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How Brexit Could Affect The Events Industry

By Losberger
Thursday, June 30th, 2016

On the 23rd July, citizens of the UK had the opportunity to vote whether to stay within the European Union, or to leave.

It was a hugely close vote, with 51.9% voting to leave the EU. 

With months of build up before the final vote and result, politicians and online resources have stated how leaving the European Union could be costly for our economy, education system and overall well-being of our society.

Others have claimed that leaving the EU will be better in the long run for the UK, allowing us to call the shots, by making our own rules and decisions.

Here at Losberger, we've spent many years providing modular buildings and event tents for the industry, and although we have our own views on the referendum result, we wanted to find out more about what other events professionals have to say.

Will leaving the EU be beneficial or detrimental for the events industry? Let's see what the experts had to say...

Adam Parry
Event Industry News

“Personally I would have preferred to stay IN, better the devil you know. However that being said I’m am positive about the opportunities that being independent could offer the events industry.

One thing is for certain, over the next couple of years during the transition there will be an impact, highs and lows. My initial thoughts are that the first two things to be impacted will be travel costs and staffing costs for events.“

Jordan Schwartz
Pathable

"In the short run, there will be some benefits for the UK events industry as a result of the Brexit vote: the weak pound makes planning an international event in the UK more affordable for those travelling in. Longer-term, of course, the projected recession both in the UK and potentially spreading outward will hurt events, as corporations and travellers will have to more careful about their spending.

But more importantly, the Brexit vote marks a move to isolationism and insularity. This is fundamentally at odds with the spirit of the event industry, which has, at its core, a desire to create relationships and build bonds, not to break them."

Claire Gapper
Brand Brewery

“With a new political landscape ahead of us there is still a tremendous amount of questions unanswered. For a business, especially in our industry, the ability to know the risks is key, therefore we are sailing unchartered waters currently without a captain.

Brexit will have an impact on how our clients and we work - whether in a good or bad way, only time can tell. For the immediate future we have to lead by example for our staff and clients - showing strength and a level head to deal with whatever happens over the coming days, months and years.”

William Thomson
Gallus Events

“The result has come as a shock. I had expected a close result but ultimately I assumed the UK would vote to remain to be part of the EU. I had some instant feedback only a few hours after the decision

One of my clients was considering running an event in London however after the result, they have decided to run the event in Barcelona. This is the first tangible impact of the decision that I can report. I of course can not speak for the industry as a whole but this clearly demonstrates that the decision will impact our sector as it will every other.

Looking to the midterm I can see a Government removing many of the regulations that support low paid workers in the UK. Our industry is run by hundreds of thousands of low paid workers and I can see their position worsening.

This will negatively impact the quality of events in the UK. For example, poorer off and less happy venue staff are not what any event planner wants.”

Kevin Van der Straeten
EventPlannerTV

“Living in Antwerp, very close to the European capital, I followed the news regarding the Brexit very closely. As entrepreneur I’m pro European Union and the advantages it brings for businesses in general and the event industry in particular.

I’m not really happy to see the UK leave, but I have a deep respect for democracy and the decision to choose for the exit scenario. I had the opportunity to speak with a few corporate planners on the continent over the last few days. Most of them agreed on the fact that the Brexit will influence (read: limit) there spend on the UK event market.

Many of them are thinking out loud on moving certain meetings, conventions and other events out of London to other European cities like Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam.

We are still in a very early stage, but it’s my opinion that the Brexit will lead to losses for the UK event industry. If they are as big as the first emotional reactions are, I doubt. But there will be. Especially London based venues should be aware of this and might benefit from campaigns targeted at the continent.”

Liz Brookes
Grapevine Event Management

"The vote to Leave the EU was certainly a shock for most of us in the event industry. However, this is not the first time that the sector has been shaken by events and uncertainty.

The recent recession placed an enormous strain on event providers. But the strength of the industry in the UK is its robust nature and ability to bounce back and move forward, bigger and better than before.

It is important that the industry does not take a back seat to wait and see what will transpire over the next two years, as our ‘divorce’ from the EU is finalised. Rather, we need to remind ourselves of what we do so well and focus on communicating all that makes the UK event industry the envy of the world.

With the focus very much on the UK right now, this is an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with national and international partners, showcase the great and the good of the UK events industry and drive home the message the Britain is very much open for business."

Kirk Thomas
Event Huddle

“The people have spoken and the United Kingdom will leave the political union that is the EU, a momentous occasion in our history for sure.

Already we are hearing the industry rally behind a flag of unity and creative excellence, calling on better training, wages and working conditions for our youth & workers; to not rely on EU expats for cheap labour (putting profits above people).

We now need to ensure that Britain & indeed its events industry outside the EU uses its freedom to welcome people to work, study and do business here from around the World.”

Adrian Segar
Conferences that Work

“As an ex-Brit, I'm sad that Britain has decided to not to stay in the EU. A small example of the ramifications: I am planning an event in England that's organized by colleagues in the Netherlands.

The disruption created by Brexit will, I believe, make our work significantly more difficult. Everyone in the events industry is aware of the complexity of organizing international events, and Brexit will only increase the challenges.”

Michael Doane
Cadmium CD

"My grandmother always told me, "things will work out." It's good advice and allows you to keep a clear perspective. Even in dire times, things tend to work out.

A panel at PCMA's Education Conference in St. Louis this week asked the question: Does Brexit spell the end of globalization? There are hundreds of thousands of EU citizens living in Britain -- 100,000 of them working in hospitality. There are thousands more UK citizens working and living in the EU.

What will happen to them now? How will economies worldwide respond? How will the events and hospitality industries be affected?

I don't know and no one can know. Until now, most countries have been moving away from nationalism and toward globalization. This is an unprecedented move.

What I do know is that the vote has been cast and Britain has decided to claim independence from the EU. What lies ahead is uncertain but I'm in the camp that thinks if we take my grandmother's advice, we'll be just fine.

Things will work out. They always do."

Michael Heipel
Click Consult

“I am shocked by the result of the UK referendum. Having grown up in Western Germany, I could experience the steps of the European unification first-hand. Over centuries, Europe spent most of the time in conflicts, culminating in the horrors of the 20th century.

The EU was forged by emotional people that wanted to overcome this. You can say Europe was built on emotion. As an event planner, you feel part of an international community. We event profs have a lot in common, no matter if you’re from Asia, UK, Germany, Spain, USA. We think alike. Seeing Europe drift apart makes my heart bleed.

The process of European unification and the resulting peace in Europe is one of the biggest achievements of our time. The freedom to work wherever you like, freedom to travel without restrictions fuels the entire economy, but in particular the MICE sector.

I can only hope that this will not result in more "independence" movements, because nationalism makes me sick. Sad day for Europe…”

Categories : Losberger Blog

Mass Participation Events: How Social Media Has Profited

By Losberger
Tuesday, June 21st, 2016

Mass Participation Events have grown dramatically in the last 10 years, raising millions of pounds each year for a number of charities and organisations.

Is this a surprise? We don't think so.

