by Judy Allen
Event Planning Ethics and Etiquette: A Principled Approach to the Business of Special Event Management (Wiley, 2003) covers the business side of event planning ethics, etiquette, entertaining, acceptable codes of conduct and industry standards. The book provides event planners with the information they need to stay out of trouble, keep professional relationships healthy and profitable, avoid the riskier temptations of the lifestyle and win business in a highly competitive market using ethical business practices. Harvard Business School said this book “is a must-read not only for event professionals, but also for small-business people conceiving product introductions and conference appearances.” This book will bring important event planning industry business entertaining, business ethics and business etiquette issues to Confessions of an Event Planner readers.
Marketing Your Event Planning Business: A Creative Approach to Gaining the Competitive Edge (Wiley, 2004) takes readers through marketability, market development and marketing endeavors (business and personal). Topics covered include diversifying the client base, developing niche markets and areas of expertise, establishing a backup plan for use during downturns and finding innovative ways to solicit new sales. This book will show readers of Confessions of an Event Planner how to develop their brand, build customer loyalty and market themselves and their company both in the corporate boardroom and on-site.
Time Management for Event Planners: Expert Techniques and Time-Saving Tips for Organizing Your Workload, Prioritizing Your Day, and Taking Control of Your Schedule (Wiley, 2005) offers expert insight on time management as it relates specifically to the event planning and hospitality industry. Event planning is a highpressure, around-the-clock job where planners juggle multiple tasks and work down to the wire against crushing deadlines and a mountain of obstacles. For smooth event implementation, and for business success, it is essential that planners manage their own time as expertly as they manage an event. This book illustrates how to do just that. It shows Confessions of an Event Planner readers how to create order in their personal and professional time commitments and bring balance into their lives at home and while traveling for business and pleasure.
The Executive’s Guide to Corporate Events and Business Entertaining: How to Choose and Use Corporate Functions to Increase Brand Awareness, Develop New Business, Nurture Customer Loyalty and Drive Growth (Wiley, 2007). The primary focus of this book is the strategic event marketing thinking from a business objective perspective, not just an event planning one, and will give business executives—who are now being held accountable for event results—insight on how to choose, design and use events to achieve business objectives and how to generate a return on their company’s investment of time and money. As well, design elements and strategies found in this book will give event planners the tools they need to understand how the events they plan can better meet multiple layers of corporate objectives. This book will give event planners the ability to see the event from their client’s perspective as well as an event planning perspective. Executing events flawlessly does not mean that corporate goals are being met. This book shows not only how to plan and execute the perfect event, but also how, for best results, to closely tie it in to company strategy and objectives. Covered in detail are how to identify clear objectives for each event; which type of function is best suited to meeting your objectives; what you need to establish before forging ahead with organizing committees and reviewing or developing proposals; how to develop a realistic budget, and when to question expenses proposed by staff or professional event planners; the importance of sign-offs; how to identify controversial spending and other red flag areas that could seriously damage the company’s reputation, or even put it at financial or legal risk; how to establish spending guidelines and policies on employee conduct at company functions; and how to evaluate the success and results of your business functions. The Executive Guide teaches readers of Confessions of an Event Planner how to choose the right event style to maximize the client’s event investment and to bring them the external and internal returns (not limited to those financial) they are looking for by delivering results that exceed all expectations.
Special note: The event planning case stories captured blog-style are based on true but fictionalized events, and actual names, locations, programs as they took place and companies have not been used.
Judy Allen
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Over the course of seven years, because of reader response for the first edition of Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide and requests from planners-to-be, planners working in the field and business professionals for more event planning answers, Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide grew into a best-selling series of business books that are being used around the world by industry professionals and corporate executives as well as universities and colleges for course adoption and required reading. The books have now been translated into five languages.
This well-received series of books then became the crossover platform for two mass-market consumer books—with more to come. My first wedding planning guide led the way in wedding planning category sales and received media reviews, deeming the wedding planner to be one of the best wedding planners on the market because of its event planning focus.
Confessions of an Event Planner returns me to the event planning realm. It came into being as a direct result of readers’ queries as to how to handle situations on-site that no one had prepared them for and how to protect themselves from legal and ethical repercussions from actions they were privy to both in corporate boardrooms and resort guest bedrooms.
I would like to thank my publisher, John Wiley, for bringing this book out to serve as a full-circle teaching tool that embraces the entire suite of Event Planning books.
