tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80232480363975078242012-02-16T08:28:07.530-08:00Event LoungeCommunication strategies to increase the efficiency of your event.Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-87055106755767369262011-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:002011-01-20T19:10:30.589-08:00A 4AM Wake Up Call To ActionMy phone rang at 4:13am this morning. I didn’t answer. The person called two more times and then decided to leave a voice mail.
“Hi Stephanie, it’s Bob. I wanted to let you know that my flight to Boston has been delayed. I have the banners that you requested and I was hoping that you could change my hotel reservation…”
This is obviously an event-related call, however I’m not currently workingStephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-83446896194986224092011-01-01T22:33:00.000-08:002011-01-02T15:23:42.030-08:00What a Year! ... 2010 in ReviewThanks to Lost Broccoli for posting her 2010 in ten, three-word sentences and inspiring me to do the same. Happy New Year!
1. NYE in Vancouver.2. Canada takes Gold.3. Moved to Seattle.4. Explored Kauai extensively.5. Worked many festivals.6. Started new blog.7. Tried out Twitter.8. Love Social Media.9. 30th birthday meltdown.10. Engagement on Christmas.
New adventures ahead.
What is Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-39114656338929393142010-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:002010-12-08T09:18:12.915-08:00Get a ‘W’ on your next Virtual Event250 guests + 1 convention center room + 4 60” plasmas + 1 college campaign +1 custom podium + 1 balloon drop + 1 videographer + 1 pianist + 1 mascot + 2 speakers + heavy appetizers = A typical event.
Many of us can execute an event of this caliber in our sleep…
Add in a second venue 5 hours away complete with another production crew, 9 plasmas, a marching band, confetti canon, and a webcast Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-26640842813864524952010-12-02T06:02:00.000-08:002010-12-02T06:02:57.407-08:00Not to be missed Vitamin D Enhanced EventsI'm having a difficult time remembering what it feels like to have the sun hit my face. It's dark when I leave for work in the morning and dark on my commute home. With only 8.5 hours of daylight, it's easy to get depressed and allow the Winter Blues to consume your life.
In the Northwest, Winter months make for a great time to bake, read, and eat way too many carbs. Although I'll be Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-19773386687455695692010-11-30T11:43:00.000-08:002010-11-30T11:43:40.637-08:00Your Personal Assistant: Get the Most Bang for your Buck
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A week ago I wrote a post titled: The $250 Investment that will Save your Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-51887529712440531632010-11-26T06:15:00.000-08:002010-11-26T06:15:00.314-08:003 Event Experts You Should Know! - Part 3In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for all of the amazing event professionals I have had the privilege to work with over the past 10 years. This week I will highlight 3 event professionals from all over North America who have influenced my career tremendously. I sat down with them to hear about their most challenging event mis-communication and their perspective on Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-23129031891393655392010-11-24T06:15:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:13:35.471-08:003 Event Experts You Should Know! - Part 2In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for all of the amazing event professionals I have had the privilege to work with over the past 10 years. This week I will highlight 3 event professionals from all over North America who have influenced my career tremendously. I sat down with them to hear about their most challenging event mis-communication and their perspective on Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-76585115189012214782010-11-22T15:46:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:12:46.285-08:003 Event Experts You Should Know! - Part 1In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for all of the amazing event professionals I have had the privilege to work with over the past 10 years. In the next 3 posts I will highlight 3 event professionals from all over North America who have influenced my career tremendously. I sat down with them to hear about their most challenging event mis-communication and their Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-45392596376750164062010-11-17T21:20:00.000-08:002010-11-17T21:20:00.294-08:00ECEC10 Welcomes New #Eventprofs Member With Open ArmsThe following is a guest post from Carolyn Ray. I met Carolyn about a month ago on Twitter. She suggested a Skype call to discuss our mutual appreciation for event communications. We had a great conversation. I was so impressed with her passion for event planning, ability to build relationships, and willingness to jump in to help her colleagues. When she mentioned that she was attending Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-45803403465456332832010-11-16T06:56:00.000-08:002010-11-16T06:58:53.919-08:00The $250 Investment that will Save your Event $1000'sImagine this: Your event is in full operational mode. You're responding to a radio call and text message simultaneously while wolfing down lunch. Sound familiar? This is the normal speed for an Event Manager. But what happens when you are physically needed in three places at once... A vendor requests accreditation delivered to the front gate, you need to facilitate a volunteer orientation, Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-78009817922791628702010-11-12T07:16:00.000-08:002010-11-15T21:05:38.121-08:00We Live In Public; How It Affects Your Professional RelationshipsLast night I watched the movie, We Live in Public. If you like technology, social media, or appreciate a good documentary, I highly recommend it. The movie tells the story of Josh Harris' life as the "greatest Internet pioneer you've never heard of." Harris dreamed about the Internet before it existed and facilitated multiple Big Brother type experiments to prove "how [society will] willingly Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-3613012116903786662010-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:002010-11-10T06:30:00.335-08:00Your Hot Event Deal...Free Admission Day - Portland!The Japanese Garden is opening their doors for free tomorrow, Thursday, November 11th from 10AM-4PM. For more information see the Portland Japanese Garden site.
