We had a blast with iPhone earlier this year. Now the time to show you how your Mac could become an extreme productivity tool and get your events done.

10. Mindnote

Successful events are carefully planned. Mind Mapping initiates the process of planning. It helps in skimming ideas and identifying KPIs. Mindnote is a great tool to draw nice looking and effective mind maps. It comes with a free version which covers all the essentials. Go for it!

9. iGTD

If you are an event planner and never heard of Getting Things Done, now the time to catch up. The famous book started a series of dedicated applications. Most of them are extremely pricey and not worth the money. iGTD is a great Project Management tool and it comes for free, so give it a go.

8. Notebook

You planned your project and rationalized it. Right about time to clear the clutter and start doing things. Notebook is a light application that helps in clearing the clutter on your desktop. Get back your focus.

7. Klok (Adobe Air)

Reality is that an increasing number of event professionals are now freelancing. If this is you, you should track the time you spend at projects and bill for that. Popular Mac or Windows applications that track time charge big monies, but you can get Klok for free. It runs with Adobe Air (which makes it Windows, Mac or Linux compliant). If you don’t have Air installed, Klok will install it for you.

6. Appointments

OK, you are up and running. You are meeting suppliers, clients and stakeholders. Appointments saves all the relevant info about your contacts and alerts you of upcoming meetings. Never be late again!

5. NeoOffice

For those who don’t like or cannot afford Office/Openoffice/iWork, NeoOffice is a specifically Mac designed office suite for your docs, spreadsheets and presentations.

4. Anxiety

We love To Do applications. We think that To Do List are the most effective way of getting things done. Anxiety depicts a feeling that you have experienced if you run events, but also empowers you to get rid of it by delivering instead of procrastinating.

3. Jing

Virtual Events, Webinars, Screencasts and the like are trending topics within the industry. Jing enables screencasting and video recording easily and for free, which is not usually the case in this software niche.

2. Caffeine

One of the most annoying features of the Mac is the Auto-Sleep function. That gets event worst if you set up the Mac for a presentation. Caffeine keeps your Mac on and on and on….

1. Chicken of the VNC

If you work with two computers, it is extremely likely that you may forget files on Machine A when you are using Machine B. VNC technology allows to access Machine A remotely over the Internet. Chicken of VNC (gotta love the name) is one of the few free apps (usually you pay hundreds of $/£/€) to do that. So next time you are at your event location you can easily access your office computer and retrieve vital information. Stress free!

A little bit more indulgence. Hard days of researching to bring you effective tools for your event planning business or career.

Download them on your PC, ipod, pda and read them. I am sure you will get inspired and remember that every little bit counts.

Management

1. Practical Project Management
2. Event Management Tips and Guidance for Success
3. A Project Management Primer or “a guide to making projects work (v2.0)”

Planning

4. Event Planning Checklist
5. Event Planning Guide – Successful Meeting and Convention Planning
6. Inclusive and Accessible special Event Planning

Wedding Planning

7. Wedding Planning Workbook

Fundraising

8. Fundraising Guide for NGOs
9. Volunteer Management Practices and Retention

Networking

10. The 10 Mistakes We Make at Networking Events and How to Avoid Them
11. Smart Networking: End the Resistance, Prepare for Success and Get 24/7 Results Without the 24/7 Effort

Marketing

12. The Effects of Sponsorship and Experience on Customer Attitudes
13. How to Write a Marketing Plan
14. The New Rules of Viral Marketing : How word-of-mouse spreads your ideas for free
15. Let’s Talk. Social Media for Small Businesses

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!

I talked in the past about trying to find an open source, free and complete alternative to expensive EM software.  Well Amiando it’s the closest solution to that. They have released a new version of the already great platform. I must admit it kicks asses, to use an allegoric phrase.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think an open source solution would be great but these guys did exceptionally well.

Who should use Amiando?

Mostly those working with events up to 400 people, both professional and not. If you don’t want to bother yourself with messy accounting and looking for a straightforward solution, it does not get any better than this, should you organize a party, a meeting or a conference.

Flexibility

They created a module system in which you add the modules you need. That answers to one of the most painful issues with events. Every event needs different organizational tools. The platform is flexible enough to accommodate very different needs.

Ticketing

They started with the ticketing service and then expanded on that. They addressed the major issue with Paypal. A lot of organizers had troubles with using Paypal for ticketing. They keep Paypal as an option, but they developed their internal payment system in which they take care about everything, invoicing and International VAT charges included. Wow.

Web 2.0 and Social integration

Finally I don’t have the feeling of being in 1997 while looking at an online platform. These guys nailed the concept of integration with Social Media and Networks. You can actually add Youtube videos or Flickr photos. If you use Facebook you are pretty much used to that but in our field we are talking big news! You are actually able to share information on major social networking websites, get buttons to promote your event as well as

Support

There is a free of charge number to avoid mess ups.

Directions

Very easy just add the address of the location and a Google map.

Amiando Website

This is a collective effort of the Linkedin community to help you in setting up your own event management business. We have a 1200+ Event Planning & Management Group there which I invite you to join. The community has so far answered on what makes an event outstanding and on the top 5 qualities of the successful event manager, I invite you to have a look.

You may want to participate and answer to the next question here.

Here is the question:

The top 5 things I need to consider before running my own event management agency? A lot of readers want to know how to run their own business. In times of recession this need is even stronger. What are the top 5 things one should consider?

Useless to say how relevant is for you to look through all the great answers provided.

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.

