BIZBASH 1000 ... PINCH ME

Wait- what?

I am truly honored and surprised- yes- I know, it sounds like a typical acceptance speech. But, this award means a great deal to me. I remember so clearly in the early days of our business the sleepless nights wondering how we were to pay the mortgage. I knew, in staying with our vision and strong tenacity, we would succeed. However, I had the opportunity to collaborate with many fine and smart people that guided me with the many trials and tribulations of running a business. I always knew when it was my turn that I would pay-it-forward to an industry that I absolutely adore, an industry that has taught me to live my passion.

To be named as one of BIZBASH 1000 Most Influential Event Professionals in the United States in the category of Strategy & Leadership a thrill! Thank you, David Adler, & the BIZBASH team.

I found a community that thinks like me works like me and dreams like me.

These are my people, my tribe.

Props that POP!

It’s not just enough to network; crafting a winning proposal is also essential to booking the event. Your proposal should pop! Here’s the scenario. It’s Friday afternoon, and an event planner calls looking for a proposal for a client. She wants it emailed by 10 AM Monday. Yours will be one of the three she will present to her client. And there’s the rub – she’s doing the presentation, not you. So how are you going to make your voice heard at the pitch meeting? With a proposal that is so striking and imaginative the other two just fade away.

Be it a six-figure- wedding or a low-budget event down your street, it all starts with a proposal that describes the event. If you're in the events business, you must be able to sell your skills to the client by way of a well-written event proposal.

The first step in writing the winning proposal involves having a conversation or researching about the client to find out what she hopes to accomplish at the upcoming event. A proposal is the most client-centric document that your company can create. Each bid must be designed to suit each client’s needs. The best proposals, regardless of the industry follow a similar structure, including the cover page, credentials, and summary of the client’s needs, services provided and pricing.

It is very crucial that the proposal you write is relevant to the client. The client is getting proposals from other companies apart from yours; as such it is vital that you don’t make the client feel like a commodity. Personalize the proposal. The title of the proposal is significant. When you use a personalized title like ‘Jane & Jack Take the Plunge (bride mentioned that in conversation) versus Jane & Jack’s Wedding, it shows that you are tailoring the event to the client and not just treating the client like a commodity. While everyone else is naming their proposal with the event name and date, look for ways to stand out by sending a strong message even before the client opens the proposal. Think differently!

To craft a proposal that pops, you should know the client’s wishes. During your initial meeting with the client, be sure to take notes besides the time, date, and location for the event. Listen to the client’s ideas for issues pertaining to the theme, color scheme and other aesthetic elements of the event. Your proposal should speak directly to the client and their wishes. The client needs to feel that their needs are understood. Keep in mind that the client may also be reviewing proposals from other companies offering similar services to yours and is likely to pick the one that best understands their needs.

In designing a proposal, you should include a brief introduction of you and your company. This gives the client an idea of who you are and a taste for the company personality. Your proposal should contain a summary of the client's needs and goal for the event. Be sure to go over what the client told you about the event as regards dates, time, proposed venue, theme and other information earlier provided, showing that you understand what they are looking for.

In a proposal, the most important word is ‘YOU’, that is the client’s name. The proposal needs to be client-centric, being about meeting the client’s needs. The client basically wants to know how you can help them run an amazing event. Prove how you are going to do this by setting the stage and telling the story. Let’s say you’re a caterer and your proposal tells this story: “As guests arrive they ascend the grand staircase to the balcony where our staff greets them with smiles, champagne and scrumptious hors d’oeuvre artfully presented with river rocks & reeds on stylishly polished aluminum salvers”. By doing this, you are putting the client in the scene and feeding their imagination. Proposals must be tailored to the client’s needs to make a winning impression.

Employ creativity. Who wouldn’t rather eat ‘seared garlic and lime scented tenderloin skewers’ than ‘filet kabobs’? And if those skewers are staged ‘in a jewel box with a flashy orchid,’ they taste even better! Your choice of words matter. Especially for those in the catering industry, with food there are so many “yummy” words. Put the reader in the scene by painting mental images.

Describe the design elements of your tablescapes with evocative words and photos. As they read, the client will become more and more immersed in the vision you have designed. It’s not just ‘a vase of red tulips.’ It’s ‘a glass cylinder enveloped in birch bark bursting with scarlet French tulips.’

