I had the pleasure of working with the lovely Jami Milne last month at the Global Insurance Accelerator  #insurtechweek in #dsmusa .  At the end of the week participating #insurtechstartups had the opportunity to go inside a bubble, have a conversation and get photographed.  Naturally, I had to try it myself.  She calls it the #creativeconfessional –and here is what it does-

Disclaimer:  If you so choose to enter the bubble, you should do so with an open mind.  Jami has the demeanor that naturally extracts meaningful conversation.  You might laugh, you might cry-but one thing is for certain: This is not a traditional head-shot.  From start to finish, this is an experience.

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I made my way up to the 4th floor of MainFrame Studios down a long and angular hallway–different artist studios off to the right and left.  Jami’s studio- is toward the end of the hall.  A long narrow space–self admittedly in the works- it still possesses a unique and welcoming charm.  A small desk with a white fluffy rug at the front , and at the back:  the bubble.  Built of a PVC framework, the bubble comes in approximately 2,000 pieces to be assembled like tinker-toys.  Ok, 2,000 might be an exaggeration, but likely I am in the ballpark.  It takes a little over an hour to assemble.  Once the PVC frame is complete, a large plastic shell is installed over top.  Inside the bubble:  a couple chairs, a cozy fluffy rug, a few side tables and some wash lighting for good photographs.

As I climbed my way into the bubble and sat down, I have to admit I was a little nervous—what was she going to ask me?  What if I say something stupid?  Can she smell fear?   Her first question to me was simply “how are you?”  I smiled knowing “good” would not suffice.  As I elaborated on why I felt my life was good I began to dive more deeply into all of the great things in my life.  Next thing I knew I was reflecting on my past and dreaming about my future—all the while this tiny little sniper was snapping shots of all of it.   Conversation came naturally and after awhile I forgot about the little clicks that came at random intervals and just became myself.

The session lasted about 30 minutes, which felt like just the right amount of time.  As I l left the bubble-I felt happy.   Getting to know Jami through an unconventional conversation in a bubble made our connection more meaningful.  I learned we get along quite well and I can foresee many collaborations in the future.

Out of this session came these images .  Quirky I would say, yet also telling.  They express a lot of authentic personality.  I must admit, It’s weird to look at so many pictures of myself but it’s kind of fun too.  Curious?  Get in the bubble 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you have an event and need to hire someone GREAT to produce it.  But what separates any old decent event planner from the truly GREAT event planner?  Put your candidates to the test!

GREAT event planners are:

Agile:   Event roadblocks are inevitable and can come at anytime during the process and be of any shape and size.  The ability to willingly change courses when one road is no longer feasible is one of the most important attributes of any event planner.  With their cat-like agility they are able to foresee (and plan for) any barriers that might stand in their way.   Great event planners can hack any situation covertly  and with ease, making them super useful under-pressure.  They are tirelessly resourceful and come prepared for any unexpected situation.

Creative Warriors:  Great event planners will challenge you.  We know your event is an opportunity to accomplish business goals and should be strategic and purposeful.  Great planners will push  you to critically define specific goals for your event and build a road-map for the experience.  Great planners will help you to produce a completely unique, memorable and above all impactful experience curated around your goals and geared for your target audience.  The quality of the experience you provide your attendees is in direct relationship to the success of your event and return on investment.

Charmingly Pushy:  As natural born leaders, these exceptional humans are proficient at assembling and managing competent teams of professionals.  These masters of communication, know how to get what they need without ruffling any feathers.

Cool as a Cucumber:  When stresses run high great event planners are like a breath of calm beach air.  Naturally serene during a perceived crisis relieves the intensity of the situation so solutions can be realized.  Great event planners will keep you and those around you calm so you can take in the success of your event.

X-Factor:  GREAT event planners are acutely aware of how experiences are being perceived by attendees.  Their expectation to adhere to a certain level of detail is sometimes seen as over the top but the quality that is realized event day is invaluable.  A critical eye comes naturally to these individuals and their level of professionalism is unwavering.