- Kevin R. Johnston – CEO, Advantage Event Group says:

Having done this twice, I have learned that there are many more than five, many of which have been eloquently stated previously. But, in an effort to share experiences, here are my top five:

1) Toughen up! – rejection is a given. Not all prospects will say yes, clients will not live up to expectations and most of the time…it’s not personal. But other times it is. get over it! Move on.

2) NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. My best clients have come from being introduced by a friend, business associate or peer at an event or small gathering. If you like to fly a desk, don’t get into this business. Selling your talents is your primary business, logistics, planning and the remaining skills are secondary.

3) Plan your work and work your plan. You need a good business plan. $99 will get you the software you need to start building the foundation of your business. The plan will not create wealth or make you a success. it will make you focus on issues that you won’t focus on without it. This is not a weekend project. It may be months, then take that plan to someone that can pick it apart and tell you where you need to go back, and re-adjust. When you can go to a potential investor and they ask tough questions and you have sound answers, you are on the right track.

4) Be honest with yourself and your clients. I recently interviewed a freelance event specialist with many years of experience. I asked her what she dis. She started running a list from site selection to information management. I sat back and smiled, the said, ” Ok, now…what is the one thing you do better than al the others?” She didn’t hesitate, she said, registration and information…I”I am the best!” If you say you can do it all, you’ll be one of the rest. Anyone can be a Jack/Jill of all trades. It takes confidence to say, ‘This is what I/We do best.” Don’t be afraid to engage others that have supporting talents as needed, but choose them wisely and very strategically. I spend much time looking for talent. It’s all we have to sell.

5) Be Passionate! You have to LOVE THIS BUSINESS. No, really. LOVE, like a teenager at a HS Prom. You have to yearn for the thrill of a great event. You have to tear up when an event is over, you have to smile when you talk about your work, you have to want to do this more than another job that will pay twice as much. Money can’t buy happiness. If you are miserable making $50k, you be as unhappy making $150. After 9/11 i closed my first business. I sold the building I had, gave away the desks, loaded the computer equipment/phone systems and other non-essentials into a storage unit and sold mortgages. I still kept a couple of clients (just couldn’t cut the cord), but thought the money would be cure. I was so wrong, and it took one night on the couch with the remote in my hand watching the first season of the Apprentice to realize that I had NO passion for my new career. DT – “If you don’t have passion, get out…you’ll fail eventually!” he was right. And failure can be measured in many ways. Not just monetarily.

There are more, but you may already be asleep. In closing, I still keep in touch with a mentor/boss I had in the early 80’s. He was a bit quirky, but it wasn’t until I was older that I really appreciated his wisdom. Last week I received a CD from him. Three audio tracks narrated by Earl Nightengale entitled – The Common Denominators of Success. Less than 8 minutes of very scratchy audio. The bottom line message – ‘Successful people form the habits that failures never do.”

- Liz Franklin – Owner, LizOnBiz since 1979 says:

1. What is my market? Who are they, what do they want vs. what do they need, what do they NOT want, where are they, how do they spend, what publications do they read, where do they hang out, what are their pet peeves, what have they seen and heard too much of? What exhausts them, what turns them off?

2. What do I have that they want/can’t live without? Products? Services? How do I know they want it? How many want it? How long will they want it (how long can I make income from this?) Will this product/service be the first one cut from the budget in tough economic times?

3. How can I position my products and/or services so they are irresistible to my select group of buyers? Why are my products/servcies better than my competition’s, given all of the above (have I researched the competition?) What is unique about what I’m offering? Have I tested it to make sure people actually buy it?

4. What is my “hook?” What is my theme? Colors, logo, brand, etc. must all be based on answers to all of the above, not divert from them.

5. How will I get the message to the buyers without breaking the bank? What clever, cheap, or free ways do I know to get PR that’s effective? How will I test my message/advertising and hone it? How will my website carry my message forward?

Recommended reading: “The Irresistible Offer” by Mark Joyner

- Harry Hallman – Principal at Octane Interactive, LLC says:

Well, first, it helps to have a lot of experience. And you should have a client or 2 lined up. If it starts to grow, be sure you have the fortitude to work very long hours, deal with very nervous clients and creative employees.

The event business is one of the hardest business in the creative/marketing area, so be prepared. On the plus side it is a business that provides you with instant highs as the audience reacts to the event you created. I sent 25 years in the event biz and I miss that instant gratification that comes when people clap or yell approval of something you did.

That rarely happens in the marketing or interactive biz (my current work) since most of time these are projects that go on over time and there is no explosive end, like in an event

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

Here are a couple to add to the mix:

1. do I mind working weekends?
2. do I mind working evenings?

- Mike Calimbas – Director of Human Resources & Training says:

Certainly not original but here is some good advice….

1. When you make a mistake of adding the date to the right side of the accounting statement, you must add it to the left side too.

2. A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.

3. If you break 100, watch your golf. If you break 80, watch your business.

4. A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history – with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.

5. By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.

6. My son is now an “entrepreneur.” That’s what you’re called when you don’t have a job.

7. What is the difference between unethical and ethical advertising? Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses truth to deceive the public.

8.A budget tells us what we can’t afford, but it doesn’t keep us from buying it.

9. In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most, it is the honest man who doesn’t know what he is doing.

10. Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility.

- Kim Novick – Experience Marketing Consultant says:

1]. Clearly articulate your foundation story + brand positioning: the unique value proposition that differentiates you from the competition; what the client gets; why you.