As you know, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are created for us to be expressive and share with one another, and raising money for great causes couldn't be more effective via these platforms.

In this article we'll be focusing on the power of social media and how it has transformed mass participation events.

To start, lets take a look at some statistics...

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According to the last report by Massive, 2014 was the year that changed mass participation events forever.

 As you can see above, the top 25 events collectively raised £154 million, partly due to the creativity and viral nature of the digital social events, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge, No Makeup Selfie and Movember.

But the three fastest growing events were Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day (235% growth), Macmillan's Go Sober October (79% growth) and Breast Cancer Care's Pink Ribbon Walks (79% growth).

Another important question being, which digital social event is the most profitable?

All is revealed below...

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For those living in the stone age (don't be offended), The Movember Foundation created a concept to raise millions of pounds for research and awareness for a number of men's health issues, most notably prostate cancer.

As you can see from the above visual, the statistics speak for themselves really.

Since 2003, over 4.5 million men and women have supported the Movember Foundation, raising an astonishing £11 million in 2014, which makes it the most profitable digital social mass participation event.

If you want to read more about the foundation and its work so far, we'd recommend taking a look at there annual reports.

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Another campaign that took off due to it's viral nature was the #nomakeupselfie.

Several brave woman around the world took to the social stage and uploaded no makeup selfies to raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK.

As the statistics show above, £2 million pounds was raised in the first week of the campaign going viral, and this figure tripled to £6 million only 6 days later.

The overall figure raised is believed to be around £8 million, according to The Guardian.

Big social names in this campaign were Twitter and Instagram, with around 85,000 conversations and status' involving the No Makeup Selfie, and 59,000 Instagram users posted selfies in the first 24 hours, just think how many must have uploaded during the campaign!

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Remember those videos of celebrities, friends, family and just about anybody soaking themselves with freezing buckets of ice cold water?

Of course you do.

​Well, the Motor Neurone Disease Association received a very generous £2.7 million pounds thanks to all the brave people willing to get involved and nominate there friends.

Many other charities and organisations got involved in the challenge and encouraged there supporters to do the same. Macmillan Cancer Support raised £3 million to go towards research also.

Let's take a look at some more statistics you may find rather interesting...

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From the statistics above, you can see just how valuable social media has been in contributing to the sheer growth of mass participation events and making them ever more popular and profitable.

As you can see within the graph above, £19.3 million was generated from digital social events alone and although digital has pushed these events forward, traditional events such as the Race for Life and World's Biggest Coffee Morning have raised over £75 million between them in 2014, and these figures are expected to even greater once they're released.

To summarise, mass participation has evolved in a way that nobody expected and will continue to spread the message, raise awareness and most importantly, raise funds for research and those who need it most.

Everybody, keep up the great work!

Categories : Losberger Blog

The Best Non Music UK Festivals – Fun for Everyone

By Losberger
Tuesday, April 5th, 2016

Festivals are for music, right? Well, not necessarily.

UK festivals are known for being the best because of the way they mix bands, genres, bourgeoisie and rebels (not a reference to Madonna).

However, we thought we’d give a different view of UK festivals. Specifically, we shall round up those that are not centred on music but on many other interesting things.

Frankly, non-music UK festivals have become so rare that it’s very difficult to actually find pictures of one.

However, in order to do this, we realized we needed a set of rules. How much do we have to drift away from music? What is a non-music festival? Certainly, even the most tuneless gathering must have some music somewhere in the background. So we made up these criteria for our entries:

• The focus of the festival must be not musical

• The festival is permitted to have music, either live or otherwise

• The festival must be based in the UK

• The festival can be international, i.e. it can be a touring festival

These festivals are generally planned with the help of event profs that arrange all the event tents or modular constructions.

These festivals are designed to entertain all sorts of crowds, from large audiences to small ones. No matter the turnout, they have everything under control.

Now that we’ve cleared out all the general info, it’s time to look first at the typical categories of English festivals that take place across the kingdom.

After that, we will be listing our picks for the top 11 best non-music UK festivals, so stay tuned!

Food Festivals

Food truck festivals are just a small example of the types of food fests. A delicious one at that.

Food Festivals aren’t simple gatherings of people who like to eat. Were it so, every restaurant seating more than 100 people could be considered a food festival.

Food festivals are a delight of the modern world, yet they haven’t always been so modern. You may know that these fairs, where people gather to eat, drink, and be merry, have been around for centuries, if not thousands of years.

The basic principle of a UK food festival is the same as probably all around the world. People from that particular area in which the festival is set come together in one of the town’s largest public gathering places.

There, they present their local delicacies, family recipes, and variants of traditional products for the delight of hungry visitors from all corners of the kingdom.

Local food festivals today don’t just stick to the concept of the all-you-can-eat extravaganza, they often encompass music, dance, and a great variety of homemade brandies.

Others more near metropolitan areas put on a posh disguise, where famous chefs of the region present their foods for food critics and curious amateurs alike.

Adventure Festivals

Adventure fests are very difficult to describe since most of them are very, very different from one another.

The best thing we can do is give a general overview of what kind of activities typically go on at these types of shows.

Usually taking place in a rural area, adventure fests pit man against nature in the wildest of combinations.

Featuring an incredible variety of activities, festival-goers are typically blown away by the amount of things that they can do in a relatively short amount of time.

These include, but are far from limited to, forest hikes, archery, sword fighting, zip wire trails, survival training, and even horse riding.

Of course, that’s far from all that goes on at these adventure fests. We’ll be talking about a lot of these in the next part of our guide to UK festivals.

Adventure fairs are also very good vacation destinations for families that wish to strengthen their bonds and annoy their teenage children.

So if you’re into that, jump to the top below and check out some awesome activities.

Racing Festivals

Racing festivals hold a dubious status. It’s pretty complicated to differentiate between actual professional events and true racing festivals.

So I guess we’ll just have to rely on what the adverts say. Racing festivals prove to be incredible attractions for motoring enthusiasts everywhere.

They often include many big names in the history of motoring sports competing against each other either in friendly competition or in an actually ranked race.

Racing festivals typically form around a famous track and last for several days in which non-stop on-track action is underway.

Gaming Festivals

Gaming festivals are the odd ones out here. Yet, they can be far cooler than other, more traditional fests.

Gaming festivals are a new addition to the world of festivals. However, they've quickly risen to fame as they often hold numerous competitions sponsored by big gaming corporations.

These competitions offer gamers a chance to socialize with members of the same community while competing with them at the same time.

It’s complicated to rank and rate gaming festivals. Most are focused on either a single game, on multiple games of the same genre or on games from a single developer. Naturally, the player base for each type of game is drastically different.

So much so that there are long-standing feuds between players of opposed genres such as first person multiplayer games and role-playing games. That’s why gaming festivals typically target a set community of video game enthusiasts.

UK Festivals (with some music)

The Good Life Experience

Image source

The Good Life Experience promises visitors will be leaving the festivals with the innate wish of coming back each year.

