Spring into Spring with a Quick Look at some of the World s Top Event Florists
EVENT DESIGN
Spring has definitely sprung, and with it, stunning spring collections from the world s top florists.
Jane Packer, UK / New York / Asia
The company that rose to fame under the stewardship of the late great Jane Packer, whose arrangements graced the Duke of York s wedding, is now offering their spring line. The international brand, which even includes a florist academy, offers corporate and event bouquets in London, New York, Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
L Artisan Fleuriste, Paris
About as French as French can be, L ARtisan Fleuriste offers top-notch event design in Paris.
Hollyflora
Based in Los Angeles, Hollyflora is a gorgeous studio that provides arrangements for events of all sizes. Aside from more traditional bouquets, they also do locally-inspired cactus arrangements suitable for a West Coast dessert vibe. Check out their inspiring Instagram feed for more spring arrangements.
Thierry Boutemy, Belgium
Beloved by the wealthy, Thierry Boutemy is responsible for the flower arrangements in Sofia Coppola s 2006 film Marie Antoinette. The above picture isn t of his spring line artists like Thierry need not post such trifles but we love how it underscores his incredible event design skills.
Landet Jarna
Staying in tune with the seasons is of supreme importance at Landet Jarna, where the florists only source wildflowers from the woods around Stockholm. Gardenista.com explains, The Uggla sisters opened the shop in response to the lack of local, seasonal, pesticide-free, and fair trade flowers (and wondered why, when so much attention is paid to these traits in the food industry today).
Unique Event Formats: Speed Geeking
LIVE EVENTS
Inspired by speed dating , where busy masochists looking for a relationship spend a few minutes introducing themselves before rotating over to new partners, SpeedGeeking is an Unconference event format which allows participants to hear several quick presentations on a variety of topics over a fixed period of time. In this post, we ll talk a little bit about the fairly simple format and how to organize one.
You ll need a room large enough to hold all your attendees at once, with enough power outlets to support multiple presenters with laptops and projectors. Presenters typically place tables, podiums, or other presentation set-ups around the outer edges of a room and all set up simultaneously. Before the event starts, each presentation station is assigned a number (or letter) that should be displayed on a visible placard nearby.
As attendees arrive, they re assigned groups with numbers that correspond to the numbers on the presenter stations; groups should range from 5-15 people in size. The group number dictates which presentation that group will hear first.
When everyone s ready to begin, the event moderator starts the timer, and each group heads over to their assigned presentation. All presentations should be the same length (presenters should be told how long to make their presentations well in advance), usually ten minutes, sometimes as long as fifteen. Once time is up, the moderator sounds the alarm, and each group rotates one station to the left or right, and the presentations begin again.
In May 2011 the iEducate team worked with experts from museums and galleries across Budapest to showcase technologies they could use for their education programmes. As part of this we held a speed geeking session where each member of the iEducate team was given a limited amount of time to introduce a different technology to a small group.
Check out Pete Stevens showcasing Virtual Tours in Second Life.
iEducate Speed geeking Virtual Tours Pete Stevens from iEducate on Vimeo.
So that s a sit-down, low-key, small-group version of a Speed Geek.
Educators & Students are Speed Geeking
We ve seen quite a few examples of large school faculty bodies using the format as a way to quickly get up to speed on the latest pedagogical terminology, or to get a fast briefing on what s happening in other departments. And since teaching is also a nifty way to learn, students are also being introduced to the format as a way to share their knowledge with others, practice public speaking, and to better understand their own material.
Drawbacks
We haven t seen this exact method used on mass-scale events it would be very difficult to moderate thousands of people at once but it can be managed for up to 150 attendees. For larger-scale events, we recommend sticking to standard lighting talks.
Event Production Reviews & Trends: 48th Annual CMA Awards Wrap-Up
LIVE EVENTS
The 48th annual Country Music Awards went down on November 5th in a flurry of big hair, big hats, and big white smiles. We turned our event production eye to some of the show s breakout moments of fabulousness and folly.