2]. Events come in many shapes and sizes from social [banquets, parties, galas, networking, etc.], to business [meetings, product launches, trade shows, etc.], to entertainment, sports, education, webinars and much more. Each requires a specific skill set and level of tolerance when it comes to execution. Make sure you have a firm grasp of your capabilities and where they stack up to industry standards [sic].

3]. Events are not stand-alone media tactics, but rather pieces of an overall marketing strategy [unless they are of course purely social, like a wedding, bar mitzvah, etc.]. Be clear if you will be an individual contributor [such as a caterer, decorator, entertainment provider, transportation coordinator, etc.], if you will act as a general contractor responsible for everything soup to nuts, or somewhere in between. Identify your core strengths; do a thorough audit of your firm’s intellectual capital assets. Identify partners you can rely on to compliment your offering.

4]. Create a profile of your target customer and vet it to ensure it is aligned with your value proposition and offering. Identify who will pay you the most for what you do and how you do it.

5]. Do a pro-forma projection to analyze your cash-flow needs. Structure payment terms accordingly to fit your situation.

- Brian Meyer – President at Meeting Expectations says:

I’ve seen a lot of great insight so far. Some of this may be repetitive, but here goes:

1) Is this something that you are passionate about and that you truly enjoy? Starting a small business takes a lot of time, energy, and effort and it’s important, regardless of the endeavor, that you spend your time on something you enjoy.

2) Do you have a sound business plan that includes a mission, marketing, finance/accounting, execution, technology and operations? The event field is very broad. Is there a specific segment of event management field that you would specialize in? One of the many keys to success for a small business is to find ways to differentiate yourself from potentially larger and more established organizations. Your unique experience, positioned correctly, can be a key selling point.

3) Is you business properly funded? There is a reason a high percentage of new businesses fail. In many cases, not enough capital was available to see the business through to success.

4) Get a mentor who is willing to give you advice as your business grows. Don’t pretend to know everything.

5) Make your customers feel special. Provide them with an experience that they simply cannot get anywhere else. (and if there was a #6, I’d say to have fun and enjoy yourself!)

- Suzanne Levison – Owner, SLS Creative and Staffing and Recruiting Consultant says:

Julius, the answers so far are right on, in my opinion. Just know you must do everything yourself. From sales/marketing to sweeping the floor. Mistakes, you have to just take in stride and not give up.

- Bill Hartnett – Creating Memorable, Results-Driven Events says:

Here are the top 5 things I wish I had considered before starting our event management business.

1) Who is my Target Ideal Client. I wish I had defined this much earlier than I did. It would have helped me focus my marketing and sales efforts directly at that target, and I would have been able to profile what personality types I needed to hire as associates in my business.

2) Dedicate myself to diversifying my client base. Like many of my colleagues who started small, we had one gigantic client who consumed much of my time. I wish I had started hunting another “whale” client much sooner than I did. We had many clients early on, but they were dwarfed by one. We are now much more balanced.

3) Build a deep and broad network of trusted suppliers. Deep by having several in each the categories of services you need to service your clients and broad in that you can cover far reaching areas from coast to coast with people you trust.

4) Have a very good accountant and attorney who you trust with your most valued possessions. If your going after corporate publicly held companies as clients, procurement offices are demanding precise and vast accounting disclosure. Also, you want someone who will be able to advise you on cash flow and tax implications. You will also want expert legal council to advise you on your contracts, liability, insurance, indemnity, cancellation clauses, etc.

5) Lastly, decide early if you want this to be a “Lifestyle” company or an independent business. If your goal is to have a lifestyle company, your focus is towards how it supports your personal lifestyle on an ongoing basis. If it’s an independent business, your mind set and strategies are more focused on building a business that runs without your involvement someday. This leads to the ability to sell it and realize the value you’ve built.

There are about 20 other things to consider and many of them have been stated here by others. These are the top 5 that I wish I had considered sooner.

- Jonathan Lange – Managing Director at NYC Advertising Agency says:

There is a tremendous difference between “event management” and “running an event management agency.” If you’re gonna hang up your own shingle, you better be confident you can run a business on your own and in your spare time actually do a bit of event management. Best of luck.

- Rich Kuslan – Principal, Law Office of Richard Kuslan LLC says:

This isn’t an academic subject. For those who wish to start any company, practically speaking, there is only one item of importance to consider:

Get clients.

- Juice Studios – Owner, The Juice Studios says:

1- Have the ability to find and keep clients
2- Be prepared for a roller coaster ride as the market is seasonal.
3- Have a great list of suppliers who you can trust. You can not do it alone.
4- Have the support of your family, as you will be away from home a lot.
5- Never let a client see you sweat. What I mean about this is it is your job to take the heat and insulate them from problems. Therefore, you have to be able to keep your cool when there are problems and there are always problems. You just have to solve them.

- Phyllis Shelton – Public Relations & Event Management Consultant says:

1. Stay Focused – Gain Skill/Knowledge
2. Be Creative & Organized
3. Have Exceptional Interpersonal Skills
4. Develop & Maintain Valued Business Relationships
5. Network – Build & Maintain Contacts
6. Have a plan-of-action (Business Plan) and a back-up plan

Remember: “You will never succeed – if you never try”

- Jonathan Marx – Jonathan Marx Consulting says:

Having developed, designed and executed many events for both the public and professionals, here is my list of the top 5 things to consider before beginning an event management agency:

1. Do you have enough working capital to sustain a business start-up period of 18 months? Most event planners are at least that far out and already have a vendor. You have to grab market share.

