Awards Season 2012- A Reflection
For most people, awards season is about watching hours of red carpet coverage and predicting who is going to win Best Picture. But for those of us in the events industry, we know that awards season is a whole lot more. To execute a successful event during this time takes no less than perfect planning in combination with the right people and the right tools. As another awards season comes to a close, we tend to look back and reflect on what worked this year- and what didn't.
What We're Loving:
*Awards Season Events for a Cause- Many events are now attaching a cause to their awards season parties, and we couldn't be happier. Non-profits now see this as the time in LA to have their voices heard and their purpose recognized. It's a time for A-listers to give back, and a time for the events community to highlight important issues.
*Adaptation of Technology- Paper tickets and guestlists are making fewer and fewer appearances at red carpet events, and with all of the features and functionality in the marketplace...we aren't at all surprised!
*Focus on the Event Experience- Event producers always have to compete to make sure they have the most exciting and talked-about parties, but never more so than during awards season. With so much competition and multiple parties every night, event organizers are becoming more and more innovative and creating ways to stand out in the crowd. For attendees, this just means better events.
...And What We're Not:
*Events Without a Clear Purpose- Believe it or not, there are still events that are "parties for the sake of a party". Perhaps more troubling, there are events that have a purpose but aren't able to communicate that purpose to the guests. Especially in LA and especially during awards season, these events just don't measure up.
*Transferability of Tickets- Nothing says "high-profile red carpet event" like an exclusive guest list. Unfortunately, handing out paper tickets effectively negates that exclusivity. Even worse? Electronic tickets that beg, "please do not forward this invitation, it is non-transferable." If your guest list is truly exclusive, make sure that your invitations are truly non-transferable.
*Poorly Designed Event Sites- If there were a Fashion Police for event sites, there would be a number of offenders and we would have some words of advice! A-list events should have an A-list event site, electronic ticket, or RSVP process. Without mentioning names, we came across some that were less than fashionable.
With awards season behind us, many of us in the events industry are finally breathing that long overdue sigh of relief. But before you know it, we will be in the 2013 Awards Season and ready to do it all again!
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In just a few months, Siri has become the most successful voice recognition tool for consumers we have ever seen. I guess its not all together surprising that this an Apple product. As usual, they did it right. Siri is fun, simple, and efficient. Recently in a brainstorming session at Event Farm we began to consider the possibilities of Apple releasing an API allowing developers to integrate and leverage this technology. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could have Siri shop online for us? She would know our sizes, know what we like, and even have our credit information and shipping addresses. Could Siri order pizza for take out? Could she pay our bills? Could she become the candidate the Republicans are so desperately seeking?! Well that's pretty far off at this point but you get our point. We believe that voice recognition software has the ability to completely change the world we know and live today. Traditionally though, Apple has not been a completely developer friendly company. Steve Job's vision was to control every aspect of Apple products (hardware and software) so they could ensure their quality and user experience. They even go so far as to review and approve every software application developed for IOS devices. Can you imagine how many people are on that review team today? While this certainly produces what we've come to expect from Apple, awesome gadgets, it limits the evolution of their products. In the other side of the aisle, Google has been very developer friendly. The Droid platform and marketplace are much easier to work with and today developers are focussing more and more energy on Droid products. We wondered then - when is Google going to step up to the voice recognition plate? Apparently its not so far off. After some research it seems that project "Majel" is in the works and could soon be Siri's new competition. See Mashable Article . We're not picking a dog in this fight quite yet, we're just glad to see Google adding competition to the market - as it can only make both companies stronger and bring an API to the market quicker. While its obviously pre-mature, you cant fault us for dreaming of the day when Event Farm will be able to allow users to have Siri or Majel purchase tickets to events, invite guests to private events, create ticket blocks for sponsors, transfer extra tickets to friends, and entirely control our software platform from voice commands. We embrace creativity and innovation at Event Farm. Its one of our core values as a company. We're not ready to vote Siri for president quite yet but we can't wait to see her and Majel mature and become a bigger part of software development. I know we'll be an early adopter!
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1. They are always at the forefront of technology. The New York City market is one of the fastest to adapt new technology and jump on board with new features and functionality. And in this industry, there's a suprisingly large amount of it out there right now. From mobile check-in apps to RFID tags to paperless ticketing, the list is endless.
2. The events community is alive and connected. New York City plays host to some of the most involved PR firms, production companies, and vendors. It's not difficult here to find a Meetup group, and events like PlannerTech and BizBash have increasingly high attendance. With all of these opportunities to share information, connections, and ideas, these groups are always the leaders.
3. The competitive nature of the industry pushes event planners to evolve. Whether it's picking the hottest new venue space, booking the best entertainment, or getting the best press, the New York events scene is always showing the rest of the world what's possible.
