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