You’re engaged! Now what?

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Getting engaged is an exciting moment! It’s a time filled with joy, love and celebrations. But once the celebrations subside and the dust settles, it’s time to get into serious planning mode. So how can you plan your dream wedding and keep the process as stress-free as possible? The team at Novotel Twin Waters Resort share their tips.

Establish a timeline

The first and most important thing you’ll want to put in place is a timeline for planning your wedding. Your timeline will establish the different stages of planning. It will dictate when you organise different components of the day so that it doesn’t come to the month before the wedding and you still have a tonne of things to plan. Here’s a rough timeline that can help you get started with your wedding prep.

10 – 12 months to go

In the initial stages of planning, you’ll want to establish your budget, pick a date, develop your guest list and lock in your venue. Once you have a venue and guest list in place, send your save the dates.

6 – 8 months to go

Now’s the time to think of a theme for your wedding. Think of the decor, lighting, colours and floral arrangements that you want for the big day. Once you have decided on the style you would like for your wedding, find your vendors and communicate any necessary information they might need for the day. Find a caterer, book your photographer and select the right audiovisual team to create the perfect style for your wedding.

4 – 6 months to go

At the 4 month mark, you’ll want to have your transportation organised. Pick your celebrant and figure out arrangements with them. Book your music and entertainment, appoint an MC, start organising your invitations and choose your attire for the day.

2 – 4 months to go

Send your invitations, decide on the decorations you would like and prepare the logistics of your ceremony.

1 -2 months to go

Organise your marriage license, confirm your final guest count, prepare speeches and toasts. If it’s a sit down dinner, consider organising a seating plan. Don’t forget to try on your wedding garment to make sure it fits!

1 week to go

Finalise all your transport, guest list and seating plan. Confirm the speaking arrangements with your MC and celebrant and finalise arrangements with your vendors. You should have everything organised by this stage, so it’ll be a matter of finalising all your arrangements and making sure everything is ready for the day.

On the day

Put a friend, family member or wedding planner in charge of keeping the day running smoothly so that you and your partner can spend it enjoying yourselves.

Looking for a stunning location to hold your wedding, with all your planning and styling taken care of? Check out Novotel Twin Waters Weddings & Events.

If you’re looking for an audiovisual team that can create the perfect experience for your wedding day, contact AVPartners today.

Conferences are evolving – are you up to date with these conference trends?

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When running a conference, the most important thing to nail is keeping your audience engaged. A dull and slow-moving event can leave your guests bored and frustrated, while a lively and captivating atmosphere can boost awareness for your brand and create a more memorable experience for your event guests.

Successful audience engagement comes down to how well you can keep your guests not just interested, but delighted throughout the entirety of your event.

These new conference trends are helping event planners do just that.

Multisensory events

In the past, conference planners haven’t gone out of their way to energise the senses in their event design and agenda. While most events do provide stimulus for most of the senses – for example through food, entertainment, speeches and decorations – event planners are only recently paying close attention to how they can use the senses strategically.  More and more events are using knowledge on the five senses to engage their audiences and drive their event goals home. We’re seeing more immersive lighting shows, life-size games and visually unique food offerings, all of which are used to enhance event messaging.

Daytime into night

While this type of binary event isn’t completely new, the way it is being executed is starting to change. For a while now, we’ve seen events transition from one venue to the next, with the first event concentrating on the icebreakers, presentations and activities and the last on networking, dinner and entertainment.

Now we’re seeing more event planners execute both daytime and nighttime events in the one place. Many are transforming daytime conferences into a gala dinners within the same event space. This is a perfect way to reignite energy into your room and keep your guests engaged from daytime to night. Running a binary event in the one venue has proven to create a memorable experience for guests, while keeping costs down.

Hybrid events

A hybrid event is an event which has a virtual component to it. As technology continues to advance, we’re seeing this trend more and more. Event planners create their in-person event as well as engage an online audience through live streams and digital seminars. Providing an online experience to accompany your event is the perfect way to grab the attention of a wider audience of people who might be unable to attend in person on the day. It can present your brand to people who would have missed out otherwise.

