Graphic Design Inspiration for Event Planners: 6 Gorgeous Printed Menu Designs
EVENT COLLATERAL
So, we just realized what a ridiculous treasure trove of event management creative lovliness Behance is. Brace for insane influx of blog posts about event design and signage. What caught our eye initially was a series of nice banquet menus, cuz event branding is so rarely done well, and it really is in the details, isn t it? And then we realized that there s no reason that event menus can t be as pretty as restaurant menus, and we started looking for inspiration in restaurant branding hoo boy.
The Foodie Dinner Menu
Anisa and Michele Wedding, Georgia Smiraglia
Casa Virginia Menu, Savvy Studio
Tamarindo Menu Design, La Tortilleria
Kinoya Menu, Veronique LaFortune
Microbrewery Menu, Jessica Fecteau
4 Great Mobile-Ready Single Page Event Website Templates
LIVE EVENTS
There are a billion-zillion reasons you might be asked to handle the website end of your event, despite not being in the tech business: the client s web designer is unavailable, and the site needs to go online pronto; the client doesn t want to spend the money on a web design agency or make a big deal out of the event website; the client doesn t want to deal with a ton of different vendors and would rather have you handle everything the list goes on.
Without the time or budget to get a fully-customized site structured, designed and coded, your best bet is to opt for a ready-made site template that you can lightly customize and drop online.
The main advantages here are cost and speed. Pre-designed, pre-coded and imminently affordable, you can purchase these, add your client s event logo, title and content in place of the dummy content, and you re ready to rock. You ll need someone with a basic grasp of HTML to edit them and you ll still need to find hosting, so these don t get you completely off the hook in terms of hiring a web designer, but buying a pre-made template means your event site can be up and running in 8 hours, zero-to-done.
And since everyone s using their phones to these days, it s crucial that you choose a template that is optimized for phones and tablets. We scoured the internet and found a few of the best single-page event-themed templates available. Check these out:
Event Landing Page $11 HTML Theme
This basic but very functional theme is not a WordPress theme, but rather a responsive HTML-only theme with three color options.
OnEvent $11 Special Event Landing Page
Created by Dezine Themes, this landing page offers a full-screen photo background, event count-down, speaker list, and more.
EventMe $11 Special Event Landing Page
With multiple color options and all the basics, this mobile-ready single-page theme is perfect for corporate-style events. The unique stand-out feature is an animated event schedule timeline that you can fill in with your event s roster of speakers or workshop times or what-have-you.
VentCamp $11 Event Site
VentCamp is probably the prettiest of the themes we list here. This theme also features a full-screen photo background, lovely thin fonts, and an interesting callout area where you can highlight numbers that focus on the key reasons potential attendees should pony up for a ticket (example: 4 stages! 72 speakers!)
5 Solutions for Small Businesses to Run Big Events
TIPS & TRICKS
Decibel Management is proud of providing tailor-made event management ideas for all clients. While many in our industry view event planning on a grand scale, preparing political campaign stops around the country for inside the Beltway types or booking out the grandest ballrooms around, they are forgetting that the overwhelming majority of events are done on a much simpler scale.
Why should events, that are smaller in scope or attendance, be left out in the cold? Especially when, with a few easy tips, any size of event can punch far above its weight class.
Crowdfunding
Small is sexy. The advantage of a smaller event is that its attendance base will likely feel passionate about it. This gives you the power to correctly assess how successful your event will be. A number of crowdfunding platforms give you a couple of good options. Put your event up online, and ask attendees to state how many tickets they will need and commit to buying them on the day. You can guarantee an event will take place only if a number of tickets are sold.
Advertising on social networks
Targeted ads on Facebook can be annoying, but they are getting quite amazingly relevant. Any event that is held with a strong local and thematic setting can massively benefit from buying an ad space on Facebook or LinkedIn several weeks out, linked to a Facebook page or website about the event. As time goes pass, it is almost certain any on with an interest in your event (and who is not a social media neophyte) will see it.
