Throughout our lives, design considerations can be found all around us. An inert object such as your morning coffee mug has been designed to achieve maximum ‘tipping’ comfort, heat retention and “lip appeal.” Similarly, the system or process at a blood donor clinic is “designed” for the donor’s comfort, safety and overall traffic flow of people. Design in each application seeks to create a viable solution to the stated objective. Design, as applied to live events, seeks to blend guest…
Author: Penni Holdham, C.S.E.P.
Penni Holdham, C.S.E.P., graduated from O.C.A. in 1979 and found her calling in the world of special event design. Leading her company, The Display Connection Inc., her design acumen has engineered a myriad of uniquely creative events that have garnered both local and international recognition. Whether designing a fireworks show over Niagara Falls or producing a full-blown competition rodeo for 4,500 guests at an island site, her attention to the detail adds value to her great event designs. She is a hands-on designer engaged in all aspects of prop construction, floral design, and full-room installation, ensuring her event vision comes to life with integrity and panache. Numerous clients celebrate her creativity, enthusiastically returning for original event designs that work. Some clients include McDonald's of Canada, Microsoft, Bayer, Sun Life Financial, and more. Penni is one of Toronto's finest event designers, serving business and corporate clients.
Articles by Penni Holdham, C.S.E.P.
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Internships: A winning proposition
As the school year gears up, many students in their final year of education will be seeking internship positions to complete their studies and gain a “leg up” in the task of finding work. In some cases, a successful internship must be achieved as an essential component embedded in the degree or certificate program being studied. Within any internship relationship, there are two players: the mentor assigned by the business benefactor and the intern seeking to complete their studies with…
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Thinking of reducing prices on your event services? You might want to think again!
In the course of marketing strategies, some small businesses may consider reducing prices or offering a discount as a sales incentive. Two critical questions come to mind. Will lowering the price drive enough sales to make up for the loss of income due to the reduction? Will the current operational structure support the increase in volume of sales driven by discounting? When adopting a price incentive strategy, it is important to understand the variables in profitability and how that impacts…
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Event budget templating: Six reference lists to build your own budget templates
The ROI of special events and meetings is often measured by the financial outcomes reviewed at the conclusion of the event. To achieve a positive outcome, it is essential to accurately project costs and monitor the budget assignment throughout the event delivery process. The successful budget forecaster will establish an organised budget reflecting the wide range of cost factors inherent in the creation and delivery of each event element. A template approach to building and implementing a working budget begins…
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Budgeting for event design
In our world of events, clients are continually seeking innovative solutions for their event needs. These solutions cost money! Across the event spectrum, budgets are as wide as the missions are varied. In all cases, the financial parameters of these events govern the critical decisions made throughout the development and implementation process. Within the ‘financial parameters’ of designing and producing an event, there are critical budgeting tracks to consider. Each ‘parameter’ has its own set of guidelines within the context…
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Design 101 – Understanding event design
The job of designing an event is distinct and different from the job of planning an event. A designer’s right brain creative approach augments the left brain management skills of a planning and meeting professional. In the pursuit of adding something truly special in the live events industry, an event designer is able to develop the event creative and back up their event outline with a solid budget as well as full comprehension of the skill resources needed to produce…
