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Happy April!

Hope all is joyful in your world. 

As we prepare for our favorite season, spring, we are thrilled and excited to be able to kick-off our new series called Organic.

Originally, when we were coming up with topics for the year, we used Earth Day (April 22nd) as inspiration for the series topic.

 

But recently, with so many other related interesting stories in the news about pink slime, violent storms in the southwest, and bamboo bicycles that may revolutionize transportation in sub-Saharan Africa, our series topic has morphed into a broader viewpoint.

Rather than just focusing on “greening-up” events, in this series we are going to discuss how shifts in our thought process (and the thought processes of those with whom we work) can create seismic results in our activities. In other words, how do we take things that we already have (or are readily available or practiced in other areas) and manipulate for our purpose…for the greater good. 

Over the next few weeks, we are going to:

  • Share how we can take the entire App concept and use it for events which will allow events to eventually be paperless.
  • Provide tips on reusable and sustainable event decor and using equipment that uses less power.
  • Discuss how “organic” — sometimes used alternatively with authentic or effortless — can translate into your events at home or at work.  

​This week, we will start on a lighter note (an appetizer of sorts) and share some highlights from one of our recent events where the intention was to blend natural with sparkle. 

On behalf of the rest of the team, have a great rest of the week!

 

- Joyfully,

new series logo

Introduction Topic: “Nature Has the Prettiest Palette”

In a world where bigger is better and anything that glitters is presumed gold, sometimes it is the simplicity of nature that makes the largest impact.

In a recent event, we had an opportunity to design an event that was meant to feel natural, comfortable, and blend in sparkle when possible. 

Use What You Have

No one loves renting awesome event linens, decor, stemware and equipment like we do, but there is a charm in using what you already have.

Although we’ve had our work featured in national publications, those photos are created with perfection in mind…every chair alike, every napkin folded perfectly, lighting is impeccable, and linens are steamed and creased with precision.

For this event, most of the crystal glasses didn’t match and all of the chairs weren’t alike, however it created a sense of authenticity and a ‘realness’ that guests seemed to really enjoy. 

Floral and Greenery

Nothing says nature like living flowers and greenery. You don’t have to be an expert florist to put cut flowers in vases and pots that you absolutely love. 

The Key Is Intention and Planning

To be fair, there is a fine line between ‘eclectic’ and hodge-podge. For the event pictured above, all of the chairs were different and the place settings were different. For us, that was where we drew the line on mix-n-match. The linens, floral arrangements, the vases, candles, menu cards, napkin rings, and other table accessories were built/assembled exactly the same. 

Join Us Next Week

Be sure to check your inbox as we will continue in our “Organic” series with next week’s topic: Paperless


All About Presentation, an event management company for corporate event and milestone celebrations. Based in Richmond, VA with nationwide event planning and design capabilities, All About Presentation has been featured in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney Magazine, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and a host of other blogs and websites!
  Copyright © 2012 All About Presentation. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Current Series


This Week’s Topic: The Successful Tradeshow
Great morning to ya!

It’s tradeshow season…and, as a result, we’ve decided to share some techniques and strategies to help you manage your exhibitions.

Whether you are managing a tabletop exhibit or a 60′x60′ booth space, here are a few best practices to make your show the most effective use of your time. 

On behalf of the entire team, have a great rest of the week.

celebrating 5 years of helping our clients express joy  [2007-2012]

“Our Top 3 Tradeshow Tactics”

Here are our Top 3 Tactics to help ensure a successful tradeshow experience.

What is the message?

Most experienced tradeshow-ers know that getting immediate business from participating in a tradeshow is a very rare thing. We’ve also seen people who try to cover too much during their show. Some of the best experiences happen when we have defined a clear message about the reason we (or one of our clients) is participating in the show.

Whether it is to launch a new product or service, or focus on an existing product or service, staying on message is critically important. 

What’s the Hook?The hook is the action or item that draws people to your booth. We divide a tradeshow booth ‘hook’ into two categories: 

  • Getting people to your booth

​This typically involves making sure that your booth looks fun and entertaining, it’s eye-catching and peaks ones interest. When luring people in to your booth, it’s All About Presentation.

  • Getting people to give-up their contact information

​People will happily give up their information when there is something of value available in return. Something of value could include the ability to win something highly coveted like an iPad 3 or tickets to a live show. 

