But it’s not my fault!

 

I want to be an event planner. I am not a masochist. But, sometimes I fear the two go hand in hand. The exciting thing, to me, about events is how everything comes together in time and space to create this incredible, real, touchpoint experience for everyone involved. There is interaction. There is community. There is life. Sometimes, there are pretty things to look at and yummy things to eat. Every sense can be engaged.

The terrifying thing about events is everything I just said. There is less control and no edits. There are the confines of time and distance. What’s done is done, and if it’s not done well, there is no backspace key or reset button. If something goes wrong, will it be my head on the chopping block?

This is one reason why I’ve been drawn to corporate and nonprofit events versus weddings. Don’t get me wrong, weddings are fun! I’d like to keep it that way. I’ll plan my own and help my friends. But event planning is a demanding profession, and the personal emotions (for better or worse) tied up in the Happiest Day of Your Life are just the icing on the towering cake of pressure put on event planners to ensure that everything runs smoothly, on-budget, and successfully. If I make a mistake in an event, I’d prefer not to think I’ve ruined somebody’s lifelong dream.

Event Planner Christy Bareijsza wrote in her blog, The Red Carpet Events, about the responsibilities of event planners in her recent post “Where Do You Draw The Line?” She says that “if it rains the day of your event…chances are, it’s your fault.”

Gulp.

Bareijsza explains that, as a strategic planner, you should always have multiple backup plans and be constantly prepared to roll up your sleeves and do the dirty work to keep your client satisfied.

I think what she’s saying is that rather than admitting defeat or pointing fingers, the best thing an event planner can do for a client is to be accountable, which means not just taking responsibility for mishaps but, more importantly, generating positive solutions. In my experience, hardly anything ever goes perfectly according to plan. I think clients understand that. But being a good planner doesn’t mean planning it all and then going on autopilot. Instead, it means developing flexible strategies, supervising their implementation, and improvising as necessary to ensure that end goals are met.

Personally, I’d like to think that I will never make a mistake and everything I touch will turn to solid gold for my clients. In reality, that’s impossible. Mishaps will occur and I will get blamed, whether or not it’s really my fault. This, I must accept. But the difference between pleasure and pain will be how successfully I can anticipate, prevent, mitigate, and repair the damage. Then I can proudly accept responsibility for the outcome, rain or shine.

Image courtesy of jupiterimages.com

Feeling a little dormant

 

The stars are in alignment as the end of the school term, my annual mission trip to Mexico, the post-graduation job search, and go-time for my thesis all culminate this month to create a hectic whirlpool of stress, intellectual drain, and general busyness. So I apoligize in advance for a bit of a slowdown on the blogging. But never fear, my mind is still a-teaming with thought, and I hope to continue to make this an outlet for it.

Next week I leave for Mexico to build houses with my church’s mission team, stay tuned for updates on that as I have a very exciting role this year.

The art of the effective business e-mail

Brian Zafron wrote last week about the importance of well-crafted e-mails on the Freelance Switch blog. This topic drew me in because I too tend to be a bit picky about e-mail grammar and content and shudder at the complacency some of my peers seem to exhibit in this age of new, instant communication technology. In a world where “Where you at?” is actually a tag line for Boost Mobile and”idk” “lol” and “brb” make sense, the art of eloquent, professional, and thoughtful communication seems to have been seriously downgraded as a must-have for the adult world.

And maybe I am on a bit of a rant. It’s true - I stodgily resist the new IM and text messaging jargon. When I send a text (which is rarely) I painfully type out each word, finding myself slightly irritated that I can’t figure out how to make an apostrophe when I want to say “you’re.” I still subscribe to the notion that spelling, grammar, and writing style say something about us as individuals and as professionals. Just as I’m nervous having my hair cut by a stylist with a less than salon quality ‘do, I wouldn’t trust my professional communications to someone whose e-mails read like a 2nd grader’s spelling test. They could end up costing me my dignity with a blunder like this one (featured on Bad Pitch Blog).

