California Event Equipment

Mashable, the largest independent news source dedicated to covering digital culture, social media, and technology, had its annual conference last week with about 300 attendees at Walt Disney World's Contempory Resort.

This year was different, however. No presentation was allowed to go over 30 minutes and some were as short as 10 minutes. They managed 32 speakers in their 20 general sessions. On the first day, they were able to pack 4 different presentations into the first 90 minutes! 

"Our speakers have strong points to get across, and often the shorter the presentation, the more powerful it is. We also wanted to steer presenters away from talking too much about themselves. And I think the less time we gave them encouraged them to get right to the point and talk about what matters most," said Jennifer Diamond, Marketing Director at Mashable. 

In order to keep the attendees interactive and engaged, the conference services committee did several things right, including the following:
 

1. One Fell Swoop. They loaded all the presentations for the day onto the Powerpoint presentation equipment in the room, so there was fluidity between speakers with minimum set up time. 
    
2. Mixed it Up. If they had a 30-minute presentation, it was followed by a 10-minute one, followed by a 20-minute segment. The format varied too. Sometimes it was a single speaker on stage and other times a small panel. 
    
3. Obtained a Variety of Speakers. They had individuals from Harvard, TED, American Express, MTV, and Klout -- just to name a few. This made the program more diverse and engaging because they were bringing together several prospectives and opinions about digital topics and trends. 
    
4. Lots of Time for Meals and Deals. The dinners were 2 hours, every break was at least 30 minutes, and they even had a speed networking event at the beginning of the conference that was 90 minutes long. 
   
   
5. Encouraged Social Media Sharing. Event organizers encouraged attendees to use Social Media to share updates, photos, and videos. They had banners like this one  to the right, posted at various locations at the conference, reminding attendees to share. 
    
6. Combined Fun with Learning. At the end of the conference they had a scavenger hunt at Epcot Park, allowing attendees to enjoy Walt Disney World, while continuing to network with each other. 

Are you event planning in California? Contact AV Event Solutions for all your conference or meeting needs. A provider of LCD and screen rentals, as well as, other state-of-the-art technloogy tools, make AV Event Solutions a sought after audio visual provider. Give them a call today!

National Travel and Tourism Week kicked off on Saturday, May 5th and will run until Sunday, May 13th. This annual salute to all organizations affiliated with the travel industry (including meetings, events, and suppliers, such as conference equipment rental companies) is meant to celebrate and champion the power of travel.

But unfortunately, it sits under a huge cloud called the General Services Administration (GSA) scandal which has hit the industry hard by the cancelation of at least 1 association meeting last week. It has also caused the House and the Senate to approve separate, but equally damaging bills, that could reduce travel spending of governmental employees by 20% through the year 2016. 

As of this post's publication date, President Obama has not signed this measure into law and given his recent Executive Order pinpointing a need to increase international travel to the U.S., it is my hope that he does not sign the bills. Much pressure is being brought forth by associations such as ASAE, PCMA, and MPI, including having their members sign an industry-wide petition. 

In these times of uncertainty, it is always wise to look at the facts to see what impact travel really has in our country. So, here are some key talking points about travel and the event meeting services industry we should be articulating to Members of Congress, state officials, and even local dignitaries. 

Below is what we should be celebrating. Here are the facts, as presented by the U.S. Travel Association:

Travel and Tourism generates:

• $1.9 trillion in economic output
  • $1.1 trillion in areas that affect the traveler (such as speaker fees, food and beverage, event staff, renting audio visual equipment) and
  • $900 billion spent directly by the traveler.
     
• $194 billion in payroll 
   
• $124 billion in tax revenue for federal, state, and local agencies
   
• 14.4 million jobs
  • 6.9 million in industries that support travel 
  • 5.2 million in the travel industry itself
  • 1.4 million in general business travel and
  • .9 million in the meetings and events industry
     
• 1 out of 9 U.S. jobs (hotels, convention centers, restaurants, event audio visual firms, caterers, airlines, ground transportation, trains, taxis, just to name a few)

ASAE, PCMA, MPI, and the U.S. Travel Association are asking all of us in the event meeting services industry to do the following:

1. Share the above facts with colleagues, association members, and other organizations
2. While Congress is not in session, contact your Members of Congress and share with them the facts and the ripple effect such legislation may have on the travel industry
3. Do the 3 things outlined in an earlier blog post, "Why Are Face-to-Face Meetings So Important Anyway?" 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment provider, is very interested in helping meeting and event planners carry this message forward. Talk to one of their skilled Account Executives as to how they can help you communicate the value of meetings!

Every event requires some negotiation by meeting planners whether it is making a simple request, persuading organizations to sponsor the event, or taking a hard line on pricing with suppliers. Often times planners think they need to be like lawyers or used car salespersons; trying to take, take, take and be totally adversarial. But it doesn't have to be that way -- there can be a different route to success. 

Here are 3 tips to effectively get what you want and develop a win-win proposition instead of a win-lose one.

Tip #1: Do Your Research.

If you are renting audio visual equipment or negotiating a room block, you need to know the range of pricing for that specific equipment, hotel brand, or destination. Knowledge is power and the more you know, the better able you are able to bring up specifics during the negotiating phase. 

Tip #2: Know the Difference Between What You Need and What You Want.

Here are some examples:

You boss told you the event budget NEEDS to be cut by 5% from last year's conference. You WANT the budget to be cut by 10% so you look good in your negotiating efforts. 

You NEED to issue a RFP to at least 3 event audio visual equipment companies. You WANT to stick with your existing provider, regardless of price, because you have a relationship with them. 

You NEED to obtain 5 silver sponsors for your annual meeting. You WANT to have a variety of sponsors, at different levels, for a total of 10 sponsors. 

Asking for what you want from a partner is okay but knowing what you need is more important and will keep you grounded during the negotiating cycle. Make certain you give organizations plenty of time to respond to your requests and be willing to compromise where needed. 

