MUSIC AT WEDDINGS

MUSIC AT WEDDINGS

I have been a professional musician for 10 years, and have performed at numerous venues, for a wide variety of functions – including weddings. These are some of my favourite engagements!

I have lost count of the times people have remarked that they ‘wished they had had a professional musician,’ to perform at their wedding. Likewise, a professional live band, singer or instrumentalist at the ceremony or reception, completes your special day. This adds quality to your wedding as well as providing a memorable atmosphere for your guests – and yourself!

Singers and musicians can create a special atmosphere at your wedding, providing music that is to your taste, and to reflect your personality. As a soprano, I am often asked to sing Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’, whilst the signing of the register is taking place. However, it is not to everyone’s taste – and not as appropriate for some civil weddings, but a singer could sing a favourite or particularly special song for the wedding couple – such as ‘My heart will go on’ or ‘I will always love you’ – I am sure you have your own special favourites! A singer or other musician can also be asked to perform when the bride arrives and leaves a church, or when the couple enter and leave a civil marriage. The possibilities are endless: and from your point of view, why not use the singer or musician if they are at the venue anyway!!

For the reception, the music you choose is entirely dependant upon the type of do you are having. For example, if you are having a disco, you might want to consider hiring a live band, who can design a programme of songs to suit your tastes. Do however, consider that some guests at the wedding will not have seen each other for some time, and might want to talk: we have all been at weddings where there is only one hall, and nowhere quiet to sit and talk!! Also, the volume needs to be suitable for the venue and not too loud – or quiet for the hall. It is always worth your while talking to the band prior to the wedding to check whether or not they do a sound check, how flexible they are about repertoire (for example, if no one is dancing will he change the music) and requests on the day.

Live music, can create a unique atmosphere at your reception and can easily be designed for the type of venue, reception and time as well as your personal tastes. I had a string quartet for my reception. They started to play when we arrived for drinks and moved onto the minstrel gallery for the wedding breakfast. They provided me with a list of repertoire and offered to play pieces that I specifically wanted, provided I gave them enough time to arrange them. Later on, I had a jazz trio to play; guests danced and it created a lively atmosphere. The music wasn’t too loud, so guests could still chat. It really worked! Another wedding we attended had a classical guitarist playing at the reception: everyone remarked on how lovely it was.

Finally; I have conducted some market research on live music for special occasions. The most significant results I had were: 98% wanted music that they knew and music that wasn’t too loud!

My top tips for successful live wedding music are as follows:

1. Listen to lots of music, to decide what style you want to include in your wedding service and reception
2. When contacting musicians, ask lots of questions: for example, how flexible are they with taking requests, sound checks, repertoire. My recommendation is to book someone that listens to your needs and wants to make your event special.
3. Request recordings and repertoire lists from musicians, and also letters of recommendation.
4. If you have an opportunity to hear musicians performing live, that is a better indication of how good they are. Recordings don’t always tell the truth!
5. Don’t be afraid to ask the musicians to adjust the volume if they are playing too loudly or too quietly for your needs. You want to create an atmosphere appropriate for your needs!
6. Listen to the advice from musicians; they might have some great ideas!
7. Consider the needs of your guests; not all age groups want to dance with a band or disco, and unless there is another room that they can sit and chat, they might not be very happy!
8. Don’t have music that is too loud: a lot of guests want to talk to people they haven’t seen for a while, and others really don’t like loud music.

If you would like any further advice or ideas, please feel free to contact me on info@nsn-productions.com or see my website www.nsn-productions.com

Written by The Editor on April 5th, 2006 with 1 comment.
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Timelines for a childrens birthday party

Timelines for a childrens birthday party

Having the best children’s birthday party shouldn’t be a stressful thing. Follow the timeline below and your child and you will be the hit of the neighborhood.

About a month before your party you’ll want to:

Talk with your child and choose a party theme and/or decide what your “entertainment” will be for the party. This will help you determine your party budget as well.

Create the guest list. Don’t forget to include friends from school, the neighborhood as well as relatives and more distant friends.

Choose a party date and time. Most children’s birthday parties are generally one to two hours long.

