Category: Party & Event Planning

How to Hire an Event Planner?

This week we will be discussing what to look for in an event planner, after all they are the ones you will be working closely with throughout the duration of your event.

First Impressions

Some may say that first impressions are deceiving, others state that our subconscious makes the most correct evaluation of a person within the first two seconds of meeting them.

So, can you recall your first encounter with an event planner? How did they dress? Did they smile? Was the smile sincere or not? Where did you first meet? Did you meet at their office, coffee shop, food court, or restaurant?

Communication skills

Communication skills are crucial in any business endeavor. But when it comes to event planning, it’s one of the most important qualities. During the planning phase of your event you’ll be talking to your event planner on a daily basis using phone, email as well as meeting with them in person.

Are they able to convey a sound event plan that you can relate with? Will this person be able to respectfully manage an army of vendors at your event? Will they communicate professionally with your colleagues, guests?

Keeping it cool

Event planning is a highly intellectual process of getting the idea into a proper plan where things fall in their places. Both planning and managing an event can get very stressful, and you can’t afford to hire an event planner who can’t “keep their cool”. Look for level-headed and calm event planners and you won’t regret it once things start hitting the fan.

Can you trust them?

It is very important that you feel confident entering into a business relationship with your event planner as you could be working quite closely with them for months.

Choose an event planner you feel comfortable sharing your ideas with, who you can trust to take on the stress for you and most importantly shares your vision for your special event.

Passionate about events

When you choose a career they say that it’s always better to do things you love, things you’re passionate about. When a person is passionate about what they do, quality of work increases.

Personality traits to look for in an event planner are organisational skills, are they detail oriented yet flexible at the same time, can they work. So when choosing an event planner, make sure that your event manager is having fun doing what they do.

Are they creative?

Be it a wedding, your kid’s party or a corporate event, you want a unique event, tailored just for your occasion. You want something special so you and your guests can remember it for a long time.

Your event planner should be able to offer creative and “out of the box” ideas for event decor, schedule, vendors, etc. Creative thinkers are rare these days. So, make sure you ask a few qualifying questions when you meet your event planner.

Can they make you smile?

Planning and managing an event can be a stressful business. People without sense of humour are having a hard time in the industry.

Or course, your event planner should be organized, responsible and professional, but he / she must make you smile every once in a while. Smile is a key to many doors and event planners that smile are usually much more organized, have better vendor list and better relationships with people altogether.

Why Hire a Corporate Event Planner?

At the point when organizations toss corporate events, they think recruiting a corporate event planner will put them route over financial plan. In actuality, planners know the tips, deceives, and contacts that set aside organizations time and cash over the long haul without giving up the nature of the event.

Event planners fabricate associations with providers and got limited rates from sellers that a planner will pass onto the customer. At the point when an organization calls a similar provider, they will pay their standard rates. These can be as much as 20% higher than the rate a very much organized event planner may get.

Time is cash, and workers in an organization need more free time to plan a whole corporate event. Extending workers far is superfluous when a planner can do a similar activity all the more viably and effectively. Planners can sort out and execute the event in less time than the organization ever could, permitting workers to concentrate on their obligations.

Event planners have broad information and astuteness picked up from the experience of long stretches of planning events and gatherings. Planners know the most recent patterns, freshest settings, most smoking hues, financial plan sparing insider facts, and subtleties that organizations regularly investigate when they just plan a few events yearly.

Planners have a rolodex that merits any cost of an event planning organization. They have quite a few contacts readily available, from lighting to stylistic theme. Using various web search tools to make sense of sellers for the gathering is pointless when planners can have all the best merchants on speed dial.

Regardless of how much fastidious planning, readiness, and the board workers accomplish for the event, there will consistently be an unanticipated hiccup. Visitor ought not know about the issue and representatives planning the event ought not seem froze. A planner realizes who to call and how to cure the circumstance rapidly. Planners resolve with their assets to keep the event on target.

Experience

No matter what you do for a living, no one has more experience in planning events than an event planner. DIY has recently been popular in many aspects including the business world. Many businesses who try to orchestrate their own corporate events end up overwhelmed by all of the work that goes into planning an event. It only takes one small detail to go overlooked and the entire event is ruined. Event planners plan many events and are less likely to miss an important detail. They know what has worked in the past and what has not. They also bring this little thing called creativity to the table that turns visions into reality. Their expertise will certainly contribute to a successful event and an overall more successful business.

Timeline

Everybody in this day age wants FAST. There is no waiting around or patience for results that are not immediate. Tight deadlines are set and specific timelines are followed, especially in the the realm of business. Sometimes a corporate event is last minute or is following a strict timeline and it needs to be planned in a timely fashion. Rushing to plan an event with no event planner is sure to be a recipe for disaster. Event planners are great at managing and negotiating with suppliers and vendors to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. An event that runs smoothly benefits everyone who is involved or attends.

