The Event Planner's Guide Book

A President's Leadership Nuggets on Vision & Principles

If you’re a business owner chances are you consider yourself a leader.   You may have been born with this penchant to rule the world (or at least a little piece of it  =)...queue the “Dr. Evil” laugh ) or circumstances in your life have forced you to take on leadership responsibilities out of necessity, but regardless of how you got here it’s important to understand that the skills necessary to lead people are developed and refined over time and with experience.

Leaders tend to observe the world around them with an eye that is different from most.  Leaders connect with others in leadership positions to network and learn from.  After all there is wisdom in a multitude of advisors.

A couple of months ago I had the privilege of attending the Saddleback Civil Forum in which Pastor Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) interviewed President George W. Bush.   For 90 minutes, Rick probed President Bush about his thoughts on leadership.  Politics aside, the former president had tremendous insight into what makes a great leader.  I’m so glad I had a small notebook with me as I completely filled it!  Over the next few blog posts I’m going to enthusiastically share what I learned during this inspiring evening.

Take a look at President Bush’s comments related to vision and principles below.  I call them Leadership Nuggets. Can you apply them in your own life and business?

LEADERSHIP NUGGETS on VISION & PRINICPLES

1. A leader has a vision and a clear direction.
2. Leaders find principles based on their faith – what they believe in.
3. A leader must believe in his/her principles and vision when times get tough.
4. Leaders don’t feel sorry for themselves; they take on a challenge with the determination and attitude of climbing to the top of a mountain.

What we can learn:  Leaders know what they are trying to accomplish and why.  These are critical elements and if you can’t define them in your business then you might think about doing something else with your life.  If you are at all like me, you know too well how easy it is to get stuck in the minutia of the moment – the daily operations of a business.  Your clear vision, direction, principles and attitude will help you navigate on a daily basis toward the big picture.

What have you done to help you develop your vision?  Post a comment below to tell me and my leader-readers what has worked for you.

Next time:  President Bush’s Leadership Nuggets on surrounding yourself with the right people.

Do You Have What it Takes To Lead Your Company to Success?

Do you ever feel like you are in this “whirlwind of time”?  Like time is flying by; things are just happening to you and around you?  I think you really start to notice it once your kids are in school.  Mine are in college and high school and I find myself wondering when that happened (lol)!  How did they go from babies to nearly self-sufficient young men?  In reality, getting to this point was a lot of hard work; blood, sweat, tears and much joy.  If you have kids I am sure you can relate. 

Owning your own business is much like raising a child from inception to maturity.  And, as in child rearing there are proven principles of success.  Certain skills are necessary to lead your business through the many trials and tribulations it will endure along the way to maturity. 

Having grown up in an entrepreneurial family and owning businesses for most of my adult life, I’ve spent countless hours studying the characteristics necessary for good and effective leadership.  I’ve concluded there are a few critical traits all leaders possess ...

1.  Vision
2.  Focus
3. The ability to see through the clutter and make decisions
4. The ability to motivate others

You will see dramatic changes in your business as you develop these traits and skills.  I am committed to helping you hone these skills and am developing a series on purpose, passion and leadership for this EPA blog.  Having written several articles on the subject, the most recent will be published in Wedlock Magazine in the coming months.

Please subscribe to my blog to get this information in bite-sized nuggets.  FYI, this is my temporary blog site as we are completely redesigning our website where my blog will soon live!  In the meantime, please connect with me here and at Facebook and Twitter.

Question: What is your biggest leadership challenge?  Please reply below.

How Mentoring an Intern Can Help You and the Industry

Providing college students with real world insight and experience often is valued greater than classroom practices by the student. 

By Kevin Cohee

 Investing in an intern creates an opportunity for a student to become acquainted with the practical challenges of event planning while helping the professional planner hone his or her time and management skills. This dual partnership gives the intern a foundation to take into his/her career and the planner is rewarded by contributing to a new event planner’s level of professionalism.

When considering an internship candidate, I look for areas of skill that will complement those already established within our company. The current generation is entrenched in varied skills, expectations and values. Relying on an intern to show us a new thing or two can really solidify the relationship, instill trust and better the entire team. 

