Wouldn’t it be great, you ask, if one could go to one place and see all of the Party Aficionado’s bookmarks, reviews, favorite things, and more from one central location?!
You asked for it, now you’ve got it. Simply visit www.partyaficionado.com .
The site now is live.
Tell me what you think.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Consider me Twittered! The Party Aficionado Weighs in.
I’ve been called many things due to my love of technology and new gadgets. Most of which I will not utter here. But I think I’ve found a great way to share all those marketing emails I receive daily, and my new favorite online sites and gadgets.
I will Twitter them!
For those of you who know me, and for those of you just getting to know me, you’ll soon learn that I like all things gadget and tech. While I’m not a tech person by trade, I am fascinated by anything that makes my life/job easier or just more fun.
Years ago, it was gadgets. I had to have the first palm device. I had a bluetooth phone back when there was really no point. (Only my expensive Palm device and my expensive phone could talk to each other) and that blue light stemming from my ear just didn’t go over well in the airports. After jumping on the Ipod craze a few years ago, I took a step back from the ever changing and updating gadgets and switched my focus to online technology as gadgetry.
As an event leader, I of course early adopted to online registration sites, (taking my clients kicking and screaming along the way). I started Myspace and Facebook accounts for one of my event clients in 2005/2007 respectively, and of course I blog, tried my hand at podcasting, I post my bookmarks with Delicous, I Yelp my favorite places to eat and stay, and now…. I twitter!
Like many of you, I receive hundreds of emails offering me specials on hotel stays, incentive gifts, event services, and more. Most of the time those emails get tossed with the hopes that if I’m ever called on to produce a meeting in a 4 star German hotel in April 2011, that I’ll be able to somehow retrace my deleted emails. And what if that request never happens, couldn’t there possibly be someone out there who is interested in that same offer right now?! As an event leader and habitual educator, I love to share information so Twitter it is.
I know I’m supposed to use Twitter to tell my friends and family what I’m doing every second of the day, but I thought. Why not share with my readers, friends and clients. The deals that I think are worth taking a second look at. To be fair to the Twitter purists, I am posting them as I receive them via email.
So… You really are getting a glimpse of what I’m ‘doing right now”.
I will Twitter them!
For those of you who know me, and for those of you just getting to know me, you’ll soon learn that I like all things gadget and tech. While I’m not a tech person by trade, I am fascinated by anything that makes my life/job easier or just more fun.
Years ago, it was gadgets. I had to have the first palm device. I had a bluetooth phone back when there was really no point. (Only my expensive Palm device and my expensive phone could talk to each other) and that blue light stemming from my ear just didn’t go over well in the airports. After jumping on the Ipod craze a few years ago, I took a step back from the ever changing and updating gadgets and switched my focus to online technology as gadgetry.
As an event leader, I of course early adopted to online registration sites, (taking my clients kicking and screaming along the way). I started Myspace and Facebook accounts for one of my event clients in 2005/2007 respectively, and of course I blog, tried my hand at podcasting, I post my bookmarks with Delicous, I Yelp my favorite places to eat and stay, and now…. I twitter!
Like many of you, I receive hundreds of emails offering me specials on hotel stays, incentive gifts, event services, and more. Most of the time those emails get tossed with the hopes that if I’m ever called on to produce a meeting in a 4 star German hotel in April 2011, that I’ll be able to somehow retrace my deleted emails. And what if that request never happens, couldn’t there possibly be someone out there who is interested in that same offer right now?! As an event leader and habitual educator, I love to share information so Twitter it is.
I know I’m supposed to use Twitter to tell my friends and family what I’m doing every second of the day, but I thought. Why not share with my readers, friends and clients. The deals that I think are worth taking a second look at. To be fair to the Twitter purists, I am posting them as I receive them via email.
So… You really are getting a glimpse of what I’m ‘doing right now”.
Monday, November 3, 2008
If you knew what I know, you’d have more meetings! The Party Aficionado weighs in on communicating during the financial crisis
If you knew what I know, you’d have more meetings! The Party Aficionado weighs in on communicating during the financial crisis.
As an independent meetings and event planner, I can’t help but notice the slowing down of firms both large and small as it relates to their company meetings and event marketing initiatives. As a former corporate employee, I can only say that this is the wrong direction.
I remember years ago when I was working for GM, each time there was a financial crisis, an inner company merger, or the latest leadership shuffle, there was more gossip and talk among employees than between leadership and staff. By the time the "big reveal" occurred, the rumor mill was full of speculation and downright fear.