Tip #3: It Isn't All About Price.

Perhaps you are coordinating a training meeting for 200 employees. The corporate audio visual company you have chosen is standing firm on their pricing. You look at your research and other bids and realize their pricing is very competitive. But due to recent budget slashing in your department, you need more. What can you expect and how can you get it?

First, you need to be total honest with your supplier. Tell them the jam you are in and see what they can offer. You might be surprised. For example, perhaps they can offer more wireless mics or audio recording at no extra charge. 

Second, ask for the value of the offerings. Make sure your boss knows the items being comped and why they are valuable to the meeting. 

Third, being willing to flex and bend brings about a "win-win" solution and helps build better relationships with your partner. Remember, they have bosses too and have to justify their pricing to them as well. 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment provider, is all about the win-win! In order to get started on the RFP process, fill out their express quote form which will be answered in 4 business hours, guaranteed! 

Ah..spring! The daffodils are out, the days are longer, and baseball season is in full swing. When I think of baseball, my mind often gravitates to great players such as Sandy Alamar, Johnny Bench, and Cal Ripkin, Jr.. But one player that probably is quoted the most often is Yogi Berra. Believe it or not, the funny sayings below can provide useful event meeting services insights. Here are 7 of his best quotes and how they relate to the industry.

1. "You can observe a lot by just watching." Before deciding on a meeting destination or venue, ask to watch a meeting about the size of the one you are planning in action. Checking out the parking lot, restrooms, kitchen, and how responsive the staff is to the client they are serving can speak volumes to how they will treat you during your event. Don't forget to observe the partners as well. How well did the event audio visual rental company perform? The caterer? The ground transportation company?
    
2. "It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much." Do a thorough vetting of your speakers. Do they have too many PowerPoint slides? Do they insist on questions and answers to be held until the end of the program? Make sure there is plenty of time for conversations in your sessions. Make certain the speaker is a great listener as well as a dynamic presenter. 
    
3. "If the fans don't come out to the ballpark, you can't stop them." Are attendees consistently coming back to your association meetings year in, year out? Is attendance trending up or down? You can't make people come to your meeting (unless it is a mandatory company event) so you need to entice them to come to it and make them feel welcome. 
    
4. "If you ask me anything I don't know, I'm not going to answer." There are going to be questions at your meeting that you will not know the answer to. Make certain to obtain the name, cell number, and email address of the person asking and tell them when you will get back to them with an answer. Then do it! Being open and honest isn't a good policy, it should be your only policy. 
    
5. "Never answer anonymous letters." Meeting planners want to gather evaluations about the event via paper or email surveys. The problem with this is it is cumbersome and time consuming. By using wireless audience response systems, planners can poll attendees anonymously and instantly. It isn't so much about an individual response as it is about the overall feeling about the event. 
    
6. "It ain't the heat, it's the humility." Don't assume you know what attendee's want to hear about at your next conference. Ask, ask, and ask again. About destinations, hotels, speakers, and agenda items. It's not about your organization being right, it's about making the event attractive to the attendee. Be humble and assume they are the expert because when it comes to their own professional development, they are!
    
7. "Even Napoleon had his Watergate." Every meeting can potentially have a crisis; natural or man-made. It is important to have a crisis plan, communicate it to the team, and then follow through on it in the event of a catastrophe. 

Are you event planning in California? Call on AV Event Solutions to provide you with Audience Response rentals as well as other state-of-the-art audio visual equipment. Give them a call today at 888.249.4903 for more information. 

When an attendee walks into a meeting space, they have certain assumptions about what should be available to them based on their experience at home and work. In their home, they probably have lightning fast Wi-Fi, a large HDTV and Blu-Ray system with surround sound, and a smartphone with a multitude of apps loaded on it. A Facebook post or tweet is just a click away. Photos are taken with ease and uploaded instantaneously.

At work, the Wi-Fi network might be a little slower, but it is still pretty quick. Emails, social media, and internal meetings are fast-paced and intention driven. Everyone is busy, busy, busy. And this visual stimulation is just going to continue to increase with the broad application of 3D technology and innovative interactive technology tool rentals. 

Andrea Sullivan, President of BrainStrength Systems said, "Young people today have different brain wiring than older people who used different technologies that were dominate in earlier decades. For instance, older generations who are used to print media read from left to right and top to bottom, while younger people, who are used to reading screens, pick out boxes and colors, and bounce around the viewing area with their eyes to absorb information." 

1. The lifespan of a meeting has changed. For many years, planners mailed and emailed invitations to their events directly to potential attendees. They usually had a 2nd or 3rd mailing, followed by a telephone call. Once the event was over and the post-event analysis completed, most planners took a few days off and didn't give that meeting another thought until the planning began for the following year's conference. 
   
   This is not the way of the world any longer. Attendees no longer want direct mail and younger attendees don't even check their email accounts. They want to know who is coming to the event and have an online community to connect with others, before, during, and after the event. Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, and Twitter followers are the way attendees connect and stay connected.  
    
2. Sound and lighting rentals are extremely important. Sound and light set the mood for the meeting. Most attendees want to "feel" something when they go to a conference. They want to be moved in someway. No better way to do this than through a stimulating and welcoming environment with staging, lighting, sound, and displays, such as computer kiosks, that compel the attendee to take notice. 
    
3. AV and IT are converging. In order to have interactive technology tool rentals work well in the meeting environment, the right equipment needs to be synced with a fast, robust, and secure Wi-Fi network. Many venues offer Wi-Fi access, but it isn't going to meet the needs of 1,000 attendees due to limited access points and bandwidth. Renting a Wi-Fi network array can boost the bandwidth significantly and can be obtained through AV Event Solutions! 

Give your attendees that "living room" feeling with HD Plasma TV rentals, innovative sound and lighting options, and state-of-the-art AV technology. If you are event planning in California, contact AV Event Solutions for the total meeting equipment package! 

