Memorable Events

Memorable events don't just happen.  They are created.  Events take organization and management in order to insure success.  Small business owners are in the business of running their ventures...not event planning.  It makes sense to put your energy into running your business and allowing a professional to help you with your events.

So that brings up the question of why should I even do an event?  Face to face marketing is the highest return on investment for your marketing dollar.  This is proven time and again.  There is no better way to say thank you - to roll out a new product - or to celebrate an anniversary than with an event for your customers and supporters.  

A professional will help you set your goals and help you to identify your demographics before embarking on a marketing event for your business.  Who do you want to invite and why?  Define your goals and evaluate them at the end of the event.  Change what you need to before the next event and continue to improve the marketing and goals of each different event.  The important thing to remember is to have an event to personally connect with others.  Say thank you and you will never go wrong.  Have a great event!

Knowing When to Hire a Professional

Knowing when to hire a professional to help you with event planning is a big key to success for non-profit companies.  There are many costs associated with event planning. When a company needs to delegate event planning to a staff member, the staff finds they are unable to manage a good balance between their normal full time job and their full time event planning/marketing job. Most employees can’t work 70 hours a week to complete everything in time and stay up to date on all aspects of their jobs.   This means, when your staff members are busy working on events as their primary target, something else is not getting done.  As an executive, it’s vital that you continue on your fund-raising path.  If you have to event plan, you spend a great many hours doing event related things when you could be and should be soliciting donors, writing grants, and completing other weekly job duties that maintain the functionality of the business.  The event planning costs add up quickly!  If you spend just 30 hours on an event, at executive wages of $50 per hour, there’s a hidden cost of $1500 added to your event for every week that person is working on the event.  In that same 30 hours, you could have met with several donors and written a few grants.

It’s important to realize that non-profits do not need to skimp on their events.  Consider hiring a professional to help with things that you are not an expert at; let them do the organizing and leg work.  You can most definitely help with contacts and suggestions, direction and guidance.  Sign the solicitation letters for auction items, but let someone else do the work that you or your staff simply don’t have time to complete.  An event planner can shop around for the venue, plan the catering and the bar, as well as the entertainment, guest speakers, solicit sponsors for the event, help with the budget and staying on task to accomplish the goals of the organization.  If you consider building in a little extra into the event itself to pay for the planner, you will be saving yourself and your company a ton of money! Event planners typically do contract to contract work, instead of outrageous hourly wages. In the end what you would perhaps pay someone for working 2 weeks at executive wages, you could be putting towards an event planner who takes care of all of the details over the course of 1-12 months in advance. You will be happy that you hired an event planner, and anyone seeing the financial aspect of the company will love it too. 

Vacation time? Does it help?

Productivity as it's related to time off is always a question for me.  While I love to go on vacations, it has to in the end turn into something that helps me become more productive in my life.  As I sit on the deck in Cabo today - I reflect on how much my life has changed in the last year.  Many things are different in one short year....my job, my parent life, my children's lives, even with my husband and his stresses.

Vacations for me are times to reflect on what has happened, and to look ahead towards what I want to create for the future.  As I embark on my new - and hopefully final career for this lifetime, I am challenging myself to be more successful than ever.  There is still so much to learn!  Brandi being home is helping me to handle the challenges of social media and graphic design.  As a professional event planner, there is a tremendous learning curve - that is changing all the time.  Events are largely social media events in one way or another.  It's vital to stay on top of how to reach the audience - and how to reach those folks who have a need for some event planning help.  Recognizing the need for help is important and the first step to successful ventures.

Event planning is fun - but it is also a tremendous amount of work and stress leading up to the event.  There are so many details to attend to.  It's hard to imagine how much work is involved until you are in over your head.  Professionals are there to help when you realize that you can't be the specialist at everything.  You will soon discover as I have - that there is great help out there to insure your success.  Don't be afraid to get some help doing the things that you aren't a specialist at.  Invest in your self.  Invest in your organization.  It's insurance that your event will be successful too.

Plan Ahead Events Boise is a full service event planning organization - and best of all - my business venture.  From huge to tiny - from budgeting to marketing, we can help with all or part of your event.  We always offer a short free consultation for your event.  We are happy to discuss the opportunities and to help you have a successful and enjoyable event for all - especially you!

Here's to vacations that are never long enough - but always refreshing and energizing.  This trip to Cabo has been in celebration of Brandi's college graduation!  I am very proud of her accomplishments and of the beautiful young woman she has become.  She's a pillar of strength and I know that her dreams will come true no matter the barriers life tries to through in her way!  Congratulations Brandi!

Summer Events

As I sit today wondering if the warm weather will really come to stay - and hoping none of my flowers frosted last night....summer events outside seem so appealing.  There's nothing like a picnic in the park for a company party or family reunion.  Wedding receptions done in lovely gardens are always special.  Outdoor events need contingency plans and sometimes special permits to be done successfully.  But if you are lucky and the weather is perfect - there's just nothing better!  I'm looking forward to spending some time in my garden and yard this summer and hosting at least a couple of family gatherings!  Life is too short to not gather friends and family to celebrate summer events.

Plan Ahead Events Boise is a full service event planning company that I am the proud owner of along with my partner, Stuart Weiser.  Together we make an unbeatable team when it comes to making your event happen just the way you dream it could be.  Adding a unique element to every event to make it the most memorable for your guests is our specialty.  Let us help you create your dream event...no matter the occasion.  Big or small - we can help at the level that you can afford.  Dream it - we will create it!