Event Registration Software: What s Out There, and When to Build Your Own
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Event registration is one of the most important processes in event set-up. Do it poorly, and at best, you ll have a ton of complaints. At worst, you ll see a significant drop in attendance as frustrated would-be guests decide they don t have time to bash their heads against your sign-up form. So what are the best tools available to event planners looking to get their online registrations rolling in?
cevent
Cevent is the industry s heavy-lifting event registration system, and its development team is clearly catering to high-demand events. Sadly, as with most big, feature-rich systems, Cevent s website and application design is starting to feel a little bit early-2000 s-trade-show dated, and the event website templates they offer leave your event looking a bit clunky as well. We re hoping they update their look and feel soon, because their feature list is nice and robust.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is kind of a dual-sided deal. For event planners, it offers ticketing and event management tools. For the public, it offers localized event listings. This symbiotic relationship allows event organizers to publicize their shindigs while handling sign-ups. In terms of their event management toolkit, Eventbrite feels a little more accessible to plebs and smaller event organizers (though larger events are absolutely supported) and has more of a modern, usable interface. They make their money by charging a portion of your ticket sales (around 5{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3}, give or take, which includes the credit card processing fee), so if you re organizing a free event, Eventbrite is completely free. Eventbrite, however, is not very customisable, and if their suite of tools doesn t include one particular feature, there s no real way to get that feature added.
etouches
Etouches is much more than registration software: it also comes with a bunch of venue management features, a budgeting system, automated badge creation, travel management features, and a bunch of other goodness. Etouches has a clearly international bent, with multi-currency support a bunch of major international brands touted as clients.
Those are your three major players, and there are a ton of smaller management software providers out there as well. Not too shabby a selection, and one of those options should work for most situations.
When to build your own
The problem enters in when you ve got very specific event requirements not covered by traditional features. Example: when running political events based at the White House, the U.S. Secret Service typically requires personal information on attendees in advance in order to be able to run pre-event background checks. If you re looking to automate a registration process like that (we did that once!), you re gonna have to custom-build.
A word of warning: Building your own is not a process to be undertaken lightly, but if you have the budget, the time, and set of system requirements that can t be met by out-of-the-box software (security requirements for political event registration, for example), it may be the best way to go. Realistically, you re looking at a 6-month design and development period for your registration system, and that s providing you choose the right team. You ll want to ensure that whoever you choose has experience building secure systems that are user-friendly, and you should specifically ask to see examples of similar work.
In terms of budget, a very basic system is likely to cost somewhere in the $30,000 range (for basic registration management only, say), and prices for building complex systems can jump as high as $500,000 (ouch!), so unless you re swimming in time and money (and who is, right?), building something just for a single event isn t terribly cost-effective. The best idea here is to think long-term:
But I m not a techie where do I even start?
First of all: avoid part-time freelancing sites like Odesk, eLance and Getafreelancer. Producers on those sites are rewarded for getting in and out of projects quickly, and they often deliver cheap, fast, poor-quality code. You are unlikely to get any hand-holding or support for the product you are given. What you want is a reliable freelance team that can stay in close contact with you during the build, installation and deployment of your system.
You ll need, at the very least, a designer with experience designing websites and other interface, and a developer (coder) with experience creating database-driven applications. One of the best places to look is on developer- or designer-directed sites like Stack Overflow or Creative Bloq. Good luck!
Mobile Media Tour Inspiration: Great Vehicle Wraps and Mobile Billboards
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
Vehicle wrapping is an artform. At its most basic, we re talking printing out a billboard on removable vinyl and cutting it to the shape of your bus, food truck, SUV, etc. Highly customized and creative work involves thinking with the shape and outline of the vehicle and using those shapes to create optical illusions or other attention-grabbing advertisements (Need something done? Give us a shout, we can wrap anything).
We re loving the stark, manly modernity of this Bacon Bacon food truck wrap, printed by Wraps1.com.
Hats off to the minds at YKCR / Y&R Advertising Agency, who came up with this genius wrap for a local Irish Music Festival. Using the natural structure of the vehicle as a canvas, YKCR created a natural accordion with articulated buses.
Printed at Australia s Graphic Art Mart, this clever mobile ad makes it appear as though the bus has backed into a street sign a sure way to attract attention.
This super eye-catching wrap concept was never actually printed, but was submitted to the (now defunct) 2007-2008 Rhino Rolling mobile ad awards.
