Many people lately have been asking me to promote their events on social networks. My response to most of them is this post.

Social Media and social networks now offer great potential to cut costs on event promotions. Social media and social networks are just buzzwords to gain your attention.

Well now that I do have your attention I’ll tell you how to do it.

1. Linkedin Q&A

Linkedin has a Q&A section. A lot of marketers are using it to push their own conference/event or to get sponsors. Most of the people ask “Who is attending eventname ?”.

Then in the description they will go for paragraphs stating how the conference is going to be great and how you can’t  miss it. I did it myself. Results were appalling and I felt pretty idiot about it.

My suggestions;

- Be engaging in the question. If Frank Sinatra is performing, be catchy and ask “Would you like to meet Frank Sinatra?”.

- Target the need of attendees. If you don’t have great performers or if your objective is different, you want to make sure to be relevant. “Would you like to network with top professionals?” “Come and join us for an entertaining night at eventname”

- Offer something. Announcing is cool, but what’s in it for me reading? Promo codes, discounts, competitions should be part of this process. If you are restating your press release just use different media, it’s not gonna work here.

- Forward the question to those in your network from the event area or within the relevant industry. If you have a small Linkedin network you may want to read this post.

2. Blogs

You probably haven’t noticed that there are plenty of bloggers out there who offer promo codes on their blogs. It’s probably the oldest model to promote events and web 2.0 has revamped it.

How do you get to bloggers?

- Make sure you do your research and contact opinion leaders.

- Double check that they are already doing it. If they don’t do advertising (such as me), they won’t be happy of your pitches.

- Try to understand the point of view of the blogger, display interest for his/her posts and do your homework.

- Be relevant with the reward. Money is not necessary the best way to reward opinionated people.

- Check the Google Page Rank to optimize indexing

3. Mobiles

Hey I am sure you have some advertising budget there. I mean it can’t always be for free.

If so, a little bird told me that iPhone users are great targets.

- AdMob is doing great in integrating advertising in most of the iPhone applications. It is very relevant and personal.

- I also love the way The Deck is integrating ads in Twitterrific, a popular iPhone application for Twitter.

If money is not an option:

- I suggest you publish your event on Eventful. Eventful does integrate with applications such as Where! that displays events close to you, based on your GPS location. GPS is the social networking of the near future and you cannot afford to ignore it.

4. Upcoming

I can’t believe you don’t know Upcoming!

If you are still using direct mail to promote your events, it will proove ineffective shortly.

Upcoming is a strong candidate to become the platform where you publish your events. Eventful is great, but Upcoming has the Yahoo! power to push events socially and make them relevant for a number of people.

- Publishing your event on Upcoming comes at no cost and a 9yrs old kid is completely capable of doing it.

- You can promote your event within Groups and by choosing relevant tags.

- You can also see how many people saved the event to their calendar to manage demand.

5. Facebook

Ok, you know I am not the biggest fan of Facebook, but I feel very stupid ignoring 90+ Million users. Your target should be somewhere in that figure!

- You have an event section on your Facebook profile, as always don’t be lazy and fill it up in every part. Upload logos, pics and videos from previous or related events.

- The social component is very important. As for the Linkedin example I suggest you send the event to your friends and invite them to spread the word. Now, I am aware a lot of people use Facebook for their personal contacts. I have no particular issue with that, although you are missing out on the gigantic proportion of people doing business via Facebook.

I suggest you keep your personal life somewhere else if you want to be out there and get something out of social networks. My approach is to keep my personal stuff offline, full stop.

If you feel all of the above is not enough, feel free to contact me and we’ll discuss it further. If you have your opinion about it, as always, comments are now open!

On Tuesday, I hosted the first Linked in London meetup.

Great individuals, in a relaxed atmosphere talking about their business and networking.

This juicy practice has been stripped away from us planners, possibly we deprived ourselves of it.

Charging enormous amount of money for events like this and relegating networking to the coffee break made us feel like we were doing something illegal.

That is why probably most of us went on the Internet to get in touch with others.

The Linkedin Event Planning & Management Group has decided to bring back networking to the planners.

Next events include:

- 17 September San Francisco

- 30 September Austin

- 30 September Geneva

- 14 October Denver

Coming Up

Atlanta
Brussels
Boston
Chicago
Montecarlo
Dublin
Orange County - L.A.
NYC
Philadelphia
Seattle

All the events will come under the Spicy Networking Logo. (Thanks to Fabio Cannillo for the fast, reliable and professional design and Carmen and Domenico for the precious insights)

This logo confirms you are actually attending a free and user generated event.

Spicy Networking will collect all scheduled events, pics and so forth.

I can feel and read your excitement in the emails I am getting as I write.

The time has come, let’s claim back our right to meet!

Photo by: originalgoast

Iphone is a great tool for event managers.

It can actually perform productive work on the internet unlike most of other mobiles out there. I was using a Blackberry before but made the switch and I am being rewarded every day for that.

Iphone apps contribute to make it a better tool. There are free applications which will make you more productive, social and efficient, which are qualities we all share but in constant need of improvement.

But let’s see.

1. Evernote

The service in itself is great. Whenever you stumble upon something you need to remember you just save it to this small app. Being it a text, voice, saved or live pic. You’ll then be able to see it on your phone as well as on your online account, therefore on your main laptop.

2. Checklist

If we are talking about to do’s in the next hours or so, you want to check out this application. Very easy to use and simple, and we love simplicity.

3. Zoho

This is not an app, but the iphone version of the popular suite. Youcan actually create, view and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations from your phone. If you are using a spreadsheet say for budget, you definitely want to sync it with Zoho and later consult it or edit it from your phone. Google Docs is a good solution for that as well, but without the editing capabilities.