Here are a few of the highlights of the Good Life Experience festival:

• A splendid location. Set in a stunningly beautiful forest near Chester, the festival awes countless tourists each year with its incredible location – the perfect retreat from the hectic city.

• Amazing music and books. The line-up for the music shows is amazing every year. The books that are launched here are equally interesting.

• Food and drinks. This festival doubles as a food and drink festival. Not many UK festivals combine multiple types of fests into a single one. 

• Workshops and crafting lessons. You can learn all sorts of crafts from here – try your luck at some knitting or pumpkin carving.

NASS Festival

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This festival near Bristol brings together skating and BMX enthusiasts from around the world.

They come together in a common understanding of this exciting, adrenaline-filled sport.

Here, they can witness the miracle happen: professional skaters from around the world come to roll in the international competition held each year.

Yet, that’s not even the highlight of the whole show.

The Federation of International BMX Freestyle has handpicked the NASS festival to be part of their BMX World Championships.

If skating festivals are your thing, this one should definitely be at the very top of your list of where to go next!

Manchester International Festival

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Now the contrast between the previous entry on our list and this one is pretty stark, we’ll admit.

However, we can’t go through this list of the top UK festivals without mentioning the Manchester International Festival.

As it says on their website, this festival was created back in 2007 by artists for artists.

Basically, they bring new artistic projects to the eyes of the public.

These projects can be anything from ballet pieces to music acts, to theatre plays, and to anything in between.

The best feature of this festival is that it’s a touring festival.

Not only do they go all around the UK to show their masterpiece performances, but they also tour the world.

As you may know, not every theatre group chooses or is able to go around the world and perform their shows.

They’ve been to New York, to Paris, to Italy, to Abu Dhabi, to Germany, and many other places around the world.

Still, you really have to see them in order to believe their masterful performances.

Base Camp Festival

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We’re back to the realm of the forest and of adventure festivals in the UK. Base Camp Festival, set in the beautiful Peak District, is a lovely escape destination where one can get in tune with nature and explore the wild side of life.

Like with all adventure fests we’ve talked about, you can engage in group or individual activities of the strangest types.

The only issue with activities at this festival is that you need to pay for some of them. While there are a lot of free things you can partake in, the paid services are often the most fun.

Therefore, if you’re planning on going to the Base Camp festival, be sure to have some extra cash in your pockets. Still, it is well worth it as the people who will be training you in the respective activities (such as mountain biking) are true professionals who know what they’re doing.

Here are some of the highlights of Base Camp:

• Both day and night activities. If you like staying up late in the middle of the forest, there’ll be plenty to do.

• The people who go there. All the people who attend this special festival are of the same sort as you: quirky, fun, and adventurous.

• They have experience. Seeing as they are the first ever festival to feature this concept, they probably know a lot of things that others who are just starting do not.

Eroica Britannia

Image source

Forget all about the festivals we’ve mentioned up to now.

Sure you can have a lot of fun going to each and every one, but none of them even come close to the winner of the 2015 title for the best non-music festival in the UK: the Eroica Britannia.

Think that’s a fancy name?

Wait until you hear the fancy stuff they've got going inside the festival!Basically, Eroica Britannia started out as a cycling event.

Now? It’s much, much more than that. It has become a lifestyle event. It’s the perfect combination of hanging out in an incredible setting, cycling, showing up for a few brilliant music acts, and all the while having a perfectly British, perfectly posh weekend away from the city.

The fair has it all: companies advertising their products, tea breweries trying to appeal to the more high-brow population, and especially athletes of all ages pitted against each other in friendly competition.

A lot more incredible acts await you once you step through the entrance. Who said UK music festivals have all the fun?

Innocent Unplugged Festival

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The name says it all. Innocence is blissfully wandering the forests without a care in the world. How do you make that experience all the more amazing?

Turn off your phones. Log out of Facebook. Let the only twitter you hear be that of nightingales up above along the treetops. If you think you can make it that far, the Innocent Un-Plugged Festival is the best thing in the world.

At day, you can wander around with your friends, playing games, and engaging in the countless adventures available to the public.

At night, you can attend the show: see bands, comedy plays, comedians, and all sorts of entertainers doing their thing up on a basic wooden stage in front of traditional long dinner tables with haystacks in place of chairs.

After that, you can go watch the stars and fall asleep with your friends or your significant other by your side.

The festival is held annually around the end of May in the Kent Downs Area near Darent Valley.

Non Music UK Festivals

Somewhere at the beginning of this guide we’ve mentioned that there are very few UK festivals that feature absolutely no music. Well, now it’s time for us to talk about these UK festivals. Don’t worry, we’ve saved the best for last!

Salou Fest

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Who cares about reputation? Saloufest (or Salou Fest) is a UK-based festival that promises you a complete experience.

It generally starts somewhere in the UK. For most of those attending Salou Fest, it probably also ends somewhere in the UK.

However, for something advertised as “the tour to end all tours”, you know you’ll be in for more than you bargained for.

It’s been described by countless students as the quintessential experience for your student life.

To put it simply: you get 5 days to party, party, and party some more. Yet, this party isn’t just about dancing, listening to music, and drinking.

It also involves a lot of activities to make your hangover all the more painful. Things like a one-day escape to Barcelona and back.

How about a boat trip? Or maybe you’d prefer to participate in a few friendly competitions.

You can do all of these things and more if you just sign up for Salou Fest.

Insomnia Gaming Festival

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If you were not aware, gamers like to spend their nights playing games. That’s all nice, but how about doing the same only with countless other gamers in the same festival?

To some, it may sound like a dream. Others may not really see the point of it. All we know is that it’s a really nice festival complete with all the things gamers have come to expect from these types of things.

Started 14 years ago and still running at the NEC in Birmingham, the festival features the following:

• A BYOC system. One of the first festivals ever where you can bring your own computer. This allows for a better feel of the game and smaller ticket prices. Alternatively, gamers can also bring just their controllers.

• LAN Gaming. Of course you will have a room full of people competing against each other. However, this isn’t just a LAN party.

• Exhibition Hall. This is where you will see all the big announcements about all the new arrivals on the gaming market.

• Esports tournaments. This is probably the main reason why so many people actually go to these events: the prospect of becoming an acknowledged master and earning some money in the process.

Goodwood Festival

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It’s time for the one and only road and racing festival on our list. In that sense, Goodwood is really special.

However, it should be the awesome people that attend it and that take part in the competition that really make it special. For motorsport enthusiasts everywhere, there really isn’t a better festival.

The best part is: the only music you’ll hear at this festival is given by the thundering burst of the throttle and the heart-stopping wails of the exhaust pipes.

Do you like being around those types of cars? If so, this is the place for you.

Out of all the UK festivals 2016 you need to have marked on your calendar, this one takes the crown, the trophy, and the champagne.

The Festival of Speed takes place annually between June 23 and June 26 and features some of the meanest racers to ever rev their engines upon the clear tarmac of victory.

Taste of London Festival

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We’re not partial to food festivals at all. Really now. However, the Taste of London takes the cherry on top of the cake that is this article.