Need a GREAT event planner for an upcoming event?  Call us!  We plan events, because events don’t plan themselves.

 

 

If you have ever been on an event committee you may have experienced a meeting or 2 (or 6) that seem to be wildly unorganized, endlessly frustrating and an unsettling waste of your time.  If you have ever LED an event committee and you feel the same way, here are a few easy ways to take BACK the control you lost over your event.

Know your event better than anyone else in the room –If you are leading a committee to execute an event, you should be the most privy to the overall goal, vision, theme and purpose of the event.  It is your job to communicate all of these things to your committee so they understand the context of the event and you’re all on the same page.  Being as specific as possible will help ensure there are no miscommunications.  It will also be your job to challenge ideas that do not make sense within the parameters of your event–so make sure you are crystal clear on that vision.

Have an agenda and keep it tight!  Your job is to lead productive conversations regarding the overall vision rather than getting side-tracked by arbitrary “committee noise.”  Start by drawing up a very specific agenda and stressing the importance of adhering to said agenda.  If committee members start hijacking your meeting and taking it on a detour down a rabbit hole, politely stop them and ensure you will cover the topic when it comes up on the agenda.  After one meeting (and a couple public embarrassments), your team will learn to follow the agenda.  Professional courtesy:  start on time and end on time.

Don’t be afraid to assert your power  Committees are made up of all types.  Usually there are a few loud ones.  Loud people can be intimidating and make a happy environment into one where no one else wants to speak.  These are often the same people that inadvertently lead the whole team down a rabbit hole.  Don’t be afraid to stop conversations that are straying outside of the topic at hand.  A polite, “let’s pause this conversation for now and come back to it when its….x”    Whatever the excuse might be, make it kind.  When you are kind, everyone will like you and then they will want to do what you need them to do.

Hold everyone accountable  The best committee members are those who participate outside of your face-to-face meetings.  Assign people tasks in the meeting and then follow up assignments in writing.  Make regular check-ins on progress to ensure things aren’t falling through the cracks.  Be sure to praise your team often so they feel appreciated.  Happy committee members are the best committee members.

As always, happy to answer any questions or solve any event problems that might arise.

 

 

Events come with a lot of details; and those details can get messy without the proper organizational system.  How do you ensure your events are set up for success and no details fall through the cracks??

Assemble the right team:  Yes, anyone can plan an event, many can plan a good event, few can plan a GREAT event.  Assembling a team of creative & capable people with clearly defined roles will help divvy up the work and hold individuals accountable to their tasks.  Delegate work to the experts, If you lack the resources in-house, seek help outside.   Event planners will help you envision new ideas and concepts–and together with AV professionals, graphic artists, decorators, caterers….etc., they will help bring your ideas to life.

Schedule intentional time:  Events take time to plan not only logistically but also mentally.  Pull out your calendar and make regular meetings to discuss your event.  Even if your event is months off and doesn’t seem like an urgent topic, give yourself an hour of time to sit down and brainstorm big ideas.  If you fail to make the time to plan, your chances of event success and reaching your goals is diminished.

Clearly communicate on all fronts:  Over explaining is better than under-explaining when it comes to your events.  When it comes to your planning team, be sure to set clear expectations for team members to adhere to.  Document and discuss who is responsible for what to clear up any miscommunications later.  and talk often.  Designate an event manager to lead communications with event staff and volunteers–layout a communication plan to share all details and expectations.  Finally when it comes to your attendees, communication is king.  Remember you are asking them to come to your event, so make sure they know how to get there and when.  Assume you are talking to the lowest common denominator (there is always someone who “never got the email”), so be redundant about your communication and provide it in variety.  Some like email, some like print–all like good way-finding and signage.

Give your events the time and organization they deserve and you will see the success you hope to achieve.

