Creating Memories Around the Holidays
One of the reasons I embarked on a career in event planning is my love of the memories I remember experiencing as a child around events. Events children attend often revolve around the holidays (what five year old goes to a movie premiere or sales kickoff?) so my earliest memories of events were the ones my Mom hosted regularly at our home around every holiday: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, the Fourth of July and birthdays. Now that my own son is a toddler and starting to engage in the holidays, I’m really enjoying starting traditions and creating experiences with him that I hope he carries into adulthood that way I have. Here are a few of my tips for creating lasting memories around the holidays, using Christmas as an example given the season.
Start Traditions
Holidays are a great time to start cherished traditions that you’ll look forward to all year. Consider a festive pre-Christmas event. For example, as a child, my family would always drive an hour away up to San Francisco to see a performance of The Nutcracker Ballet, then stay overnight and enjoy the lights and Christmas shopping of the City the next day. My husband and I now have a tradition of doing “caviar and gift-opening” then date night dinner the Saturday night before Christmas to give us a breather from holiday parties and the perfect opportunity to celebrate our love which is one of the greatest gifts.
Every Christmas Eve, my Mom had the tradition of letting my sister and I open one present, and it was always new pajamas! There was actually strategy to her gift because it guaranteed we would look cute for the Christmas photos and videos the next morning.
One of my own traditions is giving my husband and son a new glass-blown ornament each year that is related to something meaningful to them that year. This has helped grow our collection of tree decorations and is also so sentimental to unwrap each ornament and remember the years through the themes represented. For instance, the year I got pregnant with my son, I told my husband I had a bun in the oven, so he received a cinnamon bun ornament that year. I still smile with joy when I see that shiny glazed ornament remembering that happy time!
Make it Interactive
Come December, we find ourselves inundated with so many holiday party invitations. If you’re planning on hosting one, I recommend giving it a unique twist to help it stand out as more memorable than the rest. Consider how to you will entice people to attend your event, and once they’re there, hot you will engage your guests with more than just food and drinks.
One idea is to host a “tree decorating party”, inviting each guest to bring an ornament to add to your tree. Not only will it save you the time and money to decorate it, but it will give guests a meaningful way to contribute and engage with others, and share the reason why they brought a specific ornament to share.
Another friend of mine always hosts a Champagne party and encourages everyone to bring two bottles of (real) champagne to the party: One for everyone to open and drink there, and one to give as a gift to someone at the party.
My Mom would also always host a gingerbread house-making party for the neighborhood kids. Introducing nostalgia into adult-events is a great way to break down barriers, and encourage people to embrace their inner creative child. I’ll often leave crayons and paper, playdoh, silly putty, or other toys as place settings because it encourages people to figure out what to do with it and think outside the box while making conversation.
Anticipation and Sensory Cues:
Just like with corporate events, I like to encourage planners to focus not just on an event (or holiday) itself, but on the experience leading up to and following an event. Studies have shown that people tend to enjoy the build up leading up to a vacation more than the vacation itself because of anticipation. Similarly, you can use fun, memorable tactics to generate anticipation and excitement around your holiday event well in advance of the actual event.
As a child I loved the entire month of December, not just Christmas Day when we got to rip open our presents because my Mom built so many fun traditions into the preparation of the holiday. We would start by getting out all of the Christmas music CD’s (remember those?) and my father would always let us buy a new Christmas CD or two each year to add to the collection. This set the scene for us to then start decorating the inside of the home, baking cookies, setting up the tree, all with the cheery atmosphere created.
My Mom would always get us an advent calendar so we could count down the days until Christmas. There are so many creative advent calendars out there now - featuring gifts, chocolate, charms...you can go above and beyond for a loved one by making a custom advent calendar. Each window represents something meaningful to that person (can be photos, words, or even small trinkets). Etsy is filled with ideas for how to execute!
Even simple sensory cues can really ignite people’s memories. I like to brew a pot of mulled cider while people are in my home for a party or while decorating the tree to put everyone in a festive spirit.
Since reminiscing is such a fun part of making and reliving memories, ask your parents, grandparents ,and friends about their holiday customs growing up. Sharing stories, traditions, and values is the best gift to each other that doesn't cost a thing and might also inspire you.
I’d love to hear about your traditions - please drop me a line here!
How To Maximize Your Event Budget
If you find yourself over budget, you either need to find ways to supplement that budget (ticket sales, sponsorships, donations) or find ways to shave budget.
Can you imagine a world in which you didn’t have to take budget into consideration when planning events? It might seem like every planner’s heaven, but I truly feel it’s akin to giving creatives no direction.
People tend to work better when they have some constraints and budget is a great one!
I am a firm believer that everything’s negotiable. If you have a budget, state that budget to your vendor and see if they’re willing to work with you within your means.
Look For Economies Of Scale
When budgeting for corporate events, I try to look for economies of scale. This kind of bulk purchase greatly reduces cost, here are a few tactics I use often to shave costs off programs.
If you’re using a vendor like a caterer or production agency, see if they’ll cut 20% off their fees if you guarantee them multi-program or multi-year business.
If you need to order lanyards for badges, can you order a larger quantity that can be used for the entire year’s events rather than just ordering one at a time?