Tribe kills it again
The set was masterful but that s hardly a shocker, considering that the industrial-style exposed-fixture staging was created by the talented folks at Tribe Inc., arguably the best live design team in America. If you re not familiar with Tribe s work, these are the guys behind the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII halftime show (check out this interview with Tribe s Bruce Rodgers for a look into the vastness of that skillset), some DNC and political conventions, stage design at the Olympic Village WINNING!
Dimensional Sets
Really excellent job with the dimensional set designs. This is a high-impact trend we re seeing throughout the industry, one we expect to continue to see, and one that can be executed inexpensively. I m not sure who did the design for the CMAs specifically, but the style was at least reminiscent of the work done by Atomic Design, one of Decibel s set creation partners.
Projection on Fog
When Carrie Underwood took the stage to perform Something in the Water , she was backed by an ethereal waterfall created by projecting abstract swirling rain patterns onto a wall of fog. The effect was isolating (I mean that in the best possible way) and a little unearthly the world collapsed inwards and placed the singer at the center of it. Thumbs up for an appropriate and interesting pairing of song content and visuals.
The Drums. Oh, the Drums.
Just because you can doesn t necessarily mean you should. Little Big Town and Ariana Grande s collaboration on Day Drinking generated some buzz less for the actual content of the show and more for the candy-cane explosion of lighting effects that accompanied the set. Little Big Town began, dressed in LED-piped Tron-inspired outfits, flanked by a stacked wall of drummers playing drums trimmed with that s right LEDs. When Ariana emerges, she s wrapped in (say it with me now) an LED-edged plastic Barbie dress. Eye-popping, yes. And yes, people talked about it. But we re gonna go ahead and say that this could have been executed with a tad more tact.
LED Video Walls
You might have caught a look at the background behind Dierks Bentley while he did Drunk on a Plane see those squares? That s an LED Video wall, and if you look closely, you can see the same effect being used on the floor to create an LED runway that changed to accommodate the song. A little bit of blur on this video and we don t have the best angle on the floor, but you can get a look at the vertical face of the wall good stuff:
Audience Engagement: Chevy Partnership
Three cheers here: the 2014 CMAs took a holistic approach to audience engagement that encompass. Leveraging a sponsorship by Chevy, the CMAs asked Instagram users to post pics in answer the question What does country music mean to you? (hashtag #chevycmasweeps). The best pictures were posted on stage. This worked a whole heckuvalot better than live Twitter integration does in terms of getting your attendees involved.
4 Weird Conferences You ve Never Heard Of
LIVE EVENTS, TRADE SHOW
It takes all kinds to make this wild world, and if you can imagine it, someone has already rented the Las Vegas Convention center to celebrate it. We ve collected a list of some out-of-the-ordinary annual conferences.
VapeMania
Never heard of Vaping? Neither had I until some of my close friends made the decision to quit smoking the ciggies. Vaping is a term used to describe the smoking of products that are inhaled via water vapor rather than via burning and actual smoke: e-cigarettes and e-pipes, basically. As awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking rises, vaping s popularity continues to increase, and we re seeing a ton of conventions crop up dedicated to bringing vapers together to try new products and inhalant methods: think fancy e-cigarettes, flavored and scented oils and liquids, blah blah blah. Vapemania isn t the only Vapecon on the block, either check out this list of all the vape expos in 2014.
PUA Superconference
You remember that scene in Magnolia where Tom Cruise is up there on stage screaming Respect the C*ck ? Ahem. That is a real thing, and it happens in Vegas every year, except with fewer leather vests and more chest waxing. Pick-Up Artists are students of the ancient mysteries of wooing the laides, and they converge once a year at PUA for several days of, ahem, results-oriented dating help . Heh. Results-oriented .
