Confessions of an Event Marketing Maven

Rejection

2011-01-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

With limited opportunities out there, limited budgets, competition is thick and clients are scarce. All I keep thinking of is the song- "Keep Trying" from my kid's favorite show- Yo Gabba Gabba, the song even described from the shows creator- Christian Jacobs as the story of his life- The lyrics are CRAZY catchy and will stay in your head for hours upon end- "Keep Trying"- "Don't give up, never give up! Don't stop, don't give up, Don't stop, don't give up.

Don't tell me this is not catchy! Sorry for the ghetto video version, but the song's video is not available on the net.

My take on rejection- Keep it moving and continue to focus on you want you love to do, whether it's designing something, putting an idea in motion, volunteering, getting involved, adding to your portfolio or repertoire of work, whatever it may be, make it happen and as this picture so eloquently says-

Create yourself, create your differences so you stand out from the rest of all that competition. Don't think about being discouraged, like these kids so enthusiastically sing - keep trying, never give up.

Some parting tips to keep you motivated no matter how much rejection you face-

-It's a numbers game- the more people, opportunities you pursue, odds are at least one of those opportunities will surface in your favor.

A great excerpt from an excellent Sales & Marketing site - Business Brief- with just as great newsletter-

"The toughest part of your job is dealing with rejection. You can’t always control what happens, but you have the power to define what an experience means to you. You can choose to view an experience as rejection or you can reframe it in a way that lets you get something valuable out of the encounter – whether you get the opportunity or not. Look at it as a decision that allows you to concentrate on your next opportunity. - 5 tactics to help you stay positive in tough times

The Evolution of the Marketing Professional

2010-10-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

Marketing nowadays is all about what and how much you know about social media and online marketing. Gone are the days of the traditional marketing mix. Everyday online marketing is changing. Twitter, Facebook and blogging platforms are enhancing their applications making it easier to connect with others, therefore making it easier for everyday people and business professionals to market on their own. Is this now creating no use for marketing managers, agencies, consultants to work with these companies? Is it creating these businesses to try to haphazardly do it on their own and do they really know what their doing?

The other question I would like to put out there is how are we really connecting with people? And are we effectively connecting with people via these online tools? Are all the rants, raves, selfish and selfless promotions are they getting heard? Are they really working?

Bottom Line, the role of us marketers is evolving everyday and evolving very fast! So to stay on top of it we have to be relentless always brushing up on skills, continuing to trial, make our errors, discover our successes and hone in on the right formula that works.

To be continued...

Orlando WOW Awards 2010

2010-09-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2010..The Orlando WOW Awards... You may ask Orlando has a award show called The WOW Awards? What is this? The local professional organizations that make up the Orlando event industry (MPI, ISES, NACE, HSMAI, ABC) convene each year and recognize excellence through honoring members and the work they do through the events they produce in their everyday businesses. This year the award show event was at the Hard Rock Live.

As you entered through the back stage entrance, wall to wall drapery greeted you into what surprise would lay ahead.

A media wall with the event's logo emblazed throughout was your first stop as guests posed for pictures celebrity style.

Left to Right- Elisa Delgardio, President of Wish Upon a Wedding Orlando and the Event Marketing Maven, Michelle Bergstein posed for pictures.

The Event Marketing Maven strikes again as she poses with colleagues, Stacey Paul Barabe, Exhilarate Events, center and Dana Wells of thecakepop.com

Perfect day for a rainbow, a rainbow was at the event's door that evening

As you walked into the event a vivacious purple lit stage and high energy band illuminated the entire room

The room had sofa groupings scattered around the impressive custom dance floor from Letz Dance on It and on the outer perimeter unique glass top dining and bar height tables with complimenting chairs and bar stools from Chic Event Furniture served as perfect and attractive alternate dining arrangement to indulge in a delicious entree. Decadent custom cascading chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and looked radiant with the hues of purple lighting that gleamed off each crystal. The room was beautifully designed by ShoWorks events.

Design partner Chevere Creative got props as they sponsored the amazing graphics for the event from invitation to the intense and visually stimulating event program.

The event kicked off with a stunning display of a dance routine from a young dance troupe

It was my pleasure and honor to help write the award entry for "Opportunity Rocks" The Summer Job Summit event for my good friend and colleague, Stacey Paul Barabe, CSEP, as she took home the WOW Award that night for best event planning for a corporate event.

A Bachelorette Theme Immortalized at MPI-GOA 2010 Gala

2010-07-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

This year I have the honor to serve on the Greater Orlando Area's Meeting Planners International chapter's board of directors as Sponsorship Director. To kick off the inauguration I lend a preview to our board as to my abilities as an Event Marketing Maven to connect talents, creative minds and amazing companies together to produce a spectacular event. Boy Oh boy did we achieve this at the 2010 MPI Orlando Installation and Chapter Awards Gala.

Drawing from our incoming President- Dana Perrino's favorite television show "The Bachelorette" we created a surreal environment complete just as an episode straight out of the show. Enough of my bantering, I will leave it up to my colleague, good friend and our chapter's VP of Membership, Ms. Karen Kuzel to take you on a masterful literary journey of what went on that magical evening!

Some photos to lead you into the story...

A Chair Affair accented each table with beautiful Mahogany Chavari Chairs, complimenting Table Lines and Florals by Over the Top and Greenery Productions

Roses as place settings by Greenery Productions, Tabletop linens and napkins by Over the Top Linens and Program design by BeatCreative/Chevere Creative

Reception Furniture by AFR by Room Service

Left to Right, Jason Carroll, MPI Tampa President, Danelkiss of American Cancer Society, Yours truly, the EventMktgMaven, Past President, Kathy Masterson and Dianne Christie Dir of Leadership Development

Stage decor by Hello Florida and lighting by AVI-SPL

A complete view of the ballroom for dinner and the award reception

The board being inducted

Our incoming President, Dana Perrino and husband Paul

26th annual GOAMPI Installation & Chapter Awards Gala
By Karen Kuzsel aka Natasha the Psychic Lady

A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, to cite an immortal line uttered by Juliet to Romeo, but only a crimson rose could crystallize the elegance, passion and ceremony of the 26th annual GOAMPI Installation and Chapter Awards Gala.