4. Writing Pad

Great to note down vital information when you do not have the time to tap every single letter of it.

5. Linkedin

Because you want to have your contacts handy all the time and want to network with similar minded people. More on how to use it here.

Photo by: psd

This blog started as a hobby in April 2007. At the time there were very few blogs about the subject. A year and a half later I find myself with a new job thanks to this blog and I am very happy to share that with you.

Without the thousands of readers and the popularity of the community built around the blog none of this would have been possible and the biggest ‘thank you’ goes to You reading this post.

Long story short, I got in touch with the great guys at amiando and I am now in charge of supporting the product, both online and in the UK. I would have never worked for a product that I do not believe in and amiando really nailed the issues with event platforms, firstly by listening to its customers.

What does that mean for the blog? Nothing much.

This blog remains advertising free. I’ll be talking about amiando when there will be a reason to do so and with the usual tone.

I invited you in the past to join the Linkedin Event Planning and Management Group. Most of the merit of this achievement goes to the group. I strongly invite you to join as there are other opportunities out there and in time of recession you definitely want to find new ways to improve your career or your business.

If you want to meet me to discuss further the matter, I’ll host a networking event called ‘Linked in London‘ where top professionals from Linkedin will participate, come along and mention this post, we’ll have a chat.

Thank you

Julius

LinkedIn is the Facebook of business professional. It is a gret tool and there are many ways it can actually benefit your career. Here are few tips on how to use it in the proper way.

I am writing this post because having more than 5000 contacts and managing a popular group, I got an idea on what needs to be done to make the most out of the tool. I thought I might share

1. Complete your profile

It is mandatory to complete each and every section of your profile. Think about it as an electronic resume. Your potential employer is looking at it so you want to be as precise as possible.

Links:

- LinkedIn Profile Makeover

2. Get Recommended

Although it is part of the above I definitely suggest you dedicate extra attention to this. We all know the power of direct references, sometimes they work more than a great entry in your CV. Therefore try to get quality recommendations from quality people in the business.

Links:

- LinkedIn Recommendations Toughts

3. Join a Group

LinkedIn poses boundaries in the way you can reach people. If you are not connected in any way to say an hiring manager the only way to get in touch is to send an InMail. To get InMails you need to upgrade your account. The good thing about Groups is that for most of them you can contact members directly. The Event Planning & Management Group now counts on 2400 members, just picture the opportunities within the network!

Links:

- EM&P Group

4. The more contacts the better

I don’t agree with the say “link only with the people you know”. For me Linkedin is a great way to meet new people. I am more than happy to expand the reach of my network to new industries or businesses. In this sense it is very important that you select the information you publish as well as the contacts you use in order to save your privacy. Having a dedicated email usually works.

Links:

- Get LinkedIn or be left out

5. Go through other’s networks

Look out there for interesting contacts with similar interests and ask for Introductions. Introductions are a nice way to skip the InMail part and get to a contact. Remember to state why you want to be introduced and what you have to offer.

Links:

- How to create and respond to Introductions

6. Ask and answer questions

You will see on the top left corner a Q&A section. Ask a lot of questions in your field and try to answer as many as possible. Should your answer be rated as the “Best Answer” you will see in your profile that you soon became an “Expert” in that category. Expertise is what you are selling and perspective employers like it.

Links:

- LinkedIn Answers to create expert status

7. Download the Linkedin Toolbar

If you are looking for a job on popular websites this great tool will tell you if you have connections to the hiring manager and that is very handy.

Links:

- Browser Toolbars for Internet Explorer and Firefox

8. Bring your network live

Try to meet the people in your network because online is fine, but live is different. I am running events in London and scheduling Meetups all over the World. I’ll keep you posted.

Links:

- Linked in London

9. Upgrade to business

Basic account is fine, but upgrading gives you more information about who saw your profile as well as more InMail to send, which cannot always be avoided.

Links:

- Upgrade your account

10. Be proactive

It is ok to have an account sitting there forever just because everyone has one. Nonetheless, I strongly suggest you become proactive and don’t get scared about going out there and reaching out for new opportunities, after all Linkedin is a tool to do exactly that!

Logo Designed by: Fabio Cannillo

When I started to run my own events at the tender age of 16, I was victim of that passion that still drives me today.

The characteristics that made me successful back then, are pretty much common to all those working with events:

- a continuous hunger of meeting new people

- the ability to make things happen

- the capacity to immediately establish a relationship with who is in front of you

- the lack of prejudices

Well, I can still feel that same passion burning.

Therefore I decided to involve my Linkedin network and obviously you in a networking event.

Even if you read 1/10 of my blog, you’d know it’s not gonna be like the usual boring stuff for few reasons:

- It’s for free. ROI on events is as much embarrassing as selling a CD for 30£$€. There are other ways to make money other than charging the end user fro absurd ticket prices.

- It’s user generated. I don’t control my events but rather empower the participants

- It’s relevant. You will meet people who use Linkedin as a networking tool and you can meet valuable peers of your network

- It’s informal. I plan to obtain free drinks from sponsors

I set up a Meetup for that because, after all, I don’t like to talk about things I haven’t experienced. You are more than welcome to join, participate, discuss and suggest. You can also enjoy the chance to discuss in a forum what you want to get out of the meetings and the direction of future events.

As I plan to host monthly meetings, soon enough we will have industry specific nights. If you can’t make it for the first night just join the group and I’ll keep you posted for future Meetups.

It is also a good idea to invite those people that belong to your Linkedin network and that for some reasons you havent met yet or those who answered very well to a question you asked in the Q&A section.

Linked in London Meetup

This post is for all those who ask me how to get involved with events.

MeetUp is the answer. If you have a passion for events and a passion for something else, whatever that is you might want to start a MeetUp.