If you don't live in the Portland area, stay at the ACE Hotel. Take advantage of the HotelChatter.com "Stick It To The Man" discount and take 10% off your stay and 10% off at other local independent shops in Portland.I really enjoyed Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-88703311650196633192010-11-08T05:37:00.000-08:002010-11-08T12:41:34.100-08:00Event Radio Etiquette: Comments That Anger Event AttendeesAs a self-proclaimed radio geek, I love everything having to do with 2-way radios. Radios are a fundamental communication device at any event site. They simplify the operational process by allowing event managers to communicate with their entire team with one transmission.
Depending upon the type of event, location, and number of radios, communication protocol will differ. One thing that should Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-84667111251813126552010-11-04T12:00:00.000-07:002010-11-04T14:02:44.005-07:003 Simple Steps To Your Event Communication Gold MedalThe Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games hosted 15 sports played by 2,700 athletes at 11 venues. 25,000 volunteers and 1,000 staff welcomed approximately 2 million spectators over 17 days.
For those 17 days, I was hidden behind pipe and drape working with 25 managers and 250 volunteers to execute the Olympic on-venue operational communication plan.
I had nearly 2 years to create this strategy. Your Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-26627524985977585012010-10-27T11:30:00.000-07:002010-10-31T23:05:00.809-07:00WARNING: Event Lounge has been Kickstarted!
Events go through a lifecycle that includes the sales process, design, production, and evaluation. One of the companies I worked for was divided into 2 teams: The design team and the production management team. The designers were the dreamers and the production team had to figure out how to implement their dreams. I've always been on the production team. As a get-it-done, spreadsheet oriented, Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-58912276481727946732010-10-06T09:30:00.000-07:002010-10-06T09:38:13.818-07:003 Simple Ways to get a Referral1. Be in the right place at the right time A few weeks ago, I was at an event and the emcee was doing a great job. Having emcee'd an event myself, I know how difficult and thankless of a job it can be. I decided to complement him on his work. He appreciated the praise and mentioned that he rarely gets constructive feedback. After a bit of smalltalk I went back to enjoy the event. Later that Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-6197644598351721792010-10-01T14:25:00.000-07:002010-10-31T23:15:02.386-07:00Your Hot Event Deal...Free Night of Theater!It's fun to attend events that I'm not working on. Many times I spend half the night analyzing what the Event Coordinator did or did not do correctly, the type of decor chosen or the timeline of the program. Sometimes this 'analyzing' is voiced a critique. It is for this reason that non-event professionals hate attending events with me.
Enjoying an event as a spectator allows me the Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-83148966810697241182010-09-22T11:23:00.000-07:002010-10-31T23:15:52.917-07:00The Disaster You're Not Planning For
Plan for the worst; Hope for the best...this is what my Event mentors taught me. So what is the worst that can happen at an event? Natural disaster, protest, earthquake, power outage, fire, suspicious package, bomb threat...these are all things that make my heart skip a beat.
What if one of these disasters happened on your watch? Event attendees and staff will be looking to you for Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-27204361921633960142010-09-09T15:59:00.000-07:002010-11-09T07:44:14.227-08:00How to Keep 'Em Interested in Your Presentation - Guest PostThe following is a guest post from François Duguay, CHRP; HR Learning and Development Partner at CHC Helicopter. I met François in Vancouver while working for the Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC). At VANOC, he was a Training Consultant and we worked together in Venue Communications. I was so impressed by his ability to engage an audience, I asked him to Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-52398229676176395432010-08-30T12:45:00.001-07:002010-10-31T23:17:44.244-07:00Top 10 - How Working a Festival is like Attending Summer Camp
I love the opportunity to work a festival. The fresh air, hanging out with old friends and the excitement of the unknown. These things bring me back to my childhood roots.
Just like my summer camp counselor trained me to be at peace with nature, I feel my best when I'm on-site at a festival. It is for this reason that I came up with:
The top 10 reasons working at a festival is like Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-12500916948311284432010-08-25T16:39:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:08:09.336-07:00Top 5 Event Management HeadachesThe other day I was approached by a non-event professional. He mentioned that he had never planned an event before and he was impressed by my background. I told him that surely he organized a party or get together for family or friends? He laughed and replied he had never planned an event where there were porta-potties. So, fellow event managers, I guess that is what separates us from the Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-85503992955478808352010-08-23T20:42:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:08:40.178-07:00Last Chance: Sensational Summer FestivalsIt always seems like the winter months slog along slower than I'm able to pop vitamin D, but the summer flies by faster than a Blue Angel during the Seattle SeaFair.
If you feel like you haven't hit enough festivals this summer check out Travel and Leisure's article showcasing sensational summer festivals that are not to be missed.
Their highlights include: Moab Music Festival, Chicago Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-44921256210519683372010-08-23T19:30:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:09:06.398-07:00Enhance your porta-potty experienceQuestion: How do you enhance a porta potty experience for female attendees while contributing to a worthwhile cause?
