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Avoiding the 10 Worst Event Planning Mistakes
by Karen M. Pina

As leaders planning more events than we care to think on in one year, either we are too busy to plan effectively or we just simply do not think it falls into the scope of our role. If you have not had to plan an event yet, do not be surprised if you find out you are planning the next big event. To prepare for a successful event and avoid the 10 worst event planning mistakes, apply the tips in this article.

Mistake 1 Lofty Speaker Expectations

Your speaker may be very popular and have a glowing one-sheet with stellar qualifications, but s/he may not be right for your audience. Conduct thorough research and level your expectations to avoid disappointment. Typically, my approach is to expect nothing other than God being God in every situation. I prayerfully communicate His/my desires and then I stay open to His will. This helps keep me stay balanced and no longer focus on people, roles, titles, etc.

Mistake 2 Poor Communication

The latest thing in conferences and special events is to avoid letting conference attendees know who is speaking on which day of the event. Not sure of the logic surrounding this strategy, but it fosters poor communication and stifles the ability to plan accordingly. Avoid it like the plague with the following suggestions in mind:

- Business and Church Leaders when people register for the event, you capture information about them. Do something with the information besides printing out flimsy name tags.
- Distribute countdown communiqués leading up to the event.
- Recap the day with points to ponder version speaker highlights.
- Send complimentary information for out of area visitors (e.g. area demographics, nearby restaurants, local radio stations, peak hours of traffic, major points of interest, as well as a mini-map of the church/building of the event).

Never get so big you feel only God needs to know your every move. When you value people, you communicate with them and keep them in the loop of developing progress and changes in scheduling.

Mistake 3 Wrong Place, Wrong Person

Make sure you have the right people serving, greeting, ushering, selling products, etc. Keep Sister Frownie and Brother Sourpuss out of front and center positions. They may more appropriately serve behind the scenes making important calls, stuffing gift or lunch bags, or coordinating clean up. People who enjoy serving others make the best people for interacting and accommodating your guests. The best ushers and servers are those who are friendly, kind, and serve with genuine love. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are interrupting something or like an outside intruder attending a private special event. You walk away thinking, hmm...if you didn't want me here, why did you invite me?

Mistake 4 Host-itis

As the host of your event, engage and speak with those who have taken time out of their busy schedules and paid hefty fees to come to your special event. Make a special effort to go out of your way and speak to someone you do not know. Hey, take a few minutes to see how they are enjoying and benefiting from the conference. Most importantly, just get to know them and do not just engage and speak with leaders you already know.

Here is a suggestion to spark a conversation. Ask your guests if they are comfortable. There is nothing worse than sitting jam-packed in a small building in dead summer sweating bullets through your stockings, skirt, and well-pressed suit. When you know they are hot, you can crank up the air. Well, you know the scripture, you have no air because you did not ask if anyone was hot!

Seriously, this may appear to be a no brainer, but how many people have ever asked you if you are comfortable/uncomfortable with the temperature in the building? Better yet, how many hosts have ever personally spoken with you? Make the extra effort to connect with others. Who knows what you will find out.

Mistake 5 Not Ditching The Titles

This is not the time to be role driven. Be servant driven. If a guest asks for something, serve them as you would serve Jesus as a guest!

Mistake 6 Failing to Count up the Cost

When setting the price for your event, be sure to consider everything. For example, the price of food, handout materials, parking, etc. This will enable those who are attending to be fully prepared with how much money they will need. As the event planner, be careful to count your costs meticulously. You can certainly be left with a bag full of bills for which you a responsible to pay once everyone has gone back home.

Mistake 7 Underestimating Time

Look at how long it takes to magnificently plan a wedding. Planning an event is not as easy as slapping something together in a flash. It takes ample time to thoroughly plan a successful event. Give yourself the gift of planning and overestimate the amount of time you will need to pull all the details together. Our recommendation is no less than 1 year for a small to mid-size event.

Mistake 8 Can't See the Big Picture

Don't just wallow like a pig in every muddy detail, but look up and see the vision of your event, seminar, or conference. Be sure to write out measurable goals and objectives. Having clear goals, objectives, and a vision determines a successful event.

Mistake 9 Going It Alone

Exercise a team approach and enlist the help of an event planner, family, friends, and other professionals instead of biting off more than you may be able to chew. You may want to consider co-sponsoring an event with another business or an established ministry or charity. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in your event planning.