From the invitations to the long-stemmed beauties decorating vases and table settings, the delicate attar scented the pomp of the occasion, held in one of The Peabody Hotel’s newly-renovated stunning ballrooms.

About 130 members and guests dressed in cocktail finery first gathered in the foyer to imbibe in Makers Mark specialty cocktails and delectable passed hors d’oeurves or pose for instant photos by Christie’s Photographics. Even the photos had a rose set in the background.

This was an evening of sophistication, glamour and a light-hearted approach to awards, board installation, and introduction of incoming President Dana Perrino’s theme, Pump up the volume.

Outgoing President Kathy Masterson began by introducing Gregg J. Herning, Vice President of Sales Marketing for Peabody Hotels, whose humorous speech outlined the hotel’s unprecedented expansion and who invited everyone for a hard hat tour following the evening’s program.

We were there for the awards, but the Peabody deserved one as well for the impeccably scrumptious meal. It began with Pear and Cheese Fiocchi, small pasta pouches tossed with Crimini mushrooms, chives and a thin blanket of sweet Marsala cream. The Northwestern Salad scored points for including Oregon Bleu cheese, currant tomatoes, dried cranberries, golden raisins, apple chips and honey mustard vinaigrette. The Chef proved that banquet favorites of beef filet topped with merlot jus and chicken breast could be cooked to perfection. Dessert was another winner worth waiting for: a chocolate mousse with chocoloate Genoise, vanilla poached pears and Crème Anglaise. Awards were also presented between courses.

The Board also wants to thank the sponsors whose generous support ensures that every event is successful. This night’s sponsors were:

A Chair Affair, Inc.: Chiavari Chairs   http://www.chairaffairrentals.com/
AVI-SPL: audio/visual http://www.avispl.com/
Balloon Connection: creative balloon décor. http://ballooncon.com/
Chevere Creative: design of gala invitation and program    http://www.cheverecreative.com/
Christies Photographics: onsite photos    http://www.christiesphotographic.com/
CNTV Convention News: for video coverage http://www.conventionnewstv.com
Day Entertainment & Events: strolling violinists   http://www.dayentertains.com/
Greenery Productions: tabletop design & florals    http://www.greeneryproductions.com/
Hello Florida: romantic perimeter décor     http://www.hello-florida.com
Ice Magic : bar area & “smoking” cocktail creations     http://www.icemagic.biz/billwhiddendesigns/
Letz Dance On it: red carpet decor   www.letzdanceonit.com/
Maker's Mark: specialty drinks & raffle items    http://www.makersmark.com/
Over the Top Linens: linens    http://www.overthetopinc.com/
Peabody Hotel: venue & raffle items    http://www.peabodyorlando.com/
Reflections Entertainment : evening’s DJ    http://www.reflectionsentertainment.net/
Room Service by AFR: reception furniture    http://www.roomservicerentals.com/

For more photos visit MPI Orlando at www.MPI-GOA.org

Wish Upon a Wedding Orlando Launch

2010-07-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

A combination of over 200 event vendors, press, guests and planning joined in for the celebration of the launch of Wish Upon a Wedding Orlando chapter on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at Tavern on the Lake in Metrowest in Orlando Florida. The cocktail party themed as “Give it Up For Love” accented the Wish Upon a Wedding’s logo and colors of yellow, light blue, sea foam green, and white which was consistently featured throughout the event.

Local chapter president Elisa Delgardio and the five-person board worked together to coordinate the two-and-half-hour event which was sponsored by 11 local event suppliers that contributed decor elements and delicious desert tastings. Guests were graced with a warm Hollywood like welcome as they walked the red carpet leading up into the venue – provided by Letz Dance on It, a color branded balloon archway from Balloon Connection entrance greeted you at the door, accompanied by VIP security from Pro-Tect International Operations, Inc which added to the ultra chic exclusivity of the event. As you entered into the Tavern on the Lake, the warm earth tone colors and tuscan feel of the venue’s interior design, coupled with the event décor complimented the look and feel, which then followed a glamourous photo opportunity against The event’s branding and sponsor logo boards. Guest’s excitement and enthusiasm for the event all captured by Ashley Brockinton. Aqua glossy blue table linens from Kirby Rentals draped the highboy tables throughout the room topped with white orchid floral arrangements and trees lined the perimeter of the venue with strategically placed uplighting was also scattered throughout the room. A Wish upon a Wedding Custom cake and Desserts from Cakes by Design also caused quite delight. Cake O Licious created an amazing focal point to the room by adding a tiered white wedding cake filled with cake pops—balls of cake on a stick, similar to a lollipop. Event Mall showcased another classic photo booth of theirs for guests to enjoy takeaway photo memories. Elegant Imagery Photography was on hand to capture all the event décor and design of the event.

The red carpet entrance by Letz Dance on It coupled with the Balloon arch and accents by Balloon Connection

Guests posed and smiled for our step and repeat photographer Ashley Brockinton, who captured the moments in front of our sponsor logo boards designed by Chevere Creative

The table top florals by Raining Roses, Ultra Blue linens and highboys by Kirby Rentals, and candle accents by Aroma Energie added beautiful ambience to the room.

The interior main room of Tavern on the Lake, The Cake-o-licious cake pops added a unique dynamic as a yummy focal point.

