5 Last Minute Holiday Party Mashups

Event Specialist, Cheryl Lawson shares a few last minute holiday party ideas.

So it's December 18th and you find that the Holiday Spirit is a late bloomer this year. Don't fret, here are some really fun and affordable ways to put together a fun holiday party with your friends. (Most of them are Mashups)

According to Wikipedia: "The term mashup implies easy, fast integration, frequently using(data) Party sources to produce results that were not the original reason for producing the (raw source data) Party.

To my fellow geeks, think of these as my party APIs.

1. The SPA Mashup:

With so many strip mall day spa's popping up all around, I can't imagine they are ALL busy this season, get your girls together and invade one of them. Appointment Smointment. If they have a sign that says "Walk ins welcome".. Just walk in. Don't they all just say "5 minutes, pick a color" anyway?


You can take turns for who's got next! After the place has cleared.. Trust me it will be YOUR exclusive party with out having to buy out the place. Bring cute little champagne flask and no one will be the wiser.


If you happen to live in a place where the spas are all filled up for the holiday rush... Don't fear. Opt for a unique treatment.

Don't opt for the typical mani pedi. Have a bikini wax party. The esthetician will be more than happy to get so many clients in the winter, and you'll all definitely have a story to tell in the new year. Warning! Before you go, check out these tips





2. Cupcake tasting party:
Similar to the traditional wine tasting event (without the spit bucket please) Cupcakes are all the rage, and the prices for these little decadent treats are getting as outrageous as California Cabernet in the 1990's. Here's a way to have some fun, and maybe expose some of your local Cupcakeries.


First, purchase cupcakes from a sampling of all of the cupcake experts in your city. Include a few from the grocery store bakery, and if you're planning to be the latest cupcake queen in your city... throw in a few of your own. Remove all of the packaging and display them so that your guests can not tell which cakes came from which location. (make sure you know which is which)

Provide note pads for tasting notes, and encourage a spirited debate over which cupcake is king. (a live webcast will make it even more fun)



Use some type of voting system: Gummy bears, or Jelly beans work fine.
Once a winner has been chosen, reveal all of the competitors starting with the last place finisher and work your way up. Don't forget to include the per cupcake price.


Adding a few desert wines or a nice port will add a little more fun to for the 'judges'.


3. Mash potato Mashup
Or any of food that is too big to eat for normal humans.
The Travel Channel has a show called Man vs. Food.


No need to mess up your own kitchen. Go to one of the many places that boast the world's largest (Insert food here) and go for it. Guys, there"s usually a contest if you can eat the whole thing in a few hours. Girls get one and share it with 10-15 of your closest friends.


4. Have a Ghoul Tide Holiday Mashup:
Just because Halloween was in October,doesn't mean you have to abandon your gothness.
Photo by Paul Abrams.

Book the suite at your local Haunted Hotel Watch A Nightmare Before Christmas or other scary movies and have a Ghoul Tide celebration.

If you really want to go all out, there's probably already a tree in the suite. Ask if you can Re-Decorate the tree with dark lights and ghoulish ornaments.

Wanna go even deeper, eat a bug! Some claim to really enjoy the taste of Bug Gourmet, and what better time to include them in your selection that at your Ghoul tide holiday celebration. Bring on the chocolate covered crickets and have a blast!


Let me know if the Hotel Ghost shows up.


5. Fitness Mashup:



And last, but not least, Mash the health club. Most fitness centers are gearing up for all of our 2010 resolutions that will only last about three months. Many are willing to give you a FREE TRIAL to check out their latest class.

Get your crew together to try one of the hottest new trends, Go to a Zumba class, a Pole Dancing Fitness class, Sweat it out at a Bikram Yoga studio, or "Move your Boombsey at a Kukuwa African Dance Workout* Full disclosure.... Kukuwa is a client and friend, but as you can see from this video, I need to also be a customer. (I'm the one taking a knee in the middle of class) :-)



Good luck with your last minute holiday plans, and don't stress... Mashup!

I hope you find some of these ideas perfect for you. If you do one of them, I want to see the photos, videos, and live casts.

Post them here, or shout out to me via Twitter or Facebook.

Happy Holidays!
Cheryl Lawson
Event Specialist
Social Marketing Coach
Learn more about me visit. Party Aficionado

Thanks to our Sponsors?

Years ago, I stumbled upon the website Sponsorwise.com. I created a proposal within their system and submitted it to several sponsors. While we didn't get a great response for that particular event, I have kept this site on my radar since.

Today, as I check the site, I see where more and more companies have joined their company. Here is just a sampling of the companies using Sponsorwise:
JetBlue
Motorola
Nintendo of America
Staples
Bacardi
Hershey Food Company
Lowes Companies
Petsmart

I will be submitting a new proposal for a new client very soon, I am curious to know if any other planners have had success using this or any other system to obtain event sponsors.

