We hope that you’ve been enjoying the six-part series of the Top Meeting Trends of 2014. Our feature this week is actually a bonus (we like bonuses)! This week, we’re discussing how to incorporate lively entertainment into your event. There are several different ways that you can entertain and educate your audience at the same time to keep them engaged and create a memorable experience for them. Some of these tips are from the white paper, “29 Ideas to Create an Engaging Experience at Your Next Meeting” from: www.meetingexpectations.com.

One tip is that if you need an activity for significant others or guests of your attendees, try having a cooking demonstration or class. Setting up a cooking competition not only is fun, but can also build camaraderie amongst the participants. You can also think about the guests going on a local tour or sports outing. These activities would just for the guests and provides them a chance to have an event that’s their own.

If you would like to incorporate a local flare, consider utilizing local artists at your event to teach your participants to paint a particular picture. You can select the theme of the picture prior to the event (make it relevant to the location or event) and have them paint a simple picture. Again, this helps to build camaraderie as well as relationships outside of your traditional networking. Of course, you can setup appetizers and drinks to make it an event.

If your event has a specific time period theme (i.e. Roaring 20’s, Swinging 40’s, etc.) – then hire bands or groups from that specific genre. In the past, we’ve worked an event that had a 1940’s theme and the organizers hired an all-female swing band “Ladies Must Swing”. They had an awesome stage presence and it’s something that we all can remember since it allowed some of the attendees a chance to remember songs popular in their youth.

Finally, people love to take pictures, creating a step and repeat photo backdrop (it’s the background that normally includes sponsor information on the red carpet events) and allow them to take photos with their friends and post on their social media. Not only does this help promote your event and generates a buzz, but it’s a great way for attendees to “entertain” themselves. Incorporate the event hashtag and you have another means of measuring the traffic & posting to your Tweet Wall (see Tip #2).

So we hope that you enjoyed our Top Event Trends for 2014 and if you have any additional tips or trends, let us know!

Sharing Is Caring!

When you attended your last event, do you recall something that made it memorable? If so, please feel free to share!

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Click the Connect With Us page and fill out the form.

We’re on the downward slope with our 6 part series and this week in Part 5, we will focus on Customized Corporate Gifts. I like gifts, do you like to receive gifts? I especially like gifts that are unique and different. So I thought about it, what does this stress ball and the bus luggage tag have in common? Actually more than you think.

Here’s a little background. I’m currently working with a group that’s planning a bus trip to Washington, DC next month. They wanted to provide a functional, yet cute gift to all of their guests. So we brainstormed and thought about it- each of the guests will receive a bus luggage tag for their luggage- get it? It’s a bus trip! Not only is it functional, it’s something that you can remember the trip & identify your luggage for years to come. With the Miguel Sanchez construction hat stress ball, he is further solidifying his brand because the book, his exhibit tables and even his attire are built around construction. Although I met Miguel in November 2013, I can still remember him and his booth because he wore a construction hat and outfit while greeting people at his table. That further solidifies Miguel’s brand and keep him front of mind.

So how does this apply to your event? It’s called thinking outside of the box- how many conference bags do you have in your closet? If the bag was turned backwards, would you remember how and where you obtained the bag? Probably not- so if you approach your gift selection from the “Will they remember (or can use) this gift?”- you will be in a much better position.

There are a variety of websites where you can research unique or customized corporate gifts. I’ve found Gifts.com® - they have a lot of corporate gifts under $25/each that could be unique. There is a Bluetooth Calculator mouse and numeric keypad, a magnetic cube cardholder case and other gifts. If you know some newlyweds, you can purchase a personalized address stamp or a Perfect Pair Mason Jar set. Another unique (and useful) gift would be to give your guest a food item that makes your state famous. For instance, I’ve worked with clients who give away Georgia Peanuts, Peanut Brittle, Peanut Butter, Peach Jam, Peaches- You get the picture. Often times, there are specialty stores that can make you a deal on bulk orders. Therefore, not only are you giving your attendees or clients a snack, again, they can remember the occasion for years to come.  

Sharing is caring, what are your thoughts?

When’s the last time you received a gift from a conference or an event that you liked and actually use? Take a picture and talk about it.

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Click the Connect With Us page and fill out the form.

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a magnificent meeting space. If the place has a great location, nice ambiance, and good food, I’m there. Plus, since we live off of referrals, I will tell friends about my experience and tell them to consider the venue. Most times when we plan events, especially conferences, we’re just concerned about the food & beverage, the SIZE of the space and if they have WI-FI. However, in this 4th trend out of our 6-part series, “Top Event Trends in 2014”- we show you how to plan an amazing event in some not-so-traditional spaces.

Gone are the days of hosting an event in a stuffy old room. Today, you can host events in a variety of spaces such as museums, historical warehouse buildings, and outdoor venues with pavilions. Depending upon the location of the venue, it can be an oasis inside of the downtown square; an art museum with a rooftop terrace and a spectacular view of the city; or a cool space in the middle of nowhere. It’s just a matter of thinking outside of the box and determining the experience you want your attendees leaving with that will dictate where you need to start in your search for an ideal space.

