Why Hire an Event Planner?
by Paula Scutella-Jagos
In the past, many have thought that hiring an event planner was an extravagance only meant for the elite. After all, why spend money for something you could "do yourself"? Today, however, times have changed.
The costs and complexity of planning any event, but most especially weddings, have many people turning to an event planner. Here are some reasons why you should hire an event planner:
- Save yourself the hassle, time and energy.
- You will be able to enjoy the event with out worry or stress.
- They work within your budget.
- They make sure things run smoothly from start to finish and every little detail in between.
- They can help you with venue selection, budget, contracts, design and decor, making sure all your expectations are met.
- They have established relationships with many vendors, which will save you time and money when they make the arrangements (food, lights, entertainment, etc.).
- You can feel like a guest at your own party with out having to worry about how everything is running.
- They do full planning, month-of planning and day-of coordination.
These are just a few reasons how an event planner can help to make your event flawless. Whether it be for a corporate event or meeting, wedding, birthday party or family reunion, make sure to celebrate with a big bang! Hire an event planner and celebrate without stress.
21 Tips for Hosting a Successful Event
Posted by admin on August 14th, 2009
“It’s the little things that make a BIG thing THE THING. Never skip the little things.”
Heidi Richards Mooney
Heidi Richards Mooney
Every year when the Fall Season approaches businesses and individuals begin planning for the holidays. In fact, it is the perfect time for companies to get ready for their next BIG promotion. One of the things to think about is hosting an Event. It could be a meeting for a group of people, it could be an open house, or it could be a formal occasion. No matter what the event, there are certain components when properly executed will keep people talking about the event long after it is over.
Of course, if you happen to be the one doing the planning, there will probably come a time when you say to yourself, “I just cannot wait for it to be over!” Why? Because we know all the work and details that go into the plan and it can be overwhelming. Even the little annoyances and minor challenges can be the difference between hanging up our planning hats or not. Those “planners” who are armed with an action plan feel satisfied and are even excited to begin working on their NEXT event. Even the simplest of events requires planning, preparation and follow up.
Here are 21 tips to help you pull off the perfect event that will build your CONFIDENCE and set the tone for events to come:
1. If you are planning to host an event with more than 20 people, consider recruiting a co-chair to help with some of the details.
2. Use a personalized invitation to invite guests to your event. Follow up with the registrants and provide complete event details, such as location, time, directions and proper attire.
3. Encourage your guests to bring plenty of business cards to exchange with other guests
4. Consider inviting your customers, suppliers or prospects, when creating your invitation list.
5. Generate targeted emails to these groups to let them know what you are offering.
6. Design a postcard Invitation to send via email. Or use one of the free online invitations available such as Yahoo Invites, Evites, or Sendomatic.
7. Consider having a drawing to encourage attendance — such as a complementary service your company can provide or a coupon for something from a partner or supplier.
8. Get a Sponsor for the event to help underwrite the costs. Make sure the sponsor’s name is included in the invitations as well as mentioned during the event. You may also wish to give your Sponsor 5 minutes to address your guests, a table at the event which they can use to place their marketing materials in addition to allowing them to distribute their information to guests. If the sponsor makes a significant contribution to your event, consider giving them a Free attendance.
9. Post the invitation on your website. Create a unique registration page to gather information. Make sure it includes information to RSVP.
10. Make sure all invitations, notices and flyers include information to RSVP.
11. Choose a time that will work for the greatest number of attendees and you.
12. Consider hosting your event at a location other than a restaurant or country club. Some ideas include having your event in your home, at a vendor location (such as a technology company), at a City Hall, or Chamber of Commerce, University or College, Tech School, Newspaper, Outdoors
13. If you are hosting an educational event consider topics that would relate to Women and ECommerce. (See suggested topics for WECAI meetings).
14. Keep a current list of registrants, updating it to reflect new guests.
15. Send out more than one invitation. Some people don’t read the first one sent, so it is always good to follow up with a second and even third notice.