Social Media Presentation

Event and Marketing Specialist, Cheryl Lawson presents Social Media Marketing. A presentation created using The Social Media Bible by Lon Safko and taught to students at UC Riverside Extension Center by Cheryl Lawson

Social Media Presentation

View more presentations from Cheryl Lawson.

September 23, 2009 - The Perfect Date for TheACY.org 's Party with a Purpose Charity Event in Beverly Hills, California

September 23, 2009 - The Perfect Date for TheACY.org 's Party with a Purpose Charity Event in Beverly Hills, California

Posted using ShareThis

Beverly Hills Charity Event Supports Grieving Children Through Forgiveness and Healing

Beverly Hills Charity Event Supports Grieving Children Through Forgiveness and Healing

Posted using ShareThis

Social Media Marketing added to UCR Ext. Certificate Program

Event and Marketing Specialist, Cheryl Lawson prepares to teach the Social Media Marketing classes for UCR Extension Center.

Savvy marketing professionals use YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, and other social media marketing tools to reach new markets.

Participants in this course learn the marketing principles and practices most commonly used for social media marketing. Topics include new channels of social media marketing and Web 2.0, case studies and real—world success stories, do’s and don’ts of social media marketing, online social network management, user generated content, content sharing, blogs, podcasts, tracking leads and lead generation, measuring success, budgeting for social media marketing, current and future trends, and how to evaluate social media marketing as part of an overall marketing, current and future trends.

Participants will utilize computer labs, online, and real time activities to learn by using the tools.

Lawson has chosen "The Social Media Bible Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success" By Lon Safko and David Brake as the text for this course.

"I believe people prefer to do business with others with whom they share social experiences.” Cheryl Lawson.

Course Details:

Date/Time:	Tues. 6:30-9:30 p.m., Sept. 15-Nov. 17 (10 meeting/s)
Location:	University Extension Center, RIVERSIDE

Register Now!

Clients Access Social Media on New Event Planning Web Site

Event Specialist, Cheryl Lawson launches a new website for her event planning company, The Perfect Date.

The Perfect Date event planning and marketing firm, whose specialties include corporate meetings, association conferences, specialized events, and gala celebrations, has launched a brand new website featuring several web 2.0 favorites, designed to save client's both time and money.

"In 2000, I was asked to plan a V.I.P trip to the Daytona 500," Cheryl remembers. "It was there where I chose to launch my own company, The Perfect Date. Like other small businesses at the time, we had a website that was little more than an online brochure. I wanted the new site to not only showcase who we are and what we do, but also to be a place to collaborate with clients and suppliers through out the event management process."

Using tools from Google®, clients can log on to www.theperfect-date.com to view and collaborate on documents, budgets, and deadlines. Visitors to the site can listen to a Podcast, follow Lawson on Twitter®, and view videos.

"I actually had to stop at YouTube®, Twitter, Google Docs®, and the Podcast, said Lawson as she chuckled. I have been using social networking and so called web 2.0 sites for years, but I don't want to overwhelm my clients with my obsession with technology. I just want to showcase the features that can save all of us the most amount of time and money."

Affectionately referred to as "TPD", The Perfect Date's new website is a clear extension of its founder's knowledge of the meeting and events industry, her passion for technology, her sense of humor, and her belief that people prefer to do business with others with whom they share social experiences.

About The Perfect Date:
The Perfect Date is an event planning and marketing firm whose specialties include corporate meetings, association conferences, specialized events, and gala celebrations. Established long before the current online dating craze, the name "The Perfect Date" was inspired by a wine country tour through the Napa Valley with friends. To learn more visit www.theperfect-date.com.

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Press Release Turn Blog Post.

Cheryl

@Partyaficionado

10 Things Event Planners Can Learn from San Diego Comic Con 2009

Event and social media specialist, Cheryl Lawson shares the 10 things event planners can learn from this year's Comic Con.

At the very beginning, we knew that this comic con would be like no other. When it was announced that there was a Comic Con Iphone app, the technology bar for conventions and conferences was raised.




As many event planners and leaders struggle to adopt social media and other technologies, big time conference organizers have taken the helm to show how it’s done.

First, let me say that most of us in the industry would love to have crowds, fans, and budgets the likes of Comic Con.







Even if you don’t have these types of crowds, there are lessons to be learned on how to create and captivate your audience.










So you say you don’t think that your attendees will want to dress up like Dr. Harold Norwenksy at the annual dentistry conference. No worries, there are still ways to create excitement among your attendees.


Here are 10 lessons learned from Comic-con:

1. Create a Hashtag
Twitter hashtags have become the must have accessory for live, on the spot convention and conference coverage.

Hashtags not only drive the conversation for your event, they also provide instant feedback to you and your organization. (The good, bad and the ugly)

2. Use an online registration system
Using an online registration system will speed up your registration process; reduce the amount of paper you have to print for ticketing and attendee profiling.