I remember thinking to myself: "Company leaders have to know that saying nothing for months, then calling a meeting on a Sunday -- Mother's Day to be exact, would only incite more panic among the ranks", but alas this was the norm.
So when I came across the results from a recent survey by the research firm Weber Shandwick, I was not at all surprised with what they found.
The survey of 514 employed Americans shows that 70% expect the current economic and financial problems in the U.S. will have a negative impact on the company they work for over the course of the next year. Of those, 26% believe their company will have to lay off employees and 62% said their company would have trouble meeting its goals.
The research highlights a clear deficit in the workplace between employee appetite for more communication on the impact of the economic crisis and the levels at which company leadership is providing information. The research shows that 71% of people felt that their company's leadership should be communicating more about current economic problems, and 54% have not heard from company leaders at all on the impact of the financial crisis on their company. By comparison, 74% said that they had heard colleagues and co-workers talking about the issue.
And my overall favorite statistic from the study: Of those companies who had discussed the financial crisis at work, 86% say that senior executives or management were seen as “believable” and “trustworthy” sources on the topic.
"At a time when working Americans are concerned about their personal finances, their jobs and the overall economy, employees are looking for credible, candid information, and right now too few business leaders are filling the information void that exists,” said Harris Diamond, CEO of Weber Shandwick. “Employers have a great opportunity to communicate with their workforce about the impact of the economic situation on their companies as well as on employees."
"By stepping up and communicating more with their employees, company leaders will enhance their company's standing, consolidate their position of trust in challenging times and head off any inaccurate rumors or fears that are all too common in fast-moving crises such as these," added Diamond.
It is imperative that we as event professionals get this message across to all of our clients and colleagues. Now is not the time to cut back on meetings and other forms of communication. Sure, there is certainly a balance companies must maintain to avoid the appearance frivolity in this time of economic crisis (e.g. AIG event nightmare), but curtailing all meeting activities is not the answer.
Be honest, keep the communication coming, and by all means, don’t stop meeting!
Cheryl Lawson, MBA
As an independent meetings and event planner, I can’t help but notice the slowing down of firms both large and small as it relates to their company meetings and event marketing initiatives. As a former corporate employee, I can only say that this is the wrong direction.
I remember years ago when I was working for GM, each time there was a financial crisis, an inner company merger, or the latest leadership shuffle, there was more gossip and talk among employees than between leadership and staff. By the time the "big reveal" occurred, the rumor mill was full of speculation and downright fear.
I remember thinking to myself: "Company leaders have to know that saying nothing for months, then calling a meeting on a Sunday -- Mother's Day to be exact, would only incite more panic among the ranks", but alas this was the norm.
So when I came across the results from a recent survey by the research firm Weber Shandwick, I was not at all surprised with what they found.
The survey of 514 employed Americans shows that 70% expect the current economic and financial problems in the U.S. will have a negative impact on the company they work for over the course of the next year. Of those, 26% believe their company will have to lay off employees and 62% said their company would have trouble meeting its goals.
The research highlights a clear deficit in the workplace between employee appetite for more communication on the impact of the economic crisis and the levels at which company leadership is providing information. The research shows that 71% of people felt that their company's leadership should be communicating more about current economic problems, and 54% have not heard from company leaders at all on the impact of the financial crisis on their company. By comparison, 74% said that they had heard colleagues and co-workers talking about the issue.
And my overall favorite statistic from the study: Of those companies who had discussed the financial crisis at work, 86% say that senior executives or management were seen as “believable” and “trustworthy” sources on the topic.
"At a time when working Americans are concerned about their personal finances, their jobs and the overall economy, employees are looking for credible, candid information, and right now too few business leaders are filling the information void that exists,” said Harris Diamond, CEO of Weber Shandwick. “Employers have a great opportunity to communicate with their workforce about the impact of the economic situation on their companies as well as on employees."
"By stepping up and communicating more with their employees, company leaders will enhance their company's standing, consolidate their position of trust in challenging times and head off any inaccurate rumors or fears that are all too common in fast-moving crises such as these," added Diamond.
It is imperative that we as event professionals get this message across to all of our clients and colleagues. Now is not the time to cut back on meetings and other forms of communication. Sure, there is certainly a balance companies must maintain to avoid the appearance frivolity in this time of economic crisis (e.g. AIG event nightmare), but curtailing all meeting activities is not the answer.
Be honest, keep the communication coming, and by all means, don’t stop meeting!
Cheryl Lawson, MBA
Monday, October 20, 2008
AIG St. Regis.Event. The Party Aficionado Weighs in.