Ralph Rendsland of Three 2 OH, served up delicious Nitrogen ice cream as the sweet tastings continued on the outdoor patio with lime and aqua Wish Upon a Wedding inspired liquid-nitrogen ice cream courtesy of Three2Oh.

Cakes by Design’s WUW Orlando inspired wedding cake and take away cupcakes that the guests enjoyed throughout the evening.

Elisa Delgardio CSEP, PBC, Orlando chapter President, presenting to launch guests, the mission and purpose of the organization.

DJ Rekka on the one’s and two’s mixing up pop and dance beats.

During the height of the event and Elisa’s presentation, the Tavern was packed.

About 45 minutes after arrivals, Delgardio welcomed guests and showed a short presentation about the organization and a wedding conducted in northern California in April. Guests continued to mingle and dance to DJ Rekka’s music until the party wrapped up around 8:30.

The event brought in an additional 100 friends on Facebook within the last week of the event’s promotion. Cinematique Films also documented the entire evening on video, footage to follow shortly.

Attendees also received amazing parting gifts filled with sponsored items from: A Flair for Affairs, Kustom Koozies.com, Weddings by Socialites, Joie De Vie Weddings & Events, Aroma Energie Candles, Rosen Shingle Creek Resort & Spa.

In addition to a successful event and outpouring, 26 people and companies, including 10 of the event’s sponsors, have signed up to be Wish Granters for the organization and will be called upon for their services when a couple within 300 miles of Orlando is granted their wish by the Wish Upon a Wedding national board of directors. Along with the great news about the event and the support that it garnered, Orlando chapter President, Elisa Delgardio CSEP, PBC, was also featured on Orlando’s Local 6 news and interviewed by Jackie London as well as the event was featured in in Biz Bash magazine’s online addition for the Orlando market. Stay tuned for more updates as the Orlando chapter will be sharing the footage from the news interview real soon. In the meanwhile, you can view the recap from Biz Bash Magazine CLICK HERE to read.

Give it Up for Love....Wish Upon a Wedding Orlando Launch

2010-05-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Giving it up all for Love.. I am honored to be on board as marketing chair for his heart warming charity- Wish Upon a Wedding, The world's first non-profit organization granting wedding wishes to couples faced with terminal illness regardless of sexual orientation.

Upon delivery of a terminal diagnosis, relationships are always put to the test, but true love conquers all, and backing this charity is near and dear to me, as providing these sacred memories through a beautiful wedding seals a vow to love and take care of one another for all the days of their lives that remain or hope to come.

I am a bit sentimental, with our launch event arriving, we welcome our local community to come out support, celebrate, mingle, enjoy and give back to the charity.

Hope to see you there on May 27th...

Designed by our crew at Chevere Creative

Sponsorship opportunities available contact me at beatcreative@gmail.com for more info.

You are cordially invited to attend the Wish Upon A Wedding Launch Event which is aptly titled as "Give It Up For Love!"

This premier event is being held on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at 6pm. Florida's finest wedding and event professionals will be in attendance as well Orlando's business elite! You're welcome to join us too - the more the merrier! We want to get the word out about this fabulous organization and share information about how everyone can get involved to locally!

Wish Upon a Wedding anticipates granting dozens of wishes per year with the possibility of that number reaching into the hundreds. Currently there are 18 Chapters across the US and the organization's goal is to offer Wedding Wishes in every major city across the country.
This VIP event is taking place at Tavern tavern=""> on the Lake - located at 6996 Piazza Grande Avenue - Orlando FL, 32835 (Metrowest area)

For all the latest information, visit the Wish wish=""> Upon A Wedding - Orlando Facebook page!
**Sponsorship opportunities are available

Wish Upon a Wedding Foundation - Association of Bridal Consultants Community Support

As of Friday, April 30, 2010, ABC is pleased to announce a partnership with the world's first "wedding wish granting organization", California based Wish Upon a Wedding. Founded by ABC member Ms. Liz Guthrie and ABC celebrity wedding designer and WUW President Ms. Sasha Souza, WUW's goal is to design and donate special weddings to couples where one has a terminal diagnosis of less than 36 months.

By relying on the generosity of wedding and hospitality vendors, known as Wish Granters, Wish Upon a Wedding is able to provide all the goods and services needed to produce these memorable occasions.

Keeping Track of Who's Who...

2010-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Contact management organization tips, tricks and a plan to get you started on the road to rolodex sanity.

You have collected 1,000 upon 1,000 business cards at networking events, have clients and prospects emailing you everyday either for quotes or inquiries, The million dollar question is, How are you organizing this data? You been putting this task off for days, months, or years, but who has time to create a master contact list?

Whether you have been in business for years or just started, those contacts can definitely accumulate, but if you are just letting them just accumulate you are really missing out on many potential new sales opportunities!

How are you Communicating?

Top of mind awareness is key, do your clients know you now offer new services or products? Do they know you just moved or hired 2 new staff members? How are you communicating your company's latest news? Facebook, Twitter and all the social media out there is not enough!

Email marketing is the answer for effective external communications and you are interested in getting started right away, but problem is, your contacts are all over the place!

Your solution starts off with a little hard work but trust me it gets easier in time. Here are your 1st three crucial steps to get you started:

Organization Overhaul

it is an ugly job and a lot of work, but somebody's got to do it. Yes, you let your emails pile up, your mailing lists accumulate but it is now time for some Spring cleaning and organization! Start exporting your contacts from your Outlook into a text file and then copying everything into a master excel list. Also keep a master excel list! If you are so beyond being organized and don't have all your contacts saved in your mail program, you are going to have to do it manual style, start with A, and work yourself down to Z, and copying all your contacts on to that excel file.

