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Thursday, December 20, 2012
If you love Thai cuisine as much as we do, you'll be delighted to know that we have spotted three apt Thai restaurants to hold your function at. Known for their scrumptious cuisine and chic decor, Busaba (Bangsar Shopping Complex), Amarin (Mid Valley) and Celadon (Pavilion KL) can be on your list of must-view venues.
Great to cater up to about 150 pax, these restaurants are ideal for intimate events such as birthdays, weddings and corporate gatherings.
Busaba
Busaba translates to "flower", or often portrayed as a fine, beautiful young lady in Thai. Here at Busaba, they serve you Thai Cuisine at its finest. Everything is tenderly selected, delicately prepared. Thai delicacies have never been so gracefully interpreted. They also have a VIP room suited for 20-30 pax.
Contact Busaba:
F15, 1st Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 2093-7708
Contact Celadon:
6.37.00, Level 6,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL
Tel: 03 2148 8708
Great to cater up to about 150 pax, these restaurants are ideal for intimate events such as birthdays, weddings and corporate gatherings.
Busaba
Busaba translates to "flower", or often portrayed as a fine, beautiful young lady in Thai. Here at Busaba, they serve you Thai Cuisine at its finest. Everything is tenderly selected, delicately prepared. Thai delicacies have never been so gracefully interpreted. They also have a VIP room suited for 20-30 pax.
Contact Busaba:
F15, 1st Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 2093-7708
Amarin
Situated in the majestic confines of Mid Valley Megamall, Amarin Heavenly Thai offers diners the opportunity to enjoy a whole new evolution of Thai cuisine – both for the eyes and the palate. From the moment you first enter the restaurant, you are treated with the utmost grace that is native to the Thai culture, that you may very well make this your favoured Thai dining destination.
The restaurant's striking, regal decor, inspired by the rich tapestry of Thai artifacts, serves to set the mood for an exotic experience that diners can enjoy at one of the city's more distinctive dining locales.
While you’re enjoying the warm hospitality of Thai customs, the fully staffed kitchen works doubly hard to ensure that each of your selections meets with the highest standards of Thai cooking. And after your meal, you may choose to sample some of Amarin’s yummy desserts to complete your gastronomic journey..
Contact Amarin:
S045, Level 2,
Centre Court,
Mid Valley Megamall
Tel: 03 2938 3187
Celadon
Celadon is known for its high-fired stoneware, which embodies a traditional wood-ash glaze formula discovered in China more than 20 centuries ago. Potters are believed to have been brought to Siam from China by King Ramkhamhaeng around the year 1300 to settle near Sukhothai and Sawankaloke which produced beautiful pieces for more than a hundred years. Keeping tradition alive at Celadon Royal Thai Restaurant, your dining experience will be surrounded by ancient Thai artifacts, complimented with true Thai cuisine.
Contact Celadon:
6.37.00, Level 6,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL
Tel: 03 2148 8708
Spicy Thai Venues
If you love Thai cuisine as much as we do, you'll be delighted to know that we have spotted three apt Thai restaurants to hold your fun...
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Issuing a request for proposal (RFP) can feel a lot like online dating. Sure, you compile a list of likes and dislikes, but if you’re not speci fic enough or don’t ask the right questions, you’ll end up with a partner who isn’t exactly a perfect fit. In online dating, putting out a vague call for the strong, silent type is just as likely to get you a musclebound mute as it is a rugged gentleman who lets his actions speak for themselves.
Similarly, when it comes to RFPs, vague requests and unfocused questions are likely to land you with a less than desirable date — err, event company. So it’s important that your RFP contains speci fic, focused questions, details, and requests if you want any hope of finding a match made in heaven. Because asking the right questions — and asking them in the right way — is vital to making sure you end up with the partner you’re looking for. Common RFP questions and requests are often misunderstood or improperly crafted, leaving the event manager and/or the sales department with insuf ficient information upon which to make an informed decision. What’s more, missing details and insufficient information in the RFP can result in a multitude of wildly varying proposals that make the process less like comparing apples to oranges and more like comparing grapes to gorillas.
Todd Simon, former vice president of business development at Chestnut Ridge, NY-based exhibit house MC² , says he’s amazed at some of the questions he’s read in RFPs. “I’ve seen RFPs where people ask, ‘If your company were a cartoon character, who would it be and why?’”
Simon says he understands that prospective clients are just trying to force exhibit houses/event companies to show off their creativity. But no matter how fun the answer might be, its value in helping you select the right exhibiting/event partner is limited at best.
