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:47:00 -0800

My musician friends tell me that the best thing about getting together with other musicians are the jam sessions. You know, those times where they let themselves go off-script and create music on the fly. They play off each other, learn from each other, develop new material and test out new ideas.

In my opinion, that is how you should think about EventCamp NYC on February 6, 2010. It’s going to be one big jam session!

If you don’t believe me - look at the list of attendees. Most of the regular contributors from the #Eventprofs Twitter group will be there. Most of the Contributors to the ebook Social Media for Events 2010 will be there. These people, along with the EventCoup contributors, are among the thought leaders around Social Media for events.

Innovative Formats

I regularly blog about interactive and collaborative formats. That is exactly what EventCamp is designed to produce. There will be open space sessions, fishbowl discussions, unconference sessions, etc. All of these formats are designed to get you out of your chair and into the action. No question is too dumb - no idea too corny. Right now, we are all learning together. The formats are designed to give everyone a voice and allow everyone to contribute.

Did I mention that I am going? I am. After I registered, they talked me into leading a session on using Social Media onsite. However, I didn’t want to just give a talk. So, I am leading a Fishbowl discussion designed to get several people to join a collaborative discussion on using Social Media in events. I would love to have you in the session. In fact, your ideas, strategies, issues and concerns are what will make the session a success.

No Cash. No Problem.

One of the participants - Christina Stallings was a little short on cash for this event. Rather than feel helpless and sad, she setup a Fund-drive. She created a fundraising page on Chipin that allowed people to make small contributions to her cause. Also, the page tracks the progress toward her goal. In 3 days, she raised over $550 - enough to get her to EventCamp. If you are short on cash, you can win a scholarship here - or follow in Christina’s footsteps.

Final Thoughts

This event will be unlike any other “Camp” or “Event Industry” event that you attend this year. First, it is devoted to Social Media in Events. Second, the sessions and format are designed to be collaborative and engaging. Third, most of the community of #eventprofs and social media thought leaders will be there. It shouldn't feel like a meeting, conference or camp. It should feel like a jam session.

Are you ready to Jam? I hope to see you there.

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10 Super Cool Ideas for Corporate Event Venues & Incentive Travel

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:12:00 -0800

Summary: A virtual journey to some of the most incredible places on the planet for corporate events and sales incentive trips. They're also perfect for galas, weddings & parties. Destinations include Sweden, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

10 Super Cool Ideas for Corporate Events Venues & Incentive Travel Destinations

Photo: Absolut Ice Bar, Stockholm

Running out of ideas for unique corporate event venues and incredible destinations for sales incentive trips? It's a big, beautiful world out there. The possibilities are endless. Just pick a corner of the world, sit, back, and relax. Take our virtual tour to preview what you'll experience when you're ready to hop on a plane. Even, if you can't go, we hope that this journey through cyberspace will spark your creativity. After that, it should be easier to come up with ideas for super cool locations near you.

If you enjoy reading about these ideas, please spread the word. Tweet about it. Stumble Upon it. Please take a minute to add your comments about some of your cool ideas for corporate event venues and travel destinations. What cool places have you used or dreamed of using?

Please note, this exploration is intended to be for relaxation and fun. We have not been paid to promote any of these locations. As our goal is not promotional, some of these videos were created by visitors. Accordingly, they may not have slick production values. Sometimes, it's of value to experience a location as captured by visitors to get a sense of their spirit of fun and awe. All of these venues have websites and most have promotional kits with DVDs if you're ever interested in showcasing them for a client.

If you want your team to experience an ultimate event at an incredible destination, you could have your next corporate event.....

1. In an Ice Hotel or at an Ice Bar (Sweden, Canada, Japan)

They last for a few months every year as weather conditions permit. Then, like Frosty the Snowman, they're gone again until next year.

2. In a Castle (France)

3. In a Tropical Fantasy (Jamaica)

Photo: The Enchanted Gardens, Jamaica

"But it can't be done." you say. "It's January, I'm in Montreal and I don't have the budget to fly my team to Jamaica." Notice the snow on the ground at the beginning of this next clip and think again....

...in Germany too

4. In a Palace (Abu Dhabi)

5. In the Desert (Dubai)

6. At a Borgo (Italy)

7. At a Winery (Canada)

8. At a Resort with an Onsen in the Japanese Alps (Japan)

....or closer to Tokyo. Take a peek.

9. In the Sky (International)

10. Above the Clouds in Genting Highlands (Malaysia)

Click for Aerial View of Genting Highands

Coming Soon: Under the Water at the Hypropolis Hotel (Dubai)

So where in the world do YOU want to go for your next corporate event?