Can you see if your hotel or venue will do away with venue rental in exchange for a slightly higher F&B minimum?
Get Creative!
When planning my own events, I always keep budget in mind.
When hosting an open house type of party (holiday party, house warming, etc.), consider making a batch cocktail like sangria rather than purchasing cases of expensive wine. It’s festive, and will save you a ton of money!
Instead of hiring a florist, buy flowers from your local flower mart and arrange them yourself. I will often get as many flowers as I can in the same color and mix them in varying vases. It’s elegant, effective, and costs so much less than hiring a florist.
Rather than hiring an event photographer, see if you can get a Taskrabbit to come use your own camera and shoot photos at your party. It’ll not only keep you from having to stay on top of capturing pin-worthy moments, but it’ll only set you back a hundred bucks or so!
If There Is A Will, There Is A Way
I’ve worked with multimillion dollar budgets where I still have to trim and shave every last bit of fat off the project to come in within my allocation.
In general, if you find yourself over budget, you either need to find ways to supplement that budget (ticket sales, sponsorships, donations) or find ways to shave budget.
Know Your Audience
By putting yourself in your attendee’s shoes, you’ll not only be able to anticipate their needs, you’ll be able to strategically plan their journey through your event so they see / do and feel the things you want them to.
Would you ever plan a seated dinner for a 2 year old birthday party? What about a tea party for IT executives?
Sure, these are extreme examples that planners like you obviously would never consider, but I’m surprised at how often we forget to pause and get into the minds and hearts of the people who we’re planning for.
This makes the difference between connecting with your audience and missing the mark, wasting your precious planning time and budget.
What is a Target Audience?
A target audience is the demographic of people most likely to be interested in a your product, service, content, or event. If you work for a wedding planner and are hosting a promotional event to make your company’s flair known to the surrounding area, your target audience will likely be as simple as men and women in their late twenties and early thirties.
Below are some questions if you’re struggling to determine your target audience, or helping a client identify them:
What age is your target demographic?
What region are they from?
What are they passionate about?
There are many more questions, but these three apply to any demographic.
Plan their journey
When thinking through how you’re going to allocate space planning for your event, many of us immediately think tactics rather than strategy. We slot programming in where it fits our diagrams best, without pausing to consider the flow of how an attendee will move through the day.
When you begin by thinking through the attendee journey, you may do a bit more legwork upfront, but ultimately it will pay off because they will be drawn to the things you want them to see and do rather than passively navigating through the space and potentially missing specific areas you’ve planned.
Plan meals strategically so attendees have to walk through a demo or sponsor area you want them to see in order to get food
Consider lines - what spaces will end up having the most traffic - if there will be people waiting in line, what can you offer to capture their attention or offer them some delight while they’re captive?
Consider the arrival - how are attendees arriving at your event? Think through navigation issues that could occur if, say, there’ snot a clear ride-share drop off location, or if guests tend to get dropped off at the wrong entrance to your event.
Attendees show up when they want to show up:
One thing that always fascinates me is how different types of attendees tend to have specific qualities including how early or late they arrive at an event.
Our developer audiences tend to arrive hours before a keynote and will line up outside the venue waiting to get a prime seat. However, our corporate audiences tend to show up just 5 minutes before keynote starts. And I’ll never forget, when I used to plan EDU events, our teachers would arrive even before the published time on the agenda!
For the early birds who will line up outside your conference in droves, consider thinking ahead and investing in coffee and donut carts! Not only will you please these devoted fans of your brand, but it’s probably cheaper than serving the venue’s food and this will help your buffets from getting hit hard all at once when doors open.
When you know attendees tend to show up late, plan buffer time into your agenda, so you can let keynote start late and run a bit long without throwing off the rest of your day’s schedule. Also message that reserved seats will be released 15 minutes prior to the event to make sure people get there in time for you to fill your room or backfill any reserved sections.
If you know you’ll have guests who arrive before doors open, tell your caterer they need to be set a full hour early and/or have a clear location at your venue or off property to usher these early guests to wait until the appropriate time.
The Power Of Knowing Your Audience
By putting yourself in your attendee’s shoes, you’ll not only be able to anticipate their needs, you’ll be able to strategically plan their journey through your event so they see / do and feel the things you want them to.
It’s a win/win!
Expect The Unexpected.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as both an executive event producer and a mother of a toddler, it’s that you should learn to accept that the unexpected is likely to occur, and often at the worst possible time.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as both an executive event producer and a mother of a toddler, it’s that you should learn to accept that the unexpected is likely to occur, and often at the worst possible time.
For all of us who are running around trying to make everything work, here are a few tricks I’ve learned to be always be prepared for anything that comes my way!.
Take A Deep Breath And Change Your Attitude
I always dread waking up to a text from my nanny saying she’s been up all night with the flu and can’t come in that day. It means instead of my stress-busting morning run, I spend my first waking hours trying to cobble together a care plan between my Dad, sister, Mom, husband and me, shifting meetings and sending a team email that I’ll be working from home to “manage” the child care parade that day.
I used to fear this like nothing else, until I learned to reframe my mindset…now instead of stressing over missed meetings, I take it as a rare opportunity to get to spend a weekday with Jack, out and about at the park, away from my desk!
