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The Wedding and Event Planners Blog

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

It is true the early bird gets the worm. But, so does the late bird and the bird in-between. Because by design there are always more than enough worms. In fact, the only bird that doesn't get a worm is the bird that doesn't go out to get one.

If you want something...go out and get it. That is the only way to success and it is never too late. If a career in Wedding and Event Planning is what you want...plan for success. Sit down and write out specific goals for yourself and design a plan for how you can achieve this dream. If you need help seek the advice of a Career Planner.

Do you need to do a course, do you need work experience? Do you already have skills that can be applied to this dream? What are they? What do you need to work on?

If you need advice contact us at the Australian Academy of Wedding and Event Planning.

POSTED BY: Christine Kerr AT 09:42 am | Permalink | E-mail this

Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Vivien Virtual Event Designer used for Elle Galan 2009

Vivien-Virtual Event Designer and wysiwyg once again worked in tandem to create a stunning design for the most illustrious fashion event in Sweden - the ELLE Galan 2009 held at the famed Grand Hotel in Stockholm on 16 Jan 09. (Vivien and wysiwyg also worked together to produce breathtaking results for the 2008 Nobel Prize Banquet.) ELLE Magazine is one of the leading fashion publications in the world, hosting some of the fashion industry’s biggest fashion shows worldwide. The ELLE Galan in Stockholm features a fashion show and awards ceremony, followed by a huge party celebrating the best of the best in Swedish fashion.

So what is Vivien? Vivien is for all event professionals; Wedding, Event and Conference Planners and Designers, venue, convention and conference sales teams, AV specialists and catering teams. In fact anyone who works in the events industry could be using Vivien 2.0 to create winning proposals and become more professional, productive and profitable. Vivien 2.0 design software you can bring your ideas and your client’s event to life in a stunning visual display that leaves 2D floorplans, hand gestures and complicated explanations behind.

At the Australia Academy of Wedding and Event Planning they have now launched their brand new Event Design course that incorporates Vivien as part of the course. The entire course is based around an ongoing assignment - the launch of a new perfume. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to put together a product launch for this perfume. You will be asked to interpret your client’s initial brief, brainstorm and create a concept, put together a client proposal, design your vision of the event within Vivien Event Designer and produce a client presentation.

To find out more about Vivien visit www.eventdesigner.com.au and for more details on the Event Design Course visit www.aawep.com.au

POSTED BY: Kylie Carlson AT 03:38 pm | Permalink | E-mail this

Sunday, 09 August 2009

Top Tips for Booking Corporate Entertainment

Planning an event is hard work and there are three things that can completely ruin even the best planned event: the venue, the food and the entertainment. So how do you know if you are booking good or bad entertainment? How do you know what choices to make? What steps can you take to avoid disaster?

Know your event objective. If the aim of the event is to educate people then the entertainment is not the key element of the event. You would do better to use some light form of entertainment during the break to help attendees unwind and relax rather than anything that is going to be overpowering. If however you are organizing a corporate gala dinner then you may need to book a headline that can really entertain
Know your audience. The attendees of the event will also play a large part in your choice. Using a Blue Comedian would not be appropriate for a corporate family fun day, but a good selection of street performers, face painter and caricaturists would be an excellent choice.
Know the theme of your event. The theme of any event will dictate the style of entertainment used. If you have a Las Vegas theme then some fun casino tables and an Elvis Impersonator would be appropriate. If however your theme is more subtle such as a black tie dinner it might be a simple matter of booking a good function band to play two sets.
Know your Budget. Always know how much of your budget has been set aside for your music and entertainment. You can’t possibly start to research entertainment ideas until you know how much you have to spend in the first place.
Know what is included in the Fee. There are often travel expenses added on top of an artists fee dependent upon the location of the event. You will also need to clarify whether or not they require you to provide a PA & lights of if they will be providing all their own equipment. You don’t want to be left with any nasty surprises so always remember to ask these questions.
Know their experience. Ask for testimonials and review. Don’t be frightened to ask them what types of events they have performed at and how long they have been performing for. Another good question to ask is whether or not this is their full time job or just something they do on the side for a bit of fun.

