Selecting a photographer is a hard decision and once you've done what seems like a full background check and you love your prize photographer, the last thing you may consider doing is giving instructions.  But providing your photographer with a clear wish list can help him/her be sure they exceed your expectations. 

Ten tips to ensure you get the photos you need at your next special event:

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.

Cocktail parties are wonderful informal networking opportunities. And they seem simple enough to plan, but even when you're hosting a "casual" affair that doesn't require branded signature drinks and gobo lights there are a few things you can do to enhance your guests' experience.

• 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.

Have you walked into an event and been hit by a wonderful aroma?  We always think about lighting, music and certainly food & drinks, but scent is also an important component to a dinner party, casual soiree, or corporate function.  And it's easy to add an appropriate scent to your event.   
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

Why is it there seems to be an inverse relationship between actual costs and event budgets?  As costs balloon, corporate budgets shrink - adding a little math challenge for the corporate event planner.    Alyssa Myres of A.M. Productions,Inc. sent in five tips to help us be more savvy on video production efforts.  Thanks for the submission Alyssa - here's a summary of her list. 

• 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.

So this year my son turned one and we were definitly on the birthday circuit and fortunate to attend many wonderful celebrations.   If you are looking for inspiration for that little one's birthday you may want to check out Peppers & Pollywogs - a darling site offering clever,  fun children's party themes. 

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.

Do you create events that require hundreds of volunteers? Or  events within your company by begging and borrowing resources?  When you have a staff that temporarily exists for events it's important to take extra steps to ensure the individuals work as a team and provide your guests with a high level of service.

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.

Have you seen Steve Job's presentation on the new iPhone? The WWDC can be viewed at this link.  While I was viewing the show see the new iPhone my husband has been raving about, my production mind was really focused on the precise AV execution. 

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."

It’s amazing what lighting can do for an event. Up-lighting your stage set with color gel scrolls can give you a completely new look with the touch of a button.    The three photos shown here are of the same stage set, just different lighting colors.  I love how this simple effect changes the entire look.

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.  

Are there a million and one wedding planning websites?  While I loved planning my own wedding, this site is not focused on wedding trends, there are too many great sites out there for us to attempt that category.  But if you’re in search of sophisticated wedding style tips here are three fabulous sites to check out. 

* 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.

Are you looking for a way to really surprise your guests with great branding?  Consider wrapping the elevator doors at your next event.  This really makes an impression and is easier than you would think.  We use a company called Giant Impressions
in San Jose, Ca. to create "stickers" to decorate the elevator with unique messaging.

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. 

If you're planning weddings or based on the west coast you're probably familiar with the amazing works of floral art Mark's Garden has produced.  For more than a decade, Hollywood celebrities have enjoyed Mark Held and Richard David's creative visions for their weddings and major celebrations. 

If you're looking for inspiration for your next soiree, consider their new book, Fabulous Parties, featuring hundreds of elegant decor ideas for the event hostess.  As one would expect, the book offers top-notch tips on arranging stunning floral centerpieces, but Fabulous Parties also provides the reader helpful guidance on how to tastefully work a theme into the menu, food presentation, table settings and aperitifs.     

And if reading the book just isn't enough for you....Mark's Garden does take their floral production anywhere in the world.   Marks Garden.  Simply Inspirational.

Adding Bath and Body works or Molton Brown products to any event bathroom instantly improves the impression guests have of the function and facility.  A small, simple bouquet of fragrant flowers is also an easy, classy addition.                                                      

And while we’re on the subject, this may sound silly, but before booking a venue I always check the restrooms.   Cleanliness of the restrooms is a great reflection of the venue management.  I also want to be sure there are enough stalls for the number of guests.  Have you been to a wedding for 300 with two stalls?  Not a good experience, especially for the 150 women who want a few minutes in front of the mirror.