Whether your student is picking up a diploma or finishing their master’s degree, this is a time to celebrate. Graduation is no easy feat, and your graduate deserves recognition for the hard work it took to reach this milestone.
Coming up with a unique party idea for your grad can be a challenge, especially as the median age changes and attendance size varies. But we’ve got a few suggestions that will help your graduation party run without a hitch and make your graduate feel like the most special student in their class.
High School Graduation Party
High school graduation celebrations are full of energy and excitement. Aspirations run high as new adults decide what their next step in life will be. You will want your high school graduation party ideas to be personal, fun, and inspiring.
To personalize the event, use the grad’s school colors for decorating ideas to set a theme for the celebration. Use the colors to pick out tablecloths, garland, and even create a couple of themed “mocktails” for the graduates to sip on. This will promote the graduates’ school pride and help to share the experience with everyone in attendance.
Get your rentals from In The Event™ and we will plan your graduation party for FREE!
Commemorate the event with a photo booth where guests can take pictures with the grad in their cap and gown. The graduate will feel like a superstar and the photos make a sweet and simple gift for the guests to take home. Use a Polaroid camera so the images can be savored immediately and provide a few props for the grad and their friends to get silly.
High school graduates are entering an important period of life involving change, challenges, and triumphs. Invite attendees to share their wisdom with the guest of honor through a congratulations board. Hand out markers for guests to write notes of encouragement and advice on this special board decorated with school colors, mementos, and a favorite photo. When the board is done, present it to the graduate as a unique, heartfelt gift.
College Graduation Party for Your Undergraduate
The next big landmark after high school graduation is finishing college. Completing an undergraduate degree is an event that should be celebrated with the perfect mix of fun and sophistication. Since the average age of your guests has risen, including a bar with a specialty drink honoring the graduate is a creative way to celebrate the grad with a bit of class.
A college graduation party should truly celebrate the person your grad has become over the last few years. Luckily we have experience on planning the the best college graduation parties. Use personalized centerpieces to demonstrate passions and accomplishments of the guest of honor. Whether your grad was a star on the football team, an aspiring artist, or passionate about biology, you can create special centerpieces that are fun to look at and also make great gifts for the grad or family to take home.
To spice up your event, choose a theme that will mean something. Honor their time in school with a college themed party, modeled after “Animal House” or “Accepted,” or celebrate their job offer with a party centered on their relocation. Whatever you choose, a theme not only makes the party unforgettable, it can help direct you with decorations, activities, and food, making party planning easier than ever!
Get your rentals from In The Event™ and we will plan your college graduation party for FREE!
Graduate School Soiree
To celebrate receiving your master’s degree or that of your friend or family member, throw and intimate and sophisticated soiree designed for plenty of conversation. Bar stools and tables are perfect for creating a classy, conversational atmosphere that allows your guests to mingle comfortably.
When planning the celebration, think about the food. Your guests will appreciate the carefully chosen appetizers and dishes you present, so take the time to find a great caterer that can impress attendees. Food served in courses will also allow for plenty of conversation and give the guests something to rave about to break the ice.
Elevate the caliber of your commemoration with atmospheric lighting. If you’re entertaining outside, use strands of lights or battery powered candles to create an inviting mood without worrying about fire and wind. If you’re hosting inside, use candles and lamps instead of bright overhead lights. Create lanterns with battery powered candles and brown paper bags to light the way to your event with style.
Graduations are an important time in one’s life. It marks accomplishments while celebrating the future, a time for humble gratefulness and excited anxiety. Let your graduate know how special their accomplishments and goals are with a personalized celebration, and let In the Event help. We have everything you need from furniture rentals, to decoration advice and signage. In the Event makes it easy to stop stressing the details and focus on congratulating the graduate.
Pro tip: Is it graduation time, and you don’t know where to start? Luckily with our experience in the event industry, we can help you plan your event and/or find the perfect decor for your next graduate!
We consider ourselves industry innovators, and here’s why: we go above and beyond. Not only do we supply all the event basics in our inventory, we make sure that when you come to In The Event™, you have access to what’s trending. Rent a chair, or rent our floating ; it’s all here. This series was built to highlight some of our favorite rentals that are changing the game in event rentals. This week, we’re showcasing our !
The Specs:
Space: 6 or 12 Person Setups
Available Scents: Almond, Cherry, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Gardenia, Lavender, Lemongrass, Orange, Peppermint, Spearmint, Eucalyptus, Wintergreen.
Materials: Aluminum Frames with Acrylic Panels. Can be accommodated with any of our wood bars or LED lighting.
