At one point in every event planner’s career, there has been the situation of receiving a final invoice from a venue with added costs that were never included in the budget. This refers to power costs, internet costs, extra catering labour costs, and so on. This is especially problematic when a third party such as a DMC has given an inclusive price to the client and must absorb the extra costs or an in-house planner must go back to their…
News & Articles - Roni Feldman
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When to walk away when planning an event
As an event planner, you are only as good as your last event. If something does not seem right to you, it may be time to walk away. Early on in my career, I learned an important lesson. I had earned a reputation for producing great themed events. A third-party client approached me to plan a themed dinner offsite at an attraction. I sent a proposal and their client was thrilled and approved it as presented. Well, things began to…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Budgeting, Event Operations
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An important question to ask yourself when planning an event: Why?
When designing any special event, there is a very important question that I keep constantly in my mind: Why? Everything I do and all elements must answer ‘the why’. For example, I spend my client’s money as if it were mine. If I would not spend the funds on something myself, then why would I expect the client to spend the funds? Case in point: I produced an incentive program for a client’s President’s Club. The budget was not limited.…
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Information – the most important tool of planning and executing events
The one major tool we have is information. We get our information based on the questions we ask, how information is gathered and how information is distributed. Asking the right questions Whenever I am speaking to a new or previous client, I begin by: Gathering the basic information about the program or event; Asking the client to clearly define the objectives and parting message; Asking where the program or event has been held before (if applicable), what worked and what…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Budgeting, Event Operations, Event Registration, Site Selection
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Finding a creative solution to your meeting or event problem
When faced with planning a meeting or event, get out – look for creative ideas and solutions everywhere. I actually found Jim Carrey in a Toronto comedy club and hired him for a corporate event for a few thousand dollars. I often wonder if the participants remember who entertained them after dinner! Do not necessarily take no for an answer. My client was a sponsor at a convention and she needed a great evening hospitality event for two nights. It…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Operations, Speakers & Entertainment
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Creativity in the meetings and events industry
From where does creativity come? Let me just say, I dislike the phrase ‘thinking outside of the box.’ It means nothing. The sky is the limit. After having produced events with budgets ranging from small to large, I feel qualified to say that your creativity is only limited by your imagination. So, where do you start? Ask the right questions to discover your client’s vision, if they have one. Move on to the objectives, format for the program and demographics…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Operations, Speakers & Entertainment, Special Events