When event planners book a hotel or conference center, they are often told that they are required or encouraged to use their in-house AV company for the meeting. The pitch goes something like this:

"We would like you to use XYZ Company for your event because they have all their equipment onsite, their pricing is available to you right now, and they are very familiar with our venue." 

Sounds good, right? Maybe yes and maybe no. Here are 6 things to consider when engaging with any AV provider, from an equipment, budget, and resource prospective. 

Check the employee turnover rate of the providers you are considering. 

If the in-house supplier has a large turnover rate, especially their AV technicians, the playing field is level with any outside provider. That in-house supplier may actually have LESS experience at the meeting facility than the outside vendor. Ask this question of all your potential providers because long-term employment with minimum turnover shows stability within the organization. 

The in-house supplier is working for the hotel, not for you.

Sad, but true. The in-house AV company is most interested in keeping the people at the hotel happy; where an outside partner is contracted directly with you, the event planner. The outside company wants you to call on them again and again for business, so they will do everything in their power to keep you satisfied. "Just because an AV company has a good relationship with a hotel (or pays them a fat commission) doesn't mean I or my client gets the best service," said James Maynard, Director at Adventure Sports. 

Send out at least 3 RFPs, including one to the in-house company. 

Merle Klein, Director of Meeting Operations at MFM Lamey Group said, "Bids from in-house companies are almost always WAY over the top." Remember, a cut of what the in-house provider charges you is going directly to the venue. 

Feeling overwhelmed by your technology options when planning a meeting or event? You are not alone! With the ever-changing pace of technological choices and applications, it can leave the most experienced planner perplexed about their options.

Below are a few apps that Julius Solaris, Editor of Event Manager Blog, feels are good ones to help organize, promote, and allow for maximum interaction with your attendees. 

EVENT COLLABORATION

Gantto

Create an online Gantt Chart in just a few minutes with this highly intuitive system. This app allows for real-time collaboration of the event, especially if you have a lot of individuals on the committee who may be in different parts of the country. It is a web based application so it can run on either a PC or Mac platform. 

Plan.ner

Remove the need for long email threads when planning your event. Invite all the people connected to your event to join the group, ask questions, and then make decisions. Share your event plans via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. During and after the event, post pictures in a private gallery. 

EVENT PROMOTION

Timekiwi

This service allows you to create an interactive timeline about your event. It has a customization interface that allows you to change your profile information and add a background image.Every timeline automatically gets its own RSS feed and can connect to social media sites. 

eContact.me

Allows you to post new events in minutes, manage ticket sales, and provides real-time attendee management. It also has a customizable URL for event registration, allows attendees to save eCards for new contacts, and organize the conference's event content. 

PRESENTATIONS

SlideDog

This app puts all presentations into a playlist that can seamlessly switch between PowerPoint, Word, Excel, web pages, video, images, and PDF files without the presenter having to fumble through it. It works on a Windows platform and should be a part of your Powerpoint presentation equipment configuration. SlideDog works well for meetings, sales presentations, conferences, and trainings where there may be many presenters and/or many apps within the presentation. 

ATTENDEE CHECK-IN

VenueWize

Rent iPads and check-in meeting participants easily with real-time guest information.This app also has a social media element, online ticketing, and a team collaboration component. 

PRODUCT LAUNCHING EVENT

Social Pix

Event planners set up a photo activation area where the brand or product logo drop is behind the attendees, while they are getting their picture taken. The photographer then sends the photo to one of the kiosk rentals. Attendees connect with Facebook to upload their photo their wall and ask their friends to "like" the Facebook Fan Page of the new product. Social Pix automatically triggers a story to the fan's wall. 

ATTENDEE APPLICATION

DoubleDutch Flock

Rent Tablet PCs for this social app that provides an interactive experience for event attendees, organizers, and sponsors. Flock provides the entire event program on the tablet, engages attendees, and provides a gaming element. It pushes all updates about the event to social networks from the app. Flock also provides real-time analytics to the event organizer. 

AV Event Solutions is your California meeting equipment provider! They have iPad rental, Tablet PC rentals, rent computer kiosks, and LCD projector and screens. Give them a call today!

After much consideration, you have made the decision to purchase booth space at an upcoming trade show in a few months. It is a costly proposition, both in time and money, and your decision was not made without thorough analysis. Now, as the date of the show becomes more of a reality, you are wrestling with the idea of how to get attendees to your booth and gain qualified leads. Utilizing an iPad is a creative and stimulating way to do just that. 

Here are 4 reasons how iPads can help make your booth stand out and bring more leads your way. 

Reason #1: iPads Elevate Your Brand. 

Making the iPad a portable kiosk continuously running video, photos, and the company logo can attract people to your booth. This unit can keep an attendee busy, especially if you are already engaged with someone else. In addition, sales persons can be armed with ipad rental and show attendees whatever they would like to know about your product or service through the use of video, PowerPoint presentations, or PDFs. If an attendee is really interested in your product, you can email information to them right on the spot so they will have the information when they return home. 

Reason #2: iPads can Convey Your Ideas Faster.

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, than a brief video is worth 10,000. Because iPad rentals have the ability to run video, slideshows, presentations, and access the web -- the color, vibrancy, interaction, and sound will convey the message much faster and better than your words or a printed brochure. 

Reason #3: iPads Allow Movement.

Rather than having your people stand within the confines of the booth, why not have them come up to attendees armed with a iPad? Coming out around the booth and extending a handshake and a smile can go a long way to raising the comfort level of attendees. Asking engaging questions and then going to the specific interest point of the participant, right from the iPad, allows for a more relevant discussion about your product. 

Reason #4: iPads can Save You Money. 

If you rent iPads and allow one unit to serve as a portable kiosk and arm your other sales staff with an iPad, you can exhibit in a smaller booth since you can use your space more efficiently. No more paper or tchotchkes! 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment supplier, can provide you with all the interactive technology tool rentals to make your trade show a smashing success. Give them a call today or submit an express quote for a response within 4 business hours!

