Top 5 tips for good holiday party planning

With fall being upon us and going strong for almost a month already, it is time to not only go outdoors and enjoy the beautiful colors this season has to offer, but also to plan your office holiday party!

Yep, that's right, it's already time to get into Christmas mode!  I know a lot of people think that it's way too early to start thinking about it, but in all truths, at this date, it's already getting a bit late.  Any event planner will tell you that booking venues for office holiday parties actually starts in early September...some even in August, if you want to secure the best spot!

So how do you make sure you plan the best holiday party?  Well first off, you hire your event planner right away.  This is a very busy season for planners and they get booked up very quickly, so make sure you contact one and secure their services immediately.  A lot of offices don't have anyone assigned to planning their holiday party or simply don't have the time to do it, that is why we event planners are here, to take the pressure off you and let you just sit back and concentrate on your own work instead of worrying about all the details that go into planning a party.

Here are my top 5 tips to help you make sure you plan the best office Christmas party:

1) Start early!  I really can't stress that one enough.  The longer you wait to get started, the less likely you are to get a proper venue or securing the proper suppliers, including your event planner.
2)Set a budget: This is another key element that should never be overlooked.  It is crucial to have a budget set up beforehand, so that you know exactly what you (or your planner) has to work with.  The budget can range immensely and will determine exactly what type of party you can plan. Some companies have a pre-set budget for holiday parties, others have no budget at all.  If the latter is the case and you really want to throw a holiday party, the best way to do this is to build your own holiday fund which means that every employee contributes out of their own pocket to fund the party.  I've actually had to do this in a previous job, and although at first employees were reticent about it...understandably, you don't want to have to pay for your own office party.  But after a while, most of them came around because they just really wanted to have a party, let loose a little and celebrate with their colleagues.  The advantage of having employees contribute to their party is that you can pretty much plan it the way you want, you don't have any of the restrictions that a lot of corporate parties tend to have.
3) Shop around:  Make sure you get several different quotes from your suppliers, don't just take the first one that you found because you are pressed for time!  You will see that prices really vary from one supplier to the next, so don't get swayed with just one because he seems to be cheaper than all the others.  Do your research and make sure that you get quoted for everything you are asking for...watch out for those hidden fees!  Those little extras can really boost your invoice total in the end, so always read the fine print.
4) Learn to negotiate: Once you've gotten your quotes, don't be shy to try and negotiate a better price.  Whether it's the venue, the caterer, the DJ or the decorator, try negotiating with them and see if you can't get them to come down in price, or to add certain elements as extras without charging more for them.  Many suppliers will gladly oblige; keep in mind, they want your business, so if throwing in an extra crab cake or extra curtains in there will secure your business, most suppliers are happy to do it.
5) Make it fun!  This one is the last point, but certainly not the least important. I've been to several office parties in my day and i can tell you that they have not all been fun.  some were extravagant and some were just down right boring.  Those ones were usually the ones that ended very early and left me without any fond memories to speak of.  When planning your budget, always to try to have some money set aside for games or activities.  This always gets the party going and is sure to provide employees with a good memory of their holiday party.

Gift exchanges are always fun, you can do a secret Santa type of thing, or plan one of those gift stealing activities, where everyone buys something between say 10$ & 20$, and then you pick names out of a hat, and each person has the opportunity to pick a gift from the pile (they should all be wrapped of course) and then when your name is picked you have the choice of picking a gift from the table or stealing someone else's gift if you think they have a better gift. this goes round and round until everyone has a gift, and only then can they all open them.

So there you have it, my best advice to help you with your holiday party planning.  If you haven't started planning your office party yet, get going now, stay on top of things, stay organized and most of all have fun!  It is definitely a lot of work, but in the end you'll be able to reap the benefits of all your hard work and enjoy your party as well as having the satisfaction of knowing you helped your fellow employees decompress and have a great holiday season.

Spring in to your Bachelorette or Graduation party!

Spring is the season of rebirth and happiness; The flowers are starting to bloom, the buds on the trees are growing, the snow is melting and the sun and rise in temperatures bring us a good dose of happiness and cheer.  Because our winters are so long, most of us Canadians await this season with much anticipation.