2. Do you have THE list of your target industry’s most influential movers and shakers who would endorse you, be a speaker, or be involved in some way to get you business? You need industry leaders to get you business.

3. Do you know HOW you will make profit? Your three primary revenue streams are sponsors, attendees, and venue/food and beverage mark-ups? You have to have a bullet-proof plan for getting to break-even so you can produce the conference, and then make profit on the rest of the revenue.

4. Do you have THE BEST event management software in place? There are many great vendors out there, and they will assist greatly with your organization and fulfillment. Don’t do events without software.

5. Is your event as BIG as it can be? Sponsors want to come to big events and be seen by lots of attendees, so that their return on investment is worth their time, resources, and promotion. Sponsors are under financial pressures too, so it’s best to be their partners in success.

- Okolo Thomas-Toure – Development Officer, Student says:

1. Specialization…be great at something.
2. Experience pays and saves time. Get lots of it.
3. Collaborate. With Vendors and complementary Event companies
4. Manage your eating/sleeping habits… Events are a 24 hr business.
5. Incorporate and get an accountant right away.

Advice: The best lessons come from mistakes. Learn how to do it gracefully. That is, accept responsibility and make it right as best you can.

If you’re doing special events. arrive early, introducing yourself to staff as they clock in, they’ll remember you in crowds and respond when you need them.

- Damaso V Santana – President & CEO Santana Broadcast & Marketing Group LLC says:

Know your area of expertise

Choose your clients

Choose your events

Enough Funding to keep you afloat.

- Catherine Clinch – Publisher/Media Expert says:

1. Do you love becoming intimately involved with strangers at the most stressful, chaotic and emotionally charged points in their life? And, are you able to bond with them quickly enough to become their new best friend – with the complete understanding that when the event is over you might never hear from them again?
2. Do you know enough celebrities (or even local celebreties) so that you can pepper their guest list with a level of cache your competitors might not be able to offer?
3. Do you love giving a party more than anything else in the world?
4. Do you have the kind of brain that can retain information like which flowers are in season and which caterers can be interesting with a Kosher menu?
5. Do you really care about what goes into a gift bag – and understand why even the richest recipients will complain about there not being enough free stuff in them?

- Alexi Lambrou – Marketing Manager at Marcus Evans says:

On the risk of oversimplifying:

1. Mindset: Big fish in a small pond or the other way around? A good starting point covering all manner of areas from how many tiers to your product, your internal structure and your external messages.

2. The Market: Who are your competition and what are you offering that they aren’t? If you offer the same – why is yours better?

3. Money: What will your cost to revenue ratio be – believe me when I say from experience you can run a profitable nightmare of an event or a smoother, fun event that cost you more – where do your loyalties rest at night? With the accountant or the ops people?

4. OCDs: If you or the person with their finger on the event button doesn’t have them – good luck – they help.

5. Personality: Good networking skills, personable nature and basically getting enjoyment out of meeting, talking and connecting with people is the biggest asset – make sure your people on the front line can do this.

- Shane Belceto – Visionary , Author, Speaker, and Disney Dad! says:

Well like said already there are more then 5 and each of my five like many said thus far are multi-part answers. Here you go though…

1. Determine your niche(Technology, Entertainment, MLM company’s, etc) Who will these events be set up for? Don’t just go for any group of people or all people in general. Best to pick one you have skills or passions about already.

2. Determine some of your first clients and contact them now to see what it is they want from an event. Thus assisting you in organizing the parts of your business in advance by knowing what the client wants.

3. Plan to be the first one there and the last to leave all events to insure your company leaves a good impression on all involved from the clients themselves, the location owner, people attending etc. Like said from sweeping the floor to manning the door know and be a part of all assets of the event and leave it better then you find it.

4. YES for sure do it all yourself and be present but do get the help and reliable help you need.

5. Maybe this should of been first but HAVE FUN there is no reason to get into this if you are just in it for the money. Enjoy it have fun with it and the work will definitely be a part of it but the people you meet the places you go and the fun you have will provide you so much more then the money you make.

- Philippe Méda – B2B Strategic Marketing in a Fast World says:

On top of all the reat advices you got here, let me add or emphasize two things (let’s assume you’ll be technically good at your business and have thought everything through):

STANDOUT

STANDOUT

STANDOUT

STANDOUT

STANDOUT

No really, find your identity. Get known by the fact that you’re the company organizing lunches in air balloon other the Mississipi, or the “guys in green”, or be ultracheap, or whatever legal specificity will float your boat. With event management you can probably be a little crazy and creative. Even if it’s strictly corporate events.

Find a great SPONSOR!

Get a prominent, visible customer on your market and over deliver on your first gig. Be thoughtful, come back to him later on to assess the quality of the event. Talk about what you did with him. Make him your best sponsor that will propagate the need of hiring you to over prospects in the market.

Enjoy your new venture !

- Saideh Browne – Owner, Platinum Speakers Bureau says:

You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going!

- Amy Vercruysse – Owner, Combo Platter says:

There is a lot of really great advice here. One thing that has been mentioned that I think needs to be really emphasized is the importance of (1) knowing what you’re doing (experience), and (2) having a strong, solid, varied network of others who are very good at what they do, because nobody can do it alone.

Without those two things, forget it.

A few comments. Read all the answers as you may be inspired by the very latest and I can tell by the quality that every single participant made an effort in writing. I am very happy to finally see event professionals exchanging opinions and talking about their experience, you will notice that we will all benefit from this.