Budget

Not everyone is good at budgeting, but event planners certainly are. They will make sure that your company will not face the repercussions of overspending. Reality can hit hard when you realize that your vision for your event is not in your budget. Event planners can recommend ways to make the most out of your money. They know how to efficiently distribute spending on all aspects of the event. With an event planner, it may be possible for your vision can become real while still staying within budget.

Stress Relief

Everyone can probably agree stress is not a desirable feeling. Why would you put yourself in a position to become stressed when it can be prevented? Planning your corporate event without a professional planner would undoubtedly bring a load of stress to the table. You would be asking yourself “When can I take a vacation?!” Instead, you will feel a sigh of relief knowing that your event planner has everything taken care of so you will be able to enjoy the event yourself.

Benefits Of Outsourced Event Planning

There are many benefits to outsourcing the design and production needs for your corporate events and meetings. In addition to identifying preferred venues, negotiating vendor pricing, and completing necessary event registrations, a third-party planner works closely with a client to develop a strategic and cost-effective plan that communicates the company’s message.

Here are some of the ways that your company can benefit from getting professional help with event design.

• Improvement in your company’s productivity. Planning a corporate event from start to finish can involve a lot of time and many steps. By outsourcing the work to a planning professional, your employees are able to continue concentrating on their normal job duties, and your company will remain productive.

• Reduced costs. Paying a third party to plan and manage your corporate event often ends up costing less than if you had to pay an internal employee his or her hourly wage to complete the same tasks.

• Innovative branding. Using an outside creative agency to design your event logo and marketing content can provide a refreshing and innovative perspective on your brand.

• Optimal efficiency. A professional who plans corporate events and meetings for a living will most likely be more efficient and effective than an internal company employee who does not plan events on a regular basis.

• Conservation of time. Professional planning firms have a network of vendors and venues that they frequently work with. Having these resources at their disposal allows them to complete tasks quickly. It would take an internal company employee a significantly longer amount of time to research and find the same resources.

Fun Ideas For Photo Booth Props

Photo booths are all the rage, aren’t they? Whether it’s a set up with a fabric backdrop on a wall and a photographer manning the camera or an actual box where you draw the curtain and take some goofy photos by looking at yourself on a screen, it’s hard to deny how much fun they are

During the planning process of our wedding, my husband was insistent that we have a photo booth. A real one that would print the photos for you on the spot so our guests could have a souvenir to take home. While the company we chose provided a box of props, I also had to supply a few of my own. Ya know… just in case theirs were lame. I want to share with you a few fun ideas for photo booth props that you can use at your wedding or next big soiree.

FACE ACCESSORIES ON DOWELS

We created some fun photo booth props from foam sheets in various colors. We found the templates online, cut them out and traced them onto the foam sheets. The face accessories were cut out and glued to long craft dowels. Mix and match them in the photo booth for funny faces and personality. All the materials can be found at the dollar stores for a budget friendly photo booth prop

CHALKBOARD

Chalkboards are great for writing messages. Personally, this item should be a staple for any fun photo booth prop. Don’t forget to include (lots of) chalk and (a few) chalkboard erasers. A guest at our wedding used a piece of chalk as a cigarette in his photo. So clever!

This is a prop you can definitely DIY also. Take a picture frame, cut a piece of 1/8″ MDF or hardboard to fit inside the frame and paint the smooth side with chalkboard paint. When dry, frame the board without the glass. I make all my chalkboards this way

Why a Photo booth is a Great Addition to Any Event

Taking a picture is one of the best ways to capture a moment. Regardless of the occasion, people love to take pictures to remember a fun-filled day. This is especially the case if there is a photo booth at the event. Photo booths provide your event with an experience that is unlike taking pictures with a smartphone or with a photographer. They will provide your event with more than just photos, a photo booth will provide your event with an experience.

Capturing a moment

Of course, with a photo booth, your guests can take pictures with their friends to capture the fun of your event. Not just any kind of pictures either. Modern photo booths will provide your guests with high-quality PHYSICAL copies of pictures. The physical copies of photos are unlike anything that can be captured using a smartphone. A photo booth at your event will make it all the more memorable for your guests. Whether it is a birthday, wedding, or any other type of big event, a photo booth is a guaranteed way to make it a lasting memory. A photo will allow them to keep reliving the event over and over! Your guests will want to make sure everyone hears about it!

Entertainment

We all know taking pictures can be fun, especially in a photo booth. There are a variety of fun backdrops your guests can use to make their pictures more personalized. There are even some fun props that can be used to really make the photo booth come alive.Your guests will feel like kids again as soon as they step into the photo booth. A photo booth at your event will give your guests hours of entertainment.

Great for everyone

One of the best features about photo booths is that can be used by everyone! Anyone that can work a photo booth is free to use it. Young to old, all your guest can preserve a memory of your event with help of a photo booth. Everyone can join in on the fun of a photo booth. It is especially a blast for children that are the event. All your guests will be able to cut loose and enjoy your event with a photo booth!