The Gallery:
The Benefits:
Whether you’re hosting a networking event or simply need a unique focal point, this Oxygen Bar is the perfect solution for any event! Though we can’t claim that it can cure a common cold, this bar is always a fun way to entertain guests. Your guests will be breathing over 90% pure oxygen infused with some of our favorite essential oils, like lavender, eucalyptus, and cinnamon! We also love seeing the versatility of the Oxygen Bar. Whatever your theme, this bar can be altered to accommodate any look. From our rustic to our modern , the Oxygen Bar can be used on any of our standard bars!
Recommended Use:
We love seeing our Oxygen Bar at networking events! Bringing attendees together to experience a unique event rental always sparks conversation. Our clients are always impressed at what this bar can do to help accomplish event goals. This bar is especially productive at networking events, as its entire purpose is to get people talking together in small groups.
Interested in finding out what our Oxygen Bar can do for your next event? with our design team today to start creating your next event!
Every season has pros and cons when it comes to planning events, and the winter months are no exception. From cooler temperatures to dangerous weather conditions, planning a winter event can be a challenge for any event planner. Thankfully, winter events also have the potential to stand out as some of the most engaging and memorable events of the year. From finding ways to accommodate guests outside to creating cozy interiors, winter events unleash the best of an event planner’s creativity. After working through a few of our infamous Utah winters, we’ve accumulated some foolproof tips to upgrading your next winter event.
Go Wireless
Whether you’re cozying up by the fire or heating an outdoor space, winter is often has a higher risk for fire hazards. Don’t let your lighting options be on the list of ways your event could be ruined by a tipsy guest or a younger attendee. Having wireless lighting gives you all the benefits of professional lighting design without the hassle or risk of wires everywhere. Especially during the winter months, where lighting is one of the most important aspects of your event. Experience the freedom of planning an event outdoors without having to run wires inside, or spending time in the cold trying to find outlets or power sources.
Pro tip: Learn more about why you should at your next event.
Go Outside
Don’t be afraid to venture outside the ski lodge for your next event. Incorporating the outdoors into your next winter event is sure to get attendees excited and engaged. From heated to outdoor activities, there are plenty of options to make the most of the cold and snow. One of our favorite models of venturing outside is the Outdoor Retailers ! From the convention space to the mountains, each brand adheres to the ‘tried and tested’ approach and makes sure that buyers are making the most of the outdoors and their equipment. Not only does it make for a good time, but attendees are simultaneously exposed to all of the equipment in action, bringing more power to the investment the brand made in the event.
Keep an eye out on to see some of our upcoming posts from some awesome winter events!
Go Above & Beyond
With a number of events held at the ski resorts and lodges this winter, your event needs to go above and beyond to stand out. Incorporating LED furniture and lighting into your lodge, or adding antique furniture and memorabilia to your decor will go a long way. Going the extra mile for your winter event is essential to creating an event that won’t be forgotten. Though each season does seem limited by trending designs, winter events are especially vulnerable to falling into the mold, due to environmental restrictions. Make sure your event takes the lead and spend the time to enhance your decor with unique rentals and design!
Want to complete the look of your winter retreat? Check out these !
Looking to upgrade your winter event, but don’t know where to start? Put yourself in good hands with the team at In The Event™. Born and raised in the best snow on earth, we know what it takes to host a winter event attendees aren’t likely to forget.
In The Event™’s wireless LED lighting was our first and favorite claim to fame. In the world of modern events, it has become more important than ever, and not just because it looks beautiful in any event space. If you’re still wondering whether wireless is the right fit for your next event, here are four of our favorite things about wireless lighting to convince you.
Safety should always be your top priority when planning any type of event. If not for venue-imposed restrictions, you should always keep an eye out for potential safety hazards at your events. With wireless lighting, you can set your mind at ease. No guests tripping over wires, exposed plugs, or blown circuits. There is so much else to think about during an event, don’t let simple lighting issues get in your way of hosting an amazing experience your guests aren’t likely to forget.
Pro tip: Want to know more about why safety should come first at your events? Click here to read more!
Event design is an artform, so don’t let the distance from an outlet hinder your creative spirit! Having wireless lighting as part of your event decor will always allow for more freedom to design your event exactly how you envisioned it. Lighting is especially tricky at events, as you always want to make sure you’ve got that perfect angle. With wireless options, you are free to highlight what you want, where you want, without worrying about outlets and cords in your event space.
