Who's Got A Sweeth Tooth?

I have a confession to make: I think I'm addicted to the Food Network.

Lately, it's all I watch. I am absolutely in love with the shows, specifically "Food Network Challenge", "Cupcake Wars", "Next Food Network Star", and "Ace of Cakes." Aside from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "The King of Queens", which are my favorite television shows, the Food Network is definitely in third place. When I can't find anything to watch on TV, it's almost guaranteed that I'll find something on the Food Network. I am always amazed at the extensive knowledge and talent for cuisine that the professionals on the channel have, and I find it so inspirational. To them, food is not just something to eat, it's an art form!

Each time I tune in, I become more intrigued by desserts. Personally, I'm not big on sweets, but I've always had a special place in my heart for cupcakes (Mini cakes that double as food and decor--what's not to love!?) Not surprisingly, "Cupcake Wars" is one of my favorite Food Network shows. Each week, four of the country’s top cupcake bakers face off in three elimination challenges until only one decorator remains. As if a $10,000 prize wasn't enough, the winner also gets to showcase their cupcakes at a spectacular red carpet event. 

While reading the July/August issue of Special Events magazine, my newfound obsession with desserts drew me to an article titled, Food for Fetes: The Sweet Spot, which focused on new trends in desserts from four caterers around the country. In a nutshell, they are:

• "Pass It On": For Pauline Parry at Good Gracious! Events, tray-passed desserts are increasing in popularity because they allow for greater control over quantities. She uses this technique, combined with summer fruits to create unique desserts such as fresh fruit liquid candy, panna cottas, and Jell-O flavor variations. 
• For added flair, dessert also becomes party favor by customizing the bag or box that it is served in. 

• "I Scream, You Scream...": At Chef's Expressions Fashionable Catered Events, Jerry Edwards offers taste buds something different by serving homemade bacon ice cream (After watching the Food Network so much, I now know that this is a popular flavor combination for desserts, and apparently, it tastes great!) 
• Tableside soft-serve, bite-size dessert trios, and cakes with sparkling shooters are some other ways he's shaking up the dessert game.

• "Sugar & Spice": According to Nancy Goodman of Main Event Caterers, "Chiles, fresh herbs, sea salts and items such as wasabi are making a strong push into the world of sweets." She adds chiles and sea salts to chocolate to enhance its flavor profile and says, "Adding unusual ingredients in an interesting manner can bring attention to lower budget desserts."
• Creative cupcakes are also a staple. They are still very popular at events, and are almost guaranteed to be a success.

• "Sweeth Tooth Tapas": Tricia Quinto of Stephen Starr Events has created a menu of "dessert tapas" which complement her theory that when "indulging in decadence, people want to taste everything without having a whole dessert." As someone who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, I couldn't agree more. And, at about $10 per person, it is also an inexpensive catering option--who wouldn't love that!?
• Quinto also taps into our childhood love of candy by using lollipops. They not only offer a bit of nostalgia, but are a versatile treat that can easily be customized for any event. 

Mmmm yummy! I already have sugar-coated visions floating in my head...You can read the article here: Food For Fetes: The Sweet Spot.

In my opinion, the best thing about this article is that most of these dessert trends can be incorporated by a newbie event planner. Luckily for us, the recession has changed the way events are created, and the industry has shifted to focus more on inexpensive alternatives to create a fabulous event.

So, if you're planning an event with a small budget, or are doing it all yourself, there's no reason you can't make this work for you. After all, event planning isn't just about the logistics and planning--you get to be creative too! Although your desserts may not be as gourmet as those featured in the article, it still doesn't hurt to try. I, for one, can't wait to use these tips when planning my next event!