Enjoy this exciting preview by the Venerable Adam Lyons, the World s #1 Pickup Artist , at the (very similar) 21 Convention. Not even mildly SFW, people:
Florida PirateCon
Though we were sad to see that MerPalooza, a mermaid convention last held in 2013, didn t resurface this year, we re slightly mollified by the scheduled return of Florida s PirateCon in 2015. Weird? Maybe, but c mon, who doesn t secretly really want to go to this dressed in a buccaneer s coat and carrying a brace of pistols, huh?
Oregon Ghost Conference
And you thought ghost hunting was dead (HAR!). Get out your geiger counter and plod on over to the Oregon Ghost Conference, where attendees learn ghoul-tracking techniques, get their fortunes told, explore haunted areas and listen to hair-raising lectures. Oregon not near you? Check out this list of ghost hunting cons.
Hot Event Planning Trends: Interactive Food Experience Inspiration
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
When specialevents.com interviewed some of the industry s top catering pros, asking what event catering trends they expected to take off in 2014, our ears perked up. One of the most interesting answers? Buffets are out. Interactive Food Experiences are in.
And what do they mean by interactive food experience , exactly? asked my husband, Like an omelette bar? . Yeah, basically. An omelette bar counts. If I had to explain the term, I d say it means, in essence, that event attendees want a little more say, a little more customization, a little more input into what goes on their plates. They get out a little more than they put in more options, more DIY, more mix-and-match you give your guests the opportunity to make their dinner become more than the sum of its parts.
Try these on for size:
Decorate-Your-Own Cupcake Bar
Kit this table out with a selection of vanilla, chocolate, and other single-flavor cupcakes, no toppings. Next, the frosting don t skimp. And finally, the sprinkles. All kinds of sprinkles. Dragees, rainbow, M&M s and let your guests creativity take over, allowing the food itself to become an active, rather than passive, part of the festivities.
Taco Station
Another nice thing about a build-your-own dinner like this is that not only do you account for varied taste and flavor preferences, you ve got your dietary restrictions covered as well. You cover the vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-intolerant. The only people that won t like this are people that don t like tacos. And since I ve never heard a genuine human being say they don t like tacos, the taco station does double-duty as a weeder-outer of alien sleeper agents. (Shoot first. Ask questions later.)
Sangria Bar
Here s a super cute idea from Pinterest user Goldi Locks. There are as many types of sangria as there are people who love to drink it. White- or red-wine based, cinnamon-spiced, all peached-up, limey, apples, pears, raisins go nuts.
Event Security: How to Deal with Tipsy Guests
TIPS & TRICKS
The Chilean supplier has just flown for 18 hours to be at your conference event. He is a reliable partner, makes the best darn galvanized rubber tires in the Western hemisphere, and always delivers on time. He s made a real effort to be here, one can understand he might want a drink from your conference s open bar. The problem comes 4 hours later when he s three sheets to the wind, clinging precariously to a trade show booth and chanting songs about Salvador Allende.
Avoiding this type of unpleasant scenario by appropriately planning for event security problems is advisable for all professional event managers as unruly guests can put a damper on, or even ruin, and otherwise smooth event.
Keep Your Guests In The Loop
Any pre-event information package should include a detailed list of any security/amenity requirements, including the presence of a security check, rules for alcohol consumption, and credentials. That will make it easier should any evicted guests decide to protest against being unfairly treated.
Meet with Venue Staff
Venues that frequently serve as hosts for conferences have their own contingency plans for removing any troublesome individuals while causing the smallest possible disruption. Event managers should make sure to check in with venue staff on policies and procedures. If the venue doesn t have any, implement your own, and ensure your team knows what to do in case of impending embarrassment.
Stealth
Having uniformed guards at the door to the conference center checking IDs and passes is always a plus, and serves as a gentle reminder to attendees that this isn t the place to let things get out of hand. But mixing this with a more sedate, plain-clothes security team mixing is an excellent add-on measure. As security consultant Steven Gaskin told BizBash:
The clandestine approach is better. People won t interact and do business unless they feel comfortable.
