The Red Wagon

Getting Paid

Starting a small business is tough and the hardest part for most entrepreneurs is managing their cash flow. One thing I’ve learned in starting my own event management company is that when it comes to cash flow you need cash, without it there’s no flow. I’m hilarious. The trick is getting paid! If you’re not a small business owner you might not find that statement all that profound but for those of us who “live the dream” and are making a living one contract at a time it’s epic. Here’s som...

FREE is a Dirty Word

I’m convinced that the most offensive word in the event business is “FREE”, specifically when it refers to free admission for an event. Unless you’re new to capitalism, I think you’d agree that the word “free,” more often than not, communicates a lack of value. Whether or not an event can handle a zero-dollar ticket is often beside the point. What is, in fact, being communicated when no monetary commitment is required for an event is that expectations should be low. When someone registers or ...

My Favourite Event Biz Blog

I get asked this question a lot: Are there any good event planning blogs out there? My answer is short: Yes, there's one. Okay, clearly that's not true--it can't be. The event business, like nearly every other industry, is flooded with blogs, discussion forums, and the like; but the reality is that I haven't come across many that I feel are helpful, interesting, or well written. I have not searched the Web exhaustively but the one that stands out to me as the best event industry blog is EventMan...

Visualize This!

Okay, here's a shout out to Western Canada's best production company: Rocky Mountain Production Services. I've hired these guys for numerous events, the largest ones being the Camp Moomba Yogathon & Blissfest and the Lululemon Flip Flop Soiree, and they hit it out of the park. Sure their pricing is great but really it comes down to service - their team creates the best possible A/V environment for my events. They manage the stage and technical aspects with such effortless precision that they...

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Most people agree that wine is probably the most sophisticated social drink in the world. And though I don't produce many social events, when I do, I take the decision regarding the wine supplier very seriously. When I produce an event with alcohol service I focus on quality verses quantity, I only work with distributors who are active in the community, and like all my supplier decisions I insist on working with really, really, really nice people. This past summer I had the privilege of manag...

All Aboard!

If you're in the hotel biz then cover your eyes. The truth be told is, if I go to another event in a hotel banquet room I think I'm going to lose my mind. I realize they have their benefits, the least of which is the convenience for out-town guests, but I really don't think event producers should put them on their venue A-list for locally attended events. When it comes down to it, I'm a big fan of alternate venues... I love seeing a unique space turned into an amazing event destination. For e...

Zigzag

Welcome to the Red Wagon Management blog. This blog is dedicated to those professionals who are committed to producing the most creative, strategic, and systematic event management imaginable. If this describes you then you already know that you're not travelling in the same direction as so many other event planners out there. There seems to be a common practice of simply helping making events "happen" instead of creating a memorable experience for attendees and remarkableresults for the clie...