Statistically here is what the majority agreed on:

The first answer is the one that I thought to be the best. Best means more comprehensive and spot on according to my experience. Nonetheless, you might find that other answers are more inspiring that is why I decided to post them all.

Kevin Jurczyk – National Marketing Director at Branstrator Sunrooms and Basement Systems of America says:

1) Excellent time management-

The ability to coordinate not only yourself, but the scheduling of the entire team helping with the event. It’s all about planning, and re-planning and scheduling.

2) Resourcefulness-

In my opinion, this is the most important. With years of experience in events, there is always something that requires a creative fix. Whether it be a piece of tape, or re-working a display because the display across the aisle looks too much like yours. You have to be very resourceful and use what you have. Ability to pool together the individuals you need.

3) Communication-

Share your ideas and your vision openly with your team. Communicate on a level that is respectful to everyone. Do not talk down to anyone, regardless of their role. Everyone has their part and it ultimately leads to your success, make sure you communicate clearly and respectfully. Accept criticism and be open to new ideas.

4) Passion-

Without passion you cannot over come the bumps and triumph when all seems lost. I can train time management, but I cannot teach passion.

5) Strong will, but a level head-

You have to be able to carry out your vision and sometimes crack the whip to get it done. Resolve problems and issues quickly. And you must be able to stand calm at zero hour when something doesn’t go your way. Your team should look to you for everything, the last thing they need is a shaky leader that makes rash decisions because they crack under pressure.

Chris Donahue – Regional Technical Trainer at PSAV – Presentation Services says:

1 – Excellent Time Management
2 – Good Communicator
3 – Attention to detail
4 – Ability to creatively solve probelms
5 – Staying calm at all times

Chris Catoggio – Independent Event Services Professional says:

Probably number 1 is great people skills. The Event Manager needs to be communicative, with the ability to listen and understand what the client is looking to achieve, as well as being able to convey that concept when selecting and negotiating with vendors.

Number 2 is organized. The event manager needs to coordinate a number of responsibilites and manage many teams simultaneously.

Third, an event manager needs to be flexible. In any event, things can and will change with a moments notice. The event manager needs to be able to, for lack of a better word, PUNT.

Fourth, an event manager must be responsible. Regardless of what goes right and what goes wrong, the success of an event, and all it’s coordinates, is the managers responsibility.

Fifth, a successful event manager needs to be enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. Enthusiasm and passion brings about creativity and generates excitement. Maybe, this should be #1!

David Schenberg – CEO Busy Event – a div. of Panamedia says:

1. Treats everyone as a peer and with respect.. even under pressure
2. A level of experience that allows the client to sleep at night
3. Ability to diffuse an explosive situation
4. Extensive network of trusted professionals they can count on
5. Active exploration and listening skills that translate into critical knowledge

Nicole Price – Event Guru at McCormick & Schmick’s says:

I feel very excited to answer this as I just yesterday experienced my *worst* ever customer service experience … with me being the customer.

Therefore, I absolutely stand for the fact that #1 is:

1- Flexibility with respect to understanding your customers’ needs
2- Strong organizational skills AND the ability to communicate them
3- Accessibility – to your customers and colleagues
4- Grace under fire!
5- Excellent, well-trained team to help implement and run the event

In a nutshell … able to achieve just about anything in a New York minute while keeping a smile on my face, managing half a million other items at the same time and making it all look easy.

But it IS easy, right? That’s why we do what we do.

Kevin R. Johnston, CMP – CEO, Advantage Event Group says:

I think there are may attributes that would needed to be successful; here are my Top 5:

1) Blackbelt Contract Negotiator – Ultimately, the event measurement is two fold, satisfaction and budget. A great event with superior satisfaction is often viewed as unsuccessful when the finances are all in

2) Must have a huge rolodex – you cant me a master craftsman in all areas. Having the ability to assemble the right players that will deliver consistently is a must.

3) Must be respected – if a producer is not respected by his boss, peers and contractors, the results may be good, but never great.

4) Must double as a janitor or fireman – often, dealing with cleaning up messes and putting out fires is part of the job. Quickly, quietly and efficiently. Get it done, then get bact to the task at hand.

5) Passionate – if it is just a job or a paycheck any event planner will be viewed as average. The passion to make it more productive, more exciting ,more more more is what drives this business. Other wise we’d all be eating on white table cloths with votive candles and parquet dance floors.

Dare to be different, take calculated risks and make sure that you have a great team that has your back (and you theirs).

Cher Lon Malik – Office Manager Informatica says:

1. Passion
2. Multi- tasker
3. Flexibility – do not freak out — there will be last minute changes always
4. Charisma
5. Approachable

Rohit Kumar - Ph.D. Student at Carnegie Mellon University says:

To add a one more:

Cant do everything yourself: Ability to delegate by trusting people, setting benchmarks (past successful events), sharing vision and establishing feedback channels.

Anuroopa Banerjee Gupta – Marketing Communications expert says:

1. Plans for the best -is well prepared for the worst and equipped to turn around the worst to the best advantage. ( I know of someone who was working on a tradeshow. She got the entire booth set up done till 3 am and when next day she arrived at the booth 30 minutes before showtime she realized the Co. president’s profile shot poster has been posted in a manner that his nose got chopped off- She actually got a 7ft x 3 ft poster mounted before the show- she had an extra poster)
2. Has excellent interpersonal skills
3. Is a great negotiator
4. Has excellent time management capabilities
5. Is a driven go getter, self motivated and never crumbles under pressure

Tushar Panchal – Public Relations, Communications, Branding, Corporate Affairs says:

a) Get the Brief right
b) Know your Consumer
c)Work within budgets
d) Time is crucial
e) Never ever lose control

Michael Miller – Director of Sales & Marketing at Tiki’s Grill & Bar / Holokai Grill says:

1. Understanding and exceeding client goals
2. Plan and execute events so that guest enjoy being at the event
3. Follow through
4. Have a critical eye for details (before, during and after the event)
5. Ability to train and retain great staff.