A Sign of the Times

I originally planned to post this entry on the day that the iPhone 4 became available for purchase, obviously because of it's relevance. Everywhere around the country, techies gathered early at Apple stores to be one of the "first" to own the new gadget. It was a big day for technology, and since we live in an increasingly technologically advanced society, I thought that this post was fitting. But alas, time got away from me, and I'm posting this much later than I intended. ::Sigh::

Nevertheless, this is still as important today as it was a few weeks ago when I started to write it.  Just as there are constantly new developments and trends to keep up with in terms of the technology we use every day, the same is true for event planning. New and veteran event planners alike must keep abreast of the newest event planning software, which is meant to improve efficiency and productivity.

While reading the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Best Events magazine, I came across an article in the "Best Practices" section titled, "By the Book: An exclusive peek inside Microsoft's first-ever event planning Playbook." I've been planning on writing about event planning software for a while now, and the first paragraph of the article mirrored my thoughts exactly: "For new event planners just starting out, there are few resources to turn to in order to learn the many nuances of the job. Unlike more established disciplines like p.r. and advertising, events have traditionally been one of those jump into the deep end and learn-as-you-go type of gigs. This year, Microsoft is changing that."

Basically, Microsoft is creating a Playbook, which is a "centralized guide where new and long-term employees can follow a basic framework of steps and actions and quickly locate the templates, information and resources they need to launch and manage Microsoft events...A typical section in the Playbook includes an org chart that explains who does what, helpful tip boxes, links to templates and other process documents and a snapshot of key activities and outputs required at each step in the event management process." Essentially, it is meant to save time and increase efficiency while following this basic structure:

• The information is organized into three sections that mirror the three main phases of event management: Plan, Execute, and Evaluate.
• Each section is further broken down into event components that include event marketing, services, and event programs.
• Each section includes an account workflow chart that lists major stakeholders in each step of the process and whoever is responsible for doing certain portions of the event. 

The overall goal is to distribute the Playbook to other event stakeholders across the company and around the world. Although still in its early stages (two of the 32 chapters are completed), the book is pretty revolutionary. Vivian Eickoff, leader of the Playbook project said, "We just found that many times we were wasting a lot of our practices and examples that were already done and people were spending time trying to sit there and rewrite stuff." Despite it being a simple idea, it hasn't been done before. Can you imagine being a new employee at Microsoft and having a tool like this at your fingertips!? If every company were to adopt something like this, it would save so much time and energy!

Needless to say, I think it is an amazingly wonderful idea, which will only benefit the event planing industry in the years to come.  For newbie event planners like myself, it makes it just a bit easier for us to get a foot in the door of the industry. I only wish I could get my hands on it now!

Get In, With LinkedIn

As we all know, there are tons of social networking sites out there. It's the newest thing, and if you're "cool", you're probably a member of at least one. I mostly use them for fun and to connect with my friends, but there's one in particular that I use for business purposes, and it's called LinkedIn.

Now I know what you're thinking: LinkedIn isn't new! And of course, I knew that already. I first joined LinkedIn way back when, at my sister's suggestion. She told me it was a good way to connect with business contacts, so I joined. Originally, I didn't think much of it because I was still young, I didn't have many business contacts, nor did I fully understand the importance of networking. But just a few tender years later, I've come to realize that WHO you know is just as important as what you know. And LinkedIn a great source for connecting with who you know!

I am a big fan because even if you've just met someone, somewhere, at this thing once, LinkedIn comes in handy. Once you're connected with a contact, it shows how you know them (through a company or colleague), and who else they know that might be of interest to you.  In addition, if you want to reach out to someone your connection knows, you can "request an introduction" to that person through them. For those who aren't fans of typical networking procedures, it takes the awkwardness out of formally introducing yourself, and allows the contact to see who you are, your experience, and how you're connected to them all in one shot.

Another great aspect of LinkedIn is that you can use it to job hunt. If there's a specific position that you're interested in, you can check to see if you have connections with anyone who works at that company. You can also join groups, which often have great discussion boards about varying topics of interest; send emails, create status updates, and even get recommendations from past employers and colleagues.

