11 Minimalist #TableDecor With Maximum Impact

If tightly curated decor is the name of the game, draw inspiration from spare but dramatic tabletop looks from events around you.

Sometimes minimalist design can make a bigger, more dramatic statement at events than elaborate and fussy decor. When an event calls for a less-is-more aesthetic, draw inspiration from these chic and understated tabletop looks, ranging from rustic to elegant.



At the Elle Women in Hollywood awards this month at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, six-time designer-producer Caravents chose a blush tone for the tabletops to complement main sponsor Calvin Klein Reveal fragrance's bottle and packaging. Clear glass vessels at the center of the table held white roses.

Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.



Weight Watchers hosted a pop-up dinner party at Carondelet House in Los Angeles earlier this month. With fare focusing on lighter local options, all cooked by Katsuya chef Jennie Trinh, the event included organic fall produce and foliage down the center of the long, rustic table.

Photo: Tiger Tiger Studio



Luxury online retailer Mytheresa.com hosted an intimate dinner in Los Angeles in June. With the dramatic Lautner-designed Goldstein residence as the backdrop, guests dined on a meal prepared by Kris Morningstar at a table clothed simply in white and lit by a row of taper candles.

Photo: Pablo Frisk for mytheresa.com



Monochrome marigolds and table numbers in champagne bottles sat atop rustic tables at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, designed by BrownHot Events, in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Photo: Claire Barrett Photography



The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles hosts its annual "Gala in the Garden" each year with tightly curated decor. In 2010, the look included tabletops clad in green linen napkins and white pillar candles for an earthy, fuss-free air.

Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.



A group of 300 artists and art patrons came to fete the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s 25th anniversary at the museum's second annual Precognito gala dinner in Los Angeles in 2012. There, white paper tablecloths had table numbers painted directly onto them for a streamlined look.

Photo: Vince Bucci



The American Ballet Theatre held its annual gala in Los Angeles at the Jeanne and Anthony Pritzker estate in Beverly Hills. With the home’s architecture and sweeping views as a backdrop, about 250 guests dined at wooden-topped tables with white linens and blue and lavender floral arrangements.

Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages



Diffa's Dining by Design event is typically the place to spot abundant, ornate tabletops. At the New York event in 2012, a few more spare looks also made dramatic impacts: Herman Miller's table had a vintage 1950s look, with twine tying place cards to wooden tops.

Photo: Ronnie Andren for BizBash



At Diffa Dining by Design's New York iteration in 2013, Kenneth Cobonpue placed plates and cups in organic shapes on a spare wood table. The minimalist setting allowed eyes to focus on the living centerpiece: a cluster of moss topped with bowls that held live Betta fish.

Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash



Sustainable agriculture champion Alice Waters was behind an inauguration celebration in Washington in 2009, where simple copper bowls held tangerines, and fresh bay leaves decked place cards.

Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photography for BizBash



The "Imagining the Lowline" fund-raising initiative's co-founders hosted a New York dinner billed as an "anti-gala" in 2012. Van Wyck & Van Wyck used reclaimed wood dining tables decorated with traditional taper candles and organic centerpieces made up of potted mint, lavender, rosemary, geranium leaves, and olive branches.

Photo: Andrew Martin/BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Decor, Wedding Decor

11:29 AM

11 Minimalist #TableDecor With Maximum Impact

If tightly curated decor is the name of the game, draw inspiration from spare but dramatic tabletop looks from events around you. Sometime...

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8 Ways to Manage #SocialMedia During an Event

It’s crucial to devote time and manpower to managing your social media presence in real time during an event.


Photo Credit: ignitordigital.com

While most groups do have a presence on social media, it’s crucial to devote time and manpower to managing that digital brand image in real time during an event. Here are eight steps to create a foolproof social media response strategy.

1. Designate and empower monitors. “Don’t get so busy with the event planning that you forget to delegate this task to someone on the team who can really monitor social media,” says Nicole Matthews, founder of San Diego-based event and travel firm the Henley Company. “Problems are likeliest to arise when you offer up an event-specific social media channel and then no one from your team actually monitors the site.” If your event is big, consider drafting volunteers or having someone live blogging and tweeting the action.

2. Create a command center. Your social media hub should be in the middle of the action, says Ritu Sharma, a speaker on social media topics and executive director and co-founder of Social Media for Nonprofits. “This command station should have adequate power supply, the best seats and vantage point in the house,” she says. Put your live-bloggers and tweeters here, and make sure they have a clear view of the stage and any photo stations, she says.

3. Define your brand voice. Create a tone, character, and persona for your monitors to use, says Mitch Germann, senior vice president and partner at Fleishman-Hillard. This is most important if you plan to have multiple people, especially volunteers, communicating on the group’s behalf. “In a lot of cases, there’s more than one person in that channel, but it’s important that the community always feels like it’s a consistent voice,” he says. Different organizations go for different tones in their social correspondence: some are more traditionally corporate, while others aim to be inspirational or funny.