I would like to thank the outstanding professionals at John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. for their contribution to the making of this book and express my appreciation to Robert Harris, General Manager; Bill Zerter, COO; Jennifer Smith, Vice President and Publisher; Elizabeth McCurdy, Project Manager; Kimberly Rossetti, Senior Coordinator, Editorial & Special Projects; Deborah Guichelaar, Publicist; Erin Kelly, Publicity Manager; Erika Zupko, Publicity Coordinator; Lucas Wilk, Marketing Manager; Adrian So, Senior Graphics Designer; Pauline Ricablanca, Project Coordinator; Brian Will, Editorial Assistant; Meghan Brousseau, New Media and Rights Manager; Jessica Ting, Accounting and Royalty Manager; Stacey Clark, Corporate Sales Manager.
I would like to say a special thank-you to Karen Milner, Executive Editor, whose vision and direction opened the door to this series coming into being. She suggested that I expand the original concept I had for the first book to encompass all of my event planning knowledge and areas of expertise that came from designing one-of-a-kind special events in more than 30 countries and the incredible opportunity of working with some amazingly talented people in the special event industry.
I have truly enjoyed working with Michelle Bullard on the structure and copyedit of my books. Michelle challenges me constantly to go further in order to bring to Event Planning readers the maximum amount of wisdom I can share. Having worked with me on the majority of my event planning books, Michelle is a master at catching me when I slip into industry language without detailing or showing what I mean by example. Her trained eye is one of the best, and the questions she poses to me are very relevant to making a better book.
I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed my books and provided such positive comments and feedback. I greatly appreciate the time you have given to me and to my readers by reviewing this book. Your opinions are greatly valued by all of us.
I had the opportunity to write this book as well as the second edition of Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide in the wonderful “active living” town of Collingwood, Ontario. I wish to repeat my thank-yous to some very special people who came into my life while I was living there:
• Sarah Applegarth MSc, CSCS, CSEP-CEP, SCS, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Active Life Conditioning Inc. (www.activelifeconditioning.com)
, whose business is “Taking Care of What Matters Most—You.” Sarah is a world-class high-performance trainer and someone I was privileged enough to call my personal trainer when I turned to her for expert help in an area that I had no knowledge in and needed her expertise in learning how to develop the physical, mental and emotional strength, stamina and flexibility athletes carry at their core to become their best so that they can do more, give more and bring their best to themselves, their family, their friends, their work (life purpose) and the world.
• Brianne Law, World Cup coach for the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team (www.canski.org), who joined Sarah in training me this past summer, and is an amazing trainer and teacher.
• Krista Campbell, Registered Massage Therapist, my massage therapist who is trained in Swedish massage techniques and whose amazing healing touch had my muscles back moving as they are meant to.
• Dr. Heather Munroe, Chiropractor, Mountain Chiropractic (www.mountainchiropractic.ca), who in just one session was able to undo the damage a fall had done and brought me back to pain-free alignment, and then went on to release years of joint compression caused by years of sitting behind a computer, sitting in an airplane and sitting in meetings around the world.
In my book Time Management for Event Planners, I shared the importance of having personal and professional balance in life and the value of taking part in all life experiences that present themselves in order to elevate your level of knowledge and creativity. I shared all that I had learned but did not address the area of physical well-being, as it was a life-learning, life-challenging, life-changing and growing experience that was still to come. It came about from having a business partner who is a seven times Iron-man who honors his commitment to physical well-being no matter where he is in the world or what his day personally and professionally demands, as do Sarah, Brianne, Krista and Heather—my well-being immersion “pit fit team”—and their life partners.
Living in an active living community for a year with people committed to health and well-being and surrounded by nature has been an incredible journey and one I am grateful to have experienced. I have learned that there is an amazing benefit to living an active lifestyle at home, at work and as you travel around the world on site inspections, fam trips and on-site programs; to being fueled by nurturing and nourishing foods and fitness workouts, not just caffeine and meals on the run when they can be fit in between work deadlines and demands that can be intensive in this 24/7 industry; and to bringing wellness, fitness and health lifestyle elements into not only your everyday and work life but the programs that you design so that others can experience the benefits.
I would also like to thank Judith Somborac, Personal Direction, Training and Coaching, my yoga and Pilates trainer; and Jackey Fox, Assistant Manager, A&P. Each played an important part in my fitness mission to counteract years of sitting at the computer and taught me about nutrition, stamina, strength and stretching—literally, not just physically—as a tool to push past discomfort in all areas of life. They shared their talents and expert knowledge with me, giving me new tools I can use every day for the rest of my life while I take on the world and the world of possibilities in front of me personally and professionally through my company, 2jproductions, with Joe Shane. I am excited to gain a new sense of purpose, passion and play that is bringing me closer to my personal, professional (life purpose) and creative best.