 Your company’s internet presence will attract potential interns, but posting our openings within regional universities has produced our best results. Guidance counselors of past interns have also been a great resource. We’ve found college seniors to be the most ideal candidates. Their level of maturity is greater, they have a broader work/volunteer background and their schedules are more flexible to fit within our unpredictable needs. Working with Communication majors, Marketing and Public Relations and Recreation and Tourism Administration majors have all been rewarding for us.

HOW TO HIRE AN INTERN   

Detailed communication is vital from the job posting to the interview process. Selecting a detail oriented person will make for a greater partnership experience. Defining the terms of pay, hours, transportation, attire, meals and breaks all need to be met.

1.   Evaluate their first contact. I immediately check for spelling and grammar. Next, is it   addressed to someone at your company or blind? This may indicate they did not research your website for a contact.

If they pass this first step, request a compelling cover letter detailing why they want to enter   this field. This will demonstrate their level of desire and maturity.

2.   Request a professional resume. I suggest they highlight any event or volunteer work they’ve accomplished. This may help define interview questions.

3.   Require an essay. We ask for a 500 word essay depicting your “Ideal event without budget restraints.”  This exercise quickly allows us to determine their writing skills, level of creativity, industry perspective and worldliness.

4.   Check their references.

5.   Engage interns the same as a salaried employee. Have them complete a formal application and be sure to get their SS# and emergency contact. Verify their driver’s license for date of birth. If they are under 21, review the ABC law regarding alcohol rules. Provide the intern with a copy of company policies and guidelines. Review workplace expectations. Determine their hours; those worked in the office are equal to their college credits, offsetting classroom hours. Do An Event budgets pay to the intern for hours worked at each actual event.

 6.   Define their goals. Discuss your company’s expectations. Ask the intern for input on what they want out of this experience and incorporate it. I have the intern take notes during this process. It reinforces the points, inspires other questions and alleviates any future confusion.

DEFINING THE INTERN'S ROLE

Take your mentoring role seriously. It may seem faster and easier to do it yourself, but your investment in the time it takes to explain each assignment should only happen once. Delegating can create fear, but this is a skill that makes us better managers and ultimately saves us time.

1.   Validate college credits by assigning a specific project to your intern. Have them take notes as you establish the specific tasks, timelines and expectations of this project. Involve them in as many as possible, other varied projects during their internship.

 2.   Get Organized. Have them create an independent binder specific to their assignment as well as an active electronic folder, organizing files, contacts, checklists and research. We place a shortcut on the desktop.

 3.   Have them keep their own timecard. This tool is handy in timely reviews and may be required by the college. Do An Event has them line item the task along with time spent. Be sure to keep it in the office at all times.

 4.   Review often. Explain the industry terms like drayage, RFP, pipe and drape and even how to measure for linens. Interns don’t want to disappoint, so they often won’t ask many questions, be sure to communicate frequently. We try to prepare a daily task list and review it with them when they first arrive. Bi-monthly recap meetings are vital.

 5.   Share the inspiration. We offer our interns free access to our trade magazines, videos, vendor files and binders. We encourage them to research websites for inspiration. Most exciting for them is being invited and introduced at industry functions. This interaction provides a real life experience with professionals and instills confidence quickly.

 6.   Practice patience. Mentoring an intern takes time and in this deadline crazy industry, it feels like there is never enough. It’s a myth that interns are free labor! Only ask them to do what you would do. Share openly. In addition to industry lessons, life lessons are as valuable.

WHAT TO DO AT THE END OF THE INTERNSHIP

Like the seasons, your intern must move on. Before they exit, take time to evaluate the overall experience together. These following suggestions can be very insightful.

1.   Review and measure initial goals.

2.   Review and discuss strengths and weaknesses of their finalized assigned project.

3.   Evaluate your management skills. The intern may offer a fresh perspective compared to your other salaried staff.

4.   Utilize the time-sheet to compile a list of tasks accomplished.

5.   Ask them to highlight the experience they have gained with your company.

6.   Ask them to provide a testimonial for your records.

7.   Provide a letter of reference.

Accepting a mentoring role has challenged me in a multitude of ways, enriching myself, my company and our clients. It’s gratifying to know Do An Event is contributing to a greater professional industry, one planner at a time.