Order the general party supplies: tablecloth, tableware, decorations, etc.

Think about games. Keep the ages and personalities of the children as you plan your activities. And sometimes shorter and simpler parties with one fun activity are best and least stressful.

Two weeks prior to the party make sure you:

Decide on your menu. Are you just having cake and ice cream? Is the party at a mealtime and do you need to order pizzas or are you cooking yourself, etc.?

Mail the invitations. You will probably need to call everyone that doesn’t RSVP. People will forget and will appreciate the reminder call

Ask for help. If you think you might need some help for party day, ask a couple of the moms of the kids who are invited to stay and help. Most people would love to, you just need to ask.

One week before party day you should:

Bake your cake and freeze it. Knowing the cake is done will be such a stress reliever on the big day!

Prepare and freeze any other foods that can be made in advance.

Get an exact guest count. Call any guests who have not responded.

Two days before the party don’t forget to:

Get any last minute food items and don’t forget candles, matches and FILM!

Check your batteries in your camera and video recorder.

Purchase a small helium tank from your local party or craft store. It’s a great thing to keep your children busy the morning of the party too!

Make up a party timeline for the party day so you don’t forget anything.

One day before the party remember to:

Take out food and cake from the freezer.

Do any decorating that you can do in advance

Finish any food preparation that can be done ahead of time.

On the morning of the party day make sure to:

Fill your balloons with helium.

Prepare any foods and beverages that could not be made ahead of time.

Write out your timeline for the day so you don’t forget anything.

You don’t want to miss out on the memories you’ll have with the pictures, so ask a relative or trusted friend to be responsible for the picture taking.

Relax and enjoy this great day. And then get ready for next year!

About the Author:

Annette Yen and her family are independent crewmembers with Noah’s Ark Workshops. They provide hands on stuffed animal fun for children of all ages at birthday parties and other events. Enter your children in their birthday club for a free monthly drawing at: www.noahsarkworkshop.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Written by The Editor on February 15th, 2006 with no comments.
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How To Organize A Seminar Or An Event

Seminars and events have always been implemented as a holistic experience to participants. Thus, organizing an event requires extensive planning and preparation with most work implemented at least a few months before the actual event. Most of the time, seminars seem to run like clockwork with all events flowing smoothly according to schedule. In reality however, much groundwork has been worked on with the purpose of developing the right atmosphere in addition to a beneficial experience to partipants.

1. Establishing the theme of the event

Each event follows a theme and purpose which will drive the event set-up, the target audiences or the participants, the guests and the marketing approach. In general, a business event such as an international conference for a particular industry will appeal to participants conducting businesses within that industry as well as sponsors who gain mileage out of publicizing their products during the event.

Apart from that, the theme of the seminar will also determine the type of marketing channels to be used to for publicity. This also holds true for the seminar marketing team who will need the event theme to correctly identify target participants and companies to sell the event to.

2. Selecting a venue

Venue selection is highly dependent on the scale of the event. Usually this is determined by the number of participants, the presence of any guests of honor (such as royalty or politicians) the activities during the event, or if there are additional floor space required for exhibition purposes.

A typical seminar of about 100 – 200 can be comfortably implemented in a hotel seminar room, possibly in a theater style setting or classroom setting. However, larger scale events with participant numbers scaling between 500 – 1000 may require a large hall, ballroom, auditorium or a convention center.

The location and quality standard of the venue is also important especially if the event involves the participation of VIPs. With this, a reputable location would be imperative, including good quality and wide range of seminar facilities available. It is always wise to explore the possibility of a few venues and examine their location suitability, level of services, ambience, and costs before coming to a decision.

3. Seminar Marketing and Publicity

Seminar marketing is by far the most critical and often most challenging task in event organizing, and is often regarded as the most critical factor of an event’s success. This is because the number of participants turning up for a seminar is highly dependent on the strength of marketing activities and publicity. Whether or not the event achieves its objective or whether the organizers will walk home with a profit or loss largely depends on the marketability of the event. This means that the right marketing strategy and seminar positioning must be adopted in order to draw adequate event sign-ups.

