A Little Software Goes a Long Way

February 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Your event is one month away, and registrations are pouring in.  You need to order supplies, assign roommates, and process a large batch of credit card payments.  Could an event planning software system help you work more efficiently?   Here are a few things such software can do:

  1. Accept registration online
  2. Process payments
  3. Manage room and roommate assignments
  4. Track supplies and ordering
  5. Manage event budget
  6. Create surveys and reports
  7. Create personalized emails to event attendees
  8. Interface with social media

There are many companies who offer event planning software including:

This list is a place to start.  Before you look at any websites, or speak with their customer service representatives, make a list of your needs and challenges.  Think through what you do, and what you would like to start doing.  Then you can see if a specific event planning software is a good fit for your needs.  It’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything a software package can offer, only to discover that while it can do lots of things, it doesn’t actually help you do what you need to.

If you find yourself interested in a software package, move forward slowly.  Attend an information session, talk to current customers and try a free trial.  Several of the companies listed above offer informational sessions in cities all over the US on a rotating basis, or will send a representative to talk with you.  If you are still interested after receiving more information, ask for a list of people who are current customers.  When you call them up, ask them what they like, what they don’t like, if there was a large learning curve, and what challenges they met when switching over to the software.  Having a few ten minute conversations with current users is instructional and enlightening.  If you decide to move forward, insist on a trial period.  It’s imperative that you try the software out before committing to pay a year-long membership fee.  Don’t expect everything to go smoothly the first week, but commit to giving the software a real test of use and implementation.

Systems that centralize planning and reporting can be incredibly helpful, so do some research if you think you might benefit.  But be sure the software you choose meets your needs.  Do you use an event planning software?  Why did you chose it and how is it helping you?

Filed Under: Cost Saving Ideas, Marketing and Promotion, Meeting Set-Up Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Setting The Stage…

February 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Event planners often wear many hats. They may be interior decorator, graphic artist, chauffeur, and customer service representative within the span of a few hours. The interior design aspect of this job – preparing the stage and other meeting areas to be visually appealing, may or may not be an area of strength for you. Here are a few tips to help you grow.

Red Stage Curtain

  1. Learn something new. Take a floral design class at a community college, subscribe to a food magazine, tour other event facilities in your area. Designate a spiral binder or even a folder on your phone or computer and collect photos you think you could use later. A rush of new ideas can feed you for months.
  2. Something borrowed. When I was a newly graduated college student, working as a discipleship assistant in my church, we planned several retreats each year. Always on a rather tight budget. Once the food and location were paid for, we rarely had any money left for “frills” and this is when I learned the art of borrowing. I had close connections to a high school theater group, and they allowed us to use all sorts of props, from pillars to entire sets. As long as we picked them up and returned them in good working order they were ours for the taking. These added tasteful interest to stages and meeting rooms. We also borrowed plants, from a local garden center. We knew the owner and promised to replace anything we damaged. For one womenʼs retreat we borrowed thirty ferns and several large blooming plants. These gave the stage a lush appearance, and filled the room with a light but sweet scent.  We also placed a small couch, an end table and a lamp on the stage, taken right out of someoneʼs living room. Women couldnʼt stop commenting on the beauty and uniqueness of the stage and it hadnʼt cost us anything but a few man hours and some gas for the truck. What might you borrow to enhance your next event?
  3. Donʼt forget lights. Lighting can make or ruin a stage. Consider the difference between a candle-lit dinner, and one eaten under the harsh glare of a halogen bulb. What types of lighting do you have access to at the facility? Will you use different effects for different portions of the group meeting? Large groups of candles have become more popular in worship settings in the last ten years. They can add an air of intimacy and worship, but can also bring risks and sometimes the need for regulation. Check with the facility to see what their policies are on open flames.

Consider and plan lighting ahead of time so that it works with your goals. Creating an aesthetic atmosphere in your large group meetings that supports your goals takes planning and creativity. What can you do this week to invest in this area of your role as an event planner?

Filed Under: Cost Saving Ideas, Food and Beverage, Meeting Set-Up Tagged With: , , , , ,

Event Pooling And Event Sponsorship: Cut Investment Without Sacrificing Your Event!

January 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

One of the main considerations event planners face is cost. The revenue/versus cost question plays a huge role in planning and decision making. What if, at the end of this equation, you simply can’t handle the number; the budget just won’t allow for it this year.