Pepper the proposal with buzzwords that relate to the client or event. Let’s say you’re catering for an electric power company dinner. You could use words like amps, grid or wired for a clever tie-in. Clients like a witty phrase here and there if it fits. Choice of words matter, regardless of your role in the events industry, be sure to use words that bring what you do to life when you write your proposals.

Your client wants to know what services you will render during the event. Say you’re an event planner, and the upcoming event is significant, such as a wedding with many aspects, it might be appropriate to create headings such as “Cocktail Party” or “Luncheon,” and then describe the duties you will perform for that aspect of the event – such as setting up the tables and serving food. Add photos of similar events that you've handled in the past to this section of the proposal. This gives the client a vivid example of what you will do.

You’ve described the event, using language that enables the client to picture the event more vividly. Now, the client is thinking, ‘Beautiful, how much is this going to cost?’ In the proposal, create a section titled ‘Cost Summary’ or ‘Proposed Costs’ or even ‘The Nitty Gritty,’ listing the prices for each item and their purpose to eliminate ambiguity. Tally them up and write the proposed total event cost. In times past, it used to be selling dreams and charging what you want. Long gone are those days. Given the current economic conditions, most clients are taking a closer look and thinking, “bargain.” It is thus beneficial to give the client a choice on pricing or different packages to choose from. Don’t just give the client the stated proposed cost or nothing because the client can easily select nothing and move on to the next vendor who offers similar service for a lesser price. Endeavor to give the client three price points. List the priciest option first so that if the client will have a ‘Wow! That is expensive’ reaction, it will be to your most expensive option. They will then see the other pricing options as much more reasonable. It may be advantageous to offer some discount, like a discount for booking early or a package discount for many events booked at the same time.

Ensure that you provide your full contact information on every page so the client can contact you again. Too often the client prints all proposals and if your information is not on every page it will get lost in the shuffle.

You don’t need special software to make proposal magic. A word doc or PowerPoint will work just fine. Save time by saving descriptions in a folder for easy cut and paste or drop-in. And when your kick-ass proposal is ready, make sure you PDF it before sending.

Trite but true – you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression!

BRANDING – YOU FIRST AND THEN YOUR COMPANY

Have you ever met with a client and you instantly connected? You just know you will book the event. But then, a week later the client is not responding to your calls and emails. What happened? You were outsold! One of the greatest ways to articulate your competencies, wealth of experience, skills, knowledge, and your overall worth in today's competitive events industry is to create and nurture a brand that helps you stand out in the crowd. If you’re not selling you, then you’re not selling. As aptly put by a management expert Tom Peters, "We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer of a brand called You."

Branding is a means of defining you, your business or company to yourself, your team and people on the outside – the potential clients. Creating an inimitable and powerful brand starts with determining what makes you unique. What are your strengths, goals, passions, core competencies? What makes you different from your peers? It is not just enough to know what makes you unique if you do not target the right people, the efforts are futile. There is a strong need to identify your target audience. This allows you deliver and ‘register’ your company on the minds of the right people. Everything you do contributes to your branding endeavor, either positively or negatively. Even the little things count – dressing, behavior to employees, body language, emails, down to behavior on social media. If you want to be successful, creating and managing a brand isn't just an option, it's a necessity.

Every business has a brand whether you know it or not. Branding is not only for the big companies. It’s not just your logo, your tagline or slogan. They are signatures of your brand. Popular belief is that branding is a communication strategy.  It is not. Branding is a business strategy, a way to align every action to guide your business to success. It is a phenomenon that happens in the mind and in the heart, it’s a feeling one gets when they think of a product or company. The easiest way to describe branding is to think about it as a personality. It’s an attitude. How it walks, how it talks, it tells a story about the company. Branding affects people on an emotional level. They need to know, like and trust your business.

In order to brand your company effectively, you must know who you are. First, you will need to lay the foundation and ask yourself these questions: 

•    What is my core motivation?
•    Who are my target clients?
•    How does my company affect people on an emotional level?
•    What problems am I solving for my market?
•    What sets me apart from my competition?
•    List out your business's key features and characteristics, your competitive advantages.

