Successful Special Events

This bestselling all-in-one guide to the event planning business is back and better than ever, fully updated and revised to reflect the very latest trends and best practices in the industry. This handy, comprehensive guide includes forms, checklists, and tips for managing events, as well as examples and case studies of both successful and unsuccessful events. Judy Allen (Toronto, ON, Canada) is founder and President of Judy Allen Productions, a full-service event planning production company.

Practical tools and expert advice for professional event planners Before planning an event, there is much that must be done behind the scenes to make the event successful. Before any thought is even given to timing or location of the event, before the menus are selected and the decor designed, there are proposals to be written, fees and contracts to be negotiated, and safety issues to be considered. This book takes you behind the scenes of event planning and explains every aspect of organizing and strategic planning. This book will be of value to both the professional event planner and to clients who are dealing with planners. Its comprehensive coverage includes: how to prepare winning proposals, and how to understand them if you are the client; how to determine management fees; negotiating contracts; safety issues; designing events in multicultural settings; and new technology that makes operations more efficient (such as online registration and response management, database project management tools). The book also includes practical tools such as sample letters of agreement, sample layouts for client proposals, forms, and checklists. Professional event planner Judy Allen offers first-time or professional event planners all the top-class advice they need to make their special events come off without a hitch.

Special events can be the backbone of a nonprofit fund-raising program; they're also very hard work. A successful and cost-effective event t akes a great deal of planning, coordination, and effort. Successful Sp ecial Events: Planning, Hosting and Evaluating provides the guidance n ecessary to efficiently plan, implement, and evaluate such an event. Y ou'll discover how to establish your primary goal, the importance of m arket identification, special event opportunity ratings, setting goals, and the barriers to planning a successful special event.

For anyone planning events—student, novice, or experienced professional—Confessions of an Event Planner is an "apprenticeship in a book." This insider’s guide takes you on a narrative journey, following a fictional event planning company that stages various types of events around the world for many different clients. While other books, college courses, and training programs give you the theory and how-to of the profession, Confessions of an Event Planner reveals the real world of event planning and what can happen—usually the unexpected—on an event program when actual participants are added to the event planning design and execution mix. In a climate of media scrutiny and corporate scandals, event planners must be masters of discretion, knowing how to avoid and deal with everything from sexual romps to financial shenanigans, to chainsaw wielding salesmen dead set on “re-landscaping” the grounds of the resort they’re staying at. From an event planner who’s seen it all and knows how to deal with it all, comes practical first-hand advice delivered in an entertaining and accessible format. Each chapter is set in a unique location, with a cast of characters, and a host of challenges and problems to overcome—from the boardroom to the resort guest bedrooms. Readers learn what they can come up against, how to problem solve creatively on the fly, get ideas for staging spectacular events, and see the principles of event planning in action. The scenario in each chapter is introduced by an outline of what will be covered in the chapter, and each chapter concludes with a series of review questions to explore key issues and stimulate reflection or discussion for individuals or groups. Ideal as a companion to Judy Allen’s six other event planning books, as a textbook in event planning courses, or as a professional training tool Confessions of an Event Planner prepares planners for what they can expect once they start working in the world of corporate and social event planning, and will help decision-makers set company policies, procedures and protocol and promote discussion about codes of conduct in the office and offsite.

Become an event planning pro & create a successful event series

Practical, prescriptive advice on successfully marketing your event planning business Recent years have been tough on the event planning industry. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, economic downturns, wars, and SARS have all negatively impacted the business. There are fewer corporate dollars dedicated to travel budgets and special events, creating even more pressure on businesses in an already highly competitive industry. This book tells you all you need to know to market your business and build your client base in good times and bad. Marketing Your Event Planning Business shows you how to gain a competitive advantage by setting yourself apart from the competition, pursuing new markets, and soliciting sales. It covers all the vital topics in event planning marketing, including how to diversify your client base, develop niche markets, improve your customer service, establish emergency business plans, and much more. Ideal for event planners, marketing managers in the industry, and professionals in the hospitality, culinary, or travel industries Includes actionable advice on successfully marketing an event planning business Features illustrative examples, practical tips, and useful checklists and other resources Marketing Your Event Planning Business is packed with practical tips and examples, giving you creative new ways to showcase your talents, build your business, and bring added value to your clients.