First of all, let me clarify that I am a fan of MeetUp. I’ve talked in the past about traditional event management as a thing of the past. I am a true supporter of user generated events, I think they help in skimming the market from unskilled, possibly-to-posh-to-be-true, unmotivated, unaware-of-the-content event managers.

I am also a fan of this kind of events because, by making the role of conference/event producers redundant, they cut costs dramatically for end users, being most of the times for free.

Are you gonna tell me we really need to pay 1500£,€,$ to attend a conference?

A lot of people answer that in the end companies do pay for ticket.

Well you know what? I have no company behind me, I am a student, I am a full time mum, I am a young professional in a small agency, I live in a recession period, my company cannot afford to pay!

Sometimes ROI in conferences is embarassingly high and this logic of huge profits at our cost is simply unacceptable. Therefore Viva MeetUps! and death to the conference oligarchy!

There are immediate benefits for those with an entrepreneurial spirit and lack of employer.

- You can exercise. Once you reach the number of 40 members per MeetUp that appears to me as a good entry for your CV. You will be in charge of sourcing a location, sponsors, promote, sell tickets and pretty much everything involved with event management

- You can experience B2B marketing and selling sponsorships. As a matter of fact MeetUps take away the trouble of not getting targeted audience. It is all about targeting. You will never have such specific audience. That translates to me in easy sponsorhip opportunities. If you go out there and perform a search of who is sponsoring what, it will be easy to realize that there are tons of e.g. organic shops willing to fund your Organic Food Lovers MeetUp.

- You will grow your network. You will become a reference in your interest group and that translates in a lot of power eventwise.

These are only few of the benefits, I invite MeetUp organizers to share their story!

P.S. If you are looking for a job there are job offers in our Linkedin Event Planning & Management Group

Here we are ready for the new Linkedin question which this time gathered the attention of lots of Linkedin users. You already know we have a group there and I’ve asked questions in the past, therefore I’ll just get down to business.

Question:

The top 5 tips to make networking happen?
One of the most important reasons why you attend a conference is for networking purposes. What are your tricks to facilitate networking? What are the characteristics of a successful networking session? What are the latest trends?

Turned out to be a great tip bonanza. If you are either organizing or attending a conference and really want to network you need to read this.

The best answer (the first you’ll see below) was selected, as always, according to my own preference. You can use comments to vote yours.

- Raja Mahendran - International Strategic Business Consultant and Executive Coach says:

1. Attitude
Go with the right attitude. If we go to a network event with the attitude of getting business we can be disappointed. Instead we should go with the attitude of giving. Go with the objective of helping at least two people in the group to succeed or give them ideas or share useful information.

2.It is not about you
Really get to know others by open ended questions. The objective should be to get to know others rather than taking the opportunity to tell all about yourself. When we show genuine interest in others they are going to be drawn to us.

3. Get to know people you never met and outside your expertise.
Do not just spend time only with people you met before. Meet as many new people but really get to know at least one or two. Also important you meet people outside your target market and area of expertise. If you are a management consultant do not think it is not important to meet say the store clerk at the event. You never know to whom they could introduce you.

4.Network all the time it is not something that can be worked up.
Network all the time and not focus on it only when sales are down or your job is on the line. It takes time to build relationships and be networking helping others and not just start when looking for help.

5.Be approachable stay close to the food and drinks. As for physical presence stay close to the food and drinks, almost everyone will come around and will be easier to catch their eye and look approachable wear a nametag.

I would recommend two great books on networking by Scott Ginsberg. The Power of Approachability and How to be that Guy.

- Dr. Letitia Wright, D.C. - Owner, The Wright Place TV Show says:

1. Knowing what you goal is for every single event you attend. Do you want to meet a specific person, or catagoy of business? How will you know you are successful
2. Be honest about the people at the event? Are they a good match to be your customers?
3. Ask about the other person first. Know what they are about before you pitch your business. A lot of people waste time telling me about medical stuff and then find out later, I dont practice anymore and am not interested in taht.
4. Try to create relationships and not just sell. People have just met you and are not going to buy from you the same day.
5. Follow up with a personal note or email. Because no one does this, you’ll stand out as something special

- “Uncle Jay” White - Business Technology Consultant - Best Buy for Business says:

Consistency would be my top tip for people who are just starting out networking. You must network on a planned schedule and never stop.

Reliability - you must show up more often than not

Approachability - make yourself an individual who is engaging and personable

Promote - You must be willing to promote others first and yourself second

Follow up - What good is networking if you don’s follow up.

- Jamina Coleman - Distric Manager / United First Financial says:

As a bussiness etiquette consultant, I find the most common networking mistake is “He or she who passes the most business cards wins.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Carefully cultivated relationships do not result from a scattershot approach, but rather require an investment of genuine interest, time and energy. Networking is not about me but about “we”.
Before you walk into a networking environment set your intention on identifying the top three to five people with whom you can create connections rather than adding a bunch of names to your data base.
Give the gift of your presence: be there completely. Give them your full attention, look them in the eyes, ask great questions and listen more than speak. Don’t be held captive by your cell phone, turn it off.
Whenever you are talking to someone, you are really talking to his or her entire circle of influence. It could be that within that network is the perfect constituent to have in your network.
Suspend judgements and trust that whomever you have bumped into is someone you are supposed to meet.
Good relationship networking is more about the follow up and follow through than anything else. Set an intention to consistently connect with three people after the event. Send them a note telling them how much you have enjoyed meeting them, send them an article that will help them, invite them for coffee. Do it in any way that you use my favorite five words : How can I help you?” Do it with fun, excitement and vigor and know that when you are helping other people, you are positioning yourself for other people to help you.

