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How to Get Attendees to Network (and Enjoy it)

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Regardless of if an event has an alternate intended purpose, any gathering of a group of people can present the opportunity for them to network.

Why is Networking Important?

Despite its sometimes dreadful connotation, the working world is fueled by networking. Personal connections can lead to meaningful business and career opportunities.

Additionally, attendees like to feel like they are getting something out of the event. Whether they’re taking time out of their work day or their weekend, knowing the event will serve a purpose motivates them to attend.

There are many reasons people attend an event, but more often than not, people attend to see and be seen. Knowing they will have the opportunity for invaluable face time with certain people can make the event worthwhile, and subsequently more enjoyable.

Making Time to Network

If time isn’t set aside for networking, attendees will naturally make their own time, potentially in the middle of your program. It’s important to understand your audience and their needs. If networking is necessary, incorporate it either before or after the programmatic portion of the event.

Atmosphere

provide seating for network opportunities

The event space shouldn’t be too big or too small. You don’t want the area to be so crowded that people can’t move or see a person on the other side of the room, and you don’t want the area to be so large that it creates an awkward cavern feeling. An ideal space will create an intimacy and warmth that helps initiate conversation.

The room layout can also help stimulate conversation with lounge areas and soft seating. Add drape or string curtain to give more structure to the lounge space.

Additional Elements for Fostering Good Opportunities to Network

The bare minimum for a networking event is a room and people. If we’re getting technical – it’s just people. However, there are plenty of additional elements that allow networking to be more enjoyable and even more productive for attendees.

  • Entertainment: A silent room can be awkward. Whether it’s piped in or live, music can give background noise that alleviates the silence and adjusts the mood in the room. With that being said, the music should be peppy, but not too loud that it overpowers the conversation. Sometimes music with lyrics can cause guests to lose focus. If an event is featuring a live band or form of entertainment, it is best to schedule networking times around the act to avoid distraction.
  • Activities: Activities can serve as icebreakers and conversation starters. Lighthearted and easy-to-start activities can be anything from an oversized game of chess to a virtual reality booth. Games or activities should be easy to start and stop. Activities can even serve a dual purpose as décor, such as a coloring wall or ice graffiti sculpture.
  • Technology: Tech elements can be used to enhance the cool factor of an event, and cool things = conversation starters. As a bonus, incorporating technology can also help track attendance and ROI. We used Swarmworks technology that matched attendees based on a set of pre-answered questions about their interests and experiences. Attendees were able to see their “match” on a digital projection map of the room.
  • Food & Beverage: Food and beverage elements allow guests to have something else to spark a conversation other than the weather. Wine or beer tastings, a rolling mixology cart, and spice making, are some easy-to-participate elements that can give guests something to talk about.

3 Things Often Overlooked in Catering Contracts for Your Corporate Event

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W3 Things Often Overlooked in Catering Contracts for Your Corporate EventCatering contracts: When planning or hosting a corporate event, the caterer can be the vendor that will make or break your event. You should never assume the caterer understands every aspect of your event. Each client they work with is different so it’s important to be very thorough in your conversations with the caterer. Before you sign the contract, there are a few things to keep in mind.

 

 

Attire

It is very important to make sure your caterer and their staff members dress appropriately for your specific event.

  • Is the corporate event a black tie gala where attendees will be in cocktail attire? If so, consider having the staff in black pants, white button down shirts and a bowtie.
  • Is your event featuring French Service? Perhaps the caterers should be in tails and gloves.
  • If the event is a daytime luncheon where business attire is appropriate, the caterers may be dressed in all black or maybe the event is a more casual one and jeans are appropriate.

Black Tie Gala Attire

3 Things Often Overlooked in Catering Contracts for Your Corporate Event

Photo Cred: Chefsmarket.wordpress.com

 

Corporate Luncheon Attire

3 Things Often Overlooked in Catering Contracts for Your Corporate Event

Photo Cred: Chefsmarket.wordpress.com

Set up time

Every event and venue is different. Don’t assume that the caterer’s average set-up time will work for your specific event. Ensure they arrive early enough to be set and ready by the time the doors to your event open. But also make sure they aren’t arriving so early that the food will be cold by the time it is being served.