Photo Credit: Kasallek - Absolut Ice Bar, Stockholm

Photo Credit: Executive Oasis International - The Enchanted Gardens, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

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10 Ways Social Media Will Transform Events in 2010

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:06:00 -0800

Social media is changing the way that we communicate, collaborate and share.

It used to be that you watched the news and that was it. Today, CNN.com allows you to watch the news, read the news, comment on the news and create the news. More than 400,000 “citizen” journalists are uploading videos called iReports to CNN’s website. Many of these are included in news stories.

It used to be that you requested duplicate copies of vacation photos for family and friends. Today, you take digital pictures and upload them to Facebook or Flickr. Your family and friends comment on those photos online. Then you create a photo-book for your grandma that is automatically printed and shipped directly to her.

Those are two small examples of the transformation that is taking place in the way that we communicate, collaborate and share. There are many others.

As attendees become more comfortable with these new two-way communication experiences, they are going to start demanding similar experiences from their face-to-face events.

Here are 10 ways that I think social media will transform events in the future:

Attendees will not wait for microphones to ask questions. They will text or tweet those questions as they think of them. Attendees will not wait until the end of a session to ask questions that came up in the first five minutes of the presentation. This does not mean that the speaker has to stop his presentation to answer the questions. Rather, there should be a mechanism to send questions to the speaker in real time.
Attendees will answer questions for the speaker - while she is talking. If the questions for the speaker are streamed through the backchannel, these questions will be available to all attendees. E-learning research tells us that it is every likely that attendees will start answering each other’s questions, while the speaker (instructor) is still talking.
Attendees will tell you that the speaker stinks, the ice sculpture is melting and the croissants are stale - in real time. With Social Media, the feedback can be instant and shared with everyone. You should be prepared to adapt your onsite operations to this new reality.
Attendees will expect to connect with other delegates before, during and after the event. Time is precious. Rather than nametag surf through the crowd, attendees will setup meetings with like-minded delegates before the event. After the event they will want to keep the conversation going. It will be important that events help them stay connected and translate their face-to-face contacts back into the digital world.
Virtual attendees will start using social media to engage with your content and the onsite face-to-face attendees. Social Media and other digital technologies will help virtual attendees join the onsite discussion. They will do this from 3,000 miles away. It will be important to make the experience inclusive and collaborative for all attendees.
Attendees will want a voice in the discussion, learning and decision making process. The gap between the experts that are speaking on stage and the amateurs in the audience has never been smaller. Attendees are well educated, informed and have information at their fingertips. As this gap continues to shrink, attendees will expect to be part of the discussion, learning and decision making processes. No more speakers talking and attendees listening!
New events will emerge from online communities . It is easier than ever to create an online group, build an audience and start discussions. However, there is still a strong desire for members to meet face-to-face. In 2009, we saw many new events created around Twitter. In the coming years, we will see many more events emerge out of online communities. Equally important, events that do not embrace online communities will be hurt and maybe even close.
Attendees will register for your event if their contacts are attending. In the future, knowing if friends or business associates are attending an event will become part of the attendee’s decision process. Social media tools that check to see if my Linkedin connections, Twitter followers or Facebook friends are attending an event already exist. Over time, I think that we will see more of these tools implemented in events.
Events will become communities that last for weeks and months rather than a few short days. Event specific social networks, create a social hub where we can start conversations before events and continue them long after the event finished. Creating a social space where attendees can network and discuss trends, hot topics, industry (or business) challenges and best practices will be extend the life of your event.
Sharable content will be the way that your event is discovered by new attendees. Your webcasts, webinars, blog posts and whitepapers will need to be interesting, relevant and easy to share. Then, your participants and raving fans will start forwarding, tweeting and facebooking this content to their like minded friends. This will introduce new people to your event and the type of education and thought leadership that you provide. Also, this will make it easier to search and find your event.

Bottom Line

Social Media is changing the way that we share, communicate and collaborate. As attendees become more comfortable with these experiences, they will demand them from their face-to-face events. Event professionals need to be prepared for this transformation. It is coming, soon.

What other ways do you expect social media to transform events in 2010 (and beyond)?

(note: This article is an excerpt from the FREE ebook Social Media in Events: 2010. Download it Free!)

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EventCoup + MotherApp = Mobile Bliss

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:47:25 -0800

This month, we are proud to announce our latest partnership with MotherApp, a company that creates applications on all mobile platforms. MotherApp custom-created our iPhone / iPod Touch application, which you can download here (iTunes link). The free application features our latest blog posts and Twitter feed right in the palm of your hand(s).

If you would like to partner and/or work with EventCoup, please contact us.

