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You Should Know: Christina Moffatt

Vendors play a big role in what we do as event planners. Without them there would not be a complete event. Because of this we like to take time and highlight some of our favorites.

So this week we’d like to highlight Crème Cupcake. Cupcakes with a twist are what this Midwest cupcake company offers – a cupcake store that pairs drinks and cocktails with specific cupcake flavors during their happy hour.

Being a fellow Entrepreneur, we sat down with the owner of Crème Cupcake, Christina Moffatt. We asked her to share some defining moments in her career and how she became the successful business woman that she is. See what we were able to find out:

After working for 10 years in corporate U.S.A., Christina decided she was tired of seeing people with no happiness in their day. Her mission became to find what makes people happy. The answer, she discovered, was cupcakes and dessert.

A baker since she could hold a measuring spoon, Christina combined her culinary skills with her management and marketing experience to create Crème Cupcake + Dessert, which expanded from a home-operated bakery to a commercial kitchen in less than a year.In May of 2015, Christina partnered to take the dessert lounge concept nationally through franchise agreements.

1. What was the defining moment when you made the decision to go into business for yourself? When I booked 1000 cupcakes for the Bravo Gala I realized this could be a full time career.

2. Did you work another job and run your business at the same time? I worked full time for 6 months while I built my business on the side.

3. If so, at what point did you decide to quit working for someone else and work on your business? After I booked the 1000 cupcakes for Bravo Gala, I ran cash flow projections to figure what I needed to produce every month to cover all my expenses and pay myself.

4. Can you give us a small idea of how that decision changed your business? It became serious with marketing plans, networking with right client/ referrals and thinking as a business rather than a hobby

5. What are some of the most important decisions or aha’s you’ve had in opening a business? You have to use tools and peoples expertise that are available to you. You can’t do everything or you’ll do it all poorly.

6. What are some really surprising things you’ve learned about having your own business that you would have never guessed before starting your business? Something is always going to break or you’ll have an unexpected expense so you have to manage your cash flow wisely.

7. At what point did you finally decide to hire your first employee? And how has that advanced your business? When my days were topping to 18-hour days I knew I couldn’t keep going at that pace. I also had a wise mentor named Tracy Fuller tell me “Be happy where you are with your business or hire people so you can grow”

8. Are there any tips or trips you would like meeting and event planners to know when working with you to get the best outcome for their event? I love Planners! They are a great referral source for us! The more precise on delivery time, directions in the building of where to set up down to the table being labeled is awesome. Saves us time from butting in to their day to ask questions.

Want to know more about Christina and Crème Cupcake? Follow them on Twitter @cremecupcakedsm

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Music Licensing for Events

So, you have an event and you plan on playing some music in the background…No biggie right? Not quite. Before you plug in your iPhone to play your favorite tunes, you need to know a little bit about music licensing and how it affects your events.

Licensing for music is as big of a deal as using someone else’s artwork on your PowerPoints and not paying for it. If you don’t get the proper licenses, the penalty can be huge. As event planners, this is all very confusing and time consuming; trying to figure out who, what, and when of the music licenses – plus how they work!

Although getting licensing isn’t the most convenient task on your event planning checklist, it beats the alternative. The alternative to purchasing a license is to contact each artist who’s music you intend to play and get their written permission. You may also have to ask your band to play original material only. We all know that when we hire a band to play covers, that having them only play their original tunes might not be the best request.

Can you image trying to track down the correct people and having them respond to this request? It would take one person dedicated to this specific task many hours and many weeks to complete. This would require you knowing your playlist well in advance. Doesn’t sound like a task I want to take on. I am sure the hours I would spend research, making phone calls and sending emails would be more than the cost of the license itself.

When researching licenses you might find that the responsibility falls to the venue to purchase and hold the licenses for music. However, many venues are now passing on that responsibility to the entity holding the event. Check in with both the facility and licensing bureaus to make sure you are covered in order to avoid the high penalties if you aren’t.

