10 Ghoulish Halloween Catering Ideas
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
Halloween is a holiday sadly saddled with misconceptions. Often dismissed as being exclusively for children, it is also ridiculed for being a corporate holiday . Well, what s wrong with that? Can corporate events not also enjoy a touch of the spooky? We think so.
While the vast majority of Halloween decorations or event themes are aimed at younger generations, catering is one area where a touch of ingenuity can be warmly-received around Halloween. While allowing professional corporate event organizers to maintain the vibe they want for an event, the dishes below will provide a dose of levity and a break from the catering norm, pleasing to both the eye and the palate.
Provide these ideas to your catering supplier and see what wonders they can whip up.
White Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Original image | Get the recipe
Brew-Ha-Ha Punch
Original image | Get the recipe
Goblin Dip With Bone Cracker
Original image | Get the recipe
Monster Meatball Sandwiches
Original image | Get the recipe
Weiner Worms
Original image | Get the recipe
Jack-O -Lantern Cheeseburger Pie
Original image | Get the recipe
Mummy Dogs
Get the recipe
Original image | Get the recipe
Chocolate Ghost Cakes
Original image | Get the recipe
Stuffed Pumpkin with Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding
Original image | Get the recipe
Southern-Style Caramel Apples
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.
Yet Another Beautiful Conference Branding Roundup for 2015
EVENT COLLATERAL
We ve said it before, and we ll say it again: great conference branding and collateral is more than just something nice to look at . It inspires trust and pride in your conference, gives the event a bit of gravitas, encourages attendees to share their participation, and if done well over a series of events, maintains event continuity (Ted Talks is a great example of continuity in event branding). We ve recently come across another five examples of event branding done right, and it s inspired another post, cuz hey, can we really ever get enough pretty, inspiring things?
SPP Conference
Look at that modernism go. This gorgeous collateral set for the S/P/P (sztuka / polityka / pieni?dze Art / Politics / Money) Conference, designed in collaboration with four creatives, is highlighter-inspired with both structured solids and hand-drawn elements in neon yellow, as if selections were being made and circled on the fly.
Brooklyn Beta 2014
Because Brooklyn Beta is an event for creatives, the two core designers developed a brand based around a black and white line art mural that was colored in and added to by over 800 attendees during the conference. Elements from the mural, which was inspired by 60 s pop art, were added to all event collateral, including the website and mobile app.
Tallinn Music Week 2014
Starting with the idea that new, undiscovered music is like some rare animal, the design is built around a tropical plant visual, created by young painter Eleriin Ello. Somewhat unexpected pink colour and distinctive typography complete the identity, which was applied to a wide range of materials. We re digging the fashion-jungle theme.
Natur Conference 2015
Another monotone-and-neon brand created by San Fransisco-based Claudia Sofia Llaguno. The full set of designs includes large-scale print collateral, website concept, shirts, and more.
Brand New Conference 2014
Ooh, meta: a branded conference about branding. Skillfully made by UnderConsideration out of Austin, who says, Because we are always obsessing about 1984 the year, not the dystopian novel one day our thoughts led us to the origins of the Mac, the venerable tool that allows most of us to make a living. This led to thinking about Susan Kare and her original family of fonts for the deliciously low resolution interface of the original Mac Operating System. Short of a dozen bitmap fonts, all were named after the world s greatest cities: New York, Athens, San Francisco, Monaco, among others. And, yes, Chicago [where the conference was based].
Marketing Stunts that Actually Work
EVENT INDUSTRY
You re always putting yourself at at least marginal risk when you decide to pull a promotional marketing stunt, and the more over-the-edge the stunt, the truer that can be. It s hard to be 100{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} sure that in-your-face marketing stunts won t backfire in a lot of complaints (at best) or (at worst) a lawsuit. But these companies have managed to still pull of some crazy publicity stunts while still hitting all the right notes.
North Face Korea
North Face took their Korean customers on an extreme shopping expedition when unsuspecting buyers had the floor drop out from under them (literally):
This one walks a fine line. You ll notice that all of the customers are young, fit and look active no children or seniors. We imagine that customers chosen to participate in this have to be carefully selected and presumed to be capable of a little rock climbing before the switch was flipped.
TNT Belgium
TNT s Push Button to Add Drama campaign is a fantastic example of shock-value marketing that is unlikely to get anyone hurt or fired. They added a little mystery and excitement to the day in a way that s sure to get everyone nearby talking without causing physical discomfort, embarrassing anyone, or making anyone angry. Hits all the right notes:
Carrie
You d expect that a marketing stunt for a horror movie would include a high level of scare factor. The makers of Carrie completely rigged out a New York City coffee shop with floor-to-ceiling special effects equipment, and customers were treated to a telekinetic surprise:
Some Considerations to Make Sure Your Event is Accessible to the Elderly and Differently-Abled
EVENT INDUSTRY
Let s be honest: most events don t check off every point on this list due to cost restrictions, but the more that you can tackle, the more considerate your event planning becomes. Naturally, the bigger the event and the broader your audience, the more vital accessibility is, and you shouldn t rely on the venue to ensure easy-access.