Looking to lower your cost for your next event? Wireless lighting is the perfect solution for any event budget. As mentioned before, being limited by outlet placement isn’t just taxing on your event design, but also on your labor costs. Instead of an easy setup, your event staff will have to put in the extra time and effort to accommodate all of those wires. You might also avoid high energy costs at your venue. Using rechargeable batteries instead of the venue’s power will give you more space in your budget for that extra dessert on the catering menu.
Pro tip: Looking for more tips to save on your next event? Check out our 5 Event Planning Tips To Save You Time, Money & Stress!
Going green at your next event has never been so easy. With wireless LED lighting, not only are you investing in equipment that is saving you from a large electric bill, you’re also avoiding negative impacts on the environment. With our rechargeable batteries, you can enjoy your next event knowing that you’ve done your part in keeping energy costs down, and old batteries out of the landfill.
Pro tip: Here are some of our favorite sustainability tips from BuzzFeed!
Are you looking for a Utah event planner who loves wireless lighting? Look no further. Click here to download our rental packages, with some of our most innovative rental equipment at a great price.
We’ve heard it all before. Everyone says that hiring professional event planners is a luxury reserved for the pros. We have experienced events at every level, and have seen what having a professional event planner at your side can do to create a beautiful, stress-free event.
Save On Event Costs
Worried about how much hiring an event planner will cost? Contrary to popular belief, sometimes hiring a professional event planner can save you money. A professional designer will often have formed relationships with local vendors and will receive discounts for booking with them that any other customer would not. Event planners also know where and when to get things for less than full price. Their job is to know the industry, which will always pay off for you in ways they can save you money on anything from your venue to catering!
Pro tip: Want to know more about saving money at your next event? Check out these tips!
Reuse, Recycle
Trust us. You’ll never use those 200 votives again. Keep your closets free of unused event equipment you bought for that wedding 5 years ago, and rent from the pros! Our planners at In The Event™ have full access to our comprehensive , giving you the chance to rent those beautiful chairs without having to store them at your own house. Have a special request? Event planners will almost always know where to rent unique decor, giving you the beautiful event you wanted, without the dusty boxes in your attic.
Beautiful Events
People are always surprised at what an event planner can do for their event, big or small. Sure, we can make a convention hall look like an elegant venue, but we love working with small events just as much! Whether it’s renting professional equipment, or getting help with overall event design, your event planners can help make your event look amazing, without using the entirety of our inventory or resources.
Stress Free Service
No level of event is exempt from a good amount of stress for the host. Even if you’re throwing a party for the local PTA, you’ll almost always find something unexpected to worry about. Having a professional event planner by your side gives you the opportunity to help design a beautiful event without running around in circles 5 minutes before the party, trying to arrange party platters. Even a quick consultation with a professional who knows how to avoid a lot of event mishaps can go a long way when it comes to planning your next party.
Looking for a professional event planner for your next event? In The Event™ is always happy to provide event rentals and services for any type of event, big or small. Want to preview some of our work? Check us out on !
When it comes to your event, safety should be at the top of your priority list. Whether at a birthday party or a corporate event, there are always risks involved in renting and using event equipment. From loose wires to unreliable electrical equipment, anything that isn’t the highest quality has the potential to ruin a great event. As professional event planners who maintain an innovative rental house, we know the difference that safe event tech can make in creating a fun and secure atmosphere for your event.
To help with your next event equipment decisions, our team put their heads together to come up with the three most important reasons you should be investing in safe event tech for your next show!
Certified: At a professional rental house, like the one we maintain here at In The Event™, you’re guaranteed not only professional, top-grade equipment that has been certified for safe use, you’re also going to be working with a trained staff who strive to make sure that every piece of their equipment is ready to be used safely. A company that prioritizes staying on top of latest tech trends will be able to offer incredible design options for your event, which also means that you’re renting items at the top of their class in safety certification.
Cost Effective: A big concern for most clients is cost. Though we always work with our clients to make sure that they’re receiving the best value, it is true that better equipment means a bigger price tag. Some clients decide to go to a cheaper vendor, or look for a DIY solution for their event needs. What most don’t realize is that this poses a serious risk for the safety of your guests and the venue. If you decide to purchase your rental items from a design house that charges less, you’re likely to get equipment that isn’t up to the best standards, and isn’t maintained with the dedication of a professional rental facility. Hiring professional grade equipment may be a bit extra, but will be worth it in the end.
Carefree: Our favorite part about getting the best, safe event tech for your event? You don’t have to worry about guests tripping over exposed wires, or causing accidental damage to the venue and having to forfeit your 
deposit! Hosting any kind of event is stressful, and to add the possibility of an equipment problem is something you shouldn’t have to deal with. From basic party supplies to innovative event tech, you should always make sure that your rental provider is top of the line.
