News and Tips for Events & Meetings

Have you ever attended a 2 or 3 day educational conference, gotten home, and said to yourself, "Was that really worth the 2 to 4 days out of the office?" I have completed that assessment and to be honest, the last 3 educational conferences I attended my answer was a resounding -- maybe. 

Wouldn't it be great however, if you felt that a conference was developed just for you? With your interests and needs in mind? I know that is unrealistic, but it isn't unreasonable to expect that some of your needs are going to be met through some of the educational content. So...what is the difference between a great conference and a medicore one?

Here are 5 ideas that might astound you, don't cost an arm and a leg, and might bring your attendee back year after year. 

Tip #1: Make certain everyone on your conference services team has a positive, can do attitude.

When I arrive at an educational meeting and check-in, I expect to be received by smiling, helpful registration staff. If I have a question or a need, I expect them to address it. Or get back to me "within a reasonable period of time". 

If I experience negative or apathetic attitudes right from the get go, it affects my conference experience. The latest research on this astounding: Guests and attendees make a judgement about a venue, meeting, or city, based on the first 15 minutes they are there. Make your first 15 minutes count. 

Tip #2: Collaborate on meeting content with unlike minded people.

When developing the content for your association meeting or conference, get as many different people from dramatically different walks of life to make your meeting great. Roger von Oech's book, "A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You can be More Creative", has many examples of how dissonance among team members led to break through solutions. So, it goes for your events, too. 

Tip #3: Close your mouth. 

Event planners (myself included) think we know everything about meeting logistics and want to tell everyone how many meetings we have planned and how smart we are. Shut up and sit down. Let the timid attendee or volunteer lead the discussion. The more restraint we show, the better results we will see because it will no longer be our event but it will shift to the attendee's event. 

Tip #4: Show, don't tell. 

Using visuals will really help drive the message and enhance the attendee experience, especially with product launching events. Rent iPads and run video that demonstrates the product or concept. Have computer kiosks on the trade show floor to show photographs, video, or even run online chat sessions with customer service people back at the home office. 

Tip #5: Have a call to action. 

At the end of each conference, meeting, or event, the attendee should feel that they need to DO something. It could be as simple as buying the new product offering, signing up for more education, or writing their congressman. Action makes attendees interested. 

AV Event Solutions, provides meeting and event planners with iPads, kiosk rentals, and much, much more! Give them a call today at 888.249.4903 to learn more about their offerings!

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!

For generations we have been an ownership society from our homes, cars, computers, and everything in between. Today, in part due to the financial meltdown of 2009, we are becoming more of a renter society from renting homes, cars and everything in between.

What is the reason for becoming more of  a rental society? The main reasons are because it is no longer considered a stigma to rent and the equity argument seems to be less and less relevant as home values continue to drop and are at their all-time low.

This position is spilling over into the corporate and association world as well. Instead of packing, shipping, unpacking and storing items, organizations are renting everything from office furniture, computers, and conference services equipment for meetings and events.  

So, why rent AV equipment? Here are some great resosns:

1. Maximum Flexibility. With interactive technology tool rentals changing so often -- generally every 18-36 months -- it is most likely in the best interest of your organization to rent so you have the greatest options when it comes to AV for your meeting or event. 
    
2. Great Efficiency. You no longer have to make YOUR equipment work for the event nor will you have to keep up with new technology. By partnering with an event audio visual rental rental company, you can get the latest audiovisual equipment you need for your event that fits within your budget.
    
3. Low Budget Load. When you own AV equipment you have to finance, maintain, repair, store, and insure it. Then, when you replace it, you need to resell it. When you rent, you don't have to maintain, repair or store the technology equipment. In addition, av rentals can save your association or corporate event money and more importantly, your time.  

Why buy AV equipment when you can spend less and rent it? AV Event Solutions can provide your organization with a variety of equipment, including iPads, laptops, projectors, screens, audience response, and much, much more! Give them a call to learn more as to why renting makes total sense for your organization. 

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!

What is the purpose of a meeting or event, anyway? Well that depends on your point of view, but most  people agree it is to disseminate information about a product, service, policy, or provide some level of professional education. In addition, it could be to reinforce your brand, set sales objectives, team-build, or get your group of members together for the annual meeting. 

Some meetings and events are terrific while others are..well...lackluster. Most event meeting services industry colleagues agree that if the message of the meeting doesn't resonate enough with the audience member to change their actions, then it wasn't suceesful . We want that message to carry through and change the attendee's buying patterns. How can we do that? Through 3 basic methods: goal-setting, clear communication, and follow-through. 

Here are the tips to make your next meeting more effective:

Tip #1: Set Goals.

