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Monday, November 24, 2008

Global Entrepreneurship Week- What did you do?

Since this is a few days before Thanksgiving, and I am attempting to write my entries on a weekly basis, this week I will write two. This past week- November 16-23 was Global Entrepreneurship Week. The official website is www.unleashingideas.org and if you get an opportunity, please take a look at it. In addition, last week, I attended the Booker T. Washington Economic Summit here in Tuskegee, Alabama which celebrated the Global Entrepreneurship week. It was a jammed pack summit with excellent networking opportunities and educational sessions. I had an opportunity to meet some of the wealthiest and powerful minority businessmen and women around the country. I received the chance to speak with Dr. Randal Pinkett, winner of The Apprentice, Season 4, and Dr. Farrah Gray, the child prodigy that became a millionaire at 14. Receiving their words and their energy inspired me to continue on my journey and hopefully take you all with me. If you have an opportunity, especially for those of you who are young or young at heart, read their books, Campus CEO (Dr. Pinkett) and Realionaire (Dr. Gray). It will not only inspire you, but it will also make you realize that despite your conditions, you can rise above them with the proper attitude and fortitude.

Friday, November 14, 2008

When Meetings Gone Wild!!

This is a story about a meeting that went horribly wrong in a terribly short amount of time. A grave error in judgement caused this meeting to go from productive to unproductive in a matter of minutes. What was this grave error, you ask? A lack of order!! How can you maintain order in a meeting? By utilizing parliamentary procedures and referring to Robert's Rules of Order. What are Robert's Rules of Order? According to the National Association of Parliamentarians (http://parliamentarians.org/definition.php), the objective of Robert's Rules of Order is to:

  • establish the purpose and structure of organizations;

  • define membership classifications, rights, and obligations; and

  • define rules and procedures for conducting business.
There are countless websites that explain Robert's Rules of Order and provide shortcuts to running a meeting from beginning to adjournment. When presiding over a meeting, it is imperative that the officer knows the basics of Robert's Rules of Order and maintain order throughout the meeting. It not only keeps the agenda moving, but it keeps everyone on task and avoid people from "jumping on their soapbox". With a simple, "You're out of order", you can drop-kick anyone who decides to jump on their soapbox, especially if they're out of turn. That's the beauty of knowing and utilizing these rules.



I personally suggest that if you are conducting a business meeting that you have a parliamentarian present to assist the presiding officer with the meeting. This person should be forceful, yet tactful when the meeting or individuals begin to get out of hand. Just in case there is a question of a motion, I would also suggest that this officer possess the latest edition (10th) of Robert's Rules of Order and have it present at every meeting.



Take a minute to review websites from Certified & Registered Parliamentarians such as Jim Slaughter (http://www.jimslaughter.com/). His website features some basic terms, procedures for parliamentarians and cheat sheets on meeting motions. Also look at the National Association of Parliamentarians website (http://www.parliamentarians.org/) when looking for basic guidelines. The moral of this story is that your blood pressure will greatly reduce and your meeting will run seamlessly when you use Robert's Rules of Order.

For more tips, stay tuned next week as we provide other tips on how to save your event and your sanity. If you are looking for an event planner to assist you in creating proper signage and other event needs, please visit our website at http://www.nov8iveevents.com/.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Signage Is Key!

Proper signage is key to any business succeeding. This is the same for any event where directional signage is necessary. If you don't have a sign to direct you to where you're going, not only can it cause visitors to become confused, but frustrated and ready to leave.