Most of the time, event organizers who have large budgets will turn to above the line marketing such as newspaper and magazine advertisements as well as radio and television advertising to publicize the event. Press releases may also be sent in to major newspapers, in order to create the awareness of the upcoming event. Additionally, large advertising media banners and posters can also be purchased to advertise the event in high human traffic areas. When using print advertising, the specific magazine or newspaper used must have the target audience of your event as their primary readership base. Also all print media should be copy written with an enticing approach, highlighting the extensive benefits of participation.

However, if budget is a problem, then below the line marketing may also do wonders. If the event is industry specific, mass faxing to companies belonging to the industry would be feasible. Telemarketing is a very effective marketing channel to create awareness within the right participant group. Additionally, dispatching sales personnel to attend to the requirements of large participant groups is an ideal and effective strategy. Mass emailing has become one of the most cost-efficient methods to reach out to large target audiences. This would be really useful if the event organizer already have an existing database. Otherwise, a list of names can be rented from database companies to attain the same results.

4. Collaboration with sponsors

Getting reputable sponsors to participate in an event will help boost the creditability of the event, as well as reduce costs. Sponsors can also help with marketing, as they also help publicize your event to their customers. Apart from that, some of the sponsors can chip in on venue rental in exchange for exhibition space or publicity for themselves. Some sponsors also require a short message of their company to be given to the participants during the event. Others give away sample products or door gifts to participants.

5. Managing People and working with speakers

A seminar will not be successful without the people running it, as well as the speakers sharing their knowledge to the participants. Invite speakers who are of caliber and reputation to the event, and who will provide the participants with relevant information to their work, industry or business. Prepare the speakers beforehand and work with them on their Power point presentations as well as pre-inform them of the logistics processes, timing as well as the expected audience size. Check with them on any special requests, such as the requirement for an overhead projector or additional microphones to be used for question and answer sessions.

All events require a good team of people handling tasks on ushering, registration, customer service as well as handling financials. Familiarize the team with any required event protocol to eliminate the possibility of confusion or error. In order to ensure smooth implementation, each person should be familiar with their individual roles. This can be ensured through a preparation of a detailed schedule of events coupled with roles and responsibilities for each person. Ideally, a project manager should control the whole team and ensure that everyone is carrying out their duties efficiently. Apart from that, the project manager also has the delegated authority to deal with all parties such as the venue management as well as the sponsors and event exhibitors.

6. Actual Day – Preparation, Registration, Ushering, Feedback

All seminar planning and preparations, constituting 80% of total work involved, cascade to the actual event which may last only for a few hours or a few days. On the day before the event, visit the venue to ensure that everything is in order according the requirements and specifications. Microphones, projectors, audio and video systems must be all checked to be in excellent working order. Over at the office, have a packing list prepared and get all require items transferred to the actual venue at least a day before the event. Event staff should be dispatched to work on site preparations, including setting up booths, decorations and posters, the day before the event.

On the actual day, staff should be present at the venue at least 1 ½ hours before commencement. They should report to their duty stations and must be ready to receive participants half an hour before they are scheduled to file in. Registrations must be made at the door to ensure authorized access. Name tags, door gifts and event schedules or booklets will be given out at this point and ushers will show participants to their seats in the event hall.

Staff will also be responsible for providing advice or help to participants during the event. Finally, feedback forms should be distributed and then collected from participants to determine the satisfaction level on all aspects of the event experience. This is in order to receive pointers, ideas and advice for future improvements.

About the Author: Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter and Entrepreneur Magazine e-Biz radio show host, became a “#1 Best Selling Author” in just a few short hours. He has helped a number of clients target his specialty, opt-in email direct marketing systems. The Powerful Promoter is not only a sought-after internet marketer but has also marketed for some of the world’s top experts whose reputations would shrivel if their followers ever found out someone else coached them on their online marketing strategies. For more information, visit Bacak’s site at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or sign up for his Powerful Promoting Tips at http://www.promotingtips.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Written by The Editor on February 9th, 2006 with no comments.
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Managing Crowds Safely

Managing Crowds Safely

Source: HMSO Publications Centre, PO Box 276, LONDON SW8 5DT

Large crowds are a normal part of the operation of many public venues such as railway stations, fairgrounds, leisure centres and sports stadiums. From a commercial point of view large numbers of customers may be desirable. But excessive crowding and poor crowd management can lead at worst to crushing, injury and even death and at the very least to such anxiety and stress that visitors decide not to come again or recommend a visit to others.