We searched the internet to locate the best descriptors of ‘what’ license you need and ‘when’ you need a license. Here’s what we’ve found:

  1. There are three different licensing entities (ASCAP, BMI, & SESAC). Each one is a little different.
  2. For just ASCAP alone there are over 100 different license types and each one has pretty strict usage rules.
  3. For each event type, there are different rules which can get fairly specific
  4. Pricing for the license depends on the type of the event and how many attendees you will have at the event.
  5. Charity events are NOT excluded from needing a license for events (usually they are covered under a one-time event license)
  6. Copyright law says events for only friends and family do not need a license – Hey wedding planners, you’re in the clear! Based on a chat conversation with Frank at ASCAP online. Connect Here .
  7. Licenses are based on the TYPE of event, not who is hosting the event.
  8. There are 3 licensing entities that you need to consult with on your event.

CAUTION: Pay for only one license from one licensing bureau and any song used that doesn’t fall under their license is susceptible to a fine. I suggest playing it safe and getting a license from all 3 entities so that you don’t have to waste time figuring out which songs are covered by a specific entity. Whereas if you get all three, you’re covered no matter what.Here are the links to all three licensing agencies:

Although music licensing can be quite confusing, I found the online chat to be most helpful. ‘Frank’ from ASCAP answered all my questions and was very courteous. I didn’t find an online chat at BMI or SESAC, but both have phone numbers for you to contact them.

**Event Heroes, having this event knowledge in your arsenal will keep your clients abreast important information and prevent them from having to pay heavy fees for something they weren’t aware of.

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Event Setup: Gaff Tape

When doing event setup you need to take good care of the venue. Tracy Fuller gives a short tip how to do just that! Watch below!

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Throwing an Outdoor Event Inside

Problem: How to throw an outdoor event indoors

Solution: Use video screens to display the environment you want

Planning a festive outdoor event in Iowa (or any Midwest state) can be tricky because the weather is so unpredictable especially during the months of November through February, it is almost impossible. You can throw your event indoors and still make it feel like an outdoor event by strategically placing large video screens around the room and projecting video of outdoor scenes and images. Video screens can transport guests to different places and environments. They can even provide them with a very realistic outdoor experience from the climate-controlled comfort of their indoor seat.

One of our clients recently treated their conference attendees to a fireworks display by projecting large, realistic fireworks on to several large screens. A sound system with bass helped complete the experience so guests felt as if they were really watching them outside!

Utilizing video screens to create different environments to help bring many event themes to life: bring the beach and ocean to the Midwest or transport your guests to the 70’s. Whatever the theme may be, video screens are one solution to help pull your event together.

Things may not always go smooth in the event industry, be resourceful with your solutions. If you do get stuck we have the answer for you! Book an hour with our CEO and President Tracy Fuller and she will use her book of tricks and work through the problem!

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5 Crazy Theme Foods For Events

Theming your event can help pull everything together from the décor to the music and the overall feel for the room. One item that gets overlooked when theming an event is the food. Whether you decide to theme the food or not, make sure you have something everyone will enjoy. Before you take it too far, make sure you maintain the quality of the food and don’t make it so far out that guests don’t even try it. For fun we put together a list, here are 5 crazy food displays for your next themed event!

1) Rainbow Grilled Cheese:

Stuck in a rut with your sandwiches? Not anymore with this insanely awesome rainbow grilled cheese! Have this for a candy land theme party or try it out with a princess event. The possibilities and colors are endless!

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2) Stadium platter:

Amaze your friends and family at your next tailgate or super bowl party with this ridiculous stadium platter! People will be talking about it all year long.

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3) Watermelon Shark:

Make healthy eating fun for any age! Enjoy this usually average fruit at an aquarium or nautical themed event. For extra fun throw in some candy fish!

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4) Vegas Baby!:

People love Vegas, but don’t let your attendees fly all the way there! Bring the party to them with a deck of cards desserts and jello dice! They will be so swept up they’ll think it was the real deal.

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5) Tea Party:

Think Alice in Wonderland with mini desserts at your next tea party! You will have your guests charmed at this magical theme!

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Don’t forget about food in your theme! Have a little fun with it and be creative. If you are stuck in a rut about theme ideas check out our page to give you a little inspiration!

AND for a little extra craziness think about a Bloody Mary bar for a brunch event! (Ok maybe this is a little overboard).

