TOOL TIME - Tightening Up Your Facebook Business Page

-By Liese Gardner

Home renovation has taught me new found respect for tools. In college I’d reach for a butter knife to tighten a screw. Today I have a wall of screwdrivers and wrenches, each with its own specific function. Projects now are completed with a higher degree of ease and success.

In marketing, there are also many tools available to us with which to build a solid foundation of client trust, loyalty, engagement and interest. But how we use them is just as important as choosing which ones to use for our market and our message. It's a safe bet that Facebook is already one of those tools in your "garage" given that it now has 1.1 billion users and approximately 70% of the site's monthly active users in North America connect to a local business through it. (Source: Mashable)

Yet just having a Facebook business page and posting on it without a strategy and goal is like going to Home Depot and choosing a metric wrench then realizing your entire project is in inches. The two look similar, but in the end, it just won’t work.

Squandered Opportunities

The goal of marketing, generally speaking, is to increase exposure and get business. With Facebook, as with any other marketing tool, you only have one chance to take advantage of an offline connection when a client, or the media, comes calling. This is where mindful strategy and total follow-through are required yet aren’t always employed. In the following story, see if you can spot how many opportunities were squandered.

A reporter friend was looking for material for a national magazine article. It’s true what you may have heard -- media does look to Facebook for stories, and she found some great event shots on a Facebook business page. She immediately left a message on the page with all her information. With no response the following day and being on deadline, she called the phone number listed on the page. It turned out to be a wrong number, and there was no web site listed on the page. She used Google to find the web site and correct phone number.

Finally, she connected to someone at the company, but this person didn’t know about the Facebook post, or that event. She didn’t even know who at the company did their Facebook posts. Could the reporter call back when the owner would be in? The reporter left her number instead as she’d already tried harder to get in touch with these people more than ANY potential customer would. In the end she never connected to anyone at the company, and an opportunity to amplify their Facebook message and extend their story to 30,000 potential customers in the magazine was lost.

If you are cringing right now, you understand how many actionable opportunities this company missed and how easy a different outcome would have been. Not only could the company have simply taken the time to complete its profile page correctly, but it also needed to realize that the phone and the person answering it are keys to completing the equation. 

Certainly Facebook is a crowded marketplace, but with 42% of marketers in 2012 reporting that it is important to their business, (source: State of Inbound Marketing 2012) you can’t afford to not take it seriously. Odds are fairly high that your competition is there which is why it’s so important to use Facebook marketing correctly, engage in meaningful dialogue with your audience and make sure that your efforts stand out from the crowd.

  

 A Quick Look at Three Tools for Sharpening Your Facebook Page

•  Cover Photos

As you can see above with the Trust Me page, the striking cover photo “shows” what the company is about with visuals that align with what you can expect to see on its Facebook page, and its web site. Additionally, when creating your cover photo, make sure you know and follow the most current Facebook Guidelines for cover photos.

• Tabs / Apps

Facebook pages come with four standard apps (or tabs): Photos, Likes, Events and Videos. Other third-party apps enable you to add custom graphics for promotions, contests and more as Social Media Examiner has. Some apps to check out are North Social (www.northsocial.com) and Heyo (www.heyo.com). 

• Promoted Posts

Facebook has said that there are more than 2 billion connections between users and local businesses a day. Facebook Pages garner 645 million views and 13 million comments weekly. Yet, according to Facebook, the content on a Brand Page is only seen by 16% of the Page's fans. The company launched Promoted Posts in June 2012 so businesses could pay to reach more than this 16%.

 

Takeaways to Fuel Your Facebook Efforts

• You only have ONE chance to connect when opportunity calls;

• Write out your end goals for the social media that is right for your market and message and share them with your entire team;

• Determine the actions you want to create (call you, join a contest, comment), apply it consistently to your Page, and educate and empower team members to monitor and/or act on them;

• Finally, don’t forget that the phone is still your most important social media tool!

 

Liese Gardner is a marketing expert working with top brands and individuals in the special events industry since 1984. Her company, Mecca Communications, has conceived and executed many creative, successful campaigns incorporating personalized branding, social media, community outreach, media interface, video marketing, web and blog design, and content curation. Personally, Liese enjoys fueling small businesses with stories of inspiring people who make it happen on her blog, Fuel:Passions That Drive Us.