What’s the Follow-up?

There is a saying “fortune is in the follow-up”. We’ve seen so many people who generate a lot of show traffic and then the adrenaline from the show goes away, and with it, all of the hot leads that they met.

It is so important to understand how the follow-up process is going to work after the show. Asking questions like “is there a social media component we can leverage?” or “can we offer the ability to schedule appointments or send webinar invitations?”, helps to drive the message and the impact of the show.

 

Whatever you do, don’t let your leads die on the tradeshow floor. At minimum, sign them up for your newsletter, friend them on Facebook, or link up on LinkedIn. 

 

Join Us Next Week

Next week we will discuss some Big tradeshow exhibits that make a Big splash! It might get your creative juices flowing. See you soon.

Contact Us:   www.allaboutpresentation.com    |   804-381-4002
All About Presentation, an event management company for corporate event and milestone celebrations. Based in Richmond, VA with nationwide event planning and design capabilities, All About Presentation has been featured in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney Magazine, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and a host of other blogs and websites!

  Copyright © 2012 All About Presentation. All Rights Reserved.

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Current Series

In case you missed it:

Part 1: Downton Abbey Event

This Week’s Topic: Planning for Large Groups
Welcome to March!

Things are really starting to heat up around here, how are things going for you?

Last week, I shared my Go Big Event as an intro to our current series Go Big. As we continue in the series this week with our topic “Considerations for Large Groups”, we share a few ideas to keep in mind when managing events with large numbers of people. 

On behalf of the entire team, have a great rest of the week.

celebrating 5 years of helping our clients express joy  [2007-2012]

“En Masse – Considerations for Large Groups”

There are a number of considerations when planning events for large groups. In fact, it starts with defining what is considered a “large” group. For some, a large group may be considered more than 100 people. For others, especially event management firms, large may be considered 25,000 or more people.

No matter how you define large, here are some of the considerations necessary when planning to host large groups.

 

Food and Beverage

Whereas you and I may enjoy an eclectic menu of ceviche, sushi, and beluga caviar, not all audiences will enjoy it as much. The more people that you have, be careful to select menu options that don’t just suit your fancy but also feature crowd favorites. 

 

Safety and Contingency

For large group events, did you know that many locales have ordinances and restrictions against large group gatherings? In fact, many outdoor large groups require a permit to occur. Additionally, the larger the group, it is best to loop in the fire marshall and emergency medical teams. 

Event Check-In

A major part of the success for large events is how well managed the planning process is for the event. Efficiency is critical in every step. An example of this is when attendees/guests/patrons arrive at the event location, the easy of entry is indicative of the planning. A backup in the check in line for a small event, magnifies exponentially for large events.  Utilizing electronic technology is paramount….at least it is for All About Presentation. We utilize an event check-in app to manage our check-in process. 

Volunteers and Staff

The use of staff and volunteers is really important for large events. For our large events, we have a mild interview process, but the most relevant part of working with volunteers is that everyone is kept in the loop (prior to the event) on their responsibilities. Our recommendation is to conduct at least one, maybe two, pre event conference calls and meetings. 

Join Us Next Week

Next week we will discuss how to engage with large amounts of people during a tradeshow and ways to get Big results from your exhibit experience. See you soon.

Contact Us:   www.allaboutpresentation.com    |   804-381-4002
All About Presentation, an event management company for corporate event and milestone celebrations. Based in Richmond, VA with nationwide event planning and design capabilities, All About Presentation has been featured in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney Magazine, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and a host of other blogs and websites!

  Copyright © 2012 All About Presentation. All Rights Reserved.

Go Big
All About Presentation Logo

Happy Leap Day!

Things are really heating up at All About Presentation. As we enter Women’s History Month, it makes me think about all of the incredible women throughout history, that risked everything (even their lives) for what they believed in. Many of the most respected women in history are most well-known because of their “Go Big or Go Home” mentality.

Inspired by the ‘all or nothing’ approach to life, today, I am thrilled and excited to kick-off a new series called Go Big.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to discuss:

  • Events that stretch the imagination
  • Large scale event considerations
  • Tradeshows and Exhibits – providing 20 second experiences to large groups

This week, we will preface our series with my personal Go Big style event. Taking a sharp turn from our last series Bean Counting – Managing Event Costs this week’s topic is a preview of what a Go Big event would look like if I were given full creative control and a budget that coincides with my imagination.

