WHY IS IT that a hotel or event facility does the research and takes the time to hire brilliant architects and talented design teams but, consultants with meeting and event production expertise are usually not included in the mix.

Why do I bring this up?  Although the revenue from meetings and events usually make up approximately 60-75% of a hotel’s income and an even greater percentage at catering and conference facilities, venues continue to be built which are not user friendly.  By that I mean ceilings are not high enough; doors are not wide enough; power is not strong enough; lights are not bright enough or, are too bright and cannot be properly adjusted; freight elevators are too small; loading docks are too few and too far away; hang points are not where they need to be, hallways are too narrow; food service access points are poorly placed; air conditioning is not always adequate; airwalls stop nothing but air; etc., etc., etc.
Bob Estrin of be creative in Orange, CA believes, “the biggest problem in venue design is balancing income creating space with back of house space.  It’s a delicate balance between property owner and architect in creating an event friendly space”.

For example, … a new hotel was about to open when I took a hard hat tour.  After admiring the finished product I asked the GM how someone would get an automobile or large piece of machinery into the ballroom.  When asked why I would need that I explained that many companies like to reveal their new products during annual sales meetings when they have their entire sales force in one room.  I repeated my question and his reply was, “maybe we could turn it on its side and bring it in on a dolly”.  Needless to say, a corporation would never allow their product to be transported in that manner. What do you think happened?  The hotel had to break a wall it had just finished constructing to accommodate the needs of the client.

Another example, … a new hotel had just opened for business when I booked their ballroom.  We had a set-up which took approximately 6-8 hours that included lighting, sound and video.  Nothing elaborate, but obviously more than the designers considered when they built the space with virtually no power in the room.  What did we do to meet our power needs in this brand new hotel?  We had to rent a generator to power our equipment in the ballroom!

With that said, how difficult would it have been to add a line item into the design budget for consultation with a meeting planner/event producer with a minimum of 15 years experience?  Or, perhaps, even put together a team of consultants who would make recommendations before the space was built?  The amount they would pay in the pre-construction phase will be considerably less than it would be after the project was complete.  What is it Ben Franklin said, .. “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”?

Written by Mona Meretsky
Celebrating 27 Years ofAward Winning Events

Mona S. Meretsky, CSEP
President
COMCOR Event and Meeting Production, Inc.
COMCOR Consulting Services, Inc.
1040 Bayview Drive ~ Suite 407
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
954.491.3233 (B) 954.491.6466 (F)
mona@comcorevents.com
www.comcorevents.com
2011 Advisory Board – BizBash FL
2010 Hall of Fame – BizBash FL
2005 Lifetime Achievement -Special Events magazine
2005 Planner of the Year – BizBash FL
2004 Hall of Fame – Event Solutions magazine
2003 Planner of the Year- Event Solutions magazine

Trias Flowers has grown to be recognized as an industry leader and has been awarded a top 200 florist in the USA for the past 5 years in a row. This award is one of the most prestigious in the industry with over 36,000 florists competing for the honor. Locally, Trias Flowers has been awarded #1 florist in Miami by The City Search Miami and Coral Gables Living for the last 5 years.

Throughout its operation, Trias Flowers has always and continues to invest in the most advanced technology available to our industry. Trias Flowers’ technological capabilities create the necessary efficiency within the organization to provide our clients with the level of professional service they deserve and we demand in an increasingly technological marketplace.

Now, do I have your attention? Not only is this a very lucrative market, but your clientele will likely be repeat customers for future event planning, such as corporate events, theme parties, etc. That is because the bride who chooses a Destination Wedding is older, more successful, and better educated than the average bride.

The average age of a bride that chooses a Destination Wedding is 33 years of age, compared to the national average age of brides at 28 years of age. Seventy percent (70%) of the brides are college educated, and the average household income of a Destination bride is $110,000.00. Most of Destination Weddings are paid for by the couple, themselves, and not by a parent. This is a client base that is, or should be, very welcome to a professional event planner, or anybody else in the event planning business.

There are a number of reasons why Destination Weddings are desirable to the well-educated and successful bride, particularly if she is the one picking up the tab. First of all, the average budget for a Destination Wedding is $20,600, as compared to a traditional American wedding budget of $28,082. Destination Weddings cut down on the numbers of guests, since few people will travel that far. The bride may prefer a smaller, more intimate wedding. She also may want to get married on a specific date, such as Valentines Day, and may prefer a place with more desirable weather at that time of the year. Finally, she may just want to get away. Destination weddings make planning a honeymoon more convenient, since she has already arrived at her destination.

Getting into the Destination Wedding market, or expanding your existing market, will take some research. On future blogs, you can expect more information on planning a Destination Wedding. For instance, the top market for Destination Weddings is Mexico, followed by Hawaii, Florida and Las Vegas. The top months for Destination Weddings are June, August and May, in that order. Keep checking this website for more information to come on Destination Weddings.

Pantone recently announced that is the Color of the Year! And yes, brides are looking for this color coupled with a simple White to a bright Fuchsia.

A pale, Blush Pink will be popular married with a light mocha or khaki color or even with shades of Peach! This Southern Vintage theme will potentially incorporate hints of Ivory Lace too!