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Event Manager Blog

Twitter & Twitterfeed: A Delicate Balance

Twitterfeed: Balancing Pros and Cons

Twitterfeed Pros

A Twitterfeed Lesson From the School of Hard Knocks

Twitterfeed Caution

Damage Control: What to do When Automation Goes Wrong

Preventative Strategies

Next Steps

Event Planning: When Clients Ignore Advice - Lessons From the G20 Summit

Event Planning Fallout: When Clients Ignore Professional Advice

3 Poor Decisions with Major Negative Fallout

1. Selecting the wrong venues.

2010 G20 Summit Fallout 1:

2. Substituting fake environments for real "Green" ones.

2010 G20 Summit Fallout 2:

3. Disregarding the Needs of the Local Population.

2010 G20 Summit Fallout 3:

The Fallout from the Toronto G20 Summit

Next Steps

Making Sense of B2B RFQ Challenges

A Behind the Scenes Look at the RFQ Process for Event Planner & Supplier Selection

RFQ Process: The Challenges

Typical RFQ Scenarios

A Virtual Panel: Understanding the Dynamics at Play in the RFQ Process

Sources of Leads and Business

Event Planner Survey Says: From what source do you get MOST of your leads/RFQs? (Select top 2 sources)

1. What are the primary methods that you have used to source event planners and professionals in the consulting, meetings, events or hospitality industries ?

Event Planner Survey Says: On what social media sites are you ACTIVE?

Event Planner Survey Says: How many specific pieces of business can you trace DIRECTLY to NEW connections you have made through social media?

2. Have you found social media to be useful for sourcing? If yes, what sites or tools ?

RFQ Prepration Time, Effort & Results

Event Planner Survey Says How many new leads, RFQs or service inquiries does your firm receive on an average week during a typical week?

Event Planner Survey Says During a typical week, an average week, how much time do you spend responding to RFQs and preparing, quotes, estimates, or proposals?

Event Planner Survey Says What percentage of the proposals that you send out result in business?

Event Planner Survey Says What percentage of your leads end up being dead ends?

4. Standard pre-qualifying questions don't seem to be working, what else should consultants and event planners be asking to determine if an inquiry is serious ?

RFQ Process Frustrations & Challenges - Event Planners

Event Planner Survey Says How often have you called in a "favour" from a supplier, alliance partner or personal contact only to have a prospective client cancel or not follow through with the booking?

Event Planner Survey Says What are the greatest frustrations you face when dealing with requests for quote?

3. Why are there so many delays in decision-making? What are some of the internal dynamics and roadblocks that are contributing to these delays and false starts? What can individuals and firms that are submitting RFQs do to expedite decision making ?

4. Why does it take so long for companies to cut cheques when so many computerized and automated tools are available?

RFQ Process Challenges & Frustrations - Clients

5. What challenges have you faced internally during the RFQ process (i.e. in pinpointing oganizational requirements, obtaining or giving approval) ?

6. How often is a proposal requested when a supplier has already been selected to meet a company's minimum requirement (e.g 3 submissions) ?

7. What challenges have you faced externally (i.e. in dealing with firms and professionals who have submitted RFQs) ?

Towards RFQ Best Practices

8. What suggestions do you have for best practices to improve the RFQ process ?

Options for Dealing with Unethical RFQ Practices

Great Ideas to Make Green Meetings FUN!

Twitter: 4 Advanced Twitter Tools

4 Advanced Twitter Tools

Understand the Impact of your Tweets

Find out Who "Unfollowed" You & Why

Develop a Better Understanding of your Followers

For more information:

Related:

The T.A.M.I. Show - Still A Groundbreaking Music Event

The T.A.M.I. Show: Broke New Ground for Youth-Oriented Music Movies & Events

What was the T.A.M.I. Show?

Why is the T.A.M.I show making waves and of significance long after its debut?

Merging of Musical Genres

Ground Breaking Technology & Approach to Production

Breaking Down Racial Barriers

The Acts Transcend Time & Move Across Generations

Related:

Event Planning Careers: How to become an Event Planner & Build Your Career Even in Tough Times

Event Planning: Starting and Building Your Event Planning Career Even in Tough Times

How to get Started in Event Planning & Take Your Career to the Next Level

First of all, where are you based?

What is your specialty?

How long have you been an event planner?

What were you doing before you became an Event Planner?

How did you launch your event planning career?

On what social media sites have you been active and how have you been using them to further your career and/or grow your business?

What benefits have you obtained from social media use?

What 1 piece of advice would you give someone who wanted to get started in event planning?

What 1 piece of advice would you give to an event planner who wants to take their career or event planning business to the next level?

Tools & Resources to Get you Started

Next Steps