4. Diversity in the event calendar. In New York, we are long past the days of the entertainment industry dominating the events community. On any given night, NYC can play host to a variety of corporate, non-profit, political, art, or music centered events. This gives event planners even more opportunity to engage their attendees.
5. Exclusivity of events. With 8 million people in this city and the large number of events every day, New York still manages to create an events world where being invited to an event means something. Event planners are continually thinking of ways to promote this idea of exclusivity. We've seen secret locations revealed the day of the event, increasingly strict guest list policies, and the evolution of the hard coded non-transferable electronic ticket.
We would like to give special thanks to some of our NYC clients who helped inspire this article: Facebook, Splendid Communications, Foundation Events, Liz King Events, Time Inc., Council of Urban Professionals, Hearst, The New Yorker, BizBash, Hermes of Paris, Valentino, Conde Naste, MKG, New York Magazine, NBC, Columbia Business School, Fashion Forward, Ducati,and Medici Events.
As our consumer brains generate filters against the over-saturation and anonymity of virtual branding, offline events have never been as important as they are today. Companies who prioritize online advertising might sometimes be missing out on the branding-potential and rewards of live events. And for the companies that do produce live events, the importance of effectively communicating the brand has dramatically increased. That’s not accomplished by simply putting your company logo on an event invitation anymore. Engaging consumers takes more. An event needs to have a brand of its own that not only communicating the company’s message and goals, but also the message and goals of the event itself. Events that stand-out on their own are more likely to gain the attention of your target audience.
Many successful event planners now leave the logos behind and instead create “experiences and environments” (also see this article on expert tips for event branding). The same questions that are asked when building a company’s brand should be asked for building an event brand. How do you want your target audience to view your event? What emotions and feelings should the event evoke? How do you want your audience to interact with your brand before, during and after your event?
The automotive industry frequently designs events that promote a specific lifestyle particular to their audience. Jeep creates events centered on an active, adventurous lifestyle while Bentley produces high-end, luxurious experiences. In either case, a guest is connecting to the brand consistently and long after the event is over. This is where you get a large return on your investment.
Small mistakes can create a disconnect, and we have seen it happen many times. It is startling when a technology or media company does not effectively utilize technology in their event process. If a company is selling cutting edge technology, it should use cutting edge technology during their events. Similarly, we have seen luxury brands distribute gift-bags filled with fliers, or worse, fail at establishing the exclusivity of a guest-list. A brand can’t sell luxury if the guest experience is not luxurious.
Successfully branded events motivate your target audience to future action. Assuming you have the right people in attendance, you have a large opportunity to create movement among your core demographic. Take the time to consider the goal of the event, which may be independent of the ultimate goal (i.e. selling more product). Is the goal to have the guest commit to a meeting? To go to your website? To provide you with more information about future needs and feedback? To create word of mouth? Evaluate these goals and determine how you will measure success. Create takeaways for your guests consistent with your brand and your goals to effectively motivate your attendees. Think of events as opportunities for your audience to more actively engage with your brand.
The Internet has certainly given us the ability to reach more potential customers than ever before and more tools to make our events successful. In 2012, the smartest companies will be the ones who use online technology, digital and social media in conjunction with live events to complement and enhance their brand identity. These are the companies that will have the invaluable opportunity to create branded experiences and environments that we simply cannot have online.
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This week we highlight one of our clients, PUBSLUSH Press. The New York based publishing startup had a fabulous event at The Bowery Hotel in New York City. The Journey Through Africa event served both as PUBSLUSH's launch and as a fundraiser for Flying Kites, a non-profit focusing currently on building in Kenya the Flying Kites Leadership Academy. |
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PUBSLUSH's model engages readers in the publishing process by empowering them to sample and support a book before it hits the press. The crowd determines which books are going to be published and enhances their own readership experience with a sense of involvement, perhaps a Patronage of the Pen. Even better, for every book purchased, one is donated to the Flying Kites Leadership Academy in Kenya. It's like TOMS shoes, but for books. |
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Event Farm jumped at the opportunity to work with PUBSLUSH on their event, and took the client's sleek design and created the event microsite and branded event email templates. Every message sent not only communicated an individualized message, but also conveyed quality through the event design. Ticket sales, sponsor comp tickets, and press & media were handled through the Event Farm system. In addition, members of the host committee used the "Invite to Purchase" ticket type to reach out to their contacts.
