National Mall Special Event Permit Update
EVENT INDUSTRY, VENUES
It turns out that it took about a year for the new special event rules and regulations for permitting the National Mall to sink in and really get noticed. The National Mall has been host to a number of small to mid sized events over the last year, but no events to the scale that the National Mall has seen in the past. This week, a number of people have sent us this Petition by the group Save the Festival. It seems as if this is a group of concerned volunteers who want to save this event, by allowing for a permanent special event space within the renovation of the National Mall. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is one of the great annual events that we enjoy in DC and on the National Mall, and it seems that they are having the same issues working in the NPS Event rules as other large-scale events.
After 47 years, they are looking for a new location in the DC area. In fact, this is the forth large-scale event forced to exit the National Mall under these new regulations. So far, the National Book Festival, Black Family Reunion and the Solar Decathlon have found new venues. The letter from Save the Festival can be seen in its entirety below, and if it so moves you, follow this link to sign their petition.
We have also included an infographic of the new rules and regulations for any special events on National Mall grounds. This shows specifically where tents and event infrastructure can be placed, along with the attendee size and seasonal rules that are enforced. While there are a number of new rules and restrictions- there are also some tricks and tips to successfully plan and produce your event. Click here to view and download the full size version.
Behind the Scenes with Decibel Management: How an Experiential Event Comes Together
BACKSTAGE, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, TRADE SHOW
If you have ever wondered what goes into a technical and experiential event build, take a look behind the scenes with Decibel Management and our amazing production team for the building of the H&R Block- Get Your Billion Back experience.
The development, programming and construction was challenging, complex, and delivered on a lightning fast timetable. We were truly only able to succeed because of the great team we assembled. This included our partners: M1 Interactive, CGS Premier, Greenroom Communications, and EventPro Strategies as well as great clients in Ketchum Public Relations as well as H&R Block.
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.
It s the most wonderful time of the year . at Decibel!
BACKSTAGE, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVERYTHING ELSE, LIVE EVENTS, PERMITS
Decibel Management has been very busy since September and we are happy to finish out 2013 with an exciting amount of events we were fortunate to be a part of during the fall months!
National Book Festival, SHIRE Mobile Tour, National ATI Day, Glass Packaging Institute s Annual Meeting, Clorox Caroling with Busy Phillips, NextGen Climate Action Summit, Raleigh Christmas Parade, London Financial Forum, just to name a few.
We have already told you all about the National Book Festival in our last post, but we have lots more to share with you.
We worked with SHIRE to produce a mobile tour that went to two different cities to promote awareness about ADHD. Both the client and the participants had great feedback and we are looking forward to travelling again in 2014!
National ATI Day took place at the Newseum in October. We worked with our longtime client FleishmanHillard to produce the event that focused on the Made by Me National Challenge which brought a student made video idea to life with a professional video producer to create the new Above the Influence commercial.
Of course we loved working the 2013 Glass Packaging Institute s Annual Meeting- especially because it was held in Sonoma, California. Attendees participated in an Annual Golf Tournament, association meetings over three days and of course, a Wine Tasting Reception. Really, when in Rome!
Earlier this month Clorox launched their new campaign Bleach it Away for the Holidays. Clorox selected Busy Phillips to endorse their campaign. She joined the Clorox Carolers at two locations in New York City to sing about holiday s bleachable moments to people passing by.
NextGen Climate Action gathered at Georgetown University to host a summit discussing the Keystone Pipeline. Decibel assisted with registration, production, and logistics behind the summit to ensure a successful event for the client.
WRAL TV in Raleigh, NC gave us a call about a week before the Annual Christmas Parade with a potential rainy weather situation. Since we couldn t change the weather they asked if we could provide a tent for their on-air talent to be covered in case of rain during their broadcast. We provided a custom tent that fit perfectly on top of their scaffold and everyone remained dry throughout the parade.
Decibel also went international this year! Dave Sonntag was tapped by Linder and Associates as the producer for the Financial Inclusion 2020 Global Forum in London. We worked with a great team to produce a great event.
Phew. We have a few weeks to enjoy the holiday season and then we are gearing up to launch a tour in January! Stay tuned for Blog posts, Facebook Updates and Tweets about everything happening at Decibel.
