all wrapped up…

I adore pretty packaging, like this from knot and bow (which you can purchase online via etsy and have shipped to Australia).  Buying online becomes so much more personal when your delivery arrives, in-cased in beautiful packaging, that reflects the brand.  When choosing packaging, think about your brand and how you want your customer to feel about it and the experience of buying from you.

Highly Recommended Reading for Wedding and Event Planners

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to attend Event Solutions Ideas Factory in Las Vegas.  Over several days myself and AAWEP Director, Kylie Carlson enjoyed workshops, seminars and presentations from some of the industries most influential and inspiring people.  Event Solutions will take place again next year in late February and if you can make it I highly recommend attending.

You can stay up to date with news about the Ideas Factory and what is new and happening in the industy by subscribing to Event Solutions E News here.

Enjoy!

A simple tip for managing your time and getting things done…

Before I give you this all important magical tip, I have to be upfront and honest and say that I am not good at following it, yet.  However, I am hoping that by declaring my intentions here, I will come to embrace it.

Over the last week I have read several similar posts, which have discussed how to manage your time.  Within one of them, there was a very simple tip.  As soon as I read this tip, I knew it was the key for me.  I knew that not doing this thing, was the cause of my working longer hours to get things done and the cause of me often feeling mentally numb during much of the day  The tip involved practising restraint in how often you check and respond to emails and Social Media posts.  Not something I hadn’t heard before, but by relating it back to the energy you have for concentrating on work, it hit a nerve with me this time.

I don’t spend huge amounts of personal time on either email or Social Media, I use both primarily for business, as you probably do too.  So how can I be suggesting that we cut back?

Ok, before you have a panic attack or think I have gone mad, I am not suggesting that your commitment to using either medium changes.  For me it can’t; I will be out of business very quickly if it does.  However, what I have come to understand that I absolutely must do, is stop letting spending time on these platforms, drain me of the energy I have for other work.  Sound like you too?

How do we do this?

The answer is the best part and where it gets simple – my tip for managing your time and conserving energy for ‘work’, is to delegate times of the day for responding to email and attending to social media commitments.  Currently, I flick constantly between what I am working on, my inbox and my Twitter and Facebook pages.  I expect many of us do as the technology is quite addictive in that way and is training us to not be able to focus on the one thing for long periods of time.  Flicking from your work to emails etc. becomes a habit and I for one find it quite hard to resist.   But what I have realised is that it is also mentally draining and requires me to be constantly re-focussing my attention, as I respond to new emails and posts.

So I am putting myself on a diet and if you are like me, I encourage you to give it a try too.  The diet is simple.  Assess your day and what would work best for you and then set 2, or 3 if you need to (but no more), times of the day, for attending to email and social media.  I am going to start with 3 because my working day tends to be spread out from early in the morning until early evening.  If you work a normal, 9-5 day, 2 times should be sufficient.

I am starting this today.  Whilst the tip is simple, I expect it is not going to be easy…like breaking any habit I and you if you join me, are going to have to be disciplined.  But I am determined.  If you are too…drop by over the next week and let us know how you are going and if you have a tip to share we would love to hear from you.

‘Brand it like Beckham’ branding tip

Have you ever walked into a luxury hotel and been immediately blown away by the street frontage and reception area, only to find that from this point on, things start to fall short of your expectations.  The front of house staff are less than welcoming, there is no one to assist you with your luggage, the lift is out of the order, the carpet is faded, your room looks old and tired and not at all as it did on the hotel’s website?

On the surface and from their website, the hotel is selling luxury, but the further you move into the ‘experience’, the less luxurious it becomes.  This is an example of a brand not telling a consistent story.

When it comes to your business, you need to define what your key message is and that then needs to be reflected in everything you do, from how your site looks to how you answer the phone and process orders for your products.

Let’s take your website as an example, as for so many of us, this really is our shop-front.  Regardless of how gorgeous your website design is, simple things like broken links, poorly written copy, outdated information and spelling errors will detract from you brand message.  Pay attention to the details and you will be on your way to telling a consistent story.

Are you a ‘Super Planner’?

If you have been looking for a handy mobile tool to take your event planning to another level, industry heavy weight Howard Givner has come to rescue with a very handy app.  Super Planner is amongst the most in-depth mobile tools on the market today for iphone/ipad and the good news is that there is a Blackberry version on its way too (May 15th).

So what is Super Planner?  Super Planner is a business app for the professional event planner.  It provides a variety of planning tools including calculators for venue capacity, staffing, catering, staging, projection and dance floor, as well as useful tips.  Its key features are Food and Beverage, Audio Visual and Venue Capacity;; basically what every planner needs to be a ‘super planner’ all at your fingertips.

Ok let’s break it down to see exactly what you get with the app:

• Room Capacity Calculator – Great for calculating the size of the room you will require, or use it in reverse to work out how many guests and in what configuration, you will fit in a specific room size.
• Staffing Calculator – Love this one!  Just enter the number of guests expected at your event and let the app work out your staffing requirements.
• Catering Calculator – Calculates quantities for both food and beverage.
• Staging Calculator – Calculates the recommended stage height based on room size and provides you with a staging diagram.
• Dance Floor Calculator – No one likes a squishy dance floor.  This function calculates the size you need based on the number of guests you expect.
• Projection Calculator – This one is very handy for those of us who are just a little technically challenged.  This app will make calculating things like screen height and where your first and last rows should sit, so much easier.

The app also includes:  Speaker Prep Tips, Pricing Conversions, PowerPoint Design Tips, Projection Tips, Table Grid and Place Setting.

Super Planner is perfect for anyone working as a planner.  What I love about it is that it allows you to calculate on the run and whilst you are in the spaces you intend working in.  It is the perfect addition to the mobile office, without having to add another piece of equipment to your handbag.  I am Peronally looking forward to the Blackberry version.   Check out the Demo here and if you have used the app let us know, we would love to share your reviews with our readers.