4. Make it personal. “Be authentic,” Sharma says. “Speak as if you are speaking to a friend or family member to avoid sounding like an institution. Don’t be afraid to sound like a real person.” Matthews says a good way to keep your attendees from feeling like they’re talking to a machine is to respond to people that tweet or comment by name. Keep the dialogue going by responding quickly (within an hour), especially to criticism.

5. Expect the unexpected. Even with the best planning, the unexpected can happen. (Remember how well Oreo parlayed 2013’s Super Bowl blackout into a pitch for its cookies?) Germann says it’s worth the effort to go through a script of possible issues—a power outage, bad weather, a shortage of some key item—and craft responses ahead of time. And even if you encounter criticism, “Stay far away from being defensive, trying to be right, or from deleting negative comments,” Sharma says.

6. Put Twitter first. “I think, in general, Twitter is more tied to customer service, particularly when something is unfolding at an event in real time,” Germann says. This doesn’t mean you should neglect Facebook and Instagram, but tweets are the language of real-time social media conversation. “It seems to be when people have that mobile device in their hand, they take to Twitter to have that conversation,” he says.

7. Woo influencers. Find the influencer for the audience you are trying to reach and try to engage them with involvement in your event, Matthews recommends. A celebrity with a huge following on Twitter or an entrepreneur whose LinkedIn posts are devoured by the business community can add exponentially to your event’s reach.

8. Go beyond your platform. It’s not enough to keep an eye on your own Twitter feed, Facebook page, and so on, because it’s likely that attendees will talk on their platforms about your event. “Monitor for mentions of the brand or event or a combination thereof—any way it could be referred to throughout the online space,” Germann says. Since some people might mention the event without using its proper name or Twitter handle, run searches on Twitter for your group’s name, the event name, and other similar terms.

By Martha C. White for BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Technology

11:12 AM

8 Ways to Manage #SocialMedia During an Event

It’s crucial to devote time and manpower to managing your social media presence in real time during an event. Photo Credit: ignitordigita...

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7 New Tech Tools for Meetings and Events

From beacon-based attendee tracking to simple video conferencing, find out about the newest apps and products for your next event.



Loopd

Loopd is a system that uses Bluetooth low-energy beacons to provide a variety of location-tracking tools for planners and attendees. Beacons placed around the event communicate with chips the attendees wear on a lanyard. As guests visit exhibitor booths, attend education sessions, and meet other attendees, the system tracks those movements and saves the information. At any time, guests can log into the Loopd app to see a history of those interactions, as well as receive marketing materials from exhibitors they visited. Booth staff also receive traffic information and can follow up with attendees. For networking, users can tap their badges together to share their contact information; otherwise the system will automatically collect data when two people are standing near each other for a predetermined amount of time. Planners receive real-time information about traffic flow and also data regarding retention, engagement, dwell time, and amount of connections made for attendees and exhibitors.

Photo: Courtesy of Loopd

Speecheo

Speecheo is a new online tool for presentations designed to make it easy for audience members to take notes and also reveal to speakers and planners the most popular parts of their presentations. Attendees can view presentation slides and materials on their mobile devices and take notes alongside them. They can also capture audio and create bookmarks, so after the presentation they can review specific parts and share them on social media. Speakers and planners receive detailed analytics regarding which parts of the presentation were the most captured and shared. The system is currently in beta testing. The company expects to launch the public version in January.

Photo: Courtesy of Speecheo



Highfive

Highfive is new video conferencing system from two former Google engineers. For $799, users get a sleek device that can sit on top of a television or mount to a wall and includes a video camera, microphone array, and HDMI and Ethernet connections to connect to the Highfive online system. Users initiate a video call through the system’s app or browser and send the URL to as many as 10 other participants. Using Bluetooth low energy, the system recognizes if participants are in a room with a Highfive device and then, by swiping across their smartphone screen, the video transfers to the television in the room—without cables. The system also automatically displays video of the person talking.

Photo: Courtesy of Highfive



Check In Easy

Event technology company Certain Inc. has added a digital signature option to its Check In Easy mobile app. The new Sign and Go feature is suited for events that need to collect signatures for attendance verification, compliance requirements, or gift pickup. The digital signatures can be exported as an alphabetized Excel file that includes a time stamp. Check In Easy is available for iOS and Android and is integrated with other Certain Inc. products.

Photo: Courtesy of Check In Easy



SmartCrowdz

SmartCrowdz allows planners to set up an event website in minutes using its template-based system. The websites can include event schedules, maps, social media, registration, photos, digital payments, sponsorships, and more. There’s also a task management system that planners can use to track their to-do lists and manage event staff and volunteers. In October SmartCrowdz announced the launch of its event directory, a searchable database that has listings for events in each of the top 200 metropolitan areas in the United States with links to the event websites. SmartCrowdz places ads on event websites and then shares 25 percent of the revenue with planners once they have participated in one of the company’s training webinars.

Photo: Courtesy of SmartCrowdz



Topi

Topi is now integrating attendee tracking into its app through its new Beaconnected service. By communicating with Bluetooth low-energy beacons placed around an event, planners can use the app to track attendee movement and dwell time. They can also configure the app to trigger actions based on guest location, for example sending scavenger hunt clues as guests arrive at precise locations, sending speaker notes immediately after a presentation, or sending a survey as guests exit the venue.

