The Power of Networking

by Gloria Goldman, A Pampered Affair
ISES DC 2005 Eventworld Scholarship Recipient

As a first time attendee, ISES 2005 Eventworld, the annual conference for professional development, revealed new possibilities for me … and my business. The educational sessions, especially the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) track, taught me more than textbook information. From the speakers like Mark Zettler, past president of the NY Chapter, and Jaclyn Bernstein of Empire Force Events, I learned respectively how to effectively network and the difference between event planners and destination managers and how the two can work together. From other attendees, I learned that everyone has their own way of producing events, yet we all share the same professional and ethical commitment. More importantly, I realized that no matter how knowledgeable or talented you are, and no matter how long you’ve been in this wonderful industry, there is always something new to learn. Eventworld is that place where professionals come to learn something new.

Putting my new networking skills to use, I met a woman who had recently moved from the Greater Washington, DC area. It was her first time at Eventworld, too. As we talked, we played that great game of ‘who do you know’? Amazingly, we had two friends in common and that cemented our connection. By the end of the conference, she asked for my phone number to refer some previous clients. I’ll never know if it was good luck or effective networking that led me to her but it may not have happened unless I was at Eventworld, which as I mentioned, opened new possibilities for me.

Entertainment Ideas and Opportunities from Eventworld 2005

Photo© 2005 Bob Blanken

By Pam Burton, Cast of Thousands
ISES DC 2005 Eventworld Scholarship Recipient

If you’re in Los Angeles, it’s safe to expect seeing new and different entertainment! This year’s Eventworld, positioned in the heart of Hollywood, did not disappoint. At the “Hollywood Now!” party, which was held at 20th Century Props, the largest prop house in Hollywood, we definitely had some eye-popping moments! The stand out was “Chocolate Man,” a scantily dressed living statue covered in entirely chocolate syrup! He attracted admiring crowds all night long. (We cannot wait to try this idea here!)

Besides fascinating tours of the huge warehouse of props, we were treated to a variety of stage performances. The first act was an old fashioned burlesque show, with female dancers in scanty lacey underwear. Burlesque, in its many forms, is alive and well on the West Coast. Jan and I decided that this trend would probably not make it to DC!

There was also the usual cirque style performing but with an LA edge. There were two female aerialists on a silk ribbon in matching S&M style costumes with club style music, as well as a modern clown on a trapeze loosing his pants, all done with great skill and comedy timing. My favorite was the final performance: two dynamic guys performing incredible karate tricks in unison, doing flips and tricks to hip hop music.

At this party we also discovered the “Dance Heads” the newest interactive entertainment. We were so impressed by this we spoke to the manager and we quickly became the distributor for this fun product both here in DC area and in Northern California. You never know who you will meet or what partnerships will occur when attending this conference.

Photo© 2005 Bob Blanken

This Eventworld was my sixth conference and for our company one of the most successful, since we showcased one of our top performers. At the Opening Session we showcased “George W. Bush” and later at the Hollywood Welcome Party “Austin Powers.” For the first time national event planners were coming up to us and wanting our business cards and requesting more information on our company. If you ever decide to showcase at Eventworld it clearly can be a great benefit to your company.

After eleven year in the business, six years of attending ISES conferences both nationally and regionally and The Special Event Conference, I always come away with seeing or learning something new that we will be able to incorporate into our events. (Are you ready for “Chocolate Man?”) Eventworld -- always worth attending, and next year the location is Hawaii! See you there!

Experience Marketing and Creative Branding

By Patrick Richitt, Entertainment Exchange, Inc.
ISES DC 2005 Eventworld Scholarship Recipient

Eventworld 2005 was my first experience at a national ISES conference and it was more than I had hoped it would be. As a three-time business owner with an MBA and former career with IBM, I did not think I could really learn anything new about marketing. I was wrong…the meetings were informative and engaging for professional at all levels. Special event business owners and executives from all around the world converged to share their ideas and inspiration in the mecca of show business, Hollywood, California. I was frankly surprised how engaged I was with the topics and delighted that others drew me in to their conversations. It was truly a week of personal growth and education.

Among the concepts that made the largest impression on me, two seemed to permeate the education sessions. First, was the idea of experience marketing. Today, clients are well informed and educated on the services that they need to buy. Reaching beyond a brochure or web site, we need to find a way to let them experience our products before hiring us. For a florist, this might mean letting the client see and smell the beautiful fragrance of some flowers before delivering them to another wedding. Or, an event planner might find a way for a prospective client to observe another event that he or she is producing. Whatever the case for you, we need to find a way to allow our clients to experience products or services in our marketing plans in order to distinguish ourselves as event professionals.

The other concept that was often repeated in education sessions was the concept of branding. Whereas we generally consider a brand to be a mark of ownership on a product, such as a logo, branding as an idea can be employed for both products as well as events. For events, branding is accomplished by employing a consistent statement or set of visual ideas throughout the event from the invitation to the good-bye gifts. For a company, branding was described by keynote speaker and former Marriott executive, John Park, as the “image in your head and feeling in your heart when they say your company name.” This is accomplished by the experience people have in doing business with you. Ultimately, following through with the promise of your marketing proposition can lead to increased awareness of your company by your customers and ultimately the customer loyalty that will move your company to the next level.

I highly encourage everyone to make a national ISES conference a priority in your marketing and professional development plans for next year.