You know you re an event planner when An industry infographic
EVENT INDUSTRY
Fact: Not everyone was cut out to be a shock troop in the never-ending battle against deadlines, wilting flowers and sprinkler systems that explode at exactly the wrong time, but those that make it love every hectic minute. How do you know when you re knees-deep in the industry? Our clever colleagues at Event Manager Blog polled their readers, asking them to pinpoint those little indicators that set event planners apart from the rest.
The best answers were created into a great infographic by Chris Shipton which we know you will love as much as we did:
How to talk about Lines: Introduction to Queuing Theory for Event Planners
EVENT INDUSTRY
Waiting sucks. I can t think of a single human being that enjoys a good long wait. Waiting is the womb of all bad things: irritability, customer complaints, bad PR, sometimes even riots. Happily, the world is full of good-guy scientists using teh mathz to make sure your attendees are queuing for the shortest possible times. There s a whole field of study about it, and it s called Queueing Theory . The tools are there. Just reach out and take them.
Queuing theory applications
The applications for queuing theory are numerous, and extend well beyond the ticket-purchasing sphere. To quote from queuing theory researcher Myron Hlynka, Queueing theory is useful in telecommunications, traffic control, determining the sequence of computer operations, predicting computer performance, health services (eg. control of hospital bed assignments), airport traffic, airline ticket sales, the mining industry, layout of manufacturing systems. It is even useful in determining when to remove a goalie in a hockey game.
But in terms of straight-up ticket windows or event registration lines, the goal of well-applied queueing theory is to determine how you can acheive the shortest possible wait time for attendees at the lowest possible resource cost to you or your event. In other words: How many ticket windows need to be open at the same time to keep wait times to an acceptable minimum?
It s a Numbers Thing
Look, queuing theory is, at its root, a mathematician s field of study. It s all about algorithms defining how many customers are arriving, how quickly they re arriving, how long it takes them to get served and leave. It factors in how regularly people are arriving, delays at each step of the process, and what kind of delays those are. Nobody over here at Decibel is a mathematician, and we imagine most event producers aren t either, and we can t teach you how to do algebra here, but we can tell you the right words to use when describing issues with lines, and different ways to think about your line setups.
But if you re a numbers persona and you re looking to take a deep dive into the calculus that drives these computations, you ll want this: Basic Queuing Theory, by Dr. Janos Sztrik.
The Basic Equation: Little s Law
I may have lied a little: we are going to talk about math, but just for a short and painless second. Queuing theory is based on an equation called Little s Law, which helps us sort out the average number of customers waiting in any line. In smart-numbers-people speak, that looks like this:
N = T
N = The number of people waiting.
(Lambda) = The average rate at which people arrive
T = The average service time
In other words, there will be more people waiting in the line if people are arriving quickly and the service time is slow. There will be less people waiting if people are arriving slowly and service time is fast. Duh, right?
When T is less than , the queue is working.
Factors in line speed: Service Systems
Let s say that you ve got four ticket windows open. How are the lines organized? Is there one long line, and when someone reaches the front of it, they are directed to the first open window, who provides them total service? If so, this is called Parallel Queues :
Or does each ticket window have its own distinct line? If so, that s called Single Queues :
Or, do customers get serviced at several different windows, each window handling one part of the process, assembly-line style? For example, you pay at window 1, take a picture at window 2, and receive your registration badge at window 3? This is called Service Facilities in Series :
Service Disciplines
But how, exactly, do people get served once they do reach the front of the line? The order in which people are served can influence the speed at which the line moves. Here are some of the most commonly discussed service disciplines that apply to events:
- First-Come-First-Served (FCFS): This system, under which customers are served in the order of their arrival, is probably the easiest to understand. A checkout line at the grocery store, for example.
- Last-Come-First-Served (LCFS): You can think of this system like an elevator; the last people to get in are the first people to get out.
- Shortest Processing Time first (SPT): You might think of this as the 10 Items or Less line in a supermarket whichever customer is perceived to have the easiest task to process would go to the front of the queue
- Loudest-Voice-First-Served (LVFS): Get rid of the guy making the most trouble first.
- Service in Random Order (SIRO): Someone gets chosen out of the crowd at random. (Sounds like mayhem to us)
- And more besides
Kendall s Notation
So how do we talk about all this? Math guys use a form of shorthand called Kendall s Notation to talk about what kind of line they re dealing with. The notation format five, like this: A/B/C/D/E.