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The Event Farm iPad app helps three volunteers welcome and efficiently check-in guests. |
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It took me by surprise when, last week, my friend asked Over the years, many of us have battled with our feelings about this big night. Many thoughts run through my head. The lines are going to be long…The bar will be overcrowded…It’s impossible to find a cab when I want to go home…Why pay so much money when we can go for any other night for free… There’s so much pressure for the night to be perfect. But ultimately, most of us do plan something spectacular to end our year. Why? Because it’s New Year’s Eve! So why are there still so many New Year’s Eve events that don’t make it feel that way? And more importantly, how do you ensure that your guests get the spectacular experience they deserve and expect? |
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Just a few ideas to help make sure your New Year’s Eve party will be the talk of the town. Good luck! |
The 2011 BizBash Expo and Awards was held this past Wednesday at the Javits Center in New York City. It was great to be an exhibitor for the first time. On a personal level we could not be happier with the reception Event Farm received and the success we had showcasing our mobile check-in app. But taking a more objective look for a minute, 5 things stayed with us as we reflected on the Expo, the planners we met, and the conversations we had:
1) Problem Solvers Make Good Conferences
Planners have a unique ability to solve problems quickly. We think that's because they are open to new ideas and new ways to approach challenges. This makes for a great conference environment as new products and services are on display and conversations are started about things needed in the industry. We did a ton of listening at the expo and were able to offer new solutions to challenges planners face.
2) Mobile Technologies Rule
Planners are always on the go, typically have too much going on at once and move quickly. As evidenced by how well our own check-in app was received, planners value mobile solutions. A great event planner works smarter not harder. We expect to see more mobile tools for the events industry being developed in the future and are confident the planners will be anxiously waiting.
3) Planners Still Struggle With Guest Lists
There are always new ways to think about engaging your guests especially with the current focus on social media exercises, but at the end of the day you still need to get them in the door. We talked with countless planners who all had their own unique challenges with invitations, guest registration and check-in procedures. It seems to be a chore that a lot of times gets less attention than other aspects of an event. Therefore it inevitably becomes a mess. It is an area that needs simplification and efficiency. We're taking on the challenge and are setting out to revolutionize guest registration for planners and guests.
4) Looks Matter
It's clear that planners care about esthetics. As they should. All aspects of an event should stand out, look good, and most importantly represent what the event is trying accomplish. There were a significant percentage of exhibitors at this year's expo who provide services to help planners stand out. High-end furniture rentals, specialized video and lighting, decor companies, etc. We very much subscribe to this philosophy and are glad to see others do too. We believe an event "look" starts with the first invitaiton.
5) The Events Industry Loves Collaboration
Event planning is a team exercise and we've seen that that resonates with the companies servicing the industry. We were excited to have so many inspiring conversations about potential collaborations and ways we can jointly make planners more effective. The events industry is a real community. Conferences like BizBash help showcase that. Specifically we want to give shout outs to our new and old friends: Liz King Events, Eventwist, Social Tables, Eventedge, IML, Foundation Events and BizBash for amazing collaborative brainstorming sessions. We look forward to working with you all.
Our flagship web product, Event Farm, received a update to version 2.3.5 today. The main things in this update include the following :
We continue to strive to maintain Event Farm as the most professional event management available.
The Event Farm Mobile Check-In App was released today with a minor bug fix on the Filters screen to include a missing file from the previous version. In addition, the screenshots for the latest version of the updated in the App Store to reflect the latest look of the App itself.
Be sure to make sure your version of the Event Farm Mobile Check-In App is up to date through the iTunes App Store.
Event Farm Mobile Check-In App adds a highly request feature in the latest release, 2.3.0.
Included in this release :
After downloading and using the app, please be sure to return and review the app with your honest feedback.
Event Farm Mobile Check-In App is updated to version 2.2.0 with a much more attractive layout for the iPhone as well as a fix for a minor problem in our last release. The new design for the iPhone improves on the market leading application by making the interface easier to read and use than ever before.
Included in this release :
After downloading and using the app, please be sure to return and review the app with your honest feedback.
Event Farm Mobile Check-In App receives an update to version 2.1.0 with the best feature to date, customizable background images. Users of the app can work with Event Farm by customizing the background images for any or all of their events. The new backgrounds will work on both the iPad and iPhone. For more information about the custom background images or other features in the app, please give us a call.
Included in this release :
After downloading and using the app, please be sure to return and review the app with your honest feedback.
The Event Farm iPad/iPhone application is used for check-in and guest registration at events. The application can be used in conjunction with the web-based Event Farm Ticketing and Guest Registration System or can be used on its own for users that simply want to upload a guest list. The application allows users to check-in guests, leave behind tickets for others, view notes about individual guests (i.e seating assignments, etc) as well as trigger "Arrival Alerts" that email and/or text users when specific guest(s) have checked in.
The Event Farm Mobile Check In App returns with a tremendous new look and feel! Among the features and improvements in the latest version of the app:
These changes, along with the other features added in this update, keep Event Farm as the most professional and customizable event management tool on the market.
Event Farm received a major upgrade today to version 2.2.0. We always take pride in our ability to hear and understand our clients' needs and the majority of the updates in this upgrade are a reflection of that commitment. Included in this update :
This ugrade was a major step forward for a product leading the industry in professional products for professional events. As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients.