After completing the above exercises, then write a one-page mission statement, a company overview. This is not only intended to let your target market know who you are but the ideas, principles, and values that you and your entire company will live by. You need to know what it is that makes you different, special and more compelling than other event professionals in the market.  Many caterers, for example, spend much of their time, money and energy promoting their products and services instead of building their brand image. If your main emphasis as, say a baker is on your cakes, then you don't have a brand, you have a commodity. There is need to clearly define your unique marketing position. You need to show value and a clear understanding of why you are different from that other event professional down the street. Branding is not solely what you say, it’s how you act. Remember it is a personality. Let’s take a closer look at your business. In the hospitality industry, your employees are in front, they are at times the company’s voice.   

•    How does your staff look while they are setting up events? Are they disheveled, or are they in logo set up shirts?
•    Do they use proper grammar?
•    How do they dress? 
•    Are they following up with the clients?
•    Are they knowledgeable about the company’s services and goals?
•    Do they represent your brand?

You must take control of your brand. If you don’t manage your brand the market will do it for you. In order to establish brand awareness, branding needs to be used consistently and frequently in everything you produce.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW I TURNED MY SLUGGISH SALES TEAM INTO A SALES CONVERSION MACHINE?

MERYL SNOW NAMED TO PRESTIGIOUS INDUSTRY GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning (IAWEP) is pleased to announce their 2018-19 Global Advisory Board.

“2018 has already been an exciting year for the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning,” shares Kylie Carlson, the Academy’s CEO and Founder.  “With that, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum by assembling top industry thought leaders from around the world.”

Meryl Snow of SnowStorm Solutions will be joining the Global Advisory Board, where she will contribute her input into course materials, provide guidance for Academy students and share her insight with Wedding Business Magazine, as well as the annual International Wedding Trend Report.

“Education is extremely important to me because it provides knowledge and that is the foundation that we need to navigate in the special events industry, ” says Meryl Snow.

The Academy currently has campuses in UK, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, South East Asia, and North America. In total, fifty wedding professionals were selected globally for the honor.  

“It has been a true honor to pursue our role as a global leader in wedding and event planning, styling and design education, and we are quite fortunate to welcome this elite group of professionals to the team,” adds Carlson. “Now more than ever, it’s essential we maintain an international vision as we look ahead to what’s to come.”

Meryl has spent 28 years in the special event & wedding industry as co-founder of Feastivities Events, along with its subsidiaries OffShoots Decor and Philadelphia's Picnic Company.   She also is the author of Booked It, Cha Ching and three how-to Style & Design videos.     
                                                                                                    
She's ambitious, focused and confident. This is more than a job; she’s on a mission to help businesses get on their own path to success. Meryl's a passionate believer in entrepreneurship and uses her gifts to support businesses build a stronger economy. Her philosophies have proved successful for not only her own business, but also many other companies, trade organizations, and universities have benefited from her training and advice. 

About the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning

With six online campuses globally, the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning boasts an internationally recognized accreditation program that brings professional training to wedding planners, event planners, event designers and wedding stylists.

                                                                           ###

MERYL SNOW UNVEILS REVOLUTIONARY NEW “TRIANGLE METHOD”

PRESS RELEASE:

A formula for creating the perfect sales team

NEW JERSEY, February 14, 2018 - Certified Catering Consultants (CCC) Senior Consultant of Sales Training and Strategies, Meryl Snow, has introduced a revolutionary new approach to full-service catering. Coined as “The Triangle Method” Meryl has designed a teaching tutorial for full-service caterers who want to zone-in on developing a stellar sales team. The emphasis is to help owners and managers to ensure accountability with the sales team and take a step back from the daily grind of sales and marketing, giving them the opportunity to focus on the broader development of their operation while training their sales team in qualifying and closing techniques. The Triangle Method is designed to take the grunge work out of individualized operations manuals by delivering full-service access to a step by step guide, for the sales team.

“Bringing the Triangle Method to market is an exciting opportunity for myself and the entire catering world” says Meryl Snow, owner and operator of SnowStorm Solutions, ”My clients can now use this platform as a tool to create a sales team from hiring, compensation plans, employee contract, goals, modern sales training and most importantly accountability for increased sales!”

With the ability to train employees both on-site and remotely, Meryl’s new method gives employers the tools they need to grow a more efficient and profitable sales team while getting absolute clarity on how to reach your goals as fast as possible...and you'll get an exact strategy to make it all happen. Upon completion of the course, team members have the tools & techniques they need to close the deal...every time.