Every year, between June 15 and June 19, people from all over the world and from all over London gather in the humble Regent’s Park in the British capital to taste some of the best dishes in the world.

Over 40 restaurants and countless word-class chefs participate in a battle of the dishes that simply melts your taste away. All the smells enchant and draw you closer to the ultimate dish of whatever.

There simply is not better non-music festival in the UK. If you love eating and cooking, you’ll feel right at home. If you also love tasting traditional and exotic foods alike, be sure that you’ll find your heart’s desires here.

It seems that we have reached the end of our guide to the best non music UK festivals. Which one are you planning to visit? Let us know where you go and what wondrous adventures of the senses you encounter there!

Image sources: pixabay.com, depositphotos.com.

Categories : Losberger Blog
Tags : Event Tents, Festivals

Sustainability of event structures

By Losberger
Monday, February 22nd, 2016

The Heat is on!

Proud to be the first company in the tent industry to actively demonstrate the sustainability of its event structures. Independent thermal and sound insulation experts conducted various thermal value experiments on Losberger event structures around the globe, simulating 16 different event scenarios.

Progressive climate change poses increasing challenges to the event’s industry. Sustainable events have been a hot topic for many years, event oraganisers already know the environmental benefits of a meat free menu, online check-ins, and recycling; but what about temporary venues themselves? And how can “sustainability” in temporary event structures be officially calculated and demonstrated?

As Power can represent up to 70%  of an event’s ‘core’ carbon footprint (core excludes audience travel and transport) Losberger wanted to know; how big is the influence of different structures on the heating and cooling energy requirements at different types of events at different locations around the world.

The Losberger Kubo was chosen as the temporary event structure to be examined. To put it through its paces engineers from an impartial company Aachen; professionals for sound and thermal insulation, were approached to carry out the extensive testing.   

The Structure

Losberger Kubo, 10.5 / 400 x 10m using an insulated design variant with insulated glass, roofs and walls – Compared to a non-insulated design variant with standard glass and cassette walls.

The simulation

The first study involved two Kubos featuring 6 different assembly variations and was carried out by taking into account the external heat loads,  internal elements and the planned building services. Various locations were chosen around the world to account for various climate conditions. At the same time, different types of event scenarios were re-created; from festivals and parties to conferences and exhibitions. A total of 16 variants were considered in detail by the experts.

Thermal and energy measurements were carried out for 7 days in detail to determine how the various materials used impacted on energy demand. Data-loggers recorded temperatures and humidity in 1-minute increments. The loggers were hung at ankle, neck height seated and neck height standing. Thermal imaging was used to clearly show heat loss, retention and cold bridges.

The following parameters were measured and evaluated:

  • Temperature in the structure at four different heights (0.1 m, 1.1 m, 1.7 m and 3 m)
  • External Temperatures
  • Simultaneous thermo graphic images, to verify the outer shell.

The result

The heating and cooling energy requirements in the insulated Kubo showed a significant difference from the non-insulated model featuring standard walls and glass. A guaranteed saving of at least 20 percent was demonstrated in the practical test. As predicted results were influenced significantly by the external temperature and event type.

An uncovered  floor proved acted as a „constructional cold bridge“. However, with carpet and/or floor heating, there are increased savings to be made.

Losberger is always conscious of the conflict between what is technically feasible, sustainability and cost effectiveness. The calculation and recordings produced serve to modernise future materials used in tent construction.
In the field test insulated and non-insulated Kubo variants were compared.


Data loggers recorded  temperature and humidity every minute.

 

Losberger Sustainability

 

Categories : Losberger Blog

Event Technology: Will This Define Success in 2016?

By Losberger
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016

Event Technology is developing and defining the way we plan and create events in brand new ways.

Many event professionals are still catching up with the new trends in the industry and aren't implementing these new tools.

But several others have taken to the idea...

Many event professionals, businesses and individuals have been adapting to these new technologies and using them to ​there advantage, producing events that simply WOW people.

But what we all want to find out is, will technology define the success of events in 2016?

In our detailed visual, you'll discover tons of information and useful data including:

 - Insightful Event Technology Statistics.

 - Mobile Applications, Smartphones and Internet Usage.

 - The Benefits of Live Streaming.

 - Social Media & Event Marketing.

 - Evolving Event Technology

 - EVEN MORE Event Technology Data!

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Mobile Apps for event professionals and attendees?

That's right, a number of innovative event mobile apps have popped up in recent years, some have been more successful than others, and the ones that have been utilised have shown there worth, as well as the potential they have.

So far, event apps serve as excellent tools for networking with others at your event or if you're an attendee.

One of our favourite event apps would have to be Intros.

Intros is simple, easy to use and makes event networking simple, intelligent and efficient, and with the backing of profound events industry investors, 2016 could be the year that this app and other similar apps blossom (such as Charlie App and Webeam).

Did you know, 44% of attendees use mobile event apps?

Find out more below:

Live Streaming Events, a further route to market?

In the past few years, you may have stumbled across a number of promotions for online live streaming activities.

Whether it be for an awards ceremony, an obscure sporting event or a global music event, companies and event professionals all around the world are jumping on the live streaming band wagon, and it's easy to see why.

The benefits to live streaming are endless, and these includes:

- Reaching a larger audience (which means more exposure to your event, brand, sponsors, viewing figures).

- Developing a sense of urgency (naturally, more people will want to view your "live exclusive" content).

- Create Social Uproar (those streaming your live exclusive will want to shout about it, or tweet....).

- New revenue opportunities (implementing an access charge for your live stream).

- Stand out from the competition (have the competitive edge over others in your industry, no matter how niche!)

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If that isn't enough to convince you, take a look at this impressive Kinura case study which explains how they executed the live streaming of a global "One Young World" event.

Will Social Media dominate event marketing?

Not only are social media sites continuing to take over our personal lives, but they continue to excel and open up new opportunities in the professional field also.

Event professionals are using the likes of Twitter and LinkedIn to increase awareness about their events, and this has proven to have had a positive outcome, as 88% of professionals use social media for this exact reason.

Having said that, a number of event organisers are still missing a trick or two.

Take a look at the figures below, you may be rather surprised...

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The Future for Event Technology is EXCITING!

A number of exciting technology continues to surprise us and keep us on our toes.

Can technology do the same for events?

The simple answer is yes.

Below we've selected our top four forms of technology which we think will continue to grow and become major players in the events market in 2016.

Although some may seem obvious, others may be more insightful than you think...

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Embed this infographic, if you wish!

Categories : Losberger Blog
Tags : event technology, event technology 2016, events technology, the future of events

How to Plan the Ultimate Outdoor Party

By Losberger
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015

Planning a party is a huge but fun undertaking and it forces you to get your creative juices flowing and come up with innovative decorations, themes, refreshments and activities to keep your guests entertained.

But everybody knows that there are parties and then there is “the party”, that one event that was so amazing people are going to compare it to every other party they go to from that moment on.

Want your party to be “the one” that everyone is referring to? Then plan an outdoor party that they will never forget.