Other than flowers and trees blooming, spring is also the season for bachelorette and graduation parties.  Spring is one of the most popular seasons for weddings, next to fall, and while you are planning all of those last details for your wedding, you cannot forget your bachelorette party.  You've probably already got a wedding planner to help you plan your wedding, but is that same planner helping you or your bridal party plan your bachelorette party?  If not, then you should get on that quickly.  Most people lead very busy lives, especially people that are planning their wedding, so planning a bachelorette party is also too time consuming for the average bride.  That's what your event planner is there for...namely me!  My job and greatest passion in life is planning events, and I am there to make sure that your event goes off stress free and without a hitch.  Usually it would be your Maid of honour who would be planning your bachelorette party, so get her started and point her in my direction so I can help her plan the best and most memorable party in your honour.  Don't be afraid to say exactly what you want for your party, as this is your day and you deserve to get everything you want out of your bachelorette party, it's supposed to be your big send off from the single life, so might as well go out with a bang.

Another can't-miss springtime event to plan is your graduation party!  Whether you're graduating from University, College or High school, you need to celebrate your months of hard work and achievements and ring in the spring in style.  You can plan a graduation party on almost any budget, from a small to-do in your home, to a bigger bash in a rented venue, the important thing is that you let loose and have fun and embrace the fact that you are done with the books, either for the summer or for good.  Don't wait until you're actually finished school to plan your party though, because a lot of venues are already booked up, and your choices may be limited, the longer you wait.  Start planning now, and this will just bring on the anticipation of graduating and give you something fun to look forward to.

So whether you are getting married or graduating or simply ready to say good bye to winter and greet spring in style, there is always a good excuse to plan a party in the spring.  How about you, what is your favorite thing to plan during the springtime?

A great day for a parade!

Yesterday was the annual St. Patrick's day parade in Montreal, and it was the warmest day we've had in years for this parade.  I hadn't gone to this parade in about 20 years and I think I picked the perfect year to attend.

I had forgotten how much fun this day can be, there is a great party atmosphere and all around  camaraderie.  Many people make this an annual gathering, giving each other a general meeting spot followed by good times and cheer.  This is one of the few times in Montreal where you can have a beer on the streets without repercussion and watch as the various floats and paraders go by.  Yesterday was a particularly spectacular day, the sun was shining and the temperatures rose to +22 degrees!  Now that is a perfect day for a parade.  The party continued well after the parade was over as you walked East on St-Catherine street and headed towards the many Downtown bars and pubs.  The terraces were so packed that people were just spilling out onto the streets, dancing, drinking beer and just enjoying one of the most beautiful days we've had here in months.

I've compiled a few photos of my St. Patrick's parade experience after a 20 year absence, and I can honestly say that after yesterday, I will definitely be going a lot more often from now on.  You can view this slide show here:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/anniecurran/sets/72157629619510079/show/

Cheers!  Or as we would say in Gaelic Sláinte!

The work in Networking

Having started up my freelance business of Event Planning again recently, I've been doing a lot of research on how to go about meeting people and acquiring new clients and getting my name out there.  One of the tools that I have found to be extremely helpful is Social Media.  Gone are the days where a business owner has to go door-to-door to present their services, or even distributing flyers on windshields and whatnot.  Managing all of your social media channels is a job in itself and is quite time consuming, so you really have to be ready to put in a lot of time to do this.  But in the end I think it's a great way to market yourself at no cost to you except for your time.

The other thing that I've discovered is that networking events are a great way to meet potential clients.  This is all very new to me, as until this week, I had never attended any networking events before, and I was frankly a bit nervous about it.  When I was younger, public speaking was one of my biggest fears, and attending networking events made me nervous because of exactly that.  It's nerve racking to just go up to people and introduce yourself, but I've had to really get over that fear, and honestly, the more I do it, the easier it gets.

Courtesy of Evenkai
http://evenkai.ca/event/meex5/

The two networking events I attended this week were both very different from one another which is great because it really gave me an idea of what to expect for those different types of events.  The first one was more of a networking 5 à 7 type of thing called MEEX which was hosted by Evenkai.  The formula is a good one; you pay $18.50 for a ticket, which gives you the entrance fee, some snacks and drinks and you get to hear a speaker talk about different subjects.  This one in particular had Sandy Sidhu presenting 'I ''liked you'', what's next?' which was a very interesting talk about social media and building good relationships online and offline.  My take on this type of networking event was that it was a nice place to socialize, but i'm not sure that this is where you'll make the most business contacts because of the more cocktail party atmosphere.  But nevertheless, I actually enjoyed my first networking event and would probably attend other ones like this in the future.

