Portland Event Planner

Voting open for NW Meetings and Events Best of 2012

2012-01-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

Event professionals in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho can show their appreciation for their favorite meeting venues and services in the pages of Northwest Meetings and Events magazine. Voting is now open for the magazine's "Best of 2012", where hotels, attractions, and service providers can be nominated for the Readers' Choice Best of Awards.

Make sure to cast your vote before the deadline on February 24th.

{ Be a Better Event Planner } Handling client email

2011-08-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Wrapping up a recent corporate event, I noticed that there were 258 emails in the folder I had set aside for this client. I'm sure there will be a few more when you take into account post-event recaps and invoices. Even with the low, conservative estimate of five minutes spent working on each emailed request or action item, that's almost 21 hours of event planning work based on emails alone. In reality it's probably far more.

As an event planner, are you accounting for the work you do over email when you are estimating the job for the client and planning out your workflow? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks to Ramberg Media Images for the graphic.

Blogging for your Event Planner Business

2011-07-20T12:43:00.001-07:00

EJP Events is no stranger to event planner blogging - and Special Events magazine noticed that today, asking us to share some thoughts about why an event planner would blog and what's in it for them as a business.

You can read the entire article, "Event Pros Who Make Blogs Pay Off" at Special Events Magazine's website. Thanks to editor Lisa Hurley for reaching out to us and quoting us in the article.

Photo credit: Ed Yourdon on Flickr

Favorite iPhone apps for Event Planners

2011-06-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Planning an event is so much easier with a smartphone, don't you agree? While I know there are lots of choices out there, it seems the tool of choice in the special events world is, surprise, surprise -- the iPhone from Apple. I thought it would be fun to make a list of the apps I can't seem to live without, and see if you all agree.

- Sunrise, Sunset Does what it says on the box. Calculates sunrise and sunset times. Perfect if your client is wondering if they need additional lighting, or if they'll get enough use out of their candles or twinkle lights.

- TideApp if you're doing an event on the beach, you need a tide table! Otherwise your wedding ceremony or employee picnic could end up with cold, wet, feet!

- SoundLevel Never get busted again, keep the neighbors happy, and stay on the good side of the law. This app is a decibel meter. Simply stand at the borders of your event and check to make sure you are within the legal limits (usually 80 dB within a city).

- Google Apps (Calendar, gmail, Tasks, Documents) Not specifically for event planning, but oh so helpful to have your calendar, email, and task list in the cloud so you can check it at any time. You can also share with employees or contractors at different levels of security so everyone has the latest updates.

- Bar Stocker I might be cheating a little bit, since this is my own app. But it was so annoying to open Excel every time I wanted to calculate how much liquor, beer, and wine I needed for my upcoming events. Bar Stocker lets you input number of guests, length of event, season, and type of attendees and does all the work for you.

- AccuWeather Premium . Critical for your outdoor events, for travel, and just all around good to know weather information. I pay additional for the premium service so I can get a detailed 15-day-forecast.

- Tally Counter How many people actually attended the event? Tally Counter lets you stand in the back and click as you count heads.

- iHandy Level Is that picture of the retirement party honoree level? Is the arbor you're setting up perfectly straight? This app makes use of the iPhone accelerometer so you can check.

and of course, what busy event planner could live without...
- Chipotle Ordering
I'm only half kidding. If it weren't for Chipotle on those on-the-go days I wonder what I would eat.

What are your favorite special event planning iPhone apps? Do please share!

Email etiquette tip: the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field

2009-11-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here's an email etiquette tip some may not know: when you CC: (Carbon Copy) an email to a list of unrelated contacts from your regular account, it is considered to be poor etiquette. This is because all who receive the email will then be able to view each other's private email addresses. Your contacts may or may not wish to have their personal or work email broadcast far and wide, and it's safer to assume that they would rather not.

Next time, use the "BCC:" (Blind Carbon Copy) function to send an email like this. Put your own email address in the TO: field, which sends it to yourself. Put the list of email addresses that you're sending to in the BCC: field to keep everyone's email private.

Technorati short code: 6PRGAEPTKZCY

Need a deal on event space? Ecotrust is offering Community Grants to nonprofits

2009-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am often contacted by non-profit groups looking for a planner to help them find affordable meeting and event space. Community groups should note that Ecotrust is offering Community Grants for just this purpose.

http://www.ecotrust.org/events/community_grant2010.html

I love that one of the preferential criteria is "Events that are unabashedly hopeful in nature"!

