Conference and Event Organisers

Canberra

2009-08-02T23:04:00.005+10:00

Have just gotten back from two days in Canberra - checking out venues for a client's meeting in 2010. Thanks to Leslie from the Canberra Convention Bureau, for being so helpful (and keeping me moving, constantly, for two days!!)

Saw some great spaces - some I'd seen before, and some new ones. Special thanks to the beautiful Park Hyatt Canberra for putting me up, and showing me around. A great space, lots of natural light in conference rooms (I love that), and as always, the special concierge uniform. ;-)

Looked at various other properties, but one that stands out is the Diamante. Funky! Loved the music that was playing in the common spaces. Great accom rooms - reminded me a lot of the Henry Jones in Hobart.

The Realm Hotel is new, and sleek, beautiful. Doesn't seem to have a lot of space for pre-function, but I'm sure that they are creative about that.

Some great venues - such as the Boat House - for special occassions. Beautiful spot on the lake. so tranquil (except for the cockatoos!). I really enjoyed my time there.

Canberra is a great place for a meeting - everything is so close, and easy to get to. And professional! I guess they have to be, with all those pollies. ;-)

Vietnam

2009-08-02T22:53:00.004+10:00

I recently got back from 2 weeks in Vietnam - what a fantastic experience! I was lucky enough to take my six year old, Max, on an Intrepid Family Adventure Tour - I can't tell you what a fantastic time we had!

Vietnam would be a fantastic destination for rewards or incentives for really high performing staff - such an adventure! So very different from your day to day life - I love doing things like that.

We learned so much about the history of Vietnam - not just the various conflicts that have happened (and there have been many!), but the culture and food history, and entertainment and pasttimes of the people, and how they make incense, mats, and conical hats!

We travelled from north to south - being able to spend time on boats (overnight on Ha Long Bay), motorbikes, bicycles, as well as travelling by overnight train on the Reunification Express.

I had clothes made in Hoi An (something that I could get addicted to, let me tell you), and we raced through the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Special thanks to Sonny, our guide. I don't think I ever would have attempted an adventure like that with a six year old, without someone like Sonny to make things happen so smoothly!

If anyone is interested in going to Vietnam, please let me know - if only so that I can re-live some of my adventures, and prolong the holiday....

J ;-)

Mackay - New Convention Centre!

2009-06-04T21:27:00.002+10:00

I was lucky enough to visit Mackay recently to check out the new Mackay Convention Centre which is still under construction.

Mackay is going off! I remember going there about ten years ago, and it was like a ghost town. I looked at the Entertainment Centre back then (the new Convention Centre is being built adjacent to the Entertainment Centre - it will all be one building eventually).

I ran an event there about three years ago, and I didn't recognise the place.

Going back last year, I didn't recognise it AGAIN. It has changed so much. There is so much construction and change going on.

Grinders Catering, who has the contract for Catering for the Convention Centre is fantastic - we got to sample a fantastic array of morning & afternoon tea pieces (the vegetarian tart was my absolute favourite). They will do an awesome job. It is fantastic to find such great food in a regional centre!

Events in a Global Financial Crisis

2009-03-26T11:50:00.002+10:00

I know, everyone is talking about the GFC. We have had our first conference fall over because of it! So I thought maybe it was time I did a list of things you can do to keep the costs down for your event - so you can still have it.

1. Don't print anything. Do it all via email. Invest in the design for a cool e-newsletter that will catch people's attention, and save the postage.

2. Cut back on theming for dinners. You can be really creative with props from Crazy Clarks, and let's face it, your guests will probably nick the centrepieces anyway. Perhaps invest in the services of a good creative person, but tell them to think outside the box with what you use for the theming. Or try having your dinner at a unique venue, that doesn't need to be themed!

3. Try using edible centrepieces - check out Edible Blooms. That way you can pay for a two course lunch/dinner, and people can eat the choccies (or fruit) from the middle of the table.

4. Twin share your staff accommodation. If they are used to being in single rooms, just tell them that the economy is dictating this. And it might be fun!

5. Some hotels are really feeling it, so now is the time to get some fantastic special deals!

Now is the time to keep your meetings going. The tough times are when everyone needs to band together and move in the same direction. Meetings give you the platform to spread some optimism instead of the doom and gloom, even if you do it on a budget.

