Want Exciting Event Exposure? – by Shannon Cherry, APR, MA

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<b>Be audience conscious.</b> Keep in mind that not all event topics or event types cater to everyone. It may be best to put your interpersonal skills to good use when a smaller crowd is involved. That way, the person you’re speaking with will get a better sense of what you and your business is about. When dealing with a larger number of people, it may more useful for you as a respectable public figure to speak to all members of your audience at the same time.<p>
<b>Identify the occasion.</b> Ask yourself this question. Is my event worth talking about? Make sure that your event revolves around a topic of interest. You want your event to be news worthy and have substance. Otherwise people won’t likely be interested in attending. It won’t do your reputation any good, either. <p>
<b>Create a plan.</b> First and foremost, put someone in charge. Publicity can become a mess if too many people are involved. Although it€„¢s helpful to assign small tasks to a few people, there should be one person responsible for overseeing and managing the arrangements. Second, do the planning for your event far in advance. Make a decision on how you want to inform others about your event. Then organize a system for making your plan work. Create a schedule of these activities to keep you organized. <p>
<b>Provide correct information.</b> Present the 5 Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why. The most important thing is to make sure you give accurate information such as the date, time, and address of the event. Always include contact information in your flyer for those who want additional information or have questions.<p>
<b>Keep up with those involved.</b> After the event, make sure to send thanks to those who helped make your event happen and those who attended. You could also send out a small thank you card to those involved in the media relations of your event and let them know the outcome. It always helps to be on good-terms with the media for any future events. You may also want to write about the results of your event and send to the local press for publication. Chances are if your event was successful and worth talking about, it would be considered newsworthy, something that people would want to know about.<p>
<b>Conduct a post-event assessment.</b> Talking to those who attended your event will help you to understand what went well and what didn’t. Keep notes on things that you wish happened differently. When you begin to understand what attracts people to your event and what doesn’t, you will learn what will bring more people to your events in the future. That will ultimately enhance your PR rep.

Shannon Cherry, APR, MA is your Power Publicist and owns Be Heard Solutions, a virtual publicity and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services, and boosting their business. Get your free publicity power pack by visiting www.BeHeardSolutions.com

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venues – by Mandy Chagger

With a wealth of experience and up-to-date information at its disposal, a venue hire service can quickly ascertain your requirements and help you locate the right venue for your event. As well as providing you with a number of options and giving you information about their facilities and prices, the venue hire service you use can also, if you prefer, negotiate the price on behalf of your organisation. Thanks to the knowledge it has accumulated, the agency whose services you decide to enlist will also be able to advise you about any other aspects of venue hire that you need to know and can provide you with comprehensive details of any other costs you should anticipate. Such costs do not include the services of the venue hire agency that you use to locate a venue. Such organisations can provide their venue hire and locating services free of charge, because hotels and conference venues fund them.

As well as finding a venue in the right location, and ensuring it is the size and standard you need for your event, an important aspect of venue hire is finding a place at the right price to suit your budget. Again, this takes time and often requires a certain amount of expertise in negotiating, as well as knowledge of all the items and eventualities that may involve extra cost. For example, does your venue hire include the use of audiovisual equipment if you need it? If you are providing meals, do you have to pay extra for plates and glasses? Are you covered for breakages? Such questions may not even occur to you in relation to venue hire until you have committed yourself. In view of all the many other things that you need to remember and plan when organising an event, you can save yourself a great deal of time, worry, and expense by taking advantage of the free services offered by a venue hire organisation.

With a wealth of experience and up-to-date information at its disposal, a venue hire service can quickly ascertain your requirements and help you locate the right venue for your event. As well as providing you with a number of options and giving you information about their facilities and prices, the venue hire service you use can also, if you prefer, negotiate the price on behalf of your organisation. Thanks to the knowledge it has accumulated, the agency whose services you decide to enlist will also be able to advise you about any other aspects of venue hire that you need to know and can provide you with comprehensive details of any other costs you should anticipate. Such costs do not include the services of the venue hire agency that you use to locate a venue. Such organisations can provide their venue hire and locating services free of charge, because hotels and conference venues fund them.

The type of services provided by a venue hire agency does not end with locating and organising the venue for an event. If, for instance, the event you are planning will continue for more than one day, meaning there will be a need for overnight accommodations, a venue hire service can also help with these arrangements. As well as finding the right type of accommodation to suit your budget, a venue hire service can also look after the booking details for you, even taking booking enquiries from people planning to attend the event, confirming room allocations, and liaising with the establishment providing the accommodation in the event of any last minute changes. Once again, this will save you a lot of time and trouble, leaving you free to plan and organise other matters related to your event.

