Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events [Hardcover]

“…we highly recommend this well-organised, very practical book to all event planners…” (getAbstract.com, 8^th November 2005)

For event planners, there's no such thing as a dress rehearsal!

Any event you plan and stage is a reflection of your company's image — from the initial invitation to onsite operations. Whether you're planning a product launch, conference, sales meeting, an incentive event, or a gala fund-raiser, remember that the magic of a truly memorable event is in the details, but so is the devil. Special events are fraught with thousands of details, and have to come off without a hitch. Whether your event is for 50 or 2,000 people, whether it has a budget of a few thousand dollars, or hundreds of thousands, planning and executing the project is like a high-wire act without the safety nets. Event Planning gives you a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair and without any unexpected surprises and expenses. This unique book is loaded with practical advice on every aspect of organizing and managing special events:

• Choosing the best venue
• Preparing and managing the budget
• Scheduling and staffing
• Coordinating food and beverage, décor, entertainment, and themes
• Working with professionals, such as public relations firms and creative directors.

What you don't know or know to ask can have a major effect on the success of your event and on your budget. Event Planning takes you through every aspect of organizing and executing a successful event: the planning stages, timing and logistics, budget preparation, operations, and on-site management. Event Planning:

• Includes sample costing forms to help you generate a detailed project plan and budget.
• Explains what you need to ask before you contract with suppliers.
• Is loaded with practical tips and examples that will help you avoid expensive mistakes.
• Features a companion website with forms from the book, additional forms, author Q&A, and more.

Event Planning takes you behind the scenes, and provides practical tools for anyone who has to plan and execute a truly special event:

• Corporate in-house event planners
• Public relations and communications companies, and their clients
• Marketing and corporate communications professionals
• Fundraisers and not-for-profit organizations
• Professionals in the hospitality and entertainment industries

Special events such as fundraising galas, meetings, conferences, and product launches are complicated, fraught with thousands of details, and must go without a hitch. Featuring useful forms and checklists and featuring case examples of events going both right and wrong, this book should provide readers with a detailed blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair and without unexpected surprises and expenses. It includes practical advice on every aspect of organizing and managing special events such as how to choose the best venue, preparing and managing the budget, scheduling, coordinating food and drink, decor, themes, entertainments, media, and staffing, and more.

The author, Judy Allen judyallen@on.aibn.com , 7 April, 2000

For Anyone Who Has To Plan And Execute A Truly Special Event

I have created-produced-orchestrated special events in over 31 countries, for up to 2,000 guests per event, which included the opening night celebration for Michael Eisner's / Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in Toronto which the media billed as a "Beauty of A Bash". I originally wrote EVENT PLANNING in response to the number of calls I was receiving to "run and rescue" celebrity gala fundraising events weeks and sometimes just days before an event. Two tips alone in my book would have saved one event thousands of dollars in unplanned and unexpected costs. One event I became involved in - just as it was about to go to contract - had projected a budget of $100,000 less than what I was able to show them would be their actual reality. What you don't know to ask or include can have a tremendous impact on the success of your event and on your bottom line. I expanded the book to encompass all of my event planning experience - both corporate and social. The events I have designed have ranged from small exclusive affairs to multi million dollar stage extravaganzas. I am finding that the value and interest in EVENT PLANNING is crossing over to many areas - from the hospitality industry as a whole - event planners; meeting planners; convention and conference planners; hoteliers; tourist boards;incentive houses; restaurant associations; culinary schools; sports event management; non profit organizations and volunteers regarding their fund-raising activities; public relation and communication firms; entertainment companies; wedding consultants (and those planning their own wedding) to being adopted by Universities and Colleges.

For event planners, there's no such thing as a dress rehearsal!

Any event you plan and stage is a reflection of your company's image — from the initial invitation to onsite operations. Whether you're planning a product launch, conference, sales meeting, an incentive event, or a gala fund-raiser, remember that the magic of a truly memorable event is in the details, but so is the devil. Special events are fraught with thousands of details, and have to come off without a hitch. Whether your event is for 50 or 2,000 people, whether it has a budget of a few thousand dollars, or hundreds of thousands, planning and executing the project is like a high-wire act without the safety nets. Event Planning gives you a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair and without any unexpected surprises and expenses. This unique book is loaded with practical advice on every aspect of organizing and managing special events:

• Choosing the best venue
• Preparing and managing the budget
• Scheduling and staffing
• Coordinating food and beverage, décor, entertainment, and themes
• Working with professionals, such as public relations firms and creative directors.

What you don't know or know to ask can have a major effect on the success of your event and on your budget. Event Planning takes you through every aspect of organizing and executing a successful event: the planning stages, timing and logistics, budget preparation, operations, and on-site management. Event Planning:

• Includes sample costing forms to help you generate a detailed project plan and budget.
• Explains what you need to ask before you contract with suppliers.
• Is loaded with practical tips and examples that will help you avoid expensive mistakes.
• Features a companion website with forms from the book, additional forms, author Q&A, and more.

Event Planning takes you behind the scenes, and provides practical tools for anyone who has to plan and execute a truly special event:

• Corporate in-house event planners
• Public relations and communications companies, and their clients
• Marketing and corporate communications professionals
• Fundraisers and not-for-profit organizations
• Professionals in the hospitality and entertainment industries.

Judy Allen is highly regarded as an expert in the field of event planning. She is founder and President of Judy Allen Productions, a full-service event planning production company that specializes in consulting on strategic event design, as well as in designing, producing, and orchestrating special events worldwide.

Judy has created special events in over thirty countries for up to 2,000 guests at a time. She has designed and produced memorable events such as Disney's opening-night gala for Beauty and the Beast, and coordinated Norman Jewison's 25th anniversary celebration for Fiddler on the Roof. The events she has done range from very exclusive VIP events to multimillion-dollar, multimedia extravaganzas such as new car product launches. Judy has been involved not only in event design, but also in multimedia stage production and show flow.

Judy is also the author of The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events (John Wiley & Sons, 2002) and Event Planning Ethics and Etiquette: A Principled Approach to the Business of Special Event Management (John Wiley & Sons, 2003). She has written a series of weekly columns on event planning for the New York Post Page Six.com, and is a frequent contributor to industry publications such as Meetings and Incentives Magazine.

Judy Allen can be reached at judyallen@on.aibn.com.