I've been at events where phases of the program progressed through several floors of the building. There were no signs telling me where I needed to be or the time to be there. I also arrived early so that I could complete a walk through and know where I needed to go before the crowds arrived. I also called in advance since the building had multiple sections, each building with at least 4 floors. It would have been very easy to get lost in such a building. After speaking with a few of the attendees, many stated that they were late or missed a session because they did not know where to go. This could have been easily avoided with a sign directing them to the session. Unfortunately, most conference attendees do not think that far in advance, and are just happy to arrive at the building. So for this week's advice, signage is key and here are a few tips on how signage can help you in any event:


  • Make your sign large enough for people to read (also, use a plain font that can be easy to read)

  • If possible, ask the facility if they have an easel or a board where you can post your signs if they do not have a sign board that you can use

  • Obtain a map of your building and make copies for each of your staff members just in case they are asked pertinent questions such as: Where's the elevator? Where's the bathroom? Where's the parking lot?

  • Type your signs, try to avoid writing them. Not only does this look unprofessional, but it can make your signs hard to read
For more tips, stay tuned next week as we provide other tips on how to save your event and your sanity. If you are looking for an event planner to assist you in creating proper signage and other event needs, please visit our website at http://www.nov8iveevents.com/.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Your Registration Can Make or Break Your Event

When you attend an event, your overall experience can be 1 of 2 ways, it can be a glorious or a horrible occurrence. One of the first experiences you have when you attend a special event is the registration process.

That's why this week, I would like to focus on your registration and how it can make or break your event. I've attended events where the registration process was disorganized and unfriendly. This caused unnecessary stress on my part as well as the event organizers, and I made sure they knew about my displeasure during an event evaluation. When this occurs, your attendees speak about their experience and everyone in marketing knows that if one person has a bad experience, they tell upwards of 10 or more people. Those people tell 10 people, and before you know it, 100 people know that your registration process sucks!!

However, this can be avoided if you remember one simple rule: “Your registration can make or break your event”. Logistics are key when setting up your registration process. Here are some simple tips to ensure that your registration works well for any event:

· Know your audience
o How many attendees do you have registered?
o Do they have any special needs (dietary, handicaps, etc)?
o Will you need extra space for attendees with wheelchairs?

· Have a copy of your completed registration forms available just in case there is no record of a registration on your sign-in sheet
o Keep all returned registration pages in a notebook at the registration table showing when the person registered and when they paid
o Remember that clerical accidents can occur, names can be misspelled or not added to your list. It’s far easier to be safe rather than have an unhappy guest.

· Utilize your resources
o Speak with your site contact and make sure they have your tables setup prior to the event, that way you know the location and can move, if necessary
o Ask volunteers to come early to help you setup
o Consult with your registration staff prior to the registration day

· Preparation is Key
o Prepare all pre-paid name badges and alphabetize them for each of your pre-paid registered guests
o Have extra badges available for on-site registration
o Organize your registration bags/gift prior to the event (use your volunteers to stuff inserts into the bags)
o Have a timeline available for consistent coverage of your registration table throughout the registration time (you don’t want someone coming to register late and there’s no one supervising the table also this helps you avoid materials from “walking”)
o Have an established process on how to accept on-site registration (collecting funds, processing payments, dispersing refunds, distribution of conference materials, etc.)
o Establish a supervisor or a contact person to make a decision in case of any issues
o Collect the contact information and hotel room numbers of all of your registration table workers (people can become ill or they can oversleep)
o Have alternate registration workers available and trained to step in place a worker does not appear

Hopefully, with this information, you will create an inviting atmosphere for your guests as they register for your event. If your guests are computer savvy, a great website for online registration is http://www.eventbrite.com/.

For more tips, stay tuned next week as we provide other tips on how to save your event and your sanity. If you are looking for an event planner to assist you in your registration and other event needs, please visit our website at http://www.nov8iveevents.com/.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Finally Finished!!

I finally finished my website for Nov8ive Events & Designs, LLC. Check it out at www.nov8iveevents.com ! Feel free to post what you think on this blog. I have them linked together!!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tis the season to Blog!

In an effort to create a brand for myself, I decided to begin with a Blog page. I do ask that you be patient with me. This is my first time blogging, but if you're reading this, that means that I am on the pathway to success!! Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and be sure to come back weekly so that you can view the various subjects surrounding marketing and event planning.