Perks of an Outdoor Party

It’s nice to have all your friends over for dinner and games but it’s not exactly Coachella. Some of the best parties take place outdoors simply because of the endless possibilities that organizers have when they choose to plan an event outside. Firstly, outdoor parties don’t suffer from many of the restrictions that indoor parties do and the theme, organization, space and seating are not dictated by the venue’s limitations.

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While many indoor locations come with certain rules and regulations, planning a party outside means that you choose what does and doesn’t work for you. Then there’s also the matter of the “wow factor” which can easily be achieved outside by simply choosing a stunning location and creating your own theme and decorum based on what’s already available to you.

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If you’re only planning a barbecue in your backyard for five of your closest friends you don’t have to worry much about organization but if we’re talking about the ultimate outdoor party, that one event nobody will be able to forget, you’ll have to consider a few factors that can make or break your evening. Plan ahead, get your ideas and key elements organized and you’re bound to pull it off.

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Ultimate outdoor party: Ingredients list

There are a few must-haves when you’re planning a party outdoors since the location itself probably isn’t going to provide you with everything you need. As long as you make sure that you cater to all of the needs your guests might have you should have no problem in organizing a great event so just make sure you take all the possibilities into account when drafting your to-do list and check the boxes.

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The truth is you’re planning a party outside so you will need to cover your basics before you start picking out the napkins and balloons. You will need to think about ensuring sufficient seating arrangements, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere and setting up a covered area in case of bad weather. Once you have these essential elements taken care of, you can focus on the rest of the details such as decorations, refreshments, music and activities.

Party tents: If not there, where to party?

Perhaps the best way to be sure that all of your primary needs are covered is to set up a party tent on location and organize the event around it. Party tents come in many shapes and sizes and help you cover all of your basics in one go as they provide shelter from bad weather, warmth for the evening when it gets chillier and enough space for ample and comfortable seating.

The main reason why it makes sense to consider party tent rental for an outdoor event is that it will enable you to get the best of both worlds when it comes to your special occasion: the stunning surroundings, versatility and freedom of an outdoor location and the convenience, comforts and benefits of an indoor venue.

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You can opt for a simpler design to guard against bad weather and offer you shade during the day or set up a more intricate tent to ensure heating, seating and designated areas for certain features your event might include, like a buffet or dance floor.

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Depending on the number of guests attending there are different sizes of party tents that you can choose from:

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• you can assemble smaller tents where activities can be organized or food can be served , or

• you can choose a larger, main tent for your guests to gather and socialize in

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If you want to plan an outdoor event but are afraid that it might not be formal enough, there are several high quality models that suppliers assemble on-site and feature cassette walls and glass elements, modern frames and flooring that will actually recreate the full experience of an indoor venue customized to fit your needs.

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What is the obvious advantage to this type of tent? You still enjoy all the great features of the outdoor location of your choosing but also provide guests with an option for an indoor event once the activities outside have ended.

It may seem that it’s an extra cost but if you put it into perspective it’s well worth the investment. You can put endless hours of work into planning the greatest outdoor party and still have the evening ruined by external elements that you couldn’t have possibly prevented.

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The truth is that not only does a party tent save you a lot of work because it ensures that your basics are covered, it’s also the only way to guarantee that, no matter what Mother Nature decides to throw at you, the party you’ve worked so hard on goes according to plan.

Choosing an unforgettable location

One of the best arguments for having an outdoor party is that you get to choose a stunning location that will leave your guests in awe of the natural beauty surrounding them. So don’t just choose the first patch of grass you find, put a bit of effort into researching some great places that will completely change the way your party looks and feels.

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An outdoor venue can set the tone for the event and often inspire or at the very least compliment the theme that the organizer has in mind. You can start by looking for a place that will accommodate the number of guests you are expecting and that will fit your needs in terms of accessibility, space and activity options.

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Make a list of what your requirements are and then look for venues that fit the criteria you have established. For instance if you’re expecting children to attend you might need a space where you can set up child-friendly activities.

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Moreover, you need to make sure that it is safely enclosed and guarded so that none of your younger guests accidentally fall into a lily pond or get lost on trails. If you’re planning a more romantic setting, however, you can look into a lovely garden or a riverside glade instead. A beach-themed party will always work best on an actual beach.

The location that you end up choosing will more than likely inspire you to create decorations and activities that enhance and take advantage of its natural beauty. Make sure that the place where you plan to have the party can cater to your essential requirements and then plan the rest of the details according to its features.

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The beauty of an outdoor location is that it adds natural beauty and great scenery to your event but it also allows you to create your own vision of the perfect surroundings for your ideal party by working with what you have at your disposal and building on that. It’s basically a beautiful, almost blank canvas that you can work with to bring your ideas to life so take advantage of the versatility it offers and find elements that you can incorporate in the venue to connect it to your chosen party theme.

Consider the weather

As it happens with any outdoor activity, the weather will play a big part in how things unfold during your party. It goes without saying that you should check the weather forecast in advance when you’re planning an event outside but the problem with Mother Nature is that the only thing predictable about her is how unpredictable she can be.

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So try to make some extra preparations just in case the weather does change for the worse, otherwise you risk your party being ruined by anything from strong winds to rainfall, storms and even unbearable heat and scorching sun at the other end of the spectrum.

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The first thing you need to consider is having a back-up plan for the actual venue. If you’re only having a small party in your back yard, make sure that your living room is well equipped to accommodate the number of guests attending in case the weather turns.

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However if the party is at a different location rather than at your own home, have a safety net for bad weather just in case. Either book an alternative indoor location nearby or set up an event tent in the first place. I prefer having an outdoor party tent just because it takes a lot of the pressure off when planning anything outside and it ensures that no matter what the weather conditions actually are on the day of the event it can still take place with minimal setbacks.

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I’ve mentioned before that you can find event tent rental services that can customize a tent for your budget and needs so you can make it as sophisticated and complex or as minimalistic as you choose, just look into setting one up just in case and make the most of it whether it rains or not since, in the end, it’s a great addition to the party regardless of the weather.

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The other issue with planning any sort of outdoor event is that if your local meteorologist ends up being wrong about the weather, the fun activities that you’ve planned may become impossible to carry out and enjoy. So try to prepare some activities that can also take place indoors just in case you have to move the fun there.

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Packing some versatile games for the kids with you is a great safety measure since they’re the first to get bored when it’s rainy and the last to be shy about letting you know exactly how they feel about it. So consider some child-friendly activities that can take place indoors if you’re expecting children to attend your party and designate an area for them from the very beginning.

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Make sure that you have a covered space large enough to accommodate the number of guests you’re expecting and ideally see that it’s big enough to allow for some movement and interaction, even dancing if possible, so that you don’t have to crowd everybody under a tarp like sardines if it starts pouring.

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The important thing to remember is that if you take the proper precautions there’s no reason why bad weather should ruin your party so don’t let bad forecasts discourage you, just plan accordingly and let your guests know that your shindig is happening no matter what nature throws at you.

