Black Tie Optional

Northwest Arkansas Event Planners

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:49:09 GMT

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS EVENT PLANNERS

NWA Event Planners was created as a resource for meeting and event planners to network with each other to exchange event-related tips, solve problems, ask questions, post job announcements, and most importantly learn from each other.

Our future website, www.thespecialeventsplanner.com will be Northwest Arkansas's premier site to share resources, network, and learn about what is happening in the event planning world. This website will have an online magazine featuring categories for event planners in the corporate, non-profit, wedding, special events, conferences and meetings,and sports fields. Additionally, this site will have the most up-to-date information on where to find resources to help you with your events, from venues, catering, lighting, music, florists, how-to's, and much, much,

more. We will have the most comprehensive calender to assist you with selecting a date to host your next meeting.

Please join our forum and engage with others who want to make their next event successful. You will receive the latest information on The Special Events Planner.

Event Planning 101

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:03:00 GMT

Tips for you as the planner. People like to feel like they are part of a big crowd. You want to have people close together..bumper- to- bumper so to speak. For my last event, I had a champagne and chocolate bar for VIPs in a little area outside of the main room and the hosted bar. Well good grief, it was ridiculous how people just crammed into that little space. But I do have to say, it looked fun because of all the people and the fun and excitement it created.

So, if you plan for 500, set your area inside for 75 less and put your tables and chairs close together to create intimacy. People like to know they are having a "happening" time. The other thing, make sure the room is not too cold..not too warm...not too bright...not too dark. I like to think back to my college days when we would go to parties. We rated those parties that looked like lots of people were there very high. You want to go where "everyone" goes... Now why is that?

Go Figure
HeadsUP

Man UP

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:36:00 GMT

I heard a great event idea--Man Up. Let's face it, most galas and events are designed with a woman in mind, and in fact, by many women planners. Not to offend you men, but there are more women planners than men. But this event was designed by a man, lot's of men to be exact. Men get to do all those things they like to do, drink expensive whiskey, smoke expensive cigars, tell crass stories, wear cool clothes, eat REAL men food like a big porterhouse steak, and mostly, not have their woman around...well for the most part.

Yeah, have some really cool auction items, way expensive trips and such, that they can buy for their significant other to get out of trouble after staying out late, smelling like smoke and drink etc,...until the credit card bill comes in. OOPS. Oh, SNAP! Anyway, I thought it was a great idea to raise money for a nonprofit. Why not spoil our men? Make them look good and feel good and special...all for a great cause. Whatever that might be (I mean for a non profit). Man UP, Men's Night, whatever you wish to call it could be a really cool, cool event. Think how you might do it...Whisky Tasting, men's fashion show, limo's, lots of imported beers, cigar tasting, rock music, neat stuff.

I'll tell you how our Man UP event will turn out at another post date. Thanks VERTICAL. You ROCK!

Later...HEADS UP

Cupcake Challenge

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:00:00 GMT

Okay, my new interest is CUPCAKES! I really can't get enough of watching The Food Network Cupcake Challenge.. and now I am trying all those decadent cupcake recipes. Which brings me to today's entry for creating a "friend-raising" event---Cupcakes & Cocktails.

My first event for a non-profit, I decided to host a friend-raising event in a really cute little place with lots of glass and lots of class! So hosting some champagne cocktails with some cupcakes was my foray into non-profit event planning. Now that I am all into the cupcake thing, I am fantasizing about cocktails IN the cupcake. I found some really cool recipes that I am dying to try out on a group. Right now, my group is my family.

I am currently planning my own version of Cupcake Challenge as another friend-raiser for a non-profit. I am matching celebrity baking assistants with real bakers and using celebrity judges. Of course, taste is a big factor. Best use of theme and display are the other criteria for judging the bakers. The theme would be the next event~ Starry Starry Night. The baker that best represents the overall theme of Starry Starry, will be the baker that will cater at that party and provide their creative display and yummy cupcakes. Heaven.

Enjoy!
HeadsUP

Design on a Dime

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 03:46:00 GMT

How can you put on the glitz without spending a fortune? You want your even to look really cool and stunning with that wow factor. It's just, you don't have a fortune to do it like a David Tutera would. Recruit some very creative people, i.e., artists, interior designers, video and lighting techs, university students in theater, etc.. to help you.