Photo: Courtesy of Topi Beaconnected

Source: BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Technology, Fabulous Finds

10:50 AM

7 New Tech Tools for Meetings and Events

From beacon-based attendee tracking to simple video conferencing, find out about the newest apps and products for your next event. Loopd...

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Can David Beat Goliath at Trade Shows?

Face-to-face events provide loads of opportunities for new businesses to meet and connect with their target audience. At the same time, some lesser-known brands find it difficult to emerge from the shadow of larger, well-known brands. Sure, Sally’s Soda Shop probably isn’t going to have anywhere near the marketing budget of a Coke or Pepsi, but your brand can still grab attention from the big guys, if you’re fearless and creative.

So how can your up-and-coming brand steal the spotlight? Fire on all cylinders with a carefully designed trade show booth and equip your staff to promote your brand at every turn.

Conquer the competition with an attention-grabbing, experiential trade show exhibit. Whether you’re kicking off a brand new exhibit design or updating an existing display, you need to work smart to stand out from the crowd. The most effective trade show exhibits grab attention from afar and offer interactive experiences that keep attendees engaged at your booth.

Your exhibit design firm can help you develop an exhibit design and event strategy that accomplishes both of these goals. Ask them how your brand can get noticed by incorporating the following attributes into your exhibit:

• Clear, marketing messages that stand out, from multiple vantage points on the trade show floor – both up close and from a distance.
• Custom graphics, finishes and signage (static and/or digital) that distinctly reflect your branding.
• Videos that tell your company’s story, promote your products and services or entertain attendees.
• Accent lighting that highlights key features at your booth – whether it’s messaging, a new product or an experience of some sort.
• Interactive kiosks where attendees can learn more about your brand offerings, watch a digital product demo or sign up for a contest.
• Live product demonstration areas where attendees can experience your products hands-on and/or up close.
• Entertainment and meeting areas where attendees can congregate, network and engage with booth staff and other attendees.
• Trade show giveaways that people love and will use during and after the event.

These are just a few exhibit features and accessories that can draw attendee eyeballs in your direction and keep their attention when they enter your booth. Ask your exhibit design firm how you can customize the experience at your trade show booth based on your unique brand, products and services.

Train and equip booth staff to promote your brand at every turn – even when the big guys outnumber you. Any experienced trade show marketer will tell you how important booth staff selection is when it comes to trade show ROI. You’ll find a variety of blog posts, whitepapers and webinars on this topic right here on our website. So that’s step number one.

Step number two is motivating and equipping your staff to walk, talk, live and breathe your brand from sun up to sun down during a show. This includes promoting your brand and interacting with attendees both at and away from your booth. Consider using the following tools and tactics to spread the word about your brand at your booth, throughout the exhibition hall and at offsite events.

• Branded booth staff attire with your corporate colors, logo, taglines, etc.
• Eye catching or unique nametags with your company name (and the staffer’s name).
• Active social media presence and engagement before, during and after the show.
• High-visibility sponsorships featuring your staff, which are promoted in exhibition literature and on digital platforms.
• Speaking engagements for key staff (C-suite, product experts, etc.).
• Dedicated staffers who work the trade show floor to meet attendees, perhaps share a promotional item and invite them to visit your booth.

You don’t need to be a brand giant to get attention at trade shows. Smaller, up-and-coming brands can make a big splash, too, you just need to work a little harder and smarter.

Source: Malcolm Gilvar

byBest Events

in Trade Show Tips

9:37 PM

Can David Beat Goliath at Trade Shows?

Face-to-face events provide loads of opportunities for new businesses to meet and connect with their target audience. At the same time, som...

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Predictions of #DigitalMarketing Trends for Successful Event Campaigns 2015

As we enter the last Quarter (Q4) of 2014, wise business owners/marketing teams are starting to plan and lay out their Digital Marketing budget and strategies for the coming year 2015. Many would look back at what transpired during 2014, identifying which strategies worked and what did not in their digital marketing efforts. Apparently, recycling the same strategies which could have worked well in 2014 might not be the same for 2015. This is due to the rapid change in digital marketing trends that are influenced by online marketplace and proliferation of various channels, gadgets and devices where people retrieve information while on the go.

As more and more businesses grow more adept and more mature in digital marketing strategies, experts predict 2015 to be a very interesting year for interactive digital marketing. According to MNC’s research, experience and market sensitivity, these top 5 predicted digital marketing trends and strategies can help your brand, product or service get much more marketing mileage and reach even more targeted audiences – all potential customers in the upcoming year 2015 and beyond.

They are related to social customer relations management (Social CRM), targeted messaging, effective content management, mobile marketing, and social integration.

1. Authentic Engagement Builds Trust (Social CRM)
For any business, trust plays an important role in building customer growth and brand loyalty. In the last decade, it has become especially important for businesses and brands to invest in effective strategies that help build trust and loyalty among online customers. According to a study by MotiveQuest and Northwestern University, 53% of changes in online and offline sales can be attributed to changes in the number of people advocating for a brand online.

