Ted Kruckel from Bizbash provided us the with these Dos and Don’ts of Gift bags that we can sum up in the following points:

Do include:

-      samples (fragrances, lotions, mints, etc.) and free service coupons

-      gifts/collateral that’s creatively presented so it’s memorable

Don’t include:

-      heavy, generic (pens), or overdone (keychains and corkscrews) items

-      coupons offering a percentage off

-      anything entirely irrelevant to the demographic of attendees

Dos and Don’ts of Gift Bags is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

Neurowear creates products that operate working with physiological feedback signals. Mico, headphones that have a sensor to detect brainwaves, is one such product.

Kagaya says his inspiration came from the fact that previously it wasn’t possible to encounter new music without being able to articulate what you wanted. Instead of searching for new music, he wanted it to find him; that’s how Mico, or at least the idea for Mico, was born.

The implications of this are vast. For starters, its suggestive of a whole world of possibilities where, for example, people won’t need to fill out feedback forms after a conference if there are headsets they can wear that can collect data about how they are feeling after each session. It gives evidence to the idea that innovation and entrepreneurship will continue to forge the future. As IT loving experience creators, we are very excited to play in that space.

Who knows what the future will hold? is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

Watching at home in Sydney, we still felt connected to the Association, the event and conference attendees, and we were able to compliment our industry colleagues on their speeches (without them knowing we were watching in our pyjamas)!

The weekend prior the TEDxSydney Conference utilised Live Streaming technology and had viewing parties from as close as the Studio Theatre, underneath the main concert hall in the Opera House, to as far as Peru. In our increasingly global marketplace, we predict that within a few years Live Streaming will be the standard for all conferences wanting to have an internationally recognised brand. What are your thoughts? Join the conversation here.

Extend Your Reach With Live Streaming is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

Change the way you look at things, see things differently is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

Picture trigger is a graphic recording business that captures (through pictures and words) the key points covered in a conference. If you want to ensure that your key messages aren’t lost (research shows 80% of what we learn is lost within 48 hours unless we review) then Picture Trigger’s graphic recordings can help.

Pictures bring ordinary messages to life and cross learning barriers by engaging a variety of learning types: Visual learners through the pictures, Auditory learners through the words, and Kinaesthetic learners through the emotions and stories the pictures create.

The illustrations are executed live digitally (through the use of tablets) and displayed via the conference projector during breaks or key summation periods, ensuring instant engagement and stronger memory recall. Best of all, the pictures are ready to distribute electronically at the end of the day to maximise learning transfer.

Placing these picture in areas that the conference attendees will see regularly (e.g. hallways and break-rooms are great if referring to staff conferences) is another great way to extend the life of your event. For more information on Picture trigger and other ways to make the most of your events, contact us here.

Picture trigger is worth more than 1000 words is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

When you think about sponsorship, connection may not be the word that first comes to mind. That needs to change. Sponsorship is all about connecting because it connects your brand with your target audience. Many small businesses don’t sponsor anything because they don’t see the value in it for them. As the NSW winner of Meetings & Events Australia award for Corporate Social Responsibility (in our company size eligibility category), we understand the power of sponsorship, and how to leverage it so that it’s a win/win for everyone involved. Here’s how we do it:

Understand your ideal audience. Find out what they like, where they shop/eat, the publications they read, the causes they care about, and the membership associations join. This is done most easily by speaking to your current clients who fit that ideal and asking them those questions.

Research the not-for-profits, looking for areas where your company’s values resonate. Forum Group Events found this when we came across Females in Information Technology & Telecommunications (FITT) – an organisation that aims to increase the number of women in ICT (a heavily male dominated industry). As a 100% female business and a partner of many IT companies, we realised the potential that existed for us to connect with our ideal customers through sponsorship of this organisation because of the commonality it provides.

Speak to those not-for-profits and ask them what support they need. Look for places where you can add value. There is no point in offering how you can help without first asking the question, “what do you need help with?” When we first connected with the president of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW International) that’s exactly what we did. The result was that we were able to add value in an area where they needed it most, and foster a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Ask for testimonials and referrals after a job well done. After donating dozens of hours of your time working on an enormously successful project, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask the committee that you have been working with if they can provide a testimonial for use on your website, and referrals to those in their networks who could benefit from your services. Connect with those people promptly after the event, because there is a good chance they were there.

Hopefully this article has given you the formula to decide which organisations to sponsor, the methodology to embark upon the process, and demonstrated the value in it for your businesses. So next time you are asked to sponsor something, think about whether it will enable you to connect in all the right ways.