Maximizing Event Food & Beverage

-By Joann Roth-Oseary

During my 33 years in the event business, I've always approached food & beverage as a critical asset of the final product. At Someone's In The Kitchen (SITK), we maintain that we are only as good as the job we did yesterday. That requires a high level of commitment to each and every event that we do, be it a dinner party for 10 or an event for 1,000. It means maintaining a high level of quality regarding food & beverage. We can never rest on our laurels. That's why we're still around.

I don't tell you any of this to brag about our quality or service. I am sharing how we approach food & beverage and integrate it into any and all events. I always ask myself five critical questions.

• Who
• What
• Why
• Where and
• When

With the answers, SITK is able to ascertain how we will create a special event for a particular group or audience. Never let them tell you that "It's not about the food!"

Here's the Key. People remember good food as part of their overall experience.

Trust me, when they feel they have to find a restaurant after the event because the food was unsatisfactory, it will reverberate substantially on any future business you might hope to have with the client.

Themetic Food & Beverage Ideas

Let's take it further and examine how food & beverage can enhance a theme.

Moulin Rouge Theme - Take guests from the point of entry with a mime and then whisk them past a Moulin Rouge windmill. Greet them with a gorgeous model in a champagne hoop skirt, wait staff attired as Can-Can girls and French maids and waiters clad in striped shirts and berets.

Themed Food

• Passed hors d'oeuvres to include duck and polenta in a tiny spoon and pomegranate glazed chicken.
• Porcelain "lion head" mini pots of delicious French onion soup with tiny croutons start the meal, accompanied by field green salad with warm goat cheese croustade and roasted cherry vinaigrette.
• Entree choices include roasted halibut and sea bass with bouillabaisse-style sauce and roasted root vegetables, including carrots and cippolini onions with a toasted baguette.
• Another entree choice? Tournedos Rossini with Chanterelle and wine sauce.
• For vegetarian guests, offer mushroom, leek and vegetable galette, crispy potato pave and baby carrot and snap pea bundles.

• Dessert: Jaconde Imprime with strawberry mousse and almond cake, with chocolate Eiffel  Towers.

The entire experience is enhanced by building the food & beverage into the theme. Black garter belts serve as napkin rings. Guests take home red satin bustier bags with sparkling "lips" lollipops tied with ribbon!

A Night Made in Heaven - Sometimes it is not the food but the presentation!

• Guests stroll down a walkway engulfed in billows of clouds, serenaded by an angel playing a golden harp.
• The mist clears as angels open the pearly gates to the terrace of a heavenly mansion.
• Cocktail tables are dressed in soft blue linen adorned with ornate sculptures resting on a cloud-white floral. Guests sip Angel-tinis, Cloudy Cosmos and Star-Gazers served at a white bar by angel bartenders.
• Scrumptious appetizers are passed on clear trays adorned with crystals on soft clouds.
• The angel theme is carried throughout with sprawling tables dressed in silky sky-blue linens swathed with custom cloud-like drapes embellished with puffs of white circles sewn over the cloudy cloths. Silky blue napkins are wrapped with ice-blue organdy covers clasped with clear rings. Place-settings are enhanced by opalescent charger plates, accented with a combination of stemware featuring clear, etched water goblets, sky-blue wine goblets and violet haze champagne flutes. Vintage pearl flatware and an eclectic grouping of clear glass, cloud white, and aqua blue china provide the perfect embellishments.

• Custom-made, water-colored menus designed with golden gates, clouds, white feathers and opalescent sparkles display gourmet choices for guests to order from angelic servers wearing angel wings and halos.

• Our angels serve an angelic dessert at the end of the evening. Chocolate Bombes, surrounded by a cloud of freshly spun white cotton candy, from which a white chocolate, gold-dusted angel emerges! 

In Love Theme - It is all about love

•  Cupid's first course consists of Lobster Ravioli with sliced lobster and cognac and brown butter sauce.

• Entree is grilled sea bass with Meyer lemon emulsion, rack of lamb with merlot glace de viande, Israeli cous cous with caramelized onions and wild rice and grilled asparagus.

• For dessert? Why Red Velvet Sweetheart Cake, of course! 

 

Action Item

Put down your own themes and work to make sure the food, beverage and presentation thoroughly maximize the event!

Joann Roth-Oseary is the founder and president of Someone's In The Kitchen, a multiple award-winning full-service catering and event planning company based in Tarzana, California. She may be reached at joann@sitk.com. Cheryl Fish is the vice-president of SITK Design Services and lead designer on SITK events. She may be reached at cheryl@sitk.com.