Mistake 10 Poor Promotion

Once you are clear on your vision, goals, and objectives, you can begin to spread the word about your event. There is nothing worse than planning a spectacular event to which no one or the wrong people show up. Be unique and memorable in how you spread the word. We are all bombarded with invitations to events, classes, and seminars. Stand out, be bold, and say the same things we hear all the time in a fresh, new way. You may consider hiring a designer for your website and invitations.

One of the joys of our leadership calling is the opportunity to positively influence others in our meetings, conferences, and special events. As a leader planning and organizing an event, you are providing a service. I encourage you to see it as a labor of love. Yes, hosting a conference is a lot of work. If you implement the above suggestions and avoid these mistakes, you should end up with an event that brings God glory and blesses all who attend.

Many leaders overlook nitty gritty project details or simply give them no thought. If you found this article helpful, you can experience more support by hiring me to identify where you are most vulnerable in planning your special events. I can coach you through the details of every phase, from the project start to the very end-project implementation. I also support you through prayer and by bringing an open, unbiased ear to listen to all the ebbs and flows of the project. I literally mean every ebb and flow...from scope creep to budget constraints. I can help. Call me now before you start planning your next special event.

For additional support around planning an event, go to http://www.godscoach.com/special_event_checklist.pdf.

Divinely wise,

Karen Pina
GOD's Coach

(c) 2006 Gifts Ordained by Direction/Karen M. Pina. All Rights Reserved.

Karen M. Pina is a leader s leader and a coach's coach. She trains and writes for visionaries, entrepreneurs, and coaches. She is the founder of Gifts Ordained by Direction (www.godscoach.com), a training and coaching practice that addresses everyday leadership issues. The teleclasses, workshops, and coaching sessions Karen offers are an extraordinary opportunity to change your life and enjoy every minute of it. Karen is the author of "Leadership FITness" (www.fit-leaders.com). You can get FIT physically, financially, and spiritually by picking up a copy of the book.

Join the many readers of Gem News, a thought-provoking, revolutionary, life changing e-zine, or partner with her for more support around what you have just read. Better yet, if you are the go-to person for "the truth" and are looking for a way to get others to walk their talk, allow Karen to mentor you to become a certified coach, who positively impacts the lives of others. Karen M. Pina may be contacted at http://www.godscoach.com or kpina@godscoach.com

Event Caterers Offer More than Just Food
by Amber Sell

When you hear the word  party, what is the one common element at every party that immediately pops into your head? For most of us, our immediate thought was food because we always expect food to be served, right?! If you ve ever attended a large event or party, you ve probably experienced a catering service first hand. Catering seems pretty straightforward and simple  food is cooked and served to the guests, right? Wrong! Event caterers offer a lot more than just food. You can now hire them to host just about the entire event. From the menus and food to the decorations and entertainment, they can do it all for you. So, whether you are celebrating a wedding, a birthday, or holding a company picnic or corporate meeting, hire an event caterer to take care of all the details so you can be relieved of any stress as the host and enjoy the celebrations along with everyone else. If you are responsible for an event coming up, let an event catering service take care of the following assignments.

The Menu

We all know that catering services are primarily hired to supply the food, but did you know that they can provide entire menus of food? This is an excellent service to use because select from a variety of foods to best suite the occasion you re celebrating. For instance, if you are holding a company picnic, you probably want foods that would reflect the relaxed setting, such as those found at a barbeque. On the other hand, if you are hosting a wedding dinner with a more sophisticated atmosphere, you may want to choose a classier menu featuring foods such as grilled salmon, tossed salads, and fine wines. Another benefit of this service is the flexibility it has of serving foods that are appropriate to the time of your event. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the right foods are sure to be served. This service is also pleasing to the guests because instead of being stuck with food they dislike, they can be sure to get a meal they personally enjoy.

Once you have chosen the kind of atmosphere you want the event to reflect, talk with your event caterer about the different choices of drinks, appetizers, main courses, and desserts that can be served. Now that the food is taken care of, sit back and let the caterer do the work for you. Besides, they know more than how to prepare food  they know how to make it beautiful.

The Presentation

Have you ever considered how you want the event to look and run? For instance, do you want your guests to serve themselves at self-serve buffets or food stations, or would you rather have waiters and waitresses caterer to them at their tables? Would you rather have your guests seated at round tables or long tables? Do you want to assign guests to specific seats or allow them choose as they come? Finally, what kind of tables, chairs, and place settings to you want to use  formal or informal? Catering services can provide you with any of these options. Just remember that your vision of the event is paramount to any caterer s  they are simply there to make your vision a reality.