How about those Purples! Many shades of purple are still popular in wedding and dress decor. You will see deep shades of red, like Sangria, mixed with a darker shade of purple like Eggplant. On the brighter side, yellows will be used with Lavender or Lilac! Comments from CreativeCoverings.Com

Your latest linen addition is a sheer organza overlay with a silver glitter swirl! This table covering is elegant and contemporary for that bride or social client!

Silver Vine Organza
The Silver Vine Organza has a glitter swirl design on a white sheer organza. It is available in a 90″ square overlay and can even be used in the same room with our Silver & White Metallic Swirl Reversible full-length table covering. It is versatile enough to use with many different color options. Here we have paired it with our Platinum and Eggplant Lamour linens.

Comments compliments of CreativeCoverings.Com

Caesars Palace has completely reinvented itself without imploding any buildings. Click here to view the progression.

The original Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 and is made of wrought iron pieces which are fastened together with 2,500,000 rivets. The one in Vegas is made from welded steel and is stronger structurally and has “fake rivets” to duplicate the look of the original.
Provided by:
Jill Garcia Andrea Milrad

Directors, Global Accounts

jgarcia@helmsbriscoe.com amilrad@helmsbriscoe.com

412-341-0645 954-796-4998

The Dunes main tower, its casino and most of its restaurants, clubs, and theaters all fit where the Bellagio’s lake now sits. See a composite photo here showing this and the massive size difference between the Dunes and Bellagio towers.

The Rise and Fall and Rise of an Icon: From the Desert Inn’s beginnings through its many expansions to its demise to make room for Wynn Las Vegas. Click here to view it the progression.

There have been 14 implosions in Las Vegas since 1993. Click here to see them.

Prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas or Clark County: Don’t listen to your pals, or anyone else who would like to convince you otherwise. However, prostitution is legal in Pahrump, Nev., (part of neighboring Nye County, about 45 minutes away). Different county, different laws. This is visible on THE Regional Map

Many travelers have experienced the “after Vegas trip cold.” Here is a simple regime to prevent this. Click Here to learn the secrets.

2. Are they willing to meet with you?: You should meet with your DJ company, prior to signing the contract, whenever possible. Be sure there you may also meet and plan with your DJ a few weeks before your event. It is very hard to build a rapport on the phone or via email.

3. If the price is too good to be true, it is!: Sure, you can find a single DJ out there who is ready to DJ your event for $300. But are they good? Do they have someone on call in case of emergency? Can they guarantee a DJ if something happens to them? What if the equipment malfunctions? Are they playing pirated music? Do they know how to MC and coordinate with all your vendors? Do any of your other vendors know who they are?

4. What kind of DJ are they?: If you are having a wedding, make sure your DJ understands the ins and outs of a wedding. A Club DJ is wonderful at a club, but usually they have not been trained in wedding announcements, the flow of a wedding, appropriate dress, personality, and the communication it takes to work with all your other vendors.

5. Documents and Ethics of your DJ: Your DJ should be INSURED and use a contract to book your event. There should be no side deals and they should never drink or use illegal drugs while performing.

6. Wondering what Music will be played: You have every right to choose 100% of your music and the DJ will be able to guide you on what will work and what won’t. Your DJ has to be a chameleon and be able to play the kind of music that will make your guests want to get up and dance! Make sure they have a music library you can look through and they will get whatever music you want as long as it is in print.

7. The Entire Package: Be sure to read the fine print and look at what is included in your package. Be sure they are not going to charge you for a wireless mic, lavalier mic, lights, or attaining more music for you. You will be paying more than what you thought and can blow your wedding budget.

8. Your DJ’s Personality: While you want to make sure they have the equipment necessary, believe it or not, anybody can go out and buy the fanciest turntables. What makes a great DJ is not their equipment or lights, but their ability to entertain and work with the client and the vendor. They are not the star of the show, YOU are, and your professional DJ is working tirelessly to insure your event is everything you dreamed.

9. Motivating Your Crowd: Ask your DJ how they are going to motivate your crowd. Can they suggest icebreakers that you like, and work with the entire team of your your event, will they be the master of ceremonies?

10. Your DJ should be able to accomplish all of these tasks at your wedding: MC the event, light and sound technician, coexist and coordinate with all other vendors at your event, motivates your crowd, organizes and helps plan out your music carefully, seamless music without pauses unless otherwise stated, will be able to read the crowd carefully and picks the right music for the right moment, is flexible with abrupt changes, and above all else, follows the plan that you and your wedding professionals have created.

Written by:
Tara Humpfrey
Complete Music Video Photo of Austin
2407 S. Bell Blvd. Ste. B
Cedar Park, TX 78613
512-458-3535
email: Info@cmaustindj.com

http://www.cmaustindj.com

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Classic Legacy Wine Bottle Stopper with USA Theme

Celebrating July 4th is such a tradition and so much fun! Whether you go to a baseball game and hear a beautiful rendition of “America,” or have a cook-out in your backyard with friends and neighbors, it is a day of remembering and thanksgiving.

Classic Legacy offers you many ways to celebrate, one of which is with our Classic Legacy wine bottle stopper with the USA theme and colorful red, white and blue glass beads.

Classic Legacy also had the opportunity to make custom corporate products for Ridgefield, CT, for the town’s 300th birthday, using the town’s logo.