“Meryl is an invaluable member of our team at CCC,” says Carl Sacks, Managing Director of CCC, “You will find that innovative thinking is a common thread among all of our consultants. Meryl’s unique approach to sales and marketing development is not only a reflection of the spirit of our consultants but is groundbreaking for the industry.”

Preventing your business from being seen as a commodity – what can you do?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the problem of commodification. In the special events industry, one of the worst things that can happen is that your clients begin to view you as a simple commodity. You know you’re more than this—but what can you do to fix the problem?

There are a lot of customers (and yes, even long time clients) who start to believe that all businesses are alike. They think that we will all deliver the same product. Rather than viewing us as unique event experts with a specialty in our own niche, they believe that we will deliver a uniform experience. As a result, they think that we should all charge the same prices.

Now, you know that your fully bespoke event services are worth more than the competitor down the street, but just try convincing a client of this if they think we are all the same. When they hear that another company is charging less, they might want that price. The solution? You need to show them that you are different and worth every penny you quote them for your services.

What does it mean for your business to be seen as a commodity?

The ‘commodification’ of businesses usually refers to companies that produce tangible goods on a mass scale. Think of textile manufacturers or electronics components—people have a pretty good idea of what they think these items should cost. The forces of commoditization have dictated prices on certain items.

Luxury goods notwithstanding, if you see a pack of men’s 100% cotton t-shirts at one store for $10, and you see a similar package at another store for $20, you are going to feel ‘ripped off’ by the second price. You are certain to go back to the initial store and purchase the comparable item for half the cost. You might even spread the word to friends and family about the ‘poor deal’ you saw at the second store.

"Obviously the quality of canapés or of wedding planning services cannot be standardized and compared, but certain clients have now been conditioned to believe that they can."

Why is commoditization happening more than ever?

Over prior decades, shopping has become globalized. Intense global markets, competition, outsourcing, and offshoring are all making margins smaller than ever. Even so, brands of all kinds are under pressure to lower their price points. This means that a customer’s price sensitivity has increased, making it harder than ever to differentiate brands on the market.

We now know how much we should pay for certain items, and this way of thinking has spread to intangible goods and services. Obviously the quality of canapés or of wedding planning services cannot be standardized and compared, but certain clients have now been conditioned to believe that they can. They are applying the forces of commoditization to event planning—and we have to nudge them away from doing this.

Showing clients that you are different

So, now that you know about this problem, what can you do to show your clients that you are indeed different than the rest?
As professionals in the event planning industry, it is our job to show our clients that we are different than our competitors. By doing so, we can show them our intrinsic value as experts and leaders in our field. Consumers will pay more for services if they understand these differences.

Here are the three main ways that you can show your clients that you are different than the rest, and why your rates are justified.

• Innovation is key – Inform your clients that your services are innovative and that you are better suited to meet their needs than any of the competition. If you can upgrade your packages, ‘one up’ your competition, and show that you have embraced new technology, you are ahead of the curve.

• Bundle your services and offer convenience – People are willing to pay a premium for convenience and peace of mind. Show your clients that your services are more reliable, convenient, and seamless than your competitors. After sales services can also help to do the trick.

• Segmentation can be your friend – Are all of your services lumped under one heading and one brand? While a strong brand reputation is nothing to overlook or minimize, it is important to offer your clients distinct areas of expertise that they can buy into and believe in. Focus on giving your clients targeted services under an umbrella of interrelated brands.

Finally, remember to stay away from tired old narratives

While the above points are important to consider and put into action, the most important factor to consider is always your marketing materials: website, brochures, print materials, and social media.
One of the main ways that you can show you are unique is by staying away from tired old tropes. We all need to stay away from phrases like—‘our service is outstanding,’ ‘we are award winning,’ ‘our product is superb,’ etc.—every business says the same old tired things.

In order to show them why you are not just another boring commodity, you need to get to the crux of why you are unique. Try something unique—take risks! Experiment with ‘off the wall’ ad copy, enticing offers, exciting color schemes, and dynamic social media campaigns.

Remember: never be afraid to be different and make waves, because after all—being different is your biggest weapon against commoditization.