Digital immersion

Event technology is evolving at a rapid speed. We’re now seeing technology used to entertain, captivate and shock. Virtual and augmented reality, digital holograms and drone technology are changing the way people experience events. Virtual and augmented reality are being used to create an immersive experience for guests and to heighten event branding. Digital holograms are being used for entertainment and to provide the wow-factor, and drones are being used to film highly immersive event videos.

If you would like to boost audience engagement through AV technology at your next event, contact AVPartners today.

What to do after your event to ensure its ongoing success

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The success of an event doesn’t need to be dictated by what happens on the day alone. Yes, everything should run smoothly on the day, your guests should be engaged and you’ll want to make sure you meet your event objectives. However, an event’s success can extend well beyond the actual day.

Even a successful day can be tainted by a lack of post-event follow up and evaluation. So here’s what you can do to ensure the success of your event after the event itself.

Follow up

Following up with your guests after your event is an important way to let them know that you care about them. A follow up can be as simple as thanking them for attending on your event’s Facebook page or sending an eDM that reinforces your event objectives and says thank you.

Post-event evaluation

Undergoing a post-event evaluation is the best way to analyse what went well and what you can improve on next time. It can help you identify areas where you might be able to tighten up your budget and things you missed that you might like to include in your event next time around.

Feedback surveys

What a post-event evaluation might miss, feedback surveys can make up for. Who better to analyse your event than the event guests themselves? Asking your guests to answer questions about the different aspects of your event can help you to view your event from the perspective of your guests. This type of analysis can really help with improving the event experience at your next event.

Showcasing your event on social media

Social media is one of the best ways to communicate information effectively and efficiently to a wide audience. It is also a great way to show-off your event, boost brand awareness and build anticipation for any upcoming events. Showcasing your event on social media might include sharing footage from the event, developing and sharing an event video that showcases the event’s highlights, or creating and sharing a photo album from the day.

Provide a next-step

Whether it’s on social media or via email marketing, providing a next step for your guests is a great way to keep them engaged with your brand and event. It can also increase the likelihood of guests attending your future events. Provide one simple call-to-action in your communications with guests, for example “Visit our events page to find out what’s coming up” or “Sign up to our mailing list to stay in the loop”.

If you would like to maximise the experience at your next event, contact AVPartners today.

Using colour to help deliver and enhance your event message

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Professionals in neuroscience, interior design and advertising know very well the impact colours can have on our mood and how we experience things. Colours can excite, provoke action and can even encourage concentration. So how can event planners make the most of colour at their events?

While there isn’t one magic colour to use in events that will evoke a positive response from event attendees and make your event memorable, studies have shown that different colours can ignite different emotions in people. So depending on your event objectives, you might want to consider using certain colours to drive home your messaging.

Using colour in your event decor and lighting can influence the way your guests engage with your event and can create a memorable experience. Here’s how colour can make an impact on your event delegates:

Cool colours

Cool colours including blue, green and violet generally have a calming effect on people. Blue is a cool colour that is often used at corporate events. This is no coincidence. The colour blue relaxes people and studies have shown that it can help with focus and concentration. It can stimulate clear thought and put people at ease. Consider using the colour blue in your event decorations to create a calm atmosphere. You can also use blue lighting during event activities to improve guests’ attention spans and encourage concentration. The colour green can have a similar effect on our emotions. It is reminiscent of nature, and can therefore have a soothing effect on people.

Warm colours

Warm colours like red, orange and yellow create feelings of warmth and positivity. These colours remind us of warm weather and carry an energetic feeling with them. Red in particular has been proven to stimulate the mind and enhance our heart rates. It is a colour that can influence us to act. Consider using the colour red to communicate your event messaging throughout your event. It can be used in your event banners, in your decorations or on your screens.

Incorporating colour

Colour can be incorporated into your decorations, stage set and lighting. While the colours used in your design and decorations will be fixed throughout the duration of your event, you can use different coloured lighting throughout your event to enhance and complement any event styling. This helps to create different moods and experiences for your guests. Utilising different colours throughout your event can keep your guests engaged and entertained.

If you would like advice on incorporating colours into your next event, contact AVPartners today.

Are smartphones helping or hindering your event?