My last piece of advice would be to try and see whoever you book in person before committing to a booking. As wonderful as show reels and demo CD’s are they don’t necessarily give you an honest picture of their performance. You need to see what they are like when in front of a live audience. Can they work a crowd? Are they professional? Do they dress appropriately? Try before you buy and do your homework. A little investment upfront saves a lot of hassle further down the track and will give you peace of mind. For more information like this visit the Australian Academy of Wedding and Event Planning

See this article published on Article Base the Free Online Article Directory http://www.articlesbase.com/ask-an-expert-articles/top-tips-for-booking-corporate-entertainment-1103389.html

POSTED BY: Kylie Carlson AT 09:14 pm | Permalink | E-mail this

Thursday, 06 August 2009

Event Design & Inspiration - Blog of the week

I don't know about you but I sometimes have to look far and wide for my inspiration. The one thing I love about Event Design is being on the hunt for new ideas. I love nothing better than when a client approaches me and asks me to put together a theme around something I have never done before. It's a challenge, it gets the creative juices flowing and is so much fun. The big question that I get asked all the time though is where do I get my inspiration from? Well there's no easy answer to that. Inspiration often comes when you least expect it to such as when you are driving around in the car and something catches your eye. Other times it is more contrived and like many others I have my favourite blogs that I go to when I need some fuel to feed my imagination.

So, in an effort to be generous I have decided to share my favourite blogs with you that I use within the Academy courses once a week in this new feature called 'Blog of the Week'. This week I would like to introduce you to Coco & Kelley which feature severything an event designer could dream of from interior design to fashion styling and event decor. If you are ever stuck for some new or vibrant colour combinations then check out the Colour Trends and for some bridal brainstorming her Weddings section is fabulous. The thing that I really like about this blog is that it isn't specifically an event planning or event design blog. It is simply a creative blog and in Cassandra's own words "Coco+kelley is all about inspirational interiors, brilliant fashion, a touch of glamour, a dash of style, and anything that pops into my pretty little head."

POSTED BY: Kylie Carlson AT 06:15 am | Permalink | E-mail this

Tuesday, 04 August 2009

So you think you can Plan?

Do you have a passion for all things EVENTS? Does the glitter, excitement, and romance that goes with them send a shiver up your spine?Do you get a buzz from organisation?Can you move at the speed of light and multi task at the same time? Do you have the patience of a saint, the skin of an alligator and the soul of an artist?If so, then this could be the career for you.

To celebrate the launch of our new website and ‘Virtual Academy’ we want to give one lucky student the chance to win our ‘So You Think You Can Plan?’ competition.

Simply enroll in any one of the Academy’s courses by 31 August, 2009 and complete the competition assignment & you will go into the draw for this great prize:

$500 Cashback on the cost of your course
Free Membership to our Mentor Program (to help you start your own Wedding and Event Planning business) valued at over $2,000
Profile on the Academy Website when you complete your course (a great marketing and advertising tool)

As part of the conditions of your prize you will also be invited to become a guest blogger for the Academy. As our guest blogger you will write a monthly blog about your experience as a student with the Academy.

Competition Assignment

A client has approached you and asked you to help them plan and organize an event to celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of their company. The company is an Australian company that designs and manufactures a range of fashionable, high end handbags. Their main consumer market is females between the ages of 25 – 50 with a healthy disposable income. They have a celebrity endorsement from the Veronicas and want to throw a party to celebrate 20 very successful years in business. The party will include 200 of their best clients and will be held in Sydney. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to suggest a theme for the event. We are not interested in prices, budgets or any of the practical side of things we want to see how creative you can be.

To enter the competition you need to submit a storyboard of your ideas along with a descriptive proposal of what you would incorporate within the event and why. The storyboard should be in the format of an Inspiration/Mood Board and acceptable formats include: PDF, Publisher, Power Point or Word.

To enter the competition email competition@aawep.com.au

Creating a Story Board for an Event

Amood/storyboard is a tool used by event designers to help them get a good idea of what their clients are looking for. Mood boards are basically collages of items such as photographs, sketches, clippings, fabric swatches and colour samples. Amoodboard can be actual or virtual. In our case we are aiming for a virtual board so you can submit it to us by email. Amoodboard is used by many different types of designers such as those in fashion and interior design.

A decorating mood board often contains magazine clippings of furnishings that inspire the design concept. Sketches and a floor plan are also usually included on the board. Paint chips and other colour swatches are also featured on a decorating moodboard. The client can view the moodboard and decide whether he or she likes the main design concepts the board represents.

A fashion moodboard usually has sketches of garments as the main focus of the board. Fashion mood boards may also have magazine clippings or other sketches of what inspired the designer such as pictures of ocean waves for the design of a dark blue silk gown. Trimming details and ribbon could also be on a fashion moodboard.