Note that Community Grants cover the cost of space rental only, but not support services such as catering or rentals.

Deadline is January 21, 2010, so get cracking.

What your Facebook and Twitter savvy says about your business

2009-11-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

We've recently seen several colleagues of ours in the event industry fall victim to the common "phishing" attacks on Facebook and Twitter. These attacks pose several problems for event planners beyond the immediate inconvenience that one might imagine.

Because so many event planners accept business contacts, clients, peers, and suppliers into their Facebook friends list, a compromised account represents much more than a minor inconvenience. Getting your Facebook account phished or hacked not only is an annoyance to your friendslist, but hurts your credibility with your business contacts with whom you are connected. Some compromised accounts have been sending me spam messages for weeks. If you are trying to build a trusted event planning brand, it can really hurt you to look like a social media newbie.

Bottom line: don't click on links you don't trust. If a Facebook or Twitter contact who is normally professional in manner suddenly sends you a message with poor spelling or questionable content, especially with links to purported videos or pictures of you, do not click. It's likely their account has been compromised, and if you click, yours will be too. Never enter your Facebook or Twitter password on external sites you are not sure of. Check with your IT department, or a knowledgeable friend before signing up for any services. Change your password immediately if you think you've been compromised. If you can't seem to get rid of he attacks, it may make sense to have your account deactivated and start anew.

In addition to avoiding phishing and hacking, consider how the following actions affect your reputation in the event planner and social media community:

- If you play Facebook games like Farmville, L'il Green Patch, or Twitter games like Mafia Wars, or even simple quizzes like "What kind of Drunk are you?", consider before clicking on links that invite your friends list if your contacts include business and event planning contacts. Do your clients and associates really want to know you're playing these games in the middle of the day?

- If you get too many requests, there's no harm in choosing the "Ignore" button. No one will be offended if you don't accept their 45th "Causes" invitation; in fact, many users don't know that they can skip the Invite Friends function on most Facebook applications. Remember that you can accept a request to participate in an application and SKIP the invite function. You can take a quiz without posting it to your Wall or involving your entire friends list.

- If you're worried about business contacts seeing too much personal information, why not set up a Fan Page for your business and keep your personal profile private? You can always set different profile groups in your personal profile and limit their access to your personal profile so you can still accept "Friend" requests from all contacts out of courtesy. At the same time you can control who can see your personal photos -- so your business contacts aren't subjected to photos of your big night out at the bar in their home feed. Caveat: nothing posted to the Internet is ever truly secure, no matter what a site might tell you, so be careful what you post, even if you use limited or locked profile lists.

Image courtesy benstein on flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88526923@N00/ / CC BY 2.0

MerchantCircle Small Business Confidence Poll

2009-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

MerchantCircle.com recently published its Merchant Confidence Survey and the results are interesting:

48.3% of respondents agreed with the statement "My business will survive the recession."

57.9% of respondents said YES to the statement, "If you had to start all over again, would you start your business in today's economic climate?"

86.4% of respondents said they were familiar with Twitter, while only 65.9% said they were familiar with LinkedIn.

For the full report, follow this link to MerchantCircle.com's Merchant Confidence Survey 2009.

5 Signs Your Special Event Trade Show Booth Needs Help

2009-10-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samgalison/ / CC BY 2.0

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Bravo! Live Showcase of Oregon's event and hospitality professionals. Held annually, it's easily the largest showcase of its kind in Oregon, so it's a great place to find out what's new in special events and hospitality in our region.

One thing that surprises me though, is how there are always a few, at this show and others, who ignore some basic rules of trade show success. Could it have been you? Here are 5 Signs Your Special Event Trade Show Booth Needs Help:

1. You put the table provided by the convention center across the entrance to your booth, between you and your audience. Doing so creates a physical barrier you and the face-to-face interaction you hope to have.

2. You are using only the existing convention hall overhead lighting to light your booth. Convention hall lighting is extremely variable; often too bright or too dim, and almost always fluorescent and unflattering. Bringing in a few inexpensive lighting fixtures serves to highlight your product, decor, or signage.

3. Your booth reps are talking on mobile phones, texting, eating, or otherwise not ready to do business. Remember, you have about 12 seconds to get the attention of those streaming past your booth. If an attendee gets the subconscious signal that no one is interested in speaking to them, it's that much easier to pass on by.