Even small changes in the layout or venue, or a gradual increase in visitors, might lead to a disaster. In addition to the personal suffering such disasters cause, the accompanying adverse publicity, loss of revenue, compensation payments, insurance costs and possible prosecution can have a long-term effect on a company’s viability. Disasters should not happen provided those responsible, at all levels, pay careful attention to managing crowds safely.

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HSE-sponsored research

In January 1991 RM Consultants (RMC) was commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to study crowd behaviour, the different management and control methods currently in use, and the effect of crowd size, flows and venue design on the potential for overcrowding. They observed crowd behaviour in a wide variety of fixed and transient venues, interviewed senior and operational management and where possible asked visitors for their views.

Their study and crowd management recommendations based on it are published as a report entitled Managing crowd safety in public venues: a study to generate guidance for venue owners and enforcing authority inspectors (see order form at end of leaflet).

This will be of interest to behavioural and social scientists as well as to managers and owners of public venues. HSE is using RMC’s study as a basis for guidance to be published later. This leaflet summarises some important points from the RMC study but it is not HSE guidance.

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Responsibilities of the management team

Crowd safety is primarily a management responsibility and requires the application of the best practices of health and safety management. All who run venues, organise events or manage places which attract crowds should have a health and safety management system which anticipates, monitors and controls potential crowding risks.

Because venues, both fixed and transient, are large and complex spaces, the management of crowds requires team work with good communications and co-ordination between those responsible for the overall operation and those managing crowds face to face. Effective team work depends on senior managers providing a positive and pro-active safety culture so that staff at all levels are aware of the importance of crowd safety.

In particular, the team needs:

Clear roles and responsibilities.

Written arrangements for the regular analysis, planning, inspection, operation and review of crowd safety systems; and
adequate training.

The day-to-day management of crowds carries with it great responsibility. Preventing the unexpected from becoming a disaster depends on good management systems and experience.

Between them, members of the crowd safety team should:

Research the type of visitor they expect and anticipate likely crowd behaviour.

If it is available, collate and assess information about the health and safety record of previous events at the venue.

Conduct a risk assessment to decide the adequacy of arrangements in place to control crowds and change them if necessary.

Inspect the venue and review crowd safety arrangements at regular intervals.

Set targets for crowd management (for example, if queues extend past a particular point, open another service point).

Liaise with outside organisations such as police and the emergency services.

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Factors to consider when making a risk assessment

When assessing the risks to safety in a venue both physical and behavioural factors need to be considered. Some of the more important ones are:

Design and layout

The layout of the venue, design of circulation routes and the design and location of facilities can have a fundamental influence on crowd behaviour. For example, small entrances or a limited number of turnstiles may control crowd flow into cramped areas, but may result in dangerous build-ups on the other side. Barriers can direct crowd flows and the shrewd location of desirable facilities can help spread visitors more evenly. It may not always be possible to change the layout to enhance safety, but it should always be considered as an option.

How much people know about the layout and design of the place affects the way they act, especially in an emergency
Visitors familiar with a venue are likely to use known routes to favourite viewing-points or attractions and may persist in doing this, even if the routes are closed. Those who don’t know a venue may block routes while deciding which way to go and well-placed signs and information about attractions can help them decide quickly. In an emergency people often leave by the way they know best, even if it appears more dangerous.

Behaviour is affected by the provision of information

Clear signposts and simple, audible public address messages are vital. Poor communications can lead to people stopping, moving against the flow of the crowd, blocking passages or making frequent demands on staff for directions. Visitors without information, or given contradictory information, can become frustrated and aggressive.

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What type of crowd?

