Holiday Archives - Events Made Sane

A Different Party for Halloween 2020

Halloween 2020 was supposed to be epic. This year Halloween is not only on a Saturday but also on a Full Moon. We don’t have another shot for a Halloween Full moon again until 2039 – much less on a Saturday. The parties and fun would have been amazing.

Sadly, the global pandemic has canceled many of the events that were planned but this doesn’t mean we cannot get together and have some fun. Here are some safe ways we can get together and still have a great Halloween.

Create Your Own Horror Story

One of my most memorable holidays parties was in an old Victorian home. The house made all the noises perfect for a horror movie and the lights even flickered a bit as we all sat around. The lights and power going out became the impetus for creating a horror story. We created a whole story how everyone in the house died that night except one person. The one survivor was telling the tale to others and at the end of the tale, the lights flickered three times and the screen goes black.

What You Need

A backdrop
- Create a setting for the story to take place. Provide pictures and room descriptions. Look into old role play books if you need some help world building.
- You could use the Clue Board game as a jumping off point. Add in different “weapons”.
Some basic rules
- Understand who you are creating with and if anyone has specific triggers you should stay away from. A good rule is no sex, religion, or politics.
- Each person has the final say on how they are murdered.
  - If someone is going to survive it has to make sense in the story. The one person to survive our story was the only person wearing white.
  - Make each murder have a personal touch. In the story we created I had a bookshelf pushed over on to me right after I found out why the killings were happening in an old book. I was and still am a bookworm so it made sense.
- None of the guests is the murderer.
  - This makes it more fun and less personal when you are killed.
- Decide if things are able to be overtly paranormal or if they can only be hinted at. This will keep people from being dragged away by vampires and coming back to terrorize the rest of the group. I prefer to not allow the paranormal as it adds to the fear if what is happening could happen in real life.
A scribe
- You can either assign someone to record the story or do a video recording and have someone write it all up later.

Read/ Dramatize Other Horror/ Gothic Literature

If you do not want to create your own you can fin Gothic poetry and short stories. Ask everyone to show up dressed in their best gothic costumes with virtual backgrounds. Everyone is required to bring one poem or short story to dramatize for the group. If your group is of a literary bent, ask everyone to write their own poetry and vote on whose you like the best.

Plan for at least two hours for each of these, encourage people to dress up and have snacks on hand so they can enjoy the whole party.

Happy Halloween!

Picking the Right Time for Your Event

Business, Events, Holiday, Non-Profit, Trade Show

The complaint that I hear from the sales people that I work with most often is that the events are never at the right time. I will tell you now, there is no perfect time for an event. Early in the year people worry about taxes and saving money. Spring brings on Graduations and other end of school year items along with a wanderlust for people to travel. Summer is a time for vacations and family. Fall is filled with football, back to school, and shortened days. Year end brings the Holidays – the worst time to hold a non-holiday event.

With all these obstacles, how do you choose when to host your event? Here are the questions that I ask to determine the optimal date and time.

Who is your audience?

Are you looking to reach business owners or stay at home moms with elementary age children? Narrow down who your perfect attendee is and then learn when they have the time. A business owner often likes lunch events or afternoon events ending at 6 pm. This allows them to still be a part of the family time. A mom, you may need to host an event around 9 pm or during school hours.

What else is happening at that time?

When you have narrowed down a date and time, look at what else is happening in that community. If you are looking to attract football fans, you don’t want to host an event during Monday Night Football – unless you are showing the game. Is there a big concert going on? A big television event? A political event? Know what your target audience would attend other than your event.

How far out do you need to plan the event?

Remember that people will need a few weeks to put an event on their calendar. I prefer to give attendees at least 3 weeks before the RSVP deadline and do at least 4 weeks of marketing. If you are planning a large fundraising gala, add in time to gather sponsors etc. Understand what your timeline is and what is the level of commitment from your target attendee? Are they traveling out of town? Do they need to get baby/pet sitters? Do you have a dress code that will require time to adhere to? The larger the level of commitment, the more notice you need to give attendees.

Lay this information out on a calendar and then pick the date and time that overlaps with the least amount of other events. Remember, no time is perfect but there is an optimal time.

You can also do some market research and host events at different times throughout the day and year to see what brings in the most interest. The biggest thing is to know your perfect attendee profile. This will allow you to answer when is the best time for your event.

One more tip – I would not rule out breakfast events – if they come with a good breakfast (not runny eggs and/or small, stale pastries.) Breakfast can actually be a less expensive meal to cater than lunch or dinner and allowing people to start early in the morning and then head on with their day can bring in a great crowd.

Taking a Break From Your Side Hustle

Business, Holiday

Having a side hustle is very common now. I know dozens of people that are working their 40 hours a week job and then they go home to work on their side job. It is a lot to do and while it is fairly easy to take a break from a “normal” job – what about taking a break from your side hustle? How do you take a break when you are the person that does everything?

It is possible and it is needed. Taking time off allows you to recharge and come back refreshed. The plan for taking time off is also a great way to plan for emergencies. Here is how to take the time you need.

Plan it out.

Personally, each “work” day I want to take off, I start planning that many weeks out. So, if i am taking 4 work days off, you plan 4 weeks out. I had planned to take a 3 week international trip that would have been happening now but due to travel restrictions and the COVID-19 crisis the trip was canceled. I had been planning content and other items at least two months in advance with my customers having known for a year.