Local bloggers
If local bloggers are known to you as local bloggers, they are probably known to other people as local bloggers. While this might seem like a fairly simplistic summary, it is a good way to spread awareness. Local communities tend to have their ways of finding out information about what is happening, particularly since the decline of small-town papers.
Underestimate turnout
This might seem counterintuitive, and in terms of planning, it is. But we re not talking about logistics, we re talking about estimations in terms of sponsorship. Why would anyone with 300 people coming sell their event as only bringing in 200? Well, it s always better to make your sponsors happy than disappointed. Bringing in less sponsorship the first time you hold an event but impressing them with a higher turnout that announced will go a long way towards guaranteeing their continued support the next time around.
Know your limitations
Every event manager knows one of their brethren who tries to do too much, or lends too much importance to smaller-scale events. Constantly assess how each piece of your event will be relevant to attendees, understand that you can wow people without over-reaching, and that, even if everything doesn t go right, a positive attitude will allow people to be much more forgiving of any mishaps.
Post-Event Follow-Up: Why it Matters and How to Do It
TIPS & TRICKS
You ve planned it, it happened, it was a huge success. But that s not quite the end of it. A good event includes a framework for event-wrap photo, video and news.
Why it matters
Getting sponsors excited If your event is an annual or repeated happening, having a strong follow-up gives lets current and potential sponsors know that their advertising dollars will be utilized well, with promotion continuing even beyond event completion.
Creating a community Events are little worlds unto themselves, and the people who attend them feel connected to each other. Good event follow up can strengthen this sense of community.
A good overview Your attendees can t be everywhere at once. Good follow-up gives attendees an opportunity to enjoy the bigger picture and see who was doing what while they were networking.
It makes you look good Everyone s a diva, and attendees, speakers and sponsors love to dig for and share good photos and video of themselves. Great event follow up draws more potential clients for event managers as participants use social networking to spread the word.
Follow-up Channel Ideas
1. Youtube/Vimeo
Any event worth its salt should have its own branded Youtube or Vimeo channel. If you have a flagship event once a year, create a specific channel for it. Flattery will get you anywhere, and putting up your speakers speeches or presentations up for all to see does wonders for both your marketing and your clients.
2. Storify
Posting different content to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn is great, and works very well for mid- and pre-event updates, but it can also diffuse the picture. Storify allows you to create a one-stop page for audio, video, photo and text of your event and share it at once across all your social networks.
3. Your Company Blog
Any event management company or communications consultancy will ensure its blog shows off its successes. Easy to find and benefiting your own SEO, a blog is a must-do.
4. 48 hour time limit
For best effect, post-event content needs to start going out within 48 hours of event close, and ideally some of it will start to bleed onto the website while the event s still running. Whichever manner you choose to publicize your event once it s done, get it out there fast. Ensure your event photographers, AV crew and note-taker give you their content as soon as possible and are on standby until materials are out.
The Future of Event Production: the Wearable Tech Revolution
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
In mid-December 2014, Eventbase Technology introduced the world s first XING EVENTS wearable smartwatch ticket at the LeWeb conference.
According to the release on Event Industry News, Powered by Eventbase and integrated with the XING EVENTS registration system, the official LeWeb mobile app could be paired with an Android Wear smart watch to display a user s credentials. That attendee could then have their watch scanned to access a building, without ever taking their smartphone from their pocket or showing a printed badge.
Image Source: Event Industry News
I don t need to tell you that this is just the beginning in terms of event-ready on-body tech: the wearables well has barely been plumbed, and it s not hard to imagine the potential uses. Jessica Levin, president and chief connector at Seven Degrees Communications who visited the Wearable Tech Expo, had this to say in her Cvent blog post about events and wearable technology: So you might be wondering, how do wearables impact events? Have you ever had that awkward moment where you have to shake hands or give someone a hug with your phone/tablet in your hand? What about trying to eat lunch while holding a phone? How many smartphones are left at the lost and found at you conferences? By physically attaching technology to people, we have more flexibility with how we use them and where we take them.