So, my advice to students and professionals alike is this: save the shorthand for your BFF and keep your professional communication just that - professional. That means writing an e-mail like you would a letter, beginning with “Dear so-and-so” (or some variation) and ending with your signature. Read Zafron’s post to get more great advice. One thing I had to add to his advice is to avoid humor. Personally, I LOVE humor; I doubt I’ve gone a day in my life without cracking a joke or doing something silly just to get a laugh. But the problem with e-mail is it’s harder to tell when someone is joking. Sarcasm is the trickiest to pull off, so I’d recommend nixing it altogether, at least until you’ve established a comfy rapport.

After I’ve let loose my frustrations with bad grammar and time-wasting ramblings in e-mails, I want to please beg your pardon for any grammar/spelling/outright stupidity I’ve accidentally let slip in this post. Though I don’t want to make excuses, it is 1 AM and the chances are high I’ve missed something. So here’s my last piece of advice. Above all, be merciful. One or two errors does not a moron make, so on behalf of my graduating class, in our vernacular: plz give us chance!  

 Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/16/Typist.JPG

Event design tip: think outside the table

While in search of something to lighten up the academic-ness of my postings lately (”academic-ness” probably did it already though), I saw this fun idea for table settings from Hostess With The Mostess. The tables are made to look like beds by using pillows and sheets to decorate. Clever.

So I thought a little bit about how often I see pictures of events with the same cookie cutter round tables or looooong banquet tables. The centerpieces may vary, but they’re still the same table. Although with a large group it would probably be a challenge to veer from the ordinary, with a smaller group it would be fun to consider alternatives to the traditional table & chair arrangement. Practicality shouldn’t always bow to novelty, but in the right setting something completely different could make a big impact. I’m thinking bigger than pillow cases and sheets - although that’s a good start as it gives the illusion of being more than a plain table. What about bringing in natural elements like sturdy driftwood for guests to perch on? Or incorporating scrap building materials for tables? As a kid I always thought those giant spools that electrical wires and hoses come on would make a perfect table for my backyard fort. I’m just brainstorming here folks - no need to tell me the risk of splinters or the logistical barriers to bringing in the remains of a building demolition. If we ignored all the reasons not to do something, just for a minute, what creative ideas would our minds surprise us with?

I wonder…

Image courtesy of Hostess With The Mostess

Social entrepreneurs: the next generation of philanthropy?

The word “philanthropy” translates literally to love of humans or love of mankind, but we typically define philanthropy as giving money, providing in-kind goods and services, and volunteering time to charitable causes and nonprofit organizations. Traditionally, charities are held responsible for affecting positive change and meeting needs that government and private enterprise have inadequately served.   

According to a recent article in The Tennessean by Jeff Cornwall,the Millennial Generation (that’s me!) is expanding beyond this common definition by harnessing the power of free market capitalism to benefit relevant social causes. “Social entrepreneurs,” seek to create sustainable, profitable business that are independent from reliance on benefactors but still bring about positive results in the community.

Cornwall cites this generation’s lack of trust in government to solve social problems as one of the main motivators for this new movement:

“Several surveys have found that many people in this generation don’t believe that government is the most effective means to solve many of today’s social problems — the private sector offers more efficient and effective solutions. They no longer believe that massive programs work. Instead, they hope to create solutions that solve one small problem at a time.”

So, what does this new trend mean for traditional nonprofits and charity organizations? As a millennial myself, I can vouch for the lure of the efficiency and efficacy of companies driven by profit-demanding management. However, I also doubt that public trust in the socially-responsible business management of corporations, eroded by recent scandals (ahem, Enron), will be completely restored anytime soon.

In the end, our perceptions of organization value have a lot to do with marketing, communication, and an attention to public-organization relationships; certainly some for-profits give me the warm fuzzies much more than steely and holier-than-thou charity organizations. I admit it’s mostly in the messaging I receive and my personal experiences interacting with the organizations. For-profit companies succeeding with a social mission likely make that social priority clear to consumers and other stakeholders. More importantly, they make that priority clear to others who care as well.

Which is not to say it’s all a marketing ploy. Instead, I see it as the best of both worlds: creating sustainable, profitable businesses driven by philanthropic (and phyto-thropic?) principles for the benefit of the whole community. Nonprofits can learn from this strategy by likewise engaging donors not with a “what you can do for us” message but instead “here’s what we can do for you.” Of course, donors need to be assured that their money is going to a good cause. For some, that’s all they need to know. But many of us, millennials especially, want to have our cake and eat it too. Does it make us greedy or selfish? Perhaps, but I suspect many of us simply want to erase the delineation between socially-beneficial charity and profitable business.

Nonprofits today can take advantage of this trend by exploring ways they can mimic capitalist business strategies while maintaining a mission for social good. In my research for my honors thesis, I’m finding that in the right context, fund-raising events can provide a great opportunity for nonprofits to offer donors unique benefits in exchange for their dollars and time. Capitalist? Maybe a little. Philanthropic? Yes. In every sense of the word.

Thanks to Sam Davidson, in his post “Millenials and Social Enterprise” for directing me to the article.

Image courtesy of http://www.oph.gov.au/images/upload/soup-kitchen.jpg

Celebrities at face value

 

Several of my recent posts have discussed building relationships and putting a human face on your organization. While perusing the blogosphere this week, I came across a post by Nedra Weinreich on her blog “Spare Change” about literally putting a face on your organization with a celebrity spokesperson. She highlighted some important pieces of advice, such as:

• Make sure the celebrity is prepared to speak intelligently about the issue.
• Work through the celebrity’s publicist, not their agent.
• Prepare the celebrity to deal with any controversial questions that may arise from their affiliation with your organization.
• Understand what motivations the celebrity has for being involved. In other words, do they have a genuine belief in the message or are they just doing it to look good?

Of course, this is all based on the assumption that using a celebrity is right for your organization in the first place. Celebrities attract attention; they can give your organization star power. But not all donors are interested in the concept of celebrity. Some people are turned off by it. It would be smart to first consider why you’re using a celebrity spokesperson; then you will be equipped to select a celebrity that can help accomplish your specific objectives.

In an advertising class last term, we discussed some other guides to follow when choosing a celebrity spokesperson for promotional work. I’m kicking myself now for not keeping better track of my notes, but from what I remember, it’s more important to your audience whether the celebrity is credible than how famous or beautiful they are. Do they know what they’re talking about? Do they walk the walk in addition to the talk? Are they in it for the long run? The product and celebrity need to be congruent - how congruent depends, again, on your audience. The gist of it is: Does it make sense? Using a celebrity that has little to do with your mission may do more harm than good.

And let’s not forget the threat of the celebrity scandal! Putting a face on your organization can be a liability as much as an asset. When pictures of Kate Moss surfaced showing the supermodel allegedly snorting cocainesurfaced in the British tabloids, Burberry, H&M, Chanel and others quickly dropped her contracts. Aligning your organization with a celebrity can put you at major risk of a similar situation.

Inviting a celebrity to attend an event as a guest, speaker, or performer carries significantly less risk, but certain considerations should still be made. I believe that, as with the rest of the event planning and preparations, some strategic thinking should go into any special celebrity guests.

And who knows - if you’re lucky, the right celebrity might begin as a special guest and develop into an engaged, active proponent of your organization.

Does anyone have any experience working with celebrity guests? I would love to hear your stories, advice, and feedback.

Image of Operation Smile Youth Ambassador Jessica Simpson courtesy of www.happynews.com

Design boards

Snippet & Ink is a blog providing “daily wedding inspiration” but I think that many of the ideas could be translated to special events in general. I dig these beautiful design boards that Kathryn puts together, complete with mood and color palette.

  I need to learn how to make these - it really is artful the way everything goes together. They remind me of my (very modest by comparison) brand book that I put together last term as for the re-branding of Arm & Hammer (a class assignment; see it on my portfolio page). They both attempt to convey a unique brand, flavor, or identity through the engagement of multiple senses (smells, tastes, colors, etc.), whether it’s a newly-married couple or laundry detergent. A wedding is perhaps one of the most emotional and personal events, but I think that through strategic branding and defined goals to build relationships, even a seemingly blah organization can put on a personal, memorable event. Images courtesy of Snippet & Ink 

Gorgeous flowers - no wilting!

Immortal Floraluses a time-honored method of preserving flowers by dipping them in beeswax, which essentially preserves them indefinitely. Even better, they beautifully detail them with swarovski crystals, pearls, and other accoutrement to make them truly sparkle. Immortal Floral specializes in bridal bouquets and accessories, but they also sell reusable decorated flowers for culinary art, as seen below. Read more about the process on their Web site; it’s pretty interesting how they create each individual art piece.

Image courtesy of Immortal Floral

Brr! This PR blanket isn’t working

Using “PR” as a blanket term can be problematic for several reasons. Unfortunately, it seems like people either associate public relations with specific tactics such as press releases or they think of it as a means to attracting publicity (as in “publicity stunts”) and controlling reputation. Worst of all, public relations is sometimes vilified as “spinning” the news in order to protect client interests. 

Many leading thinkers in public relations research, however, define PR as “the management function that identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends” (Cutlip, Center, and Broom. Effective Public Relations. 1985). In other words, public relations is about managing relationships, not spitting out generic press releases or creatively explaining why a certain starlet was photographed sans undies.

With this definition of PR, it is easy to see how activities like fund-raising, maintaining a blog, hosting events, or publishing podcasts can all fit under the public relations blanket. Matthew Stibbe, editor in chief of Articulate Marketing, however, does not follow this definition of PR in his recent post “27 Proven Freelance Marketing Tips”on his blog, Bad Language. I was checking out this post in hopes of gaining some advice for marketing myself as a job candidate and potentially later if I start my own business. In his post, he argues that PR “doesn’t work,” along with fancy business cards, cold-calling, and mail shots. He lumps PR - a management function - in with specific tactics. I agree that business cards and brochures can not stand alone as a method of marketing your freelance business. But I found it interesting that Stibbe listed blogging and website maintenance as good techniques but clearly separate from PR. In my Advanced PR Writing class, blogging and social media was the focus of a significant assignment. Why? I think because they are great ways to manage relationships with stakeholders/publics (including potential clients).

In another post from his blog, Stibbe wrote that “PR stands for public relations but it could also stand for press relations.” I disagree, at least with the fact that press relations could explain the entirety of what public relations is. The press is a public and it also provides a vehicle through which messages to other publics can be disseminated. But I do not think that PR practitioners should limit themselves to media relations.

I did get some good advice from Stibbe - I think one of my favorites was number 14: “Your obvious is your talent.” Do what you’re best at and fill that niche rather than trying to wear 20 hats. Lately I’ve been looking at Preston Bailey - the It guy of fabulous wedding and event design (he blogs too!). He started in the event design industry as a floral couturier, but used his talents to build a reputation as one of the world’s leading event designers and a celebrity favorite. His work has inspired me to focus my interests and specific talents: style and design AND strategic, creative thinking and planning AND relationship building.

Image courtesy of www.coupland.com

Yes, I am pro bono

 

(…a cheesy play on words, I know, but I do love U2)   

This month, the Business of Design Online has been discussing the value of working pro bono for design professionals. The most recent post outlined these top benefits for designers:

• self-promotion
• networking opportunities
• portfolio puffing
• experience
• “the warm and fuzzies”

Okay so being the rosy-spectacled, hopeless idealist that I am, I was a little disappointed to see no truly altruistic motivations. No “because it’s the right thing to do” justification. But I understand - and not just because I live in capitalist America. Generating a good reputation is important - especially for the self-employed. Pro bono work appears to provide an excellent opportunity to do so.

I hadn’t thought about it this way before, but the work I do for Ballet Fantastique could qualify as pro bono, with a few tweaks. According to Thomas Stephan in his post “Don’t Work For Free Ever Again” the difference between volunteering and working pro bono lies somewhere in performing professional services, within the parameters of a previously agreed upon contract, but waiving the traditional financial compensation. With my work for Ballet Fantastique (where I started as an intern), I haven’t used contracts or developed complicated strategic plans, so Stephan would likely classify my work as volunteerism. 

Working for non-profits and charities has always been something important to me, but not really for any of the above-mentioned reasons. I’ve just felt responsible to use my talents to benefit others. I do believe, however, that it will be important to protect myself as a professional and to make informed, intelligent, mutually-beneficial decisions when considering offering my services pro bono; and to create clear, well-defined guidelines for working with such clients.

Just the other day I was wondering how professionals decide when and for whom to work pro bono, and what sorts of ethical questions arise surrounding these choices. How do you decide whom to charge and whom to not? Are there any regulations on this, either within industry bodies or professional organizations? Please, let me know if anyone has experience here. 

Image courtesy of  http://users.viawest.net/~keirsey/keirseyawards2002.html