I had some very fab volunteers that were UBER creative!!!!!! Find your local University Hospitality Club...go figure??

Trendy Receptions

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:26:00 GMT

Champagne Bar- why not try a champagne bar for your next reception? Try some mixers that would go with champagne and let your guests decide what they would like to try. Some of my favs are cranberry, OJ and pineapple juices, Chambord, Midori, or Peach Schnapps.

Also popular, are appetizers in shot glasses. I had crab claws in shot glasses this weekend. They were very elegant. My friend Shelly with the Event Group once said that warm chocolate chip cookies with milk shots were a favorite item among late night snack stations. Yum is all I can say. How about having some sliders and some sweet potato fries wrapped in wax paper?

Candy bars are always a favorite, especially among the very young. I really like passed hors d'oeuvres personally. I think they give such a look of elegance. And not to mention, it really saves on the budget. Most people will not load up on food when it is passed among the guests. Reception tables just encourage people to load up...and more so when it is the good appetizers that are being served. And we all know, the good stuff cost more.

HeadsUP. Happy receptions!

Party with a Purpose

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 03:54:00 GMT

Party with a Purpose this is a great idea that was coined by a local group of womenade. It is really pretty creative. It should be a blast! This fundraiser benefits women in shelters who need help and this one is to help collect donations of new bras.

This will be an evening with lots of glitz, glamour, and giggles. Attendees are encourage to go crazy and decorate a bra. Judging of the bras will be done by local celebs and the winners will be selected for some really cool categories!

Breast in Show
Udderly Fantastic
Must Uplifting
Greek Goddenss and
the SAG award--supporting all girls

HEADSUP

Catering

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:04:00 GMT

CATERING FOR NEWBIES

Food is a critical part of any event. Keeping the cost down is one of the biggest challenges. You don't want to look cheap but you also don't want to use up all your budget on feeding your guests. Most hotels require that you use their catering; and, they usually require a firm head count at least two weeks before the event. Well, we all know, you really don't know for sure what your headcount will be until almost the day before, and many times it may be the day of your event that you have a firm number.

Not knowing the number to give because your participants or potential attendees don't bother to RSVP is one of my very biggest peeves. Whether it is a mother whose child has been invited to a birthday party, or a drop-in RSVP planned activity, or any other event where you have to plan the food count in advance. UGGGG. This drives me crazy!!

If it is a planned event, and you have sponsors who receive so many tickets to attend based upon their sponsorship, I usually deduct about 20% off my estimated count. Most of the time, these sponsors do not show (another pet peeve of mine) and you are left with an empty table and the food that goes with it. So, rather than have an empty table and food going to waste, I will either deduct 20% off the total of projected attendees, or I give some extra tickets out at no charge to select people and have them sit at the sponsor table.

I found a wonderful document to help you with planning your catering. It is from UCLA Special Events and Protocol and I have attached it. Worksheets can be wonderful, especially if you are just starting out in event planning. There are so many things to think about when planning an event that it is easy to forget something. And if you are like me..I have SO Many things I am juggling, it is really easy for me to forget at times.

Do you have a pet peeve on catering?

HeadsUP!

Catering Worksheet

More on Sponsorships

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:32:00 GMT

This article is brought to with permission from the leading Entertainment Expert, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, Coach, Author and Sought After Speaker, Marley Majcher, CEO of The Party Goddess! and publisher of thee magazine, "How To Be A Party Goddess". If you are ready to take your career or business to the next level, make more money and just be happier with your work life, then get your free tips on how to be a rockin' event planner at www.howtobeapartygoddess.com

What is Event Sponsorship? First of all, when you’re going for event sponsorship and remember event sponsorship means different things to different people. So event sponsorship can be anything from money, which of course is the golden ticket, we all want cash with no strings attached.These days with the economy and I hate to fall back on that but that’s not happening very often. It will happen later but it takes a little while.

The next form of sponsorship is in kind sponsorship where you get products, etc or you get someone’s service which would be considered sponsorship. So when you go out looking for money because she doesn’t say Angela what of event you’re looking for sponsors for but remember that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I know the first time I went out looking for event sponsorship I was like hi okay can you please give me $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000? These companies looked at me like I was smoking crack because (a) they have no relationship with me in that way and (b) they’re not exactly sure what they are getting for their money.