- Position A: represents how people are arriving. Is their arrival in the line random (random numbers of people come at random times, sometimes one person, sometimes groups)? Or is it controlled or timed (one person always arrives every two minutes)? If so, we write D in this spot. Is it totally undefined? Write G.
- Position B: represents service time distribution. In other words, how long does it take to serve a customer once they reach the front of the line? Is this undetermined (could take five minutes, ten minutes, or an hour)? If so, we write M in this spot. Is it fixed (it always takes exactly 3 minutes to process someone through the line)? If so, we write D in this spot. Is it totally undefined? Write G.
- Position C: Number of service windows that are open at one time.
- Position D: How many waiting spots are available. If there s only room in the line 120 people (including people being served at the window), then this number is 120.
- Position E: Which service discipline is being followed (First Come First Serve, maybe?)
The guys over at Stack Exchange help us out with a few examples:
M/G/1
DASD performance is modeled most accurately as an M/G/1 queue. M means that customers, or requests for disk access, behave according to a Poisson process. This is referred to as a stochastic, or Markov process, thus the use of M . The rate at which the disk drive is able to meet these requests for service is unknown. Since job service times can have an arbitrary distribution, this is designated by G for general . Finally, if there is only one disk-drive, c = 1.
M/M/c
Let s consider another example, where customers arrive randomly, with exponentially distributed service times. There are multiple servers. This would be described as an M/M/c queue.
This is the typical situation at Walmart, during the night shift (with few cashiers on duty), or at a bank with tellers, or when making a phone call for customer support. Customers arrive randomly (M). The time required to check out their groceries or answer their question is also random (M) e.g. when grocery queues don t have a 10 items or less configuration for some checkers. Meanwhile, there are a fixed number of cashiers or telephone support staff on duty, we ll say five. This would be an M/M/5 queue.
Interesting, huh
So what does that mean for you? It means there *are* ways to keep wait times down, and to predict how event registrations are best arranged. It means that it s not a bad idea to hire an expert to look into your lines and double-check that your arrival, registration and intake processes are optimized if you re dealing with large-scale events.
Seating Arrangement Ideas: 7 Floor Layouts Guaranteed to Keep Them in Their Seats
EVENT INDUSTRY, TIPS & TRICKS
Apart from the conference venue itself and the d cor, the lay-out of a meeting room will be the first impression attendees get. It will help to color their judgment of quality event management, their thoughts on originality and comfort as well as set their mood. Below, we have picked a few innovative set-ups for event seating arrangements which can lend the right blend of work and whimsy to your conferences.
Boardroom Style
Image source
Based on crowd size and space available, getting in some walnut wood meeting tables and some comfortable swivel chairs will get everyone in the perfect mood to get business done.
Low Cocktail Rounds Style
Image source
There is a real tendency among conference organizers to try and bring a touch of glitz to their events. This event seating arrangement plays right into their hands. Round tables and high-backed chairs provide an intimate and secretive feeling, perfect for a round of executive networking.
Cabaret Style Seating
Image source
For any conference organizer looking to maximize space for an audience to move around during a performance or entertainment of any kind, the cabaret style seating offers room to breathe while being an instant classic.
Eyebrow Pattern
Image source
The ideal formation for people to view a video presentation or corporate film while still remaining able to engage with each other without having to move around.
Lounge Seating
Image source
Another low-key setting tailored to award ceremonies or any events where audience participation is required.
Pod Seating
Image source
Best-suited to team-building exercises or group networking sessions, the pod seating creates a sense of conviviality among guests while also allowing for space to communicate between tables.
Classroom Style
Image source
Sometimes dismissed as too uptight, the classroom style triggers a Pavlovian response deep in the occipital, making attendees to any corporate training docile and ready to learn.
Decibel Picks: 5 Great Books for Event Organizers
EVENT INDUSTRY
Good event managers do it all: they understand the principles of marketing, they can respond to crisis situations with relative equanimity, they can deal with people and wrangle details. It s a career path that s part tactics, part technical experience, part money management, part psychology, and part grit. That being the case, when we sat down to pick five books that were relevant to the industry, we didn t exclusively choose books targeted at event professionals (though there are a couple here). Instead, we chose a few reads that address these core attributes.