 

Collaborating Around the World

-By Colja Dams

Let's face it. Because of technology, the world has become a much smaller place. And more and more planners are branching out into the international markets. For those of us already working around the world, having offices in a variety of countries makes it easier. But, for those who don't, consider some invaluable elements.

With offices around the globe, I've learned from experience. And, the number one asset to creating successful events is to understand the culture and the business practices of the countries in which you work without sacrificing the global approach of the brands of your clients.

The VOK DAMS Group has been fortunate to have collaborated with a variety of partners to produce a wealth of events world-wide. Our partnerships have involved both local companies as well as those based outside the site city or country. Because we can never afford for an event to go wrong, choosing the right partner is critical to our success. Rules and regulations differ from country to country and sometimes even within the local jurisdiction inside countries and cities. So, having a partner with local know-how is crucial to assure your event even happens.

The number one key to finding the right partner is to look for a company that works quickly, is highly effective but one that provides a "personal touch" to get things done.The company needs to employ a great staff of people. (I know I'm not supposed to make any sort of promotional statement, but the VOK DAMS Group has collaborated with Extraordinary Events for some time now, and I must admit that EE is our favorite partner. We've almost made a specialty of very successful automotive events, with impressive results! But, unfortunately, I can't disclose details due to our contractual agreements with those clients!)

To find quality global partners, we've had a program in place based on DIN EN ISO 9001 certification or a quality management system that defines that we work with qualified partners. It allows us to assess the organizational structure, procedures, processes and resources needed to implement a quality event and determine if our target partners meet those needs. In a nutshell, it is a guideline to make sure that our partners "walk the talk" and assures they can get things done!

Tips for Picking the Right Partner

We use a C-Level Model for what we look for. Here are the guidelines we've found successful for selecting the best partners.

• Creativity
• Capability/Credibility (does the partner - and moving forward the partnership - have a proven track record?)
• Competencies - can the partner provide the tasks requested?
• Capacity - does the partner have the resources available at the time of the event?
• Chemistry - does the partner and their team members fit into the project team?
• CO2- does the partner offer sustainable services and solutions (thus reducing CO2 footprint)?

Finally, the ability to keep deadlines is crucial when working over time zones. If planned correctly, it gives a wonderful opportunity to work around the clock. As one team goes to bed, the other team wakes up!

So, if you are going to work internationally, remember to connect with a local partner and and use the C-Level Model to make sure it's the right one!

Colja Dams has steadily built his company, the VOK DAMS Agency for Events & Live Marketing, into one of the top event powerhouses in the world. Headquartered in Germany, and ranked #2 in the world (source: Special Events Magazine), and with offices in Dubai, Beijing, France, Shanghai, London, New York, Prague, Sao Paulo, and throughout Germany, VOK DAMS has produced award-winning events for leading brands all over the world. Colja Dams may be reached at CDams@vokdams.de. To learn more about VOK DAMS, visit: www.vokdams.de
 

Creating Hot, New Client Presentations

-By Josh Murray

Never Underestimate Your Client

Client presentations require two critical elements - understanding and pushing their vision further within the confines of what they have defined they want.

The most important aspect of "selling" through your presentation is truly understanding the client's needs and desires. At the end of the day, what you are "selling" is understanding. To that end, I ask a lot of questions to really be clear of the client's approach and make sure I'm on target with their goals and expectations. To support their answers, I go to their Web sites and marketing materials to get a sense of their brand's aesthetic.

Once I have a sense of it, I usually try to push their vision just a little further and slightly out of their comfort zone. I'm a strong believer that most people are more progressive than they let on. We all get bored with the "same old stuff." My mantra of sorts is "never underestimate your client." Plus, we're the experts, and we know about a lot of event-related things that they don't, so why not expose them to what they will never dream of on their own?

Don't get me wrong. I create presentations explicitly to address client goals. That can mean specifically writing copy to respond to client requests, but it can also mean using imagery that really speaks to the mood or "vibe" the client is seeking. There are times when all the words in the world can't convey the feeling a picture puts across.

The Importance of Current Material and Graphics

For me, having current material and graphics in a presentation is paramount. We live in a culture that is hyper-current. Everything is always happening NOW. Trends come and go within weeks and, though people aren't always consciously aware of it, the media stays very current with design culture so everyone has a trained eye now. Basically, this means things can look "dated" much quicker than ever before. As an event designer and producer, you need to demonstrate that not only are you aware of trends, but you are ahead of them.