For those of you with different industry segments, or different sets of clientele, be sure to seperate your contact lists into groups by way that you sell to them. This way you can create custom email mailers, instead of blanketing them with information they have no interest in.

Periodic Updates

Once you complete your organization overhaul, set yourself on a schedule, set reminders in your calender to pop up at the end or beginning of each week, so you can input new contacts whether met in person or via email into your mailing/contact list. This way you can avoid major & time consuming organization overhauls every 6 - 8 months. This reminder system can help you from falling behind in your mailing list efforts.

Mailing List Integration

Once you have your master list compiled, choose a email marketing service to integrate your contacts into. I highly recommend MailChimp, very hip and user friendly, plus if your contact list is 500 persons or less, it is FREE!!! Another cool feature with MailChimp it has a widget that you can incorporate into your website's homepage where you can have interested clients sign up for your email updates. These new interested clients that sign up for your emails do not just get emailed to you, but sent directly into your list on their site, this way you don't have to manually enter them in everytime you get a new person on your list.

These are just some tips to get you started on the road to contact management sanity. And don't worry, never be too proud to ask for help. But be sure to ask someone you trust to help you with a project like this, as your contacts are very sensitive and exteremely valuable information. Not only does your help need to be trustworthy, but a good speller and have a great attention to detail! Good Luck and if you need any help or a great referral, let me know!

Happy Organizing!

Are You Optimized?

2010-04-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

"If you built it, they will come." No, your website is not the Field of Dreams, and that is not the case nowadays.

Yes the Internet in itself can be an overwhelming world and whether you just put up a brand new website or you are content with your existing website, you now want to know why you are not getting hits to your site or calls coming in from prospective clients.

You even Google yourself and your business on a weekly basis and are baffled as to why your business doesn't pop up on the first or second page when you search your core business competency.

Switch On Your Optimization.

The answer to getting search engine results under specific keywords lies within Optimization. Optimization is not just writing the content on your site to be relevant to how you would like to be searched, but there is a back end programming factor also involved. A so called "switch" has to be turned on, and the keywords you want to be searched under needs to be inputted, correct descriptive page titles need to be added and most importantly spelled right!

How to Develop the Right Keywords.

I advise all my clients, you have to think like your customers, how are they searching for your services? Or how would you search if you had the need for your product or service. A great trick to understand how many searches on a particular keyword is to check out this Google keyword traffic tool. This is a really awesome gem of information! Google Keyword Tool.

Content is Truly King.

Constant updating is definitely required as this yields better search results for your company to stay within the first couple of pages. This is exactly why Blogs and Content Management based websites are so popular. Blogs are a very important tool to keep the updates to your website and feeding the search engines new information and keywords to pick up. The other great thing about Blogs is they are extremely user friendly and you can do these updates yourself! So if you don't have a blog incorporated into your site, its time to get one! When writing new content for your site it is also important to remember to add links to other information or tips, link sharing also increases search engine visibility.

These are just some initial ideas to incorporate when optimizing your website. Another more intensive resource for SEO tips is this amazing quick tips article from The Search Engine Journal- 55 Quick SEO Tips Even your Mother Would Love.

Optimize or get Lost! Really! You need to be on top of this now more than ever with thick competition out there!

Tracking it Down... Your Voyeurs, Prospects & Customers, who's visiting?

2010-03-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

Where is your web traffic really coming from? Who and how many people are viewing your site? To really find out if being on Facebook, blogging or tweeting is really worth your time and effort, you first need to prove the who, what, where and how by measurement through Analytics.

Don't be intimated by Analytics, it does seem a bit scary at first, but it is as simple as a copy and paste exercise. BTW, Analytics is FREE and don't think you need to hire a programmer or web expert to install it. Whether you want to install analytics on your blog or website, the only thing you do need to know, is how to access the backend or dashboard of your site. After that it is simple as 1-2-3.

Google Analytics
The top source for free analytics. They make it very easy and comprehensive to install your analytics. CLICK HERE for the easy rundown on how to do it. Google analytics gives you the breakdown on where your traffic is coming from and how many people are viewing your site on a daily basis. This way you know for sure if your Facebook/Twitter/Linkedin promotions are really paying off.

Facebook Insights

Believe or not, Facebook too has a FREE tracking analytics tool. Although this tool is only available for Fan pages and Social Ads. Facebook Insights specifically measures user exposure, actions, and behavior relating to your Social Ads and Facebook Page. So if you been thinking about creating a Fan page, go for it!

Only Page admins can view the all the activity data, and it is displayed in the left column of the Page. To view comprehensive Insights, CLICK HERE and "See All" in the left column.

With these tools you can better understand where your traffic is coming from and where to invest more time to in promoting your business.

Look out for the next blog installment where we will be talking about how to drive more traffic to your site through everyday passed up social media websites. Till next time...

Firing Clients? Come Again?!

2010-03-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

You're Fired!

Now who fires clients in a down economy? Does every penny really count? But the true question is how much is your time worth? My business partner and I have this debate on a weekly basis, but the true fact of the matter is your time is EXTREMELY valuable!

So if a client starts eating away at your time (non-billable hours, to be specific) where do you draw the line between maintaining the relationship and ensuring above and beyond customer service or simply letting the client go. Because at the end of the day, they are costing you too much money and the total cost of their job doesn't add up to the amount of extra hours put in.

The Solution to this conundrum according to one of my marketing sources -Part ways from the overbearing client and shift focus to your best clients. By choosing to focus your company's efforts on your best customers, you can improve productivity, enhance service and find reward in additional business.

According to Business Author, Marketing Profs contributor and co-founder of the Value Added Institute- Scott McKain, there are more reasons to consider firing a "bad" customer. Even in a downturn—when many of us count each client as a blessing—some of them might actually be hurting your business.