Laura Rivas – Events and Sales Manager says:

1. Attention to details
2. Good organization skills
3. Flexibility to change
4. Excellent communicator
5. Diplomacy (w/ clients and vendors)

James Minella - Event Operations Director says:

I think, just like any position, each person has to identify their strong points and accentuate those assets while identifying their areas of improvement and addressing those on a daily basis. In general, I would say any successful Event Manager is:

1. Be Extremely organized – overly so
2. Maintain a big picture philosophy at all times, meaning you work on ever detail while keeping in perspective the larger impact and goal
3. Be a good – no great – multi-tasker. To successfully run any program you are going need to ensure that 50 things are getting done at once, whether it’s in preparation or execution of the program.
4. Possess strong interpersonal skills. You need to be comfortable realting to and dealing with high level executives, government officials, vendors, co-workers, sponorsor representatives, customers,supervisors, suppliers, full-time staff, part-time staff and more.
5. Be Creative and Flexible. I think these two go together because in the event business things are always changing. Which requires you be flexible to develop a solution and solution comes about as a result of yoru creativity.

Nicole Bennett – Owner, Perry Consulting says:

1. Knows how to listen to understand – your clients are not in this industry and therefore don’t speak the lingo or know what is available. You have to be able to discern their needs.

2. Flexibility – people don’t like block walls, you have to be able to provide options.

3. Enjoy creative problem solving – no matter how well you plan, something will pop up and you must enjoy being able to solve challenges quickly and with the resources at hand.

4. Time management skills – you should know how to multi-task but you should be able to plan your day in a way that gives you blocks of time where you can focus soley on the project at hand. Your end product will be much more thorough. You should also be organized so you don’t waste time looking for things and reinventing forms/files etc.

5. Industry expertise – your clients come to you because they trust you have knowledge in an area they need guidance. You do your customer and the industry a dis-service if you call yourself an event professional if you don’t have the skills/experience to back it up.

Suzan Patrick – Seasoned Meeting & Event Planner says:

Patience is my number 1. Without it, we don’t belong in this arena.
Flexibility is number 2. There are always going to be “fires to put out”, things that change and people who don’t do what they say they are going to do.
3 Listening skills – it’s one thing to listen – and yet another to hear. Hear what’s said and what’s NOT said.
4 Intuition – I think this goes without say many times, but a keen intuition – being able to foresee things, predict what may need to happen (or not)….is very important.
5 Finally, I would say organizational skills. The best planners I’ve worked for/with are the ones with binders with tabs, sticky notes, checklists, to-do lists, etc. We are a rare breed (and we’re not all Virgo’s)! Planning events requires the ability to think on your feet, but remember it all!

Nicole Jensen - Independent Events Services Professional says:

1 – Fantastic self-discipline. I’m still learning this one.
2 – Expert in listening so that one does not make the event turn out how they want it, but how the client wants. In the long-term this also means market research. Listen to your market and customers.
3 – Flexibility. Management means problem solving. Keep those ideas and options coming!
4 – Time management, naturally.
5 – Personality. You cannot expect to manage people’s “super happy fun times” with a blank character!

Petra Johansson – Independent Events Services Professional says:

In no particular order…

1. Strong organisational skills, ability to multi-task
2. People orientated and approachable
3. Strong communicator
4. Ability to quickly find easy solutions to any problems
5. Have a passion for event organising

Betsy Fowler – Events Services Professional says:

It would seem we all agree you need to be organized and come prepared for the worst. But from step one you need to be able to listen. This will put you in sync with your client and your team and let you stay at least half a step ahead. All that and a sense of humor (and perhaps a little Jimmy Buffett “if we weren’t all crazy we would be insane”) equal a successful event planner

paula entwistle mille – account manager at ketchum says:

besides all qualities related pretty much to working at PR/comm. agencies etc I would add:

-problem solver by nature.
-predict all sorts of problems at the event and look at individual logical solutions to each.
-Know each and every vendor of every little thing to produce even at a personal level.
-creative profile if you are to create the event/the story behind the show and above mentioned characteristics if you are to executive and manage it on the daily basis

Jose Farias – Event resource specialist says:

Learn, Teach, Focus, goal, reward.
To keep relations and create new ones.
to create teamwork with the winning attitude to rice from the competition.

A true leader.

Doyle Slayton – Executive Director & Sales Strategist at SalesBlogcast says:

1. Organized
2. Leadership
3. Steady
4. Creative
5. Connected

Chandrabhan Gupta – Management Consultant & Expert Banks Security says:

1. A great show management skills.
2. On Time Event management skills.
3. Ability to work out and provide best economical infrastructure for the event.
4. A flowless Event coordination skills.
5. A good crowd controller.
Above 5 qualities are required for a successful event manager.

