Stepping out from the crowd

Producing events is always challenging.  You can have the best speaker in the world, but if you don’t reach the right demographic, you get no attendees.  How do you reach attendees with all the noise in our lives? 

This is something that has been puzzling me for awhile.  I find it particularly frustrating when I’m promoting something that happens frequently in my area…for example free marketing events for a speaker/coach.  There are tons of them – but how do you make a really good one stand out above the rest?  If you didn’t have social media where and how would you promote?  I think herein lies the secret.  While none of us want to spend money on advertising in the traditional mediums – I think those still work.

My lesson learned with my recent Kite Festival was that a traditional press release sent out actually does work for the right event.  It garnered much attention from the local media.  Was it because it was families?  communities?  kites?  What was the magic…and how can I apply that to other events that I produce or am hired to produce?

These are challenges I think we all face in this busy, hurry up world that we live in.  And we all have little time for all that we see…and read…and hear…so we tune a large part of this regular exposure out.  To be heard we have to be louder than the noise.  To be seen we have to be brighter than the others..and to be engaging we have to be nicer and smile bigger than the next one.

Don’t hesitate to get your message out there.  Send out a press release about whatever it is you are doing.  Make it known!  Don’t neglect the traditional media!  Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Kite Festival Fun

I recently completed the first Annual Treasure Valley Kite Festival – one of the most successful events I have ever produced.  It was such a great community event that everyone came out to take pictures, fly kites, and celebrate the wind that we had that day.  And although it was cold, the kids and their smiling faces warmed our hearts all morning.

As an event producer, there is so much more responsibility in the outcome of an event – but on the flip side, so much more reward.  I will make this one an Annual Event for the community.  It was such fun…and the only truly happy news that evening.  I love having a bright spot in the middle of all the tragedy that exists around us.  It gives us hope for a better day.

Thank you all for coming out and supporting the kite festival last month.  You made my day!  I will see you all next April for the second annual Treasure Valley Kite Festival.

Make sure to check out pictures from the Kite Festival on our website Click Here! 

Sizzle with PAE

This week, we added a new video reel, check it out here and let us know what you think!

New Technology meets Event Planning

What’s new on the events front?  LED screens…Did you know that they are much brighter than projection screens, especially if the room is not dark?  Laser shows are the up and coming rage in China and interesting to produce and watch.

There is so much to learn when it comes to the technology to produce a trade show or conference, much less a full performance. What material is used for the backdrop makes a difference.  The type of projection – and of course the budget are key drivers. This is the time where the professionals come in….but at what kind of price?  Technology is big money…and you need big sponsors to pull it off successfully. Is it possible to create the big dramatic look without the big price tag? especially Ideas revolve around how I can get sponsors fast enough to cover the costs?  It’s all about marketing when it comes to sponsorships – so delivering the right message to the right audience will sew up the deal for you.  Time is essential.  Locating the right person in the company to speak to is essential. Your message has to be clear and you must deliver what you promise and prove your accountability.

Sounds like a huge challenge – right?  That it is…and that’s the reason that you should start as early as a year in advance.  Planning ahead is essential to be successful.  Creating huge innovative events is very exciting once the sponsorships are secured.  Ideas are limitless.

Start early on your sponsorships – and don’t contract for things you can’t pay for on a hope and a prayer.  You can secure your success with successful sponsorship acquisition.  Roll up your sleeves and get going.

Have a great event.

Find Your Passion

How do you find your passion in life?  What is the secret? This is something I have searched for my entire life and when I think I find it…it seems to be fleeting.  Some of those around me find their passion quickly and just stay true to the path…but what about the rest of us?

Here are some lessons that I learned throughout my search.

Don’t settle for things in life that are good enough. Follow your heart. Be a part of something you believe in. Do something that matters to both you and to the people that you serve in life.

This could be anything – big or small, local or global, personal or world-changing. The key thing is that it has meaning for you and hopefully for the people who surround you.  Keep people close to you who can embrace your passion and support you as well.  No one needs a naysayer.

When you engage yourself in something you strongly believe in, your energy and passion naturally attract happiness and peace into your life.  Passion magnetizes the right people, opportunities and events to help you get to the next phase of living your passion.  Passion is very contagious.so don’t be shy about expressing it. You just can’t hide it so go out there and do something you truly love.

In business if you are passionate about yourself and your role in your company whatever that is, you will be successful.  Always believe that you are successful and you will be.  Follow your dreams, create your future and be flourish and prosper.  From those things you will find the true meaning of happiness.

Have a Happy Holiday Season.  Here’s to the best year ever in 2014!

Planning ahead for Organization

As the time comes to close one year and begin another, let’s talk about marketing and promoting ourselves for the next year and how we can manage our time to be successful.  Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with these tasks?  I know that I do. There are so many ways to market yourself these days that it can easily consume the hours in the day before you know it.  I find myself meeting so many people face to face that I don’t get the production side of my business done.  There are solutions to these problems but it takes self-discipline and dedication to achieve your long term goals.