By reframing our attitude when disaster strikes, we are not only better equipped to process and handle the situation at hand, but people around us also respond in a more calm manner.
Pay Attention To The Words You Use
When producing events, I often swap out the word “challenge” for “opportunities for success” and find that it not only makes people smile, but also manifests the concept of a great solution even before one’s been found.
I’ll never forget one very high profile event - it was a high end reception to kick off the White House Correspondent’s Dinner weekend, and not only were many VIP guests and policy makers going to be in attendance, we also were partnering with HBO on the event bringing added pressure (and A list celebrities!)
My team, production agency and I were working around the clock and every weekend to pull off the event and two weeks before the event, I had a strange feeling that something was awry as I hadn’t received a single email from my agency. And then it hit…
Monday morning, I received an email that the production agency had been dissolved over the weekend, emails were deactivated, documents gone, budget vanished!
Nobody on my team had ever had this happen - who could have predicted this from one of our preferred agencies?
Be Proactive … There Is Always Something You Can Do
Rather than lose my cool, and before sharing anything with my stakeholders, I worked on a solution. I called the VP of another one of our most trusted production agencies and asked if her team could take on the other agency’s team as freelancers for the completion of the event so we wouldn’t lose all the work and knowledge the team had built.
After a really long day of negotiating, they agreed, and while we lost a day ramping the new team up in their new setting, we also gained additional resources from the new agency which helped make our event even better!
What more, some of those team members went on to be full time employees for the new agency, so I was able to continue partnering with them in the future. They were not only grateful, they went above and beyond to make sure the event was flawless.
So I challenge you…
The next time you arrive at the airport at 9am when your flight is actually 9pm (yes, this has happened to my husband and I once), will you complain, or make the most of an extra 12 hours you have free?
Expect the unexpected and you’ll live a less stressful life!
Planning a theme
Themes aren’t always needed for events. But if your event does warrant a theme, it’s important that it resonates with the kind folks you’re catering to.
Themes aren’t always needed for events. But if your event does warrant a theme, it’s important that it resonates with the kind folks you’re catering to.
Some events don’t require a theme, but have an inherent one.
For example, I’ve planned cybersecurity summits and political events that in and of themselves are the theme. Try to be clever about a theme without over-doing it. Here area few examples:
When you think cybersecurity, the last thing you want to do is instill fear in attendees.
They’re already terrified about hackers, so steer clear from icons like locks, bars, and other things that will make attendees want to close down
Instead, consider the opposite: what things instill comfort and security?
I selected a clear, open venue with lots of light rather than a dark conference center so attendees would feel different at my conference than standard dark security summits.
I’ve planned political debates, conventions and galas.
One thing that brings people together more than overt political themes, red/white/blue stripes and stars, is the people and place themselves.
If I had a debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I focused on the local flavors, bringing in elements of the city to my event and featuring local specialties and vendors.
When you have to come up with a theme
Other times, a theme isn’t as obvious and you as a planner are tasked with developing a theme. How do you create one that won’t feel cheesy or outdated? Here are a few ideas.
Consider seasons
They aren’t offensive, and you can use local, seasonal ingredients, florals and materials that will inspire memories in people.
Everyone can relate to a season, so if you’re hosting an event in the spring, play up the theme of rebirth and greenery. In the winter, focus on things that make people feel cozy and grateful since it’s a season of giving.
Go Retro
Similar to seasons, people love nostalgia. I find retro themes are often popular ways to get people to naturally reminisce and bond with each other.
Plus, it’s really fun to plan everything from the fonts on your signage to the food and beverages you’re serving around a certain era, be it the Gatsby 20’s, Madmen 50’s or hippie 60s. And there’s nothing like an 80’s cover band to get your guests on the dance floor!
Look At Current Events
Another great theme for an event, especially if you need to theme the content, is around whatever’s in the zeitgeist. Take cybersecurity, or women’s initiatives, or sustainability.
Execution:
Here are a few additional tips to execute on the above themes
If focusing on an important theme that’s in the zeitgeist like sustainability, make sure you talk the talk.
Source local, sustainably farmed foods and use local brewers and wineries for your catering.
Use compostables and even consider partnering with an eco-friendly or LEEd certified venue.
Take inspiration from the seasons when hosting a dinner party.
For fall dinners, I love using leaves, buckeyes, and other found organics like persimmons, squash and gourds to decorate.
I also use organics as place settings - etching people’s names into pumpkins or persimmons.
You can also serve your first course in a hollowed out pumpkin shell to make a beautiful, festive presentation on your table.
I once hosted a retro pool party-themed reception that was hugely popular.
We hired synchronized swimmers, planted pink flamingos around the pool, and left 60’s style sunglasses on the high boy tables for guests to wear.
No matter what you do, make sure your theme is on-point.
You’d never want a theme that could offend any of your attendees or one that promotes stereotypes. Have any great theme ideas you’ve used recently? I’d love to hear!
The Effect Of Food On Your Events
People can’t focus on anything else if their basis needs aren’t being met, which means the food at your event has a direct effect on people’s experience.
