1. Provide the photographer with an event agenda ahead of time
2. Create a list of *must* have shots such as: CMO shaking hands with Mr. So & So during cocktail hour, each speaker with podium sign in the shot.
3. Have the photographer in place immediately after a panel exits to capture that group shot before speakers head their separate ways.
4. Consider having a make up artist touch up the speakers before taking the stage.  The women will love this, men may balk at first, but all will look healthier on camera.
5. Explain how you plan to use the photos.  Framed shots? A book? PR?  Corporate memory?  Online?
6. Provide backdrops for press shots that have the logo repeated down the cloth.  Think Entertainment Tonight.
7. Requests photos be taken of the room and stage set before the event begins - these are great for corporate memory.
8. Include the photographer in your "day of" event logistics meetings.  He/She will be privy to the flow of the event and become more of the "team".
9. Explain when you want photos taken, and when you don't.  If snapping sound is a concern to you, state you do not want photos taken after the speaker is 2 minutes into the presentation.
10. Assign someone who knows the players at your event to be the photographer's host throughout the event.  This person can point out individuals that the photographer may not know but are important to capture.  Great role for an internal resource who wants to help with the event.

• Pre-ordering the appetizers allows you and the other hosts to give more attention to your guests rather than reading a menu.
• Pre-paying any of your guests coat check or valet fees is always appreciated.
• Even if you've had drinks at the "it" bar with friends, touring the facility with the manager will give you a different perspective and you can determine an area to be sectioned off for your guests. Even if it's just "drinks after work" - when it's a company function with clients go ahead and reserve an area.
• Arriving early to alert the valet, bar tenders and waitresses where your gathering will be held and mention the names the guests may use, such as the host's name, the company name, your name...The last thing you want is a guest hearing "I dunno know" when they ask where your party is being held.
• Subtle branding can be achieved by providing special napkins to the bartender in your company color. May sound cheesy, but it's a nice touch that's not overt.
• Adding a little fun: placing a rubix cube, trivia cards or candy on tables can add to the "mix" and help start a conversation.
  
• Providing the manager or bartender with your credit card ahead of time, even five minutes before the first guest arrives, avoids anyone awkwardly watching you "get the check".

Sante!

for a more elaborate celebration check out this past post for branding ideas.

Scent an Event, Jo Malone

Jo Malone, the luxury London fragrance company, has a collection of tea candles called: Scent an Event.  Their strong fragrances can quickly transform a room and add a beautiful warmth to an environment.   Whether in your home or a conference center, candles evoke a sense of celebration.

If candles are not allowed in your venue, a more subtle way to add scents is through a spray or diffuser sticks.   Archipelago is another brand that has very strong, yet tasteful scents and offers many beautiful options.

Enjoy selecting your next event scent. 
 

BTW, Jo Malone provides a corporate gift giving service if you're looking for a nice luxury gift ( they provide free gift wrap and shipping).  Not the least expensive option, but may be a right for certain clients. JoMalone

• Share the wealth.  Are there other purposes, and therefore budgets, for the video footage in addition to the main project such as clips for the website, blogs, PR needs or trade shows?   
• Shoot Client Testimonials during client summits, client advisory board meetings, trade shows or other events. 
• Tape a short interview of the awards show winner and executives the day before the presentation and edit this short video on site, while everyone is in on location anyway including the video team.
  
• Use pre-produced videos for opening and closing videos that tie in nicely with your conference theme.
• Purchase stock footage on the discount.  An very unknown treasure for inexpensive stock footage is www.pond5.com.  While it's not the highest quality option, it can fulfill the need and has been a great resource.
  

The full document can be viewed in Event Planning Templates. Thanks Alyssa.

The author's mantra is "no matter the budget or amount of time a parent has, an incredible party can always be thrown, keeping children cheerful and parents stress-free during their wonderfully planned celebration!"  What a great mantra. Lisa has been helping parents throw parties for over ten years and has an endless supply of creative ideas.  I like that she not only offers decor themes but also suggests activities and food that tie in with the theme.

Being an event planner some friends expected to see ponies and zebra's out front  when the little guy's first birthday rolled around, a huge bash.  But we just had a couple of his pals over for his first bite of chocolate cake and of course a fabulous bottle of champagne for us moms to toast our survival skills during year one. 