The AIG event nightmare..... When was the contract signed?
by Cheryl Lawson
OK, Let's get real here about the AIG St. Regis event. As an event professional, I have had mixed feelings about this story and have been reluctant to give my feedback since I am one of those Americans suffering in poor economy.
With that said, my questions are:
When was the contract signed & what was the anticipated income? Although this was not covered in any of the blogs or news reports I found on the subject, most events/conferences of this type are planned months if not years in advanced. Epiphany Trader http://www.epiphanytrader.com/AIG_Invoice1.shtml lists a copy of the final invoice. You'll note, there was a $58,373.00 attrition charge. What that says to me is that this was an event booked for more sleeping rooms and or F&B than they actually utilized.
What was the Attrition Clause? For those of you who are not familiar, all hotel contracts include some type of attrition clause. The attrition clause allows the hotel/resort to recoup any losses if the group fails to meet it's contracted room block and or food and beverage expenses. What we do know about the AIG event is that there was a shortage of either rooms or food and beverage for the final event. (note the $58,373.00 attrition charge).
Here is an example from one of my own events (of significantly smaller budget) of the anticipated income statement.
What was the negotiated room rate? What the invoice does not make clear, is how many rooms were utilized and what was the negotiated sleeping room rate. Any event professional worth their weight in USB drives knows that you can negotiate better than published rates for clients. When people see and hear the Ritz Carlton or St.Regis, they somehow assume that negotiations are not possible. That is simply not true. All properties will negotiate!
What was the cancellation clause? Most hotel/resort cancellation clauses require some form of payment as penalty within 0 - 365 days of the contracted event, and most always there is a 90-100% payment penalty within 0-90 days of an event.
An example of how a cancellation clause reads.
Should AIG have scrapped this event and simply paid the penalty?
Now that you have taken one of my classes :-), the real question is. Should they (AIG) have gone ahead with this conference or paid the penaly? Of course hind sight is 20/20 and due to the overwhelming bad press received from their decision, I would be a fool to suggest they go ahead with this event as they did. Perhaps the spin doctors who I'm sure are at the ready for these big firms could have preempted the bad publicity by "leaking" the contract signature dates, and the cancellation policy.
I even heard one of the guys in the meetings podcast mention a suggestion that AIG should have donated the trip to military families. Maybe some combination of the contractual facts a charitable aspect would have smoothed the rough edges a bit more.
Maybe a bit too much Monday morning quarterbacking here, so I'll move on.
How does this effect future publicly held companies' event and meeting expenditures and plans. My biggest concern now is... how will this impact events/meetings and conferences as we move forward in this economic environment. It is true that in tough times, face to face meetings to share common goals and new directions are the best way to calm both employeees and customers fears.
An informed event/meeting professional can easily communicate to clients,customers, and vendors the importance of appearance vs. value. Hone your negotiating skills, become a better communicator, and stay above reproach!
Sometimes you will have to cut your losses and cancel and event/meeting with short notice, but you will survive to go on another day!
Cheryl Lawson, MBA
by Cheryl Lawson
OK, Let's get real here about the AIG St. Regis event. As an event professional, I have had mixed feelings about this story and have been reluctant to give my feedback since I am one of those Americans suffering in poor economy.
With that said, my questions are:
When was the contract signed & what was the anticipated income? Although this was not covered in any of the blogs or news reports I found on the subject, most events/conferences of this type are planned months if not years in advanced. Epiphany Trader http://www.epiphanytrader.com/AIG_Invoice1.shtml lists a copy of the final invoice. You'll note, there was a $58,373.00 attrition charge. What that says to me is that this was an event booked for more sleeping rooms and or F&B than they actually utilized.
What was the Attrition Clause? For those of you who are not familiar, all hotel contracts include some type of attrition clause. The attrition clause allows the hotel/resort to recoup any losses if the group fails to meet it's contracted room block and or food and beverage expenses. What we do know about the AIG event is that there was a shortage of either rooms or food and beverage for the final event. (note the $58,373.00 attrition charge).
Here is an example from one of my own events (of significantly smaller budget) of the anticipated income statement.
At this time, the resort is holding 505 room nights for your use over the contracted dates, which,
including the resort charge, will generate total room revenue of $48,411.00. Planned banquet food and beverage revenue is $24,000.00. These figures shall be referred to herein as the “Anticipated Room Night and Banquet Food and Beverage Revenue Figures.” All food and beverage is subject to a 21% service charge. All revenue figures are net and not inclusive of taxes, service charge or commissions.
From the same event from above, here is the wording regarding attrition.