Food is part of mazlov’s basic needs. What does a the hierarchy of people’s needs have to do with your event? Everything!
People can’t focus on any of the other important details or content you’ve planned if their basis needs aren’t being met, which means the food at your event has a direct effect on people’s experience and ultimately your ROI!
What is the secret to great food for events?
When planning events, think carefully about what you want people feel. Is this event during a major meal time? Will people be walking around? Is there content while people are eating, or is the meal the main event?
Before you can start thinking about the actual food you will serve you need to think about the experience you want people to have.
Here are 3 questions I always ask before planning the food for an event:
Who are the people that will be at the event and what do they value in food?
What is the dining experience I want people to have?
What fun or surprising details can I add to the food to support theme of the event or inspire an emotion?
Real Life Examples
As a professional event planner for Google the types of events I plan can vary from a 30,000 person conference to an intimate dinner for high level executives.
Each event has to be tailored to the audience. Here are some examples of how I’ve used food to create a memorable event.
Press Event
Who are the people that will be at the event and do they value in food?
Journalists who possibly had a long commute early in the morning. They may have not had time for a healthy breakfast. I want them to have super healthy, high fiber energy food so they can get through the long day.
What is the experience I want people to have?
I want people to feel taken care of, and I want them to feel the way we cater to their basic needs is an extension of how our brand meets the needs of our customers.
It will be a busy day with journalists trying to eat between submitting their stories and interviewing people, so food and snacks should be available at all times, easy to eat while typing or talking, and high quality.
What fun or surprising details can I add to the food to support theme of the event?
A barista bar with steel cut oats and portable containers so guests can eat while they file their stories.
Bullet-proof coffee made to order offers up a high octane, sustainable and trendy beverage.
If the event is in a particular region (i.e. for a political debate), can you infuse the snacks with local specialties to give the press a sense of place and celebrate the local culture?
High End Dinner
Who are the people that will be at the event and do they value in food?
CEOs and high level executives value healthy ingredients but want a high end experience that they can’t get every day.
They care more about well-known chefs, and the presentation and service of the food in addition to the food itself.
What is the experience I want people to have?
An event that builds community and deepens relationships might warrant family-style service
A formal dinner before an awards ceremony might be best served plated on a very fixed time schedule.
Maybe part of the dinner is served seated and dessert is moved to another location (i.e. out on a terrace) where guests can network with other people since networking is an important aspect of these events.
What fun or surprising details can I add to the food to support theme of the event?
A special wine pairing in the theme of the event (i.e. for a movie premiere based in Australia I offered Australian wine tasting paired with regional cuisine).
Perhaps invite different celebrity chefs to prepare a different course of a 5 course meal. This worked well when I attended an event hosted by Nespresso for their top clients. each celebrity chef had to work a Nespresso flavor into a dish (Thomas Keller incorporated it into a lobster dish - who would guess to do that?!
Use high end ingredients and beautiful presentation to make sure the event is the luxury experience this audience is used to.
Personalization - the details that matter
How do you personalize the experience of your event? Get into the mind of your guests and what they want. Once you identify the experience you want to create you can use food and wine to create a memorable event!
When you think about an event, what are the details you usually remember? For most people it is the food and wine, or the relevant details because that is what makes people feel seen and taken care of .
So how do you personalize the experience of your event? Get into the mind of your guests and what they want. Once you identify the experience you want to create you can use food and wine to create a memorable event!
Never accept a Menu at Face Value
When you start your food planning for an event, never take a catering company or venue’s menu at face value. It’s easy to think you’re are stuck with what they’re offering but instead go to your vendor with the ideas you have in mind and lead with your vision for what the menu should be. In my experience, they are usually very happy to work with you to execute an idea that will turn your event from cookie cutter to a memorable, personalized event. I’ve had many a caterer end up adding things we ideated up together to their menu after our event because it was so innovative and successful!
Think Like Your Attendees
When planning an event, it’s easy to think about what you would want instead of getting into the minds of your demographic. My mom, an interior designer, taught me early on that she had to adjust her style and recommendations based on a particular client and I apply the same ethos to event planning.
If you associate comfort and pleasure with sweet baked goods and sugary beverages, you may be inclined to set up breaks for people that are sweet laden. Is that what your audience wants? For example is you’re hosting an event for tech execs from Facebook or Google, these executives care about local, sustainable foods and often have dietary restrictions. Instead of junk food, a a super foods bar is more likely to put them in their comfort zone and in the optimal mindset to take in the content and details you’re sharing with them at your event.
Ask questions!
Don’t know what your audience likes? Just ask. When I’m planning executive events I go to the assistants and ask what foods and wines each person likes and anything that absolutely dislike.
Offer Options
If you have audience segmentation, you may have groups who want different things; personalize the experience by providing options for everyone.
Examples Of Personalized Events
Google Capital Security Summit
Event Overview: As part of the event, we provided a high end c lunch for professionals and executives while presenting thought leadership cyber security.
Obstacle: Want a themed event but how do you do that with a dry topic like cyber security?
Personalized Experience: when thinking of cyber security, executives want to feel safe, so we created a beautiful lunch with greenery, outdoor, table settings and a healthy take on comfort foods like cauliflower mac and cheese.