 

When was the last time you attended a noticeably BAD event?  Probably more often than not.  Anyone can put on an event, but like everything there are varying degrees of success.  What is the difference between the blaringly bad events and the impressively good events?  Proper Planning.  Event planners if utilized correctly will not only save you money, they will make you money.  What do professional event planners bring to the table that amateurs don’t?

Intentional & Strategic Planning: All events should have well established goals, means to achieve said goals and metrics for measuring success.  Without going through the fundamental exercises of setting up the structure of your event–you will just run into a bunch of dis-jointed ideas and haphazard decisions.  If you fail to plan initially, you plan to fail.  Event planners save you from yourself by creating a strategic plan for success.

Event Planners possess know-how and get the job done efficiently:  All we do is events.  When we are not doing events we are thinking about events or critiquing events or researching events.  Our abundance of knowledge  and endless creativity save tremendous time in the process of planning. We are the catalyst for new ideas and vehicle to help focus them into effective themes that reach your target audience in an impactful way.  We leverage our relationships with vendors and craftspeople to bring your dreams to reality.  We work swiftly and with ease–unlike someone navigating the industry for the first time (time=$$).

Thoughtful Experiences:  Event planners possess the rare skill of seeing every detail from the attendee vantage point.  We are acutely aware of and sensitive to the way people receive an event.  As the event host, you have the opportunity to influence a captive audience of people.  In the age of distraction it is increasingly difficult to capture and maintain attention spans.  Event planners intuitively understand how to keep humans engaged and inspired.  Even events on a budget, should possess a certain level of professionalism and polish–good enough, is never really good enough.

Valuable & Invaluable Returns:  Measuring the value of an event  could be achieved by evaluating: attendance, money raised, clients gained…etc.  But the invaluable will show it’s true value over time.  If you take the time to create a strategic and  thoughtful event with flawless details–people will notice and your message will not only be received, it will be spread.

So you’re most recent event didn’t go quite like you hoped, but you’re not sure how to fix it?  Give us a call, we’ll help you out.

 

 

 

When planning an event a lot of time is spent chasing the ever elusive “theme.”  The mind will often wander off to movies, colors, seasons or other arbitrary concepts used to create a certain mood for the event.  Themes of this nature certainly have their time and place, and if done right and thoughtfully can create a lot of impact.  But when it comes to your corporate events, the theme should never be arbitrary.  Your corporate events should be seen as an opportunity to intentionally impact a captive audience with your brand and messaging.  So how can you be sure you are taking full advantage of the opportunity to reach your attendees?

The first theme is YOUR BRAND…

Every event should have well defined objectives.  Do not throw an event, to throw an event.  Clearly define your goals and how you are going to achieve them.  Once that is done take a hard look at your brand and pull out the messages you want to convey to your attendees.  If your attendees could EXPERIENCE your brand, what would that be like?  What are your core values?  How can you use those throughout your event to reinforce your brand?  Think about hitting all 5 senses.  Colors and logos are obvious but what does your brand taste like?  Maybe not literally, but for example if you are a health conscious company you probably shouldn’t be serving donuts for breakfast.  All of the details of your event should be directly inline with your core values and brand messaging.

A theme within a theme…

Now that you’ve mastered the first theme, use a secondary theme to enrich the experience.  Maybe this is a year of growth and you want to leverage that concept throughout your event.  Your program and all the event details would be designed with the idea of “growth” in  mind.  You would choose speakers and build content focused around this topic.  Maybe you would incorporate a few hands-on learning activities on unexpected topics-opportunities for growth.  Maybe you’d even choose a venue like a botanical center with a lot of greenery or rent some beautiful and unique vegetation to further reinforce your concept.  The success of your event is determined by how effective you are at providing the most value, clearest message and best experience for you attendees.

Anyone can plan an event, it truly is not that hard.  The best events start with a really strong  foundation.  Clear goals, solid branding, valuable content & delivery.  Give your events the time and attention they deserve and they will pay you back generously.