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Whether we like them or not, smartphones have become an important part of our daily lives. They are used to aid with various tasks including shopping, getting from one place to another, scheduling plans and setting reminders.

People spend hours each day scrolling, checking emails and social media notifications. Wondering what this means for your event? Chances are most, if not all, of your attendees will arrive at your event with smartphone in tow. They are hard to ignore. So it might be time to address the elephant in the room – the sea of smartphones in your event space.

So are smartphones just another distraction for guests to be swallowed up by? Or can they help with your event outcomes?

The disadvantages

There is no doubt that smartphones can be distracting. They can divert attention away from your event sessions. Disengaged guests won’t experience your event for what it is, potentially harming your re-attendance rate.

If you were to have a no-smartphone policy at your event, your guests would certainly have fewer distractions and might be more engaged throughout the event. Whether this is a realistic and productive request is less certain.

The advantages

Smartphones have become a huge part of events. When it comes to event planning, there seems to be a smartphone app that can help with every aspect of organising and running an event. Whether it’s organising ticket sales, sharing your event agenda or facilitating a networking platform for guests, there’s an app for pretty much every stage.

There are several apps on the market, both free and with subscription costs, including Eventbrite and Ticketbud for ticket sales, Whova for attendee networking and Pathable for developing and sharing your agenda – just to name a few.

Smartphones also provide your event with an opportunity for marketing and promotion. Never underestimate the power of your guests taking selfies at your event, using your event hashtag online, live tweeting or checking-in on social media.

If you can’t beat them, join them

Smartphones are an integral part of everyday life. While they might be distracting and addictive, they can serve the really important purpose of helping you reach your event outcomes. They can be used to simplify logistical tasks, engage guests and build an awareness for, and at, your events.

So, if your main objective is to run a seamless event with good occupancy, it might be time to embrace what smartphones have to offer.

If you would like advice on social media for your next event, the AVPartners team can help. Contact us today.

The secrets to a successful event hashtag

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Hashtags have become an important way for event planners to create a buzz around events. Think of the last conference or event you attended. Chances are a hashtag was used. So what exactly are hashtags and why have they become so popular in the events industry?

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), which makes it a searchable link. Most commonly used on applications and social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, hashtags give users the ability to organise or ‘file’ online conversations. When a user clicks on a hashtag, they are able to view all other discussions which use the same hashtag.

Why use a hashtag for events?

An effective hashtag can improve the reach of your event. It can help build anticipation surrounding the day, drive more ticket sales and boost awareness for your brand. An event hashtag also helps drive engagement throughout the event itself. Attendees can post about your event using the hashtag to signal that they are part of the conversation about your event.

There are 4 factors that make a great hashtag:

1. Unique

An effective hashtag will be unique to your brand and event. This will ensure that your event and brand doesn’t compete with other unrelated posts which use the same hashtag. Before settling on your hashtag, make sure to do a quick search across social media to make sure it hasn’t been used before. Examples may include #GFWS2018 or #vividtaronga which are time or location specific.

2. Succinct

Short hashtags are effective because they are memorable and get to the point quickly. They also remove room for typo errors, particularly when your event guests will be required to type the hashtag out.

3. Playful

Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, a hashtag which is playful and uses a bit of light humour may do the trick. A good example of this is Red Bull’s #PutACanOnIt campaign. The campaign used the catchy hashtag #PutACanOnIt to encourage people to take photos of their Red Bull cans in interesting locations. This strategy encouraged engagement amongst their audience and successfully created a buzz around the brand.

4. It has no hidden meaning

This is a really important one. Triple check your hashtag before sharing it. Remember, your hashtag will display without breaks between the words, so new words might form in the amalgamation. Check for any embarrassing words or messaging that may have been created. While you will want to build reach, you won’t want to bring attention to your event for the wrong reasons!

Broadcasting your hashtag

To really make the most of your hashtag before, during and after your event, it’s important to include it on all of your promotional materials, and make sure it’s in full view for guests throughout the event. Use audiovisual (AV) technology to keep your hashtag front and centre throughout your event. By projecting your hashtag on your stage, screen or even on the walls of your event space, you can encourage real time conversation about your event on social media. With your hashtag in full view, your event guests will be encouraged to include it in their tweets, live videos and other social posts.