She posits a few ways that wearables could be used: CEU tracking can be made easier by building it into an app and tracking people s movements; Google Glass or similar tools can display speaker notes or presentation materials; Wearables could serve as microphones, making it easier to communicate verbally in large rooms; Exhibit managers can use them to better track traffic patterns; Mobile apps will be built into watches, etc., making it easier for people to use apps onsite at events.
Could indeed it s already happening.
Google Glass Apps
Image Source: Mikepanhu via Wikipedia
In May of 2014, Bizbash featured an article on five new Google Glass apps for events, which included Sli.do, a a web-based application for speakers and event organizers to easily engage their audience with questions, comments and polls and Refresh, which provides brief background information on people just a few minutes before scheduled meetings .
You know what that means? It means that someday soon, you may need a Google Glass app developer on your digital event team to meet attendee need.
Wearable Smart Wristbands
By now, most people have heard of health and exercise-focused bio bracelets that track heart rate, calories burned and steps taken, and yes, the Nabu Razer does all these things, but it s also primed for the trade show floor. It alerts you to incoming calls and emails without forcing you to dig around for your phone, exchanges contact information automatically when you shake someone s hand, and boasts a whole host of other proximity and social features.
Smart Badges
The Xfocus was developed for trade shows and conferences and is a combination of smart badges, a mobile app and a powerful analytics platform. Most interesting among these features: The xFocus platform uses the latest wireless technologies to provide customers with the information they need depending on their location. Visitors receive location-based information on their smartphone or tablet as soon as they come close to a stand. It also includes indoor navigation and instant heat-mapping. Leads can be generated effectively by sending push notification to the right people at the trade show or conference.
Know something we don t about the future of wearable event tech? Tip us off in the comments.
Oooh, Kudos! Decibel Wins Silver at Event Tech Awards
COMPANY NEWS
Shweet! This just in: Decibel and our partners took home the silver for Best Audience Interaction for the Get Your Billion Back America campaign.
Decibel partnered up with Ketchum Public Relations and M1 Interactive to create an experiential kiosk aimed at educating about potential money lost when personal taxes are done improperly. Event Marketer, who hosts the awards, explains best:
The kiosk, which Lively describes as part-ATM machine and part-video/photo booth, is located within a 20-foot by 20-foot activation at high-traffic locations. Participants take a two-minute quiz on an interactive touch screen, answering multiple-choice questions about the campaign and what they would do with a billion dollars, then the machine spits out $10 bills, which represents their piece of the billion. The kiosk also takes their photo or a video with the cash, which they receive via email. On-site brand ambassadors answer questions about H&R Block and schedule tax preparation appointments.
Here s a little glimpse of the campaign:
Check out the Event Marketer site for all 2014 Event Tech Award winners.
Decibel Management Wrap Up- National Book Festival 2014
UNCATEGORIZED
The 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival is officially in the books, and a success! With a new venue, earlier date, and a compressed timeline for planning, there were certainly challenges. Working with our great clients at The Library of Congress, as well as stellar vendors all around, the team was able to not only meet the expectations for this year, but according to the attendees, authors, and sponsors, exceed all expectations for the transition to the new venue. Thanks to the Library of Congress, EventEQ, GES Global, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Politics And Prose, as well as the team at FleishmanHillard.
Decibel Management Wrap Up- National Book Festival 2014 from Decibel Management on Vimeo.
Your A/V Questions Answered: What is Pattern Projection, and What are the Possibilities?
TIPS & TRICKS
At its most basic, pattern projection and mapping is a stage lighting design technique in which a decorative pattern is washed over a large surface area to create a visual effect. In the past few years, stage lighting technology has developed so drastically that s its now capable of lifting cartoon characters out from behind screens and beaming them into real-life.
While your simple projectors might include a couple of gaudy, pre-programmed star or floral patterns in basic rotating laser lights, suitable for a dingy dance floor, more up-market varieties or clever use of mixed-method techniques, can produce stunning effects when handled by experts.