- Cesar Brod - Executive Director and President of Brod Tecnologia says:

1. First of all, be very selective about the conferences you decide to participate. Lots of people want to “network” and more and more you see “networking professionals”: the type of guys who goes fishing for opportunities in all available conferences. Of course, if you go fishing in several ponds you may catch a fish. However, it will be “any” fish, not the fish you really want. I have found that birds-of-a-feather type of events, small discussion “round tables” are far more effective than an event crowded with keynote speakers;

2. Be open to be contacted. Have your business card with you and your nametag visible.

3. Start a conversation with a real objective. There must be a good reason to bump into someone enjoying a conference snack. If is someone you know from somewhere (another conference, the author of a blog or a book, a technology expert) let this one know the reason you are talking to him. Introduce yourself and be clear about what you want: “Hi, my name is Cesar Brod, I have read your postings on Ajax and they have helped me quite a lot, I wonder if…”

4. Don’t be the only one talking in a conversation. I get extremely annoyed when someone comes to talk to me and pretty much spill out his/hers resume and throw me a business card before I have the time to swallow my conference snack. Usually these are the type of “networking professionals” I mentioned on item 1.

5. Know when to shut up. Sometimes people are not in their best mood or they just don’t want to talk. Maybe they don’t want to talk to you for some reason. Maybe they are also waiting to talk to someone they find more interesting then you. Awkward situations may arise in moments like these. If you got an email address, this is fine. Make contact later and you may find out that the person you tried to talk was just shy and she/he will be a lot more open after a few emails are exchanged.

- Antoine Boatwright - EMEA Head of Commercial Services Marketing says:

My keys to successful networking are:
a/ be genuinely interested in people. Be sincere.
b/ make any relationship balanced - bring something to it and not just take
c/ give it time. There is a natural time to ask things. That time differs by person, by culture, by industry and other factors. But it is like having a baby. It takes nine months irrespective how many people you throw at it. So too in relationships: it takes the time it takes
d/ develop empathy in order to relate. That means exploring commonality before going in for the kill
e/ be sincere.
f/ always keep your promises
g/ let other people network with you.
h/ get a good tracking mechanism where you can keep track of important dates etc..
i/do not go to broad such that you only ever touch people once in a blue moon. It is about consistency in the relationship
j/avoid christmas cards with just your name on it. That is really bad taste

- Martin Czebotar  - Six Sigma black belt / Quality Manager / ISO Auditor / Polymer Chemist says:

Here are my thoughts on networking.

Approachable
Smile genuinely
Wear a name tag
Two-way communication
Be reliable
Be an Extravert
Be engaging

- Shankar Barua - Managing Trustee at The Academy of Electronic Arts says:

Enjoy Yourself.
Enjoy Everyone else.
Enjoy what’s happening.
Drink in moderation.
Don’t drink and drive.

- Chuck Radcliff - Recruiter says:

There are not 5 per say. I would sum it up in one simple statement…

“Who do you want to meet? How can you help?”

To expand on this though, it is simple to say just meet and help, but it is more about being open and not questioning others. Let the recipient have the option to say no. I do hold standards even though I consider myself a very aggresive open networker. I have a couple of rules.

1) Do not forward personal recommendations for someone you do not know (at least you can not attest to their skills)

2) Do not forward job requests or recruiter fishing to people in your own company. Your first loyalty should always be to your company.

Also, simply you get out what you put in. Many times I have seen people who have written heartfelt notes that have an air of underhandedness or just read kind of like a double edged sword. Be straight forward in your requests. Honesty will get you further then a smile and BS. Tell me you need this. Don’t be afraid of being selfish, but be prepared to pay it back.

Wow… Guess that is 5. Well forget the part above…

- Jacob Paulsen - Regional Director at Agel Enterprises says:

1. Be sincere about your interest in others
2. Be creative in your methods.
3. Become a powerful asset to others. Have something to offer.
4. Utilize Technology such as internet resources.
5. Try something different. A different activity, a different destination, a different club or association.

- Chris Handley - Creative Director says:

1. Build Rapport – People do business with people they know and trust, so get to know people.

2. When they do get around to asking you what you do, be prepared to give a 30-second pitch about how you help your clients solve a specific problem. Rather than tell people I’m a Creative Director for an ad agency, I tell them now I helped a specific client achieve a specific marketing objective. That strikes up more questions from them.

3. Set networking goals. I try to introduce myself to 8 to 12 people.

4. Rate your conversations and follow up by scheduling coffee with those you’re interested in getting to know better.

5. Don’t sell, they will come to you if they need your help.

- Candice Crowther - Corporate Sales Manager at Wyndham Hotel says:

A true conference center environment creates a networking atmosphere for you so you don’t have to. There are Central Break Areas, a lounge with fun activities and games such as Wii and Pool Tables. Breakout rooms are clustered together. Make sure you’re looking at an IACC approved conference center.

- James Hayes - Independent Online Media Professional and Writer says:

1 work
2 work
3 work
4 work
5 work

- Zulkifly Jamaludin - Salesman says

From my personal experience .

1) Enough food for your guess
2)Ambience should be comfortable for peoples to mingle
3) “Ice-Breaking” sessions i.e get to know each and everyone in short
4) Token of appreciations
5) Have some game
6) Explain why this networking worth it for them and you
7) Feedback

- Debra Jason - Freelance copywriter & Web marketing consultant at The Write Direction says:

1. Enter the room and take a deep breath. Scan the crowd and see if you’re drawn to anyone in particular - he/she would be a good starting point.
2. Be interested in those you talk to and people will find you interesting.
3. Wear a name tag, shake the other person’s hand and be sincere. Have business cards readily available should you be asked for one.
4. Look people in the eyes when you talk to them and be personable.
5. Have a 30: commercial inside your head - one that says who you are and what you do in an engaging way without being boring. Not a sales pitch.
6. FOLLOW UP. If you took someone’s business card, follow up later on - with a quick e-mail or, better yet, a handwritten note that says “pleasure meeting you” and reiterates a point(s) you discussed when you met.
7. Have fun! Sure it’s a business function, but you’re there to socialize and explore new connections. Enjoy yourself. If you don’t feel you’re connecting with someone, gracefully move onto someone else.