A Real Life Example
Event Overview: At Google Cloud Next, we plan a cloud event industry for 30,000 attendees who attend keynote sessions where they hear from Google leadership about new products and roadmap, attend technical breakouts, trainings, and certifications, and have opportunities for demos, meetings, networking and social events.
Obstacle: we had 30,000 attendees who needed to eat lunch while trying to make it between breakout sessions, training, certification and meetings.
Personalized Experience: We provided over a dozen different lunch options for attendees in different styles, cuisines and locations. Yerba Buena Gardens had live music, with picnic blankets and comfy seating out in the lawn so attendees who wanted a break from the content could enjoy a festival-like atmosphere. We bought out the entire food court at the Metreon Theaters so attendees had access to eat at any of the restaurants ranging from Mexican to Thai to American Grill. We also provided pop-up hot dog and ice cream carts, food trucks, and grab and go lunch bags at all the hotel venues for folks in a rush on their way to a breakout session.
Setting A Goal For Your Social Event
Whether you are planning a major corporate event or a social dinner party, there is one question you need to ask yourself before you start planning: How do you want people to feel?
Whether you are planning a major corporate event or a social dinner party, there are three questions you need to ask yourself before you start planning:
What do you want people to Think? How do you want people to Feel? What do you want people to Do?
Set A Specific Goal
Even in social settings you have to get clear with yourself about what the goals are when you’re thinking about what to serve
Is your goal to show off new dishes because you’re a budding chef?
If so, put thought into the complexity of the dish. I once set a goal that I wanted to learn how to braise shortribs in wine. Once I perfected this skill, it was a perfect opportunity to prepare them for a New Years dinner party!Maybe your goal is you want to engage with people you haven’t seen in a while?
Come up with a menu you can put in the oven while guests arrive or make in advance then spend just 10 minutes to finish up. This way, you won’t be stuck behind a stove and can offer each guest a glass of wine and catch up with them. #superhost!
Prioritize Your Goals
Before planning an event, I always lead a prioritization exercise to get clear on the experience we want to create.
People usually want an event to accomplish a lot, but guests have so much competition for their attention and mind space, you can really only take away three things from an event. I know, I know, you want them to remember so much more, but trust me on this one!
Think about the last time someone asked you about an event. How did you describe it? How much detail? Most people are never going to say more than three things, so when I work with people or even when I’m planning my own events I list all the things I want people to think or feel.
After all those ideas are down on a list I can start to prioritize each one. Once I know the three most important things, I can start to put attention on those.
Questions To Ask Before Your dinner party
1. What do you want attendees to feel while here?
This helps you get into the mindset of your guests and reminds you of the reason why you’re hosting the dinner party! If you want them to feel loved, what are you doing to show them this while at your dinner?
2. What are two things you must have and two things you would like to have if time and budget permit?
This helps you prioritize where your focus should be before you allocate time and budget to all the ideas you have.
3. What is the most important part of the environment?
If it’s mood, think through your lighting, scent, music. If you want people to connect, think of your seating plan strategy.
4. How much effort, time, and money do you want to spend?
Paying a venue but means you don’t have to clean your house and they’ll handle the food so you can focus on other details like gift bags, music, speeches, etc.
5. What can you outsource?
Figure out how you can get help, because no matter how awesome you are - no one can do it all.
Want to capture photos at your social event? I started hiring task rabbit photographers to come to my events and take photos with my phone that way I make sure I capture everything without burdening your guests.
My mom has her housekeepers come to dinner parties so they can do the dishes and she can spend time socializing with her guests without worrying about the clean up between courses.
Pro Tips for Planning Women's Events
Women need events where they can access role models, support one another, and hear success stories specific to women.
"We are linked not ranked." - Gloria Steinem
Hosting women’s events helps companies retain female employees, acquire new talent, make new business connections, and increase female employee morale and career development.
Making Equality The New Normal
Women need events where they can access role models, support one another, and hear success stories specific to women. There are many things we can do to make events more women-friendly in addition to hosting women-focused conferences:
Consider setting a goal to have 50% speakers and 50% of your attendees be female
Consider the marketing and graphics you’re using on your event site. Is there good diversity and inclusion represented?
Consider offering travel grants or subsidized tickets to under-represented groups like women to encourage them to attend.
A great way to create a baseline of diversity within your event is by adding questions to your event registration form. Take into account cultural sensitives and labor law based on your the location of your event. Doing so will help you capture needed information.
How do you plan a women’s only event properly?
There is a lot of debate around whether women-only events perpetuate segregation or benefit females. Personally, I feel the offer a valuable experience for attendees to safely share and connect with others like them, make career connections, get inspired, and speak openly.
When planning women’s only events, you should consider whether you are making the event exclusive to women, or women-centric, allowing males allies to attend (and hopefully learn how to support women).
Ask yourself questions around what the goals of your event are which will help guide you to a decision. Some other best practices around hosting women’s events are listed below:
Add a mother’s room so that nursing mother’s can attend your conference.
Consider the hours of your conference and adjust them to accommodate pick up / drop off times for parents and/or offer childcare or a childcare stipend.
Offer pronoun stickers she/her, he/him, they/them, ze/hir, and blank field for people to self-identify.