So, whom do you cut? you may consider severing ties with:

The Bottom & Unprofitable

Customers who drain your resources without making substantial purchases. "Cut loose those who take time from your efforts but aren't delivering in terms of sales," he advises.

The Unprofitable are customers who close deals but take too much staff time, ask for unreasonable concessions and demand expensive expedited delivery. "Remember, the goal for your business isn't volume, it's profit," he notes.

The Obsolete.

"If you have only limited resources, don't spend inordinate time and money on customers from declining industries," he suggests.

Sometimes it's best to just let them go. It might sound counter intuitive, but firing a client or two could make your business more recession-resistant.

What's Hot in Web Design

2010-03-03T07:40:00.001-08:00

The latest design trends for 2010 in Web Design and functionality. Get inspired with these websites. Great ideas and tips to consider for your new or next website.

Big Headlines

I love big headlines, and they are now all the rage! Forget that tiny hard to see copy! Big Headlines attract attention and draw your eye to the message. The right copy and messaging can be very effective in showcasing your new site.

Introductions

Introducing yourself immediately on your site is a HOT new trend. It really takes the guessing out of what you do, highlights your purpose, capabilities and what you bring to the table. This is a really powerful approach when implemented on your homepage - if your site is Search Engine Optimized- BAM! you will then be immediately picked up on top organic results on Google...

Hello! My name is Michelle and I am a Event Industry Marketing Consultant, strategist and creative branding advocate...

One -page Scrolling Sites

One-page sites are cool in functionality and show off a clean design look along with a touch movement and depth of design. This new form of web programming is called JQUERY and not many programmers have experience with this new technique. Our team does, BTW. Moving horizontally or vertically, scrolling sites give an added element of animation to your website navigation Nowadays, with everyone on Facebook and Twitter all you need is a simple website with your social networks integrated to have an effective web presence.

Danny Blackman

The Great Bearded Reef

Guillaume Pacheco

Incognito Inc

Content Sliders

Now the industry standard in interactive design for 2009- 2010. Very clean, visually dynamic, impactful and attractive way to present your information and images in a limited space.

Tips for the Best Email Campaigns

2010-02-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

I firmly believe email marketing works. It keeps your clients and prospects in the know on what your company is up to and maintains top of mind awareness. But used wrongly in content, approach and just sending eblasts out without purpose can land you on the opt out list. Here are some very important tips on how to stay on top with your email marketing efforts:

REDUCE CONTENT

LESS is MORE! Big appealing headlines are in, create a headline that attracts along with an intro sentence that eludes into important information that is of interest to your clients. This way they will want to read more and in turn will drive more click throughs to your website.

FRESHEN YOUR DESIGN LAYOUT

Avoid amateur design, which will reflect poorly on your company. Make your message more visually heavy rather than copy heavy. Hire a graphic designer to set up a branded email newsletter/promotional card layout that can be easily updated. Or if your budget is tight use the most simple layouts available with your email marketing provider service. Be sure to use your company colors, fonts and always include pictures in your emails.

INCREASE FREQUENCY

I recommend sending emails once to twice a month, but again your content is important! You have to limit your message to 3 - 4 blurbs that include important facts/trends that are relevant to your business or important for your client to know. Set a schedule for your messages, whether you do a newsletter with info once a month and then a trend alert message as your 2nd email for the month and then alternate a promotional offering every other month in place of your trend alert.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBJECT LINES

Do NOT use your "Company's February Newsletter" as the subject line, instead your subject line should be relevant to the major story inside like for example, the name of this post- "Tips for the Best E-Newsletters". Subject lines are a major element to entice a user to open the e-mail. If the subject line is not catchy and repeats itself each issue, no one will pay any attention to your offering.

Some examples of email campaigns with fresh design, good content and branding- great inspiration for your next eblast!

With the simple above changes you will most definitely see results and higher click through rates. Although with any email campaign you are sending out, if your purpose is to drive customers to your website, your website does also need to have up to date and relevant information, as all marketing has to work in tandem for best results.

Next week it will be all about the latest trends in website design.. Stay tuned...

Marketing Around Holidays

2010-02-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by one of my favorite Marketing Gurus- Seth Godin as to the importance of marketing around the Holidays. With Valentines Day behind us and now today being, President's Day, followed by the upcoming Easter holiday, these holidays give many businesses a reason to host promotional sales. Now how can the meeting and event industry take these many "Holidays" and turn them into promotional sales opportunities?

Seth Godin says "Invent a Holiday" and that is definitely a strategy to run with. Let's reflect back, many companies who tailored their promotional messages around the Super Bowl did come out winning and had many of jobs and bookings. Marketing post Valentines for the Wedding Industry is also a great approach.

So when planning for your next sales promotion, take a look at last year's business history and tailor this years promotional plan based on what holidays come up next for your clients and invent a holiday promotion around it...

XOXO
Your Event Marketing Maven

Good Design is Powerful!

2010-01-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

Graphic Design is so important in your marketing mix. But good design is hard to come by. Because the design is typically only as good as the concept and creative direction behind it. So when you have a team of creative minds, that have creative concept as well as the ability to put those visions into action, hold on to that talent and never let them go, as they can be your biggest asset and supporter in elevating your brand to the next level!

Here are some samples of exceptional design, that get my creative juices flowing and inspire me....

I HEART NOLA! The Special Event 2010

2010-01-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Truly one of the best experiences I have had! An amazing city, along with an amazing group of Event Professionals from all over the world. I met so many great new friends, colleagues and partners! I look forward to working together and collaborating with many of you! And this year's ISES Event World Baltimore and next year's Special Event Show in Phoenix should be equally amazing! Till then!

Here is a recap on my adventures in the great city of New Orleans..

1st Day in New Orleans

2010-01-10T08:38:00.001-08:00

Woah! Finally here in NOLA! My countdown is complete! The city is so Beautiful, historic and culturally rich!