Courtesy of www.scena.ca

The second networking event I attended was in relation to the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and was called SME Network Mornings held at Scena in the Old Port of Montreal.  This was a members only networking event which was in a round table setting with 10 people per table.  I thoroughly enjoyed this event because in my opinion this was far more lucrative for business relations and an exchange of business cards and contacts.  Everyone at the table gets about 5 minutes to introduce themselves and their company and what they do exactly and what they hope to achieve with this networking event.  No two company is the same or from the same background, so you are assured not to have a bunch of other people that offer the same services as you do at your table. I was hesitant about becoming a member of the Board of trade because I wasn't sure that the cost of membership would end up paying for itself with the contacts I would make.  But just from this first networking event, I believe that I made the right decision in becoming a member and I really have high hopes that this will really help get my business into high gear and acquire all kinds of new clients.

So all in all networking is definitely a lot of work, but I feel that it's work that will totally pay off in the end and I plan to attend a lot more of these events to really get a feel for it and to get my business rolling in the right direction.

St. Patrick's day Montreal

A few weeks ago, I started writing articles for the site Examiner.com, and I've actually grown to really love writing.  Luckily I get to write about event planning in Montreal, which is my greatest passion.  Writing a blog and writing articles are actually quite different, and I am loving the challenge I get from writing articles.  I have certain guidelines to follow which is good, because it allows me to write differently for both my articles and my blog entries.

To read up on things to do for St. Paddy's day this coming weekend in Montreal, click on my latest article ''Planning for St. Patrick's day in Montreal'' for ideas on what to do to soak in all that Irish spirit and really feel Irish for at least one day!

Happy St. Patrick's day to all my fellow Irishman near and far!

 

Things to do in Montreal to beat those winter blahs - Part 2

Seeing as it is snowing profusely in Montreal at this very moment, I couldn't think of a better day to post the second part of my 2 part series.  Today is March 1st, and I don't know about everyone else, but I've had enough of winter already.  Getting 10 to 20 cm of snow on March 1st, just makes it feel like winter is just starting all over again, and spring just seems that much further away.  To paint you a picture, here is the view outside my window right now:

March 1st 2012 - Montreal

So what can we do to beat those blahs that have settled in until we finally get our first glimpse of spring?  Here are a few suggestions that might do the trick:

5) Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or inner-tubing on the mountain

Photo credit: lemontroyal.qc.ca

Who says you have to drive miles out of the city to enjoy all those winter sports.  Mont-Royal, or 'The Mountain' as we like to call it, offers the possibility to practice many of these winter favorites, in the heart of the city.  You can rent all the necessary equipment at the Lac aux Castors pavilion, located at the center of the mountain.  The pavilion is easily accessible by foot or by car.  The rental counter is open Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. until March 12th depending on snow conditions.  More details at http://bit.ly/i10B7i.


6) Attending a show

Photo credit: © 2010 Cirque du Soleil inc.

The circus is in town...The Cirque du Soleil that is. One of their latest shows Michael Jackson: The immortal World Tour is a visual masterpiece  that is not only riveting but also a great tribute to the late king of pop.  The first concert I ever attended as a child was a Michael Jackson concert at the Olympic Stadium, and I was mesmerized back then, so I can only imagine how incredible this show promises to be.  The show is on in Montreal March 20th, 21st & 22nd only. For tickets and more information got directly to the site http://bit.ly/ayFpp7.


7) How about a little art and culture

Photo credit: © Biosphère,
Environment Museum

Montreal is a very culturally rich city, with so much to offer that it's hard to choose just one cultural event to attend, so I'll have to suggest a few.  For all you environmentally conscious people, the ONE - Outfits from a New Era exhibit at the Montreal Biosphere is an original exhibit that showcases several different outfits fashioned from, well...trash basically. The artists behind these outfits found a creative way to show their love for the environment with pieces such as a Bullet Dress made with 2,000 shotgun shells, or the Caustic Swimsuit made of 1,200 batteries.  This is a must see exhibit to get a feel of what can be done with things that we would normally throw away without a second thought. http://bit.ly/ieXGp1.

Photo credit: Natalia Matsak

 
Another heartwarming cultural outing is a night out at the ballet.  Les Grands Ballets Canadiens is presenting Swan Lake March 8th to 11th at Place des Arts in the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. A beautiful, timeless classic for any ballet lover.  For tickets and info check out the site http://bit.ly/hzy6K3.

Photo credit: ©Suzanne Held

 
For a little international culture, don't miss the Colours of India exhibition at the Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History.  A colourful trip through landscapes, ethnicity, traditions and beliefs of Indian culture presented with photographs and artifacts that are true to India.  The exhibit runs until April 22nd 2012 and you can visit the site for more details: http://bit.ly/qG04aP.