One of the ways you can build trust online in 2015 is by authentically engaging with your online communities on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Before you enter into the New Year, think about setting aside time to develop a realistic, consistent, and authentic engagement plan that you can follow and use for all the online communities you plan to participate in.

“Marketing Departments will fall out of love with social media and responsibility for the medium will shift even further into other corners of the organization, such as PR and Customer Service. Of course, Facebook and Twitter still own too much of consumer time for marketers to ignore them, but a focus on paid media will increasingly eclipse earned media in marketing strategies. The drivers for this transition have been in place for years, from marketer frustration with low engagement rates on Facebook brand pages to hashtag campaigns that backfire to desperate social stunts like fake account hacks to auto-responder embarrassments.

The best value brands can provide in social is to listen, co-create with customers, integrate social into the product experience, furnish customer service, educate and evolve for the growth of the sharing economy, and in most cases, these are responsibilities that fall outside the marketing department.” (“Augie Ray, a former Forrester analyst and Voice of Customer professional. Source : Forbes”)

2. Targeted Messaging
“We are going to see a huge increase in at location-based marketing.  With the rapid proliferation of devices, and the explosion of the Internet of Things, people will be carrying, utilizing, and depending on their devices more than ever.  As part of the increased dependency, there is an increased expectation of services and personalization.” (“Nancy Bhagat, Vice President of Marketing Strategy at Intel”.
Source: Forbes.)

3. Content Driven Management
“The social, mobile web has digitized information and allowed us all to connect with anyone, anywhere. When we need information, we can find it instantly. But digital disruption is about more than just information. As brands, we need to kill promotional marketing messages and start providing customer-centric information that is helpful to our target customers.” (“Michael Brenner, Vice President of Global Marketing at SAP”. Source: Forbes)

4. Mobile Marketing
“Smartphones and tablets have effectively become the center—and integrating components—of consumers’ multiplatform lives. In that sense, though, mobile is more than “the new desktop.” It has a role with far greater significance than simply serving as a substitute computing device. This shift is reflected in quantitative terms—in the amount of time consumers spend on their mobile devices on a daily basis—and qualitatively in the way these devices have effectively become the remote control for consumers’ lives and work.
This shift has also affected the path to purchase in dramatic ways. As a result, marketers need to try and continually engage prospective buyers to consider their brand, product or store, whether the purchase ultimately takes place in a digital or physical venue.” (“Noah Elkin, Principal Analyst, eMarketer”. Source : Forbes)

5. Social Integration Is What Your Customers Expect
Social integration was important to online consumers in 2014, and it will continue to be important for them going into the New Year. When a prospective or returning customer visits a website, they expect to be able to find options that allow them to easily interact and share information with their social communities—without having to leave the site to do so. Examples of social integration on websites include links to social media pages created and managed by the business, social media share buttons (like, tweet, +1, share, etc.), and the ability to login or comment using a Facebook, Twitter, or Google account.

If you don’t yet have any of these options on your business website, it’s worth spending time adding them before the New Year. Doing so will help you keep your current social-savvy customers happy, and also give you more credibility when it comes time to convert a prospective buyer visiting your site for the first time.

“Competition in the digital space continues to grow as marketers seek out real-time opportunities and intensify their speed of interacting in “the moment.” The key disruptive digital trends we’ve seen successfully join the forces of mobile and social together to reach audiences at the heart of their digital usage. Images and videos have become the go-to viral tactic, and will continue to expand as brands can use visuals to interact with their consumers and the newest group of influencers–visual influencers.

Recently announced, Instagram is joining the playing field, alongside other messaging apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp, to compete for the main communication channel for consumers to share personable moments. Social networks are hungry for challenges and eager to disrupt the current trends to start a new innovation.”  (“Suzanne Fanning, President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)”. Source : Forbes)

Source: www.mnc.com.my

byBest Events

in Event Marketing, Event Technology

11:00 AM

Predictions of #DigitalMarketing Trends for Successful Event Campaigns 2015

As we enter the last Quarter (Q4) of 2014, wise business owners/marketing teams are starting to plan and lay out their Digital Marketing b...

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5 Alternatives to the Traditional Photo Booth

Here are some unique photo booth options to consider for your next event.


Green-screen catwalks, the latest invention from the Bosco, debuted at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in partnership with H&M. Event guests were styled in H&M gear; then, they chose a motion-graphic backdrop from a selection of some 25 styles and walked or danced in place on a moving treadmill. Using green-screen-compositing technology, the Bosco staffers created videos of users walking virtual runways, and the festivalgoers were able to instantly share their six-second videos across all social media platforms. Pricing on rentals varies per activation, and the booths can be set up at events throughout the United States and Canada.

Photo: Courtesy of the Bosco



Super Frog Saves Tokyo, billed as “storytelling plus social theory,” provides video booths for private events, with a twist: the event narratives are filmed in slow motion. The video setup comprises a RED Epic Camera, four LED lights, and a backdrop operated by two or three staffers. The resulting videos require an estimated 25 hours of production. The company has a baseline fee of $6,000 for event rentals, and the final cost can be impacted by date, location, and other details.