The Decor

Decorations provided by caterers can vary from simply providing the table linens, place settings, and center pieces to providing much more elaborate decorations, such as extravagant lights, dance floors, waterfalls, fountains, plants, and artwork. Always be sure to find out what kind of decorations your catering service provides so you know beforehand that your needs will be met.

The Entertainment

Many event caterers can provide you with some great entertainment. And if they can t do it themselves, they are definitely capable of booking something fitting for your event. Some options include a DJ, a live band, or a single singer or instrumentalist. If music isn t what you re looking for, what about a live auction, a comedian, or even clowns? Your choices are only limited by your imagination. No matter what the event is, there is guaranteed to be some kind of entertainment that is suitable for the occasion.

For some great Event Caterers and Catering Services, please contact Executive Catering today.

Amber Sell may be contacted at or amber@10xmarketing.com

Dispel Thoughts of Meeting Mishaps with Hotel Event Planning
by Andrew Regan

Planning a meeting, corporate event or conference can be a trying task - particularly if you expect the event to be a large one. But before you despair over thoughts of potential meeting mishaps, remember that there is help at hand.

There are a number of comprehensive resources to which you can turn when planning a meeting or event - from extensive checklists to professional event planners. And whether you're a practiced corporate event planner or are about to embark on your first ever event-planning effort, it's always essential to make full use of these resources.

One of your most significant event planning resources will likely be the venue at which you choose to hold your event. That's because event venues are usually equipped with a range of internal event services and facilities, such as audio-visual technology and dedicated event staff. However, you'll likely still need to outsource various other services, such as transportation and accommodation (if the event requires travel) and possibly even catering services. In the end, all the outsourcing can amount to a lot more work than you had bargained for - meaning the organization of your event might face compromise.

However, certain types of venues, such as hotels, can offer a comprehensive set of event services through a single facility, meaning that your event planning package can encompass all of your meeting requirements. For instance, many hotels operate divisions that specialise in organizing hotel meetings and events, in addition to providing meeting facilities, catering and event staff, as well as guest accommodation - so you'll be covered in terms of both meeting services and event facilities.

Moreover, hotels can offer exclusive services which are personalised to ensure success for you and your event - so you can expect your event to run according to your company's unique needs and requirements. And finally, you'll find countless hotels that are ideally situated for business travel, whether that means being located in close proximity to the airport or having easy access to the city's business district.

So, whether you're planning a large corporate conference or a small company meeting, you'll have a number of essential factors to consider. Choosing to hold your meetings and events at a hotel will give you access to a wide range of meeting and events facilities, as well as tailored support to produce a successful event - meaning that no factor will be overlooked.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists travelling and rugby among his interests.

Andrew Regan may be contacted at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan

Elements for success in team building event planning
by Shane Williss

The responsibility of organising team building events is a huge task for anyone. Everything has to be planned and implemented with sheer precision. In addition to that, team building objectives would need to be incorporated into most activities. This is why the goal of the event must first be identified prior to the planning process.

Once that s done, it would be best to run a research on the various team building activities that will achieve the intended objectives of the organisation. Browsing through websites such as http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/ will give you with an idea on the type of activities you can run.

Your next step is to pick a venue that has the necessary facilities to run your team building activities. It may be a good idea to go through the list of locations approved by your corporation before you start making enquiries. This way, you won t waste any of your time considering venues that will not be accepted. You can also cross check with your colleagues for referrals, as they will possess first-hand experience on the service levels and facilities of the places that you are thinking about.

As a teambuilding event planner, one of your core responsibilities is to create a balance between meeting organisational objectives and boosting of employee morale. One of the ways to do this is to encourage interaction amongst participants, through the activities and games that will be implemented. Holistic participation would be your ultimate goal, which is why these games should be made appropriate for everyone.

Utilising activity evaluation models such as Kirkpatrick s Learning Model will help you decide if an activity is enjoyable, educational, and applicable while improving performance. Depending on the event objective, there will be many activity options for you to choose from, such as ice-breaker exercises, leadership and management activities and observation and awareness exercises.

Finally, it s good to make a last-minute list of the tasks that you need to sort out a few days before the event date. For instance, you may need to confirm the number of team building participants with the venue or resort and make a list of the equipment needed for the event. Ultimately, precision in all of these details would be essential for your success as an event organiser.