Pro tip: Check out all of our wireless equipment, the safest way to light up your next event!
Avoiding low quality equipment is crucial to hosting any event. It’s never fun to have spent time and energy creating a fun and engaging experience, only to have things go wrong with your equipment. If you’re putting in the time and effort, your equipment should meet your standards of excellence. Set your mind at ease and hire from a company you trust.
Hosting an event? Make it a safe event with In The Event™! Our professionally trained staff and innovative rental house are always ready to host an event designed to set your mind at ease. Get started here.
We aren’t certified financial advisors, but what we can advise is action based on a scientific fact: investing in experiences is worth every penny. The researchers at have our backs on this one, saying that “consumers derive value from anticipation, and that value tends to be greater for experiential than for material purchases.” They also found that the happiness derived from experiential purchases “provide[s] more enduring happiness.” This concept of lasting happiness is easily applied to life experiences, such as that trip to London, or laser tag with the kids; however, we also believe that it has ties to our industry! The culture of events, meetings, trade shows, galas, or anything meant to provide experiences to attendees has potential to provide guests with the satisfaction that simply won’t come from a goody bag full of sugar and notepads.
Many people believe that investing in a professional event planner or renting out quality event decor is not only outside of their budget, but unnecessary. Here at In The Event™, we believe that not only is quality service and equipment worth it, but necessary to create an experience that will drive attendees to your brand, support a cause, or just send a powerful message of inclusivity from a company. We may be biased, but we’ve helped with so many events and have really seen the difference between someone who invests in making the experience something to remember, and someone who doesn’t.
Here are four main reasons people looking to host an event should really invest in making it an experience for their attendees:
1. Attendee Satisfaction
Easily one of the most simple answer to the “Why?” question. Why invest? Because your attendees will thank you for it. If you’re hosting a conference and think that people will leave thinking “wow, those folding chairs and 3 hours of keynote speakers was really fun!” it’s likely that you might be a little too optimistic. Investing in a professional will not only give you the chance to enjoy your own experience, sans managing caterers and AV equipment, but will also give your attendees a positive vibe surrounding your company and how it feels about its employees.
2. Smarter Spending
Investing in an event is not only good for employee morale, but it’s actually a smarter way to spend your money. Sure, white plastic table cloths and your daughter’s boombox are cheaper, but when you take into account the countless hours of planning, managing, and stress before, during, and after an event, it’s worth it to invest in professionals, and let the event be an experience for you as the host! In the words of Red Adair, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” Quality will always be a smart choice when it comes to making your event budget.
3. Anticipation
As we’ve said before, no one will look forward to sitting on folding chairs for 3 hours, or walking a trade show floor made up of white dividers in an old conference hall. The power of experiences over material things is in the level of anticipation that events naturally bring. If you’ve invested in good event advertising, and have made your event worth getting excited about, we guarantee it’ll be a hit.
4. The Aftermath
It’s no question that a good event will please attendees before, during, and after the big show. If you’ve taken the leap and made your event something to remember, trust us: It will be remembered. Good reviews about the company after that conference, positive association with your brand after that trade show, word of mouth about the cause you were promoting after the gala, are all benefits on top of the fact that you provided a great experience so many people in your audience!
So now that we’ve given you every reason to believe us when we say that investing in your next event is the best option, take the next step and Not only have we created packages of our unique event decor for less, but we also provide our clients with professional and experienced event design. We are ready to help you increase employee satisfaction, spend smarter, create anticipation, and help spread the word about your brand, company, charitable cause, or whatever else you need. Get ready for the experience of a lifetime!
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Millennials (those aged 18 to 34) are now the largest segment of working Americans—comprising 33 percent of the workforce. They’re the first generation to grow up online and with a cell phone in their hands. Millennials are more connected, more educated, and more tech-savvy. And when it comes to business meetings and conferences they demand more than a series of lectures and cocktail reception.
Engaging millennials at events takes strategy, planning, and a willingness to take some risks. And knowing what they want from a meeting is the first step. The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has invested in research to better understand what the millennial generation expects from meetings, conventions, and other corporate events. Here’s a summary of what they discovered.
It’s time to start designing events with millennials in mind. As the largest portion of the American workforce, they are the future of every industry. Changing up the way you promote and execute corporate events is the key to harnessing the attention of this generation. If your meetings have been falling flat, here are some ideas to help you engage and inspire the millennial workforce.
One of the first things you need to do is build an effective, exciting website for your event. People—and especially millennials—will look for information online. Create a simple, bright homepage that makes people want to learn more. Keep information brief (focus on what attendees will get out of the event) and make it easy for people to register or request more information.