Coordination
It is important to have an action plan, and to communicate that plan to all of the vendors, talent, and staff. It is rare, but occasionally, even a speaker can have too much, and it may be mid-speech that you come to this realization. Coordination and executing your action plan here is a must. We have been faced with this scenario before, and we were able to shut off the lectern mic, switch to the Emcee s lav and get them on the screen and talking before the audience (or the speaker) ever knew what happened. The stage manager was able to grab the speaker and guide them off stage as the Emcee continued the program.
Limits On An Open Bar
Nobody wants their guests to think they re stingy, and it s true that attendees may grumble that a coupon system, time restrictions or the lack of an open bar are money-saving measures. Sure, sometimes that s the case, but there s another benefit: such limitations can save you from having to expel a drunk and disruptive guest. If you re concerned about the ramifications of letting your guests get too rowdy, consider offering tray service that begins late or stops at a reasonable hour.
Get Them Home
A college bar can afford to leave passed-out students slumped on the sidewalk. A professional event organizer must conduct themselves with slightly more decorum. Ensure a cab is called to get an ejected person home, within reason, or if you can spare a member of your staff, send someone with them.
Decibel vs. Snowstorm at the H agen-Dazs Concept Shop Launch: Decibel Wins
COMPANY NEWS
January 24th was already a gutsy date to launch an ice cream shop. Throw in a surprise blizzard, and you get an event management challenge. Hey, winter storm Lola? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. Check out the video after the jump.
H agen-Dazs Concept Shop Launch from Decibel Management on Vimeo.
When Decibel partnered with Ketchum PR to organize and promote the launch of H agen-Dazs new concept store in Bronxville, New York, no one could have predicted a 6- to 8-inch snowfall the night before the event. Thing is, though, these things happen, and trite but true the best tool you can have in this industry is a get- er-done attitude.
With the outdoor weather putting a cramp in our ice cream giveaway tent setup, we fell back on Plan B, bringing the activities indoors. In need of additional space, the team made a few quick calls, and the owner of Pete s Tavern & Restaurant, immediately next door, graciously granted us use of the space. Great turnout.
The shop itself is a working example of H agen-Dazs new in-store experience, and the company plans to open 12 new stores this year all based along the same lines. The new design features digital menu boards, leather eat-in booths, a tasting station, and a dessert theater counter, where customers can watch employees craft fancy frozen treats.
Many thanks to the quick-thinking souls that made this event a success, and congratulations to H agen-Dazs on their shiny new location.
Tent Rental Ideas for your Outdoor Event
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
I don t have to tell you that outdoor events can get a little risky, particularly during volatile seasons: can t no man predict the weather. But there s more than one way to keep the rain off a party: Here are a few types of shade and sun protection that might suit your shindig.
We can hook you up: the plug
Before we launch into the tentspiration, let us drop a reminder: if you re too busy to deal with tenting, you don t need to go this alone. Decibel s got a national vendor network of our own, and we know all the right questions to ask in terms of getting your event all tented up. Give us a call, and we ll happily oversee all the details for ya. Okay, onwards:
Clear Tents
Got a great view and don t want to obscure it? Get a tent that gets out of your way. If you re around CT or NY, Stamford Tents does gorgeous transparent structures that keep everyone dry and warm while preserving the great outdoors vibe. Their portfolio has some beautiful usages of see-through tenting, including a city skyline rooftop deployment and some lovely open-field tents with wood-paneled flooring.
Sail Cloth Peaked Tension Tents
Get some Camelot up in that biz with peaked tension tents crafted from light-passing sail cloth. The sail cloth material is ballin at night, when lighting fixtures set beneath the canopy create a gentle, warming glow. This is a particular looker around dusk, so if your event is going to span nightfall, consider splurging on this approach. Sail cloth tenting is often water-proofed (though you should still double-check this one), so you can have your cake and stay dry, too.
If you re in the northern or central GA area, hit up Goodwin Rentals (their picture above).