4. You haven't created a "hook" or "angle" to explain to people why you are even at this show. (Note: "We have a hotel" doesn't count. What makes your hotel/product/service different from the five others that are offering the same thing? Why should you be remembered?)

5. You did not pre-market your appearance at the show to your existing list OR you are not taking leads in your booth OR you are not planning to follow up in a timely manner after the show with the folks you met or who gave you their info. You can't rely on the few physical hours day-of-event to fully return your marketing investment at a trade show; you must also leverage your show participation before, during, and after. You can even do the "during" outside the walls of the show using social media.

Note that this is 5 signs your Special Event trade show booth needs help; when you're marketing to event planners, you have an obligation to show how your product, service, or venue will make their special event truly special and outside the box. Exhibitors in other industries get an easier pass on some of these issues, but everyone can benefit from these tips.

Event pros, step it up so you'll never have to worry if this list applies to you.

To automate or not to automate?

2009-10-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

(Image thanks to D'Arcy Norman via Flickr.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnorman/ / CC BY 2.0)

With the escalating popularity of social media sites, I hear a lot of advice, especially in the wedding and event biz, about automating your social media feed.

This can consist of pre-scheduling tweets on Twitter, or scheduling blog posts in advance, or linking accounts with ping.fm or other services, so one status update can show across several services, just to name a very few. Many of these services are great timesavers and used wisely, can make the task of social media for business more of a pleasure.

However, I would caution business owners to remember the "social" aspect of social media. Those whose only contribution to Twitter is the RSS feed of their blog, for example, run the risk of looking like they're only in it for themselves. Especially when said blog is simply a roster of products or services for sale and contains little real advice or education for prospective readers. If you're wondering why you have few followers, no blog comments, low blog stats, and little interaction, take a hard look at what you're putting out there and ask yourself, "Is this interesting to the type of people I'd like to interact with, and is it worth a response?"

Whether you choose to automate or not, make sure you keep the social in social media by interacting, reposting/retweeting, and assisting; the same as any good business owner would do in non-online life.

Job sharing in hospitality management

2009-10-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've recently heard about several new openings at local Portland venues and hotels, and the turnover/chaos that inevitably accompanies these vacancies. At the same time, I talk to many traditional and non-traditional university students who are having challenges finding a hospitality position that can work with their university schedule.

Job sharing works in other industries; is it being used to its full benefit in hospitality? I could see a Catering Manager job share where two professionals, for example, one being a work-outside-the-home parent, and the other, a student going back to finish a professional degree. They could split a schedule and service groups better and with more energy than a single Catering Manager could, working the traditional 7am - 7pm, 6-day a week schedule that is often found in our industry.

This method could save hotels money, increase productivity, improve service to clients, without adding the cost of another position. In addition, hotels would have a wider and more diverse pool of candidates from which to choose, also increasing the likelihood of finding the perfect personality and experience fit for their property.

Are you seeing job sharing used in hospitality? Please comment here and let me know.

Battery operated LED Lighting for events

2009-10-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my email box is overwhelming, but I love getting some of vendor newsletters with great new products. CORT Event Furnishings just sent this one featuring their new Luna Line with modular, battery-operated LED lighted furniture. So fun!

Event Planning, Wedding Planning, and High School Job Shadows

2009-10-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

At this time of year, I also get a lot of calls from high schoolers desiring job shadows. I think this is a great idea and can be a worthwhile experience for the student, but for a busy planner it can almost be overwhelming to try and convey the concept of who we are and what we do in a one-day experience, which is what a lot of students are asking for. I even have schools asking for a one-hour job shadow. Unfortunately, it would take ten times the amount of hours to prepare a useful curriculum, than what the student and I would actually spend together, based on what schools and students are asking. So I usually decline.

One thing that I think would make high school job shadows more appealing to event planners would be if, rather than a one-hour or one-day event, students would treat their job shadow just as importantly as a varsity sport or other extracurricular activity such as Debate, Math Club, etc., and plan on signing up for at least a 90-day experience, perhaps with four to ten hours per week spent on working for their job mentor. This way, both the student and the mentor can benefit from the experience. And event planners would be more likely to accept more students.

Applying for an event planning internship

2009-09-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

I receive many requests for event planning internships and job shadows. It is not possible to accommodate the torrent of requests that come in every fall and spring. How can a candidate differentiate themselves and get a call back?

I think a compelling cover or opening inquiry letter is key. A phone call may not get picked up, or your call may come at the wrong time (planner on the way to the meeting, onsite at an event, working from home with children, etc.) In addition, event planners tend to be on the more traditional side when it comes to etiquette (we are asked to be managers of protocol and guest experiences, after all) and a phone call can feel far too casual.

I saw an internship request come across The Bridal Loft's inbox the other day that I thought was very well written. It asked all the right questions, and positioned the candidate as someone who was truly interested in what her target desired in an internship. This is very different from the common mistakes of starting a cover letter or inquiry with a bunch of "all about me" information and meaningless superlatives ("It is my lifelong dream to work in the wedding industry"). You can bet I noticed this person.

My name is XXXXXX and I am an XXXXXXXXXXX student at XXX. Time is soon coming to apply for internships and I am very interested in yours. I would love to know what you expect from your interns and what you will be looking for in portfolios and resumes. When would be the right time to apply and what method would you prefer. Would you rather an online portfolio or a printed copy? I was also wondering if this was a paid internship or purely for the joy of the experience. Thank you so very much for your time and I hope to hear back from you soon.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXXXX

Image thanks to ehow.com

National Federation of Nurses Launch

2009-04-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight we're blogging live from the National Federation of Nurses Launch Party in Portland, Oregon. We're going green with the guest book and letting our attendees sign in with comments! Also, allowing our remote attendees to twitter with the #nfn09 hashtag and text to http://tinyurl.com/nfnlaunch with their congratulatory messages.

Please join us by leaving a comment for this wonderful new nurses' union!

ISES Portland March meeting - "Pimp My Warehouse!"

2009-03-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today I attended the International Special Events Society (Portland chapter in formation) monthly meeting. ISES is a group near and dear to my heart, as it is the organization that provided me with so much education, networking, and the kick start to my business, when I first had the idea of creating my own event company back in 1997 in Austin.

When I moved my business to Portland in 2002, I was astounded at the event talent here, and equally astounded that there was not an ISES chapter. In 2004, a group of event planners including Molli of Soiree, Olivia (then of West Coast Event Productions, now of Hotel Lucia), Susan of Class Act Events, and me, began a founders' group to investigate the idea of creating an ISES chapter in Portland. Our board of directors has changed and grown, and continually impresses me with the level of talent and professionalism that I have access to through ISES.

At that time, there was lukewarm interest and a few naysayers. We were told that there were many networking organizations "doing the same thing" in Portland and that we might not achieve our membership goals. But I knew in my heart that the vibe of ISES is different, the mission of ISES is unique, and that someday there would be a place in Portland for an ISES chapter.

Fast forward to 2009, where our "Pimp My Warehouse" event attracted nearly 80 attendees and brought together such amazing names as West Coast Drape, Henry V Events, Peter Corvallis Productions, A Swank Affair, Hollywood Lighting, Stages Northwest, and Royce's Prop Shop to collaborate on creating a gorgeous nightclub out of an auto dealership. Even though it was lunchtime, many of our attendees wished that there were cocktails and that we could stay all afternoon and network in the cozy space. It is a testament to the good that can come of having a vision and sticking with it. I know that Portland and the events community at large will benefit from this creative, collaborative, and passionate organization.

I'm posting a few pictures here taken from my phone, but I am eagerly awaiting the professional pics from Michael at West Coast Drape, who I met for the first time at this event (even though I have worked with WCD at several events). The energy at the event was so amazing, and I had so many great conversations with events friends old and new: Premiere Catering, KTDid Productions, Bravo Publications, Vibrant Table Catering, Alesia Zorn Calligraphy, Royce's Prop Shop, Notes of Celebration, Celebrate Catering, and so many more. I can't say it enough: ISES is a wonderful group that has given me so much over the years. I hope that any of you, special events professionals, reading this, will take a look at ISES and see if it is a fit for you.

how to get gigs through event planners and hotels

2009-01-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I'm not a booking agent; there are lots of wonderful reasons to use one and there are some really great agents out there, especially in Portland (like here and here).

On the other hand, I know there are lots of bands without an agent who want to know what they can do to start up a little bit of buzz and get some regular gigs playing out, which will hopefully eventually lead to more contacts and those prime, well-paying event and wedding jobs?

Here's my list, and feel free to comment with your opinion, especially if it is different.

1. Make your media packet digital. There's more room to store mp3s on a hard drive than in the office. Also, if you happen to send it to a semi-prolific blogger, the way Hideki Yamaya did here, said blogger may instantly go to your website, listen to your music, blog and tweet about it. Instant PR!

2. If you must send paper packets, try to target the right person at the organization by doing a little online research. Sending out a bunch of CDs to "Catering Manager" is just a waste of time.

3. Don't call event planners or venue managers and ask them for their address and "if you can" send them a packet. Most event planners and hotels have addresses that are easily found online and asking them this information just makes you look lazy or not very smart. And asking their "permission" to mail is just a waste of time. Just mail it!

3a. Also don't call event planners and tell them that you are interested in getting more gigs. Great! But that falls into the dreaded "AAM" (All About Me) conversational faux pas. Much better either not to cold-call, or if you do, prepare by learning about your target planner's business and offer a way that you can help them.

4. Find ways to play out to the right crowds. Sometimes this means playing for free. My husband Dave disagrees with me on this one, but I do think that if an event planner hears you at an event, they are more likely to seek you out and book you for their own events, than if they have only heard a CD or online mp3. Good places to go are hotel lobbies, happy hours, and association meetings like ISES, ABC, and MPI. Again, do research ahead of time to see if the organization is a good match for the kinds of gigs you are looking for, and find out if there's an upcoming meeting that your entertainment might be perfect for. Or pitch the association board with a novel idea, such as a meeting centered around an entertainment showcase, like the one ISES Seattle did a while back. If you don't want to gig for free, then figure out some dates that you already have a gig on the books, and send a pretty calendar or other "reminder book" (perhaps with an invitation to be on the guest list) to some key event planners that you are after.

I hope you find these helpful! Please feel free to comment with your thoughts.

great inspiration from a fellow planner

2009-01-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

Thalia Plummer, who sits on the board of ISES Portland with me, and is the owner of Premiere Events Portland, recently posted this great piece of inspiration on her blog:

"With what the media is calling our "Arctic Blast" of 2008, the disarray of the stock market, and the disillusioning nightly news reports being pumped into homes across America day and night, it can be hard to keep focus on what's really important..."
Read more at Thalia's "Meetings, Events and Parties" blog...

I just had to share it with you!

A look back at The Photo Playdate

2008-12-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

Back in January '08, I attended the Oregon Association of Bridal Consultants' retreat for Consultants. It was a great, intimate get-together for about 20 of Portland's leading event and wedding coordinators, and I enjoyed hanging out with the likes of Cherie Ronning of Uncommon Invites, Molli Barss of Soiree, Colette Livermore of Simply Elegant Events, Alesia Zorn of Alesia Zorn Calligraphy, Andrea Hoyt of August Veils, and many more!

What was so great about the event is that we rented out a house in NE Portland and had two in-depth days of training, discussing, and cross-pollination of ideas. Rarely do we as consultants get to work together, and certainly outside the industry there's a perception that we are all "competitors". Nothing could have been further from our minds as we shared ideas and sat around the table or the floor, eating and drinking and also making paper flowers for the February ABC luncheon.

So what does this have to do with The Photo Playdate? Well, it hit me as I looked around the room and realized so many of us have children (quite a few of us with tots under 5), and a theme kept recurring in the conversation about "me time" -- as in, not enough of it. Also, not enough time to do all those lovely, crafty things that we are doing for our clients, like make greeting cards, and take photos of our families and ourselves.

I resolved that day to create an event for myself, for all of us at the retreat, and any other area event planners and professionals who felt like they were in the same boat: The Photo Playdate. It had several objectives: to create a day for much-needed me-time; to bring event planners together with photographers that they might not know; and to provide an opportunity for planners to have family portraits or headshots taken just in time for the holidays and the new year.

I was amazed at the response to the event and all the positive feedback I received when I went around with the idea. A brand-new hotel, The Nines, immediately jumped on board (Thanks Morgan!) and provided the facility. In no time at all we had photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, a Japanese foot spa, and even a childcare provider to provide a kids' play area.

The event was held on November 16 and was a great success. I've posted some of the gorgeous family photos and headshots at my other, bride-targeted blog and you can view that post here.

Big thank yous to everyone who participated, starting with the photographers:
Impression Arts
Evrim Icoz
Valls Photographic
Jasmine Photography

As well as the sponsors who provided the pampering and family-friendly fun!:
Event Cosmetics
Creative Childcare Solutions
Ashiyu Foot Spas

We will definitely be holding this event again in 2009. Please contact me if you'd like to be a part.

Why is airport fast food so bad?

2008-12-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

I don't hate fast food, but it seems to sink to a new low within airports. I really have no idea why. Even chains which are have pretty good service (I think) outside the airport, like Starbucks, bear almost no resemblance service-wise to their non-airport counterpart. Ugh. I'm packing sandwiches and a refillable water bottle on my next trip.

Interesting poll over at party-wedding.info

2008-12-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

Check it here.

cultural sensitivity at events

2008-08-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of recent experiences that reminded me how important it is to be sensitive to other people's cultures when working at an event.

One was a wedding with a very diverse attendance, with a professional officiant (that is, a hired officiant that was not from either the bride or groom's religious, personal, or cultural tradition). This officiant went on to give a speech about marriage and the bride and groom that mentioned (I kid you not) how marriage is like Chinese food -- (I paraphrase): 'It tastes wonderful, but you don't want to know what's going into it or see the kitchen where they prepare it'.

It's hard to describe the feeling I had, as someone of Asian heritage, standing in the back of that ceremony thinking, "Whaaaat?" as part of my ethnic background was used as a punchline for a joke. And I was just part of the staff. Imagine being a guest at the wedding, and the feeling of exclusion and isolation they must have had, when a wedding is supposed to be a day of good feelings and coming together.

So that just reminded me how important it is to use vetted professionals for every aspect of your wedding. I had actually recommended several officiants for this client but they had chosen someone else, I think on the basis of his website. A website can't tell you everything about a vendor; it's important to receive trusted recommendations from those who have firsthand experience, such as your event planner.

The other experience I had, was that I attended an educational luncheon given by the International Special Events Society called "Cultural Spotlight". Fittingly, it was held at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, and the speakers were an event planner from MJCC as well as a writer who identified himself as a "Spanish-speaking Asian Muslim".

Both panelists had a lot of wisdom to share about Jewish, Muslim, and Asian events, but the most important takeaway I got was that you can't assume you know a cultural group. Within Judaism, within Islam, as well as any ethnic or cultural tradition, there are so many flavors and variations. It's best to ask the main contacts and planners what their preference is, before assuming that you can or can't play "White Christmas" at a holiday party, or that certain colors or themes are a no-go.

If you're interested in a list of bullet points from the MJCC talk, please feel free to email me.

Image courtesy MenorahCenter.com

2008-03-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last posted, since mostly our Portland wedding planning content is kept at TypePad, but I thought I would share some really neat sites I found that might be helpful to event/wedding coordinators and planners:

Bring the Bling: I stumbled upon this site while looking for some event theme ideas. These seem to be very talented web designers and they have a lot of event planners as clients. I'm not huge on Flash, but they seem to use it in the right way. (I hate those long boring Flash intros with no skip button and no point to them!)
Power Productions: Sometimes, as a wedding planner, or a boutique event planner (read: corporate parties under 500 guests) like me, you get asked to do fundraisers and silent/live auctions. As any professional knows, these are a whole different animal than even a lavish social or corporate special event. Judy Anderson at Power Productions is a fundraising guru, having been the original planner for the Classic Wines Auction in Portland, which raises in the millions of dollars per year. She has a couple of great workbooks, Fundraising Auctions Simplified, and Event Management Simplified, that can help you approach the overall process in a logical, step-by-step manner.
EMBOK: As an event planner, are you ever asked, "Oh, so you plan parties?" or "So what do you do anyway?" EMBOK, or the Event Management Body of Knowledge, is a great place to send those people. Originally conceptualized by Julia Rutherford Silvers, it is a fascinating breakdown of all of the things a professional must know in order to have mastery of event management: Great for lovers of graphs and lists, but useful in describing job functions and planner responsibilities. Maybe I'm a geek, but I love stuff like this:

Hmmm...this gives me an idea. Maybe I will keep typepad for clients and blogger for the industry. eeeeenteresting.

EJP Events - Wedding Coordinator and Event Planner in Portland, Oregon

2007-07-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome, event planners and those in the events industry! If you're getting married, please visit the bridal-oriented blog of EJP Events over at Typepad. There you will find everything you might like to know about weddings in Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

http://weddingcoordinator.typepad.com