Go social with the website. Embed social media widgets that keep people in the know about new speakers and other event news. Invite speakers and other influencers to post blogs that whet the appetites of potential participants.
If you choose to engage participants, make sure your blog is monitored. Millennials like to be part of the conversation, so responding to questions and comments is important.
Think TED talks. The hard-hitting, abbreviated style of these story-laden presentations is the new standard for public speaking. It’s also the best way to reach, engage, and mobilize your millennial audience. The short format—talks need to stay under 18 minutes—is designed for maximum impact. By the time your participants start to lose interest, the talk is concluding with its hard-hitting take home message.
Rather than scheduling a 30 or 45-minute lecture, break up your presentations into smaller segments and cut out all the fluff. In the world of Twitter and blogs, people desire a one-two punch when it comes to information, rather than an in-depth analysis.
Millennials have grown up in the world of social media, mobile devices, and instant gratification. Utilizing an an app as part of your next conference, trade show, or meeting gives millennials an easy way to get involved—but it can’t just be white noise. Make sure your conference or meeting app gives them more than general information.
“It has to engage and lead somebody to action,” Jeff Barrett, PR guru and one of “Forbes’” Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers in 2013, said. He encourages event organizers to use mobile apps to help facilitate networking, create sub-conversations among participants, or conduct live polling during a break-out group or keynote address.
Seventy-three percent of millennials want to be part of live polling during event sessions. They want to share their opinions, ask questions, and feel like they are part of what’s happening. You can facilitate real-time participation through social media, texts, or apps designed specifically for this purpose.
Gamification is another way to make your event interactive. This uses the mechanics of a game, such as points, challenges, badges, and completion bars, to encourage attendee participation and engagement. It ties into millennials’ intrinsic desire for recognition, accomplishment, and feedback. Apps like Colossi are making it easy to add gamification to your event with their “turn-key” integration.
However, beware of using gamification for its own sake. Make sure you have clear outcomes in mind that are tangible and beneficial to participants.
Pro tip: Incorporate interaction into your next event with ITE’s interactive tech!
Pre-function space is the name of the game when it comes to venue. Millennials crave more non-linear education experiences, which is transforming the look and feel of meetings and conferences.
One stage with one speaker and breakout sessions in separate rooms behind closed doors are becoming a thing of the past. A more casual, open format makes it easy for attendees to come and go and encourages more spontaneous conversations and interaction.
“With the open format, people can take a few minutes of content in,” Kelly Peacy, Senior Vice President of Education and Events for PCMA said. “They’ll take what they need, and if they don’t like it, they’ll walk away from that space and go someplace else. That’s the beauty of open space learning. You can come and go as you please without offending a speaker or other people.”
Conclusion
Changing up the way you plan and execute corporate events such as training meetings and conferences can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Tap into the expertise of a corporate event planner to help you incorporate these ideas into your next big event. It will be well worth it when you see an engaged audience full of millennials who can’t stop tweeting about the innovative meeting they just attended.
Host your next millennial event with confidence. Contact In The Event™ for innovative event solutions at every selfie station.
Last time we checked, being an event planner was ranked as one of the top five most stressful professions of 2016. Event managers need to coordinate what seems like a million different things and between linens, lighting, and lists, something is bound to go wrong. Sometimes a vendor will fall through or event attendance is double what you expected; no matter what happens, professional event planners are always expected to keep their cool and take control.
As we can attest, hosting amazing events never gets easier. Thankfully, we’ve learned a few tips and tricks from our years of experience, and we’re letting you in on our secrets for stress-free event planning!
We all know it’s not a good idea to loose your cool on show site. Blowing up at a colleague or staff member won’t look good for you, or your company. Unfortunately, people often fix this problem by bottling up anger, which can lead to problems with friends and family who have to deal with your breakdowns.
Instead of harboring an aggressive attitude, find a productive way to deal with anger or frustration. For some people, that’s writing it down. Get your frustrations out on paper and then toss it in the trash or type it out on your phone and then delete the draft. It’s important to express what you’re feeling if you want to be able to move on.
Another way to combat any frustrations or stress build-up is to learn a few breathing exercises. If you can take a minute or two to yourself, try these breathing exercises that expel anxiety and then re-energize you.
Here’s some of our favorites: Start with an abdominal breathing technique to relax. With one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, take a deep breath through the nose so that your diaphragm inflates. Take six to 10 slow, deep breaths.
Re-energize using the Nadi Shodhana or “alternate nostril breathing” technique. Hold your right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with your ring finger and then exhale through the right nostril. Continue this pattern for 10 breaths.