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5 Fresh Ideas For Your Next Charity Event

When it comes to charity events are you doing the same old thing as everyone else?

In this day and age, we find that the charities are hitting up the same people over and over to donate to causes. In our midsized community we need to look for something new and refreshing to keep the donors looking to our client organizations year after year.

Here are 5 fresh ideas for your next charity events:

1. Get rid of the Live auction:

Beyond having to beg for those items that are worthy of high dollar bids, your bidders have the opportunity and funds to purchase these items on their own. So why continue with the painful asking, gathers and bidding for a live auction. Change it up! Try a 50/50 auction instead. One chance for one price, pair this with the one of the other items below and your event will be the hit of the town!

2. Choose a common household product to create a fashion show:

Here in our community, one of the best fundraisers in town is the Bubble Ball. A fashion show where the fashion is made of Bubble Wrap. Local artist and celebrities are asked to create their fashions sticking with the theme of the show. Music is set to the parade of unbelievable, unique and outrageous fashions with the main component being Bubble Wrap. Other items that would lend themselves to fashion shows might be duct tape, rubber bands, and recycled plastic.

3. Create a game show fund raiser:

A client came to us to change their yearly gala to something else. After many hours of brainstorming, we changed their event to a game show gala. With a Family Feud atmosphere and the right family members, we have taken this event and quadrupled the money collected. Not only has this event become a great yearly event that raises 4x the amount it used to, but the attendance has risen as well! Everyone is excited to see the ‘families’ play and the show is short and sweet. No long lectures, no long auctions and it is easy for attendees to give.

4. Scavenger hunt – pay to play:

Connect with local artists for the donating of a painting. Offer tickets for clues of where the artwork is hidden in the city. Create small teams or pairs to scour the city, collecting queues and ultimately finding the artwork! Make sure you have a camera set up to capture the expressions of the winners.

5. Race around the City:

In the spirit of The Amazing Race, have teams pair off and run thru the community going into different businesses for an activity. Make money by charging an entrance fee and by gathering pledges that each team gathers (like the old fashion walk-a-thons). Make sure you reward the teams at the end with a party and winner recognition!

Use these ideas to change up your charity event this season. The donors already know it’s a good cause – but it’s up to you to plan the spectacular party!

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5 Lighting Techniques To Set the Mood For Your Event

Lighting is one of the best elements to set the mood for your event. By changing the lighting in the room and taking out the florescent lights, you create the color, mood, and direct the audience’s attention to where you want.

Here are 5 techniques to set the mood with lighting:

1) Use uplighting around the room

Removing the florescent lighting in the room and replacing it with uplights around the wall or on the architectural elements in the room will create a dramatic and more creative look.

Imagine walking into a room washed in blue up-lights with your winter event, or a room glowing with red up-lighting with your Fire and Ice event. What if you changed the up-lighting on the walls depending on the timing of the programing? Say your event is Fire and Ice and you start with red lighting and move it to blue during the evening to signify the change from Fire to Ice. You will want to play with the colors and your theme to see what works best.

2). Use a Gobo for added decor

A gobo is a piece of metal that fits into a lighting instrument that has a negative cut of a logo or names. They also come in color and made of glass for more intricate designs or multicolor logos.

For large walls or lighting on the dance floor these make a wonderful impact and can help your theming or your branding of the event

3). Use a projector for lighting

Projectors are now being used for lighting and at times might be more economical than lighting. This is also a wonderful way to create a look of moving objects or changing looks on a large wall.Imagine covering a large ugly wall with moving snowflakes for a holiday show. This will save the cost of the drapery and labor to put it up.

4). Set the stage with lighting

Use lighting to direct your audiences’ attention to different areas in the room. Say you have a large new product you want to reveal and you have it hidden behind drapery until the big reveal. When the timing is right, the stage goes dark and the lighting all moves to direct everyone’s attention to the new product and the drape drops. This is a jaw dropping moment at events.

You will also want to use lighting on stage to highlight your speakers, especially if you are videotaping.