Party Tent Decorations

Now that you’ve made sure that all your essential elements are set up it’s time for the real fun to begin and to start thinking about your decorations. Decorations can make or break an outdoor party, so ensure that you’ve done your research and know exactly what guests are going to attend. Then, tailor the decorations to their expectations. How exactly can you start working on your lovely decorations? You first choose the theme.

Choose a unique party theme

The theme you decide to go with will set the tone for your party and help immerse the guests in the atmosphere you want to create. Having an outdoor setting will immensely contribute to building the space according to this theme, so don’t hesitate to work with your surroundings rather than against them.

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For instance if you’re having a garden party and want a setting that is relaxed but also elegant you can put together a tea party.

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If you’re trying to achieve something that is both fresh and colourful but also lots of fun you can try a 60’s or 70’s inspired setting for your event, just watch a few episodes of Mad Men and you won’t be able to stop yourself from coming up with ideas for decorations, cocktails and songs.

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If you’re having a bigger party, choose a theme that will make everyone feel at home despite it being in a massive gathering. The possibilities range from the county fair to a neighbourhood potluck or even, if your guests are young and want to spend the night dancing, a college party or a rave. If you need something more intimate, a dinner-style party, midsummer night’s dream inspired setting or a family-friendly fiesta might be the way to go.

After you’ve chosen your outdoor party idea and theme it gets a lot easier to bring your event to life.

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Think of the decorations that will help you materialize your vision and get creative with anything from ribbons and balloons to table centrepieces and flower arrangements.

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Pick out the china, cutlery and glasses you are going to use according to your theme. If the occasion is more formal, you might want to use matching china and reusable forks and knifes but if the party is more relaxed and the theme you’ve chosen doesn’t really call for much more than some cardboard plates and plastic cutlery try to make those things fun and integrate them into the decorum.

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You can try painting the ends of your spoons, forks and knifes to coordinate them with the decorations and tablecloth or create some personalized cups and drinking glasses for your guests, they will appreciate the effort.

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Put together some floral decorations to adorn the venue since they make everything seem fresh and vibrant and use some colourful centrepieces and ornaments to really make the tables pop. Think about the activities you want to organize and incorporate them into the setting by designing the things you need for them in the same colour scheme the rest of your venue has.

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Try to also personalize the furniture and make it feel like it really belongs in the decorum.

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You can either choose tables and chairs that are in tune with your theme from the very beginning or use pillows, tablecloths and covers to bring the furniture, the party tent and the decorations together. Take advantage of the tent’s walls, ceiling, height and shape and hang chandeliers and garlands to complete the theme that you are going for.

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Just remember, it’s your party so anything you love can work as long as you keep an open mind and try out many options and materials to create the decorations: anything from coloured paper and balloons to candles and flowers can contribute to a beautiful decorum as long as you know how to incorporate it into your design.

Outdoor Party Lighting

Considering that most parties extend into the evening hours you’ll have to make some arrangements in terms of the lighting since you don’t want your guests stumbling in the dark and tripping over the furniture. But outdoor party lights can bring a lot more to a party than just clearer vision for the guests: they can really change the atmosphere and make the venue look considerably more beautiful.

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So try to make the most of your lights and come up with creative ways to incorporate them into your decorations. Use the tent’s ceiling to create the feeling of volume and space by hanging strings of LED lights on it and let them drape down the walls for more brightness.

But don’t stop there, incorporate these cheerful lights into the decorations by placing them into bottles or attaching jars to the strings and filling the respective jars with a few lights, it will make the venue feel warmer and more cosy.

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Paper globes and Chinese lanterns will also brighten up the place and they come in all sorts of sizes and colours so feel free to adorn your location with those as well. If Chinese lanterns or paper decorations are not working for your particular theme adapt to it and use actual lanterns, wither electrical or with candles in them and place them in the darker corners of the tent and the venue to make it feel more lively.

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Tiki torches are also a great option since they are easy to set up anywhere and are rather inexpensive. You can use them for anything to decorating the venue to marking the trails leading from one area to another or the exits and entries to certain places.

Try to think both big and small when it comes to the lighting at your party and create some smaller lighting sources that you can place anywhere.

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This way you can bring some additional light to the tables and to the other areas you need to highlight. You can use LED lights and incorporate them into your theme in creative ways (like putting them in small recipients that fit your vision) or just light candles and design some simple candle stands that will contribute to the decorum.

Food, drinks and music

Once you’ve established the theme and created the ideal setting for your party you can focus on adding the finishing touches that are bound to impress your guests. Try to have some fun with the food and drinks that you are going to serve for everyone and make them enjoyable and accessible since you don’t want to spend your entire evening running from one guest to another and serving them.

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Seeing as the party is outdoors, the best way to approach the food is to make sure it is portioned and ready to pick up and put on a plate in a second. You won’t have the time or the means for laborious preparations once the party starts so have everything set up and ready to be taken out and served before the guests arrive.

If you want to have a barbecue try to keep things organized as much as possible and set a predetermined time for the cooking to take place so that you don’t have to keep the grill running all day for late-comers.

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Set aside an hour or two to have fun with barbecuing and have some tapas and appetizers out for the rest of the day, as well as sweets. You can also set up a “Do it yourself” hamburger or hotdog station if you plan on serving these foods since it’s a lot easier for people to just put whatever they want on their sandwiches from an assortment of toppings you’ve provided.

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If your party doesn’t revolve around barbecuing meat right then and there, arrange some nice appetizers that people can enjoy on the spot and portion them previously so that everybody gets the same amount.

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Think of bite-sized snacks and crostini that can be left on the buffet throughout the event so that your guests can enjoy a quick bite to eat at any time. The same idea works for cakes and sweets, cupcakes are always a popular choice but you can also put out fruit cups or even a DIY ice-cream station if you want your guests to have a bit more fun and variety when it comes to their desserts.

When it comes to drinks you can have a lot of fun with both creating cocktails and serving them. Set up a personalized drink station for sodas and beers and supply your guests with margarita or sangria pitchers if you want a relaxed menu. Be sure to add decorated cups and straws to the stand so that people can make their own personalized drinks.

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If you want to impress with some home-made cocktails try to serve them in a unique way that compliments your theme. Have fun with creating new recipients and presentations and use anything from coloured jars to cocktail glasses that have been decorated with edible arrangements since the sky is the limit.

What’s a party without some great music to shape the atmosphere? Try to estimate how long your party will last and plan accordingly by putting together a playlist that is long enough to last throughout the occasion.

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Think of the mood you are trying to set and choose songs that compliment it but try not to give into your personal tastes too much and fill it with tracks that you love but that might not fit the general theme of the evening.

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It’s usually best to pick upbeat songs so that your guests feel a positive energy surrounding them but in the end it’s up to you what you decide works best for the event. Try to keep the volume in check and not have your merry tunes blast out of the speakers so loud that the guests have to shout in order to speak to one another.

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Find a happy medium between hearing it clearly and not overwhelming the event with it. It might also be worth setting up several smaller speakers rather than one or two bigger ones since the sound will be well dispersed throughout the location as opposed to coming from a couple of very loud sources only.