J ;-)

Blogging Event

2009-02-26T23:13:00.005+10:00

Ok, I have been shamed. After last night's Networx Event, where we had a fantastic panel of new media experts, I realise that I haven't been blogging nearly as much as I should be.

Yaro Starak was our blogger expert, Dale Rankine the mobile phone apps developer from Moket, and Darren Sutton from digital agency XComm opened our eyes to what is coming up in the digital future.

Very cool was being able to project from Dale's Nokia phone on to the big screen - we've never done that before! Death by powerpoint, yes, but I've never seen anyone play a game on their mobile for the whole audience to see! Thanks to Fairchild Multimedia, who always make these things work.... (thanks John!)

Have also been inspired to get on to Twitter (yes, Dale, I'm one of your tweeps!)

Promise, I'll be back soon. I saw a lot of cool new stuff when I went down to AIME (the Australasian Meetings & Incentives Expo) - will update soon!

J ;-)

The Conference for Conference Organisers

2008-12-10T17:03:00.004+10:00

Emma & I have just come back from the inaugural PCO conference on the Gold Coast. We had a fantastic time for a whole range of reasons:

1. I don't think I've ever been a delegate before! I LOVE being a delegate. It's so easy! You don't have to get up early, particularly. And you get fed ALL the time. I can't believe I had about 2 hours to get ready for dinner! That's unheard of.

2. Besides just enjoying it, I learned a lot. It was a really good, sharing kind of atmosphere. I got to meet a lot of people (competitors) that I've heard a lot about, but have never had a conversation with.

The content had a couple of different streams -one being for owners, and others being for people who worked in the industry. There were a couple of presentations which were a bit off-topic, but overall, I found it really interesting, and I'm really glad I went. PCO's can be so defensive of their clients and how they do things - it was so refreshing to have this kind of atmosphere around it.

I'll be going next year, and I'll be taking some of my staff too.

Sandstorm - Beach Volleyball Venue in Brisbane

2008-12-05T11:05:00.007+10:00

I had the opportunity a little while ago to check out Sandstorm - the Beach Volleyball (and other sports) venue at QEII stadium. How cool is that?? You could do some serious themed beach parties there. And some great teambuilding. Beach Volleyball. Beach Cricket. Touch. Netball. You can play them all here.

AND - you can have Natalie Cook helping you and your staff out, if you like! How awesome would that be? An Olympic Gold Medallist in Beach Volleyball, helping you run your company tournament?

But back to the events - corporate team building is good, but I want to throw a party at this place. It's really hard to do an organised beach party on a real beach (the councils get a bit touchy about it) - but you could certainly do it here. Play some Beach Boys music. Get everyone's shoes off. Have a BBQ. Put up some party lighting - some paper lanterns or tiki torches or something like that. It would be a great night.

I'm sure that being at QEII is a bit of a barrier for some people - but it's not really that far. Could probably be faster than trying to get to an inner city venue for a lot of people.

Let me know if you've been there - would love to know what you thought.

NETWORX Powerhouse Event

2008-10-06T15:41:00.010+10:00

We had a great event at the Powerhouse the other week.

It was a panel on "Perfecting Partnerships" - all of whom were very knowledgeable, and contributed a lot.

But the coolest bit about the event, besides it being on the Turbine Platform, which is an awesome space to have something like that, was that we got to have Wert emcee for us.

Wert is the 3D animated character who emcees the Little Frog series - and he was lots of fun, and definately something different.

Wert is able to interact with the audience - there is a camera rigged so that Sheldon (the man behind Wert, who is backstage) can see the audience, and speak directly to them.

I would LOVE to use Wert as emcee for an awards dinner, or something like that. Very cool. Thanks Sheldon!

Beautiful Tassie

2008-08-22T17:37:00.007+10:00

I'm in Hobart currently with the Tasmanian Convention Bureau with a whole lot of other people involved in conferencing - on a "famil" (no, that doesn't mean "junket" it means "look at every possible place in Tassie that you could use for conferencing in under 48 hours"). I've never been to Tassie before - it is beautiful. It's like everywhere you look is like one of those jigsaw puzzle kind of scenes before you.