5). Pin spot lighting for your centerpieces

You’ve spent lots of time and money on those amazing centerpieces and you’ve removed all the overhead lighting and replaced it with up lighting around the room. You don’t want to loss the drama of the centerpieces when people enter the room or when they are at the tables for dinner.

Adding pin lighting, either from the ceiling and lighting each table centerpiece or lighting the centerpiece from below, will certainly add the element of drama you are looking for.

Lighting can drastically change the mood of your event, nothing is worse than a space with fluorescent lighting that flatters no one. Be creative with your light, and change the way the room feels.

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Event Technology: Periscope

Don’t have any local news programs interested in covering your next event? No need for them now, because with the newest event technology, Periscope, you have your own personal TV channel. This is a live streaming app that broadcasts your video directly to your viewers. This app is fast and easy, there is no time spent editing, simply stream your events or exclusive interviews to your viewers and, BAM!, done. This is a new way to connect to your audience in an authentic way; check out some of Periscope’s perks!

Social media

Your next question may be “How will people find me on Periscope since it’s so new?” Twitter is the owner of this new technology phenomenon, so once your broadcast is out a link is sent to your timeline! Hype up your event on social media beforehand, this way your followers have something to look forward to. Much like a live broadcast your followers can ask questions or tell you what they think about your topic/event. This is great since they can be part of the conversation and can engage in your event more than ever!

Account

Make sure your Periscope account is unique and searchable; for event planners let your followers know what you plan post, use key words and be sure they understand it is about event tips or showcasing the end result of your amazing event! The best part is how shareable it is, no need for any hassle.

Behind the scenes content

Events can get crazy (we know!) but use that to your advantage; broadcast behind the scenes shots. Sometimes things go wrong and you need to think of a creative way to fix it; showcase that and viewers can awe in amazement by your super powers! Photos are great, but go to the next level by sharing a 360-degree view of your event space, giving viewers more insight into your event with Periscope.

Lights, camera, action!

Before you start streaming there are a few things to think about ahead of time. Be careful about shaky cameras. Your video is live and you want it to look presentable. Also remember to go over your talking points before the camera is rolling. Most importantly: Be YOU! This is about showcasing your event and having your personality shine. Remember to let those you are interviewing know that they have one take. It may be intimidating for some, but you get more authentic results in the end.

Use Periscope to your advantage, give your audience something they didn’t even think they needed! Still want more information? Check out another great blog, The Social Tables Blog, for more insight on this powerful new technology!

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Trends in Meeting and Event Atmosphere

Recent trends in Audio Visual for meetings and events

With the technology boom that has occurred over the past couple of decades and continues to impress each year, it is important to stay up to date with the newest technologies and trends in audio/visual for your events.

A/V trends:

1. Out with PowerPoint, in with Gesture Media

What if you could command the screen with your hand gestures instead of using a mouse or slide advance? How much more control and how much more exciting could you make your presentations? Hand gesturing is used in the tech world, why not on stage for your presentations? If you choose to use this up-and-coming A/V trend, make sure you do some rehearsals with the equipment before show time.

2. Projection mapping

Projection mapping or video-mapping technologies allows you to project images on any multi-dimensional shape or form. Any object can become a display, leading to visual effects that make events memorable.

See it for yourself!

Building Projection Mapping in Abu Dhabi

Dallas, Texas Joulle Hotel 3D Mapping

We love this highly content driven video and look forward to using it wherever we can. You need to be aware of time frames for building out the content side and the very technical projection side of this amazing format. Allow time for the techs to have the room to make sure everything is working just as it should.

3. Multi-image display presentation software

Plasma Screens and Video walls allow A/V techs to create amazing graphics for your show. Fly in words and photos to make your information really stand out. Screen sizes are changing from the typical standard sizes to super sizes; some screens are running 20 foot tall by 40-60 and even 80 foot wide. This lays the foundation for an incredible presentation and can also replace your stage set.

4. LED lighting

Your A/V team can integrate LED lighting with video systems, allowing them to color-match LED lighting to suit screen content and themes, further branding the meeting and the experience.

LED lighting is much more energy efficient and “Green” for your meetings. LED lighting is also available using batteries for when cords are not ideal and takes a lot less power for those rooms that are older and don’t have the power grid you need for a lot of equipment. We love the under table lighting, battery operated pin and flood lighting to highlight things like a cake or a centerpiece and even lighting that installs using magnets!