Since I've been on my event planning career path, LinkedIn has become more and more useful to me. I'm constantly surprised by how many people I know, who have connections in the industry. So, for all you procrastinators out there who:

• May have signed up for LinkedIn once upon a time, but never went back to it
• Haven't taken the time to search for contacts
• Heard about it, but never signed up

My advice to you is this: If you have time for Facebook or Twitter, you have time for LinkedIn. All it takes is a few minutes to sign up, create your profile, and start adding contacts! It's really easy to use, and can even be fun.

The event planning industry is a tough one to break into, but it's not impossible. I've learned that there is no shame in your game if you have to reach out and ask someone for help. It really IS a small world after all, and we are each connected in some way. Taking the initiative and doing something as simple as this could be the boost that your career needs, or at least a step in the right direction. So, do us a both a favor, and "Get In, with LinkedIn!"

Welcome to The Club!

Last Thursday, I attended Best Events Live, which was a networking reception and educational panel discussion. It was held at NYIT's Auditorium on Broadway, and started off with hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail hour, which allowed for mingling and networking. Networking is networking is networking, so I really won't get into that. My favorite part was the panel discussion. But first, let me give you the specifics.

The discussion was focused around the theme of "Trends & Tips: What's Up, What's Now", and the three panelists were Amy Kule, Group VP of Special Events, Macy's; Molly McCooey, Director or Event Marketing, J. Crew; and Sara Shenasky, Promotion & Event Director, The Wall Street Journal.

Here are some interesting tidbits that I took from the discussion:

• Social media is still a matter of debate: Interestingly, Amy and Molly weren't big fans of social media. Molly admitted to being a bit slow on Twitter but said that it "is great for outreach because J. Crew is about a lifestyle and not just clothes." Amy wasn't "sold" on Twitter or Facebook herself, and didn't feel that there were any measurable results to prove that it works in acquiring or retaining customers.
• I found this to be surprising, because social media is the big thing right now. On the other hand, I also agreed with their viewpoints. I often feel like most companies are a part of the Twitter movement just because everyone else is. When I look at companies (and people) who tweet every few minutes, I often wonder what purpose those tweets serve, and whether it's doing them more harm than good. Honestly, when I see back-to-back tweets on my timeline, they get the same reaction as when I'm bombarded by annoying television commercials: they get ignored. To me, tweets have to be relevant--and that's the only way that they can be successful. Sending out a bunch at a time doesn't mean anything to me.

• It's all about who you know: Connections are everything. Whether times are tough or you just need a favor, you often have to rely on the relationships you've made in the past. It's very important to make and keep connections, because these relationships can take you very far. You never know who you may meet through a common acquaintance, and you never know when their expertise may come in handy.

• Never underestimate the power of events: Sometimes an event has more of an effect on people's choices than advertising. Today's event planners are creating smarter, more targeted events and are doing more with less. As an event planner, you must learn to adjust with the times, make do with what resources you have, and still create an amazing event.

• "We're not saving lives": While planning events is very serious business, and requires a lot of hard work, it is still something fun! You must enjoy doing it, and remember that it's about creativity!

What I enjoyed the most about the discussion panel was that I was surrounded by experienced event professionals, who were willing to talk and share. I felt like I was part of some secret underground club, and I loved it! I had access to wonderful people, who could provide great insight into the event planning world. But, it also got me thinking about other newbie event planners out there. Did they know about events like this? If not, how could they find such events? After all, I only knew about it because I attended the Best Events Expo in March.

So, what's today's lesson? You've got to get out there! Event planning is a very hard industry to break into, and there's no one way to go about it. My best advice to you (and to myself) is to get involved, and stay involved. RSVP'ing and attending one event can put you on a mailing list to stay informed about other events, and it continues from there. It's no secret. The opportunities are out there, you've just got to look for them.