• What is the purpose of the meeting? 
• Where are you going to hold it? Onsite or offsite? A local or remote location?
• When are you holding it? 
• Who needs to attend? Employees, Clients, Members? Have a definitive number in mind.
• How will you measure success? Goals need to be set regarding what attendees learn in training and educational conferences. Those goals can be measured through wireless Audience Response Systems. Event organizers can measure success by the number of people that come to the event, exhibitors by the number of leads generated from the trade show, and sponsors by the inquiries to their website or calls to their organization within 90 days after the show. 
• Why is this meeting important? 

Tip #2: Get Everyone on Board.

Each meeting will be different with unique stakeholders involved, but you will potentially have 3 different ones: Attendees or Employees (always), Sponsors (maybe), and Trade Show Exhibitors (maybe). Whatever the mix, you need to get each group involved in the goal setting exercise above and then help them define measurements for their success. 

Tip #3: Put in Place Project Management.

Once the goals are set and agreed upon, a project manager needs to "drill down" with the team specific objectives that will include resources needed, deadlines, and who is responsible for what. A project management tool should be sent out to the entire group and updated on a regular basis.  

Tip #4: Make the Meeting Interactive. 

Rent iPads so attendees can communicate with each other and the speaker to ask questions or make comments about the session. Wireless microphones throughout the room can encourage attendees to ask questions or make comments during the session. Use Audience Response rentals to test employees knowledgebase before and after the meeting. Make each talk follow the guidelines of TED, PechaKucha, or Ignite. Use gaming to encourage team building. The more involved the attendee, the better chance you have that they will retain the information. 

Tip #5: Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. 

1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after your event check and see if the goals were met by all your stakeholders. This is where most meeting planners often fall down; they rarely check-in with their sponsors and exhibitors to see if their objectives were met. 

AV Event Solutions can help you make your meeting more effective by engaging your attendees and providing you with a project manager as well. Give them a call today!

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.  

Even though the economy is on the upswing and most event planners are seeing a slight increase in meeting attendance and the number of meetings, the U.S. Travel Association has come out with a "Keep America Meeting" campaign to continue to shine a spotlight on the importance of meetings to the economic vibrancy of our country's economy. Below is a synopsis of their report. 

According the U.S. Travel Association, a meeting has 3 key components:

• It has a minimum length of 4 hours;
• It includes 10 participants or more;
• It is held within the United States.

Meetings are meant to educate, collaborate, or innovate. Here are two interesting statistics that put meetings in perspective:

• According to Convention Industry Council's 2009 Economic Significance of Meetings on the US Economy, meeting participants spend $145 billion a year at local businesses including hotels, restaurants, shops, and meeting vendors.


• 35% of all business travel is meeting related. Meetings provide the greatest financial return over any form of business marketing. For every $1 dollar spent on business travel, $10 to $15 is returned in business according to Oxford Economics USA. 

However, there are 3 things discouraging face-to-face meetings today making it harder to justify the time away from the office and the cost.

1. Due to tight budgets, "doing more with less", and fear of bad publicity, many organizations are discouraging meeting travel. President Obama issued an executive order reducing federal government travel spending by 20% in 2013. In April 2011, California implemented a ban on non-essential travel by state employees, including travel to conferences and professional development meetings.
    
2. Outdated transportation infrastructure, aging airports, and the struggling airline industry are having an impact on long-haul travel. Many cities lack mass transit connectivity to and from their airports. According to Frommers, the U.S. has 4 of the world's top 10 worst airport terminals. 
    
3. With high-tech options available on a person's laptop or tablet, meetings can now take place from the comfort of an office or living room. These include online communities, webinars, and live video streaming, such as Facetime and Skype. 

So, what can we, in the event meeting services industry do to combat these challenges?

1. Continue to communicate the value of face-to-face meetings to policymakers, business leaders, and individuals. Policymakers need to be armed with information about the economic impact, jobs, and tax revenue. Business leaders need to know about growth and individuals need to be proficent in the reasons why a face-to-face meeting makes sense when they are pitching it to their boss. For more information on the value of meetings to the U.S. economy, read our blog "The Value of Meetings, Part 1 and Part 2". 
    
2. Encourage our lawmakers to support a comprehensive transportation plan for air, rail, and surface travel including completing the NextGen Air Traffic Control System and modernizing our airports.  Airlines, airports, and the US government need to invest in alternative fuels, streamline the screening process, and work toward improving the US entry process for oversea visitors. 
    
3. Delineate when virtual meetings and face-to-face meetings make sense. Read our recent blog determining which format works best and why. 

Are you event planning in California? AV Event Solutions can provide you with a comprehensive offering of interactive technology tool rentals for your next meeting or event. Face-to-face meetings are still important and they can help make yours shine! 