A few questions to consider when discussing timing with the caterer are:

  • How extensive will the set-up be?
  • Are there several items that will take time to set in place?
  • Will you need to carry a lot of items into the venue?
  • How far will the caterers have to walk between the food tables and their vehicle?

Discuss in detail the amount of time it will take the caterer to set up and when you need to be completely ready.

Consumption

Catering contracts should clearly state if charges are based on consumption or a per-person price, whether you are serving alcohol, sodas or juices. In most cases, consumption is the most cost-effective way to go.

  • If you choose this route, it is extremely important to conduct an audit both before and after the event.
  • When your caterer arrives, you’ll need to count all beverages so you are aware of how many there were in the beginning. At the end of the event, count all unopened containers.
  • Subtracting the remaining amount from the beginning amount will give you a very accurate idea of the charge you should expect to see on your bill.

Again, a caterer can be the single most important piece of your event. Take time to read through the contract before you sign so you don’t overlook these important details..

8 Mistakes Planners Make When Booking Entertainment [BizBash]

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By Rose Curiel

Planners and producers weigh in on how everything from placing too much importance on a big headliner to choosing the wrong venue can negatively impact entertainment at an event.

A lot of work goes into successfully producing musical performances at events, which means there’s also a lot of room to commit mistakes. Whether it’s launching a music festival or hosting an intimate corporate event featuring talent, avoid these mistakes to secure acts without upsetting band members—or guests—along the way.

1. Ignoring the audience
While organizers may think they have excellent taste in music, event attendees might disagree. In fact, TCG Events’ Kim Atwell Martin says one of the biggest mistakes planners can make when booking talent is “selecting entertainers based on personal likes or dislikes versus the demographic of the event.”

Similarly, Adam Kahan, senior vice president of Empire Entertainment, which has produced more than 1,000 concerts, including performances for artists such as Diana Ross and Robin Thicke, suggests thoroughly researching the anticipated crowd.

“The most important information, I think, when it comes to booking musical acts for corporate events is the age range of the audience; it will tell you a lot about the type of music they will be into,” Kahan says.

2. Choosing the wrong venue
“A venue that has a lot of windows might have great sunlight and views, but glass, generally speaking, is difficult for sound,“ Kahan says. “The same goes for marble, actually. There are some really spectacular, beautiful spaces that just aren’t ideal for sound. Good production companies can work around that but it’s just not ideal.”

3. Breezing over the contract
What the event’s host and band expect from the same gig may differ greatly. “I would suggest putting anything very important in a written offer to the agent,” Kahan says. “Don’t just say, we’re offering $150,000 to Huey Lewis and the News to perform on the stage if you also know that you want Huey Lewis to do a meet and greet and hang out with a few V.I.P.s before the show.”

Martin Atwell adds: “Key elements of a contract should include cancellation policies, rider negotiations (if applicable), stage and production requirements or restrictions, travel and accommodations, set times, attire, sound check times, media—including social media—clauses, and rights to photography and videography.”

4. Disregarding up-and-coming acts
Bigger is not always better, especially if you’re on a budget and want to avoid diva-like behavior.

“Find someone who is recognizable but is on the verge of stardom; they are great value at low-cost, they typically are putting lots of effort into their shows, and their demands are usually low, making for a great working relationship,” says Atwell Martin. “Look out for them being a little rough around the edges—they may not have quite figured out what is and isn’t appropriate for the corporate or social event settings.”

Likewise, Aurelian Marketing Group’s Rehan Choudhry, who founded Las Vegas’s Life Is Beautiful festival in 2013—and attracted a crowd of 60,000 over a two-day period in the process—points out that a big headliner doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good fit.

“More often than not, when people are booking talent for an event, they typically want to get the biggest band they can get for the price they can pay,” Choudhry says. “People end up booking just based on the name and what ends up happening is that there’s a disconnect between the experience and what they’re trying to achieve or create.”

5. Bypassing music industry pros
So, when it comes to actually booking a band, who should you turn to?

“There’s protocol in the industry: when you book an act, you go to the exclusive booking agency,” Kahan says. “The booking agent will take your offer and bring it to the manager, and the manager will then discuss it with the artist.”