 

Have you ever been in a situation where there are just TOO MANY cooks in the kitchen?  Sometimes putting on an event where decisions are made by committee can feel just that way.  Here are 5 Tips for running an event committee meeting.

1. Set an agenda and STICK TO IT:  Inevitably, someone will try to derail you from your agenda, it is your job to STOP that!  Set the expectation at the start that it in the interest of time it is imperative that you adhere as strictly as possible to your agenda.  When the conversation is hi-jacked politely reign it back in by ensuring, you will get there when that agenda line item is brought up.  Other best practices?   start ON TIME and end ON TIME-be respectful of everyone’s busy schedules.
2. Remove all distractions:    Choose a location that is quiet and has little outside distraction–no real need for food/refreshments.  Ask your committee  members to put away all phones and focus for 45-6o minutes of time.  By eliminating distractions and keeping it all business, you can ensure things will run smoothly.
3. Avoid going down a rabbit hole:  Committees are generally made up of people who believe their input is valuable in some way and therefore they would like to share.  The result can be a lot of extraneous discussion around topics that might not necessarily need all that much discussion.  Know when to table discussions that have taken a turn away from productivity. A simple “All good ideas, let’s pause this conversation for a moment and come back to the agenda”–should get the meeting back on track.
4. Don’t get too far into the weeds:  piggy-backing on the topic above, no need to dive deep into the nitty gritty details of your event.  Keep your meeting high-level with specific action items for those in attendance.   1-2 people on your committee should be responsible for managing and executing all of the details.
5. The Loudest Person in the room is not always right:  Be weary of the person who knows all of the answers.  As the meeting runner, you need to manage the person/people who tend to “bully” the rest of the group.  Often times these are the same people who will take your agenda way off task.  First attempt the gentle tactics presented above to guide them back on track .  If the problem persists, a delicate 1:1 conversation is not out of line.  But most importantly, be fair, take all opinions on the floor and then make decisions based on what is in the best interest of the event and the committee members who are putting it on.

 

 

We have all been at an event where there are blaring oversights that should have been addressed during the planning phases.  Here are a few planning considerations to ensure you are not looking like an amateur come event day:

 

Clear communication is KING

From the initial point of contact to post event surveying, attendees are happiest when they are informed.  Put yourself in your attendee’s shoes–keeping in mind these people will be of all different competency levels.  Hint: you should plan your communications based on the lowest common denominator-assume your attendees need you to hold their hand as they walk through the event.  Utilize email, social media platforms and event apps to communicate pertinent information to your attendees regarding all relevant event details.  Sharing logistics across a multitude of platforms will ensure everyone receives your important information.  At your event be sure to have clear signage and wayfinding tools to help move your attendees around the event.  Enlist the help of “ambassadors” to help give your attendees a personal touch, setting their mind at ease and making them feel pampered.

 

Nobody likes to wait in line, ever.

Take the number  of people you are planning to have run registration and double it.  Now take the number of bars and food lines and do the same.  The registration table is one of the first impressions you give to your attendees.  Make sure whomever you task with running registration is trained on what they are supposed to do; nothing is worse than a frazzled person trying to find your name amongst a sea of spreadsheets.  So be organized and think through the most efficient way to move people through the line.  For events where you will be serving cocktails, add a couple extra grab and go stations for beer/pop/water.  Place bars in different locations throughout the space so attendees have options.  Attendees will get sassy when they have to wait 10 minutes in line for a drink.  Not a good look, so be prepared with more than enough staff to serve your guests!

 

Critically curate your program to your audience and be respectful of everyone’s time

Before you begin planning your event, you should have identified what your specific goals are for even throwing it in the first place!  Once you have your goals established and your  ideal attendee profile created, tailor a program that will bring the most value to that group.  Pairing quality of content within the right time-frame will directly effect how successful your event becomes, so make sure you are thinking that through.

