Nov
21
Obamamania causing venue shortages in DC.
November 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Presidential Inaugurals are always a big deal, but January’s inauguration of incoming President Barack Obama may be the biggest so far. Locations for Parties and Balls in and around the District of Columbia are running out fast, so fast that apparently Oprah hasn’t found a facility yet.
“November 5th, all hell broke loose,” said Kay Williams, director of booking and partnerships for the new Harman Center for the Arts, two blocks from Pennsylvania Avenue. “The first group came through the building, looked around and said, ‘We want it.’ We told them we would put it on hold until we had the deposit. They said okay, picked up the phone and called their office and asked for a wire transfer. They walked out and 10 minutes later, another person with a check came in and I had to say they missed it.”
Two days before the election, the J.W. Marriott, conveniently situated on Pennsylvania Avenue, sold its $1 million “Build Your Own Ball” package to an undisclosed buyer. It includes two presidential suites, two vice presidential suites, 300 guest rooms, a $200,000 credit toward food and drinks, exclusive access to a 12th-floor terrace covered by a heated tent, and a party for 450 guests. Yesterday the Ritz-Carlton dangled a few perks and baubles for guests who buy a $99,000 “Red, White, Blue and Green” package: four-night stay in a presidential suite, first-class round-trip airline tickets (with carbon-offset emissions credits), 24-hour on-call chauffeur in a luxury hybrid vehicle, two tickets to an official inaugural ball, seating for two at the inaugural parade and a four-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.
Planners like Jenna Mack of Event Emissary are doing double duty: managing bookings for spaces like, in Mack’s case, the Mellon Auditorium and seeking out locations for clients looking for a place to party. The bigger the group, the harder it gets. Mack has two clients who wanted the Mellon, but it was booked. With just two or three large venues left downtown, she has noticed an escalation in prices.
One site, not far from Pennsylvania Avenue, which she put a hold on for a client, was $24,000 to rent one week, then $36,000 the next, she said. “Everyone knows that people are getting desperate,” Mack said. “And because the economy’s so bad, the events industry has been hit very, very hard. The inaugural is kind of the one shot the events industry has to help make up for December and what we think will be a bad spring.”
Nov
20
“Everything Events Social” brings together brides and vendors.
November 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Sponsored by Everything Events of Providence, RI. the event will take place January 23, 2009:
The Everything Events Social is a unique event where vendors and brides can mingle in a relaxed and fun environment. The interactive set up gives brides and their friends a chance to experience what the area’s best vendors have to offer in a lively and fun way. Along with traditional wedding vendors; products, services, and ideas for everything from the bachelorette party to after the wedding will be showcased. Attendees will enjoy a fun girls night out and experience their event before they plan it. The interactive experience will leave attendees saying, “I have to have that at my next event.”
Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too. The event will feature a cabaret performance from JM Kennedy Entertainment, and magic by Chris Pratt. Activities include Dave & Buster’s games, performers, demonstrations, food, and more. Doors & raffle registration open at 6:00pm. To learn more about the event call (401)868-4498.
Tickets are $7.00 online or $10.00 at the door (cash only). Raffles will take place throughout the evening. Prizes include gift backets, $100.00 gift certificates to Fleming’s, and much more. A percentage of the proceeds from the raffle will benefit Plan USA.
Nov
19
Air Force gives The Main Event contract.
November 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
From the Kansas City Business Journal:
The Main Event won a $1.8 million contract to provide management services to the U.S. Air Force for 26 conferences a year for three years.
The Lee’s Summit-based company is a national conference, meeting and event-planning company founded in 1995. The contract is for conferences in locations throughout the United States, the first of which is in Washington in January.
Nov
19
Green meeting association having troubles.
November 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Association for Green Meeting and Events never incorporated:
According to the Georgia secretary of state’s office, Canton, Ga.–based AGME reserved its name on July 21, 2008, but never filed the paperwork to become incorporated. AGME’s registration of the name expired on August 20. Loriann White, CMM, AGME’s co-founder, president, and chief innovation officer, and a former regional vice president at site selection firm ConferenceDirect, claims the organization is, in fact, incorporated, but with regard to its 501(c)(3) status, she says, “We’re holding off.”
AGME promotional materials lists a program for certification in green meetings and events as an important member benefit, and, in July, White reported that the certification would launch at the group’s first meeting, August 24–27, 2008, in Long Beach, Calif. However, the meeting was canceled and the certification program has not yet rolled out. White says the soft economy, high cost of air travel, and members’ difficulty getting time away from the office contributed to low registration, which forced the meeting cancellation. She said 32 people registered for the event, all of whom have received a refund. The certification program is expected to launch in 2009, according to White, who says she has had preliminary discussions with area universities about how AGME might work with them on the program.
Other stated AGME member benefits include e-newsletters, which have not been published, and online educational webinars. White says she held her first AGME webinar on October 31 to an audience of 96.
The association continues to accept memberships but has not invoiced recent recruits, says White, who claims AGME now has 362 members. The cost for membership is $99 per individual per year, with discounts for multiple members from a single company.
“We grew so fast, too soon. We need to take a step back. … It was kind of a blow to have people leave at a key time,” says White, referring to the July 2008 resignations of her key executives, including co-founder Hadley Laughlin, founder of Plan-it Friendly LLC; chief knowledge officer Michele Wierzgac, CMM, principal with Chicago-based Michele & Co.; vice president of membership Mary Jane Myers, national sales manager, Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, based in Atlanta; and Dallas Teague Snider, LeadReferrals Consulting & Marketing Services, who handled communications. None would comment on their reasons for leaving, but White called it a “miscommunication” and a “difference of opinion.” She said, “They were moving in one direction, and we were moving in another.” According to White, several new officers have signed on with the organization, including Vicky Penchosky, ConferenceDirect and Donna Nealey, The Facility Group.