And once you’ve actually settled on a musical act, you want to make sure you tap an expert who understands how to deal with the band’s logistical demands.

“When it comes to the block and tackle production of the stage for musical talent, it’s really important that you have someone with a lot of experience,” Choudhry says. “Have a great producer, who knows how to produce shows with the type of talent you’re bringing in. You want to make sure that when the talent is on the ground that they have a flawless experience.”

6. Waiting until the last minute
The bigger the band, the sooner you should start taking action to book them.

“The ideal situation for A-list entertainers can be a one-year lead time,” Atwell Martin says. “Smaller acts are best secured within a three- to six-month window.”

7. Promoting an act as a surprise headliner
A surprise act can create buzz, but it can also generate problems.

“I think it’s a mistake when some clients have their headline talent be a surprise for attendees because I’ve seen at least one example of the audience starting a rampant rumor that it’s going to be one performer that everybody gets really excited about when, in fact, it’s somebody else,” Kahan says. “When the other person comes out, there’s a bit of an ‘oof’ moment, like a grenade. Also, if it’s a surprise it doesn’t give a lot of people in the audience a chance to listen to that artist’s music in advance, which you need to do if it’s a newer artist.”

8. Neglecting local restrictions
“Permits are always something to keep top of mind,” says Discovery Communications vice president of global events Jeff Kaplan, who recently planned the first FinFest in Hermosa Beach that included a concert with Jimmy Buffett. “Sound ordinances and curfews are always key in figuring out how long a set can go, and what other noise restrictions are allowed. Are there any load-in, load-out restrictions once the headliner equipment is set? How do other bands need to work around the stage? These are all things to consider when in the booking process.”

Read the original article in BizBash.

10 Tips for Hosting a Wildly Successful Event on a Tame Budget [Entrepreneur]

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By Cassie Brown

When you consider events, you might think “My business isn’t big enough to hold an event large enough to make a difference. Where am I going to find the budget?”

That is a mistake. Events, when done right, are a successful technique for marketing, engagement and networking. Bigger isn’t always better, even when you have the budget. What’s most important is spending your event budget on what will make the strongest impact conveying your message to the audience you need.

The need to track expenses under a microscope can inspire creativity that results in an event your attendees will remember for all the right reasons. At TCG Events, we re-invented a “ribbon cutting” at a biotech center where we had the ribbons fall from the ceiling on a grand scale with a kabuki drop. It incorporated an element of surprise the audience wasn’t expecting.

Here are my top 10 do’s and don’ts on how to spend your event budget to create maximum impact with minimum headaches.

1. Plan. Don’t treat events like an afterthought. Plan ahead. Budget for them. Be strategic about objectives. The event should have a business-driving purpose beyond “it’s nice to have a holiday party.”

2. Drinks. Don’t assume that a hosted bar, in which you pay a set amount per guest, is the best deal. In most cases, a consumption bar, in which you pay for what people actually drank, is a more cost effective option. On a hosted bar you are paying the same charge if a person drinks soft drinks all night or a string of Long Island Ice Teas.

3. Fees add up. Don’t forget to include all the additional fees into the budget. The fees in hotels are endless – chef fees, bartender fees, service fees in addition to charges for power, loading docks, security, etc. A good event planner can provide you with insights into which fees are negotiable.

4. Snail mail. Instead of an email invitation, design an invitation to stand out and spend the money to mail it.

5. Tunes. It used to be that a live band was the prestigious thing to have but DJs are hot again. A great DJ is more fun than an average band at half the price. Design a cool stage set for the DJ so they can make a great visual as well as keep the energy high.

6. Pay to play. Avoid major fines after the event is over by making sure you have music licensing in place up front, whether DJ or live music.

7. Linen on the table. Do use linens to the floor. Linens that touch the ground are more appealing to the eye. It is also an inexpensive way to add color to an event.

8. No swag. How many mugs, beer glasses and t-shirts do we really need? Instead of handing out party favors and swag at your corporate event, add an experiential aspect where people can get involved.