Hobart is definately all about the food. We've been to some awesome places. We started at Meadowbank Winery, where some of our group were lucky enough to take the "How to be a wine snob" course - so they could irritate us for the rest of our stay. ;-)

The outlook and the food was beautiful, and, of course, the wine! I really loved the interesting floor at the winery - it is a work of art in itself, telling the history of the area.

Hobart seems to be all about the local produce, and local artists. Pretty much everywhere we went, they told us how they supported the local community, which I think is great. If I'm going to take a group somewhere, I want them to be experiencing the best of that area.

From there, we had a look at venues such as the Old Woolstore, and the Henry Jones Art Hotel - Henry Jones in particular is so filled with fantastic art, and just being there is a history lesson unto itself.

Dinner that night was on the top floor of the Hotel Grand Chancellor - what a fantastic view!

Breakfast the next morning was entertaining with Phil Harris from Aardvark Adventures. Some very exiting Team Building and Adventure activities to be had in Hobart and around Tassie - what fun we could have! I hope he's reading this!!! Max loved the choccies - thanks!

One of the highlights would have to be the Cascade Brewery. Beer Tasting @ 10.00 am is a bit early for some, but what a fantastic setting, and wasn't my husband jealous. He can't complain though - I brought him home a pick & mix pack of all of his favourites.

Another definate highlight was Lark Distillery. Is there a pattern here? I seem to be overly enjoying the alcohol related sites. Strange. At Lark's we got to try their special Gin (nice G&T to start the night), Whiskey, Whiskey Liqueur (which I was ESPECIALLY partial to), and the Pepperberry Vodka. Nice! I highly recommend that one. The atmosphere in there was awesome - we didn't want to leave, we were having so much fun.

The next morning, we could hang out at Salamanca Markets - which were pretty good. I'm not much of a market person after having been involved with the Spring Hill Fair (I'm a bit marketed-out), but these were nice, and had a great atmosphere.

All of the accommodation that we looked at was considerably less expensive than what you would find on the mainland - so for the cost of a flight to Tassie, you could potentially save your meeting a whole lot of $$.

I'm a big fan of Tassie now. Thanks Claire!

Venues and PlaceMaking

2008-07-23T16:55:00.003+10:00

I'm very into "PlaceMaking" at the moment, since we are working on Subtropical Cities 2008 - which is a conference all about urban design for subtropical climates. I had a meeting with the client yesterday where she was briefing the dinner speaker (Nick Earls! Love it) and talking all about what the conference was about, so I am inspired.

Being involved in this has made me think more and more about the spaces that we create, and occupy, day to day.

If your office is a mess (like mine is), it's not a very nice place to be. Wouldn't it be better to design spaces that fit with what you are trying to achieve?

I'm sure I'm not saying anything new here. Architects and interior designers have know this stuff for a long time.

We recently ran a conference called Green Roofs - which was all about, you guessed it, growing gardens on the roof. The people attending were all landscape architects and designers, as well as some bureaucrats - but mostly they were outdoorsy sort of people.

Unfortunately, because their dates were fixed, the ONLY conference venue we could find in Brisbane on those dates that suited their program, was a hotel where the conference space has no natural light at all. This was not a space that I would have chosen for this particular group, if I had have had a choice. By 3.00 pm they were all restless - desperately wanting to see some sunlight!

The Networx Events that we run monthly are always held in bars - the atmosphere that we want for these is relaxed and friendly - like you are having a drink with mates rather than networking. The music, the lighting, the layout of the room - all of this contributes to the atmosphere, and makes those events what they are.

I guess the moral is to pick a venue that suits your audience, and creates the atmosphere you are after. Common sense, really!

J ;-)

School Reunions

2008-07-16T10:52:00.002+10:00

I can't believe it, but it's my 20 year high school reunion this year.

I went to an all-girls school, so you can imagine the difficulty in tracking everyone down. A couple of very clever girls that I went to school with set up a group on Facebook, and at this point, there are 53 people from our year in the group, which is fantastic.

Most of them have gotten married and changed their names. This way, there are photos so we can tell who they are, even if their names fool us.

We had about 130 in our year, and I think we've found about 70 now, which isn't bad, but the vast majority have been found through Facebook. What a fantastic tool! In an age where everyone moves around so much, to be able to keep in touch with people like this is awesome.

