tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61047051185069547762024-02-20T04:31:04.272-05:00The After PartyEvent Experts provides event planning, design and coordination services for corporate events and social celebrations. "The After Party" is a mix of information-sharing, behind-the-scenes happenings, random thoughts about our work and Q/A center. Here you can also brainstorm with us about fresh ideas and glean from our tips and observations all that happens both before and after the party!Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-45980170180195831652014-08-22T07:40:00.001-04:002018-07-08T16:06:55.841-04:00The B Word...Budget<!-- Facebook Badge START --><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A good event planner
will help you create and then stick to your budget. Now, you must be wondering,
how will they help me create a budget? I mean, before planning an event, a
person already has some idea of how much money they intend to spend. What they
often do not know is whether their budget is accurate for the type and style of
event that they would like to host.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
good event planner will advise you on ‘actual’ costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Event planners –
especially independent planners – know the industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They purchase catering, book entertainment,
block hotel rooms, and rent props all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just hearing your ideas will start their internal calculators! They can
easily tally the amount of money that you will need in order to get the type of
event you desire. Once you have a better approximation of the actual costs,
then a good event planner will help you find areas to save money or areas to
boost up spending in order to maximize the overall event experience for you and
your guests. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perhaps the defining
trait of a good event planner is that they will help you stick to your budget.
More often than not, without a good event planner, people exhaust their budget even
before the planning is done. Who wants that? Significant increases to the
budget only make it more difficult to enjoy your event because your focus
shifts from having a great time to concern over what the whole thing is
costing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good event planner can prevent that from happening.
They know the “traps”, those sensitive areas where people are most likely to
overspend, as well as the “tricks”, those clever tactics that ensure maximum value
for your dollar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An event planner will
use their knowledge and experience to create and help you stick to an optimized
budget.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One final thought about
budgets… A small budget does not necessarily mean a poorly managed or pitiful event.
If you enlist the services of a good event planner, they will help you realign your
expectations and maximize your budget in order to not only help you save money,
but also design a great event! <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ASK LaTonya….</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LaTonya, I always have a dollar amount in
mind when I want to plan an event, but it makes me uncomfortable telling my
event planner the budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not cheapskate
but when I look at pictures of other events, they all seem so expensive. I
worry that the money I have to spend will be too little to get what I
want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fear that my event planner will
look at me like “Have you lost your mind?!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do I get over these concerns?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LaTonya:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your budget need not be disclosed to everyone
but it is to your advantage to disclose it to your event planner. I assure you
that planning your event will be a happier experience for all involved when the
elephant in the room (your budget) is duly acknowledged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it makes things easier for you, then give
a range. You might say, “Ideally, I’d like to do this event for around $$ but,
no matter what, I cannot go over $$.” Or perhaps, “I’ve budgeted $$, but if we
find the perfect [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">insert your dream thing
here</i>] then, come hell or high water, I’ll find the additional money. It’s
just that important to me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, I tend
to stay away from “spend” language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer
to think of your budget as your event investment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, how much will you invest toward an event that
will be a wonderful, memorable experience for all?</span></div>
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<!-- Facebook Badge END -->Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-49893278473187065332014-08-04T11:05:00.003-04:002018-07-08T16:06:02.315-04:009 years later, the same words apply<!-- Facebook Badge START --><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Winston-Salem-NC/Event-Experts/62686488871" style="color: #3b5998; font-family: "lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_TOP" title="Event Experts">Event Experts</a><br />
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"Throughout the process, there's just a ton of stuff thrown at you, so it's easy to be overwhelmed," commented <span class="refName">LaTonya Richardson</span>, founder of <span class="refName">Event Experts</span>, a locally-based wedding and special event planning company."It is easy to get in over your head about it because everyone has an opinion from the time that you accept the proposal."<br />
Wedding planning doesn't always bring out the best in the betrothed, as <span class="refName">Richardson</span> has discovered."It
seems that they get so caught up in the machine of the party , what
shade of tablecloth, the type of the flower and the song selection or