Created by the vehicle-wrapping Einsteins at Vector Media, this whale bus isn t just wrapped on the outside: the inside was also painted pink like the inside of a whale s mouth, and the dangling passenger handle grips were shaped like whale teeth.
H&R Block Get Your Billion Back America Campaign
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
In early 2014, H&R Block launched an experiential marketing program that builds off their Get Your Billion Back America ad campaign. The tour puts the brand in the hands of consumers and rewards them with cash.
Developed in partnership with Ketchum, Decibel Management designed and created a custom, interactive kiosk composed of four computers, multiple touchscreens, cameras and ATM components.
The 20-foot-by-20-foot kiosk is set up in high-traffic locations where participants take a two-minute quiz which includes imagining what they would do with a billion dollars. As a reward, the kiosk dispenses up to $100 per participant.
This kiosk is definitely a first of its kind. It is part ATM, part photo/video booth and was built from scratch for the Get Your Billion Back events hosted by H&R Block. And it was built in 6 weeks, from concept to completion.
H&R Block Rewards Consumers With Cash
Marketing Daily
By Tanya Irwin
March 26, 2014
http://www.mediapost.com/
H&R Block has launched an experiential marketing program that puts the brand in the hands of consumers and rewards them with cash.
To build off the Get Your Billion Back America ad campaign, Ketchum, Decibel Management, M1 Interactive and CGS Premier created a custom, interactive kiosk composed of four computers, multiple touchscreens, cameras and ATM components.
The 20-foot-by-20-foot kiosk is set up in high-traffic locations where participants take a two-minute quiz which includes imagining what they would do with a billion dollars. As a reward, the kiosk dispenses up to $100 per participant.
The kiosk is definitely a first of its kind for us or for anyone, says Christina Lively, H&R Block director of brand strategy and integration. It s part ATM, part photo/video booth and was built from scratch for our Get Your Billion Back events.
The activation concept is based on a study H&R Block conducted last year that revealed that when taxpayers prepare their own tax returns, about one in five is leaving money on the table by not claiming all available tax credits and deductions, Lively says. These inaccuracies contribute to more than $1 billion in unclaimed money.
The kiosk program is available in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Kansas City and New York. The campaign includes four spots running on broadcast, digital and social media.
The reaction has been incredible, Lively tells Marketing Daily. We set out to surprise and delight consumers, and this activation did just that. Consumers can t believe that H&R Block is giving away real money and long lines formed very quickly in all of the markets.
About 600 consumers have gone through the experience, and thousands of others have been exposed to the brand onsite and through event videos, she says.
Lively said it has not been determined whether the kiosk will be expanded to more cities next year.
We ve had a lot of fun with this throughout the season and would love to continue surprising and delighting people the way we have with our Get Your Billion Back events, she says.
Look Behind You, Mr. President: 5 Examples of Political Campaign Event Backdrops
CAMPAIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, POLITICAL
2012 Democratic National Convention
Campaign and Convention event production in American presidential races revolves around key themes that nobody ever strays too far from. In terms of substance, candidates may be far apart, but for style- flag and country are mainstays on both sides.
Let s take a look at the set design of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. This is actually a nifty piece of political event management. When the cameras are zeroed in on speakers, the backdrop of American flags is all the cameras will pick up. However, when zoomed out, the Obama campaign logo is placed at the center of an array of American icons such as the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. The presence of the Washington Monument may not have helped the Democrats shake their inside-the-Beltway reputation, but all in all, a very solid piece from the team at Tribe, Inc. They are a mainstay for the DNC production design, as well as a ton of top tier concert and event design (SuperBowl, Ultra Music Fest, Etc).
2012 Republican National Convention
Another example of political campaign production gone right. The message here could initially seem far more direct. An American flag takes up the entirety of screens that make up the set, reinforcing the GOP s patriotic credo. But look closer and you will see the entryway beneath which speakers enter and exit. The entire ensemble has the air of a modern-day Roman archway, adding a subdued but powerful Hail to the Chief touch. This set was developed by the design team at Jack Morton, and was a great pairing of warm wood material and cutting edge video production.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Campaign Event
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is in a tough spot as she runs for re-election. She first won by riding on the coattails of former President Lula, who stepped down with 80{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} approval ratings. Dilma has not maintained these levels of support, with accusations of corruption culminating in nationwide protests earlier this summer. But her political campaign this year has seen her reinvent herself in just the right way. By holding this sort of street campaign event, she maintains a leadership image while rebranding herself as regular folks . The use of just her first name and her face are enough to draw a connection to voters in Brazil who like to feel their leaders are not above them.