For instance, for a recent presentation, I worked with a few design and layout concepts that were unlike anything we had used before. The client wanted an edgy event, so to me it made sense that the presentation should "push" it a little too. Remember, the presentation is really the first interaction with the event itself. It sets the tone. The client wanted an event they had never seen before, so, I created a presentation that matched their desires. In the same presentation, we provided several concepts from which to choose. Giving them several options also allowed me to include one option that was potentially outside of their comfort zone. Guess which one they picked? You got it. The one out of their comfort zone!

Tips on How to Create Hot, New Presentations

 1. Look for inspiration literally everywhere. For instance, watch the media and really notice what they are working with in terms of imagery, fonts, layout. etc.
2. Browse different Web sites that tend to be trendsetters to see what "look" they are utilizing.
3. Take note of everything that you find intriguing. I always keep Notepad open on my IPhone and constantly make additions noting cool concepts.
4. Don't focus on what you note always being event-friendly. Down the road, you will figure out a way to integrate it.
5. Use this litmus test: "What can I do that will compel people to share images of the event on their social networks?" (If people are taking pictures and racing to post them on Instagram, you know you've got a winner!)
6. Google images is a powerful imaging source tool with fantastic features you should explore (and no, I didn't get paid for that plug.) PowerPoint and PhotoShop still work well for me.

The Number One Thing to Keep in Mind when Preparing a Client Presentation

Above all, remember that you are selling an experience. The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. I see a lot of presentations that are very focused on each precise detail, down to line patterns. For me, that kind of detail is absolutely necessary for the event producer when planning the event, but in terms of the presentation, it can confuse the client. They want to know what the event will FEEL like. To convey that, you need to "zoom out" a bit.

Sometimes I don't even include a picture of an event or anything related to it. I will use a picture of a certain object that I think will elicit the right emotion to fit the event. I mean, what makes you feel cold. . . a picture of a white table linen, or one of a frosty ice cube?

How to make the event match that emotion is our job as producers.

Josh Murray is a producer at Extraordinary Events. He has been working in event management and production for 15 years with high-profile corporate clients as well as A-list celebrities. He may be reached at jmurray@extraordinaryevents.net.
 

Partnering with Vendors - A Novel Idea?

By Evan Grey
After almost a quarter of a century working as an event producer, I'd say partnering with vendors is just professional common sense. Those who know me and are reading this understand that I am an animated, reactive person. I've made my share of mistakes over the years, like asking for too much and not looking at my vendors as my partners. But, I've learned the hard way that not doing so definitely affects how they deliver their services to me!

Coming off a huge recession tilted the event world. Everyone began grabbing at everything, and during that time, vendors were beaten up. In that fray, many of us, myself included, made the mistake of assuming that our vendors were here to serve us. We were all about. . .  "I need this now. . . you owe me. . ." But I quickly realized that was a mistake and shifted. After the apologies, I approached my providers/vendors as partners. I asked for their ideas. I stopped and listened. I asked, "What ideas do you have creatively?" or "How can we save money on this?" Not, "Do this for X or else." When I looked at vendors as professionals with lives and knowledge and creativity, I soon had an outpouring of phenomenal creativity and money-saving ideas. Things that I would not have thought of otherwise!

How Did This Translate to Client Satisfaction?

One of the biggest assets with this approach ha been the wealth of ideas for my clients. For example, at Go Daddy's Holiday Celebration (for which EE won a Gala award by the way), we had 100-feet-by-60-feet backdrops. I curbed back my aggressive, Type-A personality and went to one of my vendor partners to discuss the backdrops. I didn't say, "I want lighted banners." Instead, I asked for his ideas. His suggestion was to try a new type of fabric and use LEDs instead of heavy, more expensive gear and do it a month out so we could save a ton of money. In that extra 10 minutes to get more ideas, options and solutions, he was so eager to share his thoughts. This opened up a dialogue with the client and other team members, and everyone loved it! We saved money on the materials and the shipping since we did it over a month out!

How Can Great Vendor-Partner Relationships Save your Bacon?