Greg Ruby, CASE CEM CMP – Experienced Event Management Specialist – Baltimore Convention Center says:

1) Be detail-oriented, but don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the more important items with the bulk of your work, but do a cursory check on the less important items.
2) Never let them see you sweat! Always remain cool, calm & collected when dealing with other people, while you may be a bundle of nerves on the inside.
3)Have a sense of humor. We are not talking rocket science here. Have fun with the work and the peope you work with, and in most cases they will want to work with you again in the future.
4) Be well connected. You can’t do it all and are going to need help. Have names in your rolodex of people who can help you.
5) Think outside the box. Just because it has always been done that way doesn’t mean that it still has to be done that way. Take risks and be bold.

V I N I T G – ACE / PINNACLE \ MYSTIQUE says:

-Value for money
-Image Enhancement of client
-Crisp & precise time management
-Event Concept to match Corporate goals
-Customized new event -each time

Sanjeev Kotnala – AVP and National Head. Brand Communications. Bhaskar Group says:

SUCCESFUL EVENT MANAGERS are like the events- or alumni of an institute. Its success of their event that get then the tag of being successful and they are as good as the last assignment.

Hence in my view what is needed are
PASSION: The job of event manager at any stage turns out to be a thankless job. The person must have an internal passion and zeal to overcome simple failures and learn fast to be able to work on the newer assignment.

KNOWLEDGE AND BUSINESS SENSE: He must understand the business as well as the covert and the overt business and professional reasons for the event to be happening. And hence must be in a capacity to provide the right input and direction.

SWISSKNEIF: He must be like a multi dimensional multi tasking perosn with no hitch in rolling his sleeves at times to overcome the shortage of resources otr while trying to last minute crisis management.

MANPOWER MANAGER: It’s the main resource that he works with and here his methods to excite motivate or reprimand are essential the tools he plays with. This may in fact be one of the most important factors.

CONSISTENCY-: He moves through a ladder of confidence- trust-faith and respect. And hence he must- do something like he does everything. It holds back any surprises and builds in a level of trust required to have a successful event.

Communication- networking- keeping all on loop- exploitation of the situation are some other factors- but the top 5 in my view have been listed above.

Ramesh Chetwani – SPEX Manager, Informedia India says:

Well, all qualitites mentioned can be rated as Top 5. However, what are the key qualities that will distinguish an Event Manager (EM) with the rest? What are the 5 stars that shine on an EM’s shoulder?

1. Being Pro-active (I was surprised no one mentioned this quality)
2. Intelligent
3. Excellent Salesman
4. Multitasking
5. CRM: Customer Retention Management!

I can back up all with good examples, but then who will finish my book!

Silvia Malesardi – Events management Assistant at Trentino Tourist Board says:

1 a good planner
2 good communication skills
3 playmaker (in relathionships)
4 manage the complexity
5 high self-control

Rita-Eileen Glynn Smith - Marketing, Event Management & Communications Professional says:

I could reiterate what everyone else has stated (and quite nicely I might add), however, I thought I’d have a little fun with this.

You must be psychic – to anticipate what no one else can imagine; You must be modest – there’s no job “too small” that you wont do; You must be clairvoyant – to intuitively understand what hasn’t been communicated or articulated; You must practice magic – because sometimes you’ll be expected to create something out of nothing, and you must like to smile – because come ‘showtime’ – it’s the best feeling ever.

Emma May – Sr. Events Marketing Manager at Athlon Sports says:

Event managers are some of the hardest working people in business today and there are many more than five attributes that make one successful but here are good starts:

1. Strong & pleasant negotiator
2. Extraordinary work ethic and ability to roll up sleeves
3. Always remember who he/she is working for (the client)
4. Calm under pressure/good poker face
5. Detail oriented/good eye for design

Richard O’Malley – Owner-President The O’Malley Project says:

1. Great relationships with quality vendors.
2. The will to get their hands dirty.
3. Motivational.
4. Attentive to the needs of their crews.
5. Desire to create something great, not just get through it.

Jill McClure, CSEP, CMP – Senior Vice President says:

I’ve known many event managers who can organize their way out of a wet paper bag with the lights off. But, these are the qualities that make someone succeed, and not just survive.

1) Understands the business case and financial outcome required for the event
2) Knows how to be a problem solver; events are vehicles for strategic solutions and not just a list of logistics to organize.
3) Provides leadership for the entire team including vendors, stakeholders, clients, staff, etc.
4) Communicates effectively and delegates efficiently
5) Negotiates with an outcome of fair profits, fair deadlines, and fair expectations for all parties involved.

Christopher Noyes, CMP – Events and Progrmas Director at Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce says:

1. Passion
2. Multi- tasker
3. Flexibility
4. Good with People
5. Resourcefulness

Pai Gee-Janssens – Positively Contributing to a Flatter World says:

Cares about overall quality & event success vis-a-vis all event stakeholders -> including the organising team! (o:
Knows how to prioritise
Thinks on their feet
Great at delegating
Not resistant to doing the dirty work when need-be

The Cluetrain Manifesto is almost ten years old. I was actually surprised to see it was written in 1999 for two reasons:

- It is amazing to see how it is still relevant to both Internet and businesses. The words of the manifesto sound like a Web 3.0 startup’s mission. They got it right. The people who signed it saw 10 years in advance what was about to happen. Few things are yet to come but I’d bet we’ll shortly experience them.

- Crazy, crazy, crazy. Companies had in front of their eyes the chance to get the most out of the Internet and treat the customer in new, engaging ways. It was there, clearly written and explained. It is SAD to see how only few organizations have embraced these life changing concepts.