China s Politburo Standing Committee
How aptly named is the Standing Committee? This was how the Communist Party of China chose to introduce 1.4 billion people to their new leaders. While the CPC has never been known for its sense of political flair, this was actually a very finely crafted performance. It showed the world a unity of leadership and promised a continuation of political strategic planning, warning reformers that a break with traditions of the past was not on the cards. And get a load of that traditional Chinese art on the backdrop: a majestic touch of cultural heritage.
Marine Le Pen, Front National Campaign Event
A simple political message is easy to reinforce with a simple political image. While the policies of Marine Le Pen, leader of the French extreme right Front National, may seem repugnant, her populist image and firebrand rhetoric have galvanized millions. A campaign event backdrop of French flags and the Eiffel Tower rising into the sky are all she needs to hammer home the anchor of her political campaign image: she is Marianne 2.0, the revolutionary emblem of France reborn.
A Quick Intro to Social Seating Software for Event Managers
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
At the end of the day, events are all about people. Great food, fabulous entertainment, gorgeous location none of it really matters without good company. Problem is, everyone s definition of good company is different, and event planners have little insight into who wants to be where. Named one of 2014 s event trends, Social Seating allows attendees to choose who they sit next to based on data in their social network profiles, or allows event managers to assign seating based on pre-determined groups.
The technology has obvious event management applications, but it s also being implemented across a variety of industries. Dutch airline KLM, for example, allows passengers to choose their seat based on public Google+, Facebook, or LinkedIn profile data, increasing the possibility that they might make a career-enhancing or personally fulfilling connection during the flight. Very cool.
The Major Players
The leader in the Social Seating industry for events is a called Social Tables, which focuses on providing diagramming and check-in while linking up to catering at the back of the house. Social Tables features a drag-and-drop interface, allowing you (or the guests themselves) to see who s sitting where, and then place guests accordingly by simply dragging them into an open seat. It also allows you to group attendees by tags (for example, speakers ), so when you drag a single member of that group to a table, all other attendees with the same tag are automatically seated nearby.
Seat ID takes a slightly different and wider tack, targeting travel (like trains and planes) and venues (like stadiums). Check out their intro vid:
Another up-and-coming company in the social seating arena, recently nominated for the Eventex awards, is Seats.io, a flexible seating script that your web team can integrate with your booking and payment system. Seats.io is ideal for event, venue or travel managers who have an existing checkout process, would like to tie a selectable seating chart into their checkout.
Here to Stay
We don t think this trend is going away, and it stands to reason that social seating is set to become an expected must-have. Catch this one in its infancy and stay ahead of that curve.
Throwback Thursday: 5 Vintage Stage Designs & Sketches from the Good Ol Days
EVENT DESIGN
Stage design has come a long way in the last century. We dug through some cool online libraries and put together a collection of vintage sketches photographs showing stage setups and backdrops from the last few hundred years or so.
1620: Il Solimano
Designed by Jacques Callot for Act IV of the opera Il Solimano, this 400-year-old design shows where the stage stops and the backdrop starts interesting!
1815, Mozart s Magic Flute
One of the most impressive incunabula of the intellectual enthusiasm in the Romantic period for the Orient (and especially for Egypt) was [Karl Friedrich] Schinkel s stage design for Mozart s opera The Magic Flute. For the Queen of the Night it shows the Egyptian starry sky.
1873: The King Has Spoken
Look at this one! Property of the National Library of France, this image shows a beautiful stage design done by Charles-Antoine Cambon for opera Le roi l a dir ( The King Has Spoken ). This is right around the time that Adolphe Appia and other cutting edge set designers of the mid-1800s began abandoning 2D perspective backdrops for 3D.
1930: The Tsar s Bride
The stage designs of Ivan Bilibin are instantly recognizable for their Art Deco style with heavy Russian overtones. This set design was done for the play The Tsar s Bride , this particular set being The Tsar s Chambers . Bilibin s work is worth delving into a little more deeply if you re interested in antique set designs; here s a digital archive of some of his work.