The Event Farm iPad/iPhone application is used for check-in and guest registration at events. The application is used in conjunction with the web-based Event Farm Ticketing and Guest Registration System. The app is free and allows Event Farm users with a license for the Event Farm system to check in guests at events quickly and efficiently. The application allows users to log into their Event Farm accounts, check-in guests, leave behind tickets for others, and view notes about individual guests as well as trigger "Arrival Alert" emails that email users when specific guest(s) have checked in.
The Event Farm iPad/iPhone application is used for check-in and guest registration at events. The application is used in conjunction with the web-based Event Farm Ticketing and Guest Registration System. The app is free and allows Event Farm users with a license for the Event Farm system to check in guests at events quickly and efficiently. The application allows users to log into their Event Farm accounts, check-in guests, leave behind tickets for others, and view notes about individual guests as well as trigger "Arrival Alert" emails that email users when specific guest(s) have checked in.
The Event Farm iPad/iPhone application is used for check-in and guest registration at events. The application is used in conjunction with the web-based Event Farm Ticketing and Guest Registration System. The app is free and allows Event Farm users with a license for the Event Farm system to check in guests at events quickly and efficiently. The application allows users to log into their Event Farm accounts, check-in guests, leave behind tickets for others, and view notes about individual guests as well as trigger "Arrival Alert" emails that email users when specific guest(s) have checked in.
The Event Farm iPad/iPhone application is used for check-in and guest registration at events. The application is used in conjunction with the web-based Event Farm Ticketing and Guest Registration System. The app is free and allows Event Farm users with a license for the Event Farm system to check in guests at events quickly and efficiently. The application allows users to log into their Event Farm accounts, check-in guests, leave behind tickets for others, and view notes about individual guests as well as trigger "Arrival Alert" emails that email users when specific guest(s) have checked in.
Event Farm received a minor update today to version 2.1.1. The majority of the changes in this update improve the client's control over their Event's Guests in our system. Included in this update :
As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients
Event Farm received a major upgrade today to version 2.1.0. We always take pride in our ability to hear and understand our clients' needs and the majority of the updates in this upgrade are a reflection of that commitment. Included in this update :
This ugrade was a major step forward for a product leading the industry in professional products for professional events. As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients.
The Event Farm iPad/iPhone application is used for check-in and guest registration at events. The application is used in conjunction with the web-based Event Farm Ticketing and Guest Registration System. The app is free and allows Event Farm users with a license for the Event Farm system to check in guests at events quickly and efficiently. The application allows users to log into their Event Farm accounts, check-in guests, leave behind tickets for others, and view notes about individual guests as well as trigger "Arrival Alert" emails that email users when specific guest(s) have checked in.
Event Farm received a minor update today to version 2.0.4. The majority of the changes in this update improve the client's control over the Event in our system. Included in this update :
As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients.
Event Farm received a minor update today to version 2.0.3. The majority of the changes in this update improve the graphical user interface (GUI) of the product to support better browser capability. Included in this update :
As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients.
Event Farm received a minor update today to version 2.0.2. Included in this update :
As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients.
Event Farm received a minor update today to version 2.0.1. The majority of the changes in this update are in response to our clients' requests after our release of the newest version of Event Farm. Included in this update :
As with all system updates to Event Farm, the updated system is immediately available to all of our clients.
We are pleased to announce the release of Event Farm 2.0! Yup, we've spent the summer cleaning up the farm and adding to it. Better yet, because you are already an Event Farmer your account will automatically be upgraded for free!
What does this mean for me?
We hope it will drastically improve your Event Farm experience and provide increased functionality to help you manage your events. You should expect to see a new desktop with a background picture of the farm and a new login dropdown panel at the top where you can access your account. Once you're logged in, things should look familiar. Work with your widgets as you have been to manage your events.
How and when will the upgrade happen?
We require nothing of you in this upgrade process, In fact, this upgrade has already happened. If you haven't already, the next time you login to Event Farm, you will notice the considerable update to the software.
What's new in the software?
Beyond significant usability improvements and increased user control, you can now:
What if I have questions?
As always, we will be available to walk you through these features and answer any questions you may have. We also very much value your feedback so don't hold back if you have comments or criticism. This release was driven by the feedback we received from our users and we hope to continue that dialogue. Give us a shout at 800-918-6582.
What else do I need to know?
We will be releasing Event Farm 2.0 to the public sometime early Fall. Until then, our Pre-Release Referral Program will give you 15% off your next event purchase with us for any referral that becomes an Event Farm customer. Simply be sure to make the folks you refer mention your name and we'll credit your discount on your next purchase.
We look forward to working with you again on your next event!
me what my plans were for New Year’s Eve. But the leaves are changing, it’s getting colder, and the days are getting shorter - which means only one thing. It’s time to start thinking about what I’m going to do on December 31st.