Different types of crowd behave in different ways. Shoppers in a crowded mall, each with their own interests, make up a different crowd from spectators at a sports stadium. It is important to know, for example, the age-range and social mix of visitors to anticipate probable behaviour and make appropriate arrangements for it.

The behaviour of individuals is influenced by those around them

Individuals within a crowd usually behave in a rational and goal-orientated manner. For example, someone whose aim is to watch an event or celebrity may climb onto a roof or to the top of scaffold poles to get a better view, despite the danger. Other spectators with a similar aim may follow, leading to more people on the roof and the possibility of collapse and injury. A risk assessment should pick up the likelihood of this happening and enable adequate measures to be taken before the event. The RMC study describes how a risk assessment can be conducted.

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Some hazards to watch out for

RMC’s study indentified those physical features of a venue that may lead to overcrowding and possible injury. These include:

steep slopes
dead ends, locked gates
convergence of several routes into one
uneven or slippery flooring or steps

The potential for injury increases in some situations. Potential hazards requiring identification and management control include:

reverse or cross flows in a dense crowd
flows which are obstructed by queues, or gathering crowds
large pedestrian flows mixing with animals or traffic
moving attractions within a crowd

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Further information
Additional copies of this leaflet can be obtained free from:

HSE Information Centre,
Broad Lane,
Sheffield S3 7IIQ
Telephone: 0742 892345/6
Fax: 0742 892333.

Or read online at the HSE website.

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The information it contains is current at 2/93. Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive IND(G)142L C1000 293

Image shown, taken by Claudecf

Written by The Editor on January 24th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Health & Saftey and Event Management and Crowd Management.

9 Tips for a well attended event

Now Appearing: 9 Tips for a Well-Attended Event

By Jenna Glatzer

When I made the decision to do free workshops and book signings for my latest book, Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer, I thought it would be easy to draw an audience. I had, after all, done all the right things to prepare for this big event: I had a successful e-zine, AbsoluteWrite.com, sent weekly directly to my target market; I was a contributing editor at the most popular magazine for writers; had been interviewed all over writers’ e-zines; and had submitted articles to sites and magazines related to my primary audience (writers) and my secondary audience (those interested in working from home).

But the problem was that my audience was international. I had a workshop set up on Long Island, and more than 99% of my regular audience wouldn’t be able to get there. So I had to get local attention. Through trial and error, I’ve come up with a system that works. I haven’t had fewer than 30 people at any of my signings, and I’ve always sold books. I hope my tips will inspire you next time you’re promoting an event.

1. Focus on the benefit to the attendee.

The first thing a reader should see on your promotional material is what’s in it for them. A signed book is all well and good, but it’ll require them to spend money. What are they getting free just for showing up? In my case, I was offering a free 2-hour seminar about making money writing for magazines. What will they learn? What perks will they get? This is what appeared in big letters on my posters, with the “book signing” in small letters toward the bottom.

2. “Community Events” are not places to do business.

Most local newspapers have a “community events” section where they run short blurbs about local events. Submit your release at least two weeks prior to your event, with all the “who, what, where, when, why” questions succinctly answered. But after I did that and failed to place my events in local papers, I asked an ex-newspaper editor for advice.

“While I would have probably run a little blurb about your free writing workshop, I would not have run your free writing workshop combined with your book signing,” she wrote. “I would invite you to pay for an advertisement because, being the jaded cynic I am, I would not give you free publicity for something from which you are profiting.”

So leave your for-profit hat at home when approaching the media.

3. Think small.

National attention is nice, but when promoting a local event, you want to get your message to as many local people as possible. I mulled this over one day while pushing my grocery cart through a supermarket, then noticed the bulletin board filled with posters. I ran home and created my own on the computer: Colorful posters that gave all the essential information about my event in large, easy-to-read type, with pull-off tabs on the bottom that simply said “Free Writing Seminar,” along with the location, date, and time. You can put these in supermarkets, as well as delis, convenience stores, libraries, and other high-traffic businesses.

4. Find local websites, e-mail lists, and message boards.

Many cities, counties, and regions have their own websites where people can announce coming events. You can also search for your geographic area on Yahoogroups.com to find e-mail discussion lists in your area. Write to the site owner or group moderator to request that he or she tell members about your event.