The infamous Bourbon street, night time action

The French Quarter!

The Riverside

The famous balconies!

The food is amazing! Ranking in the top 3 as far as the places I have been. We had dinner last night at Antoine's to DIE for! The fried oysters with pate' Ahh! Magnificent! This restaurant is voted one of the 1,000 places to see before you die, and has been around since the 1800's how's that for history!

Known for their signature flaming cherries dessert, our ISES International past president- David DeLoach enjoying the presentation, pictured to the right.

More to come!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Follow up is the name of the Game!

2010-01-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

After every tradeshow, major networking event or industry function what is the MOST IMPORTANT to do item post show?

Follow up... You want to make it easier? Less time consuming and more effective and keep generating more leads for months thereafter? I can tell you how!

In the spirit of The Special Event, I am excited to spread the word in launching an exciting new marketing tool for the Special Event Industry...

A little taste of the promo piece and what this program it is all about, check it out above.. ..

More to be reveal at the Show! I look forward to meeting you!

Countdown to THE BIG EASY... Special Event 2010

2010-01-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

Totally excited about the Special Event Show, this year it will be held in New Orleans. First time visitor to the city and I am really looking forward to seeing what all the hub bub is about.

Check out the tradeshow site...
http://bit.ly/SpecialEvent

A week of networking and education with industry professionals. This business is all about schmoozing, boozing, building relationships and learning a thing or two along the way through collaboration with peers.

I decided to start a countdown till I leave and keep everyone posted and in on all the exciting updates up until the show and during the show.. I am leaving earlier to attend all the ISES leadership meetings/events, as the show starts Tuesday. There will be some exciting tidbits live via Twitter/ Facebook and recaps each night via the blog. Stay tuned!

Thoughts on a Decade- What goes around keeps Evolving back Around

2009-12-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

Wow 2010 is Here!

As we approach a new decade, it seems like we are back where we started...We keeping evolving and what goes around keeps coming back around..

2000- 2001

The Internet is booming and businesses are scrambling to be online

As the decade nears closing... 2009, the economy is a bust and unemployment is at an all time high. The old methods of advertising and marketing are becoming obsolete and print newspapers are dwindling, laying off and losing readers, ad dollars- etc.

People are now officially ONLINE... content is king and everyone out there with an opinion, knowledge or an interesting take on the world are writing about it.

Advertising has drastically changed in the past ten years, corporations down to small businesses have changed the way they market their companies and it all leads back to the internet.

It really makes you wonder where will we be in 2020? What will change or will anything change?

It seems like we keep evolving back to where we were, but more improved, with better technology and enhanced features.

Communities are getting closer, relationships are easier to maintain. To think we used to think IM'ing and chatting was the coolest thing 10 - 12 years ago. Now its just a small part of the entire social networking scheme of things.

The world is seriously at our fingertips. How will you keep it within your reach for the next decade on and there after?

Its Not What you Know, But WHO you know...

2009-12-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

Popularity Post High School....

Ok, we are all familiar with the saying it's not what you know, but rather WHO you know. This saying is so very true in our business and in almost every business/industry out there.

Q: How do you become popular in business?

A: Maintaining relationships and making new ones!

So, how do you maintain relationships and or make new ones in this volatile economy? I was talking with a colleague of mine last week and with so many people changing positions, whether because of a lay off, and or a better opportunity. How do clients know where do go for resources or planning if their go to gal/guy has changed their job to a different business offering?

I know it may be hard to pass up an opportunity because it will change what you are known for, but how do you do it strategically? The only advice I can offer, inform all your connections of your new move in the industry, keep them in the loop of your new business, promotions and how it can benefit their business. As long as they are completely informed of what you do, hopefully some of your previous clients will need you for your new offerings. And if those clients can't use you, Hey, make NEW CONNECTIONS!

I broke down the top 3 ways to maintain relationships and make new ones that make your professional stock rise, because as we know, its not what you know, but who you know!

-Face to Face Networking

Yes, be active in your local industry associations, attend monthly meetings, you have to show face and be out there. Being in front of people definitely maintains top of mind of awareness. Another networking technique is attend association meetings outside your industry. Start attending association meetings of industries that your target clients belong too.

-Online Networking

Being online is VERY time consuming, but if done right can be totally worth it. Online networking is all about your message and you have to position yourself very carefully both professionally and personally to really benefit from it. Friend and connect with all professional colleagues and clients on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, But keep in mind, you always have to think of your audience, is your message and or updates interesting and not too intruding? Always keep it light, fun and relevant to your business, items that are considered new and worthy of being mentioned. And for those who can really juggle their time online in the midst of being on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, start a blog and talk about what you are passionate about in your business, blogging totally increases your online visibility.

The Washington Post did a great article that summed up Online networking perfectly! It covers the same concept but yet for those of us who are not necessarily seeking clients but seeking jobs- Online Guerrilla marketing for job seekers- http://bit.ly/LvKS

-Getting Together

Inviting clients, colleagues and associates out for coffee, lunch or drinks is always a great personal touch and builds relationships even stronger. Having one on one time is usually hard to come by but it allows you the time to really pick each other's minds on their needs, likes, dislikes and will help you better shape your approach with that person.

All these approaches are really powerful and I look forward to touching on them further in depth in future blog posts, stay tuned!

It's All about the HYPE!

2009-12-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

When it comes to marketing and promoting your business it is truly ALL ABOUT THE HYPE! As you may notice a huge trend in the industry that so many small businesses are appearing larger than they are and are also landing the large corporate clients. But how are these businesses achieving this notoriety and getting these brand name clients?

They are Positioning themselves wisely by being out there! So how do you get out there?

Its all about strategy and in the business of events it is all about....