For his next birthday I'll be checking out Peppers & Polloywogs.  Joyeux Anniversaire.

A few ideas to inspire and keep your staff smiling:

* Host briefing meetings prior to the event day to inform your volunteers/staff about the event.  In addition to the logistical details, share the event details: why this event is being held, who the clients are, what the desired outcomes are, etc. 

* Provide written instructions.  It may seem overkill to have a "How To" list for the coat check volunteer, but people want to do a good job, so why not spell out exactly what a "good job" looks like and provide step by step instructions of what you expect.

* Manuals are essential when you have a multi-day event.  When working at '96 Olympics, my best friend and I were given the task of developing the Volunteer Handbook for the 1500 volunteers on Yachting (yes - lowest on the totem pole and got that task). The manual provided guidance on hundreds of different scenarios and roles, and took many, many hours, but the staff were informed and therefore empowered to make decisions.

* Provide free food.  Who knew how happy free coffee and bagels can make a group of volunteers, especially at 5:30 in the morning before a golf tournament.  Small financial investment, huge reward.

* Bribes, I mean gifts....Free event t-shirts are always appreciated by the team.  Other small tokens that can go a long way: movie tickets, gift cards, event notebooks, even keychains. 

* After the event it's very meaningful to pass along positive feedback you heard from clients or the executives about the team or specific individuals. 

* And of course, thank you notes to all who helped make this event a success.

There are hundreds of other great ways to inspire a team - please share any ideas you have by adding to the blog.

As it should be, the AV team was on their A-game and the visuals advanced right on cue as Job's said each name or certain words.  Although a very simple set, Job's entrance was dramatic with the music and lighting nicely timed with his walk.  If you're new at producing shows this is a great one to watch because it flowed so seamlessly and can be easily duplicated, with many rehearsals and a detailed cue sheet of course.

Going through the exercise of creating an AV cue sheet not only provides the AV team with clear guidance, but also helps the producer think through the guests' experience and the flow of the show.  When creating the cue sheet you may find there are transition slides you need to add to the deck or ponder when you will mic up your fifth speaker when you only have four laveliers.  

If you're looking for an example AV cue sheet one has been added to the Helpful Templates section.  When you get tired of working on this, just repeat:  "A seamless event. Priceless."

Color gels are actual pieces of plastic placed over the bright white bulbs to add a hue to the lighting.  You can order a color gel “scroll” which typically has 6 colors on a wheel that is controlled from the AV booth.        
 
Changing the set lighting keeps the visual more interesting for your guests in a full day summit or a multi day conference.  It’s important to test the colors on the actual set with the AV team before the show begins.  You may find certain colors look better than expected while others get the veto.   The backdrop canvas in this example is a light blue. Blues and greys are great colors to use as the base.               

If you're looking for a set designer, Event Strategies Inc. created these and many other sets for us.  

* Martha Stewarts' Darcy Miller writes The Bride's Guide . As expected, this is a very professionally written blog with wonderful etiquette tips and beautiful photos on topics from cakes to dresses to centerpieces.  The site is updated daily and has thousands of creative ideas (and not the kind you have to have a craft room to execute). Darcy’s photographed standing casually with Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera – how cool is she?

* Style Me Pretty is a very stylish site with an active community offering ideas on hairstyles, makeup, flowers, cakes and more.  The designer's Inspiration Boards (click) demonstrate how a classy design can be carried throughout one's wedding.  Abby's strong sense of fashion and appreciation for the fine details in weddings shows in every entry.

* JuneBug Weddings has a wonderful collection of photos from "Real Weddings" (click). The featured weddings are beautiful yet not "over the top" celebrity weddings that are nice to look at but hard to replicate.  Another interesting aspect of this site, the editor is based in Seattle so you see slightly different trends than the typically covered east coast weddings.  Refreshing site.

Coca Cola's event logo on elevators. (Click to expand )You can use the giant stickers to unveil a new branding to your employees, recognize a big milestone or decorate a really plain room with your party's theme design.  The last event I did at Yahoo! was for 100 global marketers from Coca Cola and they were thrilled to see their event logo on the windows and elevators.  The price is around $900/elevator.