Memorial Day 2013

Memorial Day is a day to honor, remember and thank all those who have served and those still serving, but especially for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives to make us all a little bit safer as well as to preserve our freedom and way of life. As you gather around with your family and friends this weekend, take a moment to remember and honor our veterans. They truly are our heros!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Planning ... Negotiations and Contracts

NEGOTIATION AND CONTRACTS
Facility negotiations sound serious, but they don't have to be intimidating. These are important conversations because negotiations build relationships, which will lead to contracts. Contracts are serious business and when you, as a planner, enter into a contract, you want to be sure you have all the knowledge and information you need. Keep in mind that negotiable items and practices vary between areas of the country, so what may be standard procedure on the East Coast is not necessarily the same on the West Coast....and vice versa.

HOMEWORK PAYS OFF!
Before you begin negotiating, you need some tools! If you've done your homework (refer to the May 13 blog article), you'll be set! You need your meeting profile or prospectus, a history of your meeting or event, the value of your meeting to the facility (your budget), and a profile of your group. If you know your requirements, they will dictate the specific items you can negotiate.

NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE WIN-WIN
Don't get bogged down in sleeping room rates! Rates are only one item that can be negotiated. The list of negotiable items may be as long as you want ...it never hurts to ask! But, in order to have a successful meeting, negotiations should be a win-win process. For example, if you get the hotel to provide complimentary meeting room space, but in order to afford this, the hotel cuts back on service staff for your meeting...who wins?

CONTRACTS
The most important things to remember are that contracts should be written with an equal amount of risk for both parties, and that all your discussions are put into writing so there will be no confusion when it's time for your event. Be sure that everything is in order before you sign the contract. It's a legally binding document. Once signed, most contracts will incur a significant financial penalty if you fail to perform to the written agreement.

Chihuly Gardens & Glass Anniversary Celebration!!

Chihuly Gardens & Glass is celebrating its first anniversary from this Saturday, May 18 through Tuesday, May 21. The celebration includes performances, wine tasting, painting with Dale Chihuly for the children and a myriad of other activities. There's a complete schedule on their website. Cost of admission to Chihuly Gardens & Glass includes the cost of the performances!

Can you believe it's been a whole year? It you haven't seen this uniquely Seattle venue and museum, you really have to go. This one should be on everyone's "can't miss" list.  Happy Birthday!!

Planning ... Site Selection For Your Event

MASTERING THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS

SELECTING THE SITE
Decision time...if you have done your homework, you will be armed with information that will help you make good decisions about your site selection. Once your needs are identified, you must match them with the sites that can handle them. Determine the geographic location that best suits your event...the United States, the West Coast, the Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada... These are all decisions that determine from whom to request proposals.

RESOURCES TO SELECT THE SITE
You can call upon many resources to help you determine the best location for your event. Once you have narrowed the possibilities, you will be ready to make some comparisons and decide. Use the expertise of travel agents, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, professional planners—anyone who you feel understands your needs.

MEETING PROFILE
Develop specifications and requirements for your meeting. This is sometimes referred to as a "Meeting Profile." This will be the natural outcome of your Needs List. It may be as simple as, "I need a room and meals for 30 people on this date, at this time." It might include preferred dates, number of sleeping rooms, meeting rooms, types of food functions, range of acceptable rates, exhibit requirements, and special needs of your group. The more information you can provide, the better chance you have of getting what you want. Many groups provide a detailed history of their event or meeting and the monetary value it has to a property. The profile becomes a request to all sites you choose to bid on your business. Once bids begin to come in, the planner can begin the evaluation and elimination process. After selecting an appropriate number to consider—and that number is up to you—it is recommended that you conduct site inspections.

SITE INSPECTION
A site inspection is the best time to ask questions and get a good look at what each facility has to offer. It will be important for you to identify the property that can best meet your space requirements and the level of service you will need. Request references from groups with similar attendance and requirements, then contact them.

