October 1, 2020

Industry Insight: Sustainable Event Planning

Sustainability is growing popularity in the event world as well as other industries. As fires engulf California, icebergs melt rapidly in the Arctic, and sea levels rise, the importance of environmental change is evident. Events have a huge impact (both good and not so good), on the individuals celebrating and beyond as events often leave an impact on the planet lasting much longer. With this in mind, here are 4 ways you can reduce the harmful impact of your next event – whether its for 10 guests in your backyard or for 300 guests out of state.

1. Choose a venue that supports eco-friendly practices.

For instance, Cakebread Cellars is a sustainable vineyard, and the second winery ever to receive the Napa Green certification. From organic farming to extensive water and energy conservation, the eco-friendly systems in place have allowed them to gain recognition in many areas.

Botanical gardens across the nation also offer wonderful options as sustainable venues. Like many of it’s counterparts, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona offers natural foliage that is maintained year-round so there is no need for excessive floral design or decor in general.

Some venues even offer waste management solutions that reduce the harmful impact of your event such as Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery, and the Palm Event Center, who both offer composting.

When picking a venue, consider whether or not guests are traveling. Minimizing the travel time will reduce the carbon footprint of the event overall. If a large number of guests are traveling for the event, consider providing shared transportation, as well as accommodations near the event venue.

2. Locally source your food, flowers, and rental items.

When considering the sustainability of an event, local vendors should be at the top of the list.

Caterers like Fraiche Catering rely on sustainable efforts to differentiate themselves from the competition. They offer locally sourced meals, hormone-free meats, fresh caught seafood, and they even donate to food banks regularly, supporting the local community.

Caterers who prioritize the planet will also offer eco-friendly tableware further reducing the harmful impact of your event.

Locally sourced flowers and food not only require less energy to transport, but they will better match the venue location. It is also likely they remain more fresh through the duration of the event.

3. Consider what decor items could be re-purposed during or after your event.

Sometimes when we hear ‘vintage’ associated to events, we automatically think of an antique look – but there are endless options when it comes to re-purposed items for your events. Consider the idea of repurposing attire into your wedding by wearing your mother’s wedding dress or using the fabric from your grandmother’s wedding dress to make your dream gown. Perhaps you’d like to use your grandparents bench at the sweetheart table. There are so many ways to get creative with old items that don’t involve digging through bins at your local thrift store. We helped this client use the fence posts from a recent remodel as the seating chart.

Another example of repurposing during your event is multiple brides who shared the same veil for their different weddings. This simple act further deepened their bond, provided additional symbolism to the ceremony, and reduced the harmful impact of several events by repurposing a single item.

Another way re-purposing can be used in event design is by using decor items that the clients can use after the event. Instead of a traditional card box that would typically get disposed of post-event, try a something that you would use in your home after the wedding. A beautiful patio lantern, jewelry box, or a decorative storage box are all great options.

4. Dispose of all waste responsibly.

We know it’s not exactly glamorous to discuss waste when it comes to event planning, but the truth is, events produce large amounts of waste regularly. Some ways to easily reduce the harmful impact of your event by reducing waste is to:
– use reusable plates, utensils, napkins, and glassware
– opt for plated catering that guests order ahead of time
– provide recycling and composting options instead of trash only
– consider a food and/or floral donation service for after the event

There are many waste solution programs that will manage the waste for your entire event, such as Eco-Cycle.

Let’s do our part to reduce the harmful impact of your next event.

We are always here to help!

September 22, 2020

Halloween Happenings: How to Make 2020 Fun

It’s almost that time of year! The fall holidays are rapidly approaching, so we are serving up tricks and treats to ensure Halloween 2020 is fun for your friends and family no matter their age.

As we continue into the colder months, there is no doubt that healthy and safety will continue to be the utmost priority. Like the rest of 2020, our Halloween celebrations will look different than they have in the past. In fact, many are already discussing concerns around the long time tradition of trick-or-treating.

Whether you’d like to offer the opportunity for your kids to gather candy, host a virtual party with your roommates, or increase the company’s morale with fun festivities, we have a handful of ideas to celebrate Halloween safely this year.

Trick-or-treat carefully with these fun Halloween alternatives.

Try trunk-or-treating with a group of family members or friends within your pod. This is a great way to allow kids a more traditional trick-or-treating experience without visiting strangers and risking anyone’s health. Participants can each choose a theme or come up with a collective plan to make the absolute most of the experience.

If you will not be doing door-to-door trick or treating this year, another great alternative is to have a candy hunt in your yard, similar to an Easter egg hunt. You can put candy or treats into glow in the dark plastic eggs for some extra spooky fun! Take it to the next level and transform your yard into a cemetery, or design a haunted house to host a micro party with the candy-egg hunt.

Get intimate with a on-theme micro party.

Whether you have young kids or a group of Halloween-loving adults, there are so many fun ways to celebrate this holiday safely with a small group. Hosting a Halloween craft night is a great way to get everyone in the spirit while showing their creativity. Consider having a contest to let participants vote on their favorite, picking a theme for everyone to follow, or sharing stories to accompany your creations. From pumpkin carving, to cookie decorating, to spooky cocktail creations, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creative contests.