1941 Anti-Nazi Rally
Here s one for the history books: Churchill and Stalin team up against Germany in the backdrop of this 1941 stage. Guests seated on stage in front of a backdrop of giant posters at the Aid to Soviet Congress, Brisbane City Hall, October 1941. Three thousand people attended the opening of the Aid to Soviet Congress, organised to support closer military, cultural, trade and diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. A collection raised 155 pounds. Speakers at the Congress included Mr G. C. Taylor, MLA, President of the Australian-Russian Association.
5 Inspiring Examples of Event Signage Design
EVENT DESIGN
We re loving this: Founded in 2003, Defqon 1 is an annual large-scale music festival held in the Netherlands and Australia. For the 2014 festival, the Defqon 1 organizers asked creative collective Wanprestatie to make a series of hand-painted signs for each area of the festival. They did a stunning job. Check out the making of video and the aftermovie:
Here are 4 more examples of beautiful, creative event signage to get your juices flowing:
National Innovation Summit Signs, Gleren Meneghin
Here s a pixel-perfect example of highly corporate design perfectly executed.
NYC Design Week series, Jous Lara
If you re doing the signage design for NYC Design Week, you will be judged. Designer here did a great job of creating a visual identity for this event that is eyecatching, meshed with the surrounding environment, and communicated the event message.
Extreme Barcelona Event Signage, Mark Brooks
Love this event signage design: right on-theme, though certainly extremely labor-intensive to illustrate.
Jewish Culture Festival, Studio Otwarte
For the 2013 Jewish Culture Festival, Studio Otwarte did a gold-trimmed-on-white series with vintage photography.These guys nailed it, and one picture really can t do this justice. Don t miss checking out the rest of this stunning series.
Nice Ice: 6 Functional and Unique Ice Sculptures
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
Just when you thought the whole Princess Elsa thing was over, we dug up these awesome indoor ice sculptures sure to give you chills. Oh man. Sorry. Puns are the WORST.
PLAYSTATION Ice Sculpture from Jack Whiteley on Vimeo.
This video, produced by Jack Whitley, is an inside look into the process of creating a giant Playstation gaming controller ice sculpture. The sculpture was created by the talented folks at Glacial Art, based in Liverpool, one of the leading ice sculpture companies in the UK.
Carvers extraordinaire Brice and Brice from Alaska the use a lathe they custom-designed themselves to carve martini glasses out of ice.
LA Ice Art created this awesome paddle wheel boat that was later filled with ta da appetizer shrimp. Great creativity.
Something about this table-top biking ice sculpture by Indiana Ice Studio struck us as unique. It s well-crafted and clear, but the angles and style feel modern and almost abstract. Who says ice sculptures are outdated?
Hooey, these guys are awesome: based in Baltimore, MD, Icelab does some industry-topping work. Above, a picture of one of their creations: a series of faceted ice gems mounted on strings to create a beaded ice curtain.
Neat idea by Las Vegas Ice Studio: Japanese temple ice-carving sushi server!
White House Business Council
COMPANY NEWS, POLITICAL
Decibel Management was invited to attend the White House Business Council meetings and briefing in early March. We had the opportunity to meet with administration officials to discuss strengthening the economic competitiveness of America s small businesses. This half-day meeting was held in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It was a great event to attend, and we loved getting to know and openly discuss issues that small businesses face and how the administration can become more involved.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 17, 2014
Local Business Leaders Discuss Priorities with White House Officials
Senior Obama Administration Officials Heard From Business Leaders on a Variety of Issues
Washington, D.C. Small business leaders from across the country gathered at the White House yesterday to brief Senior Administration officials on their priorities, including creating a business environment conducive to job creation.
Administration officials gave an update on the economy and job creation. They also outlined several programs that encourage hiring and improve access to capital for small businesses. These programs include Small Business Administration loans and assistance from the International Trade Administration in helping small businesses sell their goods and services to new foreign customers.
Business leaders spoke about recent successes they ve experienced, but also highlighted the need for immigration reform, increased workforce development programs, and more awareness of programs that provide support for small businesses.
Business leaders bring a results-oriented approach to Washington that stands out, Jim Doyle, Business Forward president said. They don t agree with each other or the Administration on every point, but they expect solutions that create jobs and grow the economy.