Give your holiday sales marketing a new recipe

As fall approaches you have a small window to catch your breath for a few brief moments—and then jump right back in. That’s right—it’s time to promote your holiday sales!
In order to stand out from the others you need to show that you are different. As business owners we can’t just expect revenue to flow our way; we need to compete for the business and prove that we are the best choice for our clients. Following are some tips that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Update your database
You may have thousands of email and postal addresses, but if they are not current your mail outs will fail. Spend some time adding your new clients to your database and updating corporate contacts that may have moved on. (Another thought is to stay connected to individuals who leave your corporate accounts so you are on their minds when they start at their new positions.)

The newsletter no-no
Your newsletter is not the space to promote your holiday events, offerings, and promotions—these beneficial holiday offers may get lost in your newsletter and also dilute your message. Consider a dedicated brochure or mail out in order grab attention.

Tell a story
Your marketing pieces may get some traction if they tell an engaging story—this works well with postcard mailings and social media campaigns. Each ad you create should tell a story or have a theme. Consider creating characters, as this will this leave the audience wanting to know what happens next. (For my company we produced a flutter of children cooking to promote house parties, along with a tag line.)

Cyber Monday
If you do a good amount of online business make sure that you take advantage of Cyber Monday. Consider running ‘limited time’ specials, or a promotion in which your clients receive a bonus, gift, or discount if they book within a certain time frame.

Decorate for success
You probably decorate your office for the holidays, and so why not decorate your website? Create landing pages with specials, menus, tips, and recipes and spread these to your social media platforms.

Spread some cheer on social media
Your social media platforms are a great way to spread holiday cheer. Be careful not to bore your followers by pushing your product, repeating terms like ‘book now,’ ‘taking reservations,’ and ‘still have some availability.’ These terms are sure to prevent any possibility for sharing—no one wants to repost a sales-forward link. Instead, post genuinely interesting and valuable information and your followers will reciprocate.

Additionally, paid advertising can be a great way to attract new clients and reach different audiences. Why not use this holiday season as a chance to try a Facebook ad campaign?

It’s not always about price
Don’t worry if your closest competitors are offering lower prices. Studies have shown that clients do not always make their pick based on price; they want the best that they can afford, and are often willing to stretch a budget to get what they want. Become what they want, and show them why you are different.

“Santa in the Clouds” martini from Feastivities Events

Up-sell
This one is my favorite!
Spend this small window of downtime to come up with some creative event additions. It could be as simple as a signature cocktail with a fun seasonal name (Santa in the Clouds; Mistletoe Martini; Claus Cosmopolitan; Grinch Nog—just let your imagination take over), or adding lighting to enhance the drama and transform the space. You can easily add 20 to 30 percent in revenue without taking on any more events. There is nothing to lose—you have already booked the event.

Above all, remember to let your own unique personality and your company’s valuable benefits shine through. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and busy holiday season in the catering industry!

MERYL'S BOOK RELEASED!

What Your Clients Need to Know Before They Hire a Caterer

1. Fresh doesn’t always mean fresh

Couples today are food savvy. They dine out regularly at chic bistros and BYOBs rather than settling for the local chain restaurant. Fresh food, creative menus and plate presentation are important to them. And these high standards get even higher on their wedding day.

The thought that their wedding food might be frozen would send them running. Most caterers realize this, which is why few will admit to using frozen products. Instead when asked, they say their food is fresh and yes, at some point it was fresh. Right before it was frozen.

Is there anyway to tell if you’re getting a straight answer? One way is to consider the bottom line. Most caterers in an area use the same vendors and purveyors, so in general, the cost of purchasing the raw products is the same. Ask the caterers you are considering to bid on identical menus and give you the price of the menu alone (without rentals, linens etc.) If there is a big difference in cost for the same menu it should raise a flag.

How can caterer A charge $65.00 a person when caterer B charges $80.00? If nothing else has been factored in then it has to be in the food itself. Is caterer A buying cheaper cuts of meat, old produce or seafood that is a day away from being bait?

Scary, but possible. It’s much more likely that the $15.00 represents the difference between paying trained chefs to actually prepare your meal from scratch with fresh ingredients rather than having a body tearing open boxes. It may seem on the surface that you’re really getting a deal but in reality you are getting what you paid for – frozen food.