After years of wading through RFPs, Simon believes exhibit managers need to learn how to ask questions that will provide some qualitative differentiation between one vendor and another. Sure, you’ve heard that there are no stupid questions, but when it comes to RFPs, some questions are de finitely better — and more likely to get you the information you need — than others.
So to help you navigate the RFP process without landing yourself on a blind date from hell, here are some of the most common “unhelpful requests,” which while well intended, typically don’t get you the information you’re looking for. Learn which questions and requests to avoid and how to hone your search, and you’ll undoubtedly find an event match made in heaven.
BUDGET? WHAT BUDGET?
The worst mistake most clients make is issuing an RFP without one of the most important speci fications: the budget. Simon says clients omit the budget because they are afraid a dollar limit might scare an exhibit house away from showing its best possible work. Clients tend to think that they’ll get a more inspired or creative proposal if the designer isn’t constrained by budget.
Unfortunately, what happens is some proposals come back with the-sky’s-the-limit designs while other firms try to make educated guesses about what a company is willing to spend. Bottom line, the playing field ends up anything but level.
“What you get is one proposal at $200,000, and another at $2 million,”Simon says. “If you’re willing to spend $2 million, then that’s not fair to the company that figured you wanted to keep costs down. And if you’re going to eliminate the company that submitted a $2 million design because it’s outside your budget, you’ve wasted that company’s time.”
At the very least, give vendors a ballpark estimate so you’re comparing apples to apples — even if it is Red
Delicious to Granny Smith. Otherwise, you’ll end up looking at the coolest $2 million proposal you’ll never be able to afford. And if you have a hard cap on your project, make sure the vendors understand that.
If you mean “Not a penny more than $200,000,” then make that clear, or you’ll be disqualifying a lot of good proposals that come in closer to $201,000.
WRONG: “Submit a proposal for a 20-by-30-foot exhibit. Budget is negotiable.”
RIGHT: “Submit a proposal for a 20-by-30-foot exhibit that fits the basic design speci fications at a cost of no more than $200,000.”
WHY: When prospective partners return your RFP, you’re going to want to compare apples to apples. So make sure you include a budget, or budget range, to level the playing field and make sure all proposals are within your budgetary parameters.
KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
While you probably have a particular design aesthetic in mind when you send out an RFP, chances are
you’re not describing it very well. For example, adjectives like “sleek,” “comfortable,” “European,”
or “conservative” can mean vastly different things to different people.
“The more information you can give vendors the better,” Simon says. “Explain how you want clients
and prospects to view your brand’s image in the marketplace. Because in the end, your company’s event should be a refl ection of the image you are trying to project to your clients and prospects.”
According to Simon, a picture is worth a thousand words, and a few photos can go a long way toward
explaining your vision in a manner that designers — who are very visual people — will understand. You
can try to define “sleek” until you’re blue in the face, but a little research and a handful of good photos can illustrate your ideas better than a list of adjectives.
So include any photos of exhibits, retail displays, architectural inspiration, etc. that you feel are in line
with your brand’s image. If there’s some taboo as far as colours to select or avoid, or what kind of chairs
your CEO prefers in the conference room, provide that information up front.
Otherwise your boss may eliminate an otherwise excellent exhibit design because the flooring in the rendering was his least-favorite color.
WRONG: “The booth should have a sleek, modern design.”
RIGHT: “Our company has a unique corporate culture, and the exhibit should re ect that. Here are photos of three exhibits that we feel represent our aesthetic.”
WHY: Adjectives like “sleek” and “modern” can conjure wildly different images in different people’s minds. So rather than getting caught up in syntax, describe your brand’s or company’s image, and include visual reference points to illustrate that aesthetic.
WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS?
But Simon warns clients to be careful when comparing the responses. While a long list of clients or a sharp increase in business might look impressive, it could also mean your comparably smaller project will be handled by a junior designer. On the other hand, a drop in the client base might show a vendor is losing business, but it could also mean an event company has consolidated around a few big fish that are providing steady work.
Additionally, any potential vendor will have other projects it is working on. But you need to understand when its busy season is. If a vendor has several major shows going on — with several of its biggest customers — right at the same time you’ll need its help, that could be a red flag that your project will take a back seat to those big clients.
WRONG: “Provide references and a list of your 10 largest clients.”
RIGHT: “Which months are the busiest on your calendar, and which shows will you be helping clients with during those months?”