Duh: Verify Wheelchair Access
Double check that the primary entrance to your event is wheelchair accessible. If it s not, place clear signs near the primary entrance that indicate where the alternative wheelchair accessible entrance is located.
Check table heights and spacing
If circular or grouped seating is a feature of your space, ensure that there s enough room between tables to roll a wheelchair, and that tables are not too low. Some types of tables also cause discomfort or crowding due to the spacing or placement of table legs. If there s a seated stage-facing component, set aside a little front-row space for wheelchair seating, if possible.
Sacramento State has helpfully published a list of accessibility measurements:
Table height: 28 -34 from floor to top of table. If you must have some foods or information placed higher than 34 , be sure that at least a portion of such foods and information are available at the lower level.
Aisles: At least 36 wide for maneuverability, and up to 44 wide if goods/services are available on both sides of an aisle. There should also be at least 36 from the tables to the wall behind if guests will be seated at the tables.
Knee space: 27 from floor to bottom of table, if guests will be using tables for eating, writing, interviewing, receiving services, etc.
Cables: Covers should be used over electrical cables or cords that must cross over aisles or pathways. Cable covers should be no more than 1/2 thick in order for wheelchairs to traverse across them.
Event Signage Placement and Design
Review event signage to make sure that text size is large enough and font choices are clear enough that people with mild visual impairments can still make them out. Consider placing Braille lettering on important signage, and ensure that venue elevators and other location signage is written in Braille as well.
Website Color Contrast
Check with your web designer to ensure that that the color contrast and text sizes on the primary event website meet WCAG guidelines to ensure clarity for those with vision impairment.
Verify Restrooms
Verify that venue restrooms are wheelchair accessible, with at least one fully-equipped stall.
Video
Consider offering closed captioning when videos will be shown as an event component.
Decibel Management Custom Interior Signage Design and Build
BACKSTAGE, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, TRADE SHOW
Decibel Management was hired to design, develop and install custom graphics, signs, trade show pieces as well as custom paint to complete the Marketing Center at 555 12th Street in Washington, D.C. We worked with a great team at Legacy Scenic and Productions, as well as Matrix Frame USA to complete the install. The original concept was from the architecture firm Gensler, as well as Cushman & Wakefield, along with the construction team of HITT Contracting.
555 12th Street Marketing Center- Behind the Scenes with Decibel Management from Decibel Management on YouTube.
4 Original Fundraising Event Ideas
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
Fundraising has become a necessity for many companies, and particularly smaller start-ups, and thanks to popular crowd-sourcing websites, asking for money to fund your campaign or project has lost much of the stigma it once had. These unique fundraising ideas make great add-ons to any larger event.
Sponsored Karaoke
Not everyone can run a 5k, but everyone can belt out a bad rendition of Suzie Q. Even those who hate getting up in front of a crowd may be convinced to throw their dignity to the wind for a good cause. You can either have attendees sponsor each other at the event itself, or ask attendees to raise sponsorship money in advance. Big spenders choose the songs, of course!
Once-in-a-Lifetime-Experience Groupon Auctions
Nowadays, it s easy to buy online coupons for original experiences, from hang-gliding and weekend retreats to a day training with the Cirque du Soleil. Start the bidding at the Groupon price, set a minimum number of opt-ins, and if you can get enough takers, any money over the listed price is yours. If you don t, no harm, no foul.
Speed Dating for Dollars
This one s a cinch to organize. All you need to set up speed dating are some tables, some chairs and a station to collect entrance fees. Bonus: any singles that might normally feel too embarrassed to participate in speed dating
can chalk it up to supporting a good cause.
Making Casual Classy
Organizing a black tie event for a client with a sense of humor? Consider mixing it up by allowing attendees that pre-pledge to donate over a certain amount dress down or wear sneakers. Whoever said Chucks-n-tux wasn t a good look?
Some of the Event Industry s Most Unique Bookable Artists
EVENT INDUSTRY
You remember when you were in high school, and people used to ask you what you wanted to do for living, and you could only really think in terms of the major job groups you d heard of? Lawyer, doctor, astronaut. And then you graduated, and suddenly you meet people with jobs like user experience researcher and grant writer and you wonder how those people even knew those job titles existed. Event artists are kinda like that. Auctioneer? Really? That s a thing I can hire?
Vanessa Thanos, Auctioneer
Yes, that is a thing you can hire. Man, some of these guys get into auctioneering as a side gig, something to fill the holes between bit parts on network TV. Not Vanessa, though. Vanessa is auction-specific. She is full-on, 100{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} auction-dedicated. Starting out her career on her parent s Christmas tree farm, this lady has intered at Christie s in Beverly Hills and Sotheby s, and is a graduate of the Missouri Auction School (that s a thing, too), and a member of the National Auctioneers Association. She will get your fundraising benefit stuff sold, by jove.
Mystery Productions, Acrobats
No mucking around here: this is one of the top event performance troupes in the United States. You need someone to do aerial rope dancing? Check. How about someone to hang upside down from the chandeliers and wiggle around in a leotard? Done. Belly dancers? Fire eaters? Insane Venetian costumes? Yup, yup and yup.