Pro tip: Preparation is key to managing event stress. Make sure you’re prepared for a new year of events with our free, downloadable 2017 Event Trends Guide!
Simply smiling has been scientifically proven to make us happier and less anxious. Although smiling may be the last thing you want to do when things are going wrong, you can give yourself a little boost by making the effort.
Furthermore, smiling helps you relate with others. By smiling when things get tricky at your event, you don’t only convey confidence to your team, but also encourage them to connect with you and help you with whatever you need.
As an event manager, you have to deal with stressful changes all the time. If you find yourself having a hard time coping, you may want to find an uplifting mantra or short, meaningful phrase that you can repeat to yourself when it’s time to overcome a challenge.
If mantras are really your style, try listening to music. Music has been proven to have the power to physically calm us down, or excite us. Find a “pump you up” song you can listen to when you need a boost, and an “everything will be okay” song to keep you calm when things go awry.
When it comes time to problem solve, don’t put all of that pressure solely on yourself. Event managers and control freaks have a tendency to do this, usually because they think it will be faster to do it themselves than to assign the task, but it isn’t the most efficient way to manage an event stress-free.
Delegate all of the responsibilities you can so you free up your time to deal with the big stuff and make sure everything stays (or gets back) on track. If there really is a task only you can do, take a coworker along to watch how you do it so they can take over that job next time.
Rely on your staff or event production company to take care of the small stuff. It might be hard to relinquish control, but it’s essential during crunch time if you’ve got a mess to clean up.
It’s easy to use words like “disaster,” “mess,” and “failure” when things aren’t going according to plan, but those negative words don’t help you overcome challenges, they just cause stress.
When we use negative words, our brain releases the stress hormone cortisol, which impairs our ability to think big-picture and has major impacts on our physical well-being like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion.
Keep cortisol at bay by re-labeling challenges as “opportunities to get creative” or “learning experiences.” If you can change the way you think about difficulties, you not only keep yourself from becoming stressed, you may also find a new way of looking at the problem that allows you to solve it better.
Being an event manager is no easy job, but these stress relief techniques can help you keep your cool when it seems like everything is going wrong.
To avoid that feeling from the get-go, get In The Event™ involved. Our event production specialists are experts in producing seamless events, and our large in-house inventory of event rental furniture and technology can help you overcome any challenge that comes your way.
Check out how we solved the problem of boring, old events with one killer event planners secret with our free guide!
This is part two of a two-part series about transforming a boring meeting into an exciting corporate event. Last week we looked at how to devise a corporate meeting strategy that is focused and delivers a cohesive theme. In addition, we discussed how to inject surprise into your meeting and ways to save your sanity by using resources like a corporate event planner.
Today, we conclude this series with information about using the environment to reinforce your message, tech-savvy ways to engage the audience, and how to pay attention to the tiny details that can become big problems if overlooked.
Nobody ever said a corporate meeting has to take place in a stale ballroom or nondescript lecture hall. The environment of your event sets the tone. Consider unusual spaces that will enhance your purpose and theme. With the right corporate event experts on your team you can transform any space into the perfect venue for your meeting.
If your focus is to rejuvenate your team consider a teaching space in a local spa, yoga studio, or wellness center. To stimulate both the right and left brain of your attendees look for available spaces in art galleries, museums, or concert halls. Depending on your theme, an aquarium or library may be the most suitable environment to reinforce your message.
The key is to free yourself from the constraints of traditional meeting tropes. Shaking up the venue choice is one of the easiest, most effective ways to instantly alter your employees’ usual expectations.
Meetings are a great opportunity to recognize employees for accomplishments, time served, and their unique contribution to the overall success of the organization. Depending on the size of your organization you may want to find a way to acknowledge every participant. This is the perfect way to tie in your theme—and it doesn’t have to be complicated. If your focus is about celebration, buy a box of party horns and label each with the name of an employee and a characteristic of theirs that you want to celebrate.
In addition to acknowledging milestones like work anniversaries, include personal highlights like birthdays, births, marriages, completion of higher education, etc. This will reinforce the organization’s investment in the whole person, not just the part they bring to work with them each day.
If you give out awards for MVPs or outstanding workplace accomplishments add comments and congratulations from colleagues and family members to your presentation. Using video or audio to share these personal messages will make the award that more meaningful—and will inspire everyone to shoot for the same kind of acknowledgement and validation in the future.
When it comes to making your meeting interactive, you can’t do much better than gamification. The idea is to turn learning into an experience that’s similar to a video game. The focus is on learning, achievement, and rewards. Look into renting iPads or offering a smartphone app for all attendees so everyone can participate in gamification activities throughout the hours or days of the meeting.
