Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide To Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events

For event planners, there’s no such thing as a dress rehearsal!
Any event you plan and stage is a reflection of your organization’s image — from the initial invitation to onsite operations. Whether you’re planning a product launch, conference, sales meeting, an incentive event, or a gala fund–raiser, remember that the magic of a truly memorable event is in the details, but so is the devil. Whether your event is for 50 or 2,000 people, whether it has a budget of a few thousand dollars, or hundreds of thousands, it has to be perfect. Fully revised and updated, Event Planning, Second Edition, gives you a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair and without any unexpected surprises and expenses. This unique book is loaded with practical advice on:Choosing the best venuePreparing and managing the budget, with sample costing forms includedScheduling, staffing, and collaborating with other related professionalsCoordinating food and beverage, décor, entertainment, and themes.
It’s still the comprehensive guide that it always has been, but much has changed in the industry in recent years, and this new edition of Event Planning includes:Changes in security planning since 9/11Innovations in technology and how they can improve – or ruin – an eventHow to stage an environmentally friendly eventNew and updated examples and case studies of where things went right – and wrongEvent Risk Assessment – What You Need to Consider before ContractingHow keep your budget on target and where to find hidden surchargesWays on how to ease airport stress and make air travel  a pleasurable part of the participant’s event experienceWhen and When Event Planners and their Suppliers will need Work VisasWhat you need to include in your client’s event history in order to design your next eve nt so that it maximizes your client’s return on their event investmentA companion website with downloadable versions of the checklists, additional forms and tools, author Q&A, and more at www.wiley.ca/go/event—planning.
What you don’t know or know to ask can have a major effect on the success of your event and on your budget. Event Planning takes you behind the scenes and through every aspect of organizing and executing a successful event: the planning stages, timing and logistics, budget preparation, operations, and on–site management, providing practical tools for anyone who has to plan and execute a truly special event:Corporate in–house event plannersPublic relations and communications companies, and their clientsMarketing and corporate communications professionalsFund–raisers and not–for–profit organizationsProfessionals in the hospitality and entertainment industries.Business professionals in charge of planning and handling their company’s events
Praise for Event Planning 
"Allen is a good teacher. Wise planners will add Event Planning to their personal reference library as a useful working guide."
—Meeting Professional Magazine
"A blueprint for executing events for 50 or 2,000, with budgets of a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands."
—Success Magazine
"Event Planning will save beginning event planners from plenty of heartbreak and headaches."
—Lisa Hurley, Editor, Special Events Magazine
"Event Planning gives readers a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair. Consider the book as preventative maintenance."
—Sales Promotion Magazine
"A guide to well planned events. Event Planning is a must for any PR maven."
—Marketing Ma gazine
"This book will be a help to all event planners, from rank beginners to seasoned professionals. It provides excellent guidelines as well as helpful details."
—Katherine Kossuth, Director of Operations and Special Events, Canadian Film Center
For downloadable versions of the checklists, additional forms and tools, author Q&A, and more, please visit our companion website at www.wiley.ca/go/event—planning.

Spis treści:
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
Chapter 1:The First Steps: Initial Planning and Budgeting.
How Much Can You Spend?
The Purpose of the Event.
Initial Planning.
Visualization.
Budget Breakdown.
Chapter 2: Organization and Timing.
Critical Path.
Function Sheets.
Timing Is Everything.
The Time of the Day and the Day of the Week.
Date Selection,
Chapter 3: Location, Location, Location.
Site Selection.
Location Requirements.
Hotels and Convention Centres.
Restaurant, Private Venues, Catering.
Location: Q&A.
Theatres.
Tents.
Contracts.
Gala Openings in New Venues.
Chapter 4: Transportation.
Limousines.
Motor Coaches.
Parking Transportation: Q&A.
Chapter 5: Guest Arrival.
Weather Considerations.
Arrival & Weather Considerations: Q&A.
Fanfare.
Fanfare: Q&A.
Registration: Guest Pass Security and Ticket Pick–up.
Registration: Q&A.
Chapter 6: Venue Requirements.
Staging, Audio–Visual, Lighting.
Staging, Audio–Visual, Lighting: Q&A.
Room Requirements: Q&A.
Chapter 7: Who′s It All For?
The Guest List.
Invitations.
Media.
Media: Q&A.
Children At Your Event.
Chapter 8: Food and Beverage.
Menu Planning.
Staffing.
Chapter 9: Other Considerations.
Entertainment.
Entertainment: Q&A.
Photograp her.
Photographer: Q&A.
Themes and Programs.
Final Touches.
Conclusion.
It′s A Wrap.
Applause! Applause!
Your Next Event.
Appendix A: Sample Cost Sheets.
Appendix B: Sample Payment Schedules.
Appendix C: Sample Function Sheets.
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
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 bringin