These Small Things

As a burgeoning event planner, my imagination often runs wild thinking of the extravagant, hundred-thousand dollar budget events that I will plan in the future--events where money is no object, and I have complete freedom of creativity. But for now, I'm starting small.

On Saturday, April 3rd, I was in New Jersey for a salon grand opening. I was first introduced to the owner through a mutual acquaintance who knew I was an event planner. I was extremely excited, honored and flattered that although we never met face-to-face, he was willing to trust my judgment enough to let me plan such an occasion. After all, it was my input and insight that would to help make the salon a success. Talk about pressure! 

At first I wanted this post to be about the event itself, but I kept getting stuck. I’ve been working on this for weeks now, and it just wasn’t coming out right. After some thought (and time away), I realized that I was putting too much thought into it. After all, this blog serves not only to share tips with newbie event planners, but as a means to share my experiences as well. I am a firm believer that each experience presents a lesson to learn from, and the grand opening was no different. So, instead of breaking down the event itself, I’m going to break it down into what lessons I learned that will help me (and you!) in the future:

• Event Planning goes hand-in-hand with PR & Marketing: Almost anything can be turned into an event. However, proper research needs to be conducted beforehand. One needs to identify the target market and its needs, figure out what will attract them (marketing), identify the proper media avenues to reach this target market (public relations), and of course, plan an engaging event (event planning).

• Some types of events are self-sufficient: Although anything can be turned into an event, sometimes there’s just not much that you have to do to make it a success. In the case of a salon, grand opening festivities are a great way to attract customers, but they’re not completely necessary. For example, I had great activities and incentives prepared for customers on opening day, but I'm not quite sure if they came to the salon because of those incentives or just because there was a new salon open. As a matter of fact, it didn't appear that any of the customers knew about the raffle or prizes despite the various marketing efforts—they were just there to “check out the new salon”. Either way, we were prepared to welcome and thank them for their patronage. As my NYU professor once said, "It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver."

• Don't be afraid to take control: Although you're a newbie, that doesn't mean you're not qualified to plan an event. Skills that you may already have such as being detail-oriented, the ability to multi-task and work under tight deadlines, and oral & written communication skills (to name a few) all come in handy and are vital to event planning. The first step is believing in yourself and your capabilities. You can do it!

Even though it wasn’t a grandiose affair, the salon grand opening event was still a success. I was excited to do the best job I possibly could for one of my first solo events, and learned a lot in the process. In addition, knowing that I helped someone accomplish their dream all the while advancing towards mine, provided tremendous satisfaction for me. Although there was no hundred-thousand dollar budget this time around, I realized that sometimes the small things make the biggest impact.

To Be (Certified), or Not To Be (Certified)? That is the question...

We all know that education is fundamental, no matter what field we pursue. After all, we spend most of our lives in school, beginning with pre-school and sometimes ending with college. Nowadays, it doesn't even stop there as more and more people are pursuing graduate degrees. Degrees in event or meeting planning are relatively new, and didn't even really exist when I was in college (which was only three years ago!). As a matter of fact, the closest related major that was offered was Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management. With event planning's growing popularity as a career choice, it leaves one to wonder how it's possible to get a start if you've had little to no experience. There are two sides to this coin: either you go to school and enroll in a degree or certificate program, or get out there and start working!

As a student currently enrolled in the Meeting, Conference and Event Management certificate program at the New York University, I've been asking myself that same question. These programs can be a bit expensive, so I'm always looking for ways to be more resourceful and still gain experience. I did some research and found a few articles that addressed this issue.

The first, "Meetings Industry Certifications", was about just that. The article gave a very helpful run-down of commonly found certifications for corporate planners, and broke down their meanings and qualifications. 
Read it here: Meetings Industry Certification

The second, "To CMP or Not to CMP", addressed whether it was beneficial to become a Certified Meeting Professional. Some interesting points were:

• John Touchette, CMP, general director for John Hancock Financial Services stated, "I believe that having a CMP helps to get a meeting planner's resume to the top of the pile when interviewing."
• Meeting planners view certification as a key tool in efforts to enhance their professional image.
• Rob Cingras, Asst. Director, Conference Management for Cigna said, "Having the CMP doesn't necessarily add to your skills, but it gives you recognition. It says that you are more than a party planner."