- Mrityunjoy Panday - Programmer at Cognizant Technology Solutions says:

1. Listening … obvious but lot of people forget at the right time.
2. Connect with the Heart first and then with the mind.
3. Always have well defined objectives
4. A person may not have direct relevance with your objective but can become a strategic contact by 1. Being a reference point for credibility check for you, if he/she knows many people of your direct relevance. 2. Giving you firsthand experience in the delicate art of interacting with people.
5. honesty.. improves your credibility.

- Malin Carlberg - CEO Master Mind Group, Business Developer and Process Specialist says:

Great question.What I often do is this:

1.Have a genuine interest in other people - since you never know who is connected to whom and who will have the answers for the evening be very open.
2.Do your homework - if it is possible check people up before going there.This will help you both to know who you are looking for, but also a very good impression when you actually meet in person. Even sending a note before can be an ice breaker if you feel stuck taking the first contact.
3.Go for the winwin solution - 1. everybody is open for winwin aspects no matter if it is problems, publicity or any other matter. 2. anyone can feel when a person has only their own winning in mind on a miles distance
4.Ask - both publicly and face to face.Just jump and get used to it. 1. what and how you ask says more about you than any business card 2.you will be expossed youself and will attract spin off contacts where people come to you instead.
5.Good memory and systems - remember peoples names, interessts, next projects etc and if it is hard set up a system to keep track and be in contact regularly without particulary reason. Keep your promises..!

Have a good networking!

- Blessen Cherian - Executive Team Member,Bobcares says:

Its simple… Be sincere and help others with your suggestion. Do not expect anything from them in return. You will get the value for your help after you establishing yourself as the best approachable person in the particular field of your interest.

- David A. Mills - Art Director Summit Business Media, Conference Division says:

Here are a few tips that have helped me. Nothing fancy; nothing from an award-winning book or anything—just plain old common sense…

1. APPROACHABILITY: Look Inviting (Expression/Demeanor)
Smile for God’s sake! Appear important, but not intimidating. Smile as if
you know something no one else knows - it generates interest and
curiosity. Enjoy yourself and never look bored.

2. GREETING: Make A Memorable Entrance
Shake firm and keep eye contact - it’s honest and implies sincerity.
Repeat their name after they introduce themselves. This not only helps
your memorization, but it allows others to feel as though you’re paying
attention and have a genuine interest in them.

3. Q&A: Asking/Answering Questions
Ask questions that require more than a one word answer, and likewise,
never give a one word answer. Recognize when someone likes to talk
about themselves and exploit that - give them questions you know
they’ll love answering.

4. “THE TEASER EXIT”: Don’t Ride Out A Conversation To It’s End
Recognize when a conversation has peaked and politely excuse
yourself before it has the chance to wind down. Nothing kills a
conversation like an over-extended awkward ending. Leave them
wanting more. If they seek you out later to finish the conversation,
welcome them enthusiastically and enjoy the moment.

5. DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS: Remember Everything!
Nothing is more flattering and memorable than someone remembering
the most insignificant details about you. It’s a great ego booster and it
shows that you’re attentive and that you care.

- bruce colthart - Owner, Bruce Colthart Creative LLC, marketing-driven design consultancy says:

Simply put, make sure you’re ready to sacrifice your own needs and instead focus on what other attendees’ needs and interests are. Reflect those needs and interests back to them for confirmation. Next learn how you could best represent them to your network; they’ll teach you. Then do all you can to be useful and helpful to them, matching their needs and interests to appropriate people in your existing network and urge them to offer help or interesting information. That’s how to build a functioning and mutually beneficial network that pays.

- Jennifer Brown - Process and Knowledge Management says:

The top 5 tips to make networking happen?’As

Conference specific networking tips are below. I find there is a difference between making networking “happen” and good networking practices.

Don’t expect instant results. Payoff from networking can take weeks, months, even years. Don’t bother trying to focus only those connections you can make that will bring immediate benefit, but do try to start the networking before you really need it. More people know the importance of networking, and are less tolerant of aggressive networkers than they used to be.

Pitch the Elevator Pitch. Be able to talk about what you and your company does, but stop trying to make it a sales pitch. Be conversational about it, and allow others to talk as well. It should be conversational, not a speech, or a sales pitch.

You do not own your reputation. It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows what about you. More people know your reputation than know you the person; the stronger your reputation, the more people will talk about you, for better and for worse. People will know who you’re talking about more quickly when you say “remember guy with bad breath who monopolized the conversation” when compared to the “guy who had a great suggestion for that problem we’ve been talking about”… but do you really want to be the bad breath guy?

Talk to people you outside your interest. Don’t limit your conversations to people you expect to enhance your network and help your career or business,and allow conversations to go “off topic”. Some of the most valuable connections you can make are those from casual conversations that meander and have nothing to do with the event. Don’t be mercenary. You don’t want to be known as a serial networker.

Continually cultivate your network. Stay in touch just to see how people are doing; sometimes you’ll find that someone needs your help in a way that can benefit you. The attitude of mutual benefit is good, but when people know you’re genuinely interested in helping them, it will seal your reputation as someone worth knowing. If you only maintain contact when you need help, people will be less receptive to helping you in the future. And always follow up after meeting someone, even if you don’t expect to cultivate the relationship beyond that. Courtesy is remembered.

