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Posts under ‘Event Planning’

What’s in your tool kit?

Guests and clients enjoy effortless events, but we all know that behind the scenes that isn’t always the case.     Aside from duct tape, zap straps, and first aid essentials the most important tools in your kit should be:
1.  Composure and patience
2. Strong organizational and problem solving skills
3. Creative thinking and simplicity
4. Sense of Humor
There are [...]

To Do List: Education and Volunteering

I am approached at least 3-4 times daily by wanna-be event planners.  These hopefuls are filled with the enthusiasm and desire that all employers look for however the sad reality is, full time employment is scarce in the event  industry in Vancouver.  It stands to reason and few of my colleagues would argue :  get [...]

Customer Service and Client Appreciation

I was honored to be invited to the Grand Opening of the Coast Coal Harbour in Vancouver.  This event proved to me the power of the people!  Throughout the evening guests were treated to a warm reception from all the staff:  Valet Service, Sales, Beverage and Catering Services, and Management.  Guests had a sneak preview [...]

Networking Tips

The reason we network is different for everyone but ultimately it is about connection.  Ask yourself -  How do I  make networking events work for me?  Consider these 5 tips and how they all relate back to improving connections
1.  Be open to establishing non-specific connections  – not all connections will be related to your business, [...]

Everyone wants a discount: including me!

Business optimism sits on the horizon and changes that had to occur after 2009; some drastic and others safely conservative, are being implemented. One residual element remains as a carry over: everyone wants a discount; including me! This is not a magnified statement, I have always sought a better price to benefit my clients, [...]

I’ll get back to you after the Olympics!

Watching our city being transformed by the Olympic/Paralympic Games has been a gradual adjustment for everyone, and here we are just 9 days out from the opening ceremony with all the expected modifications in full speed. Standing in the shadows of all that anticipated excitement is an uncharacteristic business retort, “I’m sorry, but I [...]

Setting the Scene for Your Wedding

Location, Location, Location –
Published article South Delta Leader, January 15, 2010
Most engaged couples don’t consider that their wedding is the first time they will be entertaining together as a married couple. Choosing the perfect setting for a wedding can reflect your personalities and create a truly memorable event. The everlasting trend in weddings [...]

Dear Oprah

Dear Oprah,
Could you please send your team to pick me up and take me on a 1-2 year world tour to meet and mentor with the best of the Special Event Designers and Producers?  I want a sneak peek into the underbelly of what it takes to organize a Presidential Inauguration, Coronations, the Academy Awards, [...]

5 Hot Fund-Raising Tips

Fund-raising events can create more than just money; there is intangible gold in developing the strategies of a successful signature fund-raising event that will also assist in long-time sustainability.
Focus on these 5 C’s :
1. Contacts – Will the people that attended the event do so again? Have a plan in place to [...]

Five secrets for a new business outlook:

1. “Change” is the tug-of-war between familiarity and imagination.
2. Catch-up is not a condiment, it is a temporary impediment.
3. Complaints are solutions in their infancy.
4. Work as though you are renovating, constantly upgrading your value.
5. There is a journey and a destination where you always end up back at “Change”.