Some of these other matters will also be resolved more quickly and easily with the help of a venue hire organisation. Advice on conference equipment supplies, the arrangement of on-site visits, and the drawing up of contracts are among the aspects of the venue hire procedure that take time, especially when you are dealing with each of these aspects separately. By using a venue hire service, you can centralise all your arrangements, establishing the venue hire service as your one point of contact for all the arrangements you need to make. You will then need to deal with only the venue hire organisation itself, while the staff goes about the work of sourcing a venue, arranging accommodations, and helping you with the hire of any other items you need. With a professional venue hire organisation working behind the scenes, you can therefore be sure that everything will go smoothly in the lead-up to your event and that all the necessary arrangements will be made in good time to ensure that it runs successfully.

Free Venue Hiring Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk + 44 (0)8700 490000 FREE call back service

Free Hotel Accommodation Booking Service UK & Worldwide visit http://www.jigsawconferences.com + 44 (0)8707 520433 FREE call back service

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Use a PR Agency to Promote Your Event – by Amy Nutt

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Below is an outline of some key benefits to hiring a public relations agency to promote your community event.<p>
Contacts<p>
* One of the best ways to get the word out about your upcoming community event is through the press and media. A public relations agency will have established relationships with key reporters on not only a local level but nationally as well.<p>
* Utilizing their contacts to promote (companies, brands, events, etc.) is the lifeblood of PR professionals and agencies. Because of this, they tend to be strategic, on the ball, and focused on the end result.<p>
* Using a public relations agency to promote your event will increase your likelihood of getting coverage in local and/or national newspapers or on television or radio news programs.<p>
* Because information coming from known and trusted news sources is more credible than obviously paid advertising, members of your community are much more likely to take note of your event than if they were to find out about it through paid advertising.<p>
Event Planning<p>
* Ideally, you should sign on with a public relations agency early in the event planning stages. Doing this will ensure coverage by long-lead media and is a must if your event is expected to have a very large turnout or is held on a national or international basis.<p>
* Even if you plan to do all of the planning for the event in-house and handle all the details internally, a good PR agency will be able to help you strategize every aspect of your event to maximize promotion not only of the event itself, but also of your organization. A public relations agency will help you strategize an appropriate mix of promotional activities, including but not limited to:<p>
o Sponsorships
o Program launches
o Analyst tours
o Media tours
o Press conferences<p>
* A good PR agency will gravitate toward promoting your organization (in addition to the event) just because it is in their nature.<p>
* Most public relations agencies have event planning and event marketing capabilities. If you are operating on a large scale and expect mass media coverage, you will be well served to have an experienced agency ensuring everything runs smoothly at the event with regards to accommodating the press. If you are on a budget, however, you can likely choose the promotion services you need the most on an "a la carte" basis.<p>
Message Makers<p>
Public relations agencies are typically comprised of many different levels of corporate communications professionals. For this reason, having a PR agency promoting your community event can come in handy when it comes to your event materials. Consider having the agency develop your marketing materials to ensure that your message and tone are consistent and appropriate for your target audience. If the PR agency is involved from the beginning of the planning process, they can be instrumental in developing invitations, flyers, posters and more. Keep in mind, creative resources of a public relations agency are likely to be more extensive than your own. If you plan on hiring a PR agency to promote your community event, definitely leverage their creative strengths.

Polaris PR Inc. is one of the leading Toronto PR firms offering a wide range of public relations services to effectively promote all of your corporate events and communications.

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US Event Services to Provide Event Coordination and Transportation Logistics for Select Super Bowl XL Events – by Jeff Goebel

