Can you believe it’s the end of January already?
I’m on my way to Australia today and am looking forward to the summer heat and feeling the sand under my feet once again.
Event Planning Technology Trends
I’m feeling so grateful that I’m able to spend winters in far away places that don’t require down jackets, scarves, hats and gloves! But, it wouldn’t be possible without technology and the ability to run my event planning business from anywhere in the world.
In today’s episode of EventPlanning BlueprintTV, special guest and award winning event planner, Liz King is joining us to talk about event planning technology trends. Named among “The 25 Most Influential People in the Events Industry”, Liz King is not only recognized by her event planning peers, but she’s also a technology guru in the industry.
She Started Her Business on Twitter!Starting her business on Twitter when she was at Columbia University, she’s passionate about incorporating technology, events and education.
If you’ve ever wondered what the key to success in the event planning industry is – today’s episode is for you.
You’ll learn 6 easy ways to:
- Incorporate event planning technology trends into your events (1:33)
- Use technology to change the way you plan your events (2:06)
- Show your clients the distinct tie on the return on investment (ROI) and your expertise (3:09)
- Manage multiple clients at once (3:36)
- Create your client anatomy (5:04)
- Charge for your event planning services (9:34)
Liz has been running her business successfully since 2010, but she has a few suggestions and changes she’d make if she were to start all over again:
- Don’t start slow. Know your business, your clients and own who you are.
- The day she took it seriously, it all changed.
- Know who you are and provide value.
- Believe in who you are!
In the comments below, I’d love to hear from you. Do you stay on top of event planning technology trends? Which of Liz’s strategies resonated the most with you and why? As always, thank you so much for sharing. You’re amazing and I am so excited that our event planning community is growing so quickly. Happy Planning,
P.S. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked for advice on how to charge for event planning services. I bet someone you know could use this information, too. If that’s the case — be sure to share this post and help them out with Liz’s charging tip!
Melanie and Liz have given folks a lot of trendy ideas that they can incorporate into their next event plans. Just as it is with fashion and other things, some things are trends that come and go and are cyclical, while other things are fundamental to event planning. I think it is important to have a grasp on both. That way, you have a plentiful arsenal of ideas and details you can implement into any event theme.
I noticed Melanie travels to Australia, perhaps even regularly. Over the past five years, planners down under have endured an environment characterized by volatility spurred by the global financial crisis. The global financial crisis led to cautious spending by consumers, businesses and non-profit organizations. This increased caution led to budget cuts by all, specifically targeting non-core activity. This led to a drop in event expenditure, as these services are perceived as a nonessential to putting on an event.
I admire and commend any woman who runs her own business. It is tough enough to be an event planner in a world where most of your clients are male executives who are more often than not, old school business men who tend to think of their business as an old boys club. But to see a person like Melanie juggle all the tasks that one must oversee when running a business and keep those older fellows in check, that’s impressive.
I’m not sure I keep them in check, but I do love having my own business…and the endless hours and sometimes sleepless nights are all worth it.
Thanks Tony!
Another good source for ideas for a themed event is social media, namely, Pinterest. There you’ll find others who share a passion for planning events, whether they do it as a hobby or as a profession. In either case, there are a plethora of ideas and because these are pictures, there is no imagining required. That helps because you can see the finished product and be able to tell whether it is right for your theme.
Agreed, and I love all the pictures! Thanks Sarah.
I suppose that niche marketing makes sense. I am not quite sure exactly how you provide event planning services with a certain niche, but I do know that when it comes to promoting any service, if you define your niche, it does make it easier to search engine optimize your site and it makes it crystal clear for your prospects whether you are right for their needs. And sometimes, that is what ultimately closes the deal.