The simplest form of gamification to add to your event is audience participation. Audience response systems let attendees interact in real time with fellow attendees, speakers, and panels. It instantly transforms a traditional lecture into an interactive learning event. Poll Everywhere is an app that turns any mobile device into an interactive tool that allows participants and presenters to ask and answer questions and provide feedback. Responses can be shared instantly and incorporated into a web or PowerPoint presentation.
If you have a multi-day event, use a tool like SCANVenger Hunt or Go Game to create interactive scavenger hunts that encourage participation, networking, and learning. You might be thinking, “Ideas like this are appealing, but who has time to put it all together?” That’s where a professional corporate event planner can make the difference—they have all the time and resources to integrate gamification into your event and make it truly memorable.
You can have the most exciting speaker ever, but if no one can find the restroom, let alone the location of their afternoon breakout session, that frustration is what they’re most likely to remember. Participants shouldn’t notice any of the behind-the-scenes details that make an event go smoothly. Take the time to have the forethought and personnel in place to prevent simple mistakes that make you look disorganized or careless.
Have an organized welcome and orientation station. Provide name tags that include something about each attendee such as their job title. And never use name tags with pins—participants invest in their clothes and expecting them to poke holes in them is disrespectful.
Be sure to clearly mark all rooms on a map and throughout the building. If you’re in a particularly confusing building, place guides in strategic spots to help direct attendees. Other things to consider include fresh water and coffee in all meeting rooms or a central networking area, enough wastebaskets to accommodate discarded cups and napkins (and make sure they get taken out frequently to avoid overflow), and a plentiful supply of paper products in the restroom.
Create a checklist of all the small things that need to be attended to and assign someone to be responsible for each one. If you’re using a corporate event planner they probably already have a list that covers everything. Let them help you identify the most common blunders and make a plan to avoid them.
It’s been said that you can’t repair a bicycle while you’re riding it, but that’s exactly what you need to do when you’re presenting a corporate meeting. Designate yourself and a couple key members of the leadership team to check in with participants throughout the day. Ask them if they like the format, if the speakers have been engaging, and if their expectations have been met or let down so far.
Events that take place over multiple days give you the most opportunity to adjust course if needed, but even if you only have a one-day event you can still take advantage of participant feedback. Make sure someone in the room is monitoring the mood and levels of participation. Empower them to jump in and steer the direction of a presentation if things start to get off course or add something to infuse the room with energy.
Your designated monitor should also keep an eye out for the physical comforts of the space including ample seating, appropriate temperature, audio-visual issues, and easy access to refreshments and restrooms. Constant diligence will create an experience that is focused on your message rather than the little things that can fall through the cracks.
One of the best parts of modern technology is the ability to integrate social media into your corporate event. If you use gamification, build in a follow-up aspect that encourages participation beyond the dates of the meeting. You can also have speakers make additional content available to participants to reinforce the goals of your event.
Plant the seeds for implementation and provide a forum for attendees to share successes and ideas weeks and months following the conclusion of the event. Invite enthusiastic adopters of event principles to participate as speakers or facilitators in follow-up webinars or mini-events. Offer rewards or tokens of acknowledgement to people caught trying something new after the meeting.
Your consistent reinforcement and application of the message and theme will validate the purpose of the meeting and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to excellence. Leading by example and congratulating employees you “catch in the act” afterwards are the best ways to make sure the efforts you put into your corporate meeting pay off.
Meetings are an inescapable fact of corporate life, so why not make them as painless as possible? By adopting these strategies you can create an intentional, meaningful experience that will propel your employees and organization to new heights of accomplishment and success.
This is Part 1 of “Corporate Meeting Planning: How to Turn Your Next Meeting Into an Event They Won’t Forget.” Watch for Part 2 on the In The Event™ blog on Friday!
“Meeting” is one of the most dreaded words in the modern vernacular. Whether you’re the one in charge of the corporate meeting planning or someone who has to attend, there are plenty of reasons to drag your feet when it comes to meetings. But, if done right, a meeting can be more than a forced group hug.
If you’re tired of hearing associates murmur under their breath about the next big meeting, it’s time to give your corporate meeting strategy a makeover. With the right goals in mind and the proper planning you can transform the annual training meeting into an inspiring event that leaves all participants feeling valued, refreshed, and itching to get back to work and apply what they learned.
Use these 11 strategies to makeover your boring meetings and turn them into successful events the attendees can’t stop talking about.