Shane Williss is an experienced team building event organiser at Chillisauce (http://www.chillisauce.co.uk), specialists in team building, corporate events and fully bonded tour operation in multiple locations all over the UK and around the world. Shane Williss may be contacted at http://www.chillisauce.co.uk

The Event Planning and Hospitality Industry are Becoming Environmental
by Shannon Kilkenny

Planning for the Environment  Changing the Way We do Business At any given moment there are thousands of business meetings and special events going on with millions of guests traveling to and from different locations throughout the world. The event and hospitality industry is perfectly situated to have an extraordinary environmental and ecological impact by planning events with better awareness and by greening up their decision making process. Green planning is a responsible way of doing business that includes energy conservation, minimizing consumption of natural resources, reducing waste, reusing resources, recycling, and using earth-friendly products. Green meetings and events are not main stream today but will be mandate before we know it. Times are evolving rapidly in that direction and event planners, venues, suppliers and participants are responding. They are beginning to follow ecological practices and implementing environmentally friendly processes and programs into the way they design their events. The more an event planner requests and ultimately hires green services, the more suppliers and vendors will begin to incorporate green practices as well. They will have to keep up with the times and the requests of their clients. These suggestions listed below are for you if you gather people for any reason what-so-ever! It doesn t matter what type of event you plan. Whether you are coordinating a special event, planning a corporate event, are part of the team planning conventions, involved in conference planning or business meetings and seminars. Maybe your are in charge of planning a company party, a sporting event, grand openings, a reception, a charity event or a fundraiser, or have volunteered to do your daughters wedding or son's school play or bake sale. You might be planning festivals, rock concerts, reunions, retreats, or book signing events. Or perhaps you are just having the family and friends over for a holiday get-together. The list is endless - thousand of events are being planned as you read this! ALL of them could use environmental practices. Listed below are a few simple choices you can make today as you plan your special event or corporate meeting that will make an immediate difference with little effort. Do just one or do them all. The more you integrate into your planning practices the easier they become. 10 Easy Steps to Put into Practice Today Here are ten simple steps that you can take right now to lessen the impact of any event: 1. Create Standards. Establish environmental standards in writing and get buy-in from your clients, the organization's management and/or your clientele. Share your standards with suppliers, vendors, speakers, and participants. 2. Use Technology. Use new media and electronic technology to cut down your paper needs. Create an informational web site, offer electronic registration and confirmation, and advertise using the web and use various forms of email. Create podcasts, webcasting, and video streaming to alleviate travel for and accommodate those who cannot travel. 3. Choose a Local Destination. Picking a local or close venue will reduce distances traveled by speakers and participants. Choose the host city that is the closest to participants locale. Choose a venue and hotel that are near the airport and within walking distance of each other or close to public transportation. 4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Ask your hotel or event venue to provide visible, accessible reduction, reuse, and recycling services for paper, metal, plastic, and glass. Also if food is involved in your event, ask them about their composting regime or give away programs. 5. Volume Up. Have the food and beverage provider serve sugar, salt, pepper, cream, and other condiments in bulk dispensers. Use volume serving verses individual packaging. If you are using hotel rooms, find a venue that does not use individual shampoo and lotion bottles rather large dispensers. Also one that that offers a linen reuse program. 6. Use Less. Be aware of what you use and how you use it whether it is food or product. When you order food or drinks for any occasion, try to order only what you will be using. And think about your give away items, are they really necessary. These are just a few areas where using less will help. 7. Eat Healthy and Locally. Plan meals using local, seasonal produce and free range meats. Include vegetarian meals and order only what you need. Also use local flora in your decorating and keep the flowers in pots verse cut so you can use them as gifts and prizes. 8. Use paper wisely. Published all printed materials on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks and print on both sides of the pages. 9. Save Energy. Coordinate with the event venue to ensure lights, audio visual equipment and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are empty. 10. Spread the News! Tell participants, speakers, and the media about your success. You will be surprised. Green efforts are contagious.

Some of these suggestions may seem obvious and they are, however, if you were to make the changes listed above, you would be way ahead of the game in becoming an environmental planner. The bigger event you produce the more these suggestions matter.

For more information on how you can become more environmental, the Chapter Planning for the Environment in my book, The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning. Visit my web site at www.successfuleventplanning.com to purchase the book.

Shannon, a long time event planner and writer, has combined her interests into several practical and useful books. Her next endeavor is to help the event planning industry become more environmentally aware of the choices they make. Shannon Kilkenny may be contacted at http://www.successfuleventplanning.com or eventresults@aol.com

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