If you have never caught the TV show Mad Men, you owe it to yourself to check it out at least once. It is about a posh Manhattan advertising agency set in the 1960's. Don Draper, the leading man in the series, constantly reminds his team that the ads they present to their clients need to focus on benefits, not features of the product or service they are trying to sell. Here is the trailer for Mad Men, which in itself is selling the benefits of the show.

Contrast the video below of Bipasha, a beautiful model, pitching Pantene Shampoo. There is a real disconnect between the model and the product because the video is choppy due to poor editing and hissing on the microphone which takes away from the message. You can't envision how she uses the shampoo (even though she has beautiful hair) and most importantly, the product pitch is lost.

Lastly, take a look at the new iPad video. Wow! What a difference! It is showing you the benefits of the new iPad and they aren't telling you anything about the product. Take a look and see for yourself.

What are the key takeaways you can use for your next product launching event and how would the team at Mad Men pitch it to you? Don Draper himself would say the following:

Benefits trump features every time. Benefits describe the way the qualities of your product positively affect the attendee, ultimately by making their life better and easier. Often times focusing on one benefit is good enough, such as the new iPad ad did above. 

Compare the following statements about light equipment rentals:

(BENEFITS) Lighting for your next event sets the mood in the room, illuminates the product or people that attendees need to focus on, and can provide an endless array of composition options through color and design. 

(FEATURES) Lighting has many options including pinspot, stationary, LED, spotlights, color, and of course, natural. Work with your AV team to determine which lighting option is best for you. 

What problem is the product solving for your attendees? 

Here are some samples of problem solving statements:

• Rent iPads for your next meeting so attendees don't have to carry around binders, laptops, sponsorship information, and tradeshow brochures. A 10-ounce tablet can do the trick!
• Use wireless audience response systems to track and compile speaker and conference evaluations. No more paper to pass out, collect, and compile! Response rates will increase to at least 90% with ARS units.
• Wi-Fi network arrays can solve your bandwidth burden. Having a fast and robust router can keep your attendees online, all the time.

Use video, photos, and color at every opportunity. 

I could describe the lighting in this room, or I could show you a photograph and you would get it immediately. 

We are visual learners. The more video, photo, and/or color you can implement into your message the better opportunity you have for the audience members to grasp the concept. 

AV Event Solutions will be your Mad Men consultants for lighting, sound, iPad rental, audience response rentals, Wi-Fi array, and computer kiosk solutions. Give them call today at 888.249.4903!

What do shows like Oprah, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray and organizations like Harvard Medical School, Humana, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, American Express, Walt Disney World, and Bristol-Myers Squibb have in common? They have all have used wireless audience response systems!

Gone are the days of using paper handwritten response forms which are unwieldy and took several hours to compile the data. In addition, someone had to interpret poorly written responses. 

ARS units operate on secure radio frequencies, eliminating any concern about signal loss and penetrating sensitive data. Meeting planners and organizations who want to make sure the message at the meeting was heard by the attendees, can poll audience members easily and painlessly by giving each person a keypad and directing them to provide responses to multiple choice questions displayed on the screen rentals. Audience Response Systems provide instantaneous results. Here are some of the meeting types that ARS units make sense:

• Employee feedback on issues, products, or services
• Attendee surveys for the whole meeting and each breakout session
• Focus groups
• Product launching events
• Education and training
• Annual meeting for voting on proxy items

Here are the benefits of wireless audience response systems:

• By asking questions before, during, and after the presentation, you are engaging and involving your attendees. An involved audience member is going to remember more of the presentation, long after they leave the meeting.
• ARS instantly streamlines data compilation and can achieve it for further analysis.
• When voting on sensitive issues, these units allow instantaneous and anonymous responses.
• By pre-testing and post-testing employees, you can determine how much they learned at the education session and what materials need to covered in more depth. 

As with all other audio visual equipment, AV Event Solutions will provide installation, testing, and software programming of the ARS units. In addition to AV technicians, AV Event Solutions has knowledgeable and experienced project managers that can be onsite to handle any unforeseen circumstances. 

Call or get an express quote today to learn more about Audience Response Systems available from AV Event Solutions! They will gladly provide a quick turnaround quote for your next meeting or event!

A recent survey, by Tagoras and Velvet Chainsaw Consulting of 250 respondents from 170 organizations, shed new light on how speakers can be be more relevant to attendees by providing them with current content. In addition, they suggest other ideas to help associations coach and evaluate their speakers. Below are their 6 tips along with my input on how interactive technology tool rentals can help achieve these goals. 

Tip #1: Sponsors Fund Speakers

87% of the respondents seek sponsors sometimes to underwrite the cost of professional speakers, sessions, or content tracks at their meetings. The consultants expect that response to go from sometimes to frequently.