8) Throw a tropical theme party

Taken from vezinapartycentre.com
Item no. 55982

If you can't get away to the Tropics in the winter, why not bring the tropics to you.  An excellent way to do this is to throw a Tropical theme party.  The beauty of this type of party is that you can keep it low-key and do it at home or do it up grand and rent a space and throw a mega party-of-all-parties! You can find all kinds of theme decorations and party favours at your local party store.  The best one I know of in the city is Vezina Party Centre on Metropolitain Blvd East near Langelier.  You'll find everything there from Grass Hula skirts, inflatable Palm trees to Mexican Sombreros and even Tropical Back drops to really give it that tropical feel.  Check out the selection of products at www.vezinapartycentre.com.



So there really isn't a lack of things to do in Montreal to beat those winter blahs, you just have to get out there and pick one, or all of them.  I'm sure that participating in some of these activities will not only chase away those blues, but also help make the winter go by just a little bit faster.

How about you, what do you plan to do to chase away those blues?


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Things to do in Montreal to beat those winter blahs - Part 1

As February comes to an an end, all of us Montrealers are really starting to get anxious for winter to end and spring to rear it's beautiful head.  The winters here are long, and even though this winter has actually been much more bearable than winters past, those winter blahs are starting to kick in.  Some people like myself, are lucky enough to have the opportunity to escape the winter for a short time and take a trip to a sunny destination.  It is amazing what even just a week away from the cold and snow and in the sun and sand can do for your morale.  A healthy dose of vitamin D is one of the great ways to cut the winter somewhat short.

Some people however aren't as lucky, and simply cannot get away to sunny beaches and absorb all that vitamin D, so how can we beat those blahs and keep busy until spring finally makes it's first appearance?  Here are a few things to do in and around Montreal to get your mind off winter and get you ready to spring forward into the upcoming season:

1) The Montreal Highlights Festival - February 16th to 26th 2012

Photo credit: Victor Diaz-Lamich
for Festival Montréal en Lumière
All rights reserved.

This is a huge annual winter festival drawing over 900,000 people, that is meant to get you to experience the joys of winter.  There are several different activities for all tastes combining art, food and many free outdoor activities.  Some of the free outdoor activities include many fun, family favorites such as an Urban Slide; A giant outdoor slide about 110 meters long, with sound and lighting effects to regale everyone young and old.  For those in search of a bit less of an adrenaline rush, there are various gourmet stopovers in various locations around the site, that are sure to please any fine pallet.

Even though this event has just ended, you can check out all of the activities associated with this great 10 day Winter Festival, to titillate you for next year's event on the festival website www.montrealenlumiere.com.


2) 'Papillons en Liberté' (Butterflies go Free) - February 16th to April 29th 2012

Photo courtesy of
montrealspaceforlife.ca

Probably one of the most beautiful and interesting exhibitions this city has to offer in the dead of winter, Butterflies go Free is a great family outing that consists of over 2,000 different butterflies and moths flying freely in two greenhouses attached to the Montreal Botanical Gardens.  This exhibit is held indoors, so you can visit it any time, no matter what the weather outside is like.  Easily accessible by metro and a minimal entrance fee, this event will surely make you forget about winter at least for an afternoon.  Check out the website http://bit.ly/wiAyn7 for more details.






3) An then there was light! - Ongoing

Photo credit: Stéphan Poulin

This may not be that much needed natural sunlight or that dose of vitamin D, but in my eyes it's the next best thing.  This visually stunning light and sound show takes you on a historical journey of the history of this grand Montreal monument that is renowned world wide for its impressive architecture.  Construction of this magnificent structure began in 1824, and took over 15 years to be fully completed.  Don't miss this beautiful journey through time.  For more information on showtimes and ticket prices go directly to the website www.therewaslight.ca.



4) A good old Ice Skating Party at Parc Lafontaine

Photo courtesy of bonjourquebec.com

Anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike winter, however, I have to admit that a good old Ice Skating party at Parc Lafontaine when the weather is nice, is a surefire way to lift my spirits.  Skating on that little water way on a sunny day is a fun way to not only beat the winter blahs, but also to get some fresh air and exercise.  If you don't have skates, don't worry, there is a skate rental facility inside the connected chalet that can accommodate you and your entire family at minimal cost.  Afterwards you can warm up at the chalet with a piping hot mug of hot chocolate to refuel.

