The Red Wagon

No More Lineups

Online event registration has often given the illusion that it will streamline things on the event day but I rarely see it in action. Why is it that a registered and paid attendee still ends up waiting inline to "check-in"? Oh man that bugs me! Okay - so let me play "opposite George" on this one and see if I can defend the value of the event-day check-in: How else will we know if they've arrived? What about their name badge? We have to get them their name badge! We need to give them their welco...

Promo FAIL

In preparation for this year's conference we’ve been brainstorming on ways to spread the word and continue building the brand of CREATIVEMIX. Some of the questions we’re asking are: Should we do the 100% recycled coffee sleeves again (they were cool, useful, but were a lot of work to distribute)? What about posters? Facebook ads are so 2007, should we just tweet our blog posts instead? How can we generate love and web traffic for those who help spread the word? Do you think people would join an ...

Reduce and Reuse

Here's an excerpt from the eBook eleven and a half: Clearly we’re going to get to the idea of green event planning but I want to kick off this section with a simple plea: stop the noise. One of the underlying themes behind the recent trend of sustainability is the call to de-clutter and simplify as much as possible. The call to reduce the flow of useless information, both verbal and written, belongs at the core of any green or eco-friendly event planning strategy. The justification for this...

Now That’s a Gift

I've got a LOT to say about incentives and corporate gifts (let's just say I'm tired of branded pens, frisbees, and stress balls) but I thought I'd start this category off with a suggestion: if you're going to encourage your clients to give a gift to their guests, speakers, or dignitaries make sure you check-out Saul Good Gift Company and make it a gift worth giving. Our consumer society wastes a tremendous amount. With billions of tonnes of garbage going to the landfill every year not only d...

My Gift to You

I know there's a lot options out there for online event registration systems but in my mind there's only one company that I recommend to my clients and that's GiftTool.com. Seriously - event planners should have VERY high standards for their ecommerce solutions, I know I do, and I see to many event professionals waste their time with providers that give them sub-par services. When it comes to price, service, reporting, support, security, and usability I am constantly amazed with GiftTool. Sur...