Choose your colors and vendors mindfully
For a women leadership summit I planned, we were careful to select all women-owned businesses as our vendors and were also mindful not to lean into gendered stereotypes (like focusing on shopping, manicures, and pink/purple).
We featured women-owned businesses in a market place where we served up confections, coffee and healthy treats throughout the day.
Our production agency, videographer and photographer were all female and our female musicians even complimented us that we’d hired female sound technicians!
Without leaning into stereotypes, we featured content relevant to women like a VR experience that featured women in different industries including America Ferrera and other inspiring and diverse females.
We created networking activities like postcards featuring work by female artists that attendees could post around the room with inspiring messages, or mail to someone (postage and adorable mailbox provided by us)
Making Room At The Table For Everyone
In industries that skew heavily male, the male to female participant ratio is often unbalanced and the topics addressed can make women feel excluded from the conversation.
By tailoring an event to a group with shared experiences, attendees can discuss and gain advice without judgement – addressing challenges women face in their respective industries.
The Importance of Family Dinner
As a working mom, I am constantly thinking about the never ending to-do list of things that need to get done. When we think of planning events, it is easy to think about the big things but what about the daily events?
As a working mom, I am constantly thinking about the never ending to-do list of things that need to get done. Call the client back, do the laundry, get to the gym, quality time with my family … and the list goes on.
It’s easy to forget that our lives are a series of small events that happen every day. What is your daily non-negotiable routine? What about family dinner?
You’re Making Memories Every Day
When we think of planning events, it is easy to think about the big things - weddings, anniversaries, holidays, graduations - but what about the daily events?
When I look back on my childhood, my memories as a kid are of my mom or dad’s night routine. They would cook dinner every night and we all came together as a family.
Before you go thinking life was easier in the olden days, let me be clear that my mom ran her own interior design business and my dad was an executive at a tech startup - they were just as pressed for time as we are in this always connected age. The reason we were able to do this nightly ritual was because we chose to make that time together sacred.
Rituals And Routines
My parents instilled in us the value of home cooked meals with fresh ingredients, never served straight out of a box or a can. It wasn’t just the food I remember, it is the ritual. My parents would open a bottle of wine and play jazz while they were cooking; it became Pavlovian to me!
Nightly dinner was an experience of our life together, not just another chore to be done.
To this day when I get home that same ritual is sacred to me. As a busy mom with a corporate event planning job, my book writing business, and a toddler, I hope I am instilling in my son the same memories and lessons.
As soon as I walk in the door our wonderful nanny switched the music to the jazz and so the nightly routine begins as I begin chopping veggies and connecting with her about the day!
My Challenge To You
Make a list of your daily habits. Which ones spark excitement and which ones elicit dread? How could you make a routine to make that experience one you enjoy? What can you outsource to make more room for routines you love?
This is your life, let’s make it a memorable one!
The First Impression Matters
When you’re planning an event, it is often times the little details that set the stage for what is coming next.
When you’re planning an event, it is often times the little details that set the stage for what is coming next.
Yes things like the food and venue impact the experience, but so do smaller details like the first impression upon arrival, the music, the service experience, and so much more!
Hallowed First Ground
Hallowed First Ground is something I learned in a class about influence through storytelling that is 100% applicable in the event planning world. It is the first impression you get of something or someone that really sticks with you no matter what comes after.
When planning an event that first moment is often what shapes the experience your attendees are going to have. And often times it starts before the person even steps food in the venue.
How was the invite? Did it clearly set the tone for the type of experience you want to create?
What happens when guests first get to the event? Do you have a way to greet your guests in a fun and welcoming way?
Did you think about signage? Staff?
What about music? Is it silent and awkward when people walk in?
The first touch points of an event tell people what to expect and can either cause them to shut off or re-engage with the experience. What is the best way to do that? Do something creative to welcome your guests to the event!
We pay so much attention it whats inside, it’s easy to miss things like is there a welcome experience and even simply a person or sign to greet guests so they aren’t lost. It doesn’t matter how amazing your keynote speaker is if none of the guests can find their way to the keynote room and thus miss the session!
Setting Expectations
When you arrive at a five star hotel you expect to be greeted with a glass of champagne. When you go to an airbnb (for instance), that same level of services isn’t expected but imagine it as an opportunity to surprise and delight each guest if there’s a bottle of champagne waiting on arrival?
A Real Life Example
I planned a day event for a corporate offsite - for this event it was important to set the stage for what to expect from the day. The first thing to decide was the venue and initial touch points for the entrance.
We took over the beautiful Cavallo Point resort in Sausalito, California, to create an elevated experience for CXO’s that was grounded in the natural surroundings.
Upon entrance there was a bright, playful lemonade bar with all the fixings to make people feel refreshed and delighted when they arrived at the registration desk.
Nearby was also a cart of Champagne with butler service to create a high level, luxury experience for those guests more accustomed to that elevated experience (personalize by creating preferences for various attendee types!).
To create a fun, playful tone, a donut tree displaying freshly made donuts and cronuts gave guests a smile and a chance to taste the new hybrid pasty that was going viral at the time.