Senior White House officials who participated in the briefing included:
Dr. Mark Doms, Undersecretary of Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce
Ann Marie Mehlum, Associate Administrator for Capital Access, U.S. Small Business Administration
Fred Baldassaro, Assistant Administrator for Communications, U.S. Small Business Administration
Peter Davidson, Executive Director of the Loan Program Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Michael Masserman, Executive Director for Export Policy, Promotion, & Strategy, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
Americo Mack Tadeu, Deputy Director, Advocacy Center, International Trade Association, U.S. Department of Commerce
Diana Doukas, White House Liaison, U.S. Small Business Administration
Sam Brown, Director, White House Business Council
Business leaders had the following to say about the briefing:
Roz Lewis, President & CEO of the Greater Women s Business Council, located in Atlanta, Georgia said, The women businesses in my organization are interested in access to capital and procurement opportunities. It was great to hear of all of the financial products that the Small Business Administration has to offer our constituency at the Greater Women s Business Council. More importantly, the briefing was proof of the White House Business Council s commitment to the growth and sustainability of small businesses.
Sean Cochrane, President of Super Green Solutions, located in West Palm Beach, Florida said, I was extremely impressed by all the speakers at the White House Business Council meeting. I found the meeting enlightening particularly in the focus on job creation, export dollars, and the efforts to bring energy efficiency to other countries. I was particularly impressed with the discussion of promoting USA Export trade with Sub Saharan Africa. We have seen a keen interest in this region for SuperGreen Solutions franchises as energy stability, rising energy costs, demand side management, load shedding, and carbon emissions are affecting the lives of people in Sub Saharan Africa.
Joe Mechlinski, President & CEO of entreQuest, located in Baltimore, Maryland said, It was an honor to participate in the White House Business Council s meeting focused on helping small businesses to grow and strengthen the economy. We wrote the #1 best selling book in the world on how to Grow Regardless and the discussion was perfectly aligned with our mission and purpose as a company. The meeting affirmed that there are tremendous bright spots with job growth, but there is still much more to do to support small business growth in our country.
My recommendations were basic: change the paradigm for small business from risk, regulation to risk, and reward and instead find opportunities to incentivize, not penalize, companies to hire people in all ways. I look forward to my continued participation with the Business Council and this conversation.
Mike Sawyers, President & CEO of 7Delta, located in Columbia, Maryland said, As a small business primarily doing federal contracting, the gridlock in Congress has been very frustrating and has made planning for growth extremely challenging.
I attended the White House business meeting to hear about what this Administration is doing to support small businesses with and without the help of Congress. I was impressed with the number of programs available through the SBA, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Energy to financially assist small businesses to start and grow as well as efforts to expand small business exports. I also enjoyed the opportunity to network and share experiences with fellow business owners.
Dr. Sherri Henderson, President & Senior Consultant, Global Business Development Firm, located in Lansing, Michigan said, To achieve economic development for small businesses, entrepreneurs must remain competitive and utilize local, national and international resources to build their brand, strategically plan and be prepared to present their products and services to a global market.
Susan Jones, Founder & Publisher of Impact Detroit Magazine, located in Detroit, Michigan said, As a female business owner, the knowledge I gained through my participation in the White House Business Council briefing is an added value and very relevant, too. It s not business as usual here in Detroit, so I ll be paying it forward, sharing the wealth of knowledge I gained with my colleagues and readers of Impact Detroit Magazine.
Charles L. Moore, CPA, President of C. L. Moore & Associates, located in Lansing, Michigan said, There was a strong delegation of small business owners from around the country that listened to President Obama s senior level cabinet members discuss programs tailored to strengthening the economy for small businesses. They gave us an opportunity to give feedback on their programs. This feedback was received well and the lines of communication were opened for more dialogue in the future.
I gave recommendations on how to get small businesses more capital and what I see as current pitfalls in the lending program. The prospective was from me, a former Bank Regulator and current CPA that works with small businesses. The Small Business Administration officials were happy to get the feedback and wanted to continue to discuss possible changes to the SBA lending policies to get more loans to those small business owners that need them. It felt good to be heard!
Ada Nicole Smith, Principal Consultant at JAS Events, located in Detroit, Michigan said, The early start up costs and lack of strategic planning skills can be discouraging to anyone looking to own a small business. As a young entrepreneur, it was encouraging to hear that the SBA offers mentoring, coaching and classes to entrepreneurs to help close the gaps. Additionally, I am excited about the new approach to partner with local colleges and universities to give young people an earlier start on their entrepreneurial aspirations.
Mary Castro, Executive Board Member of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce located in Warrensburg, Missouri said, Attending the White House Business Council briefing was an amazing opportunity for me. I was impressed with the expert panel of speakers and the eloquence and passion of the attendees. I learned there are resources in place to assist the small business owners, which are accessible and sincere. The White House reached out to us, that is something to take note of and appreciate.