Quality vs Quantity. You do not need to know everyone, nor add everyone to your network. While you shouldn’t avoid meeting people, you should not be a ‘card collector’. Be comfortable talking to different people but do try to be selective when it comes to cultivating your network. Most likely your network can help introduce you to others you need to talk to, so don’t try to be everyone’s best friend. Or Link.

- Laura Browne - Management & Communication Trainer, Speaker & Author at Get Heard At Work says:

Big picture - think about why you’re networking. Now turn it around and ask yourself why would anyone want to network with you. Are you friendly and willing to connect other people or are you just trying to grab business cards?

1) Be an active member - if you want to connect with people, show up more than once so people can get to know you.
2) Volunteer to do some work - I find that helping out at the registration table is a great way to talk to people.
3) Ask about others - ask what is their purpose in attending the networking session.
4) Have a goal for each networking session.
5) Ask for help - know what you need and find out who knows that information.

- Mark Hua - Account Director says:

My views are :

1. Go with the view that I don’t know or pretends to know everything
2. Be approachable, sincere and have fun
3. See every one as a potential friend in the waiting
4. Make sure that the meeting/engagement/chat is reciprocated
5. Relax, be yourself and have fun!!

Live with Passion!

- Ravichandra Kshirsagar - Sr. RF Consultant says:

My take,

1. Take genuine interest in others
2. Explore/Learn as much as possible
3. Share
4. Be interesting
5. Always keep in touch

- Mohamed Mehenoun - Technical Support Engineer says:

First of all be a social engineer i.e. you have to be able to approach people and get to know them better…

Then when you know the person just be truly interested in what she/he has to say and try to be supportive most of people just need someone to listen…

Once you get this part done you’ll really build a strong relationship with the person on a human level then you’ll be able to do business of course you’ll have to be able to sell and you’d better have a good product but sometimes social engineering does the difference between you and the other guy who’s got the same product but has a robot like approach…

the rest you can pick here and there from the fine answers I’ve read up till now…

- Laura Lozza  - Regional Director East Africa at Yara International ASA says:

1. Be curious. And genuinely interested in others.
2. Be open (present your self with some details, not only as “profiling” but so that you can make yourself interesting to be contacted, as a way to offer something)
3. Stand ready to help; limit your own requests for help, offer help in exchange if and when you do need to ask for help
4. Don’t overcommit. If you travel a lot, have a demanding job and a demanding family, a large network and whatever else, you cannot realistically join-in to networks that demand regular and frequent presence / attendance / responses. Be honest about your limits.
5. Exercise being concise, the larger your network, the less time you have, and chances are the others are in the same situation. I have a hard time staying frequently connected with friends who cannot talk less than an hour at a time and cannot mail less than two pages.

- Robert Godden - Operations Manager at Morton Philips says:

Put aside time every day for networking and diarise it. Slow and steady wins the race!
As far as LinkedIn networking specifically; I send three invitations every day:
The most connected person in my network not directly connected to me
The most connected person in my network in Australia not directly connected to me
The most connected person in my network in Adelaide not directly connected to me
I’m meeting some very interesting people.
Also, if you have an idea, start a LinkedIn group.

Photo by: Peter Duhon

This is a collective effort of the Linkedin community to help you in running an unforgettable fashion show. We have a 1650+ Event Planning & Management Group there which I invite you to join. The community has so far answered on what makes an event outstanding, the top 5 qualities of the successful event manager , running your own event business and the best way to promote your event.

If you missed this chance, try answering the next question.

Here is the original question:

To all the fashion show producers, planners, managers and coordinators. Share with us your secret weapons and tell us stories from your experience. We are ready to listen.

The best answer (the first you’ll see below) was selected, as always, according to my own preference. You can use comments to vote yours.

There are great insights and practical approaches, scroll to the end of the post because you might find the answer you were looking for.

- Valentina Giuffrè - International Event Manager and Communications Consultant says:

In my experience, best fashion designer know exactly how to realize great clothes and complete collection: a good fashion show production or organizer must keep in mind that to have a successful result it is fundamental to have a great team of consultant supporting the designer, people really well coordinated and working together to communicate and emphasize the fashion designer creativity and ideas.

So, in my opinion a good producer has to take care of everything from A to Z, but the clothes!

A professional fashion show oriented toward International press and buyers MUST:
1) Have a central, comfortable, wide LOCATION with nice foyer, big backstage with separate entrance and high ceiling (so you can have a great lighting design!). Better not daylight or with dim windows. Capacity for a minimum of 500 people (especially if you are in Fashion week calendar). Available for a minimum of 3 days.
2) Invest in a GREAT CASTING (about 20 models for about 50 outifts) and in an EXPERT CASTING DIRECTOR: selection of models it is not just a matter of beauty, it is more a matter of knowing the trend of the moment, understanding the taste of journalist, editors, photographers, and to be confident in dealing with agencies.
3) GIVE EMOTIONS. As more as people feel great emotions as more they will remember your show.(don’t forget press and buyers see “thousand” of shows in their life!!) Music, lighting, set, staging, makeup, hair, styling and catwalk must get across the audience the same message: the concept of the collection, which most of the time is a mix of emotions! Sometimes is good to use also parfumes in the venue of the show.
4) Treat all the audience like special guest: have to make them feel like they are coming to the designer open house. Maximum hospitality: simple cocktail or champagne, minimal finger food and nice souvenir on the sits.
5) Do special FINAL: use lighting or music or special effects at the end of the show and not while the girls are walking on catwalk during the show. And never ask the model to pose at the end of the catwalk!

