Synopses & Reviews
Recent years have been tough on event planners and the special events industry. September 11, major economic downturns, wars and SARS have all hit the event planning industry hard. There are fewer corporate dollars than ever to go around for travel budgets and special events.
In what was already a highly competitive industry, many planners and companies are struggling for their business survival. This book tells you all you need to know about how to market your event planning business and build a client base—in good times or in bad.
Marketing Your Event Planning Business shows event planners and event management companies how to gain the competitive edge by setting themselves apart, pursuing new markets, and soliciting sales. It covers all the vital topics in event planning marketing, including how to:
- Diversify your client base
- Develop niche markets and areas of expertise
- Define and customize your customer service
- Establish a back-up plan for use during downturns
- Solicit sales and develop new business
- Market yourself within your company and in the industry
- Set up your own event planning business
Marketing Your Event Planning Business is loaded with practical tips and examples, offering everyone in the event management business creative new ways to showcase their talents, build their business and bring added value to their clients. An indispensable tool for:
- event planners
- event planning management companies
- suppliers
- public relations, communications, and administrative professionals
- professionals in the hospitality, culinary, and travel industries
Review
Praise forMarketing Your Event Planning Business
"For event planners who are tired of being a well-kept secret, marketing Your Event Planning Business offers invaluable advice on targeting talents and targeting clients. It's a wonderful boost for event planners looking to expand their client base."
—Lisa Hurley, Editor, Special Events Magazine
"Judy Allen has crafted another meaningful book in her series on event practices. Every business owner must immediately add this treasure chest of useful ideas to their bookshelf."
—Richard Aaron, CMP, CSEP, President of BiZBash Media, NYC
"In an ever-competitive marketplace, a meeting practitioner must know the niche in which she or he wants to establish credibility. Once established, marketing oneself and one's services becomes an exciting challenge. Judy Allen's tips, provided with the insight of experience, and with humor, allow the reader to look differently at the opportunities available."
—Joan L. Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt associates, LLC, Conference Consulting, Facilitation & Training; and 2004 CIC Hall of Leaders Inductee
"Judy Allen has given us the ultimate resource guide to event planning. It's everything you need to know to launch a successful company."
—Ramey Warren Black, Partner, Media-Savvy
Synopsis
Praise for Marketing Your Event Planning Business"For event planners who are tired of being a well-kept secret, Marketing Your Event Planning Business offers invaluable advice on targeting talents and targeting clients. It's a wonderful boost for event planners looking to expand their client base."
—Lisa Hurley, Editor, Special Events Magazine
"Judy Allen has crafted another meaningful book in her series on event practices. Every business owner must immediately add this treasure chest of useful ideas to their bookshelf."
—Richard Aaron, CMP, CSEP, President of BiZBash Media, NYC
"In an ever-competitive marketplace, a meeting practitioner must know the niche in which she or he wants to establish credibility. Once established, marketing oneself and one's services becomes an exciting challenge. Judy Allen's tips, provided with the insight of experience, and with humor, allow the reader to look differently at the opportunities available."
—Joan L. Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt associates, LLC, Conference Consulting, Facilitation & Training; and 2004 CIC Hall of Leaders Inductee
"Judy Allen has given us the ultimate resource guide to event planning. It's everything you need to know to launch a successful company."
—Ramey Warren Black, Partner, Media-Savvy
Synopsis
Practical, prescriptive advice on successfully marketing your event planning businessRecent years have been tough on the event planning industry. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, economic downturns, wars, and SARS have all negatively impacted the business. There are fewer corporate dollars dedicated to travel budgets and special events, creating even more pressure on businesses in an already highly competitive industry. This book tells you all you need to know to market your business and build your client base in good times and bad.
Marketing Your Event Planning Business shows you how to gain a competitive advantage by setting yourself apart from the competition, pursuing new markets, and soliciting sales. It covers all the vital topics in event planning marketing, including how to diversify your client base, develop niche markets, improve your customer service, establish emergency business plans, and much more.