WHY: A list of big-name clients can be impressive, but it can also mean you’ll be a little fish in an ocean-sized client base full of whales. So when asking about existing clients, also ask about peak times when those clients may be most demanding of your potential vendor’s time, attention, and resources.
-Brian Todd
Asking the Right Questions for your Request for Proposal
Issuing a request for proposal (RFP) can feel a lot like online dating. Sure, you compile a list of likes and dislikes, but if you’re n...
We have seen ice sculptures at weddings and other events in shapes of swans, ice bars and ice-breaking launch gambits. Here are more ways to use ice sculptures at your events.
Fur blankets decorated an ice chaise from Iceculture.
Photo: Emma McIntyre for BizBash
For the after-party, Iceculture created an eight-foot ice wall at the entrance of the trading floor. Iconic shapes from Karim Rashid were cut into the ice blocks and packed with snow. The negative space spelled out "DX."
Photo: George Pimentel
An eye-catching ice sculpture of penguins. The creation of the frozen pieces during the day drew crowds.
Photo: Courtesy of Discovery Communications LLC
Chile sponsored the reception and served salmon ceviche from an ice sculpture in the center of the reception area.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
The Iceman's subdivision iceFX created theSharp sculpture, which had copies of the book embedded in the ice.
Photo: Jason Jajalla
A jagged ice sculpture, created by Iceculture, provided a focal point in the reception area.
Photo: Roni Feldman & Associates Inc.
As a dramatic opening to the show, the enormous white box that covered the stage lifted to reveal the man-made iceberg. Inspired by Sweden's Ice Hotel and designed to mimic the North Pole, the show's backdrop was returned to its original location under a license-to-import agreement.
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
Iceculture created DX-inspired ice sculptures that held votive candles inside.
Photo: George Pimentel
Fur blankets decorated an ice chaise from Iceculture.
Photo: Emma McIntyre for BizBash
For the after-party, Iceculture created an eight-foot ice wall at the entrance of the trading floor. Iconic shapes from Karim Rashid were cut into the ice blocks and packed with snow. The negative space spelled out "DX."
Photo: George Pimentel
An eye-catching ice sculpture of penguins. The creation of the frozen pieces during the day drew crowds.
Photo: Courtesy of Discovery Communications LLC
Chile sponsored the reception and served salmon ceviche from an ice sculpture in the center of the reception area.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
The Iceman's subdivision iceFX created theSharp sculpture, which had copies of the book embedded in the ice.
Photo: Jason Jajalla
A jagged ice sculpture, created by Iceculture, provided a focal point in the reception area.
Photo: Roni Feldman & Associates Inc.
As a dramatic opening to the show, the enormous white box that covered the stage lifted to reveal the man-made iceberg. Inspired by Sweden's Ice Hotel and designed to mimic the North Pole, the show's backdrop was returned to its original location under a license-to-import agreement.
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
Iceculture created DX-inspired ice sculptures that held votive candles inside.
Photo: George Pimentel
Ice Sculptures
We have seen ice sculptures at weddings and other events in shapes of swans, ice bars and ice-breaking launch gambits. Here are more ways t...
We at Best Events have always enjoyed organizing small to medium-sized events as these events create a more intimate atmosphere. Guests really get to know the social host or a hosting brand without having to shout (well, not literally) or cross 500 metres to reach the other corner of the room.
Looks like we're not the only ones who prefer small-scaled events. Here's a write-up by Jim Shi for BizBash:
While splashy, celebrity-filled red carpet galas and bashes have a market and are appropriate for reaching a broad consumer audience, 2012 has been marked by multiple soirees that are noticeably smaller in scope. The idea? To focus not on quantity, but, rather, quality, and create a more personal experience for guests.
With events like Marni for H&M's intimate launch in Los Angeles in February, the series of "Feast or Fashion" dinner parties Bon Appetit introduced during the September run of New York Fashion Week, and a discreet affair Harry Winston held at Ai Fiori in October to honor actress Jessica Chastian's Broadway debut in The Heiress, some brands are illustrating that, as far as the adage goes, bigger isn't always better.
Tailoring each of its designer collection launches to the style and roots of the collaborator, H&M feted its Marni collaboration in February with a dinner party in a Los Feliz, California, home that had event producer Alex de Betak of Bureau Betak creating "a chic yet relaxed European mood."
