Guilt Free Gift Ideas

With Christmas fast approaching and stores packed with people trying to do their last minute gift shopping, take a moment to consider what you are purchasing and why. Does your mother really need another gift basket of soaps? Does your brother really need that new CD? Consider how you and they would feel if you choose to make a donation in their name or feed a whole family Christmas dinner this year instead. Here are some suggestions for Guilt Free Giving this Christmas:

United Gospel Mission - www.ugm.ca

Feed a Family Christmas Dinner
UGM work with communities to overcome poverty, homelessness and addiction. Once again this year UGM are putting on their annual Christmas Dinner for those less fortunate living in our community. For under $20 you can feed 6 people a hot, delicious meal and provide them access to support and addiction services.

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society - www.foodbank.bc.ca/how-you-can-help

Make a Donation in their name
GVFBS collect and distribute food and related assistance to over 25,000 people weekly through food depots and community agencies across the lower mainland. When you make a donation to the GVFBS a beautiful Christmas card will be mailed directly to the person whose name you are donating in, acknowledging their generous donation.

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation – www.bcchf.ca/donatenow

Contribute to Specialized Medical Care for Children
 BC Children’s Hospital is one of Canada’s premiere diagnostic and treatment centers for children with heart defects. By choosing to make a donation this Christmas you will be giving hope to BC’s kids and their families. When you make a donation online, you can send an e-card with a personalized message that a donation has been made in the recipient’s honour.

These are just a few of Vancouver’s many organizations in need of your support this Christmas. Why not take a closer look at how you can help your community and bring awareness to those most in need. There is no better way to spread the true meaning of Christmas than making a difference in bettering the lives of those less fortunate in your community.

~Skye

On of our very special clients, Union Gospel Mission, hosted their Annual Christmas Meal, and The Finer Details had the pleasure of assisting their team create a logistically solid event...check out the video!

Union Gospel Mission's 71st Annual Christmas Celebration from Union Gospel Mission on Vimeo.

Semi-Finalists Announced: Small Business BC SYAwards 2012

Votes are in! BC’s BEST small business finalists announced

For Immediate Release
Vancouver, BC: Small Business BC, the premier resource for small businesses across the province, has just announced the Top Ten nominees in each category for its 9th Annual Successful You Awards (SYA) contest.
This year’s nominees are a group of businesses from diverse sectors such as healthcare, hospitality and education. Over 15 communities are represented by a local SYA nominee, from large communities like Vancouver and Victoria to small communities such as Comox Valley and Pemberton.
Nominees have been selected by residents of BC who benefit from these businesses, with votes collected online using various social media platforms.
The Top Five finalists in each category will be announced January 30th. Winners will be honoured February 28th at an exciting ceremony where industry professionals, government officials, delegates, awards sponsors and media will hear success stories from previous award winners, network with entrepreneurs within British Columbia’s small business community and mingle at the reception prior to the ceremony. The 2012 Successful You Awards Ceremony will be held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver.
The Successful You Awards recognizes outstanding small businesses across BC in six categories. The following are the finalists for 2012:

Best Company
Discovery Trekking Outfitters Ltd. – Campbell River
AspenClean – Vancouver
Out-Smarts Marketing Inc. – Vancouver
Williams and White – Burnaby
The Finer Details Event Planning Inc. – Vancouver
Chutney Villa Fine South Indian Cuisine – Vancouver
Vij’s Restaurant Inc – Vancouver
FROGBOX Inc – Vancouver
Noir Lash Lounge – Vancouver
Idea Rebel – Vancouver

Best Concept
The Dubh Glas Distillery – Okanagan Valley
Pooch Partners – Vernon
Urban Foliage – Vancouver
505-Junk – Vancouver
The Wine Thief – Vancouver
On The Rocks Ice – Vancouver
CityQuest Games – Vancouver
EightSix Network – Vancouver
The Juice Truck – Vancouver
Lovey’s Body Products – Tsawwassen

Best Community Impact
HapiFoods Group Inc. – Sunshine Coast
Seeds Natural Food Market – Comox Valley
Kit n’ Caboodle Quality Childrens Consignment Ltd. – Nanaimo
Amuse Consulting Inc. – Vancouver
Kids Physio Group – Vancouver
Lux Jewels – Vancouver
Forum for Women Entrepreneurs – Vancouver
Academic Advantage Tutoring – Vancouver
Dance With Me Studio – New Westminster
A Little More Good – Vancouver

Best Employer
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – Oliver
Nurse Next Door Home Care Services – Vancouver
The Great Escape – Langley
Williams and White – Burnaby
Eclipse Awards – Vancouver
Café Medina – Vancouver
Pacific Angler – Vancouver
The Finer Details Event Planning Inc. – Vancouver
The Flying Pig Yaletown – Vancouver
The Elements Society – Vancouver