Kevin Cohee is the CEO of Do An Event, Northern California’s leading spectacular event strategy and styling firm, established in 1998. www.doanevent.com

How to Effectively Reach Your Potential Clients

Last week we discussed what the term “marketing” means and how it comprises much more than advertising your company and selling a product or service. We talked about the 4P’s of marketing (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) and how each component contributes to a successful business. See 3 Simple Steps to Help You Market More Effectively.

The action items included defining your target market and your competition. These statements will help us as we focus on the final “P” – Promotion. This is the area that stumps most people and where we get the most questions.

I hear the following questions almost daily: “How do I reach my potential clients?” and “How and what do I communicate to them?”

The answer is really very simple…and then again, it’s not. It’s simple because you have clearly defined who your target market is and what he or she values most. It’s not, because it takes a lot of persistent work and can cost oodles of money.

“How do I reach my potential clients?”

Let’s look at some of the most popular advertising options from high to low cost: Television, magazine, billboards, radio, regional tradeshows, direct mail, yellow pages, newspaper, advertising specialty items (pens, bags, etc.), online advertising, pay-per-click, your own website, brochures and flyers, networking, public relations and social media.

With all of the options available today, small business owners are able to abandon most of the traditional forms of advertising in favor of a promotional mix that maximizes their reach (number of prospective clients) and frequency (number of times an impression is left) while minimizing their cost.

We go back to who is your potential client? Where are they hanging out? Are they on the web? Facebook or LinkedIn? Do they use a telephone book or Yellow Pages online? Will they just do a “Google” search for the service you provide? Do they read the newspaper? What sections? Take clues from your competition. What are they doing and does it seem to be effective? How can you differentiate your company from the competition in both the media you choose and the content you present?

For example, wedding planners might find their prospective clients by exhibiting at bridal shows, utilizing direct mail, online registries and by creating relationships with local venues and churches. A bounce house rental company might reach customers via direct mail, pay-per-click advertising, online rental registries and by creating relationships with churches, schools, local businesses, and city offices. (The Event Planners Association is also well represented by amusement oriented companies).

Your media mix should contain pieces that work for you and your company. Make sure the return on investment is solid. Track and quantify your results. Are you spending $$$ on newspaper advertising and getting $ in return? It might be time to look for other options. Your media mix can be fluid, ever changing and adaptable to the economic environment.

"How and what do I communicate to my potential customers?"

Once again, who is your target customer? What does he or she value most? When hiring an event planner, price may be the most important factor or it might be creativity, experience, personality, style, location, etc. For a rental company, the customer may value cleanliness, on-time delivery and set up, price, safety, insurance, etc.

Know what is important to him or her as well as what is important to you. Remember all of the aspects that make up your marketing plan from 3 Simple Steps to Help You Market More Effectively? Your corporate identity, image, customer service philosophies, pricing strategy, etc. all determine how you position your company and what you communicate to your potential customers.

Keep in mind, the media components you select may have different purposes and goals. For example, the EPA exhibits at trade shows to create and reinforce Association awareness and to meet with current and potential members, whereas we utilize newsletters, our forum and our blog to educate our members and the industry, which in turn, reinforces our image as industry experts. As you can see, your media mix will be multi-purposed and multi-layered.

Action Step: Since you already know who your potential customers are, what they want and where they are, look back at your entire marketing plan in conjunction with what your customer wants. How can you combine the two into an effective message? Will you have several messages? Once you know where your customer is and what you want to communicate, you can choose the form of promotion best suited to your message.

Where is the most unusual place you've found clients?  Please tell me by clicking "comment" below.

Next time we will look at using low-cost, high-potential media.

3 Simple Steps to Help You Market More Effectively

 

What does the term "marketing" mean to you? Most people associate it with creating awareness of a product or company. However, marketing really encompasses so much more and is a very broad term used to describe the strategic portion of business.

Marketing includes but is not limited to the following areas of planning and activity:

Business, Product & Market Development
Market Research & Competitor Analysis
Pricing Strategy
Corporate Identity
Brand Development
Promotions
Public Relations
Customer Service

As with many things, there are steps that should be followed on the path to success. You should be able to write a statement addressing each point below. If you haven't already done this for each product or service you offer, I suggest you use this as a guideline to assist you clarify your marketing strategy and messages.