Photo: Courtesy of H&M
In October Veuve Clicquot hosted a dinner at Manhattan's Crown restaurant for a key group of influencers. The night's intimacy allowed guests to feel fully immersed in a tasting experience with the champagne maker’s winemaker, according to Vanessa Kay, vice president of Veuve Clicquot U.S. "In addition to having many stories to tell about the brand, we developed tasting notes that night to guide our guests through the unique tasting experience," says Kay. "Hosting a small event makes guests feel they are a part of a special, personal experience."
Going against accepted dinner etiquette, the champagne house encouraged attendees to use social media to share their experiences during the evening. The event, which introduced several new vintage releases, accomplished exactly what Kay hoped it would. "We introduced our new fantastic wines to an influential list of guests and generated social media and press buzz to coincide with the commercial availability of the wines."
For Target, the decision to launch its fall fashion campaign with an event on the West Coast and another on the East Coast allowed the company to reach two very different audiences in distinctly different ways. Before hosting a large-scale, consumer-driven party in New York to debut the final part of its Web-based, shoppable film, Falling for You, the retail giant held a private dinner for 75 in Los Angeles that was tailored to entertainment media and included a screening of the short followed by a Q&A with its stars.
"The [L.A.] dinner created an intimate, memorable experience for the cast and their close friends and family, which differentiated it from some of our much larger events, which often focus on the red carpet aspect," says Target spokesperson Evan Miller. Miller noted that part of the West Coast event's goal was to also allow "thoughtful media" the chance to interview the cast and crew one-on-one.
Ahead of a larger-scale bash attended by more than 400 guests in Manhattan, Target celebrated the launch of its Falling for You shoppable film series with an intimate dinner at the SLS Beverly Hills that included a Q&A with its stars Kristen Bell, Nia Long, and Zachary Abel.
Photo: Claire Barrett
According to Chris Bastin, Gant Rugger's creative director, intimacy has always played to the heart of the niche fashion brand, which hosted a dinner and presentation for its spring 2013 collection at New York's Gallow Green in October. "This is menswear at its best to me: friendly and relaxed over good food and wine," he says. Instead of throwing money at a celebrity or making an event feel overwrought with production, Bastin likes to invest in memorable details: a unique location (the event was the first seated dinner on the rooftop space of Skylight at the McKittrick Hotel); a custom one-time-only menu; a creative invitation (Gant made its own bottles of wine); and an unexpected gift (cashmere cable-knit blankets were handed out on the chilly night).
"We are fortunate to have great actors that support the brand, but when we get together to unveil a new collection, we want to be with our friends in fashion, just hanging out and reconnecting," says Bastin. "For me, it's more about making a memory."
Patrón is another that's been using smaller events to build and cement its following, starting the Patrón Secret Dining Society in May 2010 in response to fans who wanted to be more involved with the brand. The meals invite no more than 50 guests, pair courses with tequila cocktails, and typically take place in quirky or historic locations that are revealed at the last minute.
"To be successful with a dining event like this, we purposely wanted to keep them small and intimate, as that's truly the best way to create an exclusive experience," says Greg Cohen, the Patrón Spirits Company's communications director. While the initiative doesn't preclude the tequila brand from being involved with bigger events—including the New York City Wine & Food Festival and Super Bowl parties—the smaller ones allow direct communication with a target audience and bring the versatility of the product into focus. It's also, as Cohen notes, a way of rewarding brand faithfuls.
The Patrón Social Club, an extension of Patrón’s "Simply Perfect" worldwide marketing campaign, put on a series of covert dining experiences, maxing out at 50 attendees, known as the Patrón Secret Dining Society. The meals were designed with the aim to build a community among Patrón enthusiasts.
Photo: Brian Hartman & Photo Elan/Hartman Studio
Although many agree that more intimate events do not directly correlate to lower execution costs, the retention of loyalists is an important, immeasurable aspect that helps build a brand's influence in a crowded marketplace.
Looks like we're not the only ones who prefer small-scaled events. Here's a write-up by Jim Shi for BizBash:
While splashy, celebrity-filled red carpet galas and bashes have a market and are appropriate for reaching a broad consumer audience, 2012 has been marked by multiple soirees that are noticeably smaller in scope. The idea? To focus not on quantity, but, rather, quality, and create a more personal experience for guests.
With events like Marni for H&M's intimate launch in Los Angeles in February, the series of "Feast or Fashion" dinner parties Bon Appetit introduced during the September run of New York Fashion Week, and a discreet affair Harry Winston held at Ai Fiori in October to honor actress Jessica Chastian's Broadway debut in The Heiress, some brands are illustrating that, as far as the adage goes, bigger isn't always better.