I would like to say a very special thank-you to Ysabelle Allard, Bilingual Meetings & Incentives (Toronto), whom I came to know through my first event planning book, Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide, and with whom I share a deep affection for the island of Barbados. Ysabelle is directly responsible for a move that will take me into the next chapter of my life. I appreciate her friendship and all that knowing her has brought to me. Sometimes, in some areas, we are teachers, and sometimes, in other areas, we are students with the right teachers having been placed in our path to move us in the direction we are meant to go and grow in. As you grow in awakening and awareness, it gets easier to recognize special people coming into your life for a reason. Both Ysabelle and my business partner and beloved friend Joe Shane came into my life through my writing my first book. Life is an interesting journey that can be lived as a special event when you let it unfold as it is meant to without self-imposed roadblocks and resistance.
I would like to thank my incredible new trainer in Barbados, Levar Greaves, who works out of Surfside Wellness Centre and Surfside Fitness Centre and who is known for “breaking barriers”—physical, mental and emotional—and who is taking me to a new level of active living, one that embraces a sense of play as well as perfect workout form. And Natasha and Mike Mahy, dive shop Reefers and Wreckers owner, and their son, Oscar, whose apartment I am renting during my stay in Barbados—with added thanks to Ysabelle for the part she played in bringing this about. It’s the perfect setting and location for working out, writing, working on a new website for Joe and me, and several design projects.
As always, I would like to thank my family—my parents, Walter and Ruth; my sister, Marilyn, and my brother-in-law, Hans; and my nieces and their partners: Natasha and her husband, Ed, and their much loved new baby Gillian, and Jasmine and Rodney—and my friends for their continued love and support.
And again, I would like to say thank you to my 2jproductions partner, Joe Shane. I look forward to working with you on taking event planning to an exciting, creative and innovative new level. There is no one I would want to take this journey with more than you.
PROFILE
Name: Emma (Em) Starr
Gender: Female
Age: Thirty-something
Marital Status: Divorced
Location: Always somewhere different—or on my way there
Occupation: Owner and Creative Director of Starr Productions, a boutique event management company that specializes in designing, producing and orchestrating corporate and high-profi le social and celebrity events around the world.
Favorite Things: Family; friends; travel; photography; snorkelling; kick boxing; strength and resistance training; Pilates; biking; horseback riding; exploring new (preferably warm) destinations; shopping for one-of-a-kind fi nds; clothes made from natural fabrics; writing in my journal; dining out or room service; dancing under the stars; walking the beach in Barbados, Hawaii, the South Pacifi c, Greece, the Maldives; or hiking through the woods; romping with my dogs; doing yoga on the beach by the lake at home; staying in six- and seven-star hotels; fl ying fi rst class or in private planes; being pampered; convertibles; luxury linens; spicy food; fi ne wines and champagne; being fi rst to create something new; making meaningful and magical memories for others to enjoy; being successful in business
Least Favorite Things: Cooking, cleaning, shopping malls with their cookie-cutter clothes, roughing it and playing sports (I’d much rather be the offi cial photographer and cheerleader)
Favorite Quote: Your life is the ultimate special event—design it with care.” —Emma Starr
Favorite Music: Mixed; everything from Sade and Keiko Matsui to pop, calypso and reggae
Favorite Movies: Classic movies from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, but I stay on top of today’s hits
Favorite Television Shows: Reality shows like The Amazing Race and Survivor, in which show components are very similar to corporate events with team and individual challenges
Favorite Books to Read: Professionally, bestsellers to keep tabs on the mood of today and what could be the next cutting-edge theme or hot trend; and personally, books that educate and enlighten, that challenge my mind, body and soul to grow
CHAPTER 1
MEETINGS, MAYHEM AND MARGARITAVILLE
Em finds herself in a distressing real-life situation that tests her ability to walk the fine event planning line of giving her clients what they want and keeping their guests safe, as they spiral out of control on an all-male incentive getaway reward for top sales that would turn into an event planner’s worst nightmare of “guests gone wild.”<
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DECEMBER 13
What a day it’s been! Started out the same as most arrival days, with “they’re herrrrrrrre”—à la Poltergeist—echoing through my mind as soon as I learned the plane had touched down. I knew I was minutes away from experiencing another round of “some things have to be seen to be believed.” I know the actual phrase is “some things have to be believed to be seen” but in my case I know the opposite is true. What takes place under the premise of business is entertaining to say the least, guaranteed to raise an eyebrow or two and sometimes my blood pressure, and today did exactly that.