As a meeting professional, we are often overwhelmed with all the to-do's associated with our meeting or conference, so the last thing we want to do is focus on all the technology advancements associated with AV. But let's get real for a moment, audio visual equipment can "make or break" our meeting, and we know it. From sound and lighting rentals to the Wi-Fi array to working with a reputable AV company and negotiating a "win-win" contract, it all boils down to saving money and keeping our attendees happy. 

Here are 6 tips to help you negotiate with your conference equipment rental company:

Tip #1: Establish presenter needs and budget parameters.

Make certain you have in writing what equipment your speaker or speakers need and what equipment they are planning on bringing to the conference. Encourage them to leave their Mac or Laptop at home, but to load the presentation onto a USB drive or DVD. Having all the equipment from one source makes compatibility issues non-existent and giving your vendor a budget range allows them to quote good, better, and best options for the conference. 

Tip #2: As part of the negotiations, secure a "not to exceed" final aggregate bill. 

When working with your AV partner on contract negotiations, ask that the final bill not exceed a certain percentage of the agreed upon pricing (10% comes to mind) without authorization. Engaging an AV Project Manager can help streamline this process and keep you in the loop if change orders are needed.

Tip #3: Remember, newer technology is going to cost more.

You want to rent iPads for all your attendees to replace binders? Swap out Plasma TVs for screen rentals? Implement 3D LCD projectors instead of the older technology? Everything has a price and the newer the technology, generally the higher the cost. That is not a reason to use it, you just need to be realistic.

Tip #4: Remove any AV exclusivity clause from your venue contract.

Some venues will say you have to use their in-house AV provider. Make certain to strike that clause from the contract BEFORE you sign it. For more information on this subject, read the blog post "Your AV Bill of Rights." 

Tip #5: Schedule speakers where the technology is. 

Arrange the speaker selection and timing based on WHAT technology is set up in each room. One set up. One tear down. Very cost efficient. 

Tip #6: Look hard at all your discount options. 

Here are some simple options that can yield a small, large or somewhere in between discount for your organization:

• Ask your AV provider when their slow months, days of the week, or times are for renting audiovisual equipment. Knowing this in advance can help negotiate a reasonable discount for your meeting.


• Secure your AV partner for several meetings and/or over several years. Knowing they are going to have business for a number of events or years allows them to plan for equipment availability and staff several months in advance.


• Negotiate reasonable labor rates. Often times, labor can be the one item that goes out of control at an event. Working with your AV provider to minimize overtime and weekend rates, can keep your budget under control.

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting supplier, is willing and ready to work with you on your next event and help keep your budget in line! Call or click today!

With Earth Day approaching in a few weeks, many event planners are thinking of ways to green their meetings without breaking the budget. American Express recently polled meeting planners and suppliers and found that 53% of the planners polled are coordinating local meetings which will reduce their carbon footprint, 47% have green requests or requirements for their meetings, and 73% indicated their organizations are showing an increasing interest in green measures. 

Below are some simple tips to help make your next event more environmentally friendly:

1. Eliminate direct mail and printed promotional pieces. Redirect the dollars that were going to be spent  for print toward an email marketing campaign, blogging, and social media. If you don't have the time to do it yourself, hire someone to create a content calendar and provide the buzz about your event. 


2. Drop print advertising.  Shift those dollars to a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign for your event. PPC is an effective and measurable tool that can be aimed directly to your attendee demographics. In addition, it is cost-effective because you only pay for the clicks that actually occur. 


3. Eliminate paper registration. Manage attendee registration process through online booking engines, such as Cvent, Eventbrite, or Constant Contact. 


4. Provide alternate transportation options. Encourage attendees to compare the cost of a flight, train, bus (such as Megabus), or subway. If it makes sense, coordinate carpooling to the event. 


5. Don't buy AV equipment. Renting Audio Visual equipment makes a lot of sense because that equipment can be used over and over again and when sourced through a local supplier, it can save you a lot of money on shipping. 


6. Provide session video recordings online. If attendees want to review a speaker after the session, provide a URL link or upload the presentation to YouTube. No jump drives or DVDs mean no shipping costs, no materials to be purchased, and most importantly, no hassle. 


7. Rent Tablet PCs to replace printed programs, guides, and speaker handouts. You immediately eliminate printing, paper, shipping, assembly, and distribution costs. In addition, mobile applications can include the following: 

• All session videos
• Searchable database 
• Speaker presentations
• Notes
• Online list of attendees
• Sponsorship information
• Exhibitor information
• Trade show layout with GPS system

8. Incorporate gaming options to bring home the green message. At Eventcamp Vancouver and GMIC games were played to resonate the sustainability message with attendees. 


9. Nix paper surveys. By introducing Audience Response System rentals to attendees, you can entirely eliminate paper, responses are calculated instantly, anonymously, and can be reviewed on the spot and after the event. 


10. Look hard at food and beverage options. Here are some simple ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle:

• Reduce the use of paper products. Use china, glass, and silverware. 
• Arrange for all left over food and beverages to be transported to a local food kitchen.
• Set up recycling stations and encourage attendees to recycle bottles and cans.
• Eliminate bottled water, use ice and pitchers. 
• Ask that the local farmer's market be used as a food source.  

AV Event Solutions, a California event equipment supplier, is available to help you make your next meeting green! Give them a call today to learn more about their technology tool options.  

The Premise:  Attendees are given or come into a conference with an array of mobile devices, including a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. They expect the venue's network to be as fast as their network at home or work. At home, they might have 15- or 20- megabit download speed (very fast) and it should be the same where ever they travel. 

The Problems: With 500 attendees simultaneously connecting all those devices to the venue's network, the bandwidth can come to screetching halt or be as slow as molasses. "Universally, I can look at my guest satisfaction scores, and I can say that people generally are going to comment about two things overall: The speed of the Internet is too slow or they had difficulty connecting," said John Czarnecki, IT Program Director at Hyatt Hotels.