Have you ever spent three days in a corporate meeting only to leave regretting that you’ll never be able to get those hours back? The truth is, we all have. One of the biggest reasons meetings flop is that they are not executed with an overall strategy in mind. Outlining a clear objective for your meeting will make it much easier to include activities and information that will be meaningful and enriching to all attendees.
Focus on the purpose of the meeting and build your whole program around that central idea. Having a meeting for the sake of having a meeting is not worthwhile. Speak to employees or do an anonymous survey (tools like SurveyMonkey are great for this) to find out what’s currently missing in your corporate culture.
You can also get an idea of any skills gaps that are frustrating your employees or slowing down progress. Focus on the people who are on the front lines and weigh their input just as heavily—if not more than—suggestions from management. Once you know what’s needed, plan your event to fill those gaps. Identify specific outcomes you want to achieve and tailor your meeting to facilitate them.
Once you know what the primary purpose of your corporate meeting is, it’s time to choose a theme. Having a theme can be what makes a boring meeting feel like a true event. Themes should drive home the message of the event and add elements of fun and inclusion. A well-executed theme will help the goals of the event take root so that attendees will remember them long after the meeting concludes.
Themes can center on a key phrase or word, a symbol, or even a story or metaphor that helps the message come to life for the attendees. You should weave your theme throughout every aspect of the event—promo visuals, posters, notes, presentations, meals, activities, giveaways—the more often the theme is reinforced the easier it will be for everyone to remember.
Consider your company values and mission statement when selecting the theme. If you can tie the theme to the foundational tenets of the organization, the impact will be even greater. Themes that help engage both sides of the brain are the most successful. Don’t shy away from themes that appeal to participants both logically and emotionally.
One of the fastest ways to deflate the impact of your meeting is to leave your staff to organize everything. It’s hard to feel like you’re getting something out of a meeting that you’ve been working on for the past month. Reaching out to a professional corporate event planner is a smart way to insulate your staff from the taxing process of preparation.
When you attend a meeting that you’re also in charge of, it’s hard to feel inspired or nurtured. Give your best performers a break when it comes to corporate meeting planning and you’ll reap the rewards. Not only will it keep them focused on their regular jobs, but having them in the milieu as true participants will bolster the experience of all attendees.
A professional corporate event planner will also help you stay true to your purpose and theme. They will see your organization and the upcoming meeting with new eyes that can provide fresh ideas and new perspectives. It’s also great to have someone you can count on for the details. Your planner will make sure everything is in place and ready to go so you can focus on interacting with your associates and spreading the message of your event.
What makes an event memorable? It’s not another string of speakers with clunky PowerPoint presentations. To truly shake things up and make the leap from meeting to event, consider doing something unexpected.
Following a morning of training, load everyone onto a bus and head to a nearby bowling alley or miniature golf course. Prepare a goody bag that includes things they’ll need for the outing: socks, sunscreen, visors. Surprising your staff with a fun excursion will definitely be memorable. Have prizes for different achievements that exemplify your theme.
Other ideas include providing seated massage at breaks, offering stress management classes like Tai Chi or yoga, or rolling out a karaoke machine after lunch. Whatever you choose make sure it reinforces your theme and provides value to your participants. That value can be skill-building, team-building, or simply showing your staff that their health and wellness are a priority to the organization.
There’s no denying the fact that one of the biggest reasons we have meetings is to provide training. But just because it’s training doesn’t mean it has to be boring. When people attend a corporate meeting they expect to learn and grow. Capitalize on that expectation by engaging and retaining the receptive attitude your participants bring with them.
Seek out presenters who are passionate and bring the material to life. Anyone who uses humor to captivate their audience will be an instant hit. Use your corporate event planner to identify possible speakers who may be outside your industry but in line with your purpose. Hearing from an outsider can be a great catalyst for creative thinking and new ideas.
Find ways to combine learning and entertainment. Use group activities to demonstrate principles rather than lecturing about them. Provide ample opportunities for questions, comments, and sharing best practices. Intersperse trivia questions throughout a presentation to encourage independent thought and participation.
Watch the fine line between delivering information in an entertaining way and being cheesy. Make sure that your approach to “edutainment” is intelligent and doesn’t dumb down your message or your audience. If you can master this artful dance, you will end up with a transformative corporate meeting that impacts the productivity, motivation, and ingenuity of your employees.
This is part one of a two-part series. Check back on Friday for the rest of our secrets to make your next meeting a buzz-worthy corporate event. Here’s a preview of what we have in store for you.
6. Be smart about venue.
7. Make acknowledgement meaningful.
8. Go for gamification.
9. Don’t forget the details.
10. Take the temperature of the room.
11. Leave them wanting more.