Mood boards are a great way for event designers to present their take on a theme to clients. For example, if a client tells a designer that he or she wants a Las Vegas style theme then you can start to gather pictures etc of everything that you associate with Las Vegas. By putting the ideas on amoodboard first, the designer can make sure the client likes the ideas. You don't have to be a professional event designer to create a moodboard it’s all about opening your mind and getting creative.

This is exactly what we want you to do with this assignment – get creative. Brainstorm your concept and then start researching and finding anything that is related to your chosen theme. Once you have a nice large selection you can then start to rationalize your choices, but pick colours, shapes, words and pictures that you feel will really do your theme justice and appeal to your client, rather than what you like.

POSTED BY: Kylie Carlson AT 09:26 pm | Permalink | E-mail this

Monday, 03 August 2009

Xmas Cheer on a Budget

With Spring just around the corner organised event planners are turning their attention to Christmas parties. Whether you are an Event Manager working for a client, or a PA who has the job of organising the annual ‘shindig’ for the office you will know that to secure the right venue you need to book well in advance of the silly season.
This year it is also likely that you have been asked to keep costs down as business at all levels finds itself with less in the kitty for extravagances. If the thought of this has you scratching your head the key is to use your imagination and think fun! It is easy to stage an event when budget is no issue but a good Event Manager can deliver an exciting event regardless of budget.
So how do you balance the cheque book whilst still giving employees an opportunity to let their hair down and bond after a tough year? The key, according to Directions production manager Thomas Johnson, is to keep it simple (Mice.Net June 2009).
Johnson suggests family fun days such as a picnic that reward both employees and the people who support them. Another great idea according to Johnson is to combine the annual celebration with a team building day that gives something back to the community. The team could be engaged to carry out a ‘working bee’ on a local community centre or build bicycles for disadvantaged children to be followed by a picnic/BBQ style event.
Whatever style of event you choose be clear on your budget before you start. This is not the time to be blowing out and with a bit of creativity you will find that there is no need to. For those of you who struggle creatively and need a little help, don't forget that's what we specialise in here at the Academy of Wedding and Event Planning. Our Event Planning and Design Certificate is geared specifically towards those who would like to hone these skills.

If you do need to select a venue observe these tips to ensure success:

• Does the venue hire cost fit your budget?
• Is the venue available for your preferred dates?
• Does the venue suit your audience demographic?
• Does the venue fit the theme?
• Does the venue have risk management in place?
• If it’s an outdoor venue, is there a wet weather option?
• Are the amenities and facilities suitable?
• Do transfer costs fit your budget? (something often overlooked but important to factor in)
Mice.Net June 2009

POSTED BY: Christine Kerr AT 07:22 pm | Permalink | E-mail this

Sunday, 02 August 2009

Should Honeymoon venues pay commission to Wedding Planners?

Earning commission from venues is what many Event Planners rely on when offering their clients a Free Venue Finding Service. As many of you will know an Event Planner can earn a commission of anything between 5 - 10% on food, beverage and accommodation booked if they take their clients to venues within their portfolio. These commissions are usually pre-arranged between the venue and the planner and often contracts are signed between the two. However, a similar arrangement is not offered to Wedding Planners. Why?

It's a good question. How are wedding planners any different to event planners? They're not. They offer a similar service it is just their clientelle who are different. It does seem though that it is only in Australia that this rule applies. If you are a wedding planner in the UK or US you will receive commissions for taking you client to a venue, so why is it different in Australia? It seems Australia doesn't recognise Wedding Planners as bonefide professionals in the Special Events Industry. What can we do to change this? Well hopefully the industry courses offered at the Academy of Wedding and Event Planning are starting to change this. By having courses that are industry based and written by professionals with many years of experience within Special Events it is starting to raise the profile of wedding planning. The Academy receive more than 10 -12 enquiries each day about courses in Wedding Planning and how to get into the industry here in Australia, so it is certainly an industry on the up.

Interestingly enough, the Association of Bridal Consultants in the US has just done a deal with Sandals Resort whereby all their members will receive 12% commission for every honeymoon booked at the resort by clients of an ABC member. Personally I think this a very shrewd marketing move from Sandals resort. They recognise that couples are still going to have honeymoons and if they can get more of those honeymoons by offering wedding planners an incentive to recommend Sandals as 'the place to go' to their clients, then what better investment for their marketing dollar. They are paying only on sales made not on the hope of a sale being made. Perhaps we should suggest the same thing to some of our resorts such as Hayman Island and Hamilton Island.

As per usual I would love to know your thoughts so drop us a line and let us know what you think.

POSTED BY: Kylie Carlson AT 06:00 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments | E-mail this