Best Green Business
Gibsons Recycling Depot – Sunshine Coast
Ridgepoint at Pineview – Kamloops
Pemberton Valley Lodge – Pemberton
Green Gals – Fraser Valley
Abigail’s Hotel – Victoria
Clover Earthkind Hair Salon – Vancouver
Green Coast Rubbish – Vancouver
Debrand Services Inc. – Vancouver
Rainforest Automation, Inc. – Vancouver
Karmavore Vegan Shop – New Westminster
Best Online Marketer
CanadianNanny.ca – Lower Mainland
The Root Cellar Village Green Grocer – Victoria
TASTEtheCowichan – Cowichan
Raspberry Kids – Vancouver
Mother Of A Deal – Vancouver
True Cuddles Inc. – Vancouver
Astone Fitness – Richmond
TradableBits Media Inc. – Vancouver
Broadside Media Inc – Vancouver
MASC – Vancouver

About Small Business BC: Small Business BC provides entrepreneurs with the information and guidance necessary to build a solid foundation for their business. As their venture grows, small business owners can access the right combination of products, tools, resources and education, to give their business the best chance at success. Small Business BC is supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development. For more information, visit www.smallbusinessbc.ca

Bright Nights in Stanley Park

The Finer Details has been involved with Bright Nights in Stanley Park since 2008.  We are pleased to assist with project management of this month long event and keep tasks on time & budget as well as assist the steering committee (BC Professional Fire Fighter's Burn Fund & The Vancouver Park Board) with coming up with fresh ideas.

These 2 partners have been working together since the beginning 14 years ago.  The Professional Fire Fighters donate their time to set up the plaza for the entire month of November.  The Park Board Train Staff along with Mortal Coil Performance Society make sure the train route sparkles!  It is a fantastic partnership.

Some innovative ideas that we contributed to this year:

• the North Pole - a new location where Santa Claus can visit with the kids
• Parade of Trees - taking advantage of the old Farmyard to incorporate live decorated trees while attendees wait to see Santa
• Children's Activities & Crafts - each year The Finer Details provides an experience for kids to keep them busy while they wait for their train...this year we have a Reindeer craft & Letters to Santa

Our staff is onsite each night managing a team of up to 25 local high school students to assist with Photos with Santa, Children's crafts and activities as well as costumed characters.  This is a hard working group and we thank all of the over 200 volunteers this 2011/2012 season!


Dec 1st was our VIP Night was spectacular...see some of our pics

How to survive your company’s holiday party

Do you want to avoid becoming the office legend for all the wrong reasons this holiday season? I certainly do, so here are some tips for avoiding being “that girl” at this year’s company holiday party.

1.     Avoid excessive drinking!!! Even though it might be free and endless, don’t fall into the trap of double fisting all night. This will only lead to trouble. Avoid mixing drinks and make sure you alternate alcoholic with non alcoholic beverages, preferably with a ration of 1:2.

2.     Don’t complain! This is a time to celebrate the company’s success; nobody wants to hear your negative thoughts on the venue or the food or what you would have done if you were on the planning committee.

3.     Don’t bring your husband or girlfriend if the invitation did not specifically say so. This could cause an embarrassing situation when your plus one is asked to leave.

4.     Avoid excessive eating. Don’t follow the canapés tray around like a lost dog, there will be plenty of food at dinner and if not, grab a snack before the party.

5.     Even if you are not overjoyed about attending your company’s holiday party, make sure you at least make an appearance, circulate the room and talk to all the relevant people. Your boss will be impressed that you made an effort to be there.

6.     Security cameras are everywhere – just because you are alone doesn’t mean someone is not watching what you are doing.

Most importantly, you should remember that you are still at work. After a few drinks you may be inclined to share too much personal information with colleagues and even worse, your boss. Keep yourself in check and remember rumours spread quickly and overheard conversations are easily taken out of context.

What to pack for out of town events

Angela and I are sitting at YVR waiting for our delayed flights to Regina & Calgary and we are cool as cucumbers because we know we have everything all planned and packed for this weekend of adventures in Western Canada.  We thought we'd share some things that we've packed for our out of town events:

• office supplies - we have brought extra pens, paper, tape, paper clips etc - these are things you take for granted when you are in your "office"
• tape - if we haven't mentioned it before, you can never have to much tape
• envelopes - we have packed 3 different sizes of envelopes - they can come in very handy when wrapping up at the end of the day
• extra production schedules - make sure you have all the printed supplies you need in case there is nowhere to print
• extra luggage - we made sure to leave extra space in our luggage just in case there is something we need to bring back with us...nothing like having to pay extra baggage charges these days!
• USB sticks - we got an 8 G USB stick, and it is a great investment.  costs a bit more, but we had no problem in downloading all of the relevant items.  very important to have a back up in case your computer has technical issues

We'll blog later about how the events went in the various cities!

~Deborah

Award winners!

On November 3, 2011 we were honoured to receive a BC Event Award for our work on the Medallion Club Awards Gala in February 2011.

All of the details can be found at the CSEME Website.

Pasted here is the list of distinguished winners!

Kudos to BCEA Winners

November 8, 2011  

Congratulations to the following companies who won top honors in the 2011 BC Event Awards competition at CSEME West Nov 3rd. All the winners whose events fall withing the qualifying period will become nominees in the national awards program which will hand out awards in Toronto on March 30th at CSEME National 2012.