16. 24 hours before the event, send a Reminder email notice to your guest list to ensure as many guests as possible will show up the day of the event.
17. If you are charging for the event – to cover costs of the meal, location, etc. have a deadline for sending in the money – RSVP (agreed upon with the venue/caterer/restaurant).
18. Consider giving a prize or special incentive to all who register EARLY. Or have a contest and choose a winner with a prize for early registrations. You could ask a Vendor to donate a prize just for this. Extra PR for both! on time.
19. Be sure and let the media know of your plans as they unfold. For instance a release to “announce” the event, another release to announce any special guests or speakers, a third release for sponsors and an overall release describing the event in greater detail.
20. If you do have a speaker, give her/him adequate time to present allowing time for guests to ask questions.
21. Collect business cards or have a registration card at the sign-in table. This way you can follow up with your guests and thank them for attending. Be sure to send thank you’s after your event to everyone involved.
Divorce Party
A Divorce Party is a way to mark the end of the pain and suffering that comes with divorce.
A Divorce Party provides the ritual we humans need to cope with any difficult life transition. RItuals provide comfort and community.
A Divorce Party is an opportunity to vent, to cry, laugh, yell, whatever you need to do, in the company of loving friends and family.
Friends can throw a party to show their divorcing pal that they are supported, loved and not alone.
The party can be a great way the newly divorced person can thank all the people who stood by them through the ordeal of separation.
The party is an opportunity to announce your new status in life. You are now single and available for new experiences and even new relationships. A whole new phase of life is just beginning. And that is something to celebrate!
Quinceanera celebrations continue despite unemployment
and poor economy
and poor economy
Despite high unemployment rates among Latinos, the traditional sweet-15 quinceanera celebrations remain popular.
Parents are spending anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000 for the coming-of-age celebration, said Alicia Garcia, Quinceanera Expo organizer and Quinceanera.com director of content.
"The economy hasn't affected the planning of quinceaneras," Garcia said of the parties, which are common to girls in Mexico and Central America.
"Quinceanera celebrations are like mini weddings. It is part of the culture," she said. "It's when the parents present their young daughter into society ... it is a big part of the girl's adulthood experience."
Earlier this month, about 2,000 teens and their parents attended the Quinceanera Expo held in Montebello - up from 1,800 from the previous expo.
Last year's economic recession had an especially severe impact on the jobless rate for first-generation immigrant Latinos, according to an analysis of the latest Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Among immigrant Latinos, the share of the working-age population (16 and older), employed fell by 2.8 percentage points, higher than the 1.6 percentage points for the rest of the working-age population.
Garcia says parents will do anything to pay for their daughter's quinceanera - even getting a loan.
El Monte resident Rosa Almazan agreed.
Finding money to pay for her 14-year-old daughter's quinceanera is a priority, she said.
The single mother will sacrifice to be able to pay for the party - including not buying a much needed new car, she said.
"I didn't have one (quinceanera), her older sister didn't have one ... and she's my baby. She's the youngest one and she wants one."
Almazan said she's planning to do a simple party, which will cost a paltry $12,000.
She will do all she can to pay for the party, something her daughter Jasmine has dreamed about since she was a little girl.
"When I was little I dreamed about having a big sparkly dress, the decorations and everything," Jasmine said. "I just always wanted one."
Source
Industry Input & Advice
Pam Whitlock—Plan Ahead Event Planning
804-545-0508
P.O. Box 4117
Midlothian, VA
We met with Pam Whitlock of Plan Ahead Event Planning. She is a local planner who currently works at a tax company, but plans to quit to focus solely on her event planning business. She told us she has a huge family and would always plan events for her family. She realized people really liked her work and through word of mouth, she began to book many events. She said this was her passion so she decided to do it for a living. She then got her business license and started Plan Ahead Event Planning.
She told us that she believes her niche is social events such as family reunions, baby showers, and birthday parties, basically any kind of event where she can bring people together to have a great time. However, she told us that she does not and will not do weddings. She said that planning weddings can be really stressful which she has experienced for herself and that she would hate for anything to go wrong and she is to blame. She said she would rather not have to deal with the “bridezillas.”
She asked us about our company and suggested that maybe we should try to include the male audience into our business. She also suggested that we come up with set fees for whatever services we want like to provide and include how much we want to be paid.
Ebony Harrison—Perfect Parties
(804) 269-2067
We also talked with Ebony Harrison. She is currently a graduate student at VCU. She told us that she slowly entered the business by doing simple birthday parties for her family and it evolved through word of mouth into the business she has today. The name of her company is Perfect Parties. She told us the best way to know your client is to first interview them. She said she asks questions like why do they want to have a party, what’s their personality like and if they have ideas or necessary requirements at the event. She also shared that she sometimes charges by the hour (if the party’s date is around the corner) or she charges a flat rate. She also suggests that we take classes in business to help us learn how a business is operated. She told us to use our advertising to our advantage since we do have that knowledge and advertising is an important part of any business.
Andrekka J. Lanier, LMSW, MP
Andrekka Lanier is the founder of Once Upon An Event where she is now operating on the West Coast because she is married to a Marine and has to relocate often Andrekka began coordinating weddings for her church and did a lot of groundwork for an event planner at Averett University as an "ambassador." Once she realized that she had been planning, emceeing, hosting, and directing various events for years, she decided to make it into a side business to stop donating her time and she could profit from it. She marketed her services through shows with the Richmond Bridal Association and also used word of mouth, which she says is the best form of marketing. The one thing that works against her is the fact that it also takes time and reputation to become a successful, established planner. Being that she is married to a Marine it is difficult for her because by the time she gets established in an area, its time to move.
She said the salary for starting an event planning business really varies. She told us if we were thinking of starting our own business, we needed to be prepared for a slow start up. She said if you’re located in a well-populated area that is in need of a lot of services we could fare between 10K-30K your first year or two. However, if we are able to become an event planner for a hotel chain, college, or organization, then we can expect a better salary of 35K and up.
She suggested that if we didn’t have an internship, she would advise us to try and find one. She says this opportunity will help us to begin making contacts, network and size up the competition. She said a good strategy is to first register or become certified with a local extension of the Better Business Bureau or a Bridal Association; it only makes you look better. She said with the growing technology today, it is pertinent that we are cyber friendly and Internet savvy. She said to make sure potential clients or employers can see what you're about or access you instantly via the net. Also, be sure to carry ourselves as though we already have well-established clients and people WANT our services, not the other way around (even if that may be the case.) She said this business is about poise, professionalism, and glamour, the total package has to be relayed on the surface, along with the inner workings and knowledge.
To get started she suggested we should go to a hotel, like the Hyatt or Marriott and make an appointment with their coordinator. While there are confinements within a hotel, in an upper class hotel, we can be sure that the coordinator there has done a large amount of weddings and can give you insight on the basics of planning and possibly offer you a means to get your foot in the door.
When asked about what she does on a day-to-day basis she said it varies. She said on the days that she is not planning some fairytale or soiree, she’s marketing herself, scouring the ads for potential clients and competition, and finding ways to improve her business.
Andreek’s says the MOST important skill is personality. She said in this business, we won't make it at all if people don't like us. We are essentially marketing ourselves, so its important to be professional, friendly, and courteous at all times. She said to be sure to treat everyone as though they have a huge sum of money to invest in you. Basic computer, internet skills, oral and written communication, an eye for decorating, organization, time management, creativity, and flexibility are also essential skills for this line of work.
She said she thinks that a lot of people underestimate how much work it takes to become an established business. She said she even underestimated how much work would have to be put in to make her business successful when she first began. She says people also underestimate the amount of work that goes into planning and how draining it can be funneling people's emotions and creating a schedule. The business is definitely not as glamorous as the finished product. She advised us not to expect to get a large amount of praise for your work, especially when you are just starting out. She said to expect to have several aspects of what you do picked apart.