Special Events: A New Generation and the Next Frontier by Joe Goldblatt
We d be remiss not to mention this start-to-finish resource by event production guru Joe Goldblatt. Not a work for those just starting out in the industry, Special Events takes a textbook approach to understanding ins and outs of event production. The latest edition covers modern trends in the industry, like green events and event technology.
Made Possible By by Patricia Martin
The non-profit sector spends an incredible amount of time and energy on fundraising. Targeted at that hard-to-crack market, this book is chalk-full of advice about how to do fundraising right. Patricia Martin talks us through how to not only put together a sponsorship package and land the right sponsors, but also to nurture those relationships so that they become long-term, mutually beneficial arrangements. Read between the lines, and you ll find that the material is very applicable to event fundraising.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling
Written by three veterans of corporate leadership, this book focuses on how to get initiatives executed and get your teams organized and goal-focused. The book s a little bit old-school and it s less about setting personal goals and more about helping teams get stuff done, but for event professionals who often need to keep disparate vendors and groups pointed in the same direction, it s a good read.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
Why do people come to your events, anyway? What is it that convinces your sponsors to say yes ? How can you better persuade vendors and land clients? This classic ad-industry handbook is full of Machiavellian gems that explain why human beings agree to, well, just about anything.
Freelancer s Guide to Corporate Event Design: From Technology Fundamentals to Scenic and Environmental Design by Troy Halsey
The scrappy approach to wrapping your head around the basics of lighting, rigging, seating, A/V, and all the other practical aspects of event production.
Four Moments of Zen All Event Production Pros Have Experienced
EVENT INDUSTRY
There s more than one kind of zen, grasshopper. And in an industry with such a strong penchant for tossing up curve balls and all-nighters, where there are such extreme alternating periods of high-energy intensity and then low-energy, we glimpse those moments of nirvana perhaps more often than most.
Psychedelic Exhaustion
You haven t slept in 39 hours. Something fell through at the last minute and you had to pull an all-nighter. You re on your sixth double espresso (you think) with at least seven more hours to go before you can crash. Your vision is swimming in a yellow-y, blasted out haze and you feel like you re having an out-of-body experience. Looking back later, you re not sure how you continued to function, but you did, and you got er done.
The Calm Before the Storm
The sun s coming up, the name cards are going on the tables and the final A/V checks are running smoothly. The attendees are about to arrive, but before the doors open and the day gets rolling, there s a moment of quiet where you stop, sip your cuppa, and appreciate the culmination of several months of preparation.
It s Out of my Hands
You ve ticked every box, but sometimes, the unpredictable happens. The weather channel announces an incoming blizzard, or someone central to the project falls ill. These times remind us that in some things, all we can do is offer up our best response to circumstances that are ultimately out of our control.
The Productive Groove
You ve hit your stride, Neo. Your hands are moving faster and more fluidly than spacetime would seem to allow and you re not even trying. You glance at to-do items and they fall off your list. Obstacles melt before you, solutions to the impossible spring into being effortlessly. The Dao De Jing calls this wuwei, or Non-Action , the state of perfect energy expenditure, where your lightest touches have the most profound effects. These are the moments you remember why you ve found your calling.
[Heads up] UK s Event Organizers Summit is Coming Sept 7 & 8
EVENT INDUSTRY
The UK isn t our typical stomping grounds, but the upcoming Event Organizer s Summit, produced by Forum Events and scheduled to be held at the Hilton London Wembley, caught our eye. What s different about about this industry pow-wow? No-BS decision-making, that s what.
The Event Organisers Summit brings together reputable suppliers and Corporate Event Organisers who want to find inspirational and innovative ideas for their future events. The Summit is the ultimate hassle-free, no-time wasting platform for executives, managers, directors and buyers who are directly responsible for the purchase of their organisation s event organizing products and services to create new business relationships with key suppliers for the event industry.
A get- er-done get-together where attendees are screened for their ability to sign that contract? Yes, please.
Hey, we love multi-day, everyone s-invited, three-speaker-tracks event industry conferences, we do. It s a nice way to get energized and keep a toe in the wider stream. But a high-impact, business-focused environment where every minute is maximized is a very welcome counterpoint if you re short on time (aren t we all?) and looking to expand your supplier list.
Plus, tickets are free for delegates. If you re in the UK, do follow these guys on Twitter and reserve your place.