 

Best Entertainment Production

BC Event Management,  Routes Awards

 

Best Event Produced for a Charitable Organization

e=mc² event management Inc. Operation: Western Front

 

Best Event Produced for a Corporation

Pacific Destination Services Inc and BC Event Management Symphony Under The Stars – Lost Lake

 

Best Festival

Canada Place Corporation, Canada Day at Canada Place 2011: Your Nation. Your Celebration.

 

Best Public Entertainment Event

brand.LIVE, Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival

 

Best Theme Decor $15,000 to $40,000

Greenscape Design & Décor, RIMS 2011 Opening Night Reception, "Rainforests of the World"

 

Best Trade Show Booth or Pavilion

BLD Decor and Scenery, Nabob POD tasting booth

 

Best Wedding

Dream Group Productions, Tisah & Ryan's Wedding

 

Most Outstanding Event Under $100,000

TIE

Synergy Events Inc, International Children's Winter Games – Opening Ceremonies

Tantalus Productions & The Finer Details Event Planning,The REBGV Medallion Awards

  

Best Theme Decor Under $15,000

Christopher J Designs, An Evening with the Phantom

 

Best Theme Decor Over $40,000

BLD Decor and Scenery,  EMBV Exxon Mobile Board Meeting Lake Louise

 

Best Corporate Team Building Event

Bright Ideas Event Coordinators ltd.,Simulcast of Synergy

 

Best Media Event

TELUS Event and Sponsorship Strategy, TELUS Garden Media Event

 

Most Outstanding Event $100,000 to $300,000

John Donnelly & Associates and City of Surrey, Surrey Canada Day

Successfully showcasing your brand at your next event

The Number 1 rule of branding at your event is not to go overboard. There is no need to splash your logo on every available wall space, TV screen and sandwich board! Subtly is best. Don’t overwhelm your guests with a plethora of flashy banners and merchandise. Instead, incorporate elements of your brand in unique ways to ensure maximum impact.  Here are some creative ways to showcase your brand that will leave a lasting impression on your guests.

• Incorporate your brands colours into the theme of the event by using coloured napkins, overlays and centrepieces.
• Create a signature drink and name it after your company’s CEO.
• Look for ways to use your company’s product in unexpected ways. If your event is a product launch, consider using the product as part of the floral displays. It’s eye catching and will entice the guests to go in for a closer look at your product.
• Have staff and volunteers dress in the colours of your company or even just add a colourful scarf, tie or hat.
• Use a masked spotlight to subtly project your brands logo onto random and unexpected locations throughout the venue.

These are great ways to ensure your branding does not look staged and guests will feel comfortable enough in the space to stay a little longer and really enjoy the evening. Let your imagination take over! There are no limits to what you can do to showcase your brand and gain maximum exposure without over exposure.

Your Wedding on a Budget – The Location

To throw a really great wedding party, you need to have a reasonable budget.  At the very least, your guests will probably expect a meal and a glass of wine; and these expectations can be easily achieved.  If you want to save money on your ceremony or reception, you’ll need to think about location.  I’ve attended plenty of weddings in the back yard of a relative, and not all of them were barbecues.  

Still, not all of us can rely on the kindness of our relatives; so, when you are looking for a location, think outside the box.  For example, sometimes it’s nice to get outside the city.  Especially in BC, a rural location can be the perfect backdrop for your ceremony and reception, and it will likely have a limited impact on your budget.

~ Skye

How to Rock the Registration Desk

The registration desk at any event is usually the first point of contact your guests will have with your event. It is therefore crucial that the staff and volunteers manning this area provide a knowledgeable and positive first impression. In most cases, registration is performed by volunteers who are unfamiliar with the event world and the processes necessary to register a guest. After running the registration desk at numerous events, both large and small, I can offer the following tips for coordinating a successful registration team.

1.     When recruiting and selecting volunteers for this role, make sure they have good communication skills, an outgoing personality and are familiar with using a computer (if a data entry and retrieval is part of the registration process).

2.     Compile a cheat sheet with all relevant event information such as times for entertainment, dinner and last call at the bar. This sheet could also contain general information such as local parking lots, ATM and washroom locations.

3.     Have a sample script of the registration process so each volunteer can follow along if they get lost or overwhelmed.

4.     ROLE PLAY, ROLE PLAY, ROLE PLAY! Once you have verbally gone through the process, have the volunteers practice on each other while you and the others watch. This way, you can sort out any confusion and the observing volunteers will learn from common mistakes.

5.     Lead by example. When the first guests arrive, register them yourself so that the volunteers get a feel for the process as well as your tone, delivery and approximate time with each guest.

6.     Once each volunteer has registered a few guests, provide some feedback and offer suggestions. Resist the urge to jump in over your volunteer to solve a problem straight away (unless they really need it) and encourage the volunteer to solve small problems themselves. This will build confidence in your volunteers and get them up to speed quicker.

7.     As always when working with volunteers, provide positive reinforcement of what they are doing right. Great Job! Good Work! You handled that guest very well!

Smooth, quick and efficient registration is the key to a successful event. These few simple tips will allow you to capture the necessary information from your guests so they can move quickly onto the fun part of the event!