The Cluetrain Manifesto is free to read. How the most popular Italian and world’s top 10 blogger, Beppe Grillo, would say, download it, print it and start sharing it around. Give it to your boss, to your colleagues, if possible pass it to the person sitting next to you on the underground.

The Manifesto has a lot of things to say to those involved in events. I went through the 95 Theses and got few that I thought might be of interest.

- Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.
I said before than men are not monkeys. Treating your guests as demographics is a giant step toward looking at them as these animals. The human kind is indeed of the animal genre but of the social one. Social media are a great examples of that. Great conversations, great ideas, great feelings and strong emotions that we wouldn’t otherwise experienced. BarCamp and Unconferences should be the role models of every event manager. Empower and connect, do not try to divide and lead because you won’t be happy with results.

- The Internet is enabling conversations among human beings that were simply not possible in the era of mass media.

What are you doing to allow conversations among the people attending your event. Are you integrating technologies? Are you aware that recruitment now happens on Linkedin? Do you know that there are widgets you can embed in your website to encourage carpooling to your event? Most of the people attending events such as conferences are only interested in networking. Carpooling as well as online forums or wikis enable networking even before the event.

- The inflated self-important jargon you sling around

Be clear, be precise and be real. Rhetoric and Pavlovian stimulus-response tactics belong to the past. It’s good to have demanding attendees because it means they actually care. Talk to them and tell the truth and do not try to persuade. Allow interaction and hold time and space do not try to be the star of the show.

- We are immune to advertising. Just forget it.

How are you talking to your audience. How do you communicate your event. I don’t believe in brochures anymore. Apart from being an environmental disaster (and your customers do care about the environment), I think there are tons of other creative and more engaging ways to get to your audience. Do you have a blog? Have you ever heard of Twitter? Engage, do not try to tell how beautiful your event will be.

- We are waking up and linking to each other. We are watching. But we are not waiting.

There is not much time left. The economy as a whole is changing. As Seth Godin said this week, during recession times the biggest changes happen such as Google did. Change now because it’s not sure you’ll be able to do business tomorrow.

- How can organized transportation help a corporate event?

Robert Mackasek: Offering transportation to and from an event ensures that guests will arrive on time and avoid travel blunders that can sour an event. Transportation services can also be part of the party theme or branding – guests can be greeted with holiday music, decorations and even a gift presented in the chauffeured car to help get revelers in the mood for the festivities to come.

- Scheduling is important at events, especially when it is being held at a separate venue. Can professional transportation help in this area?

RM: By hiring a transportation service to pick up attendees at a specified time, you can ensure the event starts on time and ends on time. This helps keep the event on schedule and prevents unexpected charges for overtime, extra service or labor costs at the venue. Most transportation vendors can also provide on-site dispatchers upon request.

- For corporate events that are held in large cities with public transportation, what would be the advantage of hiring a private chauffeured sedan service?

RM: Especially in large cities, public transportation may not deliver guests close to the venue. Booking a transportation service prevents the hassle of walking from public transit to the venue, especially in inclement weather. Plus, those who might be tempted to take their own cars avoid parking problems. In the case of multi-location events, relying on public transit to get people from place to place can create unwanted delays, aggravation and even the possibility that some guests lose their way. Hiring a transportation provider guarantees everyone arrives at each location on time and intact.

- A lot of companies serve alcohol at their holiday parties. It would make sense to hire private transportation for those guests.

RM: Exactly. Don’t rely on your guests to act as designated drivers to transport people safely home after a night of celebrating. A transportation service guarantees attendees arrive home safely and without incident. This also helps to protect both guests and the host company from harm and liability. Guests with special needs can also be accommodated safely and easily.

- How do we choose the right one?

RM: If you want to create a unique experience for your guests that starts the minute they embark on their journey, seek out a transportation company that can represent your brand as well as getting passengers from point A to point B. Valera Global specializes in creating customized experiences for event transportation and discerning individual travelers. The company’s Special Events department provides one-on-one support to event planners to help them create, and executive, memorable experiences for their clients.

What is Openproj?

As for its website

“OpenProj is a free, open-source desktop alternative to Microsoft Project. OpenProj has been downloaded over 150,000 times in the first weeks since it was released and has quickly become one of the most popular open-source applications.”

Now, you can believe me when I tell you I am a busy person and I got no time to waste. I can tell you this software is extremely easy to learn, even if you have no previous experience with project management software. It is a clone of Microsoft Project and it is very intuitive.

Hopefully I convinced you by now. So what you need to do is downloading your free copy of Openproj here. If you’re on Windows download the .zip file, for you Linux mates out there I don’t think you need explanations, just select your platform.

Now you need to download the event template I’ve prepared for you to enjoy. You can find it here.

Now let’s have a look at what you’ll find in the file.

In the starting screen you can edit this column according to your needs. I must say this list is very comprehensive. It has been conceived with two purposes:

- Giving you budget Items to think about

- Clearing the path to create a comprehensive WBS

On the right hand side you can see the Gantt outline which has a preset time interval of 1 day between every item. You can modify that according to your needs and estimates. Very easy to use…

By clicking on the fourth little box on the right you can decide everything about people working in the project. You got cost per hour, emails and you can divide them in groups of competency.

You can also add machinery cost, even though we don’t really need this feature for events.

This section will allow you to easily allocate resources to tasks and then it will automatically compute costs which will appear in your budget…awesome. Change this section according to your needs.

You also got on the sixth little box an automatic WBS… again super easy.

I’ll let you explore the rest of it.

If you have any question either comment on this post or mail me (address on the right column)