5. Touch-screen technology

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Final Celebrations: A New Trend for Event Planning

Event planning is finding a whole new industry where planners can make a difference. In fact, this might possibly be the greatest impact an event planner can make in their clients’ lives.

People are increasingly turning to event planners to celebrate the end of this life with their families before they move on to the next adventure. Instead of the standard in-the-box funeral, planning an all-out party might be more to your client’s liking. A “final celebration” is an opportunity to control ONE LAST thing in this lifetime. Some people find this a much more appealing way to ‘go out’ than the standard funeral.

If the family doesn’t get the opportunity to celebrate with the deceased, a party instead of a funeral can still be an option similar to that of an Irish Wake that was common practice until the 1970s. Irish Wakes celebrate the life of the deceased and ensure a proper “departing”. Many funeral homes in the U.S. are offering different types of services to make the funeral less depressing and more uplifting.

Here are some ideas for you if you’re interested in this sort of planning:

A Living Funeral

A living funeral is a great way for those with terminal illness to enjoy the nice things relatives and friends will say about them. Just like any party, you can theme this party with something that strikes the honorary guest. Below are the positive attributes of throwing a living funeral party:

*A living funeral allows family and guests to say everything they want to say BEFORE their friend or loved one passes

*This celebration helps family and friends come to reality

*Guests can leave notes behind to help comfort the VIP through the last stages of life

*The honorary guest can bring mementos to share and relive favorite memories with their loved ones

*A living funeral does not replace the traditional funeral, rather acts as a time to get together and celebrate a person’s life while they too can enjoy it with everyone

*The party can be designed to the specifications of the honoree

A Celebration of Life

Sometimes there isn’t the opportunity to celebrate life with the soon-to-be deceased, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to throw a party. This is a good way for family members to celebrate the essence of the deceased and what was important to them. Even though that person may not be around to hear all the nice things said about them, the family is there and will appreciate the kind words.

*Use items from that person’s life to decorate, share, and celebrate

*This celebration can take place after the funeral instead of a potluck

*You may decide to have the celebration located where the family decides to spread the ashes

*This celebration can take place away from home

Lives Lost Too Early

When helping families that have lost young ones or lives lost way too early, you will need to be especially graceful in your approach. Consider incorporating the following suggestions:

*Release doves in memory of the life lost too soon

*Ask friends and family members to bring stuffed toys to donate to a charity

*Celebrate with the fellow children in mind. What is appropriate? What is comfortable? *Consider having a grief counselor on hand to handle the different levels of understanding with the children

Handling these very important times in families’ lives will take a special type of event planner. One that has the traits for understanding, patience, and a strong ability to listen. You will need to be able to contain your own feelings and listen closely to the wishes of the families and the terminally ill.

You will play counselor, confidant, friend, and adopted family during the planning process. Make sure to leave your personal issues at the door; this is definitely a time for the client you are working for. Smile and have kind words. Laughter is a good thing, even in a sad situation.

Who would want to be a life celebration planner? Someone who…

  • Can work well with vulnerable and emotional people

  • Enjoys helping families who are going through a hard time

  • Enjoys being there for someone in a time of need

  • Wants to help someone out when they can’t get things done on their own

What type of personality is required for this event planner role?

  • Really strong people skills

  • Someone with good business and organizational skills

  • Diligent work ethic

Why would someone choose to do this for a living?

  • They had planned one of their own family member’s funerals and felt capable to handle the details in a time of sorrow and in helping relieve stress for others

  • They felt strong and passionate in making their loved one’s funeral represent their life and

    what to do that for others

  • They have a strong feeling about how someone who dies should be remembered and

    well­known and can help those grieving celebrate the loved ones in a way that has lasting

    memory.

Event Planning roles or specializations can range widely. If you feel you have the traits to fulfill a final celebrations planner, you would be greatly helping families make a transition in their lives that many find difficult to grapple. With the surge in baby boomers approaching and society’s want for greater control in their lives, final celebrations event planning is likely to stick around for a while.

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