While these may seem like small details, most of these CEOs and CTOs are used to arriving at registration where they’re greeted with simply a name badge and maybe a bottle of water. By creating a thoughtful first impression for something as basic as badge pick-up, we were sending the message to attendees that they could relax, all their needs would be taken care of, and they were in for an experience like no other.
3 Ways To Cook Healthy Food
I know first hand that we have the power to choose to live whatever life we want. I for one want to choose one that is full of joy and abundance, not dread. So how do you want to tackle nightly dinner? As a chore or something you are excited to plan?
“What’s for dinner?” Oh the dread this one question can carry, but only if you let it. I know first hand that we have the power to choose to live whatever life we want. I for one want to choose one that is full of joy and abundance, not dread.
So how do you want to tackle nightly dinner? As a chore or something you are excited to prepare and enjoy?
What is a healthy meal?
Growing up my parents always cooked delicious meals but always nutrient dense. That means no foods with sugar, always whole wheat, fresh vegetables and healthy proteins, starches and plenty of olive oil.
Now as a mother myself, I embody the same cooking ethos. While I may serve certain foods for special occasions, nothing is off limits. Jack, our son, has been raised to eat that way and now he actually insists on tasting whatever veggie I’m chopping - broccoli, mushroom, carrots - he’ll even eat raw onion!
What toddler does that?!
With my husband working at a startup and me working as an executive event producer for a top brand, our days are jam-packed. Here are some tips I use to make dinner a time to connect without the overwhelm.
How to Make Healthy Taste Good
1. Buy Fresh, Organic, High Quality Produce
When you buy really great produce it actually tastes better. If you have access to garden fresh produce, even better! My Mom used to send me home from her house with bushels of fresh produce from her garden and I would use that as the basis for which I planned menus around. Have you ever noticed why a farmer’s market vegetable is so much sweeter and crunchier than store-bought? There really is something to eating foods that were only recently alive vs. those that have been in and out of trucks and warehouses for a few weeks.
2. Use High Quality Oils and Spices
High quality oils and seasoning bring out the natural flavors of food. AKA they make things taste really good. I use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and sesame oil and my all time favorite is pumpkin seed oil! It’s hard to find, but it takes nutty and is a rich green color! I use spice blends on veggies, fish and meats to inspire flavors from other regions. And by simply like letting veggies roast with really good oil, gourmet sea salt, fresh ground pepper and maybe some thyme or garlic, you’ll have a restaurant worthy dish once the oven caramelizes the flavors.
3. Prep Ahead Of Time
Think ahead! Chop the veggies during nap time (or ask your nanny to do the same), chop a huge batch all at once on the weekend that you can cook during the week so that you have less work to do at dinner time. And I like cooking food that can roast in the oven so dinner is cooking away for me while I’m giving my son his bath. By the time I finish reading him his books and tucking him in, dinner’s ready!
Should You Throw An Oscar's Party?
By setting a goal before you start planning an event, you can better prioritize your resources and end up more pleased with the results.
If you pull up Pinterest, the first thing you’ll see when you type in “Oscar’s” is “Oscar Party Ideas” and instantly your screen is full of square after perfect Pinterest square of clever, adorable, insta-worthy ideas.
If you feel overwhelmed, read this NOW before spending another minute or dime on preparations!
As a new Mom, I have found myself getting smarter as an event planner mainly because I simply don’t have the time and budget to do everything I used to for events. This has forced me to change my event planning MO to be goal-oriented.
The results? When you set a goal before you start planning an event, be it social or corporate, you not only are able to better prioritize your resources, but you end up more pleased with the results.
At the end of the day, events should serve a purpose, bring people together, and hopefully create memorable experiences that are worth the investment.
Most people I chat with who plan social events fail to start with a goal in mind. This is where my 10 years experience producing ROI-driven results for Google kicks in and helps me apply this lens towards every event or social function I plan, even if it’s just a casual dinner party.
For those who aren’t use to starting with goal setting, I’ll share some examples below:
1. You want to promote or sell a product:
Believe it or not, Oscar’s parties (like any event) can be a great medium for providing hands on exposure to a new product, so long as it makes sense and ties into the theme of the Oscars.
Have a new product to promote? A friend of mine is promoting a new jewelry line by having a pre-Oscar’s party on Saturday where people can purchase fun new costume jewelry in advance of Oscars parties where people often dress up as glam as possible.
Trying to sell your house? Host an open-house viewing party! People will get to know the home more intimately and envision what their life would be like if they were to purchase it.
2. You want to meet new people:
One of the best ways to meet new friends is through friends you already have. Consider attaching a rule to your invite: each guest must bring a +1 that the host doesn’t know. With new people at your event you’ll likely need some icebreakers or activities to break down barriers.
One fun adult event activity I love is blind wine tasting. Take it up a notch (and your budget down one) …
Ask people to bring: a bottle of champagne, prosecco, cava, or their favorite sparkling wine, covered in a paper bag.
Conduct blind tastings as a fun way to learn something new about your guests and their wine preferences that isn’t too personal.