An outdoor movie night is another perfect way to celebrate. Light the space with jack-o-lanterns, prepare snacks, and use hay bails as seats for a fun evening under the full moon, enjoying a festive film.

Speaking of a full moon ceremony could be another great way to celebrate the season.

If you have an all adult crowd, may we suggest a pumpkin beer tasting? There are a surprising number of beers to choose from in this category. Designing tasting cards for guests is a great way to elevate the experience. Specialty glasses also make wonderful favors! And if beer is not your thing, check out this list of spooky wine options to pair with candy.

Celebrate Halloween with your friends and family virtually!

If you are unable to get together with others physically, take the celebration online with a virtual party! We have created 7 Halloween themed virtual backgrounds for you to download and use.

Hosting a virtual costume contest can unleash your creativity, give you a reason to get dressed, and an opportunity to connect with others all at once. With accessible platforms like Zoom, you can connect up to 100 individuals with a free account.

Another way to celebrate virtually is with a Halloween themed karaoke night. Provide a playlist of songs for guests to choose from and set up a que in the chat for everyone to sign up, then take turns serenading one another with spooky songs.

If you aren’t into Halloween traditionally, celebrate the season!

We’d recommend staying in and warming up with this delicious roasted pumpkin soup from Cookie + Kate if you don’t typically celebrate the holiday. Autumn in itself is worthy of celebration, which is why we have an entire blog post dedicated to fall tablescapes if you’re looking for inspiration.

Regardless of what it may look like, we are here to ensure Halloween 2020 is fun for your friends and family, as are all life’s celebratory moments.

September 15, 2020

How to Engage a Virtual Audience

It’s clear that things have shifted beyond the world of events, impacting the way we communicate and operate daily. Friends, family members, instructors, students, colleagues, and entire companies now rely on virtual communication. So, how does one excel in this area? We are here to provide you with a few tips to improve your presence online to better engage a virtual audience.

Tip 1: Plan Ahead

Whether you are casually visiting with friends, or addressing an audience for a keynote presentation, preparation is key. Consider the lighting for the time of day, so you may prepare additional sources as needed (a great, affordable option we love is the ring light tripod!). Wear something that is comfortable, compliments the background, and gives you the most confident, camera-ready look possible.

Prepare your devices by charging them beforehand and securing back up options as needed. Guests will lose interest very fast if they are forced to watch the host troubleshoot during the event.

Additionally, once it is time to begin the event, we recommend having a run of show, or notes near by so you don’t forget to address any important topics. Even if you are planning a casual virtual birthday party, having a few talking points for guests is helpful if there’s a lull. Finally, it is helpful to have a glass of water nearby so you don’t have to exit the screen once the virtual audience joins.

Tip 2: Update and Test Your Equipment

Before you begin, it’s always a good idea to make sure all your hardware is working properly. If your budget doesn’t allow for hiring a professional production team, consider purchasing a microphone and webcam to achieve higher quality audiovisuals. The most popular solution for clear audio is a USB microphone, which connects directly to your computer and produces a fairly decent sound quality for the price. The Razer Kiyo is a great webcam solution that includes a professional-like LED ring and a high quality camera, for a little over $100.

Tip 3: Communicate Clearly

Clear communication is key to manage expectations, and keep the audience engaged.

On the invitation, you’ll want to include the specific time you want guests to join as well as any details they may need beforehand. Does the software being used need to be downloaded and tested? Do users need to create an account to join? Are there a specific number of spots you are holding? All of this information should be included in the initial invitation so guests can plan accordingly. We’d also recommend including an end time so guests may plan to stay through the duration of the event.

Once you are live with your virtual audience, it’s important to annunciate and speak clearly. You will quickly lose your audience if they can not hear you well or the sound is muffled.

Tip 4: Make Eye Contact with the Camera when Speaking

It can be challenging to engage someone when you can’t read their emotional response or body language first hand. However, by treating the camera as the eyes of whom you are addressing, you will create a connection that can be otherwise hard to translate into the digital space. Feel free to periodically look away, similar to how you would in an in-person conversation, in order to keep things natural. A pro tip for smaller attendee events, is to have the guest list near the camera so it visible to you as you are speaking to keep those personal connections as a priority.

Tip 5: Ask Questions & Prepare Activities

This tip is especially crucial if you are hosting a large scale virtual event. Having prompts, tasks, and actions guests can take while they are attending the event, encourages attendees to engage without feeling disruptive.

Regularly check the chat screen in case guests have questions or comments throughout the event. Addressing individuals to the entire audience allows guests to feel seen, heard, and important.

Tip 6: Be Yourself

Regardless of your previous experience, the audience is there because they believe you can add value to their life through an online event. If you typically talk with your hands when you are passionate, allow that to come through online. It’s easy to feel the pressure of being on screen, but genuine people are much easier to engage with online and in real life.

Finally, remember that people connect with stories; if you have personal insight you can share to relate to the content, it’s likely to make a bigger impact than sharing facts and data alone.

We hope this helps you feel more confident to improve your presence online to better engage a virtual audience. If you do need additional guidance for an upcoming event, virtual or otherwise, we are here to help.

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