Explore the Possibilities. It depends on what kind of event, etc. But you want to instead of getting the money say hey listen we’re going to put on this event and we need a venue, food, beverages and all these other things. What I would do is brainstorm a list of all the different components of the particular event and literally brainstorm all those different components and then instead of…of course try to get money but the second thing is instead of going after the company and let’s say it is an event for 500 people and you want to say I want to serve dinner for500 people, you’re probably not going to get that.

But what you might get is hord’ouerves for 100. So go ask 5 companies for 100. I know when we do stuff for swag bags, if we needed 1,000 swag bags in the beginning when we would do it but don’t make this mistake, in the beginning when we would do it is we would go after companies and say hi we need 1,000 ofyour products. Well companies would freak out, they couldn’t give you1,000 of their product.

So we started saying we’re filling 1,000 swag bags and, of course, we would love 1,000 of something but don’t be shy we would love to take even 100 of that items. Then you can fill your swag bag with some great stuff but youjust fill them with 10 items of 100. It is a little more work for you.

Master The Approach -The other thing to do is have a sponsorship deck. Have 1 or 2 sheets of sponsorship levels and I’m making this up but $5,000, $2,000, $500and you want to be able to tell them what they get. Do they get exposure on your website, Twitter, blog and then what kind of followers, what kind of traction are they going to get? Are you running ads in magazines and will they get to be part of that? Will you have a link on your website? Are you going to send out weekly e zines? All those things.

So for “x” amount of in kind sponsorship they will get Y and then make sure you’re very clear about what the event does and who the target audience is. Sponsors really want to know who you’re target audience is and how you’re reaching them because they want to align themselves with a target audience they’re already looking to be in front of and then they’ll decide.

Remember, again if you have no connection to a vendor it is going to be a lot more difficult to get money or product or anything out of them because they’re going to say what have you done for me lately. So in that case you go with one of my golden rules which is do unto others before they do unto you. Meaning do something and make sure you start with vendors who you already have a relationship with, you’re already friends with them, you give them alot of business and that kind of thing. Then start small and work up.

But you’re going to need to create a sponsorship deck and you can probably Google that. Find some great examples of sponsorship decks. I think like 2 pages is perfectly sufficient for most events. I would start with a phone call and see if they are interested and get the name of the person to whom you should send it and go ahead and send it over in the body of an email as well as in an attachment because a lot of people will never open attachment at all. Then follow up, follow up, follow up and if you send an email and they don’t call you back, remember this is a whole sales thing so just keep following up.

Ask For Referrals- The other thing is you ask them, let’s say you get a bite and they say yes I will donate to your swag bag or provide “x” number of hord’ouerves then what you want to do is say, listen do you know anybody else who might be interested in doing this or this would be a great audience? But you want to keep selling them benefits. I can’t emphasize this enough. Don’t tell them they will have exposure but say it as a benefit. They will have access to XYZ target audience and you will give them the list of names after the event. What are they going to get?Even if it is just product for them they need something.

But definitely a sponsorship deck, definitely relationship and I like the call and email thing. but whatever you do the second they give you something you better follow up with a thank you note and plugging them and mentioning them anywhere you can on Twitter, blogs, etc. because that makes a big difference.

Much Success!

Marley

Sponsorships

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:48:00 GMT

There is an art to getting sponsorships I have found! By trial and error, I have learned to create the right document for our market. The right document may be different depending on your clientele or market area. Google is our FRIEND!! I have found some great ideas and have checked what other pricing breaks are in others sponsorship packets.

One of my first events early on as an event planner, I thought, no problem. I'll ask for a $100,000 sponsorship because my organization provided a great service to the community. Well, one, I had not established a relationship with this corporate group, and two, Benefits??? Well, the money benefits us, what else?? Okay I then GOT IT! You mean for YOU the funder? You may have the best cause in America, but let's face it, WIIFM (what's in it for me) rules on the corporate side. I have also learned that many funders want to have all the upcoming events laid out together for them to see what's coming up. This year, I tried to present the information that if the funder sponsors all three they can actually get a discount. Sponsoring events separately would cost them more money. And, of course, I pumped up the BENEFITS FOR THEM! I was so surprised to get two vying for the top sponsorship level. These were two sponsors who had never sponsored before (of course with one of them..I did alot, ALOT of relationship building throughout the year). And, I did have the smaller sponsors pick and choose what interested them. It really worked. Try it and let me know how it goes for you!