Contact us today to set up the AV at your next event.

How to transition from day to night events

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Day events, such as conferences and seminars, can be intense for guests. They’re often packed full of presentations and activities, requiring a lot of concentration. After a day of listening to speeches, participating in workshops and engaging in rich discussions, a gala dinner is the perfect way to cap off an information-intensive day.

So you want to transform your daytime event into a nighttime event? Here’s how to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Choose the right venue

You’ll need a venue that can accommodate both your daytime and nighttime needs. You won’t necessarily need two entirely separate event spaces, however, you will need enough room, and preferably two areas within the venue to move people between. To make the transition as seamless as possible, usher your guests into a standing room and provide canapes while the conference room is transformed into a gala dinner space. It’s important to consider accessibility between the spaces. Is there a ramp or elevator that can accommodate guests with mobility difficulties?

Change the setting

The best way to wow your guests from day to night is to make the setting new and vibrant. By changing your event setting with a new floor plan, lighting and decorations, you can bring new energy into the room. Impress your guests with attractive table centrepieces and bold decorations.

Consider your seating arrangement

While your daytime event space might have involved a simple layout, for instance rows of chairs facing a stage, your nighttime event can (and should) have an entirely new seating arrangement. As the name implies, a gala dinner usually involves a sit-down dinner for your guests. So consider a layout with round tables to evenly distribute your guests throughout the room, ensuring each guest will have a clear view of the stage. Remember the position at which each guest is seated will dictate the way they experience your event.

Prioritise sound quality

Just as important as it is to prioritise your table settings and seating plans, you’ll want to hire the right professionals to ensure the sound is perfect for both events. A team of experts like the team at AVPartners will make sure that sound is fine-tuned for each event according to each of their specific requirements.

Engage your guests visually

After a long day of listening to presentations and speeches and taking in lots of information, your guests might feel a little fatigued. The best way to re-engage them during your gala dinner is to excite the senses with colourful lighting and a visual presentation. After the sun sets, you have a great opportunity to bring bright lights and colour into your event space.

If you need help transitioning your event from daytime to nighttime, speak to the AVPartners team today.

The easiest ways for your event to reach all corners of the country…or globe!

Want to reach more people at your next event?

Your event doesn’t need to be confined to the walls of your event space. Using the right tools and technology, you can grow your next event so that it reaches people all across the country… and even the world!

The trick is to get people involved and engaged online. Here’s how to do it.

Choose the right webcast technology

Running a webcast of your event is the perfect way to encourage people who are unable to attend your event in person to get involved. Webcast technology can be incorporated into your event plan from the very beginning of your planning process. To make sure your online guests feel involved on the day, prioritise your webcast just as you would prioritise choosing your event space, organising your seating plan and planning your guest list. To really embrace your online guests on they day, consider having your MC and speakers address them directly.

A great AV team like AVPartners will use state-of-the-art technology to put the guest experience first. AVPartners will also step you through the planning process and ensure that your webcast is set up in a way that allows people from anywhere in the world to attend.

Use live polling

Live polling is a great way to engage with your online audience on the day of your event. It can be used during your Q&A session or anytime throughout the event to keep your guests from around the country and globe interested and involved.

Use an event app

Using an event app can strengthen the involvement and engagement of your online event guests. Apps like Whova and Grupio can keep your attendees up-to-date with your event agenda and special event announcements. Some apps even offer surveys and contests to engage online attendees as well as networking capabilities to help your online guests socialise with each other.

Create an event hashtag

Using a hashtag is a simple way to encourage online conversation about your event. A hashtag that is exclusive to your event can help you to build brand awareness with the people that matter by igniting discussion about your event across social media.

Make an event video

Using the right video technology can really bring your event to life online. By choosing a team of experts to create your event video, you can build a buzz around your brand and build anticipation for the next time your event is held. Sharing an event video online is also a great way to display the experience of your event with people in other cities and countries.

Share your event on social media

Social media is the perfect tool to create a buzz before, after and during your event. Social media is global in nature so using it gives you the ability to reach people far and wide. Leading up to the event, social media can be used to share content that builds anticipation for the event to attract online attendees. Posting live video snippets and images during the event is a great way to include people online. Sharing some highlights after the event is a great way to build buzz for the next time you run your event.