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Try not to point your speakers directly at the guests’ heads and set them up at different angles so that the sound covers the venue but is not directed at the listeners directly. Remember that the music should be an important contributor to your party but that it should, in the end, compliment the fun activities and conversations that people are having and not overpower them.

Bringing it all together

If you’ve gone through all of these steps you should now have the key elements that you need in order to throw the ultimate outdoor party and give your guests and experience they will never forget.

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All that’s left for you to do is to go out and start putting it all together. Don’t be afraid to mix and match elements that you love and create an event that is completely your own. Pick a time, date, place and theme and start building the perfect party for you.

Categories : Losberger Blog

Event Management Tips From Industry Experts

By Losberger
Monday, December 7th, 2015

Creating and managing a successful event isn't as easy as it sounds. Whether you're catering for a team of 10 or 100, it doesn't make any difference, a successful event requires a high level of organisation, amongst many other things.

Having provided many temporary event structures for a range of events across the UK, we've had the pleasure of seeing many successful events unveil, and although we aren't event managers ourselves, we've seen just how much work has gone in to creating such imaginative occasions.

So, whether you're organising a corporate trade show or a staff Christmas party, we're sure you'll be able to take some inspiration and valuable tips from our experts roundup.

We reached out to some of the most experienced event management companies in the UK, and had the pleasure of picking their brains by asking the question:

"If you could only name 3, which tips would you suggest creating a successful event?"

And this it what they had to say...

Ben Milton - The Event Business

1. P.P.P.P.P – ‘Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performances’

2. Know your audience.

3. Build and maintain great supplier relationships – they help you to deliver amazing events.

Ruth Locke

1. Sufficient planning time.

2. Sufficient budget

3. Quality suppliers/subcontractors

Liz Brookes – Grapevine Event Management

1. WHY? - Have a clear objective. Making sure you understand the client’s objective for holding the event is vital. This makes sure the client gets the event that they wanted and also they can measure the effectiveness of the event.

2. HOW? – It’s all in the planning. Once you have established why you the client wants to hold the event you now need to work out the details. Having a written plan on how you are going to achieve the brief helps keeps the event to budget and the client can easily be updated throughout the run up to the event.

3. WHAT! – Expect the unexpected! Anything can happen in the world of events to upset the most detailed plan, be ready for last minute changes and stay calm!

Geoff Bartlett – Corporate Occasions

“If it’s not done well it’s not worth doing at all” and the manner in which you host your event will result in one of two responses, negative or positive. This applies to whatever event you are planning: a Christmas Party, Corporate Team Building Event or a Wedding Reception.

The All Important Invitation - it’s the invitation that creates the desire to attend, it sets the scene “it’s the style that makes the occasion” the quality print and envelope, the content needs to spell out this is a one off opportunity or its exciting and different or unique and not too be missed. It’s always a good idea to send a save the date card giving plenty of notice of the event

Planning Is The Key -  It's never too early to start organising your next event, as pre-planning is the key to guarantee that your next event is an incredible success

Practice Makes Perfect - to ensure that you and your guests enjoy what is to be presented on the big day, always arranging to sample the proposed menu in advance, giving you an opportunity discuss different ways of food service and presentation available to you. If it’s not how you’re thought it was going to be you have time to change and fine tune the food and its presentation.

Corporate-Events.co.uk

1. Understand the brand. Only when you understand a brand’s values, goals and culture can you begin to offer creative solutions that truly reflect them.

2. Remain Flexible. Flexibility is key. When working on live events last minutes changes are more often than not, unavoidable. Be open to compromise and have faith in your agency – they know what they are doing!

3. Have you thought about the weather?. Sounds ridiculous, but British weather isn’t the most reliable. Always ensure that you have a crisis management strategy for outdoor events in the event of extreme weather, be that sweltering heat that could interfere with your tech, or heavy rain that could dampen not only attendees’ spirits, but event props too.

Sophia Hendrickson – Chance Organisation

We would say the top 3 things that create a successful event are:

1. Attention to detail. You have to pick up what anyone else might miss. The small things make the big picture!

2. Listening, properly, to your client’s requirements, ideas, requests and concerns.

3. Creativity – this can be from getting the details together a show-stopping theme, to thinking on your feet when something unexpected happens. We have all have creative, adaptable minds and we’re not afraid to use them!

Hollie Sebire – Paragon

1. Identify your target audience. Who are you trying to attract? What are you trying to achieve? Are there any similar successful events?

2. Choose a suitable venue – poor transport links will demotivate guests. The venue is part of the experience so make sure it's a suitable fit.

3. Food & drink – goes without saying this is an important factor for your guest's experience. Have a menu tasting to ensure it meets your standards & fits the crowd (football related - burgers/pizza/beer! - Ladies networking - canapes/bowl food/cocktails).

Charlotte Horlock – Pretty Clever

1. Stick to the budget. Watch out for extra fees. Read through all contracts thoroughly to fully understand all your costs with each one of your suppliers.

2. Request client feedback. The organisation doesn’t stop when the event is over! Email the client a couple of days to check how everything went. Ask what they liked most, and what they would prefer for the next event.

3. Use social media. Social media is a great, new way to promote your business. Upload photos, videos and feedback from the event to get people talking and to attract potential clients.

Bluehat Group

1. Don’t be afraid to make recommendations based on your experience.

2. Attention to detail.

3. Efficiently managing client expectations - make sure both parties are aware of what's possible and practical based on budget/location/delegates etc. Make sure they know what they're getting.

Maximillion

1. Attention to detail - forgetting even the tiniest of things can cause great problems! Make sure you think about each aspect of the event logistically.

2. Understand the clients expectations - ideas and expectations can often be lost in translation, particularly when communicating via email. An event planner could be imagining an event completely different to the client and so it is important to be very clear during the organising process to avoid disappointment. We would recommend spending a great amount of time on a proposal; send this to your client and seek their approval.

3. Prioritising - you can spend a lot of time on little things that shouldn’t really need to be fussed over! Time management is necessary and event managers should carefully prioritise what exactly you ‘need’ to spend time on over want you ‘want’ to. This is particularly important while working on themed events – it is easy to get carried away!

Angie Mason – Absolute Corporate Events

1. Plan

2. Plan

3. And Plan Again! (The Devil is always in the detail)

John Plews – Ovation

1. Educate

2. Excite

3. Entertain

Categories : Losberger Blog
Tags : corporate events, event management tips

Why Trade Shows Are Important To Your Business (Infographic)

By Losberger
Monday, November 23rd, 2015

Trade shows and exhibitons are highly valuable for any business, as they allow face-to-face communication and networking opportunities, which many businesses take for granted these days.

Whether it be communicating to existing clients, promoting your services to new prospects or showcasing your brand to key figures in your industry, trade shows are invaluable to businesses and shouldn’t ever be overlooked.

Take a look at our infographic below and see just why trade events are so important, why creating a presentable, unique temporary event structure is essential and the safety measures to be aware of.

