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!  

Your Wedding on a Budget – Wedding Favours

As is customary at most weddings, wedding favours are a small gift given to the guests at your wedding.  It’s not hard to imagine, these gifts can become quite expensive given enough guests attending your reception.  These wedding favours do not need to be terribly expensive.  Indeed, potpourri packs, a single artisan chocolate, or a scented candle make elegant, yet affordable wedding favours.  But sometimes it’s nice to take a more personal approach.

Recently, at a wedding I attended, the bride and groom made a donation to a well-known charity as their gift to guests.  By donating to your favourite charity in the names of your guests, you are making a grand gesture that will accommodate the smallest budget.  With a modest donation, you can make your guests’ attendance at your wedding even more meaningful; personally, I was happy to support a worthy cause.

~ Skye

Surviving the Strike!

The lights are on, the music is off and all the guests have gone home, what’s next? Strike of course! Strike can often be one of the most difficult and trying parts of the event considering you and your staff and volunteers have been on their feet for the last 6-12 hours. The last thing anyone wants to do is take down decor, pack away chairs and inventory cutlery or glassware. Alas, the dirty work must be done so here are some suggestions for making the strike as pain free as possible.

1.     Take a moment to sit down, catch your breath and asses what needs to be done before rushing into it without a clear picture of your desired outcome.

2.     Nominate a strike leader who is responsible for delegating tasks and co-ordinating the overall picture.

3.     Have a detailed list of all rentals and borrowed items so inventory can be done and items transported or stacked for pick up.

4.     Have energy foods such as granola bars and bottles of water on hand for that last minute burst of energy.

5.     When scheduling volunteers, have start a little later in the event so they are fresher than those who have been there from set up.

6.     Have people work in teams or pairs so they can motivate each other and get the job done quicker.

7.     Know in advance where your garbage and recycling needs to go at the end of the night.

8.     Make sure to notify security before you leave the venue so they know you are finished and can lock up after you.

If you follow these few simple guidelines, you and your staff and volunteers will be packed up and ready to go home in no time! You can say goodbye to 12 hour days, misplaced rentals and lost items and hello to smooth, efficient and ordered strikes in the future!

Your Wedding on a Budget – The Dress

Let’s not kid ourselves, weddings are expensive; but that’s not to say you can’t take some cost cutting measures to ensure that you have the wedding of your dreams without evaporating your savings.  And, a budget wedding needn’t look budget either.  With websites like LightInTheBox (previously discussed on in our blog) and Etsy.com – another haven for bargain wedding goods, you can find a wide array of attractive and stylish elements for your wedding.  But why not take some time to consider other ways to save on your big day?

Tuxedos and gowns.  Whether we’re talking about the bridesmaids’ dresses, groomsmen tuxedos, or even what the bride and groom themselves wear, you can save a lot buy renting.  While there is a good deal of sentimentality associated with the bride’s dress, the fact of the matter is it’s a dress to be worn but once.  It is also a dress that can potentially costs thousands.  So why not rent?

~ Skye