At the reservations due date as established above, we will calculate the amount of room attrition which we anticipate will be due. We will advise you of that amount shortly thereafter, and that amount will be due immediately upon receipt of our invoice. Upon receipt of your payment, that amount will be credited to your master account and will be applied to the final calculation of rooms and food and beverage attrition upon the conclusion of your meeting.
What was the negotiated room rate? What the invoice does not make clear, is how many rooms were utilized and what was the negotiated sleeping room rate. Any event professional worth their weight in USB drives knows that you can negotiate better than published rates for clients. When people see and hear the Ritz Carlton or St.Regis, they somehow assume that negotiations are not possible. That is simply not true. All properties will negotiate!
What was the cancellation clause? Most hotel/resort cancellation clauses require some form of payment as penalty within 0 - 365 days of the contracted event, and most always there is a 90-100% payment penalty within 0-90 days of an event.
An example of how a cancellation clause reads.
In the event of a group cancellation occurring 0 to 90 days prior to arrival, liquidated damages in the amount of ninety percent of the "Anticipated Room Night and Banquet Food and Beverage Revenue Figures" will be due, plus applicable taxes and service charges.
In the event of a group cancellation occurring 91 to 180 days prior to arrival, liquidated damages in the amount of eighty percent of the "Anticipated Room Night and Banquet Food and Beverage Revenue Figures" will be due, plus applicable taxes and service charges.
In the event of a group cancellation occurring 181 to 365 days prior to arrival, liquidated damages in the amount of seventy percent of the "Anticipated Room Night and Banquet Food and Beverage Revenue Figures" will be due, plus applicable taxes and service charges.
Should AIG have scrapped this event and simply paid the penalty?
Now that you have taken one of my classes :-), the real question is. Should they (AIG) have gone ahead with this conference or paid the penaly? Of course hind sight is 20/20 and due to the overwhelming bad press received from their decision, I would be a fool to suggest they go ahead with this event as they did. Perhaps the spin doctors who I'm sure are at the ready for these big firms could have preempted the bad publicity by "leaking" the contract signature dates, and the cancellation policy.
I even heard one of the guys in the meetings podcast mention a suggestion that AIG should have donated the trip to military families. Maybe some combination of the contractual facts a charitable aspect would have smoothed the rough edges a bit more.
Maybe a bit too much Monday morning quarterbacking here, so I'll move on.
How does this effect future publicly held companies' event and meeting expenditures and plans. My biggest concern now is... how will this impact events/meetings and conferences as we move forward in this economic environment. It is true that in tough times, face to face meetings to share common goals and new directions are the best way to calm both employeees and customers fears.
An informed event/meeting professional can easily communicate to clients,customers, and vendors the importance of appearance vs. value. Hone your negotiating skills, become a better communicator, and stay above reproach!
Sometimes you will have to cut your losses and cancel and event/meeting with short notice, but you will survive to go on another day!
Cheryl Lawson, MBA
Friday, September 5, 2008
New Dates Added to RCC Community Ed: Event Planning
Hello Everyone,
I am very happy and overwhelmed by the response to my event planning course for RCC Community Education.
RCC Community Ed has added two dates to their fall calendar for the same class.
September 15, 2008
October 13, 2008
The current students are already asking for a Part II, so I'll be working on that and will keep you posted.
In the mean time, I hope to see you in a future course.
log on to www.rcccommunityed.com to sign up NOW!
Warmest Wishes,
Cheryl Lawson, M.B.A
Event Specialist & Professor :-)
Event Planner Cheryl Lawson Teams up with RCC Community Education
Event Planner Cheryl Lawson Teams up with RCC Community Education
Popular event planner Cheryl Lawson has teamed up with RCC Community Education to teach aspiring event planners the tricks of the trade.
Popular event planner Cheryl Lawson has teamed up with RCC Community Education to teach aspiring event planners the tricks of the trade.
This class "Event Planning; Create Your New Career" is designed for anyone who wants to become a professional event planner and for the many administrative employees who plan meetings and events as part of their jobs. "The class is designed to be a resource for students of all ages and backgrounds," said Cheryl. "I really enjoy sharing my experiences with others. I am thrilled to create this course for the Riverside community."
Cheryl Lawson, an event planner and marketing specialist, will cover: event basics, career opportunities for aspiring planners, and essential tips to help develop communication styles. Students will learn about event budgeting, negotiation skills, site visits, and much more.
After spending 16 years in corporate America, Cheryl coordinated contest where winning sales people won a V.I.P trip to the Daytona 500. Sixteen lucky winners had the time of their lives including private dinners, police escorts, and infield RVs stocked with all of their favorite snacks and beverages. Cheryl chose the Daytona event to launch her own company, The Perfect Date, an event planning and marketing firm. Established long before the current online dating craze, the name "The Perfect Date" was inspired by a wine country tour through the Napa Valley.