LEGAL ISSUES
Depending on the type of facility you're considering, make sure to check that they have the necessary permits. For example, a venue in a mostly residential area might need to have a conditional use permit allowing them to hold events. Or zoning may restrict the hours events can be held. Make sure any boats or other waterborne vessels are Coast Guard certified for the number of passengers you want to include. Making sure your i's are dotted and t's crossed can save you potential problems and help protect you from liability issues.

5th Avenue Theatre – "Dinner's On Us!" Group Program

Our friends at the 5th Avenue Theatre are pleased to announce a "Dinner's On Us!" package for groups of 10 or more for select performances of The Pirates of Penzance! Pirates runs from July 11 through August 4, so plan now!
Groups of 10 or more receive a gift card to Gordon Biersch with their orders to The Pirates of Penzance.
• The package* is $49 per person and includes show ticket to The Pirates of Penzance and a $25 gift card to Gordon Biersch (valid on food and alcohol).
• Orders are available by phone only at 888-625-1418
*Package good for select seating sections and dates.

"Long before Johnny Depp swaggered his way across the Caribbean, a band of swashbuckling (but tenderhearted) pirates set hearts aflutter with their high seas hijinks. This cheeky farce fairly explodes across the stage with damsels in distress, a sexy Pirate King, a delightfully dotty Major-General, and a score you will hum all the way home."

Event Security – When and How

We've been looking forward to today's ISES Seattle meeting and the panel discussion of large scale events. Although most of our discussions in the office have centered around the impact of cancellations of big events, Monday's tragedy in Boston turns our focus to event security. I think we all agree that there's no way to plan for, or shield against, absolutely all possibilities – and still remain a free society. But we certainly must explore all the facets and means of keeping our events safe and secure.

We found an excellent article by Dan Petrovic on Michael McCurry's blog and think you might find it interesting.

"What Event Organizers Need To Know About Security Planning"

"Security planning is a crucial component of the event planning process, especially when the event involves a large number of people. Planning an event with no security has been tried before, and it often results in tragedy. The most famous example of an event that had a lack of security planning is the Altamont Free Concert of 1969.

"The road manager of The Rolling Stones decided that the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club could handle keeping the crowd safe and away from the stage. The result was a violent night filled with extensive property damage, dozens of injuries, three accidental deaths, and one stabbing. Event security is certainly not something that can be made up on the fly and it requires careful planning.

"Security planning takes careful consideration that depends on what kind of event is being planned, the layout of the facilities, and how many people are expected to attend. If the event is simply overwhelmed with security staff, this could negatively affect the image of the event, or inconvenience the people attending the event. By identifying potential threats, security can be focused on the areas that will most likely require their attention.

"One way to do this is by creating a risk assessment matrix. A matrix can be created by ........."

To read this excellent blog article in its entirety, CLICK HERE.

Creative Ice On The 2013 World Ice Art Championship Team !!

Seattle's own father and son team, Steve and Justin Cox of Creative Ice, traveled to Fairbanks last month to participate in the World Ice Art Championships. They joined Steve and Heather Brice, Alaskans with multiple world championships, to compete in the multi-block ice art competition. Their ice sculpture "Hunting Dragons" WON 1st Place in the Realistic division!!  To top off an extraordinary showing, they also received the Artists Choice award! We've had the pleasure of working with the Cox family for 20+ years and always knew they were champions! Now so does the rest of the world! CONGRATULATIONS!! We're awestruck. It's gorgeous and amazing.

Imagine what Steve and Justin can do for your next event!

From Steve...
"Here is our first place, realistic, sculpture "Hunting Dragons" at the 2013 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska. With captain, and 15 + World Champions, Steve and Heather Brice , Justin Cox and myself Steve Cox, we competed for 6 days, 15 hours a day. Each team had 50,000 pound of ice to sculpt, temp was from -15 to +40, a little warmer than we would have liked. This was my fifth trip and Justin's first, and our first gold!
Thank You Steve and Heather,Ice Alaska, and all the great carvers from around the world for an EPIC adventure."

All images and time lapse video via Ice Alaska and Steve Cox