5. Co-promote.

When Judith Lazarus promoted her books, The Spa Sourcebook and Stress Relief & Relaxation Techniques, she asked a spa product manufacturer to provide her with samples. She used these samples to draw people to her book signing table. You might find a local business that could benefit from being featured at your event, and ask them to hang a sign about the event or include flyers in customers’ bags in return. Or find someone who’s promoting a complementary product or service, and agree to swap—you’ll distribute postcards about their events at your table if they’ll do the same for you.

6. Run contests and giveaways.

Similar to Judith’s deal with the spa product manufacturer, see if you can get a business to donate an item for giveaway—or use one of your own products or services. On your publicity material, you can announce that one lucky attendee (or many) will win a valuable door prize. Or invite people to enter the contest beforehand, then tell each of them that you’ll announce the winner/s at the event. Be sure to include the prize’s monetary value on your announcements.

7. Use lawn signs.

If politicians can promote themselves with signs on our lawns, why can’t we? Ask friends and associates to put a colorful sign on their lawn with very brief information about your event.

8. Be photogenic.

If this is an event you’ve done before, or if you have an interesting photo related to your event, send it to local newspapers with your release. You have a better shot at seeing print if you can provide a photo, and readers will be more drawn to your announcement if it’s accompanied by a picture. Pick an interesting prop or a fun candid shot, not a typical headshot.

9. Business cards, revisited.

Although many local business don’t have enough counter space to display a stack of your flyers, they may be happy to let you deposit a stack of business-card-size announcements about your event. These are easy to make on your computer, and again, should just contain an eye-catching headline and essential information about the event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jenna Glatzer is the author of Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer and nine other books. She’s teaching a workshop based on her book Outwitting Writer’s Block at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY this October. For more details, and to pick up a free editors’ e-mail cheat sheet, visit www.jennaglatzer.com.

Written by The Editor on January 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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Evaluating your Event

Evaluating Your Event
By: Heidi Richards

Evaluate Immediately! It is important to do your evaluation/assessment of the event while the details are fresh in your mind. Include anyone in the evaluation process that had a stake in the event. Stakeholders would include vendors, hired staff, volunteers and employers. You could host a debriefing session or a wrap up meeting to accomplish this task. Make this a pleasant experience. Include refreshments and lots of kudos (thank you’s for a job well done). Prior to, or when the meeting begins, enlist a “scribe” to record the comments and answers from the group. Ask yourself and them the following questions:

· Did the event fulfill the goals and objectives set forth?

· What worked? What didn’t? What would you do differently? The same?

· Did the event run smoothly and on schedule?

· Which vendors/stakeholders should be hired/recruited again?

· Were any items missing from the checklist that should be included in future events?

· Did you generate favorable publicity for the event?

· How was attendance? Were the attendance goals achieved?

· Did you receive positive feedback from those who attended? Did you use formal (written, documented forms or one on one surveys) or informal (chatting in the restrooms, lines, seminars, etc.) methods of evaluation?

· What could you do differently, better to reach your goals? To involve more people? To spread the word about the event?

· Was the event worth doing? What were some of the benefits? Would you do it again?

Encourage alternative forms of feedback from those unable to attend, such as via e-mail, website and fax back forms. Once you have received feedback from the group, have the notes transcribed for distribution to all the stakeholders (clients). Be sure to include this in the event portfolio for future reference. Proper evaluating of the event will lead to even greater success in the future. In fact, it is important to evaluate all aspects of business from time to time. Otherwise, how and when would you know what needs to be improved? One final thought; make sure you get feedback from attendees. And here’s a key question to ask, especially if it is an event that is open to the public: How did you hear about this event?

© 2005 - Heidi Richards

About the author: Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is also the Founder & CEO of the Women’s ECommerce Association, International www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-k+) – an Internet organization that “Helps Women Do Business on the WEB.” Basic Membership is FREE. Ms. Richards can be reached at Heidi@speakingwithspirit.com.

Article Source: www.isnare.com

Written by The Editor on January 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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