 

Don’t be boring, be Impactful

Events are a dime a dozen these days, how is your event special?  Develop an attendee engagement plan where you are actively employing different measurable tactics that stimulate your attendees.  Attention spans are short, so be sure to provide your attendee with a variety of different program elements and get booties out of seats often! Leverage creativity to ensure your message is received and ROI is achieved.

 

Please feed and water me.

Avoid making your attendees hangry by providing them with some fuel throughout the course of your event.  No matter the length of the event, at minimum people are expecting planned access to beverages.  Show them you knew they were coming by having some sort of refreshments.  Just a small and simple coffee/tea station with some power bars will keep energy and attitudes up!

 

 

 

So you’ve dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s and you are feeling very prepared for your event? Now what is in your day-of event tool box??  Here are a few must-haves from our book:

Comfy shoes and appropriate attire:  When I am packing my event bag, I like to put my mama bear hat on as if I am preparing a bag for a 4 year old’s trip to the zoo.  For set up you’re going to want you comfiest shoes and casual, easy to move in clothes.  Transitioning into event time, I pack slightly upgraded comfortable shoes (save your heels for another time) and my preference for attire is a comfortable version of whatever the attendees would normally be wearing in an attempt to blend in.  Layering is always a good option.  Typically venues are kept a little chilly.  My go to is a nice short-sleeved top underneath a blazer or sweater.  That way when stresses run high, I can shed a layer and likewise add it back in when there is some downtime.  Always a must is my “Event Manager” name badge and of course a smile!

Event Timeline & Vendor Contacts:  Either a printed or digital version of the event timeline (including vendor schedules) as well as all vendor contact info is a MUST!  The last thing you want to do is scramble trying to find information in the heat of the moment.  Be proactive by having this information right at your fingertips when necessary.

Tangibles:  I will again put my mama bear hat back on for this one: Energy snacks, water, scissors, tape, pens and markers, twine, phone, chargers, wallet…etc.  A curated mix of fuel for my body  as well as any “survival tools.”  Think items that are versatile tools that can assist with any sort of event issues requiring a little resourceful hacking.

What is in your event manager tool box?

 

We have had the opportunity to work with the fabulous people over at the Iowa Taproom and let us tell you, their event spaces are hidden gems perfect for intimate social events or small corporate conferences and celebrations.  We popped over and spent some time with Melanie Mackey the Taproom’s bubbly and out-going event space coordinator and here is what she had to say about their venue spaces:

How long have you been working with this venue?
I started as Events Coordinator in August 2018 but have been with the company for almost two years.

Venue Capacity?
Our Marquette Room can seat around 200 comfortably, and our Joliet Room can seat up to 50 comfortably.

What is included in the space rental?
Rental at the Iowa Taproom includes set-up and tear-down, tables, chairs, linens, free wi-fi, bartenders/servers.

What types of events are typically held in your spaces?
Around 60% of our events are wedding related (ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, etc.) while 40% are corporate events.

What makes your space unique?
Our rooms have a very industrial chic aesthetic with the exposed brick and twinkle lights on the ceiling. It makes for a very casual yet elegant feel!

What is your favorite part of venue?
I love seeing the different decorations that every wedding brings in. Our space is like a blank canvas and works with every color/wedding theme.

What is the coolest event you have been a part of at the Taproom?
We did a surprise wedding on  New Year’s Eve! It was emotional and thrilling and I’ll always remember it.

Do you have preferred vendors?

We LOVE Molly’s Cupcakes. They are amazing neighbors and their wedding cakes are gorgeous! I’ve also loved working with a variety of Des Moines photographers such as Raelyn Ramey, Jordan Campbell, and Casey Austen. If you want a super fun Photo Booth we always enjoy Photo Booths by SKP.

What’s on your bucket list?

Personal Bucket List Item – Be a part of a flash mob
Professional Bucket List Item – Have that flashmob occur in our event space