Dawn Easter—Dawn Easter Events
Modern. Chic. Glamorous.
DawnEasterEvents.blogspot.com
877.404.DAWN (3296)
Dawn Easter is the founder of Dawn Easter Events located here in Richmond, Va. As the founder and lead designer of Dawn Easter Events, Dawn has always had a keen interest in entertaining. While working in the corporate arena, she was responsible for planning large events from client appreciation dinners to gala holiday celebrations. When three of her closest girlfriends asked her to plan their weddings three years ago, Dawn decided to take the plunge and Dawn Easter Events was born.
Dawn informed us that a starting salary really depends on what route we take to enter the event planning industry. She said If we’re working for a well established company in a major city, $30-40K is a realistic base salary. Naturally, smaller cities will have lower ranges for someone just starting out.
Dawn suggested starting out with an internship to get our foot in the door. She said the majority of planners rarely hire someone who has not interned with the company before. She said if we plan on going this route, we should definitely learn as much as we can about the company, read and comment on their blogs, follow them on Twitter/FB, etc. She said to take notice of their branding to determine if they are a good fit for what we are trying to do with our company. She also recommended working for a hotel as a banquet person. This position will give us a firsthand look at how events are run from the venue side of things. She said it is a great way to get knowledge of what to expect.
She said that her day-to-day responsibilities depend on the event schedule of the planner/company. Blog posting, conference calls, proposal writing, marketing, networking, etc. are many of the things that need to be done on a day-to-day basis.
Effective professional communication, public speaking, multitask to completion, follow-up is very important as is attention to detail.
She said the largest misconception of the event planning industry is that it is all about playing with flowers, tasting cakes and pretty linens. The wedding reality shows aren’t based in reality. Most clients do not have $100k budgets and there is not a TV show contributing to the overall cost of the production. Event planning, weddings in particular, is very labor intensive as most events are 12+hour days. Before the event, you have to manage all of the key players; venues, attendees, clients, vendors, etc and ensure they are all performing properly.
She said she likes the ability to stretch creatively the most about event planning industry. Marketing and PR are two things she likes least about the business.
Talia Reaves—From Me To U Creations
"A Gift With U In Mind"
Po Box 23034
Richmond, VA, 23223
804.350-6834
Talia Reaves is the founder of From Me To U Creations and she runs her business here in Richmond, Va. Talia says she got into the event planning industry by planning parties for her family members and her friends.
She had a hard time trying to come up with how much money we would actually make once we got our business up and running. She said it would be hard for her to give us an exact amount due to the economy in the state that it’s in. She said our salary would be based on our fees and the amount of business we generate.
She advised us to find an internship with a seasoned planner, even if it is a non-paid internship. She assured us that we shouldn’t be concerned with being compensated at this point. She said in order to understand the ropes of the industry we would need to gain some experience in actually participating in planning an event. She recommended googling wedding planners and wedding sites, even interior designs sites and magazines because we can draw inspiration from these sources. She said to play close attention to details when attending other people’s events and draw inspiration from that as well. Talia said she interned for Dawn Easter of Dawn Easter Events.
With planning events, she says there is a lot of communication involved with the client and vendors. She said a typical workday would vary from day-to-day because there are many details that have to be considered when planning an event. She said there is a lot of work that has to be done to pull off the entire event depending on the size.
Talia believes communication (verbal and written), a very keen eye for detail, multitasking, people skills, organization and time management are key skills for an event planner. She told us that we must, at all times, stay calm under pressure. She said if you are a good negotiator and a self-starter/team player then you will succeed in this industry.
Talia said she loves planning events and enjoys seeing her hard work come to life once the event has started. She said event planning is her passion and that she doesn’t look at it as work.
She advised us that some of the clients/vendors we may come across may not be as pleasant as we would like. She said once you have done all you can do and they are still not cooperating then maybe we would have to reevaluate whether we should continue working with the client/vendor.