Tailoring each of its designer collection launches to the style and roots of the collaborator, H&M feted its Marni collaboration in February with a dinner party in a Los Feliz, California, home that had event producer Alex de Betak of Bureau Betak creating "a chic yet relaxed European mood."
Photo: Courtesy of H&M
In October Veuve Clicquot hosted a dinner at Manhattan's Crown restaurant for a key group of influencers. The night's intimacy allowed guests to feel fully immersed in a tasting experience with the champagne maker’s winemaker, according to Vanessa Kay, vice president of Veuve Clicquot U.S. "In addition to having many stories to tell about the brand, we developed tasting notes that night to guide our guests through the unique tasting experience," says Kay. "Hosting a small event makes guests feel they are a part of a special, personal experience."
Going against accepted dinner etiquette, the champagne house encouraged attendees to use social media to share their experiences during the evening. The event, which introduced several new vintage releases, accomplished exactly what Kay hoped it would. "We introduced our new fantastic wines to an influential list of guests and generated social media and press buzz to coincide with the commercial availability of the wines."
For Target, the decision to launch its fall fashion campaign with an event on the West Coast and another on the East Coast allowed the company to reach two very different audiences in distinctly different ways. Before hosting a large-scale, consumer-driven party in New York to debut the final part of its Web-based, shoppable film, Falling for You, the retail giant held a private dinner for 75 in Los Angeles that was tailored to entertainment media and included a screening of the short followed by a Q&A with its stars.
"The [L.A.] dinner created an intimate, memorable experience for the cast and their close friends and family, which differentiated it from some of our much larger events, which often focus on the red carpet aspect," says Target spokesperson Evan Miller. Miller noted that part of the West Coast event's goal was to also allow "thoughtful media" the chance to interview the cast and crew one-on-one.
Ahead of a larger-scale bash attended by more than 400 guests in Manhattan, Target celebrated the launch of its Falling for You shoppable film series with an intimate dinner at the SLS Beverly Hills that included a Q&A with its stars Kristen Bell, Nia Long, and Zachary Abel.
Photo: Claire Barrett
According to Chris Bastin, Gant Rugger's creative director, intimacy has always played to the heart of the niche fashion brand, which hosted a dinner and presentation for its spring 2013 collection at New York's Gallow Green in October. "This is menswear at its best to me: friendly and relaxed over good food and wine," he says. Instead of throwing money at a celebrity or making an event feel overwrought with production, Bastin likes to invest in memorable details: a unique location (the event was the first seated dinner on the rooftop space of Skylight at the McKittrick Hotel); a custom one-time-only menu; a creative invitation (Gant made its own bottles of wine); and an unexpected gift (cashmere cable-knit blankets were handed out on the chilly night).
"We are fortunate to have great actors that support the brand, but when we get together to unveil a new collection, we want to be with our friends in fashion, just hanging out and reconnecting," says Bastin. "For me, it's more about making a memory."
Patrón is another that's been using smaller events to build and cement its following, starting the Patrón Secret Dining Society in May 2010 in response to fans who wanted to be more involved with the brand. The meals invite no more than 50 guests, pair courses with tequila cocktails, and typically take place in quirky or historic locations that are revealed at the last minute.
"To be successful with a dining event like this, we purposely wanted to keep them small and intimate, as that's truly the best way to create an exclusive experience," says Greg Cohen, the Patrón Spirits Company's communications director. While the initiative doesn't preclude the tequila brand from being involved with bigger events—including the New York City Wine & Food Festival and Super Bowl parties—the smaller ones allow direct communication with a target audience and bring the versatility of the product into focus. It's also, as Cohen notes, a way of rewarding brand faithfuls.
The Patrón Social Club, an extension of Patrón’s "Simply Perfect" worldwide marketing campaign, put on a series of covert dining experiences, maxing out at 50 attendees, known as the Patrón Secret Dining Society. The meals were designed with the aim to build a community among Patrón enthusiasts.
Photo: Brian Hartman & Photo Elan/Hartman Studio
Although many agree that more intimate events do not directly correlate to lower execution costs, the retention of loyalists is an important, immeasurable aspect that helps build a brand's influence in a crowded marketplace.
How Brands Are Shrinking Events to Create Personal Experiences
We at Best Events have always enjoyed organizing small to medium-sized events as these events create a more intimate atmosphere. Guests rea...