Your meal should be prepared from scratch by chefs, just for your event. Your hors d’oeuvre made by hand, not machine.

Source: Feastivities Events / Love Shack Photo

2. Served fresh means cooked on site, not cooked elsewhere and carried in hotboxes.

This is the difference between green beans that are bright green and snappy and green beans that are dull olive and mushy. Some caterers don’t have the trained kitchen personnel to actually cook the meal at the reception. Instead your food is thawed and cooked at the caterer’s kitchen early in the day, put into hot boxes and then brought to the reception.

The cooked food sits trapped in its own steam for hours before it’s ever served. We’ve all had food from a steam table. Once in a while you have to. But at your wedding? The fresh ingredients for your meal should be prepped at the caterer’s commissary. They should make the stock, clean the fresh vegetables, and trim the fresh seafood. They should do everything but cook it, because we know that the finest food goes from stove to plate not from hotbox to plate. If you want the food served fresh this is how it has to be done.

3. Service is a matter of math – the ratio of staff to guests is critical.

You’ve taken the time, allotted the budget and selected a wonderful menu so now you need to ask how many staff your caterer will provide to serve it. Nothing is more frustrating than having to hunt for hors d’oeuvre or wait in line for a drink.

Service can make or break your reception. Lack of adequate staff is very obvious to the guests and will undo all your careful planning. Be wary if a caterer plans to send 5 staff to attend to 200 guests! Call me crazy but I don’t want to have to look for waiters in order to eat. I want them to look for me. Which brings me to staff quality. It’s important that staff is well-trained. Ask the caterer about their training sessions and manuals. Your staff should be service oriented, pleasant and attentive because your guests should never feel as if their needs are an imposition.

4. Style is significant.

The visual impact of your menu really does have an impact on your guests and the success of the reception. But the best thing any caterer can bring to your table is the sheer enthusiasm and will to create a day for you unlike any other. With the right caterer your sense of style will show in your menu and its’ presentation, as well as in the surroundings and décor.

Source: Feastivities Events / Love Shack Photo

5. Menu design does not involve picking your food from columns.

Some couples come to a caterer with definite menu ideas but far more come wanting the planner to take the reins. And justifiably so. Your caterer’s event planners should be well versed in menu design but if you want to be more prepared for the menu meeting think about some of the following. What kind of crowd is it? Are they younger and more receptive to many cuisines? Is it more the parents set who prefer familiar but at the same time fine dining?

“Meat and potatoes” is used to describe guests who prefer plain. Keep in mind that the hors d’oeuvres also contribute to the scope of the menu so if your budget doesn’t allow for a raw bar it probably does allow for butlered shrimp during the cocktail hour. When you have finally chosen the menu have the executive chef review it. Often he or she will be able to make welcome suggestions – a seasonal vegetable, a more complementary sauce, a striking garnish.

Source: Feastivities Events

6. Customer service counts.

How long did you wait for your information after you made your initial phone call? Was it the information you asked for? Are your calls and emails answered in a timely manner? Do you feel important? In a time when you pump your own gas, find it for yourself in the store and wait in line or on hold daily, service seems a thing of the past. In terms of customer service the good old days really were better and it’s this old-fashioned customer service that you want from your caterer.

Planning a wedding is a big job and you should have your catering planner’s attention when you need it. In addition to your planner’s attention you should also have the attention of their whole office team so if your planner is out of the office another planner can field your questions.

And while you most likely will work closely with just one person, your planner should have a support system behind them. The unexpected can happen – a planner can leave, have an emergency etc. If this happens what happens to you and your wedding? If your caterer has a team approach the show will go on without a hitch.

7. Word of mouth is still the best advertising

What is your caterer’s reputation? Look at the list of caterers for the venues you are considering. If you see the same names at many up market locations chances are those caterers are doing something right. An exclusive facility has its own reputation to uphold so the caliber of the caterers on its’ list has to be high. Don’t hesitate to question the facility directors. They have a real sense of the caterers’ abilities so their input can be very valuable. They have seen it all – multiple times.  

