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Experts from across Canada share cutting-edge ideas on how to make this year’s corporate holiday party a show-stopper. Here’s your seven-step plan.
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Buzz. Planner Kristina Chau, Not Your Average Party, suggests setting up a Facebook page dedicated to the event or creating a hashtag on Twitter (using the # symbol to form a subgroup, as in: #HolidayParty). But don’t bare it all right off the top. “Just drop little teasers to pique interest,” says Chau. Day One: link a photo of the appetizer. Day Two: post a riddle about the venue. Build hype, clue by clue. |
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Budget. Event planners tiptoeing across a budgeting tightrope can scale down without sacrificing quality. Tip: throw an hors d’oeuvres cocktail party at a venue with built-in entertainment. |
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Décor. If Oakville, Ontario-based Leslee Bell could give just one piece of advice it’s this: start early. The president of Décor & More strongly encourages corporate event planners to start a minimum of four months out, and more if your client wants a brand new concept. Although Bell has designed built-from-scratch extravaganzas—imagine indoor ice rinks and horse-drawn carriages—budgets often dictate a new hubcap rather than a reinvented wheel. |
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Food. Deck the food stations with samplings from around the globe using fresh, local ingredients. Chef Evelyne Gharibian of Toronto-based Hearty Catering serves crowd-pleasers like cauliflower-and-potato curry in coconut milk, ricotta-spinach cannelloni smothered in Béchamel sauce and goat cheese ice cream—all made with a variety of homegrown ingredients. Place menu boards at each station detailing the source, and encourage station chefs to chat with the guests and spread the locavore love. |
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Entertainment. “The traditional corporate holiday entertainment still has a place, but there’s a whole new list of ideas to shop from,” says Kim George, president, Limelight Communications in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Case in point: Limelight’s roster includes award-winning actor Jeremy Webb, who stages a one-man performance of A Christmas Carol. Says George, “Event planners could contact their own local theatre groups and see if they can develop programs similar to what Jeremy does.” |
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Fun Extras. “Try to push clients outside their comfort zones because it’s a once-a-year special occasion,” says 21-year corporate event planning veteran Martin van Keken, CEO, MVKA in Vancouver. His suggestions? Living statues to greet guests, actors to snap photos of the “celebrities” as they arrive, which are then displayed on framed LCD screens hanging throughout the venue. Surprising elements, sprinkled at regular intervals throughout the event, will keep your guests teetering on the edge of wow. |
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Gifting. Don’t underestimate the power of parting gifts: they make a lasting impression. Toronto-based Erin Breckbill, director of corporate sales, bypeterandpauls.com, takes it one step further: she uses the gift as the centrepiece for the tables. For example, place flowers in an elegant decanter artfully surrounded by four wine glasses. “Your guests will be able to look at their gifts throughout the night, and then anticipate receiving it at the end of the event,” says Breckbill. She also encourages branding the centrepiece or parting gift with logoed ribbons in company colours. |
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2011 Financial and Insurance Conference Planners Annual Conference
When: November 13-16, 2011
Where: Grand Hyatt, San Antonio, TX
Why go: A solid education program, dynamic keynote speakers and great networking events.
What’s in it for you: You’ll uncover the power of partnerships and learn how strategic planning, contract negotiation and meeting execution are streamlined through engagement with fellow planners and experienced hospitality partners.
More industry events at Ignitemag.ca
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INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
For good measure
A new event impact calculator, launched by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), has made measuring the ROI of meetings and conventions a whole lot easier for destination marketing organizations, convention and visitor bureaus and meeting managers alike. Developed by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, the calculator measures the economic value of an event derived from direct expenditures, employment, taxes, wages and ROI. Data sources include convention centre data from SGM, DMAI’s empowerMINT historical database, and input from the end user. For more information on the event impact calculator, visit DMAI’s website. |
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CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
New GBTA taskforce
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) recently announced the creation of a new global meetings taskforce led by Linda McNairy, vice president, Strategic Partner Management, StarCite. Its goal will be to enhance meetings strategy in global education, accelerated thought leadership, industry collaboration and best practices. The team will focus on incorporating strategic meetings management as a vital part of progressive travel management. According to GBTA’s executive director and COO, Michael W. McCormick, the taskforce intends to provide the best tools, resources and education to make meetings more strategic and successful. |
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CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
You’ll thank me for this
Companies looking for a new way to engage employees and drive performance should take a closer look at Kudosnow.com from Calgary-based web software company, Kudos Inc. A secure social business network, Kudosnow.com is an employee engagement platform and communication tool that allows for peer-to-peer real-time recognition. The Kudos portal can be fully customized with corporate logo and colours, and team members and managers can stay connected, collaborate and share important information from personal status updates to company-wide goals. It also has a metrics-based points system for administrators to categorize and manage recognition and rewards. Visit Kudosnow.com for more information. |
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| Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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French connection
If you can bring at least five years’ experience to the table, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to become the next Director of Revenue Management at the InterContinental Montreal. This bilingual role will have you using all available tools and systems to boost hotel revenues. Apply online quoting Job ID: MON000029. |
Share you flair for sales
The luxurious Fairmont Palliser in downtown Calgary is looking for a confident negotiator with excellent communication skills to be its new Sales Manager. You’ll be supervising and developing key and new accounts in Canada and the US, so the ability to travel is a must, as is your flair for working under pressure and balancing multiple priorities with ease. For more information and to apply online, go to the company website. |
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