How to Find the Right Speaker for Your Event

Another great read that Brent Taylor is mentioned in!

http://albertaventure.com/2012/03/talking-points/

Five Key Essentials to Meeting Management Success

Special Feature

Five key essentials to meeting management success Event management is a prestigious career choice. It is about more than party planning, creativity or decor. It encompasses project management, program design, measurement and evaluation, strategic development and so much more. Our industry is ready for talented individuals who understand this and want to achieve great things. Do you have what it takes? Read More >>

Article by Brent Taylor

Understanding Your Clients

In an industry like this you’re bound to have a variety of clients related to a variety of projects. The thing that we need to understand is just how different (or in some cases similar) each of our clients are. Once you fully understand your client it is a lot easier to cater to their needs/expectations.

For example, you may have one client who constantly needs to be updated and aware of what is going on. If you know this about your client be sure to send your self reminders to email/call them. This type of client is obviously going to want to hear from you regularly. Impress this client by contacting them before they have the opportunity to contact you.

Other clients might have more of a laid back attitude. Basically, the event is in your hands. It’s probably best not to bother these clients with every little question. When you do need an answer for something write it down on a list. If you compile a list of things that need to be answered you can then contact them once or twice instead of five times that day.

When it comes down to it every client will have their own comfortability. Its your job to figure out how they work and adapt! The more you cooperate with your clients and suit their needs, the smoother the job will be.

Have a great weekend!

Never Assume

I am starting to see just how bad it is to assume ... in any situation! Day to day life is one thing but it's a whole different ball game when it comes to events. When you assume you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Let me elaborate.

Last week we are calling to confirm the venue space we have booked for a particular event. We have a large number of guests (that is literally growing by the minute). We were not calling to only confirm but as well to see if we could obtain and even larger space. When we finally spoke to the venue manager not only could we not move to another space but we had been unknowingly bumped down to a SMALLER space. First of all how is this even going to work? We will for sure be way over capacity. Secondly, since when has it been okay to randomly change a booking on a customer and not even notify or ask them? Apparently we missed the memo. Can you even imagine how horrible that would have been showing up the day of the event and we don't even have enough space?

What have I learned from this? I think it is easy to tell. NEVER ASSUME! Also confirm with people as often as you need too. Its times like these that a paper trail truly comes in handy. Just so you all know luckily the issue was resolved. Anyway on a lighter note ... 17 days till Christmas!! ... to early?

Down to the Wire

I have had a recent realization this week. When it comes to Event Management you are literally working on an event till the last possible moment. What I mean by this is there is only so much you can have done beforehand. For example, there is an event we are currently working on which is taking place tomorrow. Name badges still have to be printed, among other things. The problem is there are still so many guests cancelling/registering that you can't exactly start printing yet (trying to save the environment here people!). Obviously we will print as many as we can right now but even so I am sure there will still be last minute attendees that need a name badge. There is really no way to get around it, is there? No wonder Event Managers work such erratic/long hours!

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends! No Thanksgiving feasts here but Arlene did buy us pizza… I love my job! Have an awesome weekend.

How to minimize your guestroom block attrition damages

How to minimize your guestroom block attrition damages

Click to read more, written by our very own Brent Taylor.

Reality Check

Today I thought I would write a blog about “reality checks”. The first one is weather related. If you live in Edmonton, Alberta you know that it snows ... a lot! However, it always seems as soon as the white stuff falls everyone forgets how to drive. I am reminded of this daily through rage-filled Facebook statuses.

Reality Check: If you live in Edmonton most likely you have had to drive in the winter before. Next year let’s seem less surprised that the driving conditions are not so favorable and remember you have done this before. This being said, I am probably one of those annoying drivers.

The following “reality checks” have all hit me during my second week at Timewise. Throughout the Event Management program we learned a lot about the day to day tasks of an Event Manager. Yes, we were warned it's stressful, it's busy, and it’s hectic. Somehow all the reminders and horror stories still never prepare you. The best way to truly understand an Event Managers day (like most things) is experience. I honestly commend the people I work with. Brent, Arlene, Brittney and Carla all have the ability to switch between tasks/events at the snap of a finger. This is a quality I hope to improve throughout my career.

Reality Check: Multitasking happens 24/7 in the Event world.

The last reality check is through a process I have become quiet familiar with, nametags. For Timewises’s last two events it has been my job to sort/organize all name tags. There are a variety of newly purchased nametags and ones we carry over from recent events. I try to pick out the "cream of the crop" (basically the nicest looking). While doing this it recently occurred to me how dirty nametags/lanyards can get. I mean some attendees are seriously carless with these things!

Reality Check: Food and nametags have some sort of mysterious magnetic pull?

Well that is my post for today. I hope you all enjoyed it. Have a great weekend and drive safe!