Connecting through Sponsorship is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

There’s no cover charge, unless a guest DJ or entertainer is performing. Whilst waiting in queue (I recommend coming as early as possible – I ended up waiting for half an hour to get in), I overheard bystanders call the place ‘hipster’ but I won’t judge that. The 1950s look of the staff is refreshing; door men are dressed in suits with skinny ties and slick back hair, whilst the bar staffwere dressed like milk bar attendants.

The highlight of the venue is the menu. With an array of delicious cocktails and gourmet hot dogs you can’t go wrong. The food definitely compliments the beverages. I tried the Chocolate Martini (A lush blend of Mozart dark chocolate liqueur, passion fruit, Tuaca liqueur and Ketel One shaken and topped with a special little treat) and it did not disappoint. It came in a milkshake glass with a candy stripped straw and cherry on top which falls in sync with the ambiance and décor. I also took it upon myself to try the chili fries, and they were delicious. Oh, also worth mentioning is that Soda Factory donates 50 cents from every drink sold towards the nominated charity of the month.

The music varies from night to night and there’s also a dance floor. Check it out for yourself! It is definitely one of my new favourite spots to hang with friends and grab a bite to eat.

New Sydney Bar the Soda Factory Sets the Scene is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

One panelist mentioned that women make up only 20% of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry. It is interesting to juxtapose the heavily male dominated ICT industry with the heavily female dominated events industry, given that we participate so actively within both industries. The panelists talked about encouraging more university students to enter the field, and how to make ICT more appealing to them. We wonder if anyone is doing the same for males in event management courses…

The event provided food for thought about the various gender gaps present in each industry. Do you know of an industry that is heavily male/female dominated? Are there any organisations making an effort to close that gap? Let us know by joining the conversation here.

Closing the Gender Gap is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

There will be free performances by the bay as well as a host of ticket shows inside the Big Top, Tiny Top and Castello. You can see great entertainment ranging from slapstick characters (think modern commedia dell’arte) and large-scale puppetry to amazing acrobatics and stunts. Some interesting acts include seeing Bend it like Barbie perform stunts of flexibility, the sculpture clown Pedro Tochas creating a real-life silent movie before your eyes, Benny B juggler extraordinaire , magician neo with visual illusions leaving you awestruck and many more. Take a look at the festival’s program to get all the information you need on the performances taking place.

Hoopla Festival Darling Harbour is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company

From internal events to celebrate staff to events geared towards generating new business; the right way to handle such situations is through the use of professional event companies Sydney businesses can trust to assist in all of the planning and execution stages required for a successful endeavor.

Conferences

Conferences are larger scale events that require many months, if not upwards of a year, in terms of proper planning. This is because a conference hosts a larger group of people and tends to be hosted off site from the main location of the business. This adds multiple layers of complexity to the event and it is through professional event management firms that conferences can be scheduled, organized, outfitted and pulled off in a manner that has all attendees feeling as if their time was well spent in attending the event.

Special Events

Special events, such as corporate parties to celebrate major milestones or holiday gatherings for an entire firm, are large enough that the use of events management can help make the process one that is not as taxing to current staff members and also takes all of the factors required for a successful event in to consideration.

The planning stages of special events and event management require the skills that are best hones when one handles such functions on a regular basis and thus understands all of the components that are required to make special events ones that truly are special and are remembered.

Trade Shows

Trade shows are the industry gatherings where similar businesses and attendees gather to mingle, showcase products and network. Though the majority of companies who have booths and attend trade shows are accustomed to such events; the use of an event management firm can make the use of a trade show even more beneficial to the goals of the business.

This is done through the hosting of customers at special dinners and functions, the use of side rooms and suites for special presentations and even bringing along customers or vendors to the trade show for a more personalized event. The various ways that a trade show can be transformed to make it a more meaningful and productive event is when events management professionals are brought in to help gauge and assess the various options that exist.

Online Events and Webinars

The use of online and virtual venues for hosting events has become one of the budget friendly options that companies utilize to bring customers and business associates together. The use of webinars, online chat sessions and various other virtual shows can make for an ideal way to supplement other business meetings. Though many feel that such virtual events are easy to manage; they too can be enhanced through the use of the ideas brought by those who are engaged in event planning.

The right group of trained and trusted professional event companies in Sydney who understand the high importance conferences, special events and meetings have in the business world are essential when a business wants to truly make their marketing efforts work to their advantage.

The right way to host and hold such gatherings is by making sure that proper planning is used and that all options and ideas are explored so that in the end the event your firm hosts is one that is useful to others, remembered and has a distinct return on investment of time and money.

Event Companies Sydney is a post from: Forum Group Events Management Company - Sydney Event Management Company