Step 1: You must know who your potential customer is, what he (or she) wants and provide it at a price he will pay. Know what your customer values most and why. Meet/exceed his needs.

Step 2:  Know your competition. What do they charge? What do they do well and what do they do poorly? Who is their customer and how do they reach them? What sets you apart from the competition? I recommend you keep an updated notebook of competitive ads, flyers, collateral materials, etc. You will be surprised how often you refer to it.

Step 3:  Once you know who you are dealing with from customer and competitive perspectives you can move on to developing the 4 P's of your marketing plan. The 4 P's are a staple in college marketing courses across the U.S. and are listed below.

Product · Price · Place · Promotion

Product - This is what you are selling; your product or service and all its inherent features, benefits and value. Provide the very best combination of features, benefits and value for your product or service in its price category.

Price - This is what you charge for your service or product. Knowing how much value a customer places on a particular feature or benefit will help you determine your price. Features with a low customer value might be dropped from your offering allowing you to lower the price point.

Place - Do you have a fixed location? Is your company "internet-based"? How will you distribute your product or service? What is your service area? Your travel radius? Financial, legal and insurance requirements change based on the "place" from which you choose to do business.

Promotion - This is where advertising comes in. As does public relations, social media, networking, sponsorships and any other means you use to promote your company!

Knowing your customers and competition will allow you to develop a successful mix of the 4 P's. Keep a close eye on each element and make adjustments when and where necessary.

Action Items: Review steps 1 & 2. Can you write a statement for each as they relate to each product or service you offer? Next, review the first 3 P's - Product, Price & Place. Do they fall in line with who your customer is? How about your competition? Once all of this is in place we can focus on the final "P" - Promotion. This is the area that stumps most people and where we get the most questions.

I would really like to know how you did with this exercise.  Please click "comment" below to tell me what you discovered as you took a good look at who your target client and competition is.

True Confessions of a Professional Event Planner

by Kevin Cohee


Beyond being organized and creative, it takes many skills to be a professional Event Planner. I knew I was creative and organized, as many people pointed out to me, but I had no clue I would tap into so many other unrealized skills once I went pro.

After being hired to help produce a custom home show, I immediately got my feet wet with BIG challenges. This 5 week show required bulldozers to prepare parking lots, sewer connections to our temporary office, 9 phone lines for credit card sales, and 7 motor-coaches running consecutively for 12 hours a day. Other challenges included: field fires, encroaching wildlife, exploding electric transformers, an emergency life flight, calculating food sales and scheduling hundreds of volunteers. I know, many of you are thinking “that’s nothing, I had an elephant die during a performance,” but this event became the foundation of my newborn event planning career.

Here are five secret skills all professional event planners possess:

1. Grammar
The most challenging skill I honed was creative writing. I write emails, proposals, website entries, scopes of work, contracts, billing, inquiries, requests for proposals, marketing pieces and even articles. Early on, I asked a journalist friend to critique almost every piece of correspondence I created. Those red-marked revisions really stay with you and I learned to turn to the dictionary and thesaurus and look at synonyms in a whole new light.

2. Mathematics
Jack of all trades perfectly describes most event planners, so don’t wait until you are on-site and the generator provider is about to leave to learn how many watts of power your event actually requires. Avoid the dreaded “where’s the breaker-box?” when “Lights, Camera, Action” is called out. Mastering math now becomes a subtle tool; calculating amps, watts, ounces, pounds, inches, yards and of course dollars. Who knew ordering a linen table cloth would second-guess my ability to multiply? These vital elements that help make us and our event look incredible are like little children with their own needs. To learn how these independent providers join in unison, I volunteered at large public events.

3. Liability
Choosing themes or florals may come naturally to many, but contracts are intimidating. Protecting ourselves, our clients and their guests requires a bit of investigating. Adding insurance riders, fabric fire retardant certificates, abundant lighting or health certificates are not fun jobs. Relying on other professionals like lawyers, professors, accountants and insurance agents are essential. Even the smallest of mishaps can tarnish an otherwise stellar event, so addressing safety falls on the shoulders of the planner. It’s often an under- appreciated skill professional planners must obtain and promote.