Happy Sponsorships!

HeadsUP

Need Help?

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:23:00 GMT

Does it ever seem that you don't have enough help when you need it?

What about those well intentioned souls who signed up with you to volunteer at your event, four months ago, and it suddenly turns out, THEY CAN"T HELP! Well, this just drives me crazy. Most of them, and I can say it happens with me, have free calendars four months in advance. So, if you don't keep them engaged along the way, you will lose your help. The key I have found is to get them engaged right away...find something, ANYTHING for them to do to get ownership. I also like sending lots of emails, asking lots of opinions, having lunches and after work drinkies right up to the event. I like to take care of these volunteers, I want them forever. I want to ADOPT them.

I have found some great places to get volunteers. If you have a community college or university, try contacting the student association of the restaurant and hotel management department, or one of the fraternities or sororities. Another great place is the "young professionals groups" that meet with the chamber of commerce. They are well connected! These people ALWAYS KNOW someone who can help you with those last minute items you forgot or don't have enough of....AV equipment, beer, table cloths, you name it, I've gotten it. Where do you find those stars?

HEADSUP!

One of my Favorite Event Themes

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:33:00 GMT

Starry Starry Night Almost Van Gogh Masterpiece Challenge and Art Sale Benefiting Youth Bridge

I must say, this is a really cool event concept. The challenge is to select "star" or "celebrity" artists in your hometown and give them a challenge to create a masterpiece...with only one canvas, two brushes, a black paint, a white paint, and a random color. No other paints may be used, unless you want to be a rule breaker. That will cost you! Of course rule breakers can find real artists, buy a bigger canvas, or use other colors.

The artist may use other materials, or create color...think! Food Coloring..aha! The artist enters one of the many categories to be judged, with real art judges. All paintings are up for a silent auction. Believe me, the artists bring lots of friends...they want people bidding on their piece! It's a great fundraiser.

Do you have one you would like to share?

Party Time with Kids

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:55:00 GMT

Insider Secrets For Throwing A Successful Kid Friendly Adult Party!

By Marley Majcher 1. Set the Tone Early! Start off with the perfect invitation that tells your guests your party will be entertaining both children and adults. This gets the kids excited and gives the adults a "heads up" on the games and activities ahead. This is also a great place to make notes on anything your guests might have to wear (like sneakers if they'll be playing outside) or bring.

2. Hire an extra hand. Give those parents a break from their kids by hiring a babysitter or "host" to entertain and watch the children during the party. This way, parents can enjoy some time mingling with other adults without worrying about where their children are and what they're doing.

3. Create a "Kids Only" area. This can be a room in the house or a tented area for the kids to play. Make sure you've got lots of toys and activities for the kids to do that will keep them entertained and having fun. This should also be an area that adults can supervise from without being intrusive.

4. Bring out the kid in you! Select games that bring children and adults together. If your party is outdoors, consider team games like softball, kickball, or badminton. If your party is indoors or your yard just isn't big enough, have some interactive videogames (Wii Bowling or Tennis games are super fun!) or board games like Jenga or (my personal favorite) Taboo. handy. Pair up kids and adults so everyone feels involved.

5. Food, glorious food. We all know that given the choice, kids of all ages, which includes most adults will opt for pizza and candy over more nutritious choices. Being that we are all responsible and want our kids and partners in life to eat well, but be healthy while doing so, means that a little thought should go into the menu. Turkey and chicken hotdogs and burgers are always a big hit (think gourmet sliders with fun toppings to make it more stylish) as are desserts of low fat and low sugar frozen yogurts and sorbets, yes they are out there. Obviously the list is quite long, so don't think you don't have much to choose from. Depending on what the theme of the party is, where it is to be held and whether it is formal or not, will be your guide. You can always have a kid's menu as well as more intriguing adult nibbles, but hey, who doesn't love a grill cheese sandwich with four different cheeses on freshly baked bread with vine ripened tomatoes.