9. Less talking, more watching. Don’t have a guest speaker/talking head address the crowd from the front of the room. Instead, take those dollars and invest in create a compelling two-minute video featuring your employees and senior leaders. They’ll appreciate it!

10. Brevity. Don’t disregard the two-minute rule for videos. There are almost no exceptions to this. Videos should be less than three minutes.

There is a reason commercials are a minute or less. The most successful viral videos on YouTube are short. Shoot less b-roll and spend more time in the editing room. Make the most of this opportunity to brand your company!

Read the original article in Entrepreneur.com.

Where to Seek Hotel Savings [Successful Meetings]

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Hotels can be wonderful places to hold a meeting or event, as many are designed to meet every conceivable guest need and come with a bevy of resources and staff. However, as with any outside venue, thorough planning with an eye on costs is necessary. Knowing what to look for before you sign that contract, and knowing what is reasonable to ask for, can help put many concerns to rest — and leave you free to focus on running a fantastic meeting or event. Here are my recommended negotiation points to consider when booking a hotel meeting or event.

1. Event Room Rental Fee: Don’t always assume that you need to pay a rental fee. Many times this can be waived or adjusted with food-and-beverage minimums, as well the timing of the event.

2. Food: Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts. Always ask about available packages, and don’t forget to break these down to ensure that they haven’t just added each meal period together. If you are supplying your guests with a breakfast, re-plate your non-perishables and fruits for morning breaks, and serve the desserts from lunch at an afternoon break time.

3. Beverage (non-alcoholic): If you have an all-day meeting, don’t pay by beverage consumption, as you will be charged several times throughout the day for gallons of wasted coffee, decaf coffee, and hot water. Ask for an all-day beverage break, which will reduce your costs by one third.

4. Bar: There are generally two rates to choose from: hourly, and by consumption. Hourly is not advisable if 25 percent or more of your attendees do not drink alcoholic beverages. If your event has a large number of children, ensure that you are receiving a reduced rate for their non-alcoholic beverages (make sure the venue gives you an age cutoff).

5. Sleeping Rooms: If your dates are flexible, ask if there are any “need dates” promotions, as these can often result in lower room rates along with food, beverage, and A/V discounts.

6. Parking: Especially when the hotel is a city property, parking is a top concern. Ask for a reduced rate for all attendees.

7. Internet: For guest rooms, have the lowest bandwidth put into the rate. For meeting space, ask to have the fee waived; if the hotel is not willing to do that, then pay only a one-time fee rather than per day/per connection.

8. A/V: If the hotel permits the use of outside A/V companies, always make sure that there is no outside A/V company fee, or get it waived. Request that the in-house A/V provider bid on the event, while asking for a discount right up front.

9. Staffing: Many hotels, if you don’t request otherwise, will provide just one server per 100 guests at a bar, and one server per four tables for food service. We recommend you request a higher level of service: one server per 50 guests at a bar, and one server per table. No one likes to wait in line.

10. Amenities: No need for your guests to pay full price for hotel amenities. For example, try to negotiate group discounts at the hotel spa, or at the golf shop.

Read the original article in Successful Meetings.

 

Refresh an Annual Event Without an Increased Budget

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Refresh an Annual Event Without an Increased BudgetAttending an annual corporate event is standard practice for many professionals. Year after year, the experience becomes familiar and predictable, taking place at the same time each year, in the same venue, with the same sponsors, content, and presenters. BORING! But it doesn’t have to be this way.

With a little innovation, great planning, and some attention dedicated toward the re-marketing of the event, these annual events can generate plenty of enthusiasm for attendees, and deliver added value for sponsors and stakeholders. Here are some suggestions to keep your repeat corporate events from getting stale, without increasing your budget:

Pursue the New

The process of recreating and redefining a recurring event, particularly a conference, requires energy, creativity, research, and above all, a commitment to delivering something better than the previous year.

  • Even if the speakers are different from year to year, try altering the format of the day.
  • There are always new and exciting entertainers, different approaches, and improved ways of doing things. At one event we planned at TCG Events, we literally turned drink service on its head by having an aerialist serve champagne upside down!
  • Make sure you highlight what has changed to your guests or potential attendees in your invitation in bold print too.

Use Social Media

Be sure to use social media to promote (and if necessary, re-launch) your next annual corporate event.

  • Create a presence for your annual event on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn – wherever your potential guests and attendees will be looking for information – it’s an easy way to publicize your event to the audience, that won’t break the bank.
  • Encourage attendees to share the event with their contacts, and guests can comment about the event, creating even more exposure.

Ask for Feedback

One of your best sources for ideas on what to do, or what not to repeat, can come from the very audience you are hoping to reach.

  • Follow up on feedback from previous years is a great way to start.
  • Solicit new ideas from past or future participants. This keeps that momentum moving forward, and makes attendees feel more invested in the outcome.
  • Consider creating a round-table made up of conference stakeholders and brainstorm the future of your event together.

Annual corporate events shouldn’t have to get stale, and no one should have to settle for a re-run of last year’s event. With a little ingenuity and budget-conscious planning, your next annual event will be a wow and have attendees eagerly anticipating what’s to come next year!

Pecha Kucha: An Alternative to the boring PowerPoint

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Anyone who has attended a corporate event has experienced the grinding boredom of a seemingly endless PowerPoint. It’s an experience that has inspired a new way of presenting, a new kind of event: moving away from hour-long lecture-style presentations and toward an interactive, engaging atmosphere. The prime example: Pecha Kucha, which is Japanese for “the sound of conversation.”

Pecha Kucha is a simple presentation format, showing 20 images for 20 seconds each totaling 6 minutes 40 seconds. The images are presented without text, meaning the presenter must speak to each image instead of reading off the screen. The slides advance automatically, forcing the presenter to create a choreographed presentation that is concise – and ideally, compelling.

Creating Memorable Business Presentations

The reasons behind the success of Pecha Kucha are no mystery. According to a recent study from the National Training and Learning Institute, attendees retain only 5% of what is heard in lecture-style presentations. In contrast with traditional, long-form PowerPoint presentations, the Pecha Kucha length and style is much easier on the brain. Pecha Kucha creates a highly entertaining atmosphere and generates awareness to stimulate thought and action on the subject presented.

Pecha Kucha Nights started in Tokyo in 2003 and are now happening in more than 600 cities around the world. These informal and fun gatherings attract a diverse range of creative people as both attendees and presenters, from sculptors and musicians to chefs and architects, to event professionals.  The presentations tend to lean toward personal moments of enlightenment or important causes and are not always directly about a specific “work” related issue.

As you embark on your next round of business event planning, call or contact TCG Events. Our expert event planners can help you incorporate the fun, fresh concepts of Pecha Kucha!

The Top 10 Mistakes Companies Make with Events [Sucessful Meetings]

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By Matt Alderton

Even in the digital age, live events are pervasive, according to event planning firm TCG Events. Last year, it surveyed 300 executives and found that 84 percent work at companies that hold corporate events. Just because a majority of companies host events, however, doesn’t mean that they do a good job of it. For that reason, TCG CEO Cassie Brown has compiled her list of “The Top 10 Mistakes Your Company is (Probably) Making with Events”:

10. Not getting a music license.
“Your DJ isn’t taking care of this. And you’ll wind up paying a steep price,” Brown says.

9. Making your company event an afterthought.
“Not including it in the yearly budget, or even picking a specific date,” is a mistake according to Brown, who says “surprises at work, especially in accounting, are not so welcome.”

8. Not taking employees’ wants and needs into account.
“Events should be planned to the demographics of the employees,” Brown says. “For example, a company with mainly millennials should plan a different event than a company where the majority of employees are married with kids.”

7. Not taking an RSVP.
Again, Brown says, surprises in the workplace are a bad idea.

6. Interrupting family time and not inviting the family.
“An event attended grudgingly, rather than the positive morale builder it was meant to be,” is a failed event, Brown says.

5. Not making it cool enough to be on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
“Make the most of your event investment and turn it into a brand builder,” Brown advises.

4. Designing a half-hearted invitation.
“This tells your invitees, ‘I don’t expect this to be worth your time, feel free to make excuses,'” Brown says.