Contact us today to set up video and webcast technology at your next event.

Things to consider when planning a stage set

An outstanding stage can really bring an event to life. A stage is the focal point of an event, so it should reflect your theme and purpose, and should be eye-catching enough to maintain your guests’ attention. There are several things to consider when planning a stage set. Here are five:

Practicality

Staging is all about using space wisely to create a focal point, to express brand messaging and to enhance performances or speeches. There are a few basic rules for making a stage functional. It needs to be easy to navigate for the people using it – think of how your entertainers and speakers will get on and off the stage during your event. In order to ensure the smooth running of stage performances and appearances, make sure to create a simple layout and have a clear entry and exit point. It’s also important to consider the positioning of the stage. Remember, it will need to be viewable from every section of the event space to maximise the experience for all guests.

Budget

The stage is the section of your event space that will be viewed the most by your attendees throughout your event, so it’s important to make it memorable and engaging. Your stage set should be given enough consideration and budget to make it spectacular.

Customisation

Think outside the box. A stage doesn’t have to be a rectangle fixture on one side of your event space. It could be a round structure in the middle of the room. It could be an aisle running directly through the seating plan. The more unique your stage design is, the more likely it will wow your guests and create an event to remember.

Branding

As the focal point of your event, your stage can be used as a branding mechanism. Include the right colours, lighting and decor to reflect your branding so that you can build awareness for your business and make a real impact on your guests.

Technology

Your stage set should have a layout that can accommodate your lighting fixtures, your screens and the event’s entertainers and speakers. It should be positioned so that your audio can fill the event space without anything obstructing it. Consider all viewpoints if setting up a screen and use lighting strategically to convey your branding and to wow your guests.

Talk to us today to find out how you can create an outstanding stage set at your next event.

How poor sound quality can affect your event

What is an event without sound?

Whether it’s in the form of music, speeches, presentations or more, sound is a crucial part to any event. It’s what informs, educates, and entertains your guests; evoking emotion, cause and action. Without it, you would struggle to get your event message across clearly to your guests.

Microphone mishaps, audio delays, or broken sound are just a few of the sound issues that can occur, and have the ability to make or break your event.

So, how can poor sound quality affect your event?

Your guests

Your guests come to your event expecting to be impressed, so it’s a real let down when things like audio fail to meet their expectations. Poor audio can leave them feeling underwhelmed, and can also give them a negative impression of your business, brand, or event purpose.

Your business or brand

With poor audio, your event message may not have had the desired effect or cut-through with your guests, which can make the whole event feel like a waste of time and resources. It can make you appear under prepared and unprofessional which means that guests will be hesitant to do business with you in future.  

Your team

When people work with you at events – be that employees, volunteers, suppliers, sponsors or vendors – they are putting their faith in you and expect a good outcome. When that doesn’t happen, it can actually make them look bad and hurt their reputation, even if they had nothing to do with the issue.

Your future events

If people weren’t impressed at your last event, it’s unlikely they’ll return to the next one. They may even spread the word about how unimpressed they were which means other people may not attend who weren’t even directly affected by the last event!  

Bottom line is – the result of poor sound quality at your event can have lasting effects.

So, how can you ensure that the sound at your next event is without fault?

Hire a professional audiovisual (AV) team

Without the right expertise, things can and do go wrong. A knowledgeable and experienced AV technician knows how to get the balance right to ensure sound is clear, consistent and at the right volume. They’re also on hand to organise, manage, and control it throughout the entire event.

A great AV technician will make adjustments on their sound board to smooth out variations and distribute a more consistent level of sound from speaker to speaker, or song to song, as your event progresses. They can also tune the sound to combat any complications in the acoustics of the event space and amplify the output signal from the speaker to the loudspeakers at the right volume for your audience.

Hiring an in-house AV team, such as AVPartners, can be a fantastic option as in-house teams know their venues well, can offer you a wealth of knowledge and experience, and can tailor audio options to suit your event.

Contact us today to discuss the sound at your next event.