Free party favor

With a photo booth at your event, you don’t need to stress as much about party favors. Guests are free to take as many pictures as they want at the photo booths. You’ll find that renting a photo booth is a lot cheaper than making party favor bags for your guests. Not to mention you don’t have to waste any of your time like you would be making part favors. Unlike other party favors, a photo is not as likely to be forgotten or thrown away. Your guest will want to keep the pictures they took in your photo booth in plain sight. They will want to share stories of that event for years to come!

Wedding Photographers: Create Candid Shots with a DIY Photo Booth

you couldn’t attend a corporate event, a party, or a wedding without being handed a plastic mustache on a stick and getting pulled into a photo booth. Photo booth companies – like our friends at the Slow Motion Booth – got creative with their offerings, breathing new life into the old carnival staple. But what if you’re a wedding photographer, how do you get in on this candid photography trend?

Easy – you create a kind of  DIY photo booth (it’s really more like a step-and-repeat) that your clients will love and help them capture more candid shots at their big event. Really, all this requires is a place to do it, a small amount of extra time, and a slightly elevated level of customer service. But if you’re willing, your clients will love it and you’ll be able to double as a candid photographer as well as a wedding photographer — making you one of the most successful photographers around. Here are some DIY photo booth tips along with photography tips to capture those fleeting moments that make for the best candid images.

Pick a backdrop

To be honest, a nice, second-hand sheet can do the trick just fine. If you really aren’t that crafty, a plain white wall will do fine, as well, but making a backdrop can be pretty fun. Robert Mahar shows you how easy it can be to make a paper flower backdrop in his class

Create a simple way to put it up

Mobile backdrop stands are pretty inexpensive, and if you ever do studio photography, there’s a good chance you have one lying around. If you want to make one yourself, Kevin Kubota can help you put one together from basic hardware store items. To make a DIY backdrop, just follow this tutorial for a scrim – but rather than using a deflector material, use your preferred backdrop.

Light it right

Weddings can often have low light conditions so set up a separate flash and bounce the light off a white umbrella to diffuse it. This will ensure that everyone is well-lit but also looks their best. You can put together that whole set-up for cheap. Test out your lighting functionality the day before, during the rehearsal.  Then, on the day of the event, you can put your camera on a tripod, get your lights in place, mark where it’ll be, and start snapping those perfect shots.

Awesome Wedding Photo Booth Ideas

Wedding photo booths are part and parcel of a great atmosphere. They help to create stunning images in an effortless way. They are even a fun and interesting way to record the guests and their wishes to the happy couple. And they break the ice and provide many laughs throughout the day.

While you are photographing the atmosphere and the essential shots that make up the wedding album, guests are free to let themselves go wild in front of the photo booth. This will lead to some fun, unique moments your clients will definitely appreciate

What is a Photo Booth?

This also allows people to take images of themselves, looking their best, with minimal or no effort at all. It saves you time photographing all the guests and trying to think of a million creative ways to capture people candidly. Wedding photo booths can even be tailor-made to fit any location and any theme.

Classic Photobooth

Nothing works better than a classic photo booth. Everyone knows what they are and how they work. This photo booth idea is clear and compact, keeping everything together. Having it at the reception allows everyone to use it at their leisure

DIY Curtain Photobooth

Having a simple photo booth with just a curtain gives privacy to those who need it. Not everyone at a wedding would prefer to photograph themselves in front of a growing crowd

Things To Consider When Choosing a Photo Booth

Choosing a photo booth can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know where to start. It’s important that you not only book a high-quality photo booth, but a company that you can trust to get the job done and provide your event guests with a fun and memorable time. Before contacting companies look at the reviews they receive on Facebook, Yelp, etc. Not only should you see what their average rating is, you should read what people are saying about them. It’s also important to not only have an idea in mind of what exactly it is you are looking for in a photo booth, but also to have a list of questions ready before emailing or calling companies

What all do you offer?

It’s important to ask this question first because it gets the obvious out of the way and saves you time and energy – does the company offer the main elements that you are looking for? For example, do they offer prints or social media sharing? With that said, let’s say that you want an enclosed booth and they only have an open-air one, don’t give up quite yet. Follow up with the next question.

What are the benefits of what you offer?

For example, one benefit of an open-air booth is that you are able to fit more people in a photo compared to an enclosed booth. Furthermore, open-air booths might offer more options than just prints such as GIFs, slow motion video, social media sharing, green screen, etc. Learn more about the options a booth provides before ending the conversation. You might be pleasantly surprised and find that you love some of the additional options a company has to offer.

How does each add-on work and do they come with an additional cost?

Let’s take social media sharing. Can you email photos and GIFs and/or can you text them straight to your phone? Another example is how long will prints take to be delivered to guests and will you receive digital copies of the prints the day after the event or a week later

Can the booth be set up indoors and/or outdoors?

If you’re planning an outdoor event, this is an obvious question, but sometimes people forget to ask it. If a booth can be set up outdoors you may already have a place picked out that you want to put it, for example in direct sunlight. But some photo booths cannot be in direct sunlight and also some need to be plugged into an outlet. Finding these things out in advance is very helpful and will save you the stress the day of the event.