My bacon! Just so you know, I'm a vegetarian! Having great partnerships with vendors is key. I was doing an event at the Shrine Auditorium Expo site. I needed to close down one of the streets for redundancy for two generators, a kitchen, clean-up and crew breaks. I knew I needed permits for everything and was going about it. One of my rental partners had worked this site numerous times and knew I would need special sound permits, as well as another for how the tents had to be set up in position to the actual venue (due to special fire regulations for this building. Who knew???) Because of our great relationship and to prevent problems with the event, my vendor partner checked with me and outlined everything. Otherwise, this event could have been shut down!

Three Vendor Pet Peeves with Planners

What do vendors hate, hate, hate?

#1: Not being clear and concise about what you want from the beginning. There is nothing worse than finishing a large proposal only to discover not all the details were provided. Be very clear. Make a special phone call to go over everything with your client, or send an email breaking down and bullet pointing every element before requesting vendor proposals. It is worth it, so take the time! It will definitely save you in the long run. Mandy Bianchi in our office has even developed a special detail-format that I use!

#2: Calling a vendor at 4p in the afternoon and crying wolf. Boy, have I been guilty of this in the past. What do I mean by this? It is 2p on a Wednesday. I call my vendor and demand: "I need a full proposal, CAD drawing, and quote by 10a tomorrow. I have to turn it around by noon on Thursday.! If we do this too much, they won't take us seriously. So, when clients demand these types of deadlines that aren't feasible, I say, "I will give you an estimate based on the time constraints. If you like these ideas, we will revise them." To my vendor, I suggest going off an old event. I suggest being very clear about putting disclaimers in budgets and proposals. And I do written disclaimers for vendors. So, instead of saying, "I need this and that, and I need it now," be a partner, a collaborator with them. If they feel they are heard, then they will work with you and not resent you.

#3: Being asked to do things in which they aren't proficient. Some of us have a tendency to assume that just because a vendor can do one thing very well that he or she can do other related things well. And, ultimately vendors will try because they want to make us happy. So don't be comfortable only making one phone call or email instead of the three that you actually need.

Positive Steps Planners Can Take to Create First-Rate Relationships with Vendor

#1: Ask them what works best for them! Get an understanding of their process. Share  your process with them. You may not always be able to align with them, but by sharing processes you may be able to meet in the middle with mutual understanding. Be clear about what would be helpful to you. For instance, if they need you to cut and paste the creative from an RFP or break down what you need in a specific order, do so.Then, let them know that if they send information to you in that order it will save you much time. Make it a positive, collaborative process.

#2: Clients sometimes will not share their budgets with us. This is difficult because it takes the power out of what we can do for them. If is is possible to talk to the client, ask for some type of a parameter. We do budget ranges when we don't know parameters. We do three different ideas (conversation starters) without specific budgets (i.e. $100,000-$200,000; $201,000-$300,000; up to $500,000.) These are much like a menu that we share with vendors. Then, we can at least wedge the client into a range. We always approach our vendors asking if they are comfortable with this.

#3: Often times, clients ask us not to share their identity with others. In that case, get the demographics of the guests to share with vendors. This will often give you the information that you need.

#4: Remember that vendors are human beings. I send cards, thank-you notes, and even jokes after an event. (I once sent a doorstop because nothing in the venue had doorstops, and it was a problem. It gave them a laugh.) Many are friends. And I treat them as friends. But that has to be balanced when I need to be the boss. I wouldn't suggest this for a new producer. They won't want to manipulate you but they will because you aren't strong enough yet!

Tips for Repairing a Damaged Vendor Relationship

#1: Admit when you are wrong. You are the solution person. Don't blame anyone else (even if it is someone else's mistake.) If you are the producer, own it. Make the apology. Ask what you can do to make it better. Ask what you can do to prevent it from happening again. Sometimes a nice bottle of wine helps. Remember: Own it; repair it; prevent it from happening again.

#2: When you lose faith in someone, call them up and go out to lunch. No email. I have found that a "tone" of an email can be misunderstood, and then you have offended or alienated them! Outline your concerns. I am not old school, but with problems like these, you need to look that person in the eye and say, "Until we resolve this, I can't work with you." Remember they are partners and most of all human beings! We all make mistakes and deserve the opportunity to correct or make good on them. I rarely ask for money back. I know, sounds funny, but I promise it is a great thing when on the next event you will probably get double your money back. Be smart, not cheap. I've done this a number of times, and the other person always shakes my hand, vows to fix it, and we have another lunch to come up with solutions. This works no matter who is at fault.

#3: Remember that the vendor you hire today could be the person who hires you next. Respect and clear, concise communication are the keys.