Photo: Courtesy of Super Frog Saves Tokyo



The Self Enhancing Live Feed Image Engine, or “S.E.L.F.I.E.” mirror, was created by New York-based digital agency iStrategy Labs. A Web camera and facial-recognition software are hidden behind the two-way mirror, along with LED lights that provide a countdown and simulate a flash, and are triggered when guests stand in front of the mirror and smile. The photo is then instantly posted to Twitter with a watermark or logo.  Though it is not available for rental, the invention can be custom-built for companies to own, and pricing ranges from $35,000 to $50,000.

Photo: Courtesy of iStrategy Labs



Foxtales invites event guests to step into a so-called “storybooth” that creates branded photos and HD videos. In addition to a customizable touch-screen interface, the booths have built-in D.S.L.R. cameras and proprietary photo-processing techniques. The pictures and videos populate a mobile-ready storyboard and can be instantly uploaded using Wi-Fi, 4G Internet, or a hard-line connection. Pricing is from $1,500 and includes five hours of run time, the customized storyboard gallery, on-site reps, and post-event analytics.

Photo: Courtesy of Foxtales



Doodlebooth is a Chicago-based company that puts a hand-drawn spin on traditional photo booths. Illustrator Jana Kinsman, who has designed custom illustrations for clients such as CB2, sits with guests and quickly sketches their portraits as take-home keepsakes; the images can also be scanned into online albums that guests can digitally share. Pricing is $650 for three hours, and there’s no extra cost for transportation to events in Chicago and nearby Evanston and Oak Park. Kinsman will travel to events throughout the country for an additional fee.

Photo: Brent Knepper

Source: Jenny Berg for BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Photography, In The Spotlight

5:00 PM

5 Alternatives to the Traditional Photo Booth

Here are some unique photo booth options to consider for your next event. Green-screen catwalks, the latest invention from the Bosco, deb...

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12 Ideas for Holiday Party Gifts That Give Back

(Pictured clockwise, from top left) Gifts of LSTN headphones provide hearing aid to people in need, This Bar Saves Lives sends food to malnourished children, NatureBox proceeds benefit Feeding America, and Toms has a buy-one-give-one coffee program.

Photos: Courtesy of LSNT, This Bar Saves Lives, NatureBox, and Toms Roasting Company

Instead of doling out trinkets that collect dust, consider gifts that provide humanitarian or environmental relief—as well as holiday cheer.

There's nothing less appreciated than a useless, meaningless holiday gift that does little more than clutter up the recipient's desk and accumulate dust. Instead of the logo-covered swag or overpriced filler, opt for holiday party gift-giving with purpose. Consider one of these gifts that give back for every member of the team.

For the staffer who controls the office playlist: Every pair of cool-looking LSTN headphones sold goes to provide hearing aid to a person in need through the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

For the caffeine addict: As with its well-known shoes, Toms has a buy-one-give-one coffee program, too. With every bag of coffee purchased, Toms gives one week of clean water to a person in need. Similarly, sales of Laughing Man coffee, tea, and chocolate go to support entrepreneurs around the world through education and development.

Alternatively, provide the vessel: Accompany sells items that all have a fair trade or humanitarian component behind them. Among the holiday party gifts offered is aJonathan Adler mug, fair-trade produced in Peru at the brand’s main workshop, which was founded through Aid to Artisans.

For the water-guzzler: Make the water cooler an environmentally friendlier place to catch up on office gossip by gifting a water bottle to the person who spends a lot of time there. It's a way to reduce waste, as well as to underscore and encourage sustainable corporate practices. Miir supplies clean water to one person in need for every water bottle purchased.

For the entire team: Candle gifts are crowd-pleasers across broad recipient categories. Make the giving more meaningful with Man Cans—candles made inside emptied cans of soup purchased from local grocery stores. After the soup is donated to a soup kitchen, the can becomes a candle holder.

For the nonstop tech-connected: We’ve offers handmade gift items while supporting artisans around the world, who share video diaries of the creation process. For those who are never without their devices, consider the alpaca iPad case from Bolivia, or an iPhone case from Cambodia.

For the office foodie: Membership service NatureBox sends out a variety of nutritious snacks in each shipment, with a portion of the proceeds from the membership going to hunger-relief group Feeding America.

Or, This Bar Saves Lives is a line of gourmet bars made with all natural, gluten free, non-GMO, fair trade ingredients from top U.S. farms. For each one sold, a life-saving packet of food is delivered to a child in need. A monthly bar club dispatches three boxes to the recipient's door (or desk). Or, as a gift for the whole department, there's a new program called This Workplace Saves Lives, through which businesses can stock their offices. (Google recently signed on.)

For the ones who always eat at their desks: United By Blue promises to remove one pound of trash from oceans and waterways for every product sold. A functional, environmentally friendly holiday party gift option is a stylish canvas lunch bag for the office.