- Stevie Wilson - Consultant for Brands and Web 2.0, Editor, Writer says:

For anyone planning a fashion show, there are some key things that are critical
1) make sure that the press (cast a wide net) and insure they have seats– as close as possible. While celebrities are great, the ones that write about the show really make the biggest pop
2) if goody bags are important, then get the make-up and hair company involved behind the scenes to donate a moderate amount of products. It doesn’t have to be a ton. Small bottles of water go a lot farther than minis of liquor but neither will hurt and include something slightly decadent like cookies or chocolate.
3) make sure you start the show within 15 minutes of the scheduled time– REALLY!! Particularly if you are in NYC or in LA, it’s respectful of the audience and their time
4) pick out music that won’t blow out someone’s eardrums
5) have some sort of program describing the looks in the show as well as your own photography and/or video of the event and get it up on the brand’s site and also on youtube or myspace.com

- Shava Nerad - Working at the intersection of society and technology management for 25 years says:

Here’s a tip or two from a non-professional in this field, but a professional woman with thoughts about fashion:

It’s hard times for a lot of folks. Make things practical, *and* fashionable.

Feature accessories for real lifestyles. Totes for knitting that have pizzazz. Headphones that don’t look like they came from Radio Shack. Laptop bags you’d be caught dead with.

I am sure that there are real women who get by all day with pint-size handbags and no brief or laptop bag. They are probably all models who have someone in their crew to carry all their makeup and such for them.

- Tiffany Bentley - National Marketing Coordinator at Triad Manufacturing says:

I’ve been in fashion for 11 years now and have walked many runways. Tips:

–Do not carpet the runway. This is good for nobody.
–Lighting is key - make sure you have proper and flattering lighting with lots of angles, colors. (You asked for “cool”).
–Models that have personality is very important if you are going for hip. Look for more dimension in the walk and an “edge” to the girls selected. Models ARE your show - put a lot of attention into the selection.
–Proper music choices should be heavily considered. Make sure it has a good beat (doesn’t urge the models to walk too fast, doesn’t make them want to crawl either), and it makes the audience feel engaged and interested.
–Don’t over-choreograph.
–Put energy and money into your stage. Don’t let the audience see any of your models, stylists, dressers, media backstage - this can be more interesting than what’s happening on the runway, and people will be distracted.
–Get your audience engaged pre and post-show. Have photographers, cocktails, etc.
–Hold it at an art gallery, outside in a cool area, in a warehouse space, a rooftop… use your imagination.

- Sudarshan Mazumdar - director marketing at fortis healthcare ltd says:

I have no experience in fashion…but will try my take on it

1. Models are important. Great attitude/great bodies/movements. Not too beautiful as that would distract attention from the garments

2.Clothes should be aspirational in looks/ design but practical to wear

3. Link the theme to a larger cause

4. Seating to bring media and key buyers close to ramp

5 Great music…peppy …but not so much that models have to walk too fast

- Aurora Bramble - Independent Internet Professional says:

a great fashion show includes:

- location (a garden is one version of cool an empty ballet studio is another)
- music (a virtuoso violinist a chamber orchestra a dj pick your style of cool)
- lighting
- flowers
- champagne (good champagne)
- gifts (if the designer designs perfume or makeup there’s the gift)

- Cora Majewski - Account Representative at Gail & Rice says:

Fashions shows are cool by nature. If you want to add unique elements you need to be sure it enhances and does not overwhelm your audience.
5. In pre production of the show, get as many details together as possible. It sounds obvious, but organization is key to a successful show. By coordinating the garments, shoes, accessories with the models days and weeks ahead of time, you give yourself the room to add creative elements.
4. Keep your objectives in mind; your focus is on the fashion. So if you are looking to create a very avant-garde show, make sure your elements are helping to focus on the fashion and not distracting form them. I was at a trunk style show where a path had not been properly cleared for the models to walk. Because everyone was so focused on keeping the atmosphere club-like and casual, the models could not get through which affected their timing and took away from the cohesiveness of it.
3. Have some sort of description of the pieces; whether it is in a program or if there designer or emcee wants to speak about the pieces. This adds another level by which the guests can help remember certain pieces after seeing them only for 30-45 seconds each.
2. Bring a bag of production goodies. (This is for first-timers mostly) Combs, nylons, safety pins, bobby pins, hair spray, a black marker, a lint roller, a shoe horn, extra lip gloss, black tape, double sided tape, etc… These will all come in handy at some point during your show.
1. Be prepared to improvise! Something will not go as you had planned, so the best way to handle it is to find a way to make it work to your advantage. I produced a shoe show recently, and our tall, Amazon-esque model had feet to match her height, and one of her shoes did not fit! The number on the shoe matched her usual foot size, but we all know how sizes work- and there were no larger sizes for her. Rather than having her sit out a round, we had her go barefoot and carry the shoes. It added a new element to the show and looked really fun.

- Michele Peck - You can find me at Point A Media says:

In addition to the other answers…

1. Invest in, script and rehearse a great emcee.
2. Be sure to mark the stage at run through.
3. Add transition elements via projections or interesting light cues; don’t forget transition music.
4. Don’t skimp on the goody bags.
5. Don’t forget to recognize the sponsors.
6. Make sure to feature reserved seats for press and VIPs.
7. Print one-sheets describing the designer, designs, models and noting sponsors to give to press.
8. Cast back-up models to prep for inevitable no-shows.

- R. Scott Frothingham - Partner at Key Search Marketing says:

edit your narrative … make sure the descriptions don’t go on longer than the walk and/or the narrative be longer than the show … rehearse your MC and rehearse your models

- Peter Metz - Principle/Creative Director, ZOOM.7 INC Meeting and Events Producers says:

Lots of good answers here. I think it’s interesting to note that many of the answers, with a very few simple word changes would apply to any event. (My personal fav being the “Start on Time!”)