On behalf of the rest of the team, have a great rest of the week!

 

- Joyfully,

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Introduction Topic: “My Go Big Event”

It is not an unusual conversation when people ask me what my dream event would look like. In fact, not long ago I had an opportunity to create what would be the event of my dreams to coordinate. So, to start the Go Big series, I felt it would be fitting to share my dream with you. 

It starts at the Richmond International Airport. With a quick flight to JFK, my event begins with a hop across the pond to London’s Heathrow Airport.

After sailing through customs, a taxi would take me (and my event participants) to the Waterloo train station, where we would take the 45 minute ride to Fleet station in Hampshire England.

A group of limousines would pick us up from the station and drive us to our beautiful hotel, Four Seasons, Hampshire for rest and relaxation with a walk through the gardens, a treatment at the spa, and afternoon tea.

For dinner, the group would head over to the Highclere Castle, yes the castle made especially famous from the Downton Abbey series. The Highclere Castle which is available for hosting events, would provide an epic location for an amazing dining experience.

The evening would finish with dessert and wine in the sitting parlor.

As you can imagine, the experience of this event would be incredible, one of those once in a lifetime opportunities. Plus, the excitement of planning an event in the Castle would be a professional highlight.

Join Us Next Week

Be sure to check your inbox as we will continue in our “Go Big” series with next week’s topic: En Masse – Considerations for Large Groups

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All About Presentation, an event management company for corporate event and milestone celebrations. Based in Richmond, VA with nationwide event planning and design capabilities, All About Presentation has been featured in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney Magazine, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and a host of other blogs and websites!

    

  Copyright © 2012 All About Presentation. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Current Series

In case you missed it:

Part 1: The Red Zone

Part 2: Control Freak

Part 3: The Sweet Spot

This Week’s Topic: Design on a Dime
Happy Wednesday!

Hope all is well.

Today, we will be ending our series Bean Counting. My sincerest hope is that you’ve enjoyed reading this series and have learned one or two little tidbits that you didn’t know before.

Since this is our last topic in the series, I wanted to do something a little different and treat you to a little after lunch brain break / creative explosion.

Last November we had the opportunity to work with the March of Dimes on its Nurse of the Year Gala. As with many non-profit organizations, there wasn’t a tremendously huge budget for decadent decor. So, we got a little creative and had to design on a dime, pun intended.

In this week’s topic Design on a Dime, we share this (and other) creative success stories.

On behalf of the entire team, have a great rest of the week.

celebrating 5 years of helping our clients express joy  [2007-2012]

“Design on a Dime”

Nurse of the Year Gala – March of Dimes

If you excuse the fact that we took this picture with a cellphone camera, what we love most about this centerpiece idea is that it is made from coffee filters and whiffle balls…no kidding. 

While scouring the web looking for inspiration, we came across this fun idea from a blog post on Me Making Do. For the step-by-step instructions on how to do this, check out the post here

Go Red for Women Luncheon 2010 – American Heart Association

Many folks have seen this picture — it is one of our iconic All About Presentation images. But, did you know that this centerpiece costs us less than $10?

The shoes were on loan from a local shoe retailer, there were only a few roses and baby’s breath used at each table. The platform is actually a plate and bowl provided by the venue, and the little cylinders holding the baby’s breath are made from paper. Sprinkle in a little confetti, multiply the table by 42 and Voila! — a room full of magic.

49th Birthday Party

Who needs Napkin Rings when decorative ribbon is sold by the spool? For this table, we ran low on our budget and couldn’t afford a traditional napkin ring so this glitterati ribbon worked in our favor. Since it made about 12 “rings” per spool, it costs about 33 cents each.

 

Join Us Next Week

(especially all you Downton Abbey Fans)

Next week we will take a major detour from budget conscious and small touches to the world of bold statements and incredible opulence. Next week, we begin our series ,“Go Big”. See you soon.

Contact Us:   www.allaboutpresentation.com    |   804-381-4002
All About Presentation, an event management company for corporate event and milestone celebrations. Based in Richmond, VA with nationwide event planning and design capabilities, All About Presentation has been featured in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney Magazine, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and a host of other blogs and websites!

     

  Copyright © 2012 All About Presentation. All Rights Reserved.