For the far-away client: Instead of shipping a material item, Oxfam America allows the giver to select a specific gift by price, like a pair of chickens for $18, kids' books for $25, or a vegetable garden for $30 for those living in poverty.

For the whole department: To spread the giving around, and as a great way to personalize charity gifts, Good Cards are available in any amount. Recipients get to pick the charity of their choice to which to apply it.

Source: Alesandra Dubin for BizBash

byBest Events

in Fabulous Finds

10:00 AM

12 Ideas for Holiday Party Gifts That Give Back

(Pictured clockwise, from top left) Gifts of LSTN headphones provide hearing aid to people in need, This Bar Saves Lives sends food to mal...

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Exhibit Technology

Exhibitor magazine asked 10 industry experts to share their insights and opinions on exhibit technology.

byBest Events

in Event Technology

5:00 PM

Exhibit Technology

Exhibitor magazine asked 10 industry experts to share their insights and opinions on exhibit technology.

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12 Things to Consider When Creating Your Event App

Create a user-friendly, information-rich app for your next meeting or conference by asking the right questions up front.


A dedicated mobile app is now essential for large meetings, conferences, and trade shows, allowing attendees to manage their experiences on the go and eliminating the need for printed materials. Standard features of an app include the ability to view the event agenda, maps, and speaker profiles, but many now go far beyond that. Here are a few of the questions to consider before you begin developing an app for your next event.

1. How does the app function without an Internet connection? 
Wi-Fi and cellular service can be spotty in venues, so it’s critical to understand how the app can be used offline. Connectivity used to be one of the key differences between native apps and mobile Web apps: native apps resided on the device and could be used offline, whereas mobile Web apps were accessed through a browser and required a constant Internet connection. But those lines are starting to blur with the advent of HTML5 and other languages. “New and well-designed versions of both will create an offline database, which is critical because it allows you to continue to access your information based on the last time the app was synched,” says Jordan Schwartz, C.E.O. of Pathable. However, users will still need an Internet connection to receive updates for either type of app.

2. Do you want to send push notifications? 
If the goal is to make your app the central source of information for your event, guests should be able to communicate through the app rather than by checking email or a Web site. For now, push notifications are only possible with a native app.

3. How will you create and update information in the app? 
Most app providers offer self-service, online dashboards that make it easy for planners to create the app themselves by uploading schedules, speaker profiles, sessions notes, and other details.

4. Are social networks accessible within the app? 
Guests are more likely to share your event’s content on their social networks if you make it easy. “If you want to do a Twitter update, you don’t want to have to exit the app and go into Twitter and put in the tweet and hashtag,” says Patrick Payne, C.E.O. of QuickMobile. Ask for a way for users to immediately post updates and photos through the app.

5. What else is integrated into the app? 
The list of possible integrations is extensive, but common elements include photo streams, gamification strategies, meeting scheduling, surveys, and a private chat function. “What most attendees are looking for at an event is all of the functionality inside a single, unified app,” Payne says.

6. What do user profiles look like? 
Rather than requiring users to manually create a profile, many apps now offer the option to populate profiles with information from existing social networks, most commonly LinkedIn. Advanced features can include the ability for guests to search attendee profiles to find others from similar industries and backgrounds to facilitate networking.

7. How will users access the app? 
Native apps are installed from an app store and create an icon on the user’s home screen. Mobile Web apps are accessed from a URL, which can be shared with guests as a link in an email.

8. Is there a companion desktop platform? 
While it’s safe to assume most of your attendees use a mobile device, they also likely work from a laptop or desktop computer with a full keyboard better suited for inputting information. “People can choose sessions beforehand, fill in a profile, exchange messages with other attendees and exhibitors all from their desktop computer,” Schwartz says. Following the event, guests can continue to access content and engage other attendees through the Web interface.

9. Are there sponsor opportunities? 
Your app can become a source of revenue if you can sell exposure to vendors and include elements such as their logo, product information, videos, or Web links.

10. Does the app make use of location-based services? 
Some apps make use of a device’s GPS to send information to attendees based on their location within the venue. For example, when integrated with a map, attendees can see where they are on the trade show floor, or the host can send an automatic welcome message as people enter the building.

11. Can the app be used for multiple events? 
If you host many events throughout the year, make it easy for your attendees by allowing them to access information for all of the events in one app.

12. What type of analytics does the app platform provide?
Examples include data about how guests used the app, what content they shared on social networks, and how they interacted with one another and with vendors.

Source: BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Technology

12:00 PM

12 Things to Consider When Creating Your Event App

Create a user-friendly, information-rich app for your next meeting or conference by asking the right questions up front. A dedicated mobi...

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What the Apple Watch and iPhone 6 Mean for Events

The new Apple Watch photo courtesy of Apple

Apple staged one if its most buzzed-over product announcements in years, and several of the new products and features unveiled are likely to impact the world of live events and experiences. Here’s a look.

The New Products
Apple introduced two new smartphones, both with larger screens than their predecessors: The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen, and the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen.