Tammy Long, President of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce, located in Warrensburg, Missouri said, I am so honored to have had the opportunity to attend the White House Business Council forum and to learn of new programs which will assist in the expansion of small business in Warrensburg and Johnson County, Missouri. The speakers were factual, informative and sincere in their updates on programs. The Veterans and Community Advantage are two programs in particular which could have a positive impact on our local economy. Business Forward should be commended for their leadership in the promotion of business expansion!
Pamela Cager, Owner of For All Occasions Catering & Vice President of the Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce, both located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina said, As the owner of a small business, and the Vice President of the Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce, it was a great opportunity to be able to address issues that affect all small businesses and to be given the platform for our issues to be heard by the administration. It was encouraging to see the administration soliciting ideas on small business creation and sustainability. The briefing was very informative and full of useful information.
Greg Gentner, COO of rFactr, located in Charlotte, North Carolina said, The rFactr Executive Team was honored to be invited to participate in the conversation with Senior Administration officials at the White House. As a global Social Sales Software company, we feel it is very important to establish an economic environment in the United States that helps entrepreneurial technology companies grow efficiently, empower advantages in technology, and create innovative solutions that provide value. It was great to be a part of the discussion about the challenges we continue to face as we grow our businesses.
Sandra Miller Jones, Founder & CEO of Segmented Marketing Services, Inc., located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina said, We were extremely pleased to participate in the White House Business Council s briefing yesterday. Our primary reason for attending was to help find ways to reach and secure health insurance for as many people as possible in these final days of Affordable Care Act enrollment. But we also learned a great deal about the outstanding work that the Obama administration is doing to assist small businesses across the nation. This was a worthwhile, action-oriented effort.
Carl Terrell, Founder & CEO of EcoCitement, located in Charlotte, North Carolina said, I was surprised and pleased by the amount of grassroots input the Obama Administration sought from the small business community at large. As a service provider of solid waste management solutions, I was particularly pleased to learn about service exporting opportunities and the support and advocacy of the U.S. Government for U.S. business interests. In addition to receiving information, I shared my thoughts on the need to preserve net neutrality, which if replaced by a premium tiered service model, will increase small business operating expenses and decrease our ability to compete with large companies on the Internet.
Kellam Warren, Managing Member of Mainsail Lawyers, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina said, I m tired of gridlock in Washington. Mainsail Lawyers was started with a Small Business Administration loan and it was nice to talk directly with Senior White House Advisors, so that I could offer a few specific suggestions for improving the SBA loan program and for accelerating the number of jobs small businesses add to the economy. I came to Washington with the benefit of perspective gained from my own start up experience, and from my representation of entrepreneurs and businesses of all kinds in North Carolina s Research Triangle.
While politicians in Washington continue fighting about how to improve the economy, I thought it important that the President s Senior Advisors hear from someone who has actually created jobs in this economy, and used a SBA loan to start a business. I was pleasantly surprised, to find a receptive audience too.
Ad Lawal, President & Owner of Express Employment Professionals of Philadelphia, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said, I found the White House Business Council briefing extremely valuable. Since my company provides temporary and permanent staffing services, finding jobs for people is essentially our business. Our business volume is an indication of the direction of the economy and we have noticed an upward trend as the government s initiatives to create jobs have paid off. At the briefing, I learned about a number of resources available through the SBA that could further our success as a company and help put more people to work in Philadelphia.
Wadria Taylor, Founder, Style & Steel located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said, The White House Business Council Meeting reinforced that small businesses are the mitochondria of the U.S economy. Small businesses can do more and employ more people with access to capital. For many small business owners who fall short of meeting lending criteria for loans, their growth is stifled. My recommendation is for the SBA and the government to adjust the lending criteria and/or implement programs to help small business owners gain access to capital. As a business owner who is also a woman of color, having a seat at the table where I could exercise my voice and recommend solutions is priceless.
Tony Goodesmith, Founder & President of Standard Medical Services located in Arlington, Virginia said, We are very appreciative of the opportunity to brief the White House Business Council on some of the challenges we face on a daily basis while operating Standard Medical Systems. We are a serviced-disabled, veteran-owned small business seeking to compete on a level playing field when it comes to providing medical devices, equipment, and supplies. Often times we find ourselves competing against our own distribution partners for the same services solicited by VA medical centers. Additionally, we re concerned that the medical device tax will negatively impact small independent firms like ours as we work to compete with some of the largest medical device companies in the world.