Moroccan Frame Tent
Alibaba Events specializes in nationwide rentals of Arabian-nights type tents for your Bollywood-style outdoor lounge area.
Tension Shades
Need to cover some square meterage with minimal central supports? Sperry Fabric does some ultra-modern Berlin-architect-y stretched sun shades in a variety of shapes. From the well-covered horse s mouth:
The use of turnbuckles, cables, and catenary curves allow us to cover large areas with little if any center support. Those three aspects of working with tension contribute to a uniformly taut finished product. Tensile structures can be free standing or incorporated into a building s landscape. Our tensioned covers whether large projects like that at Williams College, or small tensioned awnings for a home patio often use varying levels at the corner anchors which create a slight twist in the fabric.
Spooky Interactive Experiences: The Real Life Escape Game Trend
EVERYTHING ELSE
Dude. A little late for Halloween, maybe, but we just heard about this. Have you heard about this?
I remember playing those Flash-based Escape the Room puzzle games online a few years ago, back when Flash was still a thing. You d click around under the bed or in the air ducts or whatever and look for hints and mini-puzzles that, once solved, would get you one step closer to getting out.
A few months ago, we heard about a company in Beijing, China, running real-life room escape experiences. Mr. X Mystery House, with branches in both Beijing and Shanghai, is part of a growing real-life escape game trend where participants are locked in an enclosed area surrounded with hidden clues, with only one goal: to get out. Adding to the creepy vibe, support staff watch the guests attempts and liberation on hidden video cameras. This is partially for safety reasons, of course, but there s another angle: participants are allowed one hint. If they get stuck, they wave at the camera, and Mr. X produces a clue. Now that s what I call team-building.
Games can be themed as well: Mr. X offers Harry Potter, sci-fi and vintage themed games, across a range of difficulties. The recommended number of players at a time is 6-10.
But China isn t the only location for these types of games: they re taking off across the globe. Check out this super creepy video from Xcape Singapore:
More on escape games from around the web:
Awesome Resources for Boosting Your Trade Show Smarts
TRADE SHOW
I recently ran across Inc.com s 8 Tricks of the Trade Show some real gems in there and realized how much there was to say on a seemingly straightforward topic. Decibel typically comes into a trade show on the logistical end of things (call us, we can get you all kinds of stuff), and as event professionals that s probably where we ll stay, but I find it fascinating that there s a whole field of sales thought on running a successful booth that goes well beyond showing up with some good banners, a box of custom-printed stress balls and an attention-grabbing way to strip attendees of their dignity (Money-blowing machines? Really?).
There s a ton to consider, from training your sales staff to specifically target their behavior, approach and pitch for a trade-show environment, to doing marketing blasts before the trade show even begins in order to (apparently, this is a big one). I ve put together a collection of a few of the resources I ve come across for boosting your trade-show know-how.
Ken Krogue s Articles on Forbes
A regular contributor on Forbes.com, Ken Krogue s articles focus primarily on sales techniques, touching specifically and insightfully on trade show sales and engagement techniques. Here are a couple of the articles Ken has specifically written on the topic:
- 12 Commandments of Incredibly Successful Trade Shows
- Dreamforce 2013 Lead Management Research Calls Out Internet Marketers Who Still Miss the Boat
- 17 Skills for Highly Effective Trade Show Events
Susan Friedmann, the Trade Show Coach
Here to rescue all ye with flat sales numbers is Susan Friedmann, who specializes in helping exhibition-bound companies to get the most for their buck. Via her website, she offers online training, quick coaching and some audio and eBook help. Here s Susan, saying hi on thetradeshowcoach.com:
Message From Susan Friedmann, The Tradeshow Coach from Susan Friedmann on Vimeo.
Inc.com
Inc.com is another awesome site that consistently posts interesting and forward-thinking articles on trade show success. Some of my favorites:
- How to Survive a Las Vegas Trade Show
- Have the Best Trade Show Schwag
- How a Non-Traditional Trade Show Can Boost Awareness
Now, go forth and sell!