Scissors

Consider event pooling. Event pooling is when two or more organizations join together to plan, staff and fund an event. Who in your circle of ministry or business acquaintances might have similar goals for an event in 2013? Does the church across town also plan a yearly men’s retreat? Would their goals, be in line with yours? Before you contact others regarding your event, be sure to have some specifics ready. “Would you be interested in joining our church in putting on a one night men’s retreat that focuses on integrity in the workplace?”, is much more likely to get an answer than “Want to put on a men’s retreat together?”. Decide if you are willing to take input on theme, planning and location, or if you are simply inviting others to attend your completely planned event. These are two very different scenarios.

Event sponsorship. Another option used to defray costs is event sponsorship. Is there a business in your area that would love the chance to be a premier sponsor and take on a large role in funding the event? If you were planning a men’s retreat, perhaps a local golf club would benefit from getting their name in front of 200 local men. What if you held your retreat at their club; this would provide a location for you gratis, as well as give them a chance to showcase their facility.  Decide ahead of time what you can offer a sponsor. Let them know how many people will be attending, if they will be given announcement time, booth space, etc, and what kind of financial commitment you will expect from them. Sometimes these discussions are better had over lunch, and be sure to lead with the opportunity, not the cost.

If staffing, planning time or financial resources are stopping you from committing to an event, consider whom you might invite to come alongside you before you scrap your event! Event pooling and sponsorship do take cooperation, but can create and foster new relationships within your community, as well as provide the resources you need.

Filed Under: Cost Saving Ideas Tagged With: , , , , ,

Christian Meeting Planning Resources – December Update

December 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here is what we’ve added in December by category

Marketing/Promotion

Site Selection

Retreats/Meetings

Meeting Planners

I hope you find these helpful and remember we have many more than might interest you  in the Meeting Planner Resources section of the blog.

 

Filed Under: Cost Saving Ideas, Post-Event Follow-up, Pre-Event Planning Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quick Holiday Tip

December 12, 2012 By 2 Comments

I was in Walmart yesterday, and came upon an entire section of gift baskets. And as I looked at the baskets full of specialty chocolates, lotions and soft socks– I thought of you dear reader! You and your event organizing self. This is a great time to buy a few gift baskets for your speaker, your volunteers, or your event attendees. Stock up, and then enjoy dipping into your “stash” later when your next event rolls around.

Gift baskets can also be used as prizes in competitions or games that occur during an event. At one event I attended participants were given a special bingo card as they entered. As they located different items on the card “the name of tonight’s speaker”, “the signature of one person from out of town” they slowly approached the goal of five diagonal or horizontal spaces filled. The first three guests to complete “bingo” were given a gift basket.

So, while you are doing some of your Christmas shopping, keep future events in mind and grab some gift baskets you will appreciate later!

Filed Under: Cost Saving Ideas, Pre-Event Planning Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Pros And Cons Of Virtual Meetings

December 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Organizations these days are becoming multinational; some are becoming multisite; and with better Internet capabilities, some are becoming multi-coffee-shop.

Having multiple sites has lead to meetings being conducted virtually.  And the best thing about that is the technology has caught up as well.

Why would you have a virtual meeting?

  1. Different locations.  The great part is you don’t have to leave that coffee shop to meet with your co-workers.
  2. Stay connected to co-workers.  Meetings can be painful; but, with all these locations, staying connected to the work that needs to be done is necessary.  Virtual meetings can solve that.
  3. Get more work done.  The inverse is true of the above point as well.  Virtual meetings make you stay on point which helps you stay focused on getting more work done.

While all of these points are nice, there are a couple of downsides to virtual meetings.

  1.  With a virtual meeting, attendees can get distracted.  This holds true with any meeting, but it’s easy to type an email or finish some blog reading during a virtual meeting because on camera it just looks like you’re “taking notes.”
  2. Lack of creative energy.  There is just something about a full team being all together in one room that spurs creativity.  The creativity generated in a virtual setting can be different than when you are seeing everybody face-to-face.

We’ve talked about pros and cons with virtual meetings.  Now, let’s talk about the technology that is available for these.  I love Apple, but their FaceTime app on any Mac only allows for a conversation with one person…and the other person has to have an Apple product.  If you have those two variables, I think it’s better than the other apps we’ll discuss.

Skype is great for big meetings.  It’s a trusted technology that is free (unless you’re calling internationally) and works across Mac and Windows platforms.

GoToMeeting.com is a very robust system and is great for larger groups.  The biggest difference between these and the apps listed above is that there is a cost.  But remember that old adage: you get what you pay for.

When your organization does virtual meetings, what do you use?  How has it worked for your team?

Filed Under: Christian Retreat Ideas, Cost Saving Ideas Tagged With: ,
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