Cleveland based event and destination management company participates in the excitement of Super Bowl XL. Brookpark, Ohio (PRWEB) January 25, 2006 — US Event Services, a leading event and destination management company today announces that it has agreements with various national sponsors of Super Bowl XL to provide transportation and logistics support. US Event Services, a division of Cleveland based Hopkins Transportation Services and Lake Front Lines, will be the preferred service provider for various Super Bowl XL sponsors. US Event Services will be providing transportation, logistics and coordination for hundreds of dignitaries, fans, and other VIP’;s to and from Super Bowl XL, Super Bowl XL parties, and various private sponsored events in the greater Detroit area during Super Bowl weekend. “Our clients and their guests are going to Detroit for the Super Bowl and are interested in the game, the parties, and other fun activities,” said Jeff Goebel, of US Event Services. “We are providing safe, secure, and reliable transportation and coordination for our clients so that they can enjoy the game.” Event transportation can include, the NFL Experience, the Players Gala, the Super Bowl, a Taste of the NFL and other events surrounding the Super Bowl. About US Event Services: Is associated with Ohio’;s largest privately owned and operated transportation service company, the 16th largest bus company in the United States, with more than 40 years of operational, event transportation and event planning experience. Clients include: NEC Invitational Akron, OH, The Memorial Tournament Dublin, OH, Super Bowl Host Committee Detroit, MI, National Figure Skating Championship – Cleveland, OH, and Vice Presidential debates at Case Western Reserve University – Cleveland, OH Contact: www.useventservices.com

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Tips for Successful Event Planning – by Kate Smalley

Event planning can turn even the most capable person into a ball of nerves. But if you’ve been selected to plan your company’s next holiday party, awards banquet or open house, relax. Our helpful tips can make the process go more smoothly and successfully.

Initial Considerations

First, consider how you want your event to look and feel. Think about: What kind of event are you holding? Who will attend? What is the reason for the event or celebration? What do you hope to accomplish? Do you have specific goals or outcomes that you expect? Keep in mind that your event should generate goodwill, excitement and enthusiasm about your company. You should use it to grow your business and as an opportunity to strengthen relationships with employees and your clients and customers.

Planning Your Event

Once you’ve defined the basic parameters, then you’re ready to proceed with planning.

¢ Make a checklist – Create a checklist to provide a step-by-step guide to organizing and executing a special event.

¢ Develop a budget – This will provide you with a financial “blueprint” for the event. The budget should be specific, and include revenue opportunities (sponsorship, ticket sales, donations, etc.) as well as expenses such as printing, permits, insurance, speakers, food, supplies and security. Maintain good records, keeping track of all income and expenses. Also, expect the unexpected, extra expenses will come up — so plan ahead.

¢ Schedule facilities – The location and site of your event is critical for success. Selecting a site is more than just finding out what rooms are available. There are many factors to consider, including room capacity, whether you’re having an in/outdoor event, if there are special needs for ramps/elevators, if you’ll need a podium, stage or special equipment, and how many tables and chairs will be necessary for guests.

¢ Have plenty of food and drinks – What kind of food will you serve? Lunch? Snack foods? Dinner? Buffet? Sit down? What kind of beverages will be available? Will they be served in a can, punch bowl, or some other way? If you intend to serve alcohol, ensure plenty of designated drivers are available to transport those who may be unable to drive home.

¢ Plan publicity/marketing – Great publicity and marketing are the key to a successful event. There are many different methods you can use to get the word out about your program. Determine who you want to attend and then target your advertising accordingly. Consider supplementing paid advertising with inexpensive fliers, handouts, email messages and word-of-mouth.

¢ Book a speaker/entertainer – Consider the following factors if you are planning a speaker, entertainment, or facilitator for an event: Who is the agent/manager for the speaker/entertainment? Does the speaker/entertainment appeal to a broad audience? How many people are expected to attend? Does the speaker/entertainment have special technical requirements for their presentation? Does the artist/entertainment require hotel or transportation arrangements?

¢ Arrange for parking – If you’re expecting a large number of guests, ensure there is ample parking. The parking you select should be easily accessible to the location of the event. If you have delivery trucks, caterers or special equipment being brought to the event, you will need to make sure everyone knows the best location for unloading.

¢ Evaluate the event – One of the most ignored, yet important, elements of project planning is evaluation. If you want to determine how successful an event is, you’ll need to collect feedback from participants. Create an evaluation form to hand out (and, if possible, collect) at the end of the event. To encourage participation, your evaluation form should be anonymous and short.

¢ Make reflections – Once your event is over, take time to reflect back on it. Also consider the entire planning process and the feedback provided on the evaluation forms. Reflecting back will help you improve the event for the next time.

Regardless of the type of event you’re planning, make sure it’s meaningful and celebrates your company in a uniquely positive way. This will make your event an affair that is truly a successful business bash!

Kate Smalley, Connecticut Secretary
Transcription Services
kms@connecticutsecretary.com
http://www.connecticutsecretary.com

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