As you can see there is no lack of things to do in Montreal even in the wintertime.  Stay tuned later on this week for part 2 of my series of Things to do in Montreal to beat those winter blues.  Now go out and enjoy what's left of winter!

Great promotional gift ideas

Whether you're planning a corporate event, a wedding or a family gathering, It's always a nice touch to give away a little gift or souvenir at the end of your event. It's that little extra something that can make a good event great! Here are a few ideas for nice gifts to show your guests just how much you appreciate them:

1) Miniature camera for the gadget lover

Photo & description from hammacher.com

This is the world's smallest digital camera, measuring just over one inch in all dimensions and weighing only half an ounce. Providing automatic focus, it uses a 2 MP image sensor that takes still images at 1600 x 1200 resolution and captures video at 30 fps at 640 x 480 resolution. Images are taken as JPEGs and videos as AVIs, both saved onto an included 2 GB microSD card (supports up to 32 GB cards).  Impressive results for such a small unit and at only $59.95, this item is sure to impress all of your guests.  To order, simply click here.





2) Luggage tag for the travel bug

Photo & description from buzzlush.com

Make your luggage stand out on the turnstile with this unique piece. Unsnap, slide your info in and you're off to you next destination!

At only $10 a piece, this is the most affordable gift that is not only practical but attractive too!  Click here to get one today.





3) An always handy Flash Drive

Photo & description from anopportunityknocks.com

8 Gb Wine Bottle Style Flash Drive.  This great branding power, logo'd product is used everyday to store pictures, music, data. This is a must have for anyone who's ever been at a meeting or event and needed to download or upload something and didn't have a flash drive to do it.  This is a great way to promote your company or event with your very own ''Wine label''.  Click here for pricing details.





4) 4 in 1 Ruler Pen

Photo & description from uncommongoods.com

Simplify your desk and your pockets with this super-thin innovative ruler pen that features an orange highlighter, a black ballpoint pen, a pencil and a PDA stylus all in one.  No more searching for your pen or stylus, this item has it all wrapped up into one 5.63" L x .34" W package.  Click here for pricing and additional options.








5) Personalized Clip Hand Sanitizer

Photo & description from mapleleafpromotions.com

Wholesale Custom Clip Hand Sanitizer Personalized or Blank. Inexpensive, Promotional. 15 ml -0.55 Oz., in EVA case. This is a perfectly inexpensive way to ward off all those germs that one can come into contact with in a day. I know that I've often needed some of this when I just couldn't get to a bathroom to wash my hand. The small packaging is super convenient and can clip on anywhere. Prices starting at $1.29, this is definitely one item I would love to get my HANDS on at an event! Click here for all the details.



So there you have it, 5 great gift ideas for all types of events, that can accommodate budgets big and small.

Got more gift ideas? Share them with me in the comments section!

Acquiring clients is no easy task!

I've searched for years and years for the perfect job for me and after a lot of hardships and wrong turns, I've finally found my passion and the one thing that I am really good at...Event Planning.

My title at my last job was event manager and I thought this would be my chance to really shine and grow my passion for event planning and coordination. Although I had some good opportunities there, this just wasn't enough because this place was a retail store and they only threw 1 big event per year. Thankfully I was lucky enough to see this event through from beginning to end and loved every minute of it. This was a huge 3 day trade show type of event and It was right up my alley to prove my exceptional organizational skills and really show my true passion for organizing and planning events. The event was an enormous success and everyone involved praised my skills and said how this was the best year for this event, that it was so much better organized than previous years. I was thrilled with the outcome and couldn't wait to do more of these events. However, unfortunately this company took a different turn and many things happened within our department that were just not right for me and so, once again, I chose to leave this job and try my hand at freelancing one more time.

My biggest challenge at this point and time is still trying to acquire clients. I've done a bit of advertising in a newspaper, online and created a professional page on Facebook and got my personal website back up and running but so far I haven't gotten any results. I got an e-mail from someone looking for a quote, but this person also CC'd about 20 other event planners for a quote, and I haven't heard anything back. I got a call while I was on vacation from someone who I thought might be a potential client, but when I called the person back and left a message, they were no longer there and they still haven't returned my call. I have one more resource that I may be able to use who is an expert PR person. If I can manage to work out a deal with this person where I could pay her by commission with the first job that she would bring in, then this could potentially work out really well. Other than that, I am not a PR professional and therefore am still not quite sure how to go about getting new clients.

If anyone out there has any good tips for building a client list, than please don't be shy and communicate these tips to me, I need all the help I can get.