Read it here: To CMP Or Not to CMP

The last article, "Expand Your Event Planning Knowledge", gave more of an overview of the things that a new event planner can do to bolster their skills. Their advice:

• Education for event planning: "If you've got the time and the money, go for it."
• Intern
• Moonlight: "You don't necessarily have to start your company and have that be the only thing you do."
• Research: "Don't always go looking for a job. Go looking for information."
• Attend tradeshows: "Tradeshows are a great way to stay on top of trends, educate yourself about the process, network with vendors and make fabulous new friends."

Read it here: Expand Your Event Planning Knowledge

After reading these three articles, I side with the statement that "If you've got the time and the money, go for it." I think this is the best way to receive a great educational foundation, while applying what you've learned in real-world situations. Perhaps if you're more of a school person, you should switch it up and try getting out there and volunteering. If you usually steer clear of books or anything school related, maybe its time to get back in there and hit the books.

If event planning is a new undertaking for you, don't be afraid to think and step outside of the box. I always remember the saying "If you always do what you've always done...you'll always get what you've always gotten."

Attack of the Newbies

In my daily quest for information about event planning, I came across an article through Special Events magazine’s Eventline e-newsletter titled, ‘Newbie “Wedding Planners” Plague the Professionals’. It detailed the disdain and uproar that newbie wedding planners are causing amongst veteran wedding professionals. As a new event planner myself, I took an immediate interest.

Apparently there has been a "wave" of new so-called wedding planners (or people who think that they would like to take a stab at the industry), when in reality, they have no clue what they’re doing. Among the many ways they are sabotaging more experienced wedding planners is a trend of offering low-cost, “day of” wedding coordination services. Really!? You can't possibly plan a wedding in one day! As Joyce Scardina Becker, president of Events of Distinction, said, “No wedding planner of sound mind, experience and education would simply show up on the day of a wedding, wave their arms in the air like a symphony conductor and expect everything to flow flawlessly.” She’s right. It just doesn’t make sense.

Another tactic newcomers are using is undercutting on price, which often times leaves the veterans having to explain why they charge what they do, which is time consuming. In addition, as Siobhan Craven-Robins said, "...it devalues the brand and makes the industry unnecessarily cutthroat." I couldn't agree more. I like to think of event planners as a big network of colleagues. Sure, we all essentially do the same things, and therefore compete against each other, but overall, I think we all prefer when everyone succeeds. There's so much that we can learn from one another instead of fighting for business/clients.

Newcomer wedding planners are not only driving down fees, but compromising the reputation of wedding planning with their ignorance of the professionalism it entails. Planning a wedding is no joke. After all, it is the one day that most women have dreamed of since they were a little girl. To a pro, watching someone inexperienced try to step in and take over must feel like a slap in the face. The fact of the matter is that quality beats out quantity on any day. Quick, easy and cheap might be all the rave now, but once people realize they're not getting their moneys worth, they'll go back to the experts.

Here are some tips to help you become an enlightened newbie:

• Do as much research as possible
• Find someone experienced in planning & see if they’re willing to mentor you
• Consider getting a certificate in Event or Meeting Planning
• Volunteer at events
• Register for conferences, career panels, networking events, etc.

No one wants to be is a failure. Event planning is not easy, and it certainly isn't an easy industry to break into. After reading this article, I feel more determined to shine. I don't claim to be a veteran and I know that there is so much more for me to learn. Although my focus is not weddings, I still plan to use all resources available to me so that I too will become one of those veteran event planners whose work and talents people trust and admire.

After all, you must learn how to crawl before you walk.