FAME -
Q: How do you or your business become famous?

A: By being on the top of every one's mind, creating your own celebrity in the business.

Before you run out and try to be famous, there is another MAJOR step you have to take- FIRST and FOREMOST- Your business, service or product, has to be a QUALITY service and or product and you have to first PROVE your worth and create a track record of delivering success to your clients. VERY IMPORTANT- ***You first have to know what you are doing before you start marketing your self and business with this approach. This is another reason why client testimonials are so powerful nowadays.

Although as I mentioned HYPE plays another important role in rookie business people landing big clients with no previous experience, if you have the gift of gab and are an amazing sales person you will be able to sell any client anything, just like a talented actor can act themselves out of any situation.

But, be warned, in these scenarios, selling themselves on a wish, can either set them up to crash and burn or to flourish, succeed and expand as one client took that initial chance on them. EVERYONE has to start somewhere right?

So how do you HYPE up your business and get this FAME?

PUBLIC RELATIONS & PROMOTIONS...
-Promoting your businesses where your clients are- Trade Shows, Events, Online

-Speaking engagements - Speaking on how you/ your company are the experts in the business, offering tips, tricks and benefits to their clients.

-Editorial coverage- Trade magazines, consumer magazines- creating stories that show the fun side of your business, Soft selling...

These are just some examples of positioning yourself and company to gain more exposure and top of mind awareness.

This is why Public Relations and Promotions are such a crucial part of the new marketing mix.

Successful corporate brands approach on HYPE is from commercials, advertisements even down to emails, marketers and advertising gurus create this hype to entice clients to buy their product, service and come to their stores...

In this struggle for top of mind awareness, all these brands are constantly competing to be innovative and original and stand out in consumers heads.

Its our job as marketers to maintain this hype and present our products as the best thing since sliced bread!

Whether you are a small company with no budget or a large company with a substantial budget it is always to whole heartily believe in your product or service and hype it up as much as possible.

One company I admire so much because they have come so far, from a small company to a huge player in the game now.. APPLE.. I was one of the first to own a Apple back in the day when the screens were all black with its green text, no graphics just typing and basic pong game along with its floppy disks. I had a Apple IIe, the year was 1986 or 1987, my dad got for us and we were thrilled!

Apple is a prime example of company who had a great creative vision and they are still surprising and hitting consumers in the head with its GREAT products. Down to their 1984 commercial

which was nothing but the ultimate hype to their present commercials, for the i-Shuffle-

Apple iPod Shuffle: Clip-- which was ranked one of the best spots in 2006 by Adweek.

This commercial most definitely caught my attention and reminded me of the Micheal Jackson's Black and White Video.

Yet the two are similar in some ways and different. Although the concept the same.

The Ability to Adapt...

2009-12-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative. "
-H. G. Wells

Why is it that so many prolific science fiction enthusiasts and writers, such as Herbert George Wells as an example, are able to really touch upon in quotes and in movies- e.g. War of the Worlds - what is so relevant, thought provoking and true more than a century later?

Why?

The quote above really reminds me of how many individuals and businesses, are so hesitate of adapting to this new world of social media and integrating their lives and companies into the web...

This whole social media influx of need to know now, how, what, when, who is really mind blowing, so I really do understand why many businesses or individuals may fear it. It can be sort of overwhelming if you are taking it in on one big gulp.

I just attended an interesting Social Media Rewind webinar, it was so interesting because it confirmed many of my wonders, thoughts and questions that have been running through my mind about this social media craze going on. 3 of the top marketing consultants served on this online panel and discussed what is going on in B2B and B2C businesses regarding social media.

They brought up some great points which ignited much talk on the live message board, one point in particular, as many companies are trying and making the attempt to integrate their businesses into the web 2.0 social media model, how are they keeping up with the time commitment? One online user mentioned companies should just hire a dedicated person to keep up with their businesses social networks, but many of us disagreed... Companies can't just hire any $12- $15 writer as their marketing liaison to set up their facebook, twitter and blog pages, they need an expert in their industry, one that knows their product, an expert who knows how to position their business and speak to their consumer, one who can report what is going on from operations, to sales, to shipping and receiving. The experience has to be real, the relationship has to be made in a trustworthy approach. Its all about educating them about YOU and "YOUR COMPANY". Social Media and Marketing are now working hand in hand more as a customer service and Public Relations arm now more than ever...

The world wide web has really grown in leaps and bounds over the past 10 - 15 years and with the advancement of social media, relationships are becoming so much easier to rekindle, restart and literally at our finger tips. With the popularity of these social networks it has now become mandatory for companies to adapt, customers are now more savvy than ever and need information- So start connecting!!!

The real deal statistics on DirectMag.com- say it all for all those more number and factual orientated people out there...

Social Media, Email top investment areas: Survey
http://bit.ly/4zJHLe

Proving the point of the matter.. BUSINESSES ARE ADAPTING...

"As businesses are developing their marketing plans for 2010, this survey reveals a strong focus on high ROI channels like email and emerging ones like social media," said Bill Wagner, executive vice president of business operations at StrongMail, in a statement. “While an unprecedented number of companies look to integrate e-mail and social media in 2010, the data shows that companies need to adopt new tools and strategies to properly measure and monetize their efforts."

ADAPT OR PERISH....

Follow the Leader

2009-11-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery. In that case is your competition copying your every move or do you feel two steps behind your competition? Who is following who?

Every company out there should be on their toes and on top of their game and know what their competitors are up to. I repeatedly mention, its all about your company's PERCEPTION and POSITION in the marketplace. How are you differentiating your services so people are buying from you or using your services. SO what is your competition doing? What are they doing that you could be doing or what can you offer that they can't. It is vital that you familiarize yourself with what your competition is doing, befriend them, attend their events, hang with them, we all know the saying- Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies, I mean COMPETITION closer....