But the big news was Apple’s entry into wearable technology, the Apple Watch. While it looks more like an actual watch than many predicted—with a square face and several styles of bands—it incorporates new design ideas like a “digital crown” twisting control that scrolls through app functions. It requires an iPhone and will go on sale in 2015.

Near-Field Communication 
Both the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch will include near-field communication (N.F.C.) technology, which may have the most immediate and obvious impact on live events.

N.F.C. allows the devices to send information to other devices a few inches away. It’s one type of radio frequency identification (R.F.I.D.), which events have already been using for security, credentialing, guest tracking, polling, and sponsor integration. This has happened mostly with wearables (wristbands, lanyards) made specifically for the event.

Apple C.E.O. Tim Cook focused mostly on how N.F.C. will facilitate Apple Pay, which will let users make credit card transactions by waving their phone at a point-of-sale device. (Retailers like Macy’s and Walgreens are already signed on.) But this has potential for many, many other uses. Through a partnership with Starwood, all W hotels will allow guests to use an N.F.C.-enabled iPhone 6 (and presumably an Apple Watch) as their room key by spring 2015.

“While Apple talked about payments specifically, we see this technology as an enabler for many other conference-specific transactions, such as lead scanning, session check-ins, exchanging contact information, and more,” emails Tim Isganitis, the lead iOS developer at event app company DoubleDutch. “Some Android devices already have N.F.C., so this has the potential to be ubiquitous in the not-too-far future.”

Fumble-Free Information
You may already feel like your phone is an extension of your arm (or your brain), but presumably you sometimes put it in your pocket. A watch keeps alerts and information even closer to view. “It’s going to change everything,” says John Federico, co-founder of event software company EventHero. “The fumbling with your device is suddenly gone.”

Widespread N.F.C. usage could also speed up registration and ticketing, or potentially any event interaction where information needs to be exchanged.

New Messaging Opportunities 
“The new Apple Watch will offer event apps the ability to present quick, contextual information (like session reminders) without requiring users to take out their phone and open the app,” Isganitis says.

That could include a buzzing reminder when a bookmarked session is about to begin, a notification when another attendee with similar interests is nearby, or a welcome message from an exhibitor when you enter the conference hall.

The Second (and Third, and Fourth) Screen
We already see conference attendees using phones, tablets, and laptops to take notes or watch presentation slides. Watch screens may be used to share session information as well. The Apple Watch presentation included a demo of a text messaging feature that offers wearers pretyped responses to a question from a friend. This type of quick-tap questions could inspire audience polling to move to wearables as well.

Smart watch adoption would also mean what’s happening in the room has one more thing to compete with. Event hosts have to ask, is what’s happening at the event more interesting than whatever’s buzzing on guests’ wrists?

Better Positioning 
“The new M8 motion chip [in the iPhone 6], along with other improvements in iOS 8, will improve indoor positioning at Apple-supported venues,” Isganitis  says. “We expect many major conference venues will gain this support, which will help event apps, like the ones we build at DoubleDutch, to do a better job of telling attendees where they are, and how to get where they need to be.”

That Bothersome Bandwidth Issue
If lots of attendees start showing up with smart watches in addition to their smart phones, tablets, and laptops, that’s one more device sucking data from a venue’s Internet connection. And bandwidth is already one of event planners’ biggest technology complaints.

Some Less-Inspiring Notes
On the day of its biggest product announcement in years, the company considered by many to be the most innovative in the world—a company known for creating groundbreaking, easy-to-use technology products—put a webcast on its homepage that went down regularly for at least the first half of the event. And when it worked, in addition to Apple’s all-male lineup of presenters on stage, for a considerable amount of time the soundtrack also included a female voice delivering what was presumably the Chinese translation. (The gender issue did not go unnoticed on Twitter.)

Source: Chad Kaydo for BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Technology

10:00 AM

What the Apple Watch and iPhone 6 Mean for Events

The new Apple Watch photo courtesy of Apple Apple staged one if its most buzzed-over product announcements in years, and several of the...

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#Halloween Party Ideas

The 'Fun Size' Premiere in Los Angeles

Chad Hudson Events produced the October 24 premiere event and after-party for the new film Fun Size. Held at Marathon Park inside the Paramount Studios lot, the event was inspired by a typical, all-American Halloween festival. Illuminated jack-o'-lanterns, creepy trees and scarecrows from CHE and Jackson Shrub and Props, and lighting effects and spiderweb gobos from CHE and Ultimate Lighting created the festive atmosphere.

Photo: Sean Twomey/2me Studios



The Addams Family-inspired Citi Performing Arts Center Gala in 2011 was ridden with graveyard imagery.

Photo: Travis Farrenkopf & Michael Young



Redmoon Theater's Boneshaker

Billed as a "skeletal spectacle," Redmoon Theater's October 27 Halloween party in Chicago featured dozens of the bony Halloween icons. At a s'mores station, two performers dressed in lingerie and face makeup prepared the snacks in a bathroom vignette. They warmed the chocolates over candles in the bathtub and used blowtorches to melt the marshmallows.