Does this help? I hope so! Look for more useful info in next week's ezine and remember, if you're happy, please tell 3 or 4 friends to sign up for this free ezine at: www.HowToBeAPartyGoddess.com.

This article is brought to with permission from the leading Entertainment Expert, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, Coach, Author and Sought After Speaker, Marley Majcher, CEO of The Party Goddess! and publisher of the ezine, "How To Be A Party Goddess". If you are ready to take your career or business to the next level, make more money and just be happier with your work life, then get your free tips on how to be a rockin' event planner at www.howtobeapartygoddess.com

To further add to Marley's article, I attended a wonderful party in the morning called City Breakfast in Waco, TX. Since many of the attendees had young children, it was sometimes hard to go out in the evening and have a night out with music and beverages without getting a babysitter and then worrying about not staying out too late. Ten creative couples came up with this wonderful idea to flip the evening, find a nightclub, hire a band, and have a party. One host happened to be a judge, so he had all of his law interns arrange in part of the downstairs area a kid-friendly party of their own. There were plenty of things for the kids to do, lots of people watching after them, and if they needed mom or dad, they were just a few steps away. It was Fabulous! Everyone had a great time.

Go Party!
HeadsUP

Tips for Platinum Sponsorships

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:35:00 GMT

5 Insider Secrets For Finding Platinum Level Sponsors
For Your Next Event!

by Marley Majcher

1. Put the spotlight on your sponsor.. What do you think is on the mind of someone you are asking for money? The return on their investmentnaturally! You need a proposal with visuals that will do more than justwow them. You need to do your research. You need to know their businessbetter than they do. You

2. Research.

As you are refining your idea andpreparing your presentation, remember you will need to prove theviability of your proposal and clearly establish it's worth.Sponsorship competes with other marketing methods to establish brandvalue. Go after companies that make sense! Don't waste someone's time,since they will remember that you really didn't do your homework. Witheverything you do to make your company the best there is, you want toshow the potential sponsor that you know what you are talking about.Break down who will be attending. What press will be covering theevent, if there will be press and of course how many people. Remember quantity of people attending doesn't mean it is the right fit for x company.

3. Talk about your business as it relates to your sponsor's business. Remember,for now this is not just about you. Having wisely done your research on your sponsor, you will be aware of and prepared to describe to them in detail how they can benefit from your proposal.Sponsors may not care so much about your business as much as what's init for them. Knowing their business nearly as well as your own, be clear about your goals and commitments. Describe what attracted you to them in particular and readily acknowledge their accomplishments. Map out for them specifically how and why you will be a strong asset to their growth and success.

4. Request a realistic amount of funding. Keepyour business hat on! You are seeking sponsorship, not an unendinggift. A sponsor is not your rich Aunt Tillie. If you've created anexcellent business plan, here's where it will really do its job. Asmart business person will only give you what they feel the deal isworth to them. Showing attainable goals in meeting the bottom line,generating new business and an established clientele provides a strong case for ample sponsorship.

5. Put the spotlight on your sponsor. Once yoursponsorship is secured, alert the media! Put out a press releaseannouncing your new partnership with a shout out to your sponsors.After all, they gave you the cash to be able to put on a stupendousevent. Your sponsor's presence can only benefit you, in the media andotherwise. Keep the media informed with alerts and newsletters. Writestories about your business and it's success, and include your sponsorin these announcements. If you participate in local events, rememberadvertising in program books, community newsletters, and media isnearly free.

need to tell them why they should sponsor yourevent and if they don't they are losing out because they will gainbusiness. Do not take this lightly - it is your audition. Before youeven set a meeting with a potential sponsor, solicit a group ofadvisors and professionals you trust to review your work and offertheir advice.

