Top Ten Planning Points for a Perfect Event

1. Define the Scope of Your Event

Start the planning process by determining the goals and objectives of your conference or event. A strategic assessment of goals, messaging and planning will ensure that your event provides tangible value to achieve your goals. span>
2. Overall Goals and Objectives

Is an event the best or most appropriate way to achieve goals (versus a press release or other targeted communication)?
What are the key goals or objectives of this event or conference? Specifically, what is the desired outcome and what do you want your guests to take away from this experience?

3. Key Planning and Production Items

What are your event’s pri mary messages and themes?

Speakers: Decide whether or not you want to have speakers. If so, be sure to choose the ones who will help you to achieve your objectives and goals. If there will be multiple speakers, how will their messages be differentiated and integrated? How will th e program be “choreographed”?
Target Audience: What is the target audience? Who else might benefit from this event beyond the primary attendees? If appropriate and feasible within budgetary constraints, consider including other members, as partners or special guests.
Date/Ti me/Location: What are the best dates, times and locations for this event? Why? Has adequate lead time been factored in (to invite attendees, reserve the venue, etc.)? Are you avoiding critical periods, such as back-to-school week, holiday times, conflicts with other events that might be of interest to your target group? Does your choice of location suit your goals/objectives? Should the venue be central, somewhat isolated or close to something / somewhere that pertains to your event?

4. Identify Marketing and Communications Strategies

· Marketing: How will this event be marketed? How can you obtain maximum effectiveness and leverage from your event – both before and after? Have you contacted media relations representatives?
· Communications: How will your message will be communicated or reinforced? Consider: invitations, printed programs, publications, advertising, and websites.
· Printed Materials: Do the printed materials (design and text) clearly reflect and identify your brand?

5. Select the Best Date

To avoid potential scheduling problems, check the following calendars to ensure that your preferred event date won’t conflict with any other large events that may be relevant to your target group.n>
· Holiday Calendar: This site provides dates of national and religious holidays: http://www.infoplease.com

· Sunrise and Sunset Calendar: This site provides the sunrise and sunset times for any given day: http://www.sunrisesunset.com

6. Event Fact Sheet

The Event Fact Sheet provides a brief event synopsis and includes basic details, such as who is attending (guest list); what is the program; what is the budget; what are the event goals; what are the general attendance statistics; and who is the contact person.
The event fact sheet is useful in helping to inform and brief staff and administrators, as well as in helping to address all of the basic event questions (who, what, where, when, etc.) for planning purposes.

7. Event Timeline

The event timeline is a schedule that lists the various tasks, notes, requirements, staff assignments, deadlines, etc. that pertain to the period leading up to the day of the event.
For a large-scale event, your timeline will likely cover a span of six months to a year prior to your actual event date.
It is advisable to create a separate timeline for your printed (or e-mail) materials (save-the-date, invitation, program, ticketing, etc.).

8. Financial Responsibilities

In addition to reviewing and approving your event’s programmatic content and ensuring compliance with company policy, the event manager is ultimately responsible for all costs and commitments related to the event.
It is vital to ensure that all commitments reflect, and are in line with, company policy.

9. Event Budget Planning

In a climate of escalating prices and limited resources, finding the best deals and meeting your bottom line are top priorities.
Planning out your expenses in advance will help you to determine the feasibility of your event, show you where you will be investing your funds and give you a clear picture of costs.
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10. Company Policies
Companies have strict policies with respect to entertainment, gifts, insurance and travel as they relate to events. Familiarize yourself with the company regulations about each of these.

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Putting down roots…

The natural world is continually changing, inspiring us and a thing of true beauty and pleasure to me…it is something I like to celebrate both when I am inside at home, as well as when I am out.

I am a great believer in bringing the outside in, especially into the home environment and relish in the importance of putting down roots. I tend to choose special artworks and objects for their ability to connect me directly to the things I love the most – nature, florals and botanicals.

Today I have rounded up some fantastic pieces of art-work [photography, prints, and originals] in addition to a few functional pieces and publications which would be the perfect step for anyone wanting to put down some botanical inspired roots in their home…none of these need soil, but are sure to create growth nonetheless!! 😉 Stylistically, there is hopefully something here for everyone…

Christopher David Ryan is an amazingly talented graphic artist, and someone who I had the pleasure of meeting recently [lovely chap!]…in his online Shoppe,My Little Underground you will find this stunning set of digital prints, entitledLeafy Mysteries – Series No 3. I am totally enamored of their ethereal graphics and soft colour palettes…truly stunning and evocative.

I first found Emma Kidds work on the fantastic online shop The Blue House– where you can purchase these beautiful postcards {along with lots of other wonderful goods}…I love their ghostly refracted imagery, the tree silhouettes drawing you in and creating focus. I think these postcards would be fab displayed together…as their colours just blend and work so well side by side.

Mhari McMullan creates stunning artworks, in a variety of mediums…I love the way a common theme of florals ties together her wonderfully eclectic collection of original art-works…their hard-edged colour palettes tempered with touches of lace, organic drips and free-flowing forms. Mhari has worked for some serious design forces {such as Tord Boontje and World of Interiors} so is surely a name to keep an eye on! Her recently launched online shop is stocked with fantastic one off pieces…which would look wonderful displayed in isolation or grouped together for impact.

Ella Doran’s hugely successful range of home products, fused with bright, bold and beautiful photographic imagery has surely by now won over a huge number of adoring fans. I really like some of her floral pieces, especially these Femme place-mats featuring Anemone blooms…which would add a beautiful pop of colour to a simple dining kitchen space.

The Small Stakes is one of my favourite companies. They produce the most wonderful music posters…and with so many of their incredible designs utilising floral and botanical inspirations, I am delighted to be able to include them here. I love that these have an inherently graphic, clean feel to them. The message and imagery clear and easy to see, to make sense of and enjoy. Whether you find a poster for one of your favourite bands, or just love the overall image – these posters are a wonderful way of introducing art into your home space….I know a couple of these are certainly on my wish-list for when I move.

I have had Karin Akesson’s site bookmarked for a long time…I can’t even remember where I first saw her work, but I am very glad I did! These beautiful limited edition screen printed wrapping papers involve the language of flowers in their design…such a fantastic idea, and beautiful result. I would also love to see these framed…as they are almost too lovely to use as a wrap!

The Gocco prints from Yoo_ii are fantastic. There are so many words I could use to describe her unique aesthetic and sense of composition but I think her works speak for themselves, and say beauty all the way. Recently released in her online shop a new limited edition duo of prints based on Japanese Zen Gardens….simply divine, so snap them up while you can!

If there is one publication I would recommend above all else, it is Bloom. Edited and conceived by the worlds leading trend predictor Li Edelkoort – it is beyond stunning. Each volume {released bi-annually} is more like a book…a tome of floral beauty, drawing together all the creative industries under one common banner. The tag-line for Bloom is, A Horticultural Review : The first trend magazine for flowers and plants, and how they relate to fashion, interiors and other industries. This is one publication that is absolutely leading the way…I am slowly building up my collection, and hope one day to be able to work through the back catalogue and collect all the issues. I have a feeling these will prove to be one of the most comprehensive collections of stunning Botanical art and design ever published….it will be an ongoing collation of everything that is amazing, and related to flora, in our design world today. You can purchase Bloom from Magma books in the UK and also online through the edelkoort shop.

It has been an absolute pleasure guest-blogging here this week, and having the opportunity to wax lyrical about my love of Botanicals. I feel like I only just managed to scratch the surface…and had so many more artists and designers work to share. Be sure to visit my blog [ http://www.abigailpercy.blogspot.com ] in the coming weeks where I will try to share the links that are ‘left over’ 🙂

Many thanks to Grace for inviting me to share this space for the week, and an extra special thank you to all of you who read and commented….your welcome was very warm indeed. Have a fantastic weekend!

How to Find Your Job with LinkedIn

The job and internship search can be tough and discouraging, especially in a down economy. The search itself can appear to be a full-time job in itself with so many different areas of focus, including resumes, cover letters, emails, networking, applications, interviews and more, and with so many different tools and resources available to help you with them. One of the most powerful weapons of the career search in today’s job market is LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the leading “social networking†site for professionals. It’s not social networking like on Facebook or MySpace, but more business and career networking. There is so much you can do on LinkedIn, and while it is not the only effective tool available to you in your career search, it really deserves some of your time, attention and investment as it integrates all of your career search efforts and can really help you be more effective and productive in the other important areas.

Here are 6 ways to use LinkedIn to optimize your career search and find your dream job. If you know someone who is seeking a job or internship, please forward them these tips along with an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.

1. Profile

Use the Profile link on the left and whether you’ve just created your profile or already have one, make sure to follow the suggested steps to complete your profile up to the 100% level. A complete profile lifts you up in LinkedIn’s search engine results.

Go beyond the bare minimum when following those steps and make sure to fill in as much professional, academic and skill-based information from your resume as you feel comfortable providing. The more information you have provided, the more potentially-matching names and keywords you will have provided, in turn also optimizing your profile in LinkedIn’s search engine results.