One suggestion that has been repeatedly given to me is to schedule a day or two a week that I don’t leave the office.  I personally struggle with this.  It always seems that I need to make myself available when my perspective client is available.  I find myself bending my “rules” and meeting with someone that I perceive is important for my future sales.  Maybe some of you have some suggestions on how

 to best handle that situation, but for me I think it means just keeping my personal ethics in and suggesting an alternate date and time.  Perhaps a far better solution is to make it known that you are only available on certain days so that clients don’t suggest days to meet that you are not available.  In other words you simply state that you are available for appointments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for example. 

Lately, I have adopted the Time Managed book designed by Sara Jane Weidner (Timemanaged.com).  Sara Jane suggests using highlighters to identify types of appointments so that you can at a glance tell how you are doing.  I use Blue for personal enhancement time (like working out, meal preparation time, spiritual enhancement), Green for social time with family/friends (football games, holiday parties, shows to see), Orange for business activities directly related to income producing activities (meetings with potential clients, production for an event, putting on an event), Yellow for Networking and Education as a business owner (Public networking events to gain leads and make connections, webinars, seminars, coaching sessions) and Pink for driving time since for me that’s a large chunk of time in my day.  At a glance, with these colors I can insure that the Orange is significant enough to create a future income and that the Yellow is supporting it enough (but not too much) to insure that I will have orange in the future.

While paper seems cumbersome, it is very helpful in the overall planning of my week.  I still struggle with where to build in social media time and other marketing activities that are indirectly building my business.  One suggestion is that you set a timer and only dedicate that allotted amount of time to any given activity that repeats every day.  Sara Jane went so far as to set herself regular times to answer emails and Facebook.  I have not been able to do that as with a smartphone, I always get emails and messages right away.  Routing them on Gmail into folders seems to make some sense so that is one of the to-do items on my list.  By doing that, I can keep my work email, my social email and my junk hopefully in separate folders so I don’t get distracted so frequently while trying to get through my email.  That should help me to prioritize things better when my time is short.

There are many more programs to help with time management.  As an event planner it is vital that things for event don’t slip through the cracks so as I work through systems to determine which is the most effective I will share more tips with you.  And you do the same please!  What works for you?  As an entrepreneur we have so many irons in the fire at all times that it’s a wonder we produce anything.  Time Management skills are vital.  Share your tips so that we can all improve our skills.

 

Grateful for the Fall

I can hardly believe that it’s already November!  There’s a nippiness to the air that reminds us that winter is coming soon.  With the time change, the days get shorter as we move towards Winter Solstice.

November is the time for Thanksgiving.  Take some time to pause and be grateful for what you do have – however big or small – however god or bad.  Look around you and find something you can be grateful for.  Keep a journal and add something new each day.  If you don’t like to write – make it a photo journal. If you need some holiday decorations, make a grateful paper chain.  Get the family to all participate and write each day something they are grateful for and attach it to the chain.  You should have quite a long chain by Thanksgiving (or Christmas if you continue into the holiday season).

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart

Here are some reason that being grateful makes a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you:

• It reminds you of the positive things that you have in your life.
• It turns bad things into good things as you can be grateful for the challenges you have as they make you stronger.
• It reminds you of what’s important.  Be grateful for the gift of life, for your family, for your home.  There are many without these.
• It reminds you to thank others.  Sometimes the smallest gesture or “thank you”  means the most.

Here’s a Gratitude Prayer that I found that I’d like to share with you.

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. 
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

Have the best November ever!  I’m grateful for each of you.

Goal Setting – Pro’s and Con’s

Goal Setting is one of those things that I have dreaded doing for many years.  I really do not like it and struggled with every exercise I’ve ever tried.  I finally read some coaching advice that backed up and explained how I feel about goal-setting.

In The DNA of Success by Jack M . Zufelt – a book he kindly shared with me this week, I finally discovered why writing down goals did not work for me.  For one thing, if those goals didn’t happen in the time frame that I expected them to, it was a failure on my part.  It was depressing to read through a list of goals that I set six months earlier and realize that I had not yet started on even one of those goals.  After awhile, I gave up.

For me goal setting is really about making a decision about something that I want to create in the future.  That decision can be that I want to make $5000 per month or that I want to be driving a new sports car someday.  I don’t necessarily decide when…just decide.  Then I roll up my sleeves and work at what I am passionate about.  I don’t write down or re-read those decisions or even think much about them at all.  Before long however, I will create those things that I decided I would have.  We have the power to create our future as we decide that it should be.  Yes – it requires some work…and yes it requires staying the course.  But dreams do come true everyday for people like you and me.  It all starts with the decision.

The beauty of this whole formula for me however is that I can change my mind.  I don’t know about you – but I don’t want the same things today that I thought I wanted twenty years ago.  The most exciting part about making decisions is that you can change them at any time.  Today, I don’t want to drive a sportscar let’s say – maybe today I want to drive a jeep.  I can decide today that I will have a jeep in the future.  I don’t have to do anything about my earlier decision except to forget it and make a new decision.  I simply change my mind.

Wow…that’s so exciting for me!  No more feeling guilty about the lack of written goals.  It just doesn’t really work for me.  Everyone is different, but if you like me, struggle with goal setting as a business owner – try something else.  Make the decision about what you want…then forget about it.  Work in your business – and love it!  Your dreams will come true.

