We had the unfortunate situation of having to reschedule a number of events due to Hurricane Florence. When you’re working on rescheduling an event you’re at the mercy of whatever is available at the hotel and you squeeze into whatever space is possible. That’s exactly what we did, and it worked! Overall, we had what the space we needed and the event was successful. The one thing I didn’t ask (that you always should) is what other events are going on in the hotel that I should know about.
Starting your event at the right time can lead to less stress
Earlier this month we hosted my son’s fourth birthday. Besides the fact that I cried inside that my son is already four, everything went well. One of my girlfriends even commented about how relaxed I seemed this time. She would know. She has never missed my kids’ birthday parties. So it made me think, why was this time different than all the other times? There were a few factors, but the major one I landed on was the start time.
Planning group outings is like herding cats
My husband's best friend is getting married in September and my husband is the best man. This means he gets to plan a bachelor party on his behalf. Bachelor parties are no longer single night events to celebrate the groom before he gets hitched, but entire weekends packed full of tours, shows, entertainment, and good old fashioned guy bonding time.
Confessions of an Event Planner
I have a story to share, and it's a confession. A revealing and embarrassing moment I had one day while running an event that I managed to weave together ever so delicately. It was very unexpected, yet done out of necessity! Then I want to hear from you about your event confession. No story is too small! You can either leave your story in the comments or email me at eventssimplifieddr@gmail.com. You can also choose to remain anonymous. I promise I won't judge!
Room Setups
When I venture out to find a conference space that will fit the needs of my various programs I talk with hotel sales staff a lot about whether or not we will fit in a room based on the preferred setup. I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about a few of the different types of room setups, how they work within a space, and other things to consider within a room when choosing a location for your event.
Celebrating July 4th
When I worked at Rider University for Study Tours we would get this email on the 4th of July from our supervisor. The email would be really heartwarming about how he felt to be an American. The essence would include that what we were doing on a day-to-day basis for our international students was not only important, but that we were so incredibly lucky to be charged with such a task. Our job included, above everything else, to provide the students with a truly American experience. He would talk about our freedoms and pride that we have for our country. It really was inspirational and students that were with us on July 4th would get to experience a special celebration.
Progressive Dinner
Jerry and I had the pleasure of hosting our friends from church this weekend for part of a progressive dinner. The way progressive dinner works is someone hosts the appetizer, then you drive to the next house for the entree, and a final house for the dessert. We improvised on this particular gather since the couple that was making the appetizer didn't have the means to host on this occasion. We offered to physically host the first two courses and make food for the entree. There was a little bit of thought and planning for this and Jerry and I put our thinking caps on last week to make the event a success.
When Decor Becomes the Focus of Your Meeting
A Gardner Reunion with Gardner
This past weekend Jerry, Gardner, Robbie (Jerry's brother), and Mrs. Becky (Jerry's mom) attended the Gardner Family Reunion in Elizabeth City. The reunion is a great opportunity to interact with family that we don't see very often. This group of family are related to Mrs. Becky. Her late father had a number of brothers and sisters (only 3 of which are still living). The remaining living brothers and sister, children and grandchildren all converge at the Hampton Inn and have a fun time!