4. Legality
Keeping it legal is one more secret talent we are rarely recognized for. Addressing street closures, the alcohol sales license, gaming permits, fire safety permits, overflow parking or capacity regulations continue to be daunting tasks. The problem is to know which questions to ask. I plan an annual beauty industry event for legislators and decided to have a Show Poodle be the living centerpiece. Cool idea huh? My intuition led me to ask around and like restaurants, salons are regulated and pets are not allowed. How embarrassing it would have been to have broken the law with legislators as guests! This is a perfect example of the value professional planners bring.

5. Food and Beverage
Food enriches every event and is a key element in the memories guests leave with. Curiosity is my favorite skill, one that takes me to farmers markets, fine grocery stores, ethnic markets and ahhh, the Food Network®. You also need to quench the guests’ thirst and as a professional event planner you must be at least as knowledgeable about wine and spirits as your client. Ask questions when you are around wine, search winery websites and go to a wine tasting with someone who knows more than you. My philosophy is don’t serve something someone can have anytime, somewhere else. If we don’t make it “special” then why hire a special event planner?

Reading industry publications both print and electronic are a must for this ever-changing, trend-setting industry.

And, as if our plates aren’t full enough…someone mentioned they sent me a tweet

Kevin Cohee is the CEO of Do An Event, Northern California’s leading spectacular event strategy and styling firm. www.DoAnEvent.com

7 Ways to Reignite Your Business - Lessons From Coldplay

Like many, I am a fan of Coldplay's music, but I never expected to see the band perform live in concert until I found myself, with my teenage son, a die-hard fan, in the middle of an enthusiastic throng of 20,000 fans a few months ago.

Here's the tie-in... it was as I reflected on the concert that I thought of you.

The passion & enthusiasm the band exuded for their craft and their love & affection for their fans were undeniable. Their show was well thought out to meet the needs and desires of those there for them. And, the little mistakes they made and acknowledged were endearing and made them more real.

I found myself thinking about four talented guys getting together, perhaps in someone's garage, to make music. Do you think they thought they'd eventually be one of the most popular bands on the planet? I don't really know, but I suspect they had that dream and goal when they started.

When you started your business I know you had a dream and a goal, a purpose. Along the way, the many day-to-day stresses can take their toll on even the most seasoned business owners causing them to lose site of the big picture. I want to encourage you to develop laser focus by embracing your answers to the following questions:

What drives me?
What am I passionate about?
What do I want from my business? My life?

Then, take these seven steps and use them to help you stay laser focused on the big picture:

1. Begin with the end in mind. Have a clear vision of what you want your business & life to be.
2. Be passionate about what you do.
3. Don't be afraid to show your enthusiasm.
4. Define your client's needs and meet them.
5. Respect, appreciate, and show affection for your clients.
6. Admit your mistakes and move on. No one is perfect.
7. Keep your eye on the prize.

While we all have different visions of what we want from our businesses and life in general, these seven steps will help move you closer to your dreams. Viva la Vida - live the life!

With that, I enthusiastically say to you that I appreciate you taking the time to read what I write and I love to hear your thoughts, ideas and questions!  Please post a comment below...

What to Expect When Setting Up a Blog

Why a blog?

A blog allows you to connect with like-minded people and should be the hub of your social media marketing plan.   See Why it makes sense to include social media in your marketing plan.

The Event Planner’s Guide Book

So here it is.  Our foray in the world of blogging!  As the Chief Marketing Officer for the Event Planners Association I have no problem telling you how to market any product or service at any time.  I know how to do it.  I even know what should be included in a blog and how to make it work for you - what I am not well versed in is the technical expertise needed to make it all work! 

So here I am, a technical neophyte setting up a blog on my own!  Why don’t I just hire some young technical genius to do it for me?  Because I know that the majority of our members and friends are small business owners who have very little cash to invest in having their blogs and social media platforms professionally designed.  In fact, most have only dipped their toe into the social media pond.   I want to show you that if I can do it – you can do it too! 

What I have done so far

I actually have been following bloggers and researching blogging platforms for a few months now.  In the end, I chose the platform that seemed to be the most user- friendly for someone at my level of technical inability.  Everyone says blogs are easy to set up, but I’m sorry, I didn’t find it to be “easy”.  Let me rephrase that one…the blog itself is very easy to set up - it’s all the little add-ons which make the blog a productive piece of your marketing plan that take time, patience and expertise.  I learned things I never really wanted to know (lol) such as how RSS works and how to map a domain!