White says she will be revamping the organization in January, and while “the mission and vision will be the same,” she says AGME needs “to start fresh.”
Read the rest of the story here.
Nov
18
Eloquets to hold Event Planning Seminar
November 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Well, if you’re in the area…
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Holiday Inn Express of Southfield will host an Event Planner Seminar from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m Saturday.
The seminar, called “Who Wants to be an Event Planner?,” is for aspiring event planners, consultants and coordinators. Attendees will gain the basic knowledge needed for event planning.
Sessions include marketing, business etiquette, budget planning, event coordinating, time management, vendor procurement, customer retention, creativity and design.
The event will include a lunch, giveaways, a certificate of completion, ongoing mentorship and membership discounts from associations.
For more information or to register, call 866-784-1610.
You can also get more information at Eloquets.com
Nov
18
Tent Pole Thieves Caught On Tape.
November 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
File this under “stupid criminal tricks.”
Police are looking for two people behind a pair of large-scale thefts of aluminum and other materials from a company in Montgomery County. Police say the thefts happened at Pottstown Tent Rental on Zara Drive in Limerick Township on September 25 and November 4.
In each break-in, police say the thieves used a large U-Haul rental truck and took aluminum tent parts. The stolen items are valued at more than $40,000. Police say security cameras captured images of one of the thieves in the second break-in.
Click here and scroll to the end of the story to see the video.
Nov
16
Ahern Rentals 3rd Quarter Revenue Up.
November 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Who says there’s a bad economy? Not Ahern Rentals, who report a 13% increase in revenues in the third quarter:
For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2008, overall revenues were $293 million, up from $244.7 million for the same period in 2007, an increase of 20 percent.
The company, in its 10-Q quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said same branch revenues in the quarter increased 12 percent while three new branches that have opened since the third quarter of 2007 accounted for an additional $1.5 million in revenue for the quarter.
Ahern also said the increased equipment rentals and related revenues resulted from an increase in the number of units available for rent. The company said capital expenditures have increased the average original cost of its rental fleet to $815 million in 2008 from $650 million in 2007, offset by a decrease in the average dollar utilization to 44 percent in 2008 from 48 percent in 2007. In addition, Ahern said average rental rates decreased 5 percent and the average time utilization for high-reach equipment was 70 percent for 2008 compared to 72 percent in 2007.
Nov
16
Charities use special events to raise money.
November 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Colorado Springs Gazette: Parties with a purpose
Such special events have become a popular way for nonprofits totry toraise sorely needed funding. About half of all charities in the nation host special events, according to Charity Navigator, a Mahwah, N.J.-based industry evaluator.
But a special event is nothing like throwing a birthday party for a 4-year-old.Special events are labor intensive and require months - if not years - of manpower from staff and volunteers.
And unless they’re properly orchestrated, special events may not be profitable enough to make the effort worthwhile, industry experts say. On average, charities spend $1.33 to raise $1 in contributions from special events, according to a 2007 Charity Navigator study.
Despite the potential for problems and the poor odds of getting a hefty monetary return on the investment, nonprofit organizations say special events are worthwhile because they raise awareness about what an organization does and help draw new donors.
“Anyone will tell you an event is the one of the hardest ways to make money because there’s so much planning and detail, but at the end of the night, people enjoyed themselves, know more about your organization and feel more strongly about your cause,” said Rochelle Schlortt, spokeswoman for Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs.
Nov
13
A little less lavish in Hollywood
November 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Hollywood is cutting back:
Don’t expect all the usual trimmings on the Hollywood party circuit this holiday season.
Showbiz party planners have begun to scale back soirees as part of industrywide belt-tightening. Several congloms have cancelled their holiday bashes, while others are simply toning down the revelry. After-preem bashes are also being reassessed in this economy.
“It would be foolish if we weren’t taking a look at it,” one studio exec said.
However, scaling back preem parties is especially tricky for studios, which are bowing their biggest awards contenders in coming weeks. Number crunchers may not feel like celebrating right now, but studio execs maintain that it’s in their best interest to give these pics a nice sendoff.
“We still need to make a splash,” said one studio event planner. “We still need to make our filmmakers and talent happy.”
The big challenge is how to wield the budget ax in a way that won’t alienate the A-list or compromise the promotional value of the event. One catering exec who’s done scores of premieres says he’s being asked to do more for less, and the only choice is “to get creative” when the food budget is cut.
Nov
3
United Rentals closing 61 branches.
November 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
They’re still a pretty big company though…
United Rentals, Greenwich, Conn., said it will likely close 30 more branches in the fourth quarter, which will bring the total branch closings in 2008 to 61. The announcement came during the company’s third-quarter conference call on Wednesday.
“[Closing] 61 branches is a significant reduction. It represents nearly 10 percent of our entire network. Of our branches that we’re closing, 20 percent of the fleet will be sold off and about 80 percent will be repurposed, which will help keep our capital expenditures down in 2009. I want to emphasize that even with these branch closings, our footprint is still significantly larger than any of our competitors,” said Michael Kneeland, CEO of United Rentals.
United Rentals last week also reported rental revenue of $677 million and total revenue of $873 million for the third quarter 2008, compared to $718 million and $990 million, respectively, for the same period last year.
Income from continuing operations was $74 million for third quarter 2008, compared with $111 million for third quarter 2007. The company said the decline in income primarily reflects the impact of continued softness in the company’s end markets, as well as increased interest expense of $26 million pre-tax following the company’s preferred and common share repurchases earlier in the year.
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