"It's too slow, it goes off, or drops. The attendee will remember that longer than he'll remember if his coffee was cold," shared Derek Wood, a hospitality industry consultant.

Accommodating the use of mobile technology in the meeting, especially if you are going to rent iPads to replace your printed material, is a growing concern for conference services managers and planners alike. Relying on the venue to provide the bandwidth needed to keep your attendees satisfied while avoiding the cost of upgrading, installing, and maintaining the infrastructure has become a real conundrum for hoteliers and convention centers. 

Additionally, tablets have a much weaker signal than laptops, which require more access points in a meeting space than a venue probably originally anticipated. 

The Answer: Finding a vendor that can provide Wi-Fi connectivity solutions with other services, such as renting audio visual equipment and provide a project manager to oversee the implementation, is a good answer. They understand how the technology pulls on the bandwidth. If something goes wrong, the vendor is responsible for the support calls and most of the time, will be on-site to fix the problem. 

The vendor can also work hand-in-hand with the event planner to overcome their learning curve by recommending and testing the best solution for event attendees. "It's a pretty complex area once you start to look at all the hardware involved and the network protocols that have to be supported," said Bryan Steele, Managing Director of Jireh-Tek Limited. "Bandwidth is technically quite complicated now."

And what about cost? The event planner can charge the attendee a nominal fee that can be wrapped into the registration fee, generate sponsorship dollars to cover it, and/or dedicated a greater share of the budget to connectivity solutions. "The sweeping generalization is where the service is free, the service is crap," said Wood. 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment supplier, can provide you with the technology answers to your meeting needs! With Wi-Fi network arrays available to rent for more access points and bandwidth boost, iPads and laptops for rent, and project managers available to understand your needs, they are the total package! Give them a call today!

The right brain is responsible for intuition and emotion while the left brain insists on just the facts. We need both sides of our brain to function in life, but how does this apply to event meeting planning professionals handle messaging at conference and meetings? Typically, we hire speakers and facilitators that evolve their messaging around the left brain. Why? Because that is the way we learned and processed information since we were in 1st grade. Teachers gave us the facts, we injested them, and then we spit it all back out on tests and quizzes. 

Powerpoint presentation equipment needs to evolve along with the attendee's needs and requirements. An endless array of facts and figures on black and white slides isn't going to cut it, even though speakers think this sort of "data dump" gives them credibility. It no longer does. When the speaker is up on the riser giving the attendee their speel, the attendee is googling them on their smartphone to determine whether or not this individual knows what they are talking about. 

In addition, when speakers give attendees too much left brain information, the information overload causes the brain to stress and become anxious which moves the experience to the subconcisous, and attendees slowly begin to shut out the information. The brain can only absorb complex data for about 7 to 10 minutes before it begins to move on.

So, how can we change? Here are a few ideas to consider when planning your next conference or meeting:

Garr Reynolds, Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai, has come up with an interesting concept called Presentation Zen, which encourages speakers to follow 3 simple rules:

1. Restraint: Don't put too much information on a slide. A photo with a few words should do the trick. 
2. Simplicity: Speak only about the things that are important to the attendee, not what is important to you, the presenter. 
3. Naturalness: Pretend the audience is in your living room. You wouldn't dominate the conversation or your friends would never come back to your home. Ask questions, listen carefully, and respond appropriately.

Jamie Nast, Author, Consultant, and Trainer at NastGroup, Inc., uses toys and games to break through the learning process. She has attendees dressing up Mr. Potato Head, playing with Play-Doh, and drawing self-portraits in order to engage the right side of the brain.

Lynn Stadler Randall, Managing Director at Randall Insights LLC, uses crowdsourcing to help design the meetings in order to engage attendees before the event. Having the attendees suggest speakers and topics and then allowing them to vote on them, empowers the attendee and allows for more engaging and creative sessions. She even allows sessions to be developed at the conference itself. Rent iPads for attendee real-time communication with speakers and event management to share ideas, questions, and comments about session content.  

 

When meeting planners start to focus on their next event, often times the conversation swirls around the benefit of flying people in versus holding the meeting virtually. The major concern management often has is regarding the cost of the meeting in comparison to the ROI. MPI Foundation and Maxvantage recently polled several meeting planners to determine what type of meeting works best --given the message the organization wants to convey. Below are the results:

Face-to-Face Meetings make sense for the following purposes:

• Networking - Most virtual platforms have limited or no networking capabilities. If part of your meeting includes a networking segment with an exchange of business cards, a face-to-face meeting makes the most sense.
   
• Sensitive Issues - Human Resource training, company mergers, layoffs, or a shake-up in the C-Suite team, should be handled in person so the message is not lost and questions can be answered. In addition, if there are any confidential issues, face-to-face will ensure the attendees are not sharing the information with other people in their home or office.
   
• Incentive Trips - When salespersons exceed their quotas, usually there are incentive trips to reward them for efforts. This usually involves their spouse and other entertainment opportunities. 
   
• Celebrations - Holiday parties, company outings, and the like are meant to allow employees to get to know each other "off the clock" in a fun environment.
   
• Client or Educational meetings -- New product launching events, educational conferences where many topics are covered in 2 or 3 days, and user conferences are ideal for in person contact. 
   
• Team Building -- Any type of exercise that builds communication and trust must be done in person. 

Virtual Meetings make sense in the following scenarios:

• Internal organizational meetings
   
• Daily meetings - such as the first or last 20 minutes of each business day.
   
• Project meetings -- this would be suited when the event meeting services company is updating the client on the progress of the event. It might start monthly, than weekly, and as the event closes in, daily. 
   
• Recruitment meetings -- When HR is considering candidates for a position, they may set up virtual interviews before they fly in the best ones for the face-to-face interview. 
   
• Product Updates -- A new release of software or minor updates to a product can be effectively handled virtually. 

Virtual meetings are utilized when the travel budget for the meeting has been significantly cut, management is looking to reduce out-of-office time, and the meeting is planned at the last-minute.