Photo: Al Zayed Photography



Just Jared's Halloween Party

Oranum.com and Neuro Drinks hosted Just Jared's October 27 Halloween party at Siren Studios in Los Angeles. Because oranum.com facilitates online video chats with experts who specialize in mystical topics such as clairvoyance, chakra healing, and dream interpretations, the event offered tarot card readings. The readings took place in branded areas replete with Moroccan-style lamps and psychics wearing golden veils.

Photo: Chuck Grant



Patrón XO Cafe's Hunt for Haunted America Event

On October 25, Patrón XO Cafe hosted an event in Chicago with so-called "celebrity ghost hunter" Zac Bagans. Bagans, who appears on the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventurers, brought paranormal-activity-detecting tools to The Hangge-Uppe, which is allegedly haunted. "There were definitely a few eerie moments including a voice that was heard by some guests on the ghost hunt," reported PR rep Arielle Himy. The evening's menu included "Dark Spirits" made with Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa.

Photo: Ross Dettman



In 2008, a section of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park was transformed into a haunted Halloween scene for the 11th annual Bremen Brothers Beach Bash. Among the tented areas for the event was a black-lit library-like space that recalled a haunted house.

Photo: BizBash



Interior designer Leah Pickler interpreted Showtime's Dexter series when the network partnered with Metropolitan Home in 2008 for an experiential show house. Pickler's dining room included plates, chairs, and walls splattered with blood and a centerpiece comprised of vials of red liquid.

Photo: Alice & Chris for BizBash



The 2008 Design Exchange gala achieved a haunted forest effect in the museum with graffiti artist Mike Echlin's white trees painted onto a black backdrop.

Photo: George Pimentel



At this year's Dining by Design in New York, the table styled by Alexa Stevenson had rather a macabre centerpiece that included moss, succulents, and a skull inside a glass cloche.

Photo: Ronnie Andren for BizBash



Last year's Malibu Rum launch for its Black spirit filled New York's Good Units with Halloween-inspired decor. Even the bars matched the look, with black lights and skull-and-crossbones imagery at one and plasma balls on foil-covered shelves at another.

Photo: Nilaya Sabnis



In 2006, the Art Gallery of Ontario threw a costume ball that put ghostly figures in the long, dark entry corridor. The performers played unearthly sounding melodies on tiny music boxes as guests entered the venue.

Photo: Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Ontario



Edward Gorey's morbid illustrations were the inspiration behind the design for the 2006 Central Park Conservancy Halloween ball. Inside the dining room, Grayson Bakula (a company that has since changed its name to Bakula Design) decorated the walls of the tent with projections of barren branches and hung menacing hooded figures from the ceiling.

Photo: Liza Young



At the 18th annual Dream Halloween AIDS Benefit in 2011, guests entered the main space of the transformed Barker Hangar only after walking through a series of five haunted tombs amidst a foggy forest.

Photo: Bruce Walker



At the Florida Aquarium's 10th annual masquerade ball, Nauti-Night, in 2007, the entire space was transformed into a spooky environment for drinking, dining, and dancing. The webs that covered the exhibit walls created ghostly passages for guests to explore.

Photo: Chanele



Recalling the movie's dark themes and visuals, the premiere party for Dark Knight in 2008 had red-painted graffiti on the walls, tables, and windows of the Mandarin Oriental ballroom in New York.

Photo: Joe Fornabaio



During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York last September, retail display company Aux Armes crafted creepy black-and-white cutouts of spiderwebs, hand saws, and candelabra for Rachel Antonoff's presentation.

Photo: Daniel Silbert



For the Dexter season 4 DVD release party in Miami, Showtime fashioned crime scene sets at the National Hotel's poolside cabanas using police tape, fake dismembered bodies, and blood splatters.

Photo: Picture Group LLC



At The Simpsons Halloween-Carnival party in 2009, a mask-making station at the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles let kids and adults create their own face coverings as a unique event souvenir.

Photo: André Maier Photography



At the after-party for The Walking Dead’s Season 4 premiere in Los Angeles in October 2013, costumed zombies posed for photo ops with guests.

Photo: Courtesy of Universal Studios Hollywood



Along the path to the in-office Leo Burnett bash, which had a bad-luck theme, designers from Art of Imagination placed black paper cat cutouts on the walls of the hallway.

Photo: Leo Burnett Photography



At Keep a Child Alive’s “Dream Halloween” event at the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles last October, a display of oversize orange and green balloons mimicked the look of a giant pumpkin for a kid-friendly take on decor.

Photo: 2me Studios



At last year’s “Galaween” event at the Chicago Cultural Center, Event Creative built a lavish, haunted-house-style entrance. This year, the agency’s designer Jeffrey Foster predicts that parties will take a glitzy turn with lace-covered pumpkins, silver or gold ­skeletons, marabou witches, or bejeweled or glittered skulls.

Photo: Josh Sears

byBest Events

in Party Themes

7:28 PM

#Halloween Party Ideas

The 'Fun Size' Premiere in Los Angeles Chad Hudson Events produced the October 24 premiere event and after-party for the new fil...

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