In this age of technology and ease of travel, Cheryl has planned events at such unique venues as The Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, KY, Texas Motor Speedway, LaQuinta Resort and Spa, and many other fantastic locations through out the country.
From 2005-2007, The Perfect Date was the official event planning company for the annual Prodance event and conference. Prodance is an international forum for professional sports dance teams, representing the NFL, NBA, CFL, AFL, and other professional sport leagues.
"I have had the incredible privilege and good fortune of being a client of Cheryl and her event planning company, The Perfect Date. Cheryl has played a major role in orchestrating the phenomenal growth and success of one of my business ventures," said Rosalyn Jones, CEO/Founder of ProDance. "From our initial conversation, I knew, intuitively, that Cheryl 'GOT' my business! She understood what it was going to take to bring my ideas to fruition. Cheryl is meticulous, savvy, focused, innovative, organized, intelligent, creative and professional. She is such a joy to work with, and she ALWAYS delivers more than I could ever imagine. It is rare to find someone who immerses herself in your company's ideas and can take those concepts from conception to actuality. From website development to marketing, sponsorship acquisition to pre-event services, registration to budgeting, on-site needs to post event management, Cheryl Lawson is the very definition of the consummate event planner. She's the real deal!"
Ms. Lawson has over 18 years in sales, marketing and event planning, and she is often contacted as an industry expert. As an adjunct college professor, Cheryl has received high marks from her students on her teaching style and her knowledge of the business.
To register for the RCC Community ED course titled: "Event Planning Create Your New Career" visit http://www.rcccommunityed.com. New classes scheduled September and October, 2008.
###
Popular event planner Cheryl Lawson has teamed up with RCC Community Education to teach aspiring event planners the tricks of the trade.
Popular event planner Cheryl Lawson has teamed up with RCC Community Education to teach aspiring event planners the tricks of the trade.
This class "Event Planning; Create Your New Career" is designed for anyone who wants to become a professional event planner and for the many administrative employees who plan meetings and events as part of their jobs. "The class is designed to be a resource for students of all ages and backgrounds," said Cheryl. "I really enjoy sharing my experiences with others. I am thrilled to create this course for the Riverside community."
Cheryl Lawson, an event planner and marketing specialist, will cover: event basics, career opportunities for aspiring planners, and essential tips to help develop communication styles. Students will learn about event budgeting, negotiation skills, site visits, and much more.
After spending 16 years in corporate America, Cheryl coordinated contest where winning sales people won a V.I.P trip to the Daytona 500. Sixteen lucky winners had the time of their lives including private dinners, police escorts, and infield RVs stocked with all of their favorite snacks and beverages. Cheryl chose the Daytona event to launch her own company, The Perfect Date, an event planning and marketing firm. Established long before the current online dating craze, the name "The Perfect Date" was inspired by a wine country tour through the Napa Valley.
In this age of technology and ease of travel, Cheryl has planned events at such unique venues as The Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, KY, Texas Motor Speedway, LaQuinta Resort and Spa, and many other fantastic locations through out the country.
From 2005-2007, The Perfect Date was the official event planning company for the annual Prodance event and conference. Prodance is an international forum for professional sports dance teams, representing the NFL, NBA, CFL, AFL, and other professional sport leagues.
"I have had the incredible privilege and good fortune of being a client of Cheryl and her event planning company, The Perfect Date. Cheryl has played a major role in orchestrating the phenomenal growth and success of one of my business ventures," said Rosalyn Jones, CEO/Founder of ProDance. "From our initial conversation, I knew, intuitively, that Cheryl 'GOT' my business! She understood what it was going to take to bring my ideas to fruition. Cheryl is meticulous, savvy, focused, innovative, organized, intelligent, creative and professional. She is such a joy to work with, and she ALWAYS delivers more than I could ever imagine. It is rare to find someone who immerses herself in your company's ideas and can take those concepts from conception to actuality. From website development to marketing, sponsorship acquisition to pre-event services, registration to budgeting, on-site needs to post event management, Cheryl Lawson is the very definition of the consummate event planner. She's the real deal!"
Ms. Lawson has over 18 years in sales, marketing and event planning, and she is often contacted as an industry expert. As an adjunct college professor, Cheryl has received high marks from her students on her teaching style and her knowledge of the business.
To register for the RCC Community ED course titled: "Event Planning Create Your New Career" visit http://www.rcccommunityed.com. New classes scheduled September and October, 2008.
###
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)