 

temporary event structures uk

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Categories : Losberger Blog

Events & Technology: The Definitive Guide

By Losberger
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015

In recent years technology has played a vital role in the events industry. Event planners have more tools at their disposal than ever before. These tools come in the form of event management apps, software, online tools and so much more.

We’re forever hearing about new ways in which tech can help event planners. That’s why we decided to gather much of this information in one place. This definitive guide to the use of technology in event management therefore features some of the very best resources on the web. You’ll learn everything you need to know about taking advantage of technology in order to improve the planning process and the event itself.

Just take a look:

Quick Navigation
The Biggest Event Technology Trends
Best Gadgets for Event Planners
Apps for Event Management & Attendee Engagement
Social Media Marketing for Events
Hiring a Virtual Assistant
Tech Tools for Event Analysis

Let's start off with an overview of what's big in technology in 2015. You need to know your stuff in order to stay up to date with what's going on in the industry. So these resources will tell you what's hot right now and what you can expect to see in the future as regards event technology.

Best Gadgets for Event Planners

There are some gadgets which every event professional should have to hand to make the planning and running of an event go super smoothly. There are also lots of more advanced pieces of tech that some might want to use for even greater efficiency and success. So here you can take a look at the basics as well as the cool gadgets that you might want to add to your toolbox.

Apps for Event Management & Attendee Engagement

More and more apps that can assists event planners with their duties are being released and this is a wonderful thing because they can be so helpful. Another way in which apps can be beneficial is that you can create an app solely for a specific event. This could improve attendee engagement amongst other things. So this section contains the best apps for event professionals as well as tips on creating your own.

Social Media Marketing for Events

One of the best ways to promote any kind of business venture these days is via social media. This goes for marketing events too. You may already know the basics when it comes to event marketing but you should certainly look to these resources for in-depth advice on how to use all forms social media to market your next event.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant

The beautiful thing about technology is that it allows us to cooperate and work with people all over the world. This means that event planners can hire a virtual assistant to help with their online and administrative duties. Event profs are very busy so this can be super helpful. Here you'll find everything you need to know about hiring a virtual assistant.

Tech Tools for Event Analysis

A core element of event planning is measuring how successful an event is in order to improve upon your methods for next time. This is another instance in which technology can help, particularly in collecting and collating data. So use the following resources to learn how to measure and monitor online activity in order to determine the success of an event.

Tech is clearly a vital component of event planning therefore and will continue to be for many years to come. Because there's so many ways in which technology can be used in the event planning process this guide has a lot of information to take in. So why not use it as a handbook that you can return to again and again?

Categories : Losberger Blog

Green Events Guide [Infographic]

By Losberger
Tuesday, October 20th, 2015

The events industry is one of the most wasteful, it's a hard fact. In an age in which the world's resources are running out it's vital that we pay attention to this fact.

This infographic sets out to explain the current ethos concerning green practices in the events industry. We'll see which factors contribute to an event's carbon footprint​ and why it's important to reduce this carbon footprint.

​Most importantly we'll see some top tips on how to run a green event.

Take a look:​

GREEN EVENTS GUIDE INFOGRAPHIC

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Now that you have an idea of what it takes to make the events industry greener, let's take a look at some of those top tips in greater detail...

PRIORITISING SUSTAINABILITY

According to the latest trends, more and more people expect eco-friendly actions and policies at events (and in most other walks of life). Green policies therefore may contribute to an event organiser or venue being hired. Participants also may expect a certain level of commitment towards sustainability.

These aren’t the only reasons that event organisers should be prioritising sustainability from the get-go. Almost every aspect of the event can be done in a greener way, which in turn will have a positive effect on the environment and your budget.

Prioritising sustainability means planning green strategies and measuring their success every step of the way. Make it known to events staff, vendors and guests that sustainability is a priority here. This will hopefully result in heightening the commitment of every member of the team, every person you’re doing business with and every guest that attends your event.

GOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

It isn’t news that the events industry produces a lot of waste. Most events professionals know that their events are producing much more waste than they should be. That’s why many in the industry have been discussing a zero waste policy for some time now, a policy that has already been introduced within the construction industry.

According to Fiona Pelham of Positive Impact, however, the idea of zero waste is little more than a dream and there have only been a few instances of good waste management practices since discussions began. For this reason we should be putting a great emphasis on waste management at events.

There are several ways that an event planner can tackle the problem of waste. The first of which is to go paperless meaning that all communications are made digitally. For example, brochures and schedules can be offered to guests in a digital format. Important information can be expressed via email or social media groups as opposed to via letters or memos.

Having a reductionist attitude is also key in preventing the accumulation of waste. That means for example using real plates and cutlery for mealtimes instead of disposable containers. It means not ordering more food than necessary. It means not providing guests with goodie bags that have excessive packaging and contain items that guests may not even use. Instead, do something meaningful, make a donation to charity on their behalf or give a gift that’s worthwhile.

Recycling is of course another way in which to reduce waste. What many event organisers don’t realise is the extent to which they can cut costs by recycling. For example, the Green Meetings Report showed that event organisers could save around $975 by collecting the badges of 1300 event attendees after an event and using them again.

If there is waste despite your attempts then the way in which that waste is handled makes a difference. Food waste can be turned into compost. And as we have already mentioned, recycling can make use of the waste.

CHOOSING A GREEN VENUE

The use of public transport or car-pooling is obviously a much better option if you’re hoping to lower the effect of your actions on the environment. Therefore this must be taken into consideration when choosing the venue that will host your event. You must ensure that the venue has good public transport links to reduce the number of cars on the road as a consequence of your event.

If you want to cut out the need for transport altogether then you could encourage virtual meetings or teleconferencing (especially concerning those guests who must use air travel).

One must also consider the venue's level of commitment to green practices. Because what the venue does in terms of sustainability is out of an event organiser’s control. That’s why event planners who want to go green should choose a venue with green policies in the first instance.

For example, this might concern where the venue sources its food and beverages. Do they use local suppliers? Is the food organic? It might also concern the venue’s policy on air conditioning and heating. Are they energy efficient? There’s a lot to consider when determining a venue’s level of eco-friendliness.

One way of encouraging energy efficiency (that can be controlled by the event planner) is to hold the event during the daytime and possibly even outdoors. This means that you can take advantage of natural light for as long as possible and avoid consuming a large amount of electricity.

OFFSETTING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

One of the main concerns when it comes to going green is greenhouse gas emissions. If an event planner is committed they should  estimate the emissions they will be responsible for during the planning process. In this way, the planner can first make provisions to lower the impact of their event on the environment. Where no changes can be made the event planner can offset the event’s carbon footprint thereafter.

Sometimes going green means being highly creative. If you’re passionate about finding green solutions you will find them. Why not try and implement some of these ideas when planning your next event? Or come up with your own innovative solutions for making the events industry greener?

Let’s start a discussion on the topic of sustainability in the events industry. Share this post with your friends and colleagues.

Images: Pixabay, Losberger

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