Dan Meyer, Sword Swallower
Dan Meyer thinks swords are super delicious. And he s not picky: this guy ll nosh down on daggers, light sabers, rapiers, broadswords, multiple swords at the same he ll do it in front of anyone, anytime, anywhere. On top of fairs and festival bookings, Dan has also done some motivational TEDx talks, underlining just how possible the impossible can be.
Dan Clairmont, Square Dance Caller & Instructor
No, silly, you can t have any old jerk up there yelling do-si-do your partner round over and over. You need a guy with line dancing experience. A guy in a real cowboy hat who can give the whole thing some authenticity, get the first timers pointed in the right direction, and make the shy ladies at the back join in.
Travis Allen, Elvis Impersonator
Sometimes, there s nothing for it: you just need The King. And when you need The King, you call Travis. Travel Allen is one of the most booked Elvis acts on Gigmasters, specializing in Young Elvis, and has some heavy entertainment credentials. Based in Las Vegas (naturally), Travis is also available for travel.
Everyone s the Speaker: Two New Ways to Share the Floor at Your Event
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Is the traditional I-talk-you-listen lecture dying? Probably not we ve been silently listening to speeches for a few thousand years or so but these days, technology is filling up our toolkit with interesting ways to pass the mic. Maybe this is the result of shortening attention spans and an inability to shut out mouths for an entire hour, maybe its our natural and frenetic desire to innovate, maybe this is just the way we start cresting out of the me-me-me cultural narcissism that social networks facilitate. Who knows? But more fluid audience participation methods during conferences and talks are definitely becoming a trend. Here s a look at two of the new tools available for getting listeners involved.
Catchbox
Created by a team of young Finns, Catchbox is the world s first throwable microphone , a highly engineered mic built into a padded cube that doesn t mind being tossed around the lecture hall. Psychologically, I think this plays well across a couple of dynamics: for one, as the video notes, it s a good icebreaker, but I also like it for its techy take on the Talking Stick whoever s got the Catchbox has the floor. Feels egalitarian somehow. Neat bit: the creators of Catchbox built in some software that edits out the sounds that would typically be generated by the mic as it sails through the air and lands hard in someone s grip.
Price-wise, the thing ain t particularly cheap, with boxes starting at 495 Euros (or $591 USD), but good A/V gear is worth the shell out.
Crowdmics
Crowd Mics turns audience smartphones into wireless microphones, no internet connection required. A detailed inside look via SquadUp blog (and check out their post for the back story behind the creation of Crowd Mics):
Everyone downloads the free Crowd Mics app and connects to the same wireless router, which can be via a venue s Wi-Fi or a stand-alone wireless router device. Crowd Mics doesn t require an Internet connection because it only uses the router to push data back and forth. The presenter on stage plugs an iOS or Android device into the room s sound system and creates a name and access code for the event in the Crowd Mics app. Audience members download the app and enter the code to join the event. When they want to ask a question or make a comment, they tap a Request to Talk button on their devices, and the presenter will see a list of people who want to talk in the order they requested. The presenter can enable an individual microphone, mute a microphone, or put the system in open mic mode so anyone can comment. Audience members can also submit text comments to the presenter through the Crowd Mics app. The presenter can also use the basic polling functions.
Crowd Mics is free for events with under twenty participants over that, it s $50 for 50 participants or under, up to $198 for 200 participants or under. If you need Crowd Mics to support more than 200 participants, you ll need to contact them for custom pricing.
The Dark Arts: What Happens at a Hacker Conference?
EVENT INDUSTRY
Hacker conferences aren t your typical industry get-togethers. Here are some of the traditional and unique activities you might find at an underground technology meetup.
Spot the Fed
Maybe the longest running and most notorious hacker conference of all, DEFCON, held each year in the United States (usually Vegas), has traditionally included a segment called Spot the Fed , where attendees take turns throughout the conference trying to unmask the undercover federal agents who are inevitably there keeping tabs on the hacker community. Anyone who correctly spots a fed gets an I spotted the Fed t-shirt, and lots of cred. The Fed, we understand, gets a t-shirt too.
Social Engineering Panel
Social Engineering is a term used to describe basic con-man tactics to gain access to restricted information. A social engineer is skilled at, for example, calling a hosting company pretending to be the owner of a website account, saying they ve forgotten their password, and trying to get the host to read someone else s password to them over the phone. Social engineering often happens over the phone, but it can happen in person as well.
Wanna see it in action? Check out this video, whose description reads: Since the very first HOPE conference in 1994, the social engineering panel has been a huge draw. We basically round up a bunch of people who like to play on the phone, tell some stories, and make live calls to strangers who wind up telling us things they really shouldn t in front of a huge crowd of people who are trying very hard not to make any noise. It s all a lesson on how insecure information really is, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes that some unsuspecting person someplace will inevitably make when this panel randomly calls them.
Lock Picking
Physical security, for example in terms of keeping servers and other corporate computer hardware protected from breakins, requires knowledge of basic locks. That s why most hacker conferences include a Lockpick Village, complete with lock-picking lessons and practice spaces.
Would you like to schedule a lockpicking lesson at your next event? Contact Toool.us! Check out this video for an overview:
