Business, Non-Profit, Trade Show
I am very excited to announce the launch of 4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business.
This free mini course walks you through the four steps in selecting the best shows for your specific audience and budget, while producing the best return on your investment.
Sign Up Here
This course will help you get clear on your goals for your event participation, teach you what type of research is most helpful in meeting those goals and provide resources on finding the shows that will add value to your business.
Events, Non-Profit, Trade Show
The vendors your hire will make or break your event. They are a large part of what your guests will see and interact with – having great vendors will push your event into the top echelons, having a bad vendor can leave embarrassment and bad feelings for years to come.
How do you ensure you have the right vendors for your event? Vendor interviews.
These allow you to get to know the person you are working with and if they have the know how and capacity to help at your event.
How I Conduct Vendor Interview
Internet Research
I have no compunction of doing some major research on a company before even calling. I want to see the following things.
- A professional website – Their website does not have to be the newest or flashiest, but I want to see they have put the time into their business. This shows me that they care about their work and reputation. I will accept a very well done Facebook page as a company website.
- I worked with one company that stated they had a huge inventory of items but very little of it was pictured or priced on their website. This company messed up a major event for me because they did not have the materials they stated. Trust what the websites are telling you.
- Reviews – You want to see that other people have worked with the company. I don’t mind bad reviews as long as they are balanced out by good reviews. I will often click on the profile of the bad reviewer and see how they review other companies. (90% of the time the other reviews are bad as well.)
Ask to Meet the Vendor at Their Office or Warehouse.
You can tell a lot by how people keep their business space. I look for the following things while at someone’s office space.
- Is it clean? – I do not ask that things be spotless but I do want to see things organized.
- Do the other people on the team seem happy? – Now, everyone has a bad day, but if people are jumpy, won’t make eye contact, and avoid the boss. I tend to run the other way. These are the people that will be at your event, you want people that are going to do their best – not live in fear of the boss.
I do have a caveat on this, if someone’s desk looks like a complete mess but they are able to put their hands on any piece of paper they want – I will overlook the mess. Some people work well with that system and if they showcase that, I will move forward.
Questions to Ask
You have done your research and are at their place of business – great job! Here are the questions you should ask.
- Can they cover the scope of your business? – Outline the event you are planning, let them know all of the details, guest counts, space, date and time. They will need to know all of this so they can determine if they have the ability to work your event. Most event vendors are great people and if they cannot help you, will point you in the direction of people who can.
- What is their back up plan? – If they suddenly cannot help out at your event, how will they help you? This does not happen often, but business do close their doors or personal things comes up. I am more concerned about their tone of voice and if they get defensive from this question.
- What suggestions do they have for the event you have outlined? – Event vendors have seen it all and are a wealth of knowledge. Ask their opinion and you will often find great ideas.
- Do they have the right insurance for your event? – I want my vendors to carry their own liability insurance on top of the insurance I buy for the events. Most companies have a general rider that they pay for with their business. I reserve this question for events over 50 people.
- Ask them about the other vendors you plan to use. – Vendors know one another, some refuse to work with certain people, some have contracts that force them to work with certain companies. Ask them what they think about the other vendors on your list. You can gain great insights.
- Can they give you referrals or examples of their past work? – If someone is unwilling to show you their past work or give you people to call, run away. I refuse to work with someone who has nothing to show. If you are interviewing a company that is brand new, ask them their experience in their field and potentially ask for character references. Going with a new company can get you a lower cost but you have to weigh that against your desires for the event.
Vendors are the people that hold the keys to your great event. Hiring the perfect vendor for your event starts with the vendor interview. Don’t skip this step. The two hours your spend on research can save you hours of heartache later.
Business, Events, Non-Profit
I have been very lucky in the last six months to enjoy some amazing experiences. It wasn’t the entertainment or the food that made them amazing. It was the service. It was how all the guests were made to feel special and the consistency of that feeling.
You can give your event or trade show attendees the same feeling as an all inclusive resort with these tips.
Ask for and use your attendee names.
People love to hear their name. You can give your event a high end feel with this simple thing. Have your servers ask for people’s names and then write them down. Each time they go to ask if they would like another drink or something else they can glance at the diagram to remember the names. Trade shows you can use people’s name badges as triggers. Personalization will make you and your event stand out.
Eliminate the wait where ever possible.
People do not want to wait in long lines for registration or any other part of your event. Streamline your registration process with technology. Get your guests into the event they are there to enjoy as soon as you can. The bar is the one exception to this but anything more than a 7-10 minute wait is too long.
Be consistent.
You need to put thought into every aspect that your attendees will come in contact with. From the entrance to the exit, have a consistent feel and service. One wrong move at the end of an event can leave attendees with a bad taste in their mouth and an overall bad impressions.
One glaring example I find at events is that the main ballroom is beautifully decorated and the bathrooms are a mess. A simple flower arrangement and some additional lighting can make a huge difference is almost every room.
Remember that service is not what you do for a person but how you make them feel. Great customer service is focused on making your attendees feel like they are the most important people in the room.
Business, Events, Non-Profit
Volunteering for nonprofits is fulfilling and fun. I love helping and seeing the impact that I make. I have helped many nonprofits with their benefit events and over the years (many, many years) have created a way to streamline one of the most tedious parts of the events – the planning meetings.
I have been in many meetings that devolve into gossip, this is how we have always done things, and getting nothing done. Bad meetings waste time and demoralize your volunteers. Here are my tips to run an effective meeting.
Have an agenda.
I know this sounds rudimentary but so many people do not take the time to put together an agenda for their meetings. I also add check boxes next to the topics so people can check off what we have talked about. You are also able to keep people on topic by pointing out that you will cover that idea later in the meeting. If you are on a time crunch, put times next to each topic and move on when you hit your time.
This requires a leader that is willing to keep people in line and volunteers who are willing to subvert themselves for the greater cause. If you have a lot of leaders, rotate who leads the meeting and continuously point out that you have not gathered for you but for the cause. This can help curb hurt feelings and power mongering.
Set a Time Limit
A good meeting time frame is 1.5 hours. First 5 minutes is introducing new members to the group and the last 10-15 minutes is going over the tasks that everyone has been given and ensuring all are on the same page. How you carve up the rest will determine at what stage you are in your event planning.
A trick that an organization used in college was 3 pros and 3 cons. When discussing a motion or vote, the group as a whole was only able to voice 3 pros and 3 cons. People become more thoughtful and recognize that they cannot speak just to have their voice heard. It helped us cut meetings almost in half.
Host meetings at a neutral location
There are plenty of co-work spaces, libraries, and office buildings with open conference rooms that you can book and use for free or a nominal fee. Having your meetings at a neutral location keeps people from stressing over cleaning their homes, allows all parties to leave when needed, and keeps the subtle power plays to a minimum. You can often bring in water and snacks to hold people over as you chat.
If you know of a semi-quite restaurant that is willing to host you, this allows people to order food and drinks as they want. Stay away from the major holidays and most restaurants are very happy to have a low-key group of people come in.
Have a scribe for the meetings
A lot is said and a lot of ideas are thrown around, having someone take notes is a huge help. You can vote on positions or you can rotate them around. The scribe owns the last 10-15 minutes of the meeting to do a quick refresh of what tasks were handed out and when they need to get done. These notes are put into a master calendar that tracks the task, the owner, the due date, and the progress. This helps keep everyone accountable and allows the event to move forward at a good pace.
I know that with these tips you can keep volunteer frustration down, engagement up, and money rolling into your nonprofit event.
Business, Events, Non-Profit, Trade Show
Print media is not dead. It is alive and well and when done correctly it will help push your business and events forward. People love receiving a good piece of mail – especially if it is hand addressed. Print allows you to leave a more lasting impression than a social media post. But who you print with is almost as important as what you print.
Here are the 5 questions to ask to choose the right printer for each job.
Do I need help designing the print product?
Most printers have an in-house design team that will help you create your masterpiece. If I am needing help from start to finish, I will pick a local company because I want someone that I can meet with through the process. Most online companies do have a design service but there is something about a face to face that I prefer. The other thing that I consider is if the designer will charge me for the project or by the hour. I prefer the designers that will work with me through a project price rather than a per hour price.
Can they do the print job?
I love my print department at the local Office Depot but they have some serious in house limitations. If I need a complicated job done, I will pick one of the specialized local print shops. If I need a job fast, I will choose Office Depot. If I need business cards, I will often use one of the popular card printing companies. Each company has a set of skills and expertise that you need to take into your decision.
Do I want someone local?
I prefer to work with local small businesses. I want the relationship with the owner or my rep. Being able to pick up at the last moment is a huge plus as well. The local printer can also become a referral source for your business. 90% of the time I go with the local printer for large jobs. Going local cuts down on shipping costs and if something is wrong, you can go in and talk to them. A fun plus is that they will often give you a tour of their facility.
Do they fit my budget?
Small businesses run on margins, sometimes it is cost effective to go with the big national shops because they can spread their costs out over multiple customers. Make sure you have a budget in mind and you are upfront with the designers and printers. You cannot have gold foil embossing, special cuts and folds, and more on a minimal budget. The right printer will help you to put together the print material that will fit your budget and help you reach your goal.
Do I like who I am dealing with?
You want to have a good relationship with your rep at the print shop – whoever that is. Having someone to call and bounce ideas off of, ask for quick quotes, or call for an emergency can be crucial for your business. You want to trust that if something goes wrong, they are there to help you fix it. This is the most important item for me. I will only do business with those who I trust.
Printing is still a huge part of small business. Know your goal and the outcome you want for the print piece and your print shop will help you to get there.
Business, Events, Non-Profit, Trade Show
2020 is here and I am motivated to get all sorts of things done. I am sharing my 2020 plan so that you all can help me stay on track. So here are my plans for this year.
Release my first online course March 1, 2020.
I have been working on this course for over a year but had some time issues in 2019. Planning my wedding became a huge part of my life – even with a wedding planner so I had to set this aside. I now have all of the equipment and software I need and no longer have an excuse. Beta Tests will start in early February for anyone interested in Effective Trade Shows for Small Businesses.
Gain 3 outside Social Media Management Clients by April 1, 2020.
I have been helping a select set of companies with their social media content and strategy. I am picky about my clients because I want to ensure I am the right fit for them. This allows me to hone in on their needs and help them to grow their business. I will start marketing for this service in February and already have a few prospects in the pipeline. Reach over 1k followers on Facebook and Instagram by August 1.
This is a huge jump but I know that it will help. I am expanding my blog and social media topics beyond business events and trade shows in 2020 which will help to expand my audience.
Release the second set of online courses September 2020.
I will be releasing How to Be the Perfect Bridesmaid/Man. So many blogs and books focus on the bride and leave the bridesmaids/men out. I want to share my hard won knowledge as a bridesmaid, maid of honor, and bride. I am not shying away from the hard topics i.e. Do you really want to be a bridesmaid? Can you afford it? How do you deal with the bridezilla? What is really expected of you?
These are big goals but I have a plan. I also am going to be working with a coach to help me stay on track. Having an accountability partner is essential.
Let me know what your goals are and how Events Made Sane can help your business grow in 2020.