Front Load All Work

Have all social media, blog posts & other work done and scheduled out. There are dozens of scheduling apps you can use. I like to schedule things at least a month in advance during normal times. I will also schedule at least two weeks after vacation. This allows me to come back, breath and then dive back into everything.

Have a Backup Person

If you are wanting to completely disconnect and not check anything while on vacation – something I highly recommend for at least 3-4 days a year – but are worried about what you will miss you can hire someone to help you. Virtual Assistants (VA’s) are a great hire for this. You can give them a playbook and your emergency contact if things spiral too out of control. They can watch your emails and social media for you. Hiring a VA for the duration of your vacation allows you to relax and be in the moment. Your traveling companions will thank you.

You need to take time to disconnect. The break will help you recharge and come back to attack your business with renewed enthusiasm. Where is your next vacation?

How to Celebrate Cultural Holidays at Your Business

Business, Events, Holiday

Hosting events outside of your cultural norm can be difficult. If you do it wrong, people will drag you through social media and scream about cultural appropriation. But as the world becomes evermore multi-cultural, hosting cultural events is a great way to get your business name into new communities and expand your own horizons.

So how do you host these events? Here are my tips.

Find a cultural expert

Find someone in the cultural community that you are wanting to host and bring them in as a co-host or sponsor. Run your ideas and planning strategy by them. Ask them for food and decoration recommendations. And listen to them. They are your life line, don’t throw it away.

Be Genuine

People see right through a marketing or sales gimmick. Do not throw these events just to get some quick sales. You need to be ready to start and create lasting relationships with the people you are inviting. This is a long term play, not a short term gain.

Share the Experience

Do not invite just one subset of people. Include your entire customer list if possible in these events. Help promote the community you are trying to reach to your current customers. Ask your expert to provide some educational materials or speakers for those who do not know what the Holiday is all about.

These events are a great way to expand your network and your brands reach but they need to be done correctly. Do not pander, do not host these events just to make a quick buck. Host these events to learn and build lasting relationships for your business.

Questions to Ask of your Cultural Expert

What dates should we plan around or avoid?
What colors should be used and avoided in the invite and decorations?
What images should be used in the printed materials?
What kind of decorations should we have?
Who should we use for catering?
Should we make this family friendly or a business mixer?
Who else should we partner with?

The Company Holiday Party: Pro’s, Cons, and Best Practices

Business, Events, Holiday

“Christmas in July” has started to reach new levels. The Hallmark Channel is airing their Holiday Movies – now, in (nearly) July! My mind flashed to the Company Holiday Party. I love planning these, but there are some pros and cons to hosting one.

Pros

It is a time for employees to mix outside of the office.
It will bring remote employees together.
It is a place to recognize great performance.
It is a chance to celebrate company wins.

Cons

Political correctness.
Liability. You have two major liabilities with the Company Holiday Party.
- Drinking – In most states, if something happens to an employee or because of an employee after drinking at the office party, you can be held responsible.
- Sexual Harassment – This has caused many companies to cancel their holiday party. Training and responsible drinking are the best ways to combat this.
Best Practices to lessen liability
- Hire a licensed bartender and give them permission to cut people off.
- Offer to pay for transportation, either public or a ride share.
- Include food and have bread and water available at all times.

Planning the Party

Start planning early if you are setting the date in November or December. Restaurants, venues, and caterers will book up fast. Then ask yourself what is the purpose of the party?

Team to Mix and Mingle	Awards Ceremony/ Recognition
– Do a buffet or heavy appetizer stations. This encourages people to move and talk to each other.	– Do a seated, plated meal. You will want people to have a place as you are talking.
– No meal selection is required here.	– Meal selection required along with a seating chart and/or meal cards
– Less tables and chairs are needed but you will need to include high top tables.	– You will need a chair for everyone +10% if you are doing a seating chart. Add 20% if you are not creating a seating chart.
– A/V is optional	– A/V and a Stage are needed.

If you plan to do a presentation, keep it to 1/4 of the entire party. If you want a 1-hour presentation, then you need to have a 4-hour party.

Best of luck in planning your Company Holiday Party!

Event Food Pitfalls

Events, Holiday, Non-Profit

I loved the movie Oceans 8. It has a great cast but from an event planning standpoint – it has a great moment. The scene where Sarah Paulson’s character is talking about the need for a nutritionist on hand because of all the special request foods made me think of all the pitfalls that feed a large crowd can bring. I wanted to highlight the 3 main pitfalls that I have seen at events.

Food Allergies – Peanuts and Gluten are the most common food allergies that we hear about. I will often ask for food allergies in my event registration and then work around them as I can. Most adults with food allergies take responsibility for themselves. I worry about this more with children. In a buffet line, I will post the ingredients under the dish title.
Cultural Restrictions – Beef and Pork are the cultural issues that come up most often. This is easily solved by having a chicken or fish option. This is why beef and chicken are often the main dish choices at events. It covers 80% of the average population.
Vegetarian and Vegan – Vegetarian is often an easy item to fill with a pasta dish. Vegan is harder but not impossible to accommodate if you have enough of them. I look closely at the target demographic of the event that I am hosting before choosing to eliminate these option.

One thing to remember that unless you are hosting the Oscar after party or the Met Gala – you cannot please everyone. Work within your means to accommodated who you can and apologize when you can’t. Showing that you have made an effort to include everyone will go a long way.

What is the biggest food issue that you have faced at an event?

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