I especially love how you can post photos and videos. There is no way I would have the time, or the inclination, to look at my cousin's photos of her trip to Peru - but on Facebook, I can look at them whenever I have time, with her captions and funny comments (and everyone else's too).

Facebook is a fabulous tool for events - getting groups of people together, publicising them before and after. I'll let you know how the reunion goes!

J ;-)

Funky Venues in Brisbane

2008-06-05T23:03:00.003+10:00

I had the opportunity to go to a Branding Workshop run by DAIS the other day at the Emporium Hotel in Fortitude Valley.

I had a fantastic morning - the workshop was great, and highly inspiring - making me rush back to the office with my notes and commit to doing lots of things that I've been meaning to do for a long time (Jack Perlinski is a great speaker!).

But as well as that, I was able to check out the Emporium Hotel - I haven't had a chance to see it until now.

What a cool space that cocktail bar is! Just the entry is incredible.

As well as that, I am waiting with bated breath for The Limes Hotel, also in the Valley, to open up. Limes will have a very cool roof garden and outdoor cinema (which I became aware of through the Green Roofs Australia Conference which we are currently working on).

It's nice to see some contemporary venues opening up in BrisVegas - we love it!

J ;-)

More on Sponsorship

2008-04-25T23:33:00.004+10:00

Just continuing on from my last post - I recently saw a fabulous idea for branding - beer.

Brews Brothers, in Woolloongabba, can brew any kind of beer you like (for instance, if you like Corona, they have the recipe for it), bottle it, and label it with whatever you want.

Imagine making that part of your Sponsorship Package - for the Welcome Drinks at your conference, for instance.

Sponsorship of the Welcome Drinks doesn't just include signage, and the opportunity to get up and talk for 2 minutes.

You can also be serving beer in bottles branded with your logo.

Now that is a talking point which your sponsor will appreciate!

J ;-)

Sponsorship

2008-04-11T16:16:00.003+10:00

Let's face it, a lot of events depend on sponsorship. You can make sponsorship easy, or you can make it hard.

The way to make it hard is to not be clear about what your sponsors receive for their money. If sponsorship packages are vague initially, it gives the sponsor the ability to push for more as the event comes closer.

When sponsors start pushing for more, you need to be cognisant of what your OTHER sponsors are getting. If the benefits of sponsorship are inconsistant with what they are paying, reletive to each other, you could have a problem on your hands.

It's also important to have ONE version of your sponsorship packages - not multiple ones floating around!

Of course, things are going to change as you tweak the packages to suit the sponsor, but if you are consistant in your levels in the first place, it will be easier to negotiate.

How to do this?

Once you have worked out the structure for your meeting, make a list of all of the potential opportunities for sponsors. For instance:

1. Trade show
2. Signage on lectern
3. Morning tea sponsorship
4. Collateral in Satchels.

etc.

Then go through and work out which are going to be the most valueable to sponsors, which should be exclusive, and which you can give to everyone.

Create a tiered structure for the most expensive package down to the budget option.

Then get it out there and talk to your sponsors! Nothing can beat picking up the phone.

Good luck!

Team Building Bowls

2008-02-18T11:56:00.006+10:00

We've just arrived back from hot and steamy Cairns. Luckily, we weren't in Mackay (which was the original plan)!

This is the second time we've worked with this particular group, and one of the things which the client wanted to do this year was spend the afternoon playing Bowls.

The Edge Hill Bowlie was a great place to go on a Friday afternoon. The heat was intense, but nothing that a beer at each end couldn't cure.

A good day was had by all, aided by the open bar and some yummy cheese and bickies put on by a sponsor. We finished up with a BBQ dinner, and then we piled everyone back on the bus to take them home to the resort, where most of them ended up in the pool until well into the evening!

Bowls is an easy team building idea. Everyone can do it, it's not too strenuous, it facilitates people talking to one another and getting to know each other. They can be competitive if they want, but if they're not, it doesn't matter!

More soon!

J ;-)

Tips for an Island Location

2007-11-12T22:34:00.000+10:00

We've just come back from taking a Franchise Group away to Hamilton Island!

How great is this for a group photo location?