whatever it is , and forget the true meaning of the celebration," she said. Reality shows have only added to the prevalence of "bridezillas" in recent years, <span class="refName">Richardson</span> says."I just find increasingly the threshold of what people are not able to tolerate gets higher and higher, and it shouldn't be.People
come with a certain expectation; a lot of the time, that expectation is
perfection, and that really isn't what you're buying because that can't
be sold," she stated."What you're getting when you hire an
event planner or other professional is a person who is dedicated to
making your vision work and who brings a certain amount of experience
and talent and, hopefully, reputation to the table, so that they can do
the best job for you, but we can't stop the rain, we can't prevent a
glass from falling, we can't make the deejay show up on time; I mean,
there's just a lot that can happen."<span class="refName">Richardson</span>, who was a law school student when event planning "found her" 16 years ago, knows a little something about the best laid plans, but she is a firm believer that attitudes play an integral role in the outcome of things."You
attract to your life the things that you give your energy and attention
and thought to , whether that's positive or negative is basically up to
you," she remarked. Much of the
brides' angst arises from unrealistic attitudes and the lack of a
concise vision with regard to planning their special day, says the
planner.She started a Web site, e-weddingcoach.com, to combat some of the pressure the women and their partners are likely to feel."I
think it's stress, but really where the stress comes from is not
knowing what you want.What I wanted to do was package a way that I could
walk them through the process," she commented."It's
basically just you having access to someone who can talk you through the
practicalities of planning your wedding and keep you focused and on
track and calm, so that you don't feel hurried and worried and
burdened."In addition to launching the site, <span class="refName">Richardson</span> has added a decidedly more hands-on option for her
potential clients, in the form of a workshop entitled, "Inspired
Wedding Coaching."The workshops will be held in Winston-Salem on three
consecutive Sundays, February 24 , March 9, and will focus on three
major components of wedding planning , creating the vision; beginning
the process; and a roundtable discussion with wedding professionals."I
think the planning has to be a lot more intentional.It really should be
coming up with your vision, making it true to who you are, making it
unique and incorporating the things that are important to you and your
fiancee and to your family, and then working your plan from there," <span class="refName">Richardson</span> remarked. [as printed in a news article by the Winston-Salem Chronicle]Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-58036169296187534222010-02-24T14:20:00.000-05:002018-07-08T16:06:14.195-04:00Scene & Heard - Catching Up:Luncheon brings people together to celebrate the value of friendship<a href="http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/feb/23/230005/catching-up/c_1/">Scene & Heard - Catching Up:Luncheon brings people together to celebrate the value of friendship</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/" style="color: #3b5998; font-family: "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_TOP" title="Make your own badge!">Promote Your Page Too</a>Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-15897746184575189802009-06-24T15:50:00.002-04:002009-06-24T16:03:28.153-04:00Times are changing and clients are tooOnce upon a time, we lost a few long-standing client events. During phone calls, I discovered that our contact person with these companies had either been promoted, retired or changed jobs. Polling the new contact people, I discovered that, while some were aware of our past event work, they'd opted instead to try 'something different'. Pointing out the features and benefits of our services didn't change their minds. For the newbies who hadn't heard of our work, I discovered that our past contact person failed to leave behind information. Afterall, when some folks leave a job, that's it! They may remove any semblance of information that might be beneficial to their predecessor or else leave such a mess that their predecessor has to throw it all out in order to start afresh. In either case, what I learned is that our name and professional reputation will not survive every personnel shift. Moreover, even those relationships that had begun to feel personal after years of working together, may not motivate a client to draft one final memo on their way out of the door, "This is a gentle reminder to please call Event Experts. They've done marvelous work for us over the years and we value our professional relationship with the owner". That's simply a dream. As June 30th approaches and the fiscal year comes to a close for a number of our client companies, exciting announcements are filling the INBOX. On the one hand, it's a time of happiness and celebration as some of dear clients move up the ranks or trade it all in for days of leisure. On the other hand, it's an ambiguous time. How will these changes affect our business? The opportunity to try something different is up for grabs. Folks are embracing change this week - fresh faces, new responsibilities, the end of a season and the start of a new (fiscal) year. We'll continue to take excellent care of those who keep us on board, and we hope that many will. Evenso, we've got outstretched arms to welcome the newbies, for whom Event Experts <em>is</em> 'something different'!Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-55068395499158317602009-05-05T10:23:00.003-04:002009-05-05T10:30:14.671-04:00Win-win benefits - 5K racesIf I were organizing a 5K, I'd offer chair massages at the Finish Line. Runners could have the option of a lower back massage or a leg massage. This is the sort of add-on that wins people over! Having just run a 5K on Saturday, I can tell you first hand that I'd have paid good money for an on-the-spot deep-tissue leg massage. Another profit point for the organizers and a feel good for the runner. That's a win-win!