Answer: Portajane.com
Female friendly features:The Hands-Free Recirculating Flush Toilet
Locking Kit
Mounted Mirror
Coat and Handbag Hangers
The Manicure Friendly Door Handle
Door Mounted Hover Bar
Vanity Shelves
Soap and Towel Dispensers
Hygienic Hands-Free Water Flowing Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-42228957833018673652010-08-22T14:51:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:09:43.726-07:00Increase brain efficiency with a game of TETRIS!
As a planner it's vital to remember all of the logistics for your next event. Would you believe that playing an old school video game would help you remember event details or does it sound too good to be true?
The study from the Mind Research Network for Neurodiagnostic Discovery has proven that playing Tetris for 30 minutes a day leads to greater brain efficiency.
Play for free at Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-67079920986216692342010-08-19T21:05:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:10:31.433-07:00What's on YOUR concert rider?
A concert rider is a list of requests (technical and hospitality related) that is part of the artist's contract.
What's on your concert rider? Would you request a bowl of M&M's with a color removed? Van Halen didn't want the brown ones and Aerosmith couldn't look at the the green ones. Maybe you've heard about Madonna requesting a brand new toilet seat or Rihanna's need for a white couch Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-14622885857803926682010-08-19T10:34:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:11:24.610-07:00Spain Rampage: An Event Managers PerspectiveHow do you measure when an event has crossed the line from providing the 'wow' factor to jeopardizing the safety of your attendees? Do you think bullfighting should be banned or is it up to the event manager to create new safety parameters to maintain a safe environment?
According to an article written by Theunis Bates on AOL:"Spain is currently divided over whether the bloodier form of Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-44442098402158089682010-08-18T09:47:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:12:16.451-07:00Burning a man at a festival? Interesting objective.Burning a man at a festival? Interesting objective.
If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard about the annual Burning Man Festival check out this article: What is Burning Man? posted on the 2010 Burning Man Festival website. The festival is scheduled to take place August 30-September 6th and has been running since 1986. Over the course of time the (burned) man has grown from 8 feet Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-11966369970479060752010-08-17T14:38:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:13:59.948-07:00Traveling in Montana
I love the opportunity to soak in the local event production culture while traveling. Seeing an original tent structure, the latest truss rig or a creative lighting look gets me all geeked out.
Last week I traveled to Montana to visit family and stumbled upon two festivals.
Dayton Days - August 2010 in Dayton, MT - Idle Spur Bar
Symphony in the Park - August 8, 2010 in Missoula, MT - Caras Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-47689428121642498242010-08-16T10:27:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:21:48.947-07:00Next stop...Singapore!
The island of Singapore has recently generated lots of press due to the Youth Olympic Games. The government is taking advantage of this buzz in an effort to increase their hospitality and tourism industry.
If you are a foodie like me, the Singapore Food Festival would be my first stop. The festival boasts cooking classes, restaurant promotions and lots of samples of local cuisine.
After a Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-62578149210356811982010-08-14T14:54:00.000-07:002010-08-14T14:54:44.148-07:00Up to your eyeballs in event logistics? Need a laugh?Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-76725355839324199992010-08-12T10:40:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:16:10.867-07:00Dance Party at Sasquatch...love it!Sasquatch music festival 2009 - Guy starts dance partyThis makes me grin from ear to ear...
Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-41623021217006902732010-08-10T13:59:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:16:40.629-07:00Dress up candle votives with a household item
I love this idea. This is a cheap and easy way to dress up the candle votive for a low budget event.
6 New Uses For Parchment Paper | Real SimpleStephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-22940931485111930542010-08-10T12:51:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:17:23.603-07:00Singapore hosts the first ever Youth Olympic GamesHave you had Olympic withdrawals since Vancouver's closing ceremony? If the answer is yes, you're in luck! The Opening Ceremony of the first ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is just a few days away.
The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will receive some 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with estimated 1,200 media representatives, 20,000 Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-51505897302729520882010-08-10T11:08:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:18:02.974-07:00Go Big or Go Home
Kazakhstan is the home to the biggest tent in the world
Any production manager or technical director can tell you about the challenges of hosting an event in a tent. Rigging points, water ballasts and creative decor are just a few of the elements an event manager has to think about. Can you imagine the logistics that would go into a 150 meter (492 feet) tall tent? Kazakhstan did.Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-88074476120119454532010-07-29T10:28:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:18:40.515-07:00All eyes will be on London for the next 2 years
The London Organizing Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games recently celebrated a big milestone...two years left until Opening Ceremonies.
I remember when VANOC celebrated the one year out mark. First we celebrated, then we realized what we were celebrating...the calm before the storm. Thankfully we had a leader who was able to motivate us through these tough milestones, CEO Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023248036397507824.post-60650455635701143622010-07-27T11:42:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:19:19.428-07:00Welcome to the lounge!
This is a blog for Event Managers to “talk shop” and get valuable feedback from other event professionals. We’ll discuss the hottest trends and tricks of trade. We’ll start discussions about creative ideas and recommended vendors in the industry.
Who is the lady behind the lounge? I’m one of you! Yes, I am an event geek who eats, sleeps and dreams about the details of my next gig. I’ve Stephanie Garbaczewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10021266147505140165noreply@blogger.com0