Completing your profile 100% will require getting 3 recommendations, but try to go beyond that. Ask for brief recommendations from as many past supervisors, co-workers, subordinates, key classmates, professors etc as possible. That’s the beauty of LinkedIn, you can request brief recommendations from people from whom you might not request longer, more comprehensive hard-copy recommendations. Many brief high-quality recommendations are often just as valuable as a few long high-quality recommendations. If you feel comfortable doing so, offer to write one for them in return.

Create an interesting, intriguing and memorable subtitle to be included with your name, something more than simply “MBA Student†and/or “Financial Analyst.â€Â

Update your status often to post your availability and career goals like “John is seeking full-time opportunities in brand management with food and beverage CPG firms.â€Â
2. Groups

Use the Groups link on the left and search for LinkedIn groups related to your company, industry, school and/or career-related interests and request to join (maximum limit is 50 groups). While quantity is not as important as quality, join as many as possible and remember that groups with more members allow for more potential contacts. Group membership also allows you to contact fellow group members (depending on their privacy settings) even if they are not your direct connections which can be very valuable in your job search.

Once joined or confirmed by the group owner as a member, check to see what the group’s discussion board guidelines are (if any), and if permitted, post a personal sales pitch for your job candidacy on each group’s discussion board and include your email address, Twitter username etc.

Network with group members by offering insights and answers to questions on the discussion board and/or posting questions or discussion topics yourself. This helps you make valuable connections while starting to establish your personal brand.

Check out the groups’ external websites/communities for more networking opportunities.

Consider joining open networking groups, such as TopLinked, Invites Welcome and many more. This will increase your number of personal connections, but the true value is that it puts you in second-degree contact with more professionals and depending on their privacy settings, allows you contact them.
3. People

With an increasing network of connections and fellow group members, under the People tab at the top, search for contacts of interest, industry leaders and/or current employees of your top-choice companies and if possible, message them requesting brief informational interviews.

When successful, read their profiles to learn a little more about them prior to your conversation. If appropriate, use this information to help you come across well-researched and find common ground with your interviewer.
4. Jobs

Under the Jobs tab at the top, you will find LinkedIn’s own job board, a great place to search for jobs on a daily basis. Its job board is similar to others, like Monster and CareerBuilder; however, many of the opportunities are exclusively available on LinkedIn, and many of the opportunities list the recruiters or employers who posted them, offering another level of personal connection for the cover letter and future networking.
In addition, this job board is where the profile recommendations really can make a difference, for after you apply, employers and recruiters can instantly refer to your recommendations as complimentary support to your resume, cover letter and profile.
5. Answers

Using the Answers tab at the top, you can search relevant questions of interest or of relevance to your expertise by category or by keywords and you can offer your own answers and insights. The person who asked the question may rate the best answers, which if yours, can help identify you on LinkedIn as an official expert in a given subject area. However, regardless of your answer ratings, offering your insights and answers will begin to establish your personal brand and expertise and will initiate some potential networking and job opportunities.
You can also post your own questions. If you are writing a book, articles for a blog etc., this can be a great way to get some ideas and answers to your own questions which can enhance the value of the content you offer to others through your writing and reinforces your own brand and expertise.
6. Companies

Under the Companies tab at the top, you can search companies by industry category and geographic location and identify companies that you may not have previously considered, especially smaller companies and start-ups. LinkedIn also shows whether the companies in your search results have posted job opportunities on its job board, a feature which is very helpful.

If the companies don’t have jobs posted on LinkedIn, visit the companies’ corporate websites and check for their job opportunities or application processes.

Use their company profiles to identify new people, especially the hiring managers or HR decision makers, to contact for information, information interviews etc.

The Colors Of Global Brand Identities

By evad in Articles, News, Trends

Today, more than ever, companies need to separate themselves from others that share the same crowded marketplaces, and it is being done with branding and creating a unique and easily recognizable visual identity. The visual identity of a business can be one of its most valuable intangible assets, and part of that visual identity is color.

Referring to Business Week’s ‘Best Global Brands 2007‘ (link to PDF) report, which ranks "brands which place high importance on managing the economic value of their intangible assets, and primary their brands, consistently out preform basic economic measures," we selected what may be the most easily identifiable logos in the corporate world today, then stripped them of every line and gradient to pullout just the color palettes. See if they are just as strong without the logo itself.

Header Image from Business Week: Best Global Brands 2007‘ report.

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