Dave Sonntag, President of Decibel Management, located in Alexandria, Virginia said, With Decibel Management, I have planned events all over the country including the White House. I m honored I was invited for the first time as a guest to provide the Administration with feedback from small businesses. The discussion with the Small Business Administration was paramount for us, including the information on capital access and lending to grow our business. Additionally, gaining knowledge about the Department of Commerce s Advocacy Center and offering services overseas will help us expand into new markets.
About Business Forward
With the help of more than 50 of the world s most respected companies, Business Forward is making it easier for tens of thousands of business leaders from across America to advise Washington on how to create jobs and accelerate our economic recovery. Together, we have organized hundreds of local briefings with more than 450 senior Administration officials, Members of Congress, mayors and governors.
To date, we have also brought more than 3,000 business leaders to the White House to brief the President s economic advisors. Business leaders who have participated in our briefings have seen their suggestions implemented in the Affordable Care Act, the Jobs Act, three trade agreements and every one of the President s budgets. Many have also shared their recommendations with their representatives in Congress and through op-eds and interviews with local media. Ninety-eight out of 100 business leaders who have participated in a Business Forward briefing would be interested in participating in another one.
For more information please visit www.businessfwd.org or contact kayish@businessfwd.org.
Unique Team-Building Exercise Ideas: The Good, the Bad and the Very, Very Ugly
TIPS & TRICKS
A clients workplace recently organized a team-building event over the course of an afternoon during their annual meeting. The meeting itself was held in a swanky Denver hotel, each guest reveling in luxurious surroundings. All seemed well, until HR decided that the best way to complement all that awesomeness was to follow it up with a group obstacle course in the sweltering summer sun.
The full, unvarnished horror of this mistake was realized when a number of staffers simply quit and returned to the hotel. So much for team-building.
Team-building exercises suffer from an unfair reputation among many companies, in large part because hapless HR managers or even external corporate training consultants pick the wrong activities, or at least don t seem to view the big picture. Badly done, a team-building activity can actually be more demoralizing than unifying but, done the right way, it can be a welcome addition to a conference schedule.
More than that, a shared experience outside the humdrum routine of a conference can be a bonding experience for staff who don t see each other regularly. Having your Austin IT team face your Chicago sales team at laser-tagging may not be an obvious productive boost but it will help create a real sense of unity despite working from disparate locations.
Listen to suggestions
Sure, sometimes it takes a little tugging to get everyone outside for a game of handball, but if your team-building activity announcement is met with groans or oppressive silence, you ve probably crossed the line from they ll-thank-you-for-this-later into they ll-never-forgive-you territory. People know what they like put together a list of suggestions and take a vote. This can absolutely be included in the online registration system as a required field, so no excuses!
And it sounded like such a good idea on paper
Original and unique team-building exercises win out
People tend to enjoy learning new, interesting and useful skills. Doing something creative and unique not only gives your crew something to brag about later, but it brings your team together under the banner of an experience they probably haven t shared with many others. It can also bring new skills and experiences to a team. At the most recent PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Meeting, they had a very unique experience that did just this. During the first day of the conference, the organizers brought in the team from Banding People Together. The entire conference divided into four teams and in an hour we had four original songs that we performed. The winning team had bragging rights for the conference, and we had something very unique to share and discuss for the rest of the conference. Here s a few alternatives to the norm, as well as the original song videos from first and second place:
- Song Writing Workshop
- Photography Skills and Creativity Class
- Cocktail Creations and Mixology
- Drawing/Painting Tutorials
We Love PR by the Brazen Squirrles (Second Place)
We ve Got the Power by the Sh!tkickers (First Place)!
No one has to get dirty
Team-building isn t about punishing people, it s about promoting cooperation. And though we could probably all benefit from a little more time outdoors, rolling around in the dirt boot-camp style isn t everyone s idea of a good time. Organizing a sweaty event also limits your logistical options in terms of how, where and when the event can be held. But getting messy isn t the only way to bring people together. Your people could also:
- Take a challenging, team-based cooking class
- Build a complex gingerbread house
- Build a derby car or electronics kit
- Hold a PacMan competition
- Compete at team darts
- Dragon Boat Racing
Dragon Boat Racing!
Want to incorporate unique team-building exercises into your event?
Call Decibel, we d be tickled pink to help you out.