- Ideal for event planners, marketing managers in the industry, and professionals in the hospitality, culinary, or travel industries
- Includes actionable advice on successfully marketing an event planning business
- Features illustrative examples, practical tips, and useful checklists and other resources
Marketing Your Event Planning Business is packed with practical tips and examples, giving you creative new ways to showcase your talents, build your business, and bring added value to your clients.
About the Author
Judy Allen is one of the world's leading authorities on staging, event and lifestyle design and the bestselling author of ten books for the professional, business and consumer markets. Allen, a master of creative design, has flawlessly executed successful special events-corporate, social, and celebrity-for up to 2,000 guests at a time in more than 30 countries around the world. She has designed and produced memorable events such as Disney's worldwide theatrical opening-night gala for Beauty and the Beast, and the orchestration of Oscar-winning director Norman Jewison's 25th anniversary celebration for Fiddler on the Roof.
Highly skilled in staging events that are strategically designed to be one-of-kind experiences and a master of transforming the energy of an event environment by engaging the senses with trademark primary design principles, Allen has worked closely with CEOs, CFOs, presidents and their executive staff around the globe to create, implement and oversee their corporate and social business events.
The many diverse events that Allen has designed and executed extend from complex one-day events to elaborate arrangements of theme productions taking place over the course of a week. These events ranged from very exclusive VIP events to multimillion-dollar, multimedia fantasy extravaganzas including seven new-car product launches and involved high-tech stage and show productions.
Allen, and her 2jproductions (www.2jproductions.com) partner, Joe Shane, are now bringing their dynamic creative energy, innovative style and perceptive insight to home, life and lifestyle design and world class resorts around the world through Sensual Home LivingTM (www.sensualhomeliving.com) and other initiatives.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements xv
Preface xvii
Part 1: Marketability 1
Chapter 1:Making Yourself Marketable 3
Target Your Talents 4
Distinguish Yourself and Your Company 10
Manage Your Reputation 16
Chapter 2:Acquiring Areas of Expertise 19
1. Business Development 28
2. Creative Design 30
3. Event Management 32
4. On-Site Production 34
5. Acquiring Expertise 35
Chapter 3:Creating Your Niche 51
Meeting a Need 53
Specialty Market 56
Income Driven 59
Emotional Hot Buttons 62
Specialized Expertise 64
Part 2: Market Development 67
Chapter 4:Defining Your Objective—Who Is Your Client? 69
Visualization 72
Research 74
Development 75
Planning 75
Execution 77
Reconciliation 77
Chapter 5:Targeting Your Talents 81
Matching Your Talents to Your Advance 85
Chapter 6:Customizing Customer Service Requirements 99
Expectation 102
Excel 104
Embrace 105
Enlighten 107
Educate 109
Enrich 111
Energize 112
Excite 113
Environment 115
Employees 116
Efficiency 118
Evaluate 120
Ethics and Etiquette 122
Part 3: Marketing Endeavors 125
Chapter 7:Marketing to Your Audience 129
Lots of Energy 130
A Platform 132
A Strong Hook 134
Sharp Focus 135
Marketing Opportunities 136
Chapter 8:Soliciting Sales: Innovative Ideas 147
Creating Sales Opportunities in Unconventional Ways 150
Bring About an Emotional Response 153
Captivating a Client with Creative Concepts 158
Chapter 9:The Value of Diversification 161
Widening Your Existing Client Base 164
Expanding Your Market 167
Generating New Income Sources 169
Chapter 10: Going Out on Your Own— Costs and Benefits 175
Personal and Professional Independence 176
Financial Freedom 177
Unlimited Authority 178
Costs and Benefits of Going Out on Your Own 179
Conclusion 205
Appendix A:Leading Internationally Recognized Industry Certifications 209
Appendix B:Industry Associations and Councils 215
Appendix C:Industry Magazines, Books, Online Publications and Resources 219
Appendix D:Industry Conferences, Congresses, Trade Shows and Award Shows 223
Appendix E:Sample Creative Concepts 225
Sample A: Concept for Corporate Event 225
Sample B: Concept for a Fundraising Event 229
Sample C: Concept for a Theme Event 235
Index 241