With just a little guidance from you the director can often hone right in on the caterer’s that will make a fit with you. Between work, school and everything else on your plate who has the time or inclination to interview 8 caterers? It’s much better to eliminate the 5 or 6 that aren’t likely to be what you want, right from the start. Most places have short lists so the weeding out has already been done for you. But some facilities that have ties to local townships have to have an open door policy. Their directors are also required to “be fair.” With them you might have to probe a little longer. “Who do you use for your own events?” is a good question.

With access to so many caterers they themselves use is probably at the top of the list. Industry pros also have a good sense of who’s who and who’s doing what in the wedding world. Speak with the bands, florists and photographers you are considering. They are at events from start to finish. They see the service, eat the food, interact with the staff and won’t hesitate to share their thoughts.

Remember though, that perfection doesn’t exist in the real world. Servers do drop plates sometimes, musicians hit sour notes, photographers take blurry pictures, and limousines get flats.

Look for a caterer who gets high marks time after time, year after year. In the end this consistent commitment to quality will give you a great catering experience.

How can Guerrilla Marketing be used in the Special Events Industry?

As creative mavens of the special events industry, people in our line of work are always looking for new marketing methods that will attract new clientele and help propel our businesses to the next level. Direct marketing, online marketing, traditional advertising – you have probably tried all of these in some fashion or another – but have you tried Guerrilla Marketing?

Firms large and small have used this exciting and innovating style of marketing in order to generate excitement and reel in new business.

What is Guerrilla Marketing?
 
First coined in 1984, the term ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ was introduced by Jay Conrad Levinson in the book of the same name. Broadly, the term refers to advertisement strategies that attempt to promote businesses in an innovative way while using only a small budget. 

One cannot hear the word “guerrilla” without thinking of warfare, and this form of fighting is indeed the inspiration for the concept. Guerrilla fighters are often civilians, and they are usually dressed in plain clothes and loosely organized into a decentralized structure. They use these non-traditional warfare methods in order to fight against a larger and more organized army.  Guerrilla warfare methods refer to a fighting style in which the smaller, less powerful group of soldiers’ uses irregular tactics, such as ambush, elements of surprize and sabotage in order to achieve success. 

Applying principles of warfare to marketing - really?

It’s true! Much like guerrilla warfare, successful guerrilla marketing strategies attempt to use the element of surprise in order to shock, delight and inspire clients and gain their business. This unconventional style is high energy, imaginative and innovative, utilizing surprise to make a lasting impression and create a ton of buzz on social media. The shock and amazement is intended to affect the customer at a personal level and create a memory and emotional connection to the brand that they will never forget. 

Why is this a good strategy for event planning?

At its best, guerrilla marketing attempts to connect with potential clients in an emotional and visceral way. The best events are creative, fun and have an element of spontaneity – just like guerrilla marketing. This strategy is innovative and fresh, and can be a great way to surge past the (often dull) marketing of your competition.  

Tips for a guerrilla marketing campaign that will grab clients’ attention

Identify your target audience – Will your guerrilla marketing campaign target potential clients, existing customers or your suppliers? Is it B2B or B2C? In addition, you should also think carefully about who will be making the ultimate decision (if you are targeting a company or larger firm).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Set a specific objective – In order for any marketing campaign to be effective, you must set clear objectives. Do you want people to visit your website, book an event, attend a trade show or simply provide you with their business card? Each one of these objectives will be best served by using different strategies.                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Select an appropriate tactic - Once you have identified your target, spend some time thinking about their demographic, age, industry and other factors that might determine the kind of experiential marketing that would best suit their personality.                                                                                                                                  
Be creative – With guerrilla marketing, the sky is the limit. Think about ways that you could set yourself apart from your competition while at the same time staying true to your company and its unique brand. Identify a challenge that your potential clients might be facing, and showcase a creative and efficient solution.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Figure out where (and when) you can reach your target market - It is often more cost effective to launch your guerrilla marketing campaign in a location and at a time when your target audience has already gathered. An event that you host or at a donated gala that we all get roped in would be a good opportunity.                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Seek expert advice- Guerrilla marketing is meant to look effortless and spontaneous, but the most effective campaigns have a lot of thought, time, planning and effort involved.                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Make sure your social media is involved - In order to ensure that your campaign has a ton of impact over time and across many demographics, introduce a specific hashtag that will help you compile mentions across different social media platforms. 

By trying something new and by coloring outside the lines, you can really impress your clients, earn more business and increase your bottom line. 

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