3. Serving a vegetable tray and cheese tray.
Brown has one word: “Boooooring.”

2. Scheduling a speech where the CEO or another executive rambles on, and on, and on.
“Nobody wins in this situation, not the speaker nor the attendees,” Brown says. “Design a compelling, fun, 2-minute video, instead. Your attendees and your executive team will thank you for it.”

1. Having the same party year after year.
“The most important, deadly mistake is annual repetition,” Brown concludes. “Events are an opportunity to bring your brand to life, whether for your employees, your investors, or your clients and prospects. You wouldn’t let your brand get stale — don’t make that mistake with your company events.”

Source: TCG Events

Read the original article in Successful Meetings.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year for Corporate Events [Sales & Marketing Management]

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Unless it all goes south.

It’s holiday event time for businesses, and as an early holiday present, Cassie Brown, Chief Experience Officer at TCG Events, shares the top five words you should hear from your event planner:

Vision: The right event planner asks you the right questions to create an event that accomplishes your company’s goals – so that it’s not just a generic “pretty” holiday party. What is your goal for this event? Who is your audience – employees only, or are you inviting clients and prospects as well? If this is an annual occasion, what did you do last year – what worked and what didn’t?

Timing: Your event planner should talk with you about the ideal timing for your holiday party. That might be January – traditionally a more relaxed time for employees. This is especially valuable if you’re hoping this event will encourage team bonding; your employees are likely to be less distracted, more able to focus on one another and the company. It’s also a cost-cutting move, as many vendors have more pricing flexibility in January. Another option: a lunch or weekday party, instead of weekends or evenings, so that more of your invitees might be able to join in the festivities.

Location: Have you traditionally rented an outside venue for your company’s holiday party? Consider holding the event at the CEO’s home. A home can provide a very intimate and welcoming setting and can demonstrate team commitment from the company’s leadership. Review the home options with an event planner; collaborate on your vision for the event and rely on their expertise to inform you of what’s possible.

Food (specifically, presentationand selections): No one wants to be stuck at a table all night with eight people they may or may not like. Your event planner should offer some creative options, including family-style serving, to encourage conversation. Food that’s an “experience” is a terrific way to make this year’s event stand out – TCG Events has created experiences ranging from make-your-own-dessert stations to champagne served by an upside-down aerialist. The end result: even more opportunities for networking and a higher overall energy level for the event.

Last but not least – Music! Are your licenses in place? Music played publicly is required to have permission from the songwriters/composers. Instead of having to call Mariah Carey every time “All I Want for Christmas is You” is played, BMI and ASCAP are music performing right organizations that manage the process and distribute royalties. While it takes no more than 10 minutes to fill out the required forms, it is an item overlooked by many companies holding events – at the holidays or any time of year – and the consequences are significant. For example, the ASCAP fine is a minimum of $750 per song plus attorney fees and court costs.

With Chief Experience Officer Cassie Brown, CSEP, at the helm, Charlotte-based TCG Events specializes in planning and executing corporate events that drive business for their clients.

Read the original article in Sales and Marketing Management.

How to Celebrate a Business Anniversary [Successful Meetings]

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Successful Meetings contributor Cassie Brown calls business anniversaries “the vanilla of the events season.” And yet, that doesn’t mean that planning an anniversary celebration is easy. In fact, it’s uniquely challenging, as planners must take great care to craft an event that feels merry, but not frivolous.

The solution, according to Brown, is to approach company celebrations as you would any other event: strategically.

“Realistically, you can’t spend company funds on an event just for the sake of celebration,” Brown says. “The event has to have a strategic business goal.”

The strategic reason for a business celebration might be to motivate the company’s employees, to create an opportunity for bonding with clients or to thank the community. Whatever the strategic objective, the key to success is using the event not as a soapbox or ego-booster, but as a business mechanism.

“People don’t want to attend an event that is all about the company history, which usually means a long, boring speech from the CEO,” Brown says. “Reinforce your brand, and acknowledge the past and future, in innovative ways. Utilize multimedia, staging, even food to make it an event to remember.”

By Mark Payne