Want to know more?  Read The DNA of Success by Jack M . Zufel and be inspired!  Find him on LinkedIn and tell him that I sent you!

Give back for the Holidays!

As the holiday season begins to ramp up, here are some tips that might help you and your fellow businesses grow and strengthen together. The holiday season is all about giving, and what could be better than helping your fellow business owner and receiving their help in return? The law of reciprocity says that if you give first and generously, you will get what you need in return. There is no better time than the holidays to give it a try.

Identify complementary businesses with which you could develop a promotional sharing arrangement.

For example:

• A family owned restaurant could partner with a nearby theater to provide a dinner and movie offer. It’s great to use for yourself or give as a gift to someone.
• A local hardware store could develop a relationship with a plumber to offer a free plumbing inspection with any purchase over a certain amount.
• A local sporting goods store could partner with a yoga or fitness studio to offer a bundled holiday deal for eager shoppers.
• An independent piano tuner and a music shop could work together to share referrals.

Many customers appreciate the discount on related products and services and the ready-made ideas for holiday gifts thus allowing both businesses to see increased sales.In addition, the community as a whole benefits economically when more dollars are changing hands in your local area.

Do you have an online business only? Why not team up online by providing links to related products you don’t offer with someone who does. For example, online retailers who sell make-up may provide links, after checkout is complete, to an online clothing store that offers beautiful holiday attire for the party they are sure to be invited to. You can develop an affiliate relationship with that site to perhaps earn a slight commission for the referral. This can provide a nice boost to your financial bottom line at the end of the season. Be sure to follow the rules for disclosing affiliate relationships in your state.

 

Whether you have an online business or a physical store location, you can join forces with other local businesses to leverage the power of the team approach this holiday season. Post your purchases on Facebook or other social media sites to promote the places where you like to shop. Promote other local artists and business owners and use local shops and businesses as much as possible. Let your friends see that you are invested in your local community.

Promotional holiday products are a great way to say thank you to your customers too. Some nice calendars or pens and pads are always appreciated and remind your customers of you all year long too. It’s a nice way to say thank you for your patronage and that you look forward to doing business with them again in the future.

Have a great holiday season!

It’s the Holiday Season… Almost!

The holidays are fast approaching.  It’s time to make your reservations for those special events now for the greatest availability.  Consider a special thematic holiday party…maybe a Snowflake Ball, or a Sleigh Ride/Hay Ride adventure.  There are many options for holiday parties, and professional party planners to help you take care of the details.

Every Christmas brings about numerous challenges and stresses from gift giving, party going and party throwing. I especially enjoy having holiday parties with my husband for family and friends. If you and your spouse are stressed however, your guests will know. The secret to avoiding stress and hosting a fabulous party is always in the planning.Budget
Start with your budget. Set a reasonable budget for your party. Once you decide what you want, get some estimates and see where your money will go. Make your list to include invitations, food, beverages and possibly a planner or staff to assist you on the day of the event. Assign a dollar figure to each item  and go about making your arrangements. Decide what is most important to you. Is it a wonderful invitation? Perhaps it’s fabulous wine? Whatever it is allocate your funds there and make cuts in other places so the most important things happen.

When budgeting, keep your guest count within your budget. Your costs go up exponentially the more people you invite. Consider who you really want to attend and which guests you will enjoy entertaining.

Theme
Find a theme for your party. Assume you aren’t going to invest a lot in decorations since chances are your home is already decorated. Your decor can be as simple as having a nice collection of poinsettias on the center of the food table and your entire home lit with votive candles. You can find pretty frosted votive holders with votives at Target for less than $1.50 each or check the dollar store for bargains. 

Make your invitation in the color of your holiday decorations. If you use blue and white, use blue in your invitations, white poinsettias on your table and blue and white votives in your home.

Surprises
Surprise your guests with a small party favor. For example, button-sized Christmas Blinky Lights – flashing snowman pins, Santa hats and other items are a perfect to hand out as guests arrive. It will get the party started. They are fairly inexpensive and you can find them here..

Food 
If it is a party for close family and friends, you might want to consider a potluck party.  This party is by far the easiest to plan. You can set a theme for everyone to follow – or assign some people to sweets and others to appetizers so you have a balance of food choices.  If you would rather do all the hosting, keep the menu simple and prepare as much in advance as possible.  If your budget allows, it is simple to host a dessert bar or hire a caterer too.

Investing in a couple of staff persons—someone to serve at the bar and someone to keep the food looking nice and refilled and to help clean up—can be a huge help. You will find that you have more time to enjoy your guests. If this is not in your budget, make your bar self-serve and the food served buffet style.

Execution
The day before the party, pre-set your dishes and glassware, decorate your table and load your IPod with holiday music. Make a list of all that must be done the day of the party and ask for help from your spouse and your children. Review the plan with your planner or helpers.  Choose your outfit and make sure that it actually fits and is comfortable. Then get a good night’s sleep.

A little preparation can go a long way in enjoying your party. Don’t feel like “everything must be perfect”. Have fun and enjoy your friends and family.  If you do, your party will be a hit and even you will have a great time.