To find these hidden local gems to host your events, first- ask around and do your research. Talk to other business owners as well as your local historical societies and chambers of commerce. Often times they have a listing of buildings that can be rented out for the day and you can contact the property managers to schedule a site visit. If the space is unfurnished- great- that means you can use your imagination to transform the venue. I always like to take before and after pictures because looking at the finished product can be quite amazing.

Take a look at this space 200 Peachtree Street Conference Center in Downtown Atlanta. The building has been divided into loft office space as well as an event center. You can use this as an example of a building transformation and give you an idea of what you can do. However, if you need someone to execute your vision, we are always here to help! :)

Sharing is caring, what are your thoughts?

Have you visited any unique meeting spaces lately? Do you know of a hidden gem in your local community? If so, share pictures & the location of the space.

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Click the Connect With Us page and fill out the form.

We hope that you’ve been enjoying our series regarding the Top Event Trends in 2014- we’re about halfway through the list of trends. This week’s 2014 Trend is creating Multi-Sensory Meetings. When planning an event, you want to create an experience, not just an ordinary meeting. People remember experiences, they eventually forget meetings so you want to continuously come up with new ways to engage.

You want to involve all of your attendees’ senses and  keep them interested throughout the event. I recently attended an event in Atlanta and the organizers successfully invoked all of our senses by displaying colorful boards, provided aromatic snacks and kept having the attendees to high five each other for that sense of touch. Monica Shah (@MonicaShah), the host of the Money 2.0 event made sure that her attendees had a chance to touch “Money” in the beginning of her meeting so you knew EXACTLY why you were there. Although it was play money, it still creates a memory for me because I can recall the exact activity that we used for the money.

So think about it this way, I want you to imagine a meeting space that’s bright and airy with lots of soothing colors, how does this make you feel? The calming feeling you may possess not only helps you connect with your meeting attendees but also allows them to calm their thoughts and be open to your presentation. If your event features pictures of the transformation that your attendees will experience, that attracts their sight. When you have lively music playing during the breaks, often times people will get up and dance on their own and awaken their sense of touch. If you smell coffee, for some it helps wake them up in the morning or fresh cookies in the afternoon will make them feel at home. So the next time that you’re planning or attending an event, summon all of your senses and see if the meeting hosts engages them to create a memorable experience.

 

Sharing is caring, what are your thoughts?

When and where was the last event that you attended where all of your 5 senses were tapped? Can you recall the exact feelings induced by engaging these senses?

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly  $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Click the Connect With Us page and fill out the form.

Top Event Trends in 2014 – Part 2 of 6 (Mobile Meeting Apps)

Last week, we shared the Top 5 Must Follow Meeting Trends of 2014 according to Successful meetings. For the next 5 weeks for Thursday Talks, we will be discussing each of these trends in detail as well as providing some resources & real life examples that you can use during your event.

The first trend that Tom Taraci discussed was Mobile Meeting Apps. As we all know “There’s an App for that!” and in the meeting world, there are thousands of apps available to help your meeting become more productive. Some examples include:

1. Meeting Play (www.meetingplay.com) – This app provides your attendees to receive all of the information for your meeting such as the conference agenda, download tools, photo gallery and even a conversation wall that allows you to connect with other attendees.
2. Bizzabo (www.bizzabo.com) –This app is similar to Meeting Play where you can share information about your upcoming event, post an agenda and also promote you community online.
3. Tweetbeam (www.tweetbeam.com) – I’ve personally experienced this tool and it’s visually stimulating and engaging as well. You get a chance to see your tweets in real time and highlight the tweets randomly.

Sharing is caring, what are your thoughts?

What types of Mobile Apps have you seen used at past events? Have you been exposed to any of the Apps mentioned in this article?  If so, share. 

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly  $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Click the Connect With Us page and fill out the form.

Back in April, the Successful Meeting blog discussed the Top 5 Must Follow Meeting Trends in 2014 and it was a great article that discussed some trends that I’ve seen live and used this year in some of the events that I hosted. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing examples of how you can incorporate these trends into your upcoming event.

Below are the top 5 trends that the author, Tom Taraci discussed.

1. Utilizing Interactive Mobile Meeting Apps
2. Infusing meetings with Social Media (Tweeting)
3. Multi-Sensory Meetings
4. Great Offsite Venues
5. Giving Customized Corporate Gifts
6. Bonus: Incorporating Lively Entertainment

If you want to read the whole article, here is the link below. The Top 5 Must-Follow Meeting Trends of 2014 - Successful Meetings http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/Conferences/Articles/The-Top-5-Must-Follow-Meeting-Trends-of-2014/#.U2v1ArKYrsg.twitter

Sharing is caring, what are your thoughts?

What trends & inspirations do you see out and about that you can utilize in your next event?

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly  $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Click the Connect With Us page and fill out the form.