Event Budgeting
May 17, 2012
Three tips for swag sponsorships for your conference or event
At a promotional products industry expo, I was chatting with a couple of colleagues who talked about their recent sponsorship of some conference swag bags. They had agreed to provide the bags (which apparently contained giveaways) and were hoping (key word here) to get some nice testimonials about their work, all with the intent that it would lead to more business. All I can say is that I hope it works out for them because it sounded like it was quite an investment.
May 3, 2012
Ten tips for your next conference
Conferences are hard work. From developing the creative treatments to establishing milestones and timelines, planning ahead can make all the difference in the world. When planning a conference, there are specific guidelines that you should always follow in order for it to run smoothly. Here are 10 tips that will help you plan and run a successful conference.
March 30, 2012
Seven tips for doing more with less
Managing budgets – developing, tracking, and sticking to them – is a fundamental skill for planners and suppliers alike. They don’t seem that hard to develop; after all, most of us have a template or checklist that includes a line item for each of the disparate elements of a meeting. After that, it’s pretty much arithmetic: 100 breakfasts at $22 equals $2,200 plus plus plus. Where’s the challenge in that? Source: By Helen VanDongen
March 28, 2012
Biggest challenges facing meeting planners today
Short lead times, the Ontario Travel Industry Act and the need for transparency are just a few of the biggest challenges facing meeting planners today, says Katherine A. Wright, CMP, President of TheWrightSolution and Christine Gruber, CMP, Event Coordinator, Conferences and Meetings at OREA Ontario Real Estate Association.
February 21, 2012
No logo, no problem! Saving your brand while saving money with non-imprinted promotional products and strategies
Sometimes you’re short on money. Or you’re short on time. And you’re seriously thinking about using blank promotional products and supplies for your upcoming event. But you’re worried that doing so will hurt your brand, something that you’ve invested heavily in building. Stop worrying!
January 19, 2012
How to save money and the planet with multi-sponsor promotions
Have you ever gone to an event and received no less than four tote bags? Or maybe three mugs? I have. It can happen when multiple event sponsors’ donated promotions are not coordinated and each sponsor brings whatever they want. This is such a waste of resources, both financial and environmental. And it definitely isn’t something that attendees want.
December 22, 2011
How to use Just-In-Time strategies to save money (and your nerves!) on promotional products for your event
Waiting... waiting... waiting... are the registration numbers where they should be at? What should we guesstimate for final count? These are two of the toughest questions that meeting and event planners wrestle with daily. The answers impact everything from catering menus to registration to hotel rooms blocked. An area that it also impacts is event giveaways. How many folders, bags, mugs, etc. should you have on hand? When should you order? What if the numbers aren’t…
December 16, 2011
How to minimize your guestroom block attrition damages
The meetings and events industry has seen a lot of changes over the past decade. As an event organizer, you will have witnessed an increased complexity in the hotel contracts you negotiate. You are now faced with the inclusion of minimum performance guarantees which come in the form of food and beverage minimums, sliding scales, cancellation policies and guestroom block attrition. Source: By Brent Taylor
December 14, 2011
How to cost effectively buy promotional t-shirts for events
The ubiquitous t-shirt. After all these years, it’s still a gotta-have-it promotional tool. In fact, shirts (to include both polos and T-shirts) create around 21 per cent of all promotional industry revenues according to the Advertising Specialty Institute 2011 State of the Industry Report. That’s quite a chunk! So you’re probably pretty safe with choosing a shirt for an event promotion.
December 9, 2011
Determining your meeting requirements
One of the best ways to figure out your requirements is to develop a preliminary schedule. The schedule should be a general outline of what will happen and approximately when. The following list of considerations will help you think through these things. Source: By Christine Boon
September 1, 2011
Market outlook 2012: Collaboration plus creativity equals value
Shorter turnaround times, suspended programs, downsizing and budget challenges are among the underlying reasons for the “do more with less” tactic that meeting planners will embrace over the next year, says Rita Plaskett, chairperson of the Business Events Industry Coalition of Canada (BEICC). Source: By Rehana Begg
September 1, 2011
Market outlook 2012: Restrain the budget
The markets may have been in recovery mode over the past year and transactions looked promising for some sectors, but planners shouldn't expect freewheeling spending in the corporate meetings and events industry any time soon. Source: By Rehana Begg