3. You want to test out new recipes or open some special wine
If you’re a professional chef, or just a home cook, having a party is a great way to practice and perfect some fun crowd pleasing treats. One of my favorites is gourmet grilled cheese (think bluecheese melted with dried figs or buffalo chicken with spicy jack cheese and jalapenos). Or maybe you just need an excuse to try out champagne jello! My husband and I used to go to Napa every weekend and ended up collecting more bottles of wine than we could store in our wine fridge and back up fridge. Having a social event is a great opportunity to open special bottles and share them with friends. This way, you get to taste multiple bottles and get an idea of how they’re aging in your cellar.
4. You want an excuse to dress up
If you’re a new Mom like me, you don’t have as many opportunities to put on the red lipstick, sequins and long gloves that depict Old Hollywood Glam.
Social events like the Oscars (or burning man!) are a great way to play make-believe if only for a few hours. I sometimes ask people to dress up as their favorite celebrity, or their favorite Oscar winner of past Academy Awards and it’s always fun to guess who’s who. And you don’t need to shell out thousands to look red-carpet worthy.
Do what the Celebs do and borrow your couture! Rent the Runway is one great option when it comes to renting jewels and a gown but there are many other options. Bonus points for providing awards for the best dressed or the most close resemblance to a celebrity doppleganger.
5. You just want to have a friendly competition with friends or family
Americans thrive on competition. What’s better than having a few friends over so you have people to compete against when it comes to picking best picture and best actress? If all you’re craving is a little social interaction without too much effort, simply print out Oscar’s Bingo to use as the game.
No time to cook? Pull up the Postmates app and order up award-worthy food delivered straight to your house for free tomorrow!
Forgot the champagne? Postmates will deliver that too!
Need paper plates? You can also have a Postmates courier pick those up for you so you can spend those 30 extra minutes finishing your red carpet look.
For decor, don’t waste money on florals. Simply collect everything you have in your home that’s gold and use it to decorate your “screening room” (pro tip is clustering things of the same color together is an effective decorating tool!), and you don’t even have to cook.
Don’t Forget To Have Fun!
Take some pressure off yourself and hone into what’s most important to you and then focus on the important details to meet your goals. When you are focused, your guests will take note and actually have a more engaging and memorable experience because of it!
Do you have any really great Oscars Party stories or event tips? I’d love to hear from you!
Xx,
Gianna
Key Factors of a Successful Proposal
As event planners, we’re expected to write proposals at a relatively high frequency. Most vary from each other, but I’ve taken what I’ve learned along the way and improved my overall proposal strategy dramatically over the years.
As event planners, we’re expected to write proposals at a relatively high frequency. Most vary from each other, but I’ve taken what I’ve learned along the way and improved my overall proposal strategy dramatically over the years. This has culminated in my pitching to a number of fortune 500 companies for partnership on the launch of my book, The Art of Event Planning.
Last week I wrote a proposal for a potential collaboration with a company I’ve gotten to know well over the years. I sent my new contact all the information I knew she would need to make a decision. We’ve all dealt with potential clients or stakeholders who don’t follow up, but this meeting quickly materialized. Our conversation was a great one, and I felt thankful for the expertise past mentors had imparted. Now, I am sharing my strategy with you, and I hope you hone it to represent your own voice and move mountains!
Establish a level of understanding first
When we collaborate or pitch to new people, we try to ensure that they understand the role we will play in helping them create a goal-oriented event. However, I do think it’s easy to overlook how little a new client might know about the event planning process. Think about it this way, what seems obvious to us, most likely wasn’t fresh out of school.
Maybe the new prospective client assumes that they will sell a certain number of seats at their ticketed conference, at an exact price point, and this bolsters their budget. However, we understand that there are comps and discounts and affiliate codes to be shared, and these affect net numbers. These additional discounts must be accounted for, since the overall budget will likely be less afterwards.
If we can educate our clients on basic strategies in talks before the proposal hits their inbox, then we have already cleared up any foreseeable confusion and we can seal the deal in a prompt manner.
Differentiation
The CEO of Advanced Nanotechnology Solutions, Inc.Hector Ruiz, once said, “Fair and open competition is the only course we know that can lead to meaningful innovation.” This much is true, and studying competing agencies will only help you glean information on what’s working tech wise. While there is an abundant amount of tools at our disposal, knowing which ones to use to sustain a client’s strategy is key. In addition, whether you’re great at reducing budgets or very interested in engagement or have unique strategies for sharing messaging— I implore you to share your super strengths within your proposal. List them first and make sure to leave some points open ended so that you can talk to your client and provide supporting evidence, and avoid overwhelming them with the printed word.
Transparency is key
Finally, sometimes, our clients ask us for things to include in our scope that we don’t have practice with. It’s fine to say no, or ask more questions, or propose a different solution that your agency can handle. The truth is, there is a fair amount of risk in overpromising to a client. We must always air on the side of caution when we go about listing our services, when they are outside of our typical scope of work. Whether it’s a 30,000 person event you’re trying to win, or a fully integrated AI concierge service you’re trying to implement— always remember that your “yes’s” should be truthful. Take your time in answering, and if you realize you can’t accommodate their proposal, it’s okay! The great thing is, there is always a way: it just takes some brainstorming to get there.
Finally, I’d love to hear your tips for scribing winning proposals. Since I am learning everyday, I will continue to share. I hope you do too!