<br /><br />How to do this? Start by calling the area massage schools. Perhaps they will send out students who can get 'experience credit' while also doing a good deed. Next, try the massage mills. The big box parlors that are springing up everywhere. Perhaps their massueses' will give time in exchange for the publicity and exposure.Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-78994282481667601232009-05-05T10:05:00.002-04:002009-05-05T10:23:27.311-04:00Bake SalesStanding in line at the Bake Sale last Friday evening, I was on the prowl for the perfect looking homemade chocolate chip cookie. Ziplock bags lined the tables - single serve baggies of cookies for $.50 each. Some had 2 cookies, others 3, but I quickly remembered "quality over quantity". Some were too toasty brown on the bottom, others had too few visible chocolate chips. The perfect cookies are totally symmetrical. They must have a 'homemade' look - a gentle lumpiness, a sloppy round shape. Hmmm...how long did I really stand there thinking about all of this? Minutes, literally. I finally settled on a bag. Retreated to a corner and broke off a piece of cookie. It was good! I chose well. Silly to think that I could have a little taste to check the quality but save the rest for later. I ate all three - before I even knew it. When it was time to go, I stopped again by the bake sale table. Same strategy. I chose a 2-cookie bag this time. Couldn't get the same ones as before because they were all gone. Broke off a little piece and 'thwuuu'....not good. Lack of sugar. Too dry. <br />Moral of the story - you can't judge a chocolate chip cookie by it's appearance.<br /><br />You're buying on faith at a bake sale-with the sincere hope that you've picked out the best of the bunch. It would be lovely if the cashiers could give you a heads up on what's good the way a waitress might do in a restaurant. Another lovely option is to arrange the items by best taste or put up a little sign pointing out which items are the good ones. It's all just gamble, as it is.Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-41480456408163184412009-04-23T22:31:00.002-04:002009-04-23T22:51:25.381-04:00Note cardsBright ideas:<br />(1) Grant a wish. Arrange a large vase of tree branches into a centerpiece. On a note card, write a heartfelt good wish on one side Tie the note card to a ribbon and hang it on your tree. Repeat for as many guests as you anticipate. As guests leave, grant them a wish from the tree. They may take it and perhaps hang it in their own home or pay it forward.<br />(2)Use a slightly larger than normal sized place card for your dinner guests. In addition to writing their name on the card, write a blurb about the difference each person makes in your life. Here's an example: Constance... Thanks for making me laugh even when I don't feel like I can. Or, Dad... Thanks for constantly reminding me of how pretty I am.<br />(3) Create your own thank you cards. Or buy them. Either way, stick them in your purse or wallet and hand them on the spot at times when you'd like to express appreciation to someone. It's such an unexpected gesture that the recipient will be delighted. You're going to feel pretty special too, once you realize the frequency with which people deserve your thanks. Happens all the time, but we often overlook it.<br />(4) Send a hand-written note. It's always a meaningful, personal touch. National Postcard week is May 4-10.<br />HOWEVER, for your casual parties, scrap the paper and use green etiquette:<br />Cut waste and save money by sending online invitations. Most online options will even manage your guest list, track RSVPs and send reminders - FREE.Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-67614360750080775272009-04-23T21:48:00.002-04:002009-04-23T22:29:06.443-04:00Year of the House PartyWe've proclaimed 2009 Year of the House Party. Facility rental rates can average 25% of more of your event budget. While it's possible to negotiate very low rates owing to the economy, there's still no escaping the fact that hosting your party at home may be even more cost-efficient. Remember to consider not only the facility rental rate, but the add-on items too.<br />Obviously this won't work for large parties, where parking is an issue or when noise levels may disrupt neighbors (unless you invite them too!), but for smaller cocktail parties, we can easily roll back the calendar and party at home just as we did in the late '80's-early '90's.<br />$500 for a banquet room could be applied to cleaning and decorating your own garage, basement or yard. What's more is that these are benefits that you can enjoy long after the party ends. Fresh plants are inexpensive and make excellent space fillers. Drape your curtains to create cozy vignettes small groups can huddle and mingle. Prepare your signature appetizer and have the rest catered. Hire a DJ if you expect people to dance. We say this knowing full well that you're tempted to break out the iPod. There's no replacement for a professional who can read the crowd and play the music that'll keep them moving. You're iPod is good, but can you guarantee that it'll entertain the majority? Have one show piece. It might be the decorations. It might be a killer cocktail. It might be a fun activity. Whatever it is, let there be no doubt that though you've saved on the cost of a room, you put your heart into everything else.<br />A few closing tips, based on our experiences with house parties: (1) Beware women with worn heels if you have wood floors. (2) Close off, maybe even lock, rooms where guests have no business going. (3) Hire a bartender. S/he will monitor consumption and behavior. (4) Make peace, in advance, with the reality that something is bound to get broken.Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104705118506954776.post-56108875927251638582009-04-23T21:21:00.000-04:002009-04-23T21:33:33.179-04:00WelcomeThis is my first of many blog posts. I'm excited to tell you about our events and the many unique experiences related to each of them. You can bet that I'll also use this forum to unload my event dilemmas as well as to beg your creative input when I'm stuck. This is also where I'll throw out random good ideas, tips and observations - all related to events.Event Expertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08269182811359013377noreply@blogger.com0