Your standard low-budget version, available for less than a couple hundred bucks, might toss out some basic patterning a la Windows Media Player, 1999:
In stark contrast, here s an example of some of the beautiful abstract patterns you can achieve what happens people who know what they re doing play around in their own studio with with a dual-lens:
These guys created a complete environment using music and pattern projection:
Curious about the future of pattern projection? Look to the East.
Following in their own glorious wait, what? tradition of giant robots and underwear vending machines, a few years ago Japan rocked up to the light-mapping party already packing a double-dose of next-level weirdness. In case you missed the uproar about it at the time, meet Hatsune Miku, an AI rock star with a synthesized voice and a body rendered entirely in 3D holographic light projection. Hitsune Miku s virtual self, backed up by a live band, performed her hit World is Mine to screaming, sold-out crowds:
Wanna play with the technology yourself on a smaller, miniaturized scale? You ll need an iPad, a mosquito screen, a miniprojector, and this video:
Neat, huh?
Image sources: Featured Image by Kevin Dooley
5 Holiday Season Event Ideas
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, TIPS & TRICKS
As winter reaches out, American event organizers are heading into the final stretch before the holiday season kicks in. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and even Kwanzaa are festive musts. And very much like in the fashion industry, holiday trends sweep the events world every year. Our friends at BizBash have done an overview of these very trends so none of your attendees could possibly accuse you of hosting an unfashionable event.
Go All Out On The Food
(Image source)
While catering is always of paramount importance, this is doubly true during the holidays. The popularity of cooking shows, coupled with the mating call of ovens left untouched over the summer, have made guests increasingly demanding about the spreads they are served.
Presentation, Presentation, Presentation
(Image source)
As appreciated as formal sit-down dinners are during the year, the holiday period calls for a touch of pizzazz. Having chefs front and center concocting treats in front of guests, having waiters decked out to match a number of food themes or laying out a wide range of self-service stations are just a few ideas that will resonate particularly well.
Events in the Office
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The recession bit deep for many events companies as well as their clients. Budgets for lavish venues were scaled back but this also led to a rise in ingenious and affordable solutions. While holding a conference in a company s office would once have been frowned upon, an entire new sub-section of the event organizing world has sprung up to to offer to just that.
Full Bars, not Open Bars
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We understand the dismay of going to an open bar at an event and finding they only have Gordon s Gin. As such, as discerning customers know what they want, the time of the fully-stocked bar has returned. The popularity of shows such as Boardwalk Empire have also made Prohibition-era themes a hot favorite for this holiday season.
Teambuilding, YAY
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While every professional conference organizer can have a Pavlovian reaction triggered by the mention of certain teambuilding memories, there is no denying the return to form of this old favorite. This becomes especially true around the holidays. Are you strapped for ideas. Fear not: you can check out Decibel Management s suggestions for teambuilding activities here.
Sesame Street at the White House: How Decibel Got Involved
COMPANY NEWS, LIVE EVENTS
In mid-June, the creators of Sesame Street began a new campaign Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration seeking to help young children whose parents are in prison. The campaign aims to reach out to the 2.7 million American kids who have one or both parents in jail, especially those under the age of 8. Sesame Street is teaming up with the White House s Office of Public Engagement to help children better understand this separation and aid parents in talking about incarceration with their young ones.
The makers of the hit children s show are launching a new range of Muppet videos and exercises dealing specifically with this difficult issue. On June 12, the jolly figures of Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby, as well as Alex and Murray were at the EEOB and White House to help roll out the campaign alongside administration officials.
Decibel Management was deeply honored to be a part of this event with Sesame Street and the White House. It was great to know that all the children who will benefit from the program will see Sesame Street characters and White House officials in the best possible light and from their most flattering angle. Although with such good-looking stars, doing so was child s play. Decibel handled the monitor mix and the video for the puppeteers, as well as general event management for the lead up to the event.