What I still need to do

My goal was to get into the blogosphere this week.  And so, with some trepidation, I am doing just that.  The blog isn’t perfect.  I still have to actually map the domain (make the URL part of our website and not part of the blog platform’s - for SEO purposes), build a custom banner (which means pulling out my limited Photoshop skills… I might just call on a friend for this), add the share buttons, and figure out how to put our website URL on the front page of the blog, among other things!  Ahhh the details…

What to expect from this blog

Expect to see a progression of changes to this blog and all of our social media.  Expect to see inspiring and informative content designed to help you build your company.  I will keep you posted as to our progress and show you how you can create a following by doing what I do.  We can do it together!

Please comment below:

Let me know what challenges you have encountered building your business and I will be sure to include solutions in upcoming posts.  And, if you have any tips for me on getting this blog in place…please share!

Why it makes sense to include social media in your marketing strategy.

Just as it is nearly impossible to build a business without a website, many now believe that if you do not have a presence in social media, you will be overlooked.

This statement is one of those hit you in the face kind of realizations. If you are like many, you may feel this social media phenomenon amounts to just “one more thing to do.” Or, you may be one who has embraced the opportunity and now you just need to fine tune your objectives. No matter which of the two describes you, the bottom line is that the way business is done in most sectors is changing rapidly and business owners must adapt.

Low cost – high potential media.

Social marketing on platforms such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace, is really relationship marketing.  It differs from traditional push oriented marketing in which the marketer pushes information via emails, flyers, consumer showcases and various other forms of advertising to the potential customer.  Social marketing allows a two-way conversation through which you develop relationships with your “followers.” This push/pull format builds trust and credibility which in turn builds your business.  As a bonus, you can get feedback and learn from your potential customers!

Here's how it works.

You build relationships as you create content that is valuable to your target market. This content positions you as an expert in your field. As an expert you earn trust. The relationship you develop creates trust, which over time translates to sales. In essence, we do business with people we like, respect and who respect us.

Valuable Content = Expert Status
Expert = Trust
Trust = Sales

Today, the face of a company is its employees.  Get to know your potential customers and let them get to know you and your employees by implementing a social media strategy.  Understand what you expect to gain from each piece you integrate into your plan.  Remember, you can’t hit a target you haven’t identified! 

You can get started in two simple steps…

Step One:  Start a Blog

Blogs give you an excellent opportunity to show who you are and what you know.  Be sure to use your own business URL (www.mybusiness.com/blog) as this will contribute to your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - your ability to be found on the Internet. An online presence means visibility, which means opportunity!  Typically, the goal of a blog is to position yourself as an expert in your field and generate traffic to your website. But remember to use your website, not  your blog, to sell your services.

Now, take that knowledge and experience you have and develop content that will be considered valuable and interesting to your potential clients. Perhaps ideas for creating “green” weddings and events or hors d’oeuvre recipes for a cocktail party would find an audience.  How many visitors might a post on the biggest wedding faux pas bring to your site?

It’s important to understand what interests your audience.  This is where you can shine.  Show them how professional, knowledgeable, creative and special you are.  Show them why they should choose you to plan their event or refer you to a friend.  As you start to develop content you may actually surprise yourself by how much you know!

I caution you not to give too much away, but give enough to create a loyal following of potential clients.  And, when you write…write to an audience of one.  Connect directly to your reader. If you need to brush up your copywriting skills I recommend a visit to http://www.copyblogger.com.  

Step Two: Link to your Blog on Social Media

Once you are creating excellent content you now have the ability to share it via other social media platforms.  Research the social media options available to you. Then choose one or two that will give you access to your target market.  You can maximize your time by utilizing programs like Hootsuite or ping.fm to promote your blog on multiple social media sites at the same time.

As you develop and execute your social media plans you will reap the untold benefits of getting to know your clients and potential clients on a more personal level.  Not only will this help you refine what your customers want and let you keep a pulse on the market as a whole, but it will give you the opportunity to connect on an entirely new level.  While the success and viability of a business is determined by the bottom line, the relationship we create with our sphere of influence affects that inner part of us; the part that is in business for the love of the industry, process, result, or just to create a better world.