Final Words of Advice

Create your own wheel (or your own little business for an event). You are the center of the wheel surrounded by spokes. Surround yourself with people (spokes), usually five vendors. Create a wheel of people who are better than you in what they do. Don't be threatened by this. It empowers you and them! When you make mistakes, and you will, you want to surround yourself with people you can trust and who will protect you and only have your best interests at heart. Trust me, this is everything!

Evan Grey is the Director of Production Services for Extraordinary Events. She has worked as a producer for the 1996 Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Atlanta Olympics and such clients as Nissan, Lexus, GM, Ford, Infiniti, George P. Johnson/Cisco, Washington Mutual, and Blue Cross/Well Point, to name a few. She may be reached via egrey@extraordinaryevents.net.
 

The Growing Face of Technology in Events

-By Greg Christy
Event technology has evolved, taking us from just decorated events to immersive experiences. In my 25 years in business, my company has grown from a "lighting resource" to a provider of full technical services for live events. I mention it so that the impact of what has happened in the events industry is clear.

The first big evolution involved automated lighting equipment. In the way back years, we simply set up and pointed fixtures that could only illuminate one area. When automated equipment came along, we were able to use one fixture to change colors in different parts of a room or a stage. This opened the possibilities for kinetic design through the course of events. That must have happened before you were born, you say? Well, maybe.

The next big jump brought us LED as a new light source and enabled richer colors and more light for less power. We went wireless and could put fixtures where we never could before.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Today, technology has merged video and lighting as one. Video projectors automate light. Instead of a gobo, planners have the ability to paint walls and stages with video content. One example is the opening of the concert hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. We were able to take a giant tent and light it entirely with video content delivered through LED fixtures. This may seem the norm for many entering the event profession, but unless you've been around for a while, it might be difficult to realize how fare we've come.

What's Next?

Video mapping, also known as projection mapping, is the new trend. Video mapping is a projection technology used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into a display surface for video projection. These objects may be complex industrial landscapes, such as buildings. By using specialized software, a two or three dimensional object is spatially mapped on the virtual program which mimics the real environment upon which it is projected. This way, the computer knows exactly where to project its information as it can bend and highlight any shape or form. Almost any surface can be used to become a dynamic video display of 2D and 3D images that can transform what is reality for the audience into illusions and images with infinite possibilities. The video is commonly combined with, or triggered by, audio to create an audio-visual narrative.

While video mapping is still relatively expensive, it becomes more affordable every six months. We will be seeing more of it in the near future, because using technology in this way is a large plus for our industry. It allows us to create a huge experience, a big WOW for our guests - the goal of most of our clients. An immersive experience allows us to tell stories so much better than in the days of old. Now we can offer a total experience.

Immersive Events

An example that immediately springs to mind was a birthday party in Mexico, in the middle of nowhere! Guests walked into a seamless structure. They most likely thought it just another room at the Four Seasons Hotel. However, we created it from nothing - including air conditioning, lighting, sound, video - the entire enchilada so to speak. The room contained nine-foot-high ceilings with elegant chandeliers hanging over every beautifully decorated table. But. . . there was a surprise. After dinner, we raised the ceiling from nine to 22 feet, and one wall opened to reveal a giant video screen that played a retrospective of the birthday honoree's life set to Elton John music. There's more. . . as the video ended, the screen rose to Elton John performing in person! Guests went wild. Now that is a real experience.

Cisco Event

Another event for Cisco is a perfect example of technology used as (and actually replacing) entertainment. For a software developers' conference, with attendees from five specific geographic regions around the globe, participants experienced an immersive 360-degree projection with content themed to their individual home regions. It was decor, entertainment, technology and a personal experience for the group. It made a connection that a headline act would not.

 

My Point

Technology is allowing us to grow and create increasingly higher value events. What years ago was a nice highlight for event decor has become the catalyst for evolving experiential events that allow customers to create the coveted emotional response in their own clients. As technology evolves, we will be able to immerse our guests into a virtual world of unforgettable experiences.

Greg Christy is the founder and CEO of Brite Ideas, Inc., an award-winning technical direction and design coordination service provided to the entertainment and special events industry worldwide. It provides theatrical and broadcast quality lighting, audio, staging and I-MAG systems for live press/media events and concert and video presentations. Extraordinary Events and Brite Ideas team up often to provide experiential events. Greg may be reached via gchristy@briteideaslighting.com.