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment supplier, can assist you in making your next face-to-face meeting a smashing success. In most cases, the answer is: face-to-face! Give them a call today to learn more about their interactive technology tool rentals.

Do you want to rent iPads or Tablet PCs for your next event, but don't know how to pitch it to the boss? Below are 16 uses of this mobile technology that make sense at meetings and trade shows. Pick and choose the ones that are right for your event. They are divided up into Meeting Attendee, Trade Show Booth Exhibitor, and Event Meeting Services Organizer uses and benefits. 

MEETING ATTENDEE

1. Attendees will receive real-time news and updates about the event. No more scrambling around to let attendees know about room changes, speaker cancelations, and meeting delays. They will receive a notification immediately on the tablet device.
2. Access to social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, and Pinterest. This allows attendees to broadcast to their virtual world how great your event is, post questions to speakers, post photos, send texts, or grow their network. All of this is good for your event because attendees are creating the buzz. 
3. A real-time event schedule, their own personal schedule, and the ability to locate room directions. Having the overall schedule and then knowing exactly where a breakout session is, can cut down on confusing directions and/or the use of printed signs. 
4. Providing gamification during the breaks. Allow attendees to play games during the break by putting together scavenger hunts or providing trivia or giveaway contests is another way to keep the attendee engaged during the event. 
5. Presentations and speaker information on the tablet can be easily accessed through a program or search engines. This cuts down or eliminates the need for bags, binders, and paper. 
6. Live stream video can go directly to the mobile device. The attendee can see up close and personal the video on their personal, high definiation  touch screen unit. 
7. Tablets are simple, easy to use, and have an intuitive user interface. 

TRADE SHOW BOOTH EXHIBITOR

8. Simple way to track leads. Tablets provide an easy way to track leads by scanning attendee name badges. 
9. Scheduling real-time appointments. This mobile technology allows attendees and booth reps to schedule meetings as well as change them on the fly.
10. Showcase event floorplan and materials. An iPad allows attendees to see the overall floorplan, exhibitor directory,and get turn-by-turn directions to the booth of their choice. 
11. Download materials. With a tablet, attendees can digitally download marketing materials, thus saving on costly brochures and chotzkies. 
12. Rent iPads as portable kiosks. This keeps attendees informed and entertained about your product or service while reps may be busy with other attendees. 

EVENT MEETING SERVICES ORGANIZER

13. Advertising channel for event sponsors. Now you can have more sponsors and utilize color, video, photographs, contests, and social media to promote their message and brand. All of this while the attendee has the tablet in their hands for 8 to 10 hours per day. 
14. Enhanced brand awareness for the sponsors, exhibitors, and the event itself. Having everything available on an iPad, allows the user to view information many times throughout the event. 
15. Great environmental benefits and a reduction in operational costs. Tablets are lightweight, require little energy, and have a battery life of 10 hours. No more paper or binders! No staff to assemble and reassemble the paperwork. All of this can be handled on the mobile device. 
16. Merchandise sales and event tickets are possible on the iPad. If you are selling books, DVDs, clothing, or tickets to a special event, attendees can purchase all of these items via a credit card reader attached to the iPad and receipts can be emailed to the attendee. 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment company, can provide you with iPads rental and Tablet PC rentals for your next meeting or event. Give them a call today or check out their website for more details about their offerings. 

According to an October 2011 TripAdvisor survey of 1,250 US travelers and 620 hotel owners and managers, 54% of travelers canceled reservations at a hotel because they found better amenities at a different property.

TripAdvisor asked survey participants to rank the top 5 most important hotel amenities. Here is what they found:
 

Most Important Hotel Amenities	Travelers	Hotel Owners & Managers
Wi-Fi Internet Access	85%	99%
Breakfast Included with Room	78%	79%
Guest Loyalty Points	72%	55%
Onsite Restaurant	71%	70%
Shuttle Service to Attractions and Airport	66%	41%

They also asked the travelers and hoteliers to rank the 5 least important amenities, which are listed below:
 

Least Important Hotel Amenities	Travelers	Hotel Owners & Managers
Turndown Service	87%	83%
Pets Allowed	85%	38%
Spa	79%	75%
Tours, Excursions, and Activities	76%	65%
Room Service	72%	49%

Hotel CEOs Weigh-In about Wi-Fi

In a recent USA TODAY article, J.W. Marriott, Jr., CEO of Marriott International, Richard Solomon, CEO of  InterContinental Hotels Group, and Eric Danziger, CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group were interviewed about Wi-Fi access and other technical issues facing their properties.

USA TODAY said Internet access is a top priority for travelers and bandwidth use is growing at a faster pace. What are you doing to respond?

Marriott stated, "We are working to try and get down to a few Internet suppliers because in the past, we had a bunch of suppliers, like 80 or 90. We have 3,700 hotels and everyone's hired their own supplier, so we are trying to narrow down the number so we can increase bandwidth and improve service. It's a huge problem. Everyone wants to download everything they can. It's getting to be quite a challenge."

"Wi-Fi speed is one of the biggest dissatisfiers that you see in a lot of hotels," said Solomon.

"You'd better have some dependability and relability because it will become the single source of complaints," said Danziger. 

All 3 CEOs agreed the increased use of iPads, Tablet PCs, and smartphones has had an impact on the network. 

So what are Meeting Planners to do with this information?

First, since Wi-Fi access is so important to attendees, having fast, robust, and secure Wi-Fi is going to make a huge difference with participant satisfaction. Utilizing AV Event Solutions' Wi-Fi checklist can help you determine whether the property can meet your needs or if you need to rent a wifi network array.  Remember, attendees will be dissatisfied if the Internet is slow or unavailable. 

Second, if you rent iPads, consider applications you will be preinstalling on the unit and the use of social media access, especially Twitter. Also, try and determine the number of smartphones and/or laptops attendees will be bringing to the conference. 