In today's digital age of documenting your every move online and the importance of having a online presence, you can now can really put together some GREAT competitive intel! What me spy? As long as you can read between the lines you will be in the know as to what your competition is doing, and if they are not online, well then guess who will be following who?

Pepsi and Coke is a prime example of competitor rivalry. Who is the leader and who is the follower? How did they differentiate their products to gain more profit share?

The Message in your "Music"

2009-11-24T13:11:00.001-08:00

What is the message in your music? The music of your company's brand, the perception of what your company is about, what exactly do you do?

Is your message clear?

Can you sum up what you do or what you sell in simply one sentence?

If not, you may want to rethink and reconfigure how you are selling your company.

People hate reading.. WHY? We are now used to getting information FAST! So conveying your message straight to the point is so very important.

Can you keep your target audience engaged?

Give your clients a reason to be interested. Is your message talking to the right audience? Is the content and information you are putting out there relevant to their business? Can it help them increase their bottom line?

Your reasons can range from..

-New Products or Services (also include new features and or advantages of using your products and services)

-Dynamic Applications of how your service or products are being executed.

With such a touch economic climate nowadays we can't be so SALESY... we have to be consultative and understand our clients and how to help them. We are experts in our business and our clients rely on our expertise.

Sammy Caban, an event designer, utilized his creativity in an event where he transformed an exhibition hall into a virtual rain forest for a tourism client of his... He incorporated a personal hand crafted 10 feet tall trees as centerpieces along with a hand painted muslin rain forest backdrop in this closing luncheon event... This photo captures a true environment and experience. A simply dynamic, creative and a great way of presenting his capabilities and unique qualities in a visually appealing format...

Setting the Record Straight

2009-11-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

As we all might know the easiest part of any event is after it is deemed a success is taking credit and claiming it as their own idea and event. Egos and self proclaimtion always seem to get in the way! Whether the event was a success according to the number of attendees, media exposure, the vibe or overall experience, the co-hoarts I have dealt with in my past claim the credit and usually run with it to go off and do their own thing, most of the time tried and failed and very few instances prevail and succeeded.

I have this unusual tendency of helping people and making them look good. In the interim, I usually get lost in the background and typically never get credit for the behind the scenes work from project initiation, to creative development, sponsorship acquisition, media recognition, to promotion, onto execution followed by post-event.

I am too nice? Naive? I do see the best in many people, identify their talents and see how it can benefit the project. Although nowadays, I feel LOYALTY is dead, people are after the fame and fortune and not the longevity. So I am taking this opportunity to set the record straight and lay it down, event by event, and show you what this Event Marketing Maven is all about!

I am in it for the long run, so I will be here for a while!

Launch party for VIP Escapes travel company debuting their sponsored Bora Bora getaway on Kathy Griffin's Bravo Program- My Life on the "D" List. Event Marketing consisted of:

-Creative Development & Direction of invitations, flyers and advertising

-Sponsorship Acquisition

-Event Production assistance

-Public Relations & Media Recognition- event featured on Central Florida News 13 and in Orlando Weekly.

Gay Days Orlando 2008 kick off event and fashion show. Starred Christian Siriano of Project Runway, featured models from Oxygen's Janice Dickenson modeling agency. The event benefitted the Human Rights Campaign and the Hope & Help Center of Central Florida. Event Marketing included:

-Venue Selection and Negoiatation

-Creative Development & Direction of invitations, flyers and advertising

-Sponsorship Acquisition

-Public Relations and Media Recognition-event featured in Orlando Weekly, Orlando Sentinel and Biz Bash Florida.

-Promotional Event Strategy

Gay Days 2007 Orlando, 1st kick off event that sparked the kick off events that followed in the later years. The event featured world renown, DJ, Producer & Remixer Junior Vasquez. Event Marketing included:

-Venue Selection and Negoiatation

-Creative Development & Direction of invitations, flyers and advertising

-Entertainment booking

-Sponsorship Acquisition

-Public Relations and Media Recognition-event featured in Orlando Weekly, Orlando Sentinel and Watermark

-Promotional Event Strategy, transportation scheduling and coordination.

Club/Lounge events. The below events were intimate evening events that featured, art, music and mingling. All inclusive of venue selection, negiotating, creative development, promotion strategy, sponsor and partner acquisition, media recognition and entertainment booking.

Buddha Lounge, Winter Park, FL

Featured in Orlando Weekly August 2005

Watch Out Wednesdays, 3 Part Event Series

@ Swim, Lower East Side, Manhattan, NYC

Fall 2002

Featured in Time Out NYC

Confessions of an Event Marketing Maven

Rejection

The Evolution of the Marketing Professional

Orlando WOW Awards 2010

A Bachelorette Theme Immortalized at MPI-GOA 2010 Gala

Wish Upon a Wedding Orlando Launch

Give it Up for Love....Wish Upon a Wedding Orlando Launch

Keeping Track of Who's Who...

Are You Optimized?

Tracking it Down... Your Voyeurs, Prospects & Customers, who's visiting?

Firing Clients? Come Again?!

What's Hot in Web Design

Danny Blackman

The Great Bearded Reef

Incognito Inc

Tips for the Best Email Campaigns

Marketing Around Holidays

Good Design is Powerful!

I *HEART* NOLA! The Special Event 2010

1st Day in New Orleans

Follow up is the name of the Game!

Countdown to THE BIG EASY... Special Event 2010

Thoughts on a Decade- What goes around keeps Evolving back Around

Its Not What you Know, But WHO you know...

It's All about the HYPE!

The Ability to Adapt...

Follow the Leader

The Message in your "Music"

Setting the Record Straight

I HEART NOLA! The Special Event 2010