Plus, it gives your attendees a very early connection to your event.

Most online registration systems offer bar coding similar to those used by Comic Con.







No, you may not have attendees taking photos of your registration badges, but what this will do is show your attendees that you are efficient, professional, that you care about their time, and of course the environment.


3. Verify wireless internet access (Provide it for free if you can)
Regardless of the size of your event, you must have some type of wireless internet access for attendees. The number of comments from attendees regarding their internet access; or lack there of, is staggering.





Don’t let all of your hard work, and money spent be over run by these types of comments.

3a. If the cost is too much, find a sponsor to provide wireless access



Check with the hotel/conference center regarding their wireless access. If they are in a dead zone, contact the wireless carriers to find out what other options you have.




4. Bring out the Stars, but make them stick around a while
So many planners, pay big money for speakers/presenters to give a one hour speech, and then bail immediately. I understand that more time equals more money, but if they stick around for panel discussions/autograph sessions, you will gain so much more equity from their appearance than you would if they do the "get in get out nobody gets hurt" method.





If you have a speaker/presenter who is not comfortable connecting with or taking questions from your audience, it’s time to find a new speaker.

5. Showcase the latest & greatest in a big way







Partner with your exhibitors. Give them creative suggestions, or be open to their creativity. Even the newest lounge chair can be presented in a way that people will go nuts over!


6. Use your website to keep the event interactive and connected to both attendees and non attendees
Don't put up the "gone fishing" sign, this is your opportunity to use the tool you have spent tons of time and money creating. Make it work for you.





7. Take risks - be innovative
Extend your exhibit space to include the great outdoors.






8. Bags are still a great way to showcase your brand, try including a call to action
If you’re going to do bags, let the bag make a statement about your brand, its always a good idea to have a call to action (i.e. Now Playing, purchase by Dec. 31st, etc.)

I can just see these in the grocery stores now.
paper or plastic? neither -- Potter :-)



9. Use Social Media to promote and lure attendees to specific areas
BandaiAmerica: Don't forget to Twitpic us your Bandai America bag from comic-con! 1st gets another toy. Get one @ the Namco Bandai booth #sdcc #comiccon


Visit @atomictiki + show this tweet (see coupon http://tiny.cc/f7UK5 ) at Small Press booth M14 for 50% off GNs! #SDCC #CCI Comic-Con




9a. Don't be a Social Media failure.
Unfortunately, some promotions don't work. Just ask Electronic Arts. The backlash from their "Sin to Win" promo quickly earned them the dreaded #EAFAIL hashtag.



An apology letter was issued before the weekend was out.



10. And last but certainly not least! Thank the people who made your event a success!




I've only touched on the items that stood out most to me as a fan of the genre and a self proclaimed event and social media geek.

If you'd like to learn more, or do your own research, I suggest checking out two tweeps that covered the convention very well. @Comic_Con and @comiccon .

To learn more about me, visit my web site at www.theperfect-date.com
To learn from me, click on the community education link in the about us section.

Until 2010 may the force be with you!

Cheryl Lawson

When RentACoder Fails

Event Specialist, Cheryl Lawson shares a not so great experience with online service Rentacoder.com

While I am a user of Rentacoder.com beware of coder "Tajvi's Team"!

I used them to convert my logo for embroidery. As you know this is a difficult file since I don't personally have the software to open the .dst file format. I had to rely on embroiders to provide me me with feedback.

The Coder provided a sample, the embroider agreed that the file that could be embroidered. I received a sample of the coders file only after I accepted the bid (my mistake) The sample was horrible and it was obvious that the coder Tajvi's Team didn't know what the heck they were doing.. No problem, I've worked with coders on the site before and all I needed to do was provided a little more guidance.

Not this coder. They refused to make any additional changes to the file, and in the arbitration process, claimed that since their sample was crap, and their final file was crap, that I got what i paid for.. Crap. (True)

I must give props to the coder for defending crap work. Even the arbitrator admitted that the work was crap.


"I agree that the work might not be of good quality, since it did not show up well in the software." Rafeek Kulkarni Rentacoder Arbitrator


Before you all slam me and start commenting "that's what you get for trying to outsource" I have had more home grown "web guys" flake on me and my clients over the past few years, So I don't want to hear it!

I have used both US and International Coders on the site, and I still recommend it to those of you looking for web, and design solutions in an affordable format. Just have patience with the coders and be prepared to provide actionable feedback. Most will be more than willing to make you happy with their work.

I have experienced coders that didn't do the greatest work, but they gave their best and i have no problem releasing funds to them and providing them with positive feedback.

Since I lost the arbitration with Tajvi's Team, I was not able to leave feedback for them, although they were able to leave feedback for me. (a 3 out of 10)

No worries Tajvi's Team... Feedback is no longer confined to one space. 0 out of 10. Buyer's you've been warned.