A rticle is provided by:

Leading Entertainment Expert, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, Coach,Author and Sought After Speaker, Marley Majcher is CEO of The PartyGoddess! and publisher of the ezine, "How To Be A Party Goddess". Ifyou are ready to take your career or business to the next level, makemore money and just be happier with your work life, then get your freetips on how to be a rockin' event planner at www.howtobeapartygoddess.com

Happy Planning

HeadsUP

Event Tips-Getting Your Event Noticed

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:02:00 GMT

Getting your event noticed can sometimes be a challenge when you are tending to other details. Recruit an event committee to help you with all those little details. Media coverage is so essential. Early on, put together your press packet describing your event and how and why it is important as a newsworthy event. Just announcing you are having a gala is not enough for newspaper writers to pick it up. Write with who, what, when, where and why format. Put your most compelling story into the event notice. A story might be your cause, celebration, those in attendance that would be news worthy (say, the Governor of your state for example). Other angles might be an unusual theme, setting, auction item, or raffle. One theme I have used that got lots of press because it was different was the "Breakfast Boogie" at a night club in the morning hours with a band and a breakfast to raise awareness about the non-profit. Other tips, try sending photographs with your press release and always follow-up with a call. And the most important tip of all, MAKE FRIENDS with the newspaper, TV, and radio people throughout the year. Get to know them, it always helps to have friends! HeadsUP.

Event tips: using creative people

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:47:13 GMT

You can have a smashing event by using the creative friends you have. Think about the artists you know, the interior or exterior designers, or even your hair dresser. Some people just have a knack for creativity. Many graphic artists and advertising people just have a natural flair to create just the right look. Start by selecting your theme, then what mood you would like to create, and follow-up with color and style. Use your creative friends to help you brainstorm and then use them to help you create. Also, think about all those folks that are in theater. I even think about elementary teachers to assist me with ideas. Some of the best set ideas can come from a small child. Small children use their imaginations, whereas us adults, seem to get bogged down in the creativity part. Think of design as free form brainstorming. One thought can lead to another and another and so on. Inspiration can come from just about anything. I keep a binder with all kinds of things, colors, styles, images, decor, scenery, thoughts, you name it, I keep it. You never know what inspiration you will need. I have a binder for food, one for landscaping, one for decorating, and one for party ideas. Get creative.

HeadsUP

Invitations

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:22:00 GMT

Invitations don't need to be boring when you host an event. Be creative. If you are having a small wine tasting event, why not send your guests a small bottle of wine with your customized "vineyard" label promoting the event. You can find these bottles at most wine, spirits, or liquor stores available in 6-packs. Buy the cheapest brand, as you are really just decorating these bottles. You can place these bottles in bags and hand deliver, or find small boxes to mail the invite to your guests. What a fun way to receive an invitations! Think out of the box.

Cheers, HeadsUP!

Party Goddess-Eight secrets your competitors don't want you to know!

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:22:00 GMT

The Party Goddess is an awesome resource for those event planners just starting out.

If you want to hear about some real tips, listen to her audio message about tips of being an event planner. Go to

http://thepartygoddess.com/BeAGoddess/revealed_mp3.html and check her out!

FREE Weekly Tips & Tricks!
Get celebrity event planner Marley Majcher's fun, hip ezine and discover...
Easy ways to glam up your next event
Simple, cool ideas to be rockstar fabulous
Inside party trends and dish at your fingertips!

Happy Events, HeadsUP

Coffee Bars for Events

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:17:00 GMT

How about a coffee bar for your next event or after-event? Coffee is always a great way to start or end the night, especially if it is a dessert coffee drink. There are really cool recipes that incorporate things like ice cream, Kahlua or other liquors, whipped cream, or syrups. You can start with a coffee bar and have different kinds of dessert coffees to choose from, as well as some bite-sized desserts, or desserts on a spoon. Think about the decorations. Coffee beans scattered around, antique silver serving sets, interesting mug collections, oversized coffee mugs,or cool looking packages of coffee from around the world could be incorporated. Go on a treasure hunt! Or perhaps use coffee quotes. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Chocolate, men, coffee - some things are better rich. ~Author Unknown

He was my cream, and I was his coffee -
And when you poured us together, it was something.
~Josephine Baker

Enjoy! HeadsUP

Corporate Survey

nhairsto@cox.net (Heads-UP) — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:58:02 GMT

The Special Events Magazine is conducting a corporate survey to benchmark how corporate planning is faring during this economic downturn. The findings will be reported in the July/August issue. If you would like to participate, please go to this link:

http://insidepenton.com/research/kl/secorp09.htm

Happy Planning,

HeadsUP