Hamilton Island is a great location for a conference - to take people away just changes everything. This meeting had a lot more laughter as part of it than it ever has in the past - I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact that you just can't be uptight on a tropical island. I don't think it's possible.

JP entertains some sponsors (or perhaps vice versa?)

The rooms have been recently refurbed - so even though generally your conference delegates will be in the Reef Hotel - which is a bit incongruous with the landscape (80s massive high rise in the middle of tropical paradise - but I guess they need that volume of accommodation to provide the conference facilities that they do) - the rooms are really lovely now. Gone is the salmon pink walls and cane furniture of the 80s - lovely white rooms with nice lighting and comfortable balcony furniture!

Still no internet access (except dialup!) in most of the accommodation rooms, which is tricky, but there is wireless access in the foyer, so that's something.

They've re-done the restaurant in the foyer of the Reef Hotel - and put in a really gorgeous pool. We had a casual bbq function there on the Friday night, and the food was fabulous! The delegates and suppliers had a fantastic night.

Some great awards were given out, and much fun was had by all!

Only issues really were a couple of delayed flights - mine was an hour late going there, and three hours delayed coming home. Luckily for us, the flights that the majority of delegates were on were all on schedule.

Also, we had a lady fall over at the loos near the Bougainvillea Marquee - lighting was pretty poor. Apparently they are in the process of building new loos there, so that will be rectified soon.

Anyone else had any experiences on HI? Good or bad - interested in hearing about it.

J ;-)

Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort!

2007-10-18T22:54:00.000+10:00

Kym and I went on a fantastic famil on Wednesday to Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort - on Moreton Island, just off the coast of Brisbane. We had a fantastic day, and learned a lot.

We met at the dock at Pinkenba - which definately needs a facelift, but they tell us that this is in the plans for the near future. It's so close to Brisbane Airport (and we found out that there is a sneaky back way to get there without having to brave the traffic on Kingsford Smith Drive) which means you can be there within about 10 mins of leaving the airport! Fantastic.

Also learned that you can do private transfers to the resort - and have your vessel leave from somewhere other than the Pinkenba wharf - Southbank or somewhere in the city could be great!

So, over we went, Kym and I. It was a little bit rough (and since Kym "doesn't do boats" after the incedent on Hamilton Island in 2006 - let me know if you want more details), I was concerned, but all was good.

Once there - we checked out the new conference facilities, the photo shop and Marine Conservation Centre. I didn't realise that Tangalooma used to be a whaling station - you learn something new every day! Then were treated to a gorgeous lunch with a fantastic view! I know it doesn't sound like work, but *really* it is!!! Several in our group commented that you could have been in the Whitsundays.

The fun really started though when we went sand tobogganning! A VERY big walk up the dune (note to self: no groups with prevalent coronary conditions should be doing this one) - but HEAPS of fun coming down. And yes, our host Jason wasn't lying when he said we would still be finding sand three days later. So worth it though!

JP just before she copped a mouthful of sand... Stop smiling!!!

The Quad Bikes were a lot of fun - we got to take them up to the top of the ridge to check out some more accommodation and smaller group conference facilities (with a bit of hooning about on the way there - not me, I'm too responsible, but some of the others may have. Especially Kym).

The dolphin feeding just after sunset was really an experience. I can't think of anywhere else that you can have that kind of experience - so up close!

I think that Tangalooma is fighting their "older property" image - they are definately tarting it up - there is some four star accommodation there now ("Deep Blue") which was at 100%, so we couldn't even have a look at a room! Jason & Penny (our hosts) were saying that the perception is that Tangalooma is still a timeshare property - but really, hardly any of the accommodation is timeshare anymore.

I'd love to take my son, Max, there. He'd love it. Great for kids, great for action groups, internationals would LOVE it. They have definately changed my perception of the property.

Photos soon (Kym took all of hers home, so I couldn't scan them... Bad Kym!)

J ;-)

Cool Venues in Brisbane & other places!

2007-10-05T09:59:00.001+10:00

Brisbane, not surprisingly, has heaps of really good venues to use for functions. There is starting to be a lot more use of the river, which I love. I had a look at the new and improved State Library yesterday for a client - fantastic! An amphitheatre that has natural light (but you can still see the screen), and a great indoor/outdoor kind of area which would be great for cocktail parties or catering during the day.