I would add a couple more . . .

1) Understand exactly what the intent of the show is. It’s a fashion show and it’s supposed to sell clothes right? Not necessarily. We did a series of shows for an international trade development council and our mission was to support that countries “brand.” To show them as hip, creative, happening by showcasing local designers. With that in mind we could take a lot (I mean a lot) of liberties with the clothes and their presentation. We have done several shows that were much more about attitude and image than selling. Another one was a motorcycle company that wanted their dealers to look at the clothes and accessories differently. It was also considered an entertainment element. Again, more attitude less selling clothes.

2) Identify your audience and their state of mind. What are their demographics? What time of day is it? Is this a for profit or charity event? Is this part of a larger project? Are they sitting theater or at dinner rounds? How will they be dressed? What is their call to action when the show is over? Take all these (and many more) factors and translate that into hard choices about clothes, production, venue, staff.

3) Spend money to get the biggest bang for the buck. A few production effects, a knowledgeable, professional show staff, great music production can all go a long way to making this a step above and something that will generate buzz. And it is all about da buzz. An ancillary comment, think professionally. If it’s done on the cheap it will look every bit of that. This is your brand we are talking about. Do it right or go home.

4) Spend your money strategically. Don’t get talked into gee whiz effects because some producer or lighting guy thinks they are cool. (Or has some back at the shop and wants to move them out on your nickel,) Always go back to the intent and the audience. Let that shape your choices. Often a few more models will make the show run smoother and look more professional than 10 more moving lights or a budget busting video wall. Spend your money with understanding and a larger view.

5) Don’t underestimate what you are taking on. Too often a fashion show is considered an easy cheap add on. It ain’t that. It’s like building a house. It will cost more, take longer, be more frustrating, need more logistics and support than you ever imagined. Still, when it all comes together it’s magic.

And my bonus tip . . . Feed the poor girls. Just because they look skinny doesn’t mean they don’t eat. This is hard work. Bring in a little catering.

- Zulkifly Jamaludin - Salesman says:

i. Find the correct “theme”for your fashin show
ii. Have an ample time to for your guest RSVP and the participants feedback .
iii. Great team-work
iv. have some rehearsal a week prior to the event
v. have fun.

Ta-da & Good Luck

- Omar Aziz - Integration Manager says:

I was thinking that you can link the audience with a Personal Digital Assistant while they view the fashion show. They can make comments on the event in real time and actually buy the items being run down the show. The PDA would also let you input customer’s information.

- Tonia Sanders - Corporate Events Production Assistant says:

1. Don’t forget the double sided tape!!!

2. Make sure you have enough body makeup for any unexpected suntan lines or body blemishes on the models.

3. Have great dressers who are quick to assist the models backstage. Timing is everything. Especially for the model that is shown a lot.

4. Play a variety of music to set each mood as oppossed to the same boring techno track during the whole show.

5. Pack gift bags with REAL gifts, not just a bunch of unwanted swag!

Take a look at some tapes from the hottest shows at Fashion Week the previous year and make sure to not recreate ANY of that. What’s old is NOT new no matter what you heard!!!

- Jeff Mantler - Artist, Consultant, Speaker and Author says:

I know everyone has pretty much stated the obvious, however, my suggestions are:

1) Keep the model’s choreography simple so the focus remains on the apparel and accessories being featured not the model.

2) Use real up-beat music that fits today’s trends and the designer’s motifs.

3) Lighting is absolutely key and can make or break your show!!! Gelling is cool, but do it from behind as not to change the color of the apparel, you don’t want to mess with the buyers and the photographers images (creates color casting).

4) MULTIMEDIA - simulcasts your show on large screens to the right and left of the stage and webcast it. Send out bulk e-mail targeting buyers who may not be able to make the show. You can also use the webcast to generate consumer interest.

5) Meet and greet with the designer after the show for the media and a separate one for buyers. Make sure to have goodie bags and plenty of refreshments and hor’ derves for the buyers.

- Elena Luzan - Independent Non-Profit Organization Management Professional says:

N a m e s / F a c e s - get (local) celebrities/famous people to attend - and the rest will apply

- Rob McKenzie - Output Editor at Russia Today says:

As a television professional who’s filmed hundreds of fashion shows let me add my thoughts.
Ok you need the snappers to get the photos into newspapers and magazines, but don’t forget television. Television coverage can be so much more immediate. Generally when shooting a fashion show i would want two or three cameras to get the best coverage.
Remember each TV camera will need one square metre for its tripod in the photo pen.. make it big enough. Also when using two cameras they will need TWO angles .. a head on and a side view. Think about having a two-tier pen. one for snappers the other for TV. And when covering a show live, there needs to be another camera position closer to the start of the runway for the ‘return’ shot.
I have one pet hate, and that’s the uncontrolled marking of the press pen. It has to be organised, and proper priority given to the various media.

The Linkedin community is becoming an active part of this blog and I am very happy with that.

I don’t know if you are aware of this but I started a group on Linkedin called “Event Planning & Management“. It now counts on 1300 top of the industry members and it is growing steadily.

Unlike other groups, associations and pseudo-professional bodies it is completely free to join and the only requirement is an innate passion for events.

The group gathers on a specifically designed external website. Several members are now able to talk about themselves in their own blog, ask questions in a forum or join interests groups.

My commitment towards the group is to grant that no spam or control will make it to other members and to keep the platform free.

So far I have seen great professionals coming on board and sharing their story and I must say it has been a refreshing experience.

If you feel like joining what you need to do is clicking on this link and follow the instructions. As I am managing everything by myself and with no earning, you may experience a delay in the approval but I am working hard to make everyone happy.

If you have feedback start sharing it here as well as within the club as you now have thousands of ears ready to listen