Technology Tool Translation: Rent iPads and computer kiosks to secure more sponsors and provide them with more options to resonate their message with the attendee. Through the use of video, photographs, logo, and color, sponsors have the opportunity to viewed throughout the day. 

Tip #2: Evaluate Every Presenter

68% of the respondents ask for evaluations of each speaker. Sessions should evaluate the speaker's knowledge, delivery, and whether or not the attendee learned anything new.

Technology Tool Translation: By using a wireless Audience Response System, event organizers can gather information about the speaker's effectiveness right after the session is over. Audience response is easy, fast, and anonymous. 

Tip #3: Current Content is Required

62% close the Call For Papers (CFP) 8 or more months before the meeting, making it hard to argue the presenter's content is current. The consultants suggest filling some of the slots within a 6 month timeframe, but leaving others open for more timely, relevant topics closer to the meeting start date. 

Technology Tool Translation: Implementing tools like crowdsourcing for agenda structure via an online community, developing a Twitter hashtag for suggestions, and/or leaving sessions open to be developed by attendees at the conference, can make the meeting more relevent to the attendee. 

Tip #4: Coach Every Speaker

53% of those surveyed provide training to their speakers for better presentations by helping them prepare content that is up-to-the-minute and includes audience participation. Each presenter needs to focus on the 3 to 5 things they want the learner to recall. 

Technology Tool Translation: Giving each speaker a PowerPoint slide to include 3 to 5 takeaways at the end of the presentation should help with learner outcomes. Encouraging attendees to tweet their questions directly to the speaker can provide interactivity. Making certain the presenter is not giving the attendee information overload is another key. Follow the 2 minute slide rule: if the session is 45 minutes, the presenter can only have 22 slides. 

Tip #5: Learning Should be Measured

42% of the respondents measured whether learning occured. The consultants make a great point that long-term retention and application of that knowledge is the purpose of the meeting. 

Technology Tool Translation: Audience Response rental units can measure the attendee's knowledge pre- and post-session with immediate results. Speakers will know whether or not their message was heard and understood. 

Tip #6: Big Names Mean Little

33% of those surveyed believed that a big-name speaker was very or extremely important in attracting attendees.

Technology Tool Translation: This is great news because it can free up thousands of dollars for much needed technology solutions such as, Wi-Fi network arrays, iPads, and kiosk rentals. 

AV Event Solutions can provide your next meeting with state-of-the-art technology tools, such as, iPads, kiosks, Powerpoint presentation equipment, and Wi-Fi network arrays to make your meeting speaker spectacular! Give them a call today!

You have the meeting location, dates, and speakers lined up. Phew! Now onto the more intricate part of the meeting planning process, selecting ground transportation, choosing the caterer, renting audio visual equipment, and so on and so on. How do you know the good vendors from the bad ones? The best thing to do is ask around in the industry and get credible references.

Here are 5 great questions to ask those references that can make you more comfortable in the selection process.

Did the Rental Company Anticipate Your Needs?

Did the vendor do everything you asked of them...and more? How educated are they in the meetings and events industry? Do they have a wide network, in case you need more help?

Taking orders is a thing of the past. Meeting planners need partners that can ask the right questions and anticipate their needs. Offering creative solutions to their problems creates value and makes you look good to the client

Did the Team have Critical Thinking Skills?

Was the rental company asking thoughtful questions or are they just handling the logistics? Were they asking a lot of questions and drilling down for more information? Did they challenge the current way of doing things --  offering better, well thoughtful ideas? 

Critical thinkers question everything and offer good alternatives. In addition, they handle crisis and manage problems calmly with a well thought out plan.

Were They Aligned with You, the Planner?

Was there open communication and trust with this partner? Did the event rental service companies understand what a great attendee experience is all about or were they just there to set up and tear down the equipment? Are they a team player?

Look for a partner that will bring tough issues to your attention, even when they would rather not. How did they work with the rest of the vendors? Did they pitch in when needed? 

Did They Learn from Event Mistakes?

Were they open or defensive to honest feedback? Failure actually breeds success, but only if it is corrected in a timely fashion. Truly professional partners realize it is less about them and more about getting it right.

A great event partner doesn't get defensive and they don't play the blame game. Their only goal is to get the event right and make sure that mistake don't occur in future events. 

Did They Have The Right Stuff? 

Did this event meeting services company provide the right equipment, people, and process to make your event run smoothly? It isn't just about linens, food, or the set up the PowerPoint presentation equipment. It's much more than that...its the people that put on the linens, serve the food, and setup, test, support, and integrate the AV equipment. 

AV Event Solutions, provides the right equipment, people, and process to make your event really shine! Give them a call today to learn more about their interactive technology tool rentals and project management team. 

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!