The State Library also had a couple of River Decks would would seat maybe 40 people for a very classy & exclusive sit down dinner!

I talked about RiverLife in my last blog - wouldn't I love to do more stuff there.

The Brisbane Powerhouse is also a great space - the new deck (which also overlooks the river) is a beautiful spot for pre-function drinks. The grafitti on the walls makes it a bit grungy, and very cool.

We used the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Fed Square in Melbourne for the Fury Launch - That's a great spot too. So central, and lots of interactive things for your guests to do (the Pixar Exhibition was on while we were there - wouldn't my son have loved to see that!).

We're always on the lookout for new and exciting venues - let me know if you know of any we should take a look at!

J ;-)

Riverlife Function Venue! Networx event on the Brisbane River

2007-09-20T10:19:00.000+10:00

We had a FANTASTIC event last night at Riverlife in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, at the base of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. It was one of our Networx Brisbane events, and it was about Experiential Marketing - and what better place to have it than Riverlife!

Kym Baty, Bec Fitzgerald and Stephanie Mayne at registration... overlooking the Brisbane River and in front of Brisbane city views.

You think that Riverlife is just about going kayaking and rock climbing (just!) - but they've actually got several VERY cool function spaces as well.

Danielle Geddes, the CEO of Riverlife, was on our panel, as was Adam Arndell from 5Senses, and Simon Kennworthy-Dell from Straight Edge.

Simon Kenworthy-Dell, Jodie Parker, Danielle Geddes and Adam Arndell.

The panel was great, and we had some really good questions from the audience, including some off-the-cuff experiential marketing ideas for Mototo Ice Desserts (you go, Rohan!)

Adam Arndell, Danielle Geddes, Simon Kenworthy-Dell and Lisa Ma.

But without a doubt, it was the venue that stole the show - drinks on the deck overlooking the river and the city, and fabulous food from Zen Catering. We had the event in the marquee outside, so we had the view, even when we were working! And who would have thought that Fairchild Multimedia could put up plasma screens like that, outside?? Very Cool!!!

Such a beautiful spot - we are very lucky to be able to put on events in places like this!

J ;-)

Blogging for Conferences

2007-09-18T11:44:00.000+10:00

We are now setting up blogs for conferences, long before the program and themes have been set! This is exciting stuff, because it allows us to get some dialog going WORLDWIDE about issues and potential speakers for the event.

Our first one of these is for Subtropical Cities 2008 which is an initiative of the Centre for Subtropical Design at QUT.

Interesting that the blog is up and going before the website for the event!

Unleash the Fury!

2007-09-15T00:44:00.000+10:00

We've just completed a roadshow for Auran Games to launch their new MMO PVP game: Fury. It was such fun! This has opened up a whole new world for me - I didn't know much at all about gaming (and probably still don't) - but at least I know it exists now...

The roadshow was in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and was held at nightclubs (Tank in Sydney, and The Family in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane), and ACMI at Fed Square in Melbourne. Part of the marketing for Fury included Siobhan Parekh, an FHM Model, being created as a character in the game (so you can play as Siobhan if you want to).

This gorgeous woman was at all of the events so the attendees could meet her and have their photos taken with her (including me - just to clarify, I'm the one on the left).

The guys from Auran set up an 8-player LAN so that guests could have a go at the game, playing against other players. At some of the events, we had professional gamer teams playing, with commentators, and live feeds to the screen for the audience to see. I had a great time - it was like being on tour with a rock band! More than 3 weeks lead time would have been helpful, but it all came together in the end.

We got a couple of nice reviews! Unleash the Fury!

J ;-)

Event Managers - make sure you compare apples with apples

2007-09-15T00:42:00.000+10:00

One of the major problems facing our clients when trying to decide on an event manager is that we all quote differently, so it's near impossible for the client to compare apples with apples. I don't have an easy solution on this one. Make sure that your brief is clear to your prospective event managers, and ultimately, go with the one that you have the best rapport with - it's going to be a long road, and you need to get along with this person! The cost of the event manager isn't that high when you look at the cost of the overall event - check their references, and make sure they've done a good job in the past. And once you've decided - trust them. They've done this before!

Good audio visual providers can make or break a conference

2007-09-15T00:36:00.000+10:00

Finding a good (Audio Visual) AV person is like striking gold. The AV can make or break a conference. You want it to be seamless, and if it goes wrong, it's highly noticable (since that's what everyone is looking at!) Be aware that there are lots of different options, and AV providers should be able to be flexible to meet your budget. Some places will go in (very) high, and then the onus is on you to work your way back to something more reasonable for your client. There are options like Skype out there these days as well - make sure you ask about it. J ;-)

Carbon Neutral Events II

2007-09-15T00:34:00.000+10:00

We've had a lot of interest in the entry entitled "Carbon Neutral Events" - so I thought I'd expand on that. As someone who is more knowledgable than me told me the other day, making an event Carbon Neutral isn't all about planting trees. It's about minimising the carbon emissions in the first place. Putting money in the budget towards planting trees is a bit like "paying to pollute". Better to make that the last resort.

Exhibitions - maximising value for exhibitors

2007-09-15T00:32:00.000+10:00

We were in Melbourne running a conference which went for five days, but the committee made the decision to have the trade displays pack up after two days. This has been largely much appreciated by the exhibitors, who figure that if they can't see who they want to see in 2 days, they're not trying hard enough.

This decision has saved everyone a lot of money - we don't need to hold the space at the venue for the whole five days, and the exhibitors can go back to work and do something more productive than sitting on a trade stand for four days straight (when they've already seen everyone they want to see). Any other thoughts on maximising value for Exhibitors? J ;-)

There needs to be more celebrations

2007-09-15T00:29:00.000+10:00

Whether it's for work or in your personal life, there needs to be more celebrations. More Parties. More people getting together and having a good time. That's what life is all about. That's when we take photos, create memories. Yes, it takes some effort, and sometimes it just doesn't seem like we have time. We run corporate (public) events for a living, but it's important to celebrate the personal events - the wins, the birthdays, the graduations, or just the fact that you are alive and well. J ;-)

Focus or Fold! Sergio Carlo Maresca

2007-09-15T00:26:00.000+10:00

The Iceberg Events team helped out at a fabulous breakfast at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre - it was the launch of Sergio Carlo Maresca's new book - Focus or Fold! Sergio was highly enjoyable as always - definately has a message, and always delivers it in a fascinating way. What did I learn? There's no such thing as Cold Calling - it's "Introductory Calling". I like that a lot better, since it's something we're trying to do more of here. I'm also very interested in the concept of Public Life/Private Life/Secret Life. More info - http://www.maresca.com.au/ J ;-)

Carbon Neutral Events

2007-09-15T00:16:00.000+10:00

This is a first - Iceberg Events have been asked to bid on an event, and one of the criteria is that the event be carbon neutral. I'll be addressing this in a number of ways, including adding in costs for Carbon Neutral as a line item in the budget; and assessing the venue, caterers and other suppliers on their environmental policies. Obviously we'll be assessing our own practices here as part of the process as well. Does anyone out there have any thoughts on this? I'm open to suggestions and new ideas here - I'm certain that this will become more common, especially for events which are dealing with environmental issues and the future.

Speaker Gift Ideas - Edible Blooms

2007-09-15T00:11:00.000+10:00

We've come across some very cool speaker gifts lately. One of my favourites is Edible Blooms. You can get these pretty much all over Australia now, and it's SO much better than giving someone a bottle of wine!! Heaps more impressive, and yummy, and (if you want to hold the chocolate) - HEALTHY!

Any other ideas? We'd love to hear them. J ;-)

Welcome to Iceberg Event's new Blog

2007-09-14T23:13:00.000+10:00

Lisa Ma & I have just been to the Evolve conference, held in Melbourne yesterday. Evolve was the first conference to be held by Networx Marketers Meetings Founder, Kimberly Palmer, of Brazen Productions.

It was fantastic! We learned a lot about new media marketing - blogging (hence my first ever business Blog for Iceberg Events today!), podcasting, SMS technology - it's a whole new world.

Part of the challenge, I think, is how to effectively use these new tools in our business - I'm still thinking about that.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Lisa Ma and I are Event Managers for Iceberg Events (conference and event organisers) - we manage the monthly Networx Marketers Meetings - Brisbane - marketing, networking and professional development events for dynamic communications professionals and marketing focused entrepreneurs..