Third, if you are planning a large meeting at a convention center, make certain the Wi-Fi access at the hotel properties have the same level speed and security as the meeting facilities or convention center. Nothing will dissatisfy attendees more than to have great Internet access during the day and poor access at night. 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment supplier, can provide your next meeting with 1st and 2nd generation iPads, Wi-Fi Boosters, and other state-of-the-art audiovisual or computer equipment rentals to meet your meeting needs. Contact them today for more information!

On Monday, we covered the interactive technology tools meeting planners can explore and use from A to M. Today's blog is dedicated to the latter half of the alphabet, N to Z.

NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION

This is going to allow mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to communicate with each other when they touch or are only a few centimeters away. It will be used for business card exchange, credit card payments, and distribution of conference materials and brochures. A fast and secure Wi-Fi Network Array will be the key to implementation of this technology.

ONSITE TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Having AV technicians onsite will enable you to keep the event going, if there is a product malfunction or a light or battery needs to be replaced. Onsite support also ensures adequate testing has occurred and provides for fast strike time, if needed.

PLASMA SCREENS

Flat panel Plasmas are great alternatives to the standard screen rentals. They provide high resolution and can be strategically placed throughout the conference.

QR CODES

These little black and white pixels make up Quick Response (QR) codes which are a great way to disseminate information to attendees. They are scanned by smartphones or tablets.

RECORDERS

These high-quality devices can capture the presentation, quickly transfer the recording to an USB drive, and allow for uploading onto the company website for future reference.

SCREEN RENTALS

There are many screen options including tripod, fastfold, and widescreen fastfold. An experienced AV supplier can help you choose the right screen for your meeting.

TABLET PC

Rent Tablet PCs, which are in high demand because they are lightweight, have a long battery life, and have a multitude of applications that can be easily preloaded onto the device.

UNIVERSAL OPTIONS

Regardless of how small or large your meeting is, you will need a LCD Projector and Screen rental, quality sound, and adequate lighting.

VIDEO

Providing video on computer kiosks and iPads will bring any presentation to life quickly and effectively. Video can also be used at the trade show booth level and provide a more memorable and professional presence for sponsors.

WI-FI NETWORK ARRAYS

Having Wi-Fi at a venue is different than providing it in a fast and secure network for 500 or 1,000 attendees. Utilize AV Event Solution's Wi-Fi checklist to make certain your network will be lightning fast!

X-FACTOR

Does your event have energy, buzz, and entertainment value? Providing this can give your event positive energy and can be created through sound and lighting rentals.

YOUTUBE

Posting some of your event video on YouTube is a great option, especially if you are looking to go viral in the process.

ZERO TOLERANCE

Yes, once in a blue moon, the equipment will break down or the sound system will go silent. But with qualified AV technicians and project management support onsite, any bump in the road can be readily resolved. Because great AV providers test and maintain their equipment, it is quite rare to see a problem during an event.

AV Event Solutions can provide you with great A to Z options for your next meeting or event! Give them a call today if you are event planning in California.

So you are ready to bring your product or service out for the entire world to experience. You have completed your marketing research, tested it on a beta group, and informed your employees. Now, you want to spring it on your audience, but you are concerned that your event won't get the media attention you think it deserves because you are not a PR expert. No worries! 

Here are 5 tips to help get the media's attention for your next event.  

1. Promote Feedback from Beta Clients and Employees. Using wireless Audience Response Systems (ARS), participants can easily answer a series of multiple choice questions about the new offering. This data can be instantly compiled and assessed. Statistics sell. Saying things like "92% of the audience thinks this product is far superior to our previous offering" has impact. If you wish for more open ended responses, you can create an online survey and incorporate that in your press pitch as well.  
    
2. Have Success Stories at the Product Launching Event.  Letting 2 or 3 beta clients speak about their impression of the new product speaks volumes over anything the company or you can say. They are pitching the product for you because they believe in the company and the offering. Let the media know enough about story that they will be interested in coming to the meeting and hearing it first hand. 
    
3. Highlight Benefits.  Value and benefits sell over function and features. For example, if the tablet is faster, lighter, has more applications than the previous version, tell the audience that faster means they can have instantanous access to the Internet, lighter implies they can walk around and do work on the tablet, and more apps means they can be more productive. 
    
4. Promote the Corporate Social Responsibility Angle. If your product is greener, say that. If you will accept the old product and recycle it or give it to non-profit agencies, let the press know. Consider doing something for the betterment of your fellow man and/or the earth. Giving a percentage of net proceeds to a charity is another angle. 
    
5. Cultivate a Relationship with Your Local Media and use Online Resources. Long before your event, try and reach out to local newspaper editors, TV newsroom producers, and radio announcers in your area. If they already know who you are, they are more likely to pick up your story and attend your event. There are other online resources out there, such as, PR Newswire, Marketwire, or PRWeb but they all cost a recurring fee and if you aren't pumping out press releases often, they may not make sense for you.  

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment supplier, is ready and available to help you make your next product launch a huge success! They have a multitude of AV options that are right for every budget. Give them a call today!

Great sound in a meeting or event is something most planners take for granted...until they experience that screeching microphone or the entire system goes dead. So what makes up a good sound system?  

Lets explore the definition and use of microphones and mixers, as well as, understanding the importance of room accoustics, having event audio visual rental personnel on site, and last but not least, the infamous soundcheck. 

First, understand the room accoustics, which is how sound behaves in that space. Planners need to take the dimensions of the room and find the reverberation time. In simple terms, that means the amount of echos in that room and how long it takes them to be absorbed into the air or walls. For a typical meeting room, the standard reverberation time is under 1 second. This is so important because it will ultimately impact the type of audio equipment you will need. When considering sound and lighting rentals, select a provider that understands the acoustics as the audience fills up the room.

Second, a mixing console is an electronic device for combining, routing, and changing the level and dynamics of the audio signals. It can be connected to an amplifier, which is a device that can increase the power of the signal or directly to the speakers. An experienced AV technician sits at the mixing console to make certain the volume and clarity of your speaker's presentation is heard especially if it involves music and/or video with the presentation services audio visual equipment.   

Third, you need to consider using one or more of the following microphones:

• For your speaker, a lavalier microphone probably makes the most sense because it allows the presenter to move around the room freely. This small mic is often clipped onto the lapel of a jacket or held in place via a magnet. The cord can be hidden and the RF transmitter can be placed in a jacket pocket or clipped to a belt. 


• To encourage maximum interactivity in a large meeting, renting wireless microphones that can be placed through out the room and passed from attendee to attendee is a great option. It transmits the audio as a radio signal to a transmitter that is then connect to the mixer.


• Wired microphones can be used when you have a stationary panel of speakers who will be talking from a seated position. In addition, a wired mic works well on a podium and/or placed throughout the audience where attendees can walk up to the mic to ask a question or make a comment. These are mics that are cabled directly to the mixer.

Lastly, the soundcheck. This allows the audio team to make sure the sound in the room is clear and at the right volume and tonal frequencies. Soundchecks should be completed with each speaker and well before the attendees enter the room. Since soundchecks are more of an art than a science, it is vital that this process not be rushed. 

AV Event Solutions, a California meeting equipment company, has state-of-the-art sound systems and microphones available for rent. They also have a dedicated and experienced audio team, ready and willing to make your next event rock!

When putting together a conference with a lot of speakers, often times meeting planners put their faith in other staff members to select and prepare the presenters. Or worse, they let them wing it. Either way, meeting planners that get caught up in the aura of a name or are intimidated by the title behind the speaker are setting themselves up for potential failure.

Below are some common myths that speakers and event organizers alike, need to be aware of and be prepared to shatter at their next conference. 

Myth #1: Speakers don't need to tailor their presentation to your attendees, especially if their presentation is very short. 


Myth #2: Presenters should dress like audience members. 

Even if your conference attendees are dressed in khakis and t-shirts, the speakers should be, at a minimum, a notch above the audience's dress code. They need to set themselves a part and nothing like a beautiful dress or tailored suit will provide a good first impression. If you have any concerns about how they will dress, spell it out in their contract. 

Myth #3: The speaker will bring their own AV equipment and/or the venue will provide it. 

Don't leave anything to chance. Have the speaker specify exactly what presentation services audio visual equipment they need. When renting audio visual equipment, make certain your supplier is going to provide onsite technical assistance and have back up equipment, batteries, and supplies available in case of equipment malfunctions. Renting from an outside supplier also ensures equipment compatibility, setup, and proper testing well before the speaker goes on. 

Myth #4: A commanding speaker uses a lectern. 

Better interaction and rapport is built with audience members when there is nothing between them and the attendees. Using a wireless lavaliere microphone and slide advancer, allows great speakers to move about the room and interact with audience members.

Myth #5: Everyone wants to hear what the presenter says because they are an expert. 

Today's audience members have a lot of tools to keep them distracted from the speaker's message including their smartphone, tablets, and laptops. They can be on their email, social media accounts, or surfing the Net. It is very important that presenters keep the audience engaged and interactive. Even if a person is a subject matter expert, it doesn't matter if they are boring and don't meet attendee's needs. 

Are you event planning in California? AV Event Solutions is a premier audio visual firm that can work with you and your speakers to make certain every need is met. Their project managers can be onsite to provide overall coordination of the event and accommodate last minute changes. Give them a call today!

As the saying goes, "It's tough out there." This can be especially true when it comes to morale of sales professionals who are experiencing a higher than normal rejection ratio. Many salespeople are also nervous about the job security, especially if 2011 wasn't a particularly spectacular year.

As sales managers prepare to talk to the troops, here are some simple things they can do with the presentation, room setting, and environment, especially with event audio visual rental equipment, that will leave the staff motivated to succeed.  

When preparing the PowerPoint presentation, here are some ideas for consideration:

• Have a clear message and takeaway. If you want each sales person to sell 10% more, gain 5 new customers, and have a 85% retention rate with clients, then SAY THAT. Don't give salespeople vague expectations for the year, because then you are setting yourself up for vague results. Be crystal clear on what you want and why you need it.


• Be optimistic. Yes, there are many obstacles to closing the deal, but let your sales staff know it is important to remain positive, both in the office and at client locations. Let them know you are available to help them brainstorm solutions and make calls with them. Ask them what resources they would need to make their job easier and then follow through on the tools that make sense. 


• Focus on customer service. Let them know you expect them to do everything in their power to keep the customer happy. Lay out a plan to resolve customer issues expediently and let the sales staff know you are always available to help. 


• Inspire, inspire, and inspire some more. As you close out the meeting, tell them about success stories, best practices, and/or motivational quotes. Let the salespeople know they are the lifeblood of the organization and you really appreciate what they are doing for the organization.

The room setting and seating should have the following:

• Make the room warm with the right sound and lighting rental units. Before the meeting, play music. During the meeting, keep the lighting soft and inviting. 


• Watch the temperature. A room that is too hot or cold can take the focus off the message and be very distracting.


• Remove the tables and have everyone in a circle. This environment says, "We are all equal." It also encourages peer-to-peer discussion. 

When renting audio visual equipment:

• Request state-of-the-art presentation services audio visuals. High lumen LCD projectors displayed on Plasma TVs, exhibit more warmth, color, and higher resolution photos and videos than older LCD equipment. 


• Record the session. Renting a recorder can allow easy transfer to a jump drive or website so you can utilize what was discussed as a jumping off point in future meetings throughout the year. 


• Provide plenty of time for set up and testing. Giving the AV team time to set up, test, and review the equipment with you. This will create positive energy when the sales team arrives because there